Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC New York, New York 10282 As Representatives of the Several Underwriters Ladies and Gentlemen:
Exhibit 1.1
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC.
$750,000,000 4.900% Senior Notes due 2030
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March 11, 2025
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport Services, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named in Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 4.900% Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”). The respective principal amounts of the Notes to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Notes are to be issued under an indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated March 1, 2019, by and among the Company, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport, Inc., as guarantor (the “Guarantor”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (successor-in-interest to ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as further supplemented by a second supplemental indenture, to be dated as of March 13, 2025 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture as supplemented to date, the “Indenture”). The Notes will be guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by the Guarantor (the “Guarantees”). The term “Notes,” when used herein, includes the Guarantees where applicable.
As the Representatives, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Guarantor.
The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270011) in respect of the Notes and the Guarantees, including a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), has been prepared and filed by the Company not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, in conformity with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements of, and comply with the conditions for the use of, an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 under the Act. Such registration statement, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement” and became effective under the Act upon filing with the Commission. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the Notes and the Guarantees and filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof. The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by each preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date (as defined herein), neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12. As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 2:55 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means (a) any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, relating to the Notes and the Guarantees in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Act, and (b) any Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus to the extent not otherwise an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.
“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule II to this Agreement.
“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means (a) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus, and (b) each electronic road show presented on March 10, 2025 and March 11, 2025, whether or not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act.
(c) Each of the Company and the Guarantor has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement (the “Subsidiaries”). Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with all power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined herein). The outstanding shares of capital stock, limited liability company interests, partnership interests or other ownership interests, as the case may be, of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock, limited liability company interests, partnership interests or other ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(d) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(e) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Notes, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. Each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, comply or will comply as to form with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time filed with the Commission, conformed in all respects to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, as of its effective date and as of the Closing Date, do not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not, and will not, omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, do not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not, and will not, omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12.
(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the Notes, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
(g) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any General Use Free Writing Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) under the Act.
(h) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act and (iv) at the date hereof, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration form.
(i) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Notes and (ii) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), each of the Company and the Guarantor was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company or the Guarantor be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Notes and the Guarantees as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
(j) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act, and present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted principles of accounting (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. All disclosures, if any, contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act that are not included as required. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(k) PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).
(l) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.
(m) There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before any court or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would either (i) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”), except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(n) The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries occupy their leased properties under valid and binding leases conforming in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and have paid all taxes indicated by such returns and all assessments received by them or any of them to the extent that such taxes have become due. All tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial statements of the Company, and the Company does not know of any actual or proposed additional material tax assessments.
(p) Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company or the Subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and the Subsidiaries have no material contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company’s financial statements which are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(q) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents or (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound, except solely with respect to this clause (ii), for any such violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof and thereof (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale of the Notes (including the Guarantees) to the Underwriters) will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, or of the certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents of the Company or any Subsidiary or any law, order, rule or regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction.
(r) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by each of the Company and the Guarantor of its obligations under, this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Guarantor, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantor.
(s) Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under the Notes and the Guarantees. The Notes (including the Guarantees), when issued, will be in the form contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and when delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”); and the Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(t) Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Indenture. The Base Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). The Base Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, and duly executed and delivered, by each of the Company, the Guarantor and the Trustee, and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The Supplemental Indenture has been duly and validly authorized by each of the Company and the Guarantor and, on the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantor and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
(u) The Notes (including the Guarantees) and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and will be in substantially the respective forms filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement.
(v) The statements under the caption “Certain Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the extent that they constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, legal proceedings or legal conclusions, are correct in all material respects.
(w) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company and the Guarantor of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Notes for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(x) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries holds all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities which are necessary to the conduct of their businesses; the Company and the Subsidiaries each own or possess the right to use all patents, patent rights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names, copyrights, license rights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their business in all material respects. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has infringed (except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), and none of the Company or the Subsidiaries have received notice of conflict with, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company has taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure interests in such Intellectual Property from its contractors. There are no outstanding options, licenses or agreements of any kind relating to the Intellectual Property of the Company that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described in all material respects. The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not so described in all material respects. None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any written or oral communications alleging that the Company has violated, infringed or conflicted with, or, by conducting its business as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, would violate, infringe or conflict with, any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company knows of no infringement by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company.
(y) Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.
(z) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the Guarantees contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Prospectus, will be an “investment company” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(aa) The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and there has been no change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(bb) The Company has established and maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
(cc) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(dd) The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental body (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(ee) (i) None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or its Subsidiaries is (A) currently subject to or the target of any sanctions administered by the federal government of the United States of America (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”)) or the U.S. Department of State (including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, the United Kingdom (including, without limitation, His Majesty’s Treasury), or other relevant sanctions authority with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, “Sanctions”) or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine (each, a “Sanctioned Country”)); (ii) the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any individual or entity or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions; or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering of the Notes, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise); (iii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country; and (iv) except as otherwise permitted by law, since April 24, 2019, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not knowingly engage in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of the dealing or transaction, is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(ff) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses.
(gg) No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any trade or business which together with the Company would be treated as under common control for purposes of Title IV of ERISA or Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan (excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption) that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period); (iv) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (v) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the PBGC or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its Subsidiaries.
(ii) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.
(jj) There are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act which have not been described as required.
(kk) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law, which violation is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Exchange Act.
(ll) The Notes constitute “senior indebtedness” as such term is defined in any indenture or agreement governing any outstanding subordinated indebtedness of the Company.
(mm) No Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(nn) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has: (i) used any Company funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office from Company funds; (iii) taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of (A) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, (B) the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or (C) any other anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit; and the Company, its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(oo) There has been no material security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would result in, any material security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; and the Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes.
On the basis of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, the Notes in the respective principal amounts set forth on Schedule I hereto from the Company at 99.189% of their principal amount.
Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, and in such denomination or denominations and registered in such name or names as the Underwriters request upon notice to the Company at least 36 hours prior to the Closing Date, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriters, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer (same day funds), to such account or accounts as the Company shall specify prior to the Closing Date, or by such means as the parties hereto shall agree prior to the Closing Date. Such delivery of and payment for the Notes shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ at 9:00 A.M., New York time, on March 13, 2025, or at such other place, time or date as the Underwriters, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, may agree upon, such time and date of delivery against payment being herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” The Company will make such Notes available for inspection by the Underwriters at least 24 hours prior to the Closing Date.
3. Offering by the Underwriters.
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Notes as soon as the Representatives deem it advisable to do so. The Notes are to be initially offered to the public at the respective initial public offering prices set forth in the Prospectus. The Representatives may from time to time thereafter change the public offering prices and other selling terms.
4. Covenants of the Company and the Guarantor.
The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, covenant and agree with the several Underwriters that:
(a) The Company will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, (ii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations and (iii) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below).
(b) The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed only to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule II hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 163, 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(c) The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Notes, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall provide the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(d) The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees shall have become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement, (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for any additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(e) If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes and the Guarantees, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable (if such filing is not otherwise effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462 under the Act), and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes and the Guarantees to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the notice under Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Notes and the Guarantees shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.
(f) If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
(g) The Company agrees to pay the required filing fees to the Commission relating to the Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act.
(h) The Company will cooperate with the Representatives in endeavoring to qualify the Notes and the Guarantees for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose; provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Notes.
(i) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required under the Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representatives, at or before the Closing Date, such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(j) The Company will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with applicable law.
(k) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Notes at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any applicable law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with applicable law.
(l) The Company will make generally available to its securityholders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail, complying with the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 thereunder and will advise you in writing when such statement has been so made available.
(m) During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to the Closing Date, without the prior written consent of each of the Representatives, the Company will not offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company (or guaranteed by the Company) or the Guarantor (or guaranteed by the Guarantor) that are substantially similar to the Notes.
(n) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Notes as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use, the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Notes in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.
(p) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
5. Costs and Expenses.
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Guarantor under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting fees of the Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; any roadshow expenses; the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the Indenture, the Blue Sky survey and any supplements or amendments thereto; the filing fees of the Commission; any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes; the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Notes made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation in Section 1(b); the expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Notes and Guarantees under State securities or Blue Sky laws; and the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including fees and expenses of counsel for the Trustee. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriters’ expenses (other than those related to qualification under FINRA regulations and State securities or Blue Sky laws) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 10 hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on its part to be performed, unless such failure, refusal or inability is due primarily to the default or omission of any Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Notes or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company shall not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Notes.
6. Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Notes on the Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof, as the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantor contained herein, and to the performance by each of the Company and the Guarantor of its covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), 430A, 430B, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to their reasonable satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Notes.
(b) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.L.L.C., counsel for the Company and the Guarantor, dated the Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters (and stating that it may be relied upon by counsel to the Underwriters), to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Arkansas, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement; the Guarantor has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; the Company and the Guarantor are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Guarantor have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company; and, to such counsel’s knowledge, the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Guarantor is owned free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims, and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into any shares of capital stock or of ownership interests in the Guarantor are outstanding.
(ii) The authorized capitalization of the Company is as set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package); the authorized shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized; the outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
(iii) Except as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding securities of the Company convertible or exchangeable into or evidencing the right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of capital stock of the Company and there are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants or rights of any character obligating the Company to issue any shares of its capital stock or any securities convertible or exchangeable into or evidencing the right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of such stock; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holder of any securities of the Company or any other person has the right, contractual or otherwise, which has not been satisfied or effectively waived, to cause the Company to sell or otherwise issue to it, or to permit it to underwrite the sale of, any of the Notes or the right to have any Notes or other securities of the Company included in the Registration Statement or the right, as a result of the filing of the Registration Statement, to require registration under the Act of any securities of the Company.
(iv) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order proceedings with respect thereto and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Act.
(v) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto and document incorporated by reference therein comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, as applicable and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder (except that such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements and related schedules contained or incorporated by reference therein). The conditions for the use of an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been satisfied.
(vi) The statements under the caption “Certain Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, legal proceedings or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by such counsel and are correct in all material respects.
(vii) Such counsel does not know of any contracts or documents required to be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not so filed, incorporated by reference or described as required, and such contracts and documents as are summarized in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are fairly summarized in all material respects.
(viii) Such counsel knows of no material legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ix) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale of the Notes to the Underwriters) do not and will not (A) violate any of the terms or provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the Guarantor, or (B) result in a breach of, or default under, any of the terms or provisions of any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries may be bound, and which has been filed by the Company with the Commission. Such counsel is not aware of any material agreements or instruments of the type described under (B) of the preceding sentence, other than as have been filed by the Company with the Commission.
(x) No approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body is necessary in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (other than as may be required by FINRA or as required by State securities and Blue Sky laws as to which such counsel need express no opinion) except such as have been obtained or made, specifying the same.
(xi) Neither the Company nor the Guarantor is, and neither the Company nor the Guarantor will be, as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus, required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.
(xii) Any required filing of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act has been made within the time period required by Rule 433(d) under the Act.
(xiii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(xiv) Each of the Company and the Guarantor has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under the Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees; the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantor and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
(xv) The Notes and the Guarantees are in the form contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes have each been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee and due authentication and delivery of the Notes by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture), will constitute the valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions; and the Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(xvi) The Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
In addition to the matters set forth above, such opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that nothing has come to the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that (A) the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (B) the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (C) the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need express no view as to financial statements and related schedules and other financial data therein). With respect to such statement, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.L.L.C. may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.
(c) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(d) The Representatives shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof and the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, of PricewaterhouseCoopers confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(e) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantor contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date;
(iii) All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;
(iv) He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and such General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(v) He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment;
(vi) He or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date, the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change in or affecting (A) the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (B) the ability of the Company and the Guarantor to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
(f) The Representatives shall have received on the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date a certificate signed by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Representatives, certifying certain disclosure in each electronic road show presented on March 10, 2025 and March 11, 2025.
(g) The Representatives shall have been furnished with such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.
(h) Subsequent to the earlier of (i) the Applicable Time and (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (A) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating of the Notes or any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, and (B) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Notes or of any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Representatives and to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date. In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof).
7. Indemnification.
(a) The Company and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, agree:
(i) to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, its officers and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or affiliate or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (C) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company and the Guarantor will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12; and
(ii) to reimburse each Underwriter, each Underwriter’s affiliates and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or affiliate or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Notes, whether or not such Underwriter, affiliate or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Guarantor may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Guarantor, each of their respective directors, each of their respective officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or the Guarantor or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company, the Guarantor or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 7, such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 7(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 7(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 7(a) or (b). In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by such Underwriter or affiliate or any such controlling person in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a) and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Notes. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Guarantor on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Notes purchased by such Underwriter, and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 7(d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 7 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(f) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Notes and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 7.
8. Default by Underwriters.
If on the Closing Date any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the principal amount of the Notes which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company), you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company such principal amounts as may be agreed upon, and upon the terms set forth herein, of the Notes which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the principal amount of the Notes agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective principal amounts of the Notes which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the Company or you as the Representatives of the Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company, except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 8, the Closing Date may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
9. Notices.
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: Registration Department, Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇.▇▇▇ and ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk; or if to the Company or the Guarantor, to ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport Services, Inc., 615 ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Corporate Drive, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Arkansas 72745, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.L.L.C., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: C. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇. and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, III, Esq.
10. Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company (a) at any time prior to the Closing Date if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the execution hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto), the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) since the execution hereof (A) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity or crisis on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (B) any material change in economic or political conditions, if the effect of such change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (C) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American or the Nasdaq Stock Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on any of such exchanges, (D) the enactment, decree or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in your opinion materially and adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, (E) the declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York State authorities, (F) any downgrading, or placement on any watch list for possible downgrading, in the rating of any of the Company’s or the Guarantor’s debt securities or any securities guaranteed by either of them by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), (G) the suspension of trading of the Company’s common stock by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Commission, or any other governmental authority or (H) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your reasonable opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; or (b) as provided in Sections 6 and 8 of this Agreement.
11. Successors.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and the Guarantor and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the affiliates, officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Notes from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
12. Information Provided by Underwriters.
The Company and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of the information set forth (a) in the first and second sentences of the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and (b) in the third sentence of the sixth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.
Each of the Company and the Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction among the Company and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, (b) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or the Guarantor, (c) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Guarantor with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or the Guarantor on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company or the Guarantor except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (d) each of the Company and the Guarantor has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. Each of the Company and the Guarantor agrees that it will not claim that any Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or the Guarantor, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
14. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
15. Survival Clause.
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or the Guarantor or their respective directors or officers and (c) delivery of and payment for the Notes under this Agreement.
16. Governing Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
17. USA Patriot Act
In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), certain of the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow such Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Section 18, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (a) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (b) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (c) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (a) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (b) Title II of the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
[Signature Pages Follow]
If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us your counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company, the Guarantor and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ TRANSPORT SERVICES, INC. |
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/s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Name: |
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer |
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ TRANSPORT, INC., |
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By: |
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Name: |
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Treasurer and Assistant Secretary |
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. LLC
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As a Representative of the several
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. LLC
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By: |
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Name: |
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Title: |
Managing Partner |
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC
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As a Representative of the several
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC
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By: |
/s/ Som ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Name: |
Som ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Title: |
Executive Director |
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SCHEDULE I
Schedule of Underwriters
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Underwriter |
Aggregate Principal Amount of Notes to be Purchased |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC |
$ | 165,000,000 | ||
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC |
165,000,000 | |||
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BofA Securities, Inc. |
75,000,000 | |||
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Truist Securities, Inc. |
75,000,000 | |||
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PNC Capital Markets LLC |
60,000,000 | |||
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Regions Securities LLC |
60,000,000 | |||
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BOK Financial Securities, Inc. |
30,000,000 | |||
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Comerica Securities, Inc. |
30,000,000 | |||
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Commerce Brokerage Services, Inc. |
30,000,000 | |||
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Huntington Securities, Inc. |
30,000,000 | |||
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC |
30,000,000 | |||
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Total: |
$ | 750,000,000 | ||
SCHEDULE II
Final Term Sheet relating to the Notes filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the 1933 Act
Free Writing Prospectus
Filed pursuant to Rule 433
Relating to
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated March 11, 2025 to
Prospectus dated February 24, 2023
Registration Statement No. 333-270011
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport Services, Inc.
$750,000,000 4.900% Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”)
PRICING TERM SHEET
Dated March 11, 2025
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Issuer: |
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport Services, Inc. |
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Guarantor: |
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport, Inc. |
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Title of Securities: |
4.900% Senior Notes due 2030 |
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Expected Ratings:* |
(*Intentionally Omitted*) |
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Securities Type: |
SEC-registered |
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Principal Amount Offered: |
$750,000,000 |
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Trade Date: |
March 11, 2025 |
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Settlement Date (T+2)**: |
March 13, 2025 |
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Maturity Date: |
March 15, 2030 |
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Benchmark Treasury: |
4.000% UST due February 28, 2030 |
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Benchmark Treasury Price / Yield: |
100-00¼ / 3.998% |
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Spread to Benchmark Treasury: |
+95 bps |
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Interest Rate: |
4.900% |
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Yield to Maturity: |
4.948% |
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Interest Payment Dates: |
Semi-annually on March 15 and September 15, starting on September 15, 2025, and ending on the Maturity Date |
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Price to Public: |
99.789% |
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Optional Redemption: |
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Make-Whole Call: |
At any time prior to February 15, 2030 at the Treasury Rate (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement) plus 15 bps |
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Par Call: |
On or after February 15, 2030 at 100% |
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CUSIP: |
445658 CG0 |
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ISIN: |
US445658CG02 |
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Use of Proceeds: |
Net proceeds will be used to repay a term loan with a principal balance of $500,000,000 that accrues interest at 5.539% and that matures on September 27, 2025, as to which the Issuer’s operating subsidiary, ▇. ▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport, Inc. is the principal obligor and the Issuer is the guarantor. Any net proceeds remaining will be used for general corporate purposes. |
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Denominations: |
$2,000 x $1,000 |
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Joint Book-Running Managers: |
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC |
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Co-Managers |
BOK Financial Securities, Inc. |
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*Note: |
A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time. |
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**Note: |
It is expected that delivery of the Notes will be made to investors on or about March 13, 2025, which will be the second business day following the date hereof (such settlement cycle being referred to as “T+2”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes on any date prior to the business day before delivery of the Notes will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes initially will settle in T+2, to specify an alternative settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the Notes who wish to trade the Notes prior to the delivery of the Notes should consult their advisors. |
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and a prospectus supplement) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting ▇▇▇▇▇ on the SEC’s website at ▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by contacting ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC toll-free at ▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ or ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC collect at ▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
This pricing term sheet supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇ Transport Services, Inc.’s preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 11, 2025 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) and accompanying prospectus dated February 24, 2023 and the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR BELOW ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.