e424b5
This
preliminary prospectus supplement relates to an effective
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, but is
not complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to
sell these securities and they are not soliciting an offer to
buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale
is not permitted.
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Filed Pursuant to
Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration
No. 333-155796
Subject
to completion, dated May 3, 2010
Preliminary prospectus supplement
(To Prospectus dated May 3,
2010)
Lennox International
Inc.
$ % Notes
due 20
Interest
payable
and
Issue Price:
We are offering $ principal amount
of our % notes due 20 , which
we refer to in this prospectus supplement as the
notes.
We will pay interest on the notes
on
and
of each year,
beginning ,
2010. The notes will mature
on ,
20 and will be issued only in denominations of $2,000
and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
We may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at any time and
from time to time prior to their maturity at a redemption price
equal to the greater of the principal amount of such notes and
the make-whole price described under Description of the
notes and guaranteesOptional redemption. If we
experience a Change of Control Triggering Event (as defined
under Description of the notes and guaranteesChange
of control triggering event), we may be required to offer to
purchase the notes from holders at a purchase price equal to
101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to the date of purchase. See Description
of the notes and guaranteesChange of control triggering
event.
The notes will be our senior unsecured obligations and will rank
equally in right of payment to all of our existing and future
senior unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and will be
effectively subordinated to all of our existing and future
secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of our assets
and the assets of our subsidiaries securing such indebtedness.
The notes will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by
certain of our subsidiaries. The notes will be structurally
subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our
non-guarantor subsidiaries, including all of our foreign
subsidiaries. See Description of the notes and
guarantees.
We do not intend to apply for listing of the notes on any
national securities exchange. Currently, there is no public
market for the notes.
Investing in the notes involves risks. See Risk
factors beginning on
page S-7
of this prospectus supplement and the risk factors contained in
our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, which is
incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of certain
risks that you should consider in connection with an investment
in the notes.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of the notes
or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying
prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the
contrary is a criminal offense.
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Price to
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Underwriting Discounts
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Proceeds, Before
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Public(1)
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and Commissions
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Expenses
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Per Note
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%
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%
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%
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Total
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$
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$
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$
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(1) |
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Plus accrued interest, if any, from May , 2010,
if settlement occurs after that date. |
The underwriters expect to deliver the notes to purchasers
through the book-entry delivery system of The Depository
Trust Company (DTC) for the benefit of its
participants, including Euroclear Bank
S.A./N.V.
and Clearstream Banking, societé anonyme, on or about
May , 2010.
Joint Book-Running
Managers
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J.P.
Morgan |
Wells Fargo Securities |
May , 2010
Table of
contents
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Page
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Prospectus Supplement
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ii
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iii
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iii
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iv
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S-1
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S-7
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S-11
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S-12
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S-13
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S-14
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S-29
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S-33
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S-36
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S-36
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Prospectus
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About This Prospectus
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2
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About Lennox International Inc.
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3
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About the Guarantors
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3
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Risk Factors
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3
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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3
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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
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4
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Use of Proceeds
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4
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Description of Our Debt Securities
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4
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Description of Guarantees of Our Debt Securities
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13
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Description of Our Capital Stock
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13
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Description of Our Warrants
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20
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Description of Our Depositary Shares
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21
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Description of Our Units
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24
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Plan of Distribution
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24
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Legal Matters
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26
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Experts
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26
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Where You Can Find More Information
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26
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Incorporation by Reference
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26
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About this
prospectus supplement
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus
supplement, which describes the terms of the offering and the
notes offered hereby. The second part is the accompanying
prospectus, dated May 3, 2010, which we refer to as the
accompanying prospectus. The accompanying prospectus
contains a general description of our debt securities and gives
more general information, some of which may not apply to the
notes offered hereby. To the extent there is a conflict between
the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the
one hand, and the information contained in the accompanying
prospectus or any document that has previously been filed and is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference, on the other
hand, the information in this prospectus supplement shall
control.
Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully read
the registration statement (including the exhibits thereto) of
which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
forms a part, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein
and therein. The documents incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement are described under Information we
incorporate by reference.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any
dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or
to make any representation other than those contained in or
incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus that we
may provide to you and take no responsibility for any other
information that others may give to you. This prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an
offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities other than the registered securities to which they
relate. Also, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction
to any person to whom such offer or solicitation is unlawful.
You should not assume that the information contained in this
prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the
documents incorporated herein and therein by reference is
correct on any date after the respective dates of such
documents, even though this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus are delivered or securities are sold on
a later date. Our business, financial condition and results of
operations may have changed since those dates.
Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires
otherwise, all references in this prospectus supplement to
we, us, our, the
Company or Lennox mean Lennox International
Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis.
ii
Where you can
find more information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other
information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC). You may read and copy any document we file
with the SEC at the SECs public reference room located at
100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You
may obtain further information regarding the operation of the
SECs public reference room by calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
Our filings are also available to the public on the SECs
website located at www.sec.gov.
Information we
incorporate by reference
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the
information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which
means that we can disclose important information to you by
referring to those documents. The information incorporated by
reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement.
Any statement contained in a document which is incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement is automatically
updated and superseded if information contained in this
prospectus supplement, or information that we later file with
the SEC, modifies or revises that statement. Any such statement
so modified or revised shall not be deemed, except as so
modified or revised, to constitute a part of this prospectus
supplement. We incorporate by reference the following documents
we filed, excluding any information contained therein or
attached as an exhibit thereto which has been furnished, but not
filed, with the SEC:
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Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009, including the
information specifically incorporated by reference into our
Form 10-K
from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as
filed with the SEC on April 16, 2010;
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Our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010; and
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Our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on February 23, 2010, February 24,
2010, March 15, 2010, April 21, 2010 and May 3,
2010 (except information furnished under Item 7.01).
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Any documents we file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
Exchange Act) after the date of this prospectus
supplement and prior to the termination of the offering of the
notes to which this prospectus supplement relates will
automatically be deemed to be incorporated by reference into
this prospectus supplement and be deemed a part of this
prospectus supplement from the date of filing such documents,
except to the extent any information contained in or attached to
such documents has been furnished, but not filed, with the SEC.
You may also obtain a copy of our filings with the SEC at no
cost by writing to or telephoning us at the following address:
Investor Relations
Lennox International Inc.
2140 Lake Park Boulevard
Richardson, Texas 75080
(972) 497-5000
We also maintain a website that contains additional information
about us (www.lennoxinternational.com). Information on or
accessible through our website is not part of, or incorporated
by reference into, this prospectus supplement, other than
documents filed with the SEC that we incorporate by reference.
iii
Forward-looking
statements
In this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus,
including the documents we incorporate by reference herein and
therein, we make statements concerning our expectations,
beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or
performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that
are not historical facts. These statements are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results
may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
statements. You can generally identify our forward-looking
statements by the words anticipate,
believe, continue, could,
estimate, expect, forecast,
goal, intend, may,
objective, plan, potential,
predict, projection, should,
will or other similar words.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those
forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable
assumptions, we cannot assure you that actual results will not
differ materially from those expressed or implied by our
forward-looking statements. You should exercise caution in
interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because
they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that are, in some cases, beyond our control and that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and could
materially affect our actual results or performance.
The following are some of the factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements:
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general economic conditions in the United States and abroad;
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the impact of higher raw material prices;
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our ability to implement price increases for our products and
services;
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the impact of weather in the United States and abroad, which can
depress demand for our products and services;
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changes in new construction activity;
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warranty and product liability claims;
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competition in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and
refrigeration business;
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our ability to successfully develop and manage new products;
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our ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions;
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labor relations problems;
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litigation and environmental risks; and
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foreign currency fluctuations and changes in local government
regulation associated with our international operations.
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We also disclose important factors that could cause our actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements under
Item 1A Risk Factors in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009, which is incorporated
by reference herein.
iv
Prospectus
supplement summary
This summary highlights selected information about us. It
does not contain all of the information that you should consider
before deciding whether to invest in the notes. We encourage you
to carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus and the documents that are incorporated
herein and therein, especially the Risk factors and
the financial statements included or incorporated by reference
herein and therein from our annual and quarterly reports filed
with the SEC.
The
company
Through our subsidiaries, we are a leading global provider of
climate control solutions. We design, manufacture and market a
broad range of products for the heating, ventilation, air
conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) markets. We
believe that we are an industry leader known for innovation,
quality and reliability. Our products and services are sold
through multiple distribution channels under well-established
brand names, including Lennox, Armstrong
Air, Ducane, Bohn,
Larkin, Advanced Distributor Products
and Service Experts.
We had net sales of approximately $2.8 billion in 2009. We
serve residential customers, which accounted for approximately
60% of our 2009 net sales (including approximately 80% of
the net sales of our service experts segment), and commercial
customers, which accounted for approximately 40% of our 2009 net
sales. In 2009, approximately 70% of our net sales were
attributable to replacement business, and approximately 30% were
attributable to new construction.
Approximately 85%, 8%, and 7% of our 2009 net sales were to
the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, respectively. In this
regard, approximately 70% and 30% of the net sales of our
commercial heating and cooling segment were to the Americas and
Europe, respectively, and approximately 45%, 38% and 17% of the
net sales of our refrigeration segment were to the Americas,
Asia Pacific and Europe, respectively.
Shown below are our four business segments, the key products and
brand names within each segment and 2009 net sales by
segment.
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2009 Net
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Segment
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Products/Services
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Brand Names
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Sales
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(in millions)
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Residential Heating & Cooling
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Furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and
cooling systems, indoor air quality equipment, pre-fabricated
fireplaces, freestanding stoves
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Lennox, Armstrong Air, Ducane, Aire-Flo, AirEase, Concord,
Magic-Pak, Advanced Distributor Products, Superior, Country
Stoves, Security Chimneys
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$
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1,293.5
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Commercial Heating & Cooling
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Unitary heating and air conditioning equipment, applied systems
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Lennox, Allied Commercial
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594.6
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Service Experts
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Sales, installation and service of residential and light
commercial heating and cooling equipment
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Service Experts, various individual service center names
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535.4
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Refrigeration
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Condensing units, unit coolers, fluid coolers, air cooled
condensers, air handlers, process chillers
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Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration, Bohn, Larkin, Climate
Control, Chandler Refrigeration, Friga-Bohn, HK Refrigeration,
Hyfra, Kirby, Frigus-Bohn
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512.7
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Eliminations
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(88.7
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Total
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$
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2,847.5
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S-1
We were founded in 1895 in Marshalltown, Iowa when Dave Lennox,
the owner of a machine repair business for the railroads,
successfully developed and patented a riveted steel coal-fired
furnace, which was substantially more durable than the cast iron
furnaces used at that time. Manufacturing these furnaces grew
into a significant business and was diverting the Lennox Machine
Shop from its core focus. As a result, in 1904, a group of
investors headed by D.W. Norris bought the furnace business and
named it the Lennox Furnace Company. We reincorporated as a
Delaware corporation in 1991 and completed an initial public
offering of our common stock in 1999.
Our executive offices are located at 2140 Lake Park Boulevard,
Richardson, Texas 75080, and our telephone number is
(972) 497-5000.
Our website is located at www.lennoxinternational.com.
Information on or accessible through our website is not part of,
or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement,
other than documents filed with the SEC that we incorporate by
reference.
Recent
developments
On April 27, 2010, we reported financial results for the
first quarter of 2010.
Revenue for the first quarter was $644 million, up 11% from
the prior-year quarter. Foreign exchange had a positive impact
of 5 points in the first quarter. Volume was higher and
price/mix was down slightly from the year-ago quarter.
Gross profit for the first quarter was $174 million, up 26%
from $138 million in the prior-year quarter. Gross margin
was 27.1% compared to 23.8% in the prior-year quarter, up 3.3%.
Gross margin benefited primarily from higher volume, lower
component and commodity costs, and savings from restructuring
and productivity initiatives.
On a GAAP basis, loss from continuing operations for the first
quarter was $1.3 million, or $0.02 diluted loss per share,
compared to $17.7 million loss from continuing operations,
or $0.32 diluted loss per share in the prior-year quarter.
In the first quarter, the company had a loss from discontinued
operations of $0.3 million after-tax, or $0.01 diluted loss
per share, related to exiting the business of certain Service
Experts service centers.
Net cash used in operations in the first quarter was
$40 million compared to net cash provided by operations of
$16 million in the prior-year quarter. The company invested
$11 million in capital assets in the first quarter.
For additional information, see Summary historical
consolidated financial data in this prospectus supplement
and the financial statements and related notes and
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations included in our
Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010, which is
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
S-2
The
offering
The summary below describes the principal terms of the notes.
Certain of the terms and conditions described below are subject
to important limitations and exceptions. For a more detailed
description of the terms and conditions of the notes, see
Description of the notes and guarantees.
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Issuer |
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Lennox International Inc. |
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Notes Offered |
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$ aggregate principal amount
of % notes due 20 . |
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Maturity |
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The notes will mature
on . |
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Interest |
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The notes will bear interest from May , 2010 at
the rate of % per annum. |
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Interest Payment Dates |
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Interest on the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears
on and
of each year,
commencing ,
2010. |
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Ranking |
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The notes will be our senior unsecured obligations and will be: |
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equal in right of payment to all
of our existing and future senior unsecured and unsubordinated
indebtedness;
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senior in right of payment to all
of our existing and future subordinated indebtedness;
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effectively subordinated to all of
our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of
the value of our assets and the assets of our subsidiaries
securing such indebtedness; and
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structurally subordinated to all
of the existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of
our non-guarantor subsidiaries.
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Subsidiary Guarantees |
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The notes will be guaranteed, on a senior unsecured basis, by
each of our domestic subsidiaries that guarantee payment by us
of any indebtedness under our domestic revolving credit
facility. A subsidiarys guarantee of the notes is subject
to release under certain circumstances, including if such
subsidiary no longer guarantees our obligations under any of our
other indebtedness and such other guarantees have been released
other than through discharges as a result of payment by such
guarantor on such guarantees. See Description of the notes
and guaranteesSubsidiary guarantees. |
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The guarantee of each subsidiary guarantor will be a senior
unsecured obligation of that guarantor and will be: |
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equal in right of payment to all
existing and future senior indebtedness of that guarantor;
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senior in right of payment to all
existing and future subordinated indebtedness of that guarantor;
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effectively subordinated to all
existing and future secured indebtedness of that guarantor to
the extent of the value of the assets securing such
indebtedness; and
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S-3
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structurally subordinated to all
of the existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of
the non-guarantor subsidiaries of the subsidiary guarantors.
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The notes will be structurally subordinated to the indebtedness
and other liabilities of our non-guarantor subsidiaries. As of
March 31, 2010, the indebtedness and other liabilities of
our non-guarantor subsidiaries were approximately
$263.3 million (excluding intercompany indebtedness and
liabilities). Our non-guarantor subsidiaries generated
approximately 37.4% of our net sales for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2009 and approximately 39.1% of our net sales
for the three months ended March 31, 2010. The assets of
our non-guarantor subsidiaries (excluding the receivable
securitization and goodwill of our non-guarantor subsidiaries)
represented approximately 42.2% of our total consolidated assets
as of December 31, 2009 and approximately 38.2% of our
total consolidated assets as of March 31, 2010. |
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Optional Redemption |
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We may redeem the notes prior to maturity, in whole or in part,
at a redemption price equal to the greater of the principal
amount of such notes and the make-whole price described under
Description of the notes and guarantees in this
prospectus supplement, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid
interest. |
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Change of Control Triggering Event |
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Upon a Change of Control Triggering Event (as defined under
Description of the notes and guaranteesChange of
control triggering event in this prospectus supplement),
you will have the right to require us to repurchase all or a
portion of your notes at a repurchase price equal to 101% of the
principal amount of the notes repurchased, plus accrued and
unpaid interest, if any. See Description of the notes and
guaranteesChange of control triggering event. |
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Covenants |
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The indenture governing the notes will contain covenants that,
among other things, limit our ability and the ability of the
subsidiary guarantors to: |
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create or incur certain liens;
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enter into certain sale and
leaseback transactions;
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enter into certain mergers,
consolidations and transfers of substantially all of our assets;
and
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transfer certain properties.
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Form and Denomination |
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We will issue the notes in the form of one or more fully
registered global notes registered in the name of the nominee of
DTC. Beneficial interests in the notes will be shown on, and
transfers will be effected through, records maintained by DTC
and its participants. The notes will be issued only in
denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in
excess thereof. See Description of the notes and
guaranteesBook-entry delivery and settlement. |
S-4
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Use of Proceeds |
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We expect to receive net proceeds from the offering of notes of
approximately $ million after
deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated
offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds of this
offering to repay outstanding indebtedness under our domestic
revolving credit facility and for working capital and other
general corporate purposes, including repurchases of shares of
our common stock pursuant to our previously announced share
repurchase plan. See Use of proceeds in this
prospectus supplement. Affiliates of certain underwriters are
lenders under our domestic revolving credit facility and, as
such, may receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering.
See UnderwritingConflicts of interest. |
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Risk Factors |
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You should consider carefully all the information set forth and
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus and, in particular, you should evaluate
the specific factors set forth under Risk factors
beginning on
page S-7
of this prospectus supplement before deciding whether to invest
in the notes. |
S-5
Summary
historical consolidated financial data
We derived the following summary historical consolidated
financial data from our consolidated financial statements as of
and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2005 through
2009 and as and for the three months ended March 31, 2009
and 2010. Those consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States. You should read the following
summary historical consolidated financial data in conjunction
with the financial statements and related notes and
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual
Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 and our
Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010, which are
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, and our
other filings with the SEC. Interim results for the three months
ended March 31, 2010 are not necessarily indicative of
results of operations for the full year.
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Three Months Ended
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(audited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in millions, except ratios and per share data)
|
|
|
Statements of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net sales
|
|
$
|
644.1
|
|
|
$
|
580.6
|
|
|
$
|
2,847.5
|
|
|
$
|
3,441.1
|
|
|
$
|
3,691.7
|
|
|
$
|
3,662.1
|
|
|
$
|
3,352.5
|
|
Operational income (loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
0.5
|
|
|
|
(26.2
|
)
|
|
|
109.2
|
|
|
|
218.6
|
|
|
|
264.9
|
|
|
|
222.7
|
|
|
|
248.1
|
|
Income (loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
(2.0
|
)
|
|
|
(28.1
|
)
|
|
|
61.8
|
|
|
|
123.8
|
|
|
|
165.7
|
|
|
|
167.1
|
|
|
|
151.7
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
(1.6
|
)
|
|
|
(18.1
|
)
|
|
|
51.1
|
|
|
|
122.8
|
|
|
|
169.0
|
|
|
|
166.0
|
|
|
|
150.7
|
|
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations
|
|
|
(0.02
|
)
|
|
|
(0.32
|
)
|
|
|
1.09
|
|
|
|
2.12
|
|
|
|
2.39
|
|
|
|
2.27
|
|
|
|
2.12
|
|
Dividends per share
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
|
|
0.14
|
|
|
|
0.56
|
|
|
|
0.56
|
|
|
|
0.53
|
|
|
|
0.46
|
|
|
|
0.41
|
|
Other Financial Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital expenditures
|
|
$
|
10.7
|
|
|
$
|
9.9
|
|
|
$
|
58.8
|
|
|
$
|
62.1
|
|
|
$
|
70.2
|
|
|
$
|
74.8
|
|
|
$
|
63.3
|
|
Research and development expenses
|
|
|
12.7
|
|
|
|
11.8
|
|
|
|
48.9
|
|
|
|
46.0
|
|
|
|
43.6
|
|
|
|
42.2
|
|
|
|
40.3
|
|
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
(unaudited)(1)
|
|
|
0.41x
|
(2)
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
|
|
6.04x
|
|
|
|
7.82x
|
|
|
|
11.68x
|
|
|
|
10.11x
|
|
|
|
7.23x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of March 31,
|
|
|
As of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(audited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in millions)
|
|
|
Balance Sheet Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
63.0
|
|
|
$
|
101.9
|
|
|
$
|
124.3
|
|
|
$
|
122.1
|
|
|
$
|
145.5
|
|
|
$
|
144.3
|
|
|
$
|
213.5
|
|
Property, plant and equipment
|
|
|
326.7
|
|
|
|
324.2
|
|
|
|
329.6
|
|
|
|
329.4
|
|
|
|
317.9
|
|
|
|
287.9
|
|
|
|
255.4
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
1,590.8
|
|
|
|
1,598.6
|
|
|
|
1,543.9
|
|
|
|
1,659.5
|
|
|
|
1,814.6
|
|
|
|
1,719.8
|
|
|
|
1,737.6
|
|
Total debt
|
|
|
291.3
|
|
|
|
405.1
|
|
|
|
231.5
|
|
|
|
420.4
|
|
|
|
207.9
|
|
|
|
109.2
|
|
|
|
120.5
|
|
Stockholders equity
|
|
|
570.5
|
|
|
|
432.0
|
|
|
|
604.4
|
|
|
|
458.6
|
|
|
|
808.5
|
|
|
|
804.4
|
|
|
|
794.4
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
For purposes of computing our ratio
of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of
income before income taxes and fixed charges, excluding minority
interest, and fixed charges consist of the total of
interest expense, amortization of loan origination costs and
that portion of rental expense considered to represent interest
cost.
|
|
(2)
|
|
Earnings for the three months ended
March 31, 2010 and March 31, 2009 were insufficient to
cover fixed charges by $4.1 million and $29.8 million,
respectively.
|
S-6
Risk
factors
You should carefully consider the following risks regarding
the notes and this offering, as well as the risk factors
described in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our most
recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009 that was filed with
the SEC and incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety,
as well as the other information in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus and in the documents
incorporated by reference herein and therein before making a
decision to invest in the notes. Each of the risks described in
these sections and documents could adversely affect our
business, financial condition and results of operations, and
could have an adverse impact on your investment in the notes.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and
the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein also
contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from
those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a
result of certain factors, including the risks described
below.
The terms of
the indenture and the notes will provide only limited protection
against significant events that could adversely impact your
investment in the notes.
As described under Description of the notes and
guaranteesChange of control triggering event, upon
the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event with
respect to the notes, holders are entitled to require us to
repurchase their notes at 101% of the principal amount of such
notes. However, the definition of the term Change of
Control Triggering Event is limited and does not cover a
variety of transactions (such as acquisitions by us or
recapitalizations) that could negatively impact the value of
your notes. As such, if we were to enter into a significant
corporate transaction that would negatively impact the value of
the notes, but that would not constitute a Change of Control
Triggering Event with respect to such notes, you would not have
any rights to require us to repurchase the notes prior to their
maturity. In addition, if we experience a Change of Control
Triggering Event with respect to the notes, we may not have
sufficient financial resources available to satisfy our
obligations to repurchase such notes. Our failure to repurchase
the notes as required under the indenture would result in a
default under the indenture, which could have material adverse
consequences for us and the holders of the notes.
Furthermore, the indenture for the notes will not:
|
|
|
require us to maintain any financial ratios or specific levels
of net worth, revenues, income, cash flow or liquidity;
|
|
|
limit our ability to incur indebtedness or other obligations
that are equal in right of payment to the notes;
|
|
|
restrict our non-guarantor subsidiaries ability to issue
securities or otherwise incur indebtedness or other obligations
that would be senior to our equity interests in such
subsidiaries and therefore rank effectively senior to the notes
with respect to the assets of such subsidiaries;
|
|
|
restrict our ability to repurchase or prepay any other of our
securities or other indebtedness; or
|
|
|
restrict our ability to make investments or to repurchase, or
pay dividends or make other payments in respect of, our common
stock or other securities ranking junior to the notes.
|
As a result of the foregoing, when evaluating the terms of the
notes, you should be aware that the terms of the indenture and
the notes will not restrict our ability to engage in, or to
otherwise be a party to, a variety of corporate transactions,
circumstances and events that could have an adverse impact on
your investment in the notes.
S-7
The notes and
the guarantees will be unsecured and effectively subordinated to
our and our subsidiary guarantors existing and future
secured indebtedness and structurally subordinated to any
existing or future indebtedness and other liabilities of our
non-guarantor subsidiaries as well as the non-guarantor
subsidiaries of the subsidiary guarantors.
The notes and the guarantees will be senior unsecured
obligations, ranking equally with our other senior unsecured
indebtedness but below any secured indebtedness and effectively
below the debt and other liabilities of our non-guarantor
subsidiaries. The indenture governing the notes and the
guarantees will permit us and our subsidiaries to incur certain
secured debt. If we incur any secured debt, our assets and the
assets of our subsidiaries will be subject to prior claims by
our secured creditors. In the event of our bankruptcy,
liquidation, reorganization or other winding up, assets that
secure debt will be available to pay obligations on the notes
only after all debt secured by those assets has been repaid in
full. Holders of the notes will participate in our remaining
assets ratably with all of our unsecured and unsubordinated
creditors, including our trade creditors.
In addition, the guarantee of each subsidiary guarantor will be
effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured
indebtedness of that guarantor to the extent of the value of the
assets securing such indebtedness and structurally subordinated
to all of the existing and future indebtedness and other
liabilities of the non-guarantor subsidiaries of the subsidiary
guarantors.
If we incur any additional obligations that rank equally with
the notes, including trade payables, the holders of those
obligations will be entitled to share ratably with the holders
of the notes in any proceeds distributed upon our insolvency,
liquidation, reorganization, dissolution or other winding up.
This may have the effect of reducing the amount of proceeds paid
to you. If there are not sufficient assets remaining to pay all
these creditors, all or a portion of the notes then outstanding
would remain unpaid.
Our existing
and future indebtedness may limit cash flow available to invest
in the ongoing needs of our business, which could prevent us
from fulfilling our obligations under the notes.
The indenture under which the notes will be issued will not
limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur. We also have
the ability under our domestic revolving credit facility to
incur substantial additional indebtedness. Our level of
indebtedness could have important consequences to you. For
example, it could:
|
|
|
require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow
from operations to the payment of debt service, reducing the
availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital
expenditures, acquisitions or other general corporate purposes;
|
|
|
increase our vulnerability to adverse economic or industry
conditions;
|
|
|
limit our ability to obtain additional financing in the future
to enable us to react to changes in our business; or
|
|
|
place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to businesses in
our industry that have less indebtedness.
|
Additionally, any failure to meet required payments on our
indebtedness, or failure to comply with any covenants in the
instruments governing our indebtedness, could result in an event
of default under the terms of those instruments. In the event of
such default, the holders of such indebtedness could elect to
declare all the amounts outstanding under such instruments to be
due and payable. Any default under the agreements governing our
indebtedness and the remedies sought by the holders of such
indebtedness could render us unable to pay principal and
interest on the notes and substantially decrease their value.
We will depend
on the cash flow of our subsidiaries to make payments on the
notes.
Lennox International Inc. is, in part, a holding company. Our
subsidiaries conduct a significant percentage of our
consolidated operations and own a significant percentage of our
consolidated assets. Consequently, our cash flow and our ability
to meet our debt service obligations depend in
S-8
large part upon the cash flow of our subsidiaries and the
payment of funds by the subsidiaries to us in the form of loans,
dividends or otherwise. Our non-guarantor subsidiaries are not
obligated to make funds available to us for payment of the notes
or otherwise. In addition, their ability to make any payments
will depend on their earnings, the terms of their indebtedness,
business and tax considerations and legal restrictions.
The notes effectively rank junior to all liabilities of our
non-guarantor subsidiaries. In the event of a bankruptcy,
liquidation or dissolution of a non-guarantor subsidiary and
following payment of its liabilities, the subsidiary may not
have sufficient assets remaining to make payments to us as a
shareholder or otherwise.
If the
subsidiary guarantees are deemed fraudulent conveyances or
preferential transfers, a court may subordinate or void
them.
If, under relevant federal and state fraudulent transfer and
conveyance statutes, in a bankruptcy or reorganization case or a
lawsuit by or on behalf of unpaid creditors of our company, a
court were to find that, at the time any subsidiary guarantor
incurred a guarantee:
|
|
|
the subsidiary guarantor did so with the intent of hindering,
delaying or defrauding current or future creditors, or received
less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for
incurring the guarantee; and
|
|
|
the subsidiary guarantor:
|
|
|
|
|
○
|
was insolvent or was rendered insolvent by reason of the
incurrence of the indebtedness constituting the guarantee;
|
|
|
○
|
was engaged, or about to engage, in a business or transaction
for which its assets constituted unreasonably small capital;
|
|
|
○
|
intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond
its ability to pay as such debts matured; or
|
|
|
○
|
was a defendant in an action for money damages, or had a
judgment for money damages docketed against it if, in either
case, after final judgment the judgment is unsatisfied;
|
the court could void or subordinate the applicable guarantee to
currently existing and future indebtedness of the subject
subsidiary guarantor, and take other action detrimental to the
holders of the notes including, under certain circumstances,
invalidating the applicable guarantee.
The measure of insolvency for purposes of the foregoing
considerations will vary depending upon the law of the
jurisdiction that is being applied in the relevant legal
proceeding. Generally, however, a subsidiary guarantor would be
considered insolvent if, at the time such subsidiary guarantor
incurs the indebtedness constituting the guarantee either:
|
|
|
the sum of its debts, including contingent liabilities, is
greater than its assets, at a fair valuation; or
|
|
|
the present fair saleable value of its assets is less than the
amount required to pay the probable liability on its total
existing debts and liabilities, including contingent
liabilities, as they become absolute and matured.
|
We cannot give you any assurance as to what standards a court
would use to determine whether a subsidiary guarantor was
solvent at the relevant time or, regardless what standard was
used, whether the applicable guarantee would not be avoided on
another of the grounds described above.
An active
trading market for the notes may not develop.
There is no existing market for the notes and we do not intend
to apply for listing of the notes on any securities exchange or
any automated quotation system. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that a trading market for the notes will ever develop
or will be maintained. If a trading market does not develop or
is not maintained, you may find it difficult or impossible to
resell notes. Further, there can be no assurance as to the
liquidity of any market that may develop for the notes, your
ability to sell
S-9
the notes or the price at which you will be able to sell the
notes. Future trading prices of the notes will depend on many
factors, including prevailing interest rates, our financial
condition and results of operations, the then-current ratings
assigned to the notes and the markets for similar securities.
Any trading market that develops would be affected by many
factors independent of and in addition to the foregoing,
including:
|
|
|
the time remaining to the maturity of the notes;
|
|
|
the outstanding amount of the notes;
|
|
|
the terms related to optional redemption of the notes; and
|
|
|
the level, direction and volatility of market interest rates
generally.
|
The underwriters have advised us that they currently intend to
make a market in the notes, but they are not obligated to do so
and may cease market-making at any time without notice.
The guarantees
of the notes by the subsidiary guarantors may be released upon
the occurrence of certain events.
Our subsidiaries that provide, or will provide, guarantees of
the notes will be released from such guarantees upon the
occurrence of certain events, including the following:
|
|
|
the sale or other disposition of such subsidiary guarantor;
|
|
|
the sale or disposition of all or substantially all the assets
of such subsidiary guarantor; or
|
|
|
such subsidiary guarantor no longer guarantees our obligations
under any of our other indebtedness and such other guarantees
have been released other than through discharges as a result of
payment by such guarantor on such guarantees.
|
If any such subsidiary guarantee is released, no holder of the
notes will have a claim as a creditor against any such
subsidiary and the indebtedness and other liabilities of such
subsidiary will be structurally senior to the claim of any
holders of the notes. See Description of notes and
guaranteesSubsidiary guarantees.
Ratings of the
notes could be lowered or withdrawn in the future, which could
adversely impact the trading price or liquidity of the
notes.
We expect that the notes will be rated by one or more nationally
recognized statistical rating organizations. A rating is not a
recommendation to purchase, hold or sell debt securities, since
a rating does not predict the market price of a particular
security or its suitability for a particular investor. Any
rating organization that rates the notes may lower our rating or
decide not to rate the notes in its sole discretion. The ratings
of the notes will be based primarily on the rating
organizations assessment of the likelihood of timely
payment of interest when due and the payment of principal on the
maturity date. Any downgrade or withdrawal of a rating by a
rating agency that rates the notes could have an adverse effect
on the trading price or liquidity of the notes.
We may choose
to redeem the notes prior to maturity.
We may redeem some or all of the notes at any time. See
Description of the notes and guaranteesOptional
redemption. If prevailing interest rates are lower at the
time of redemption, you may not be able to reinvest the
redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an interest rate
as high as the interest rate of the notes being redeemed.
An increase in
market interest rates could result in a decrease in the value of
the notes.
In general, as market interest rates rise, notes bearing
interest at a fixed rate decline in value because the premium,
if any, over market interest rates will decline. Consequently,
if you purchase the notes and market interest rates increase,
the market values of your notes may decline. We cannot predict
the future level of market interest rates.
S-10
Use of
proceeds
We expect to receive net proceeds from the offering of notes of
approximately $ million after
deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated
offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds of this
offering to repay outstanding indebtedness under our domestic
revolving credit facility maturing on October 12, 2012 and
for working capital and other general corporate purposes,
including repurchases of shares of our common stock pursuant to
our previously announced share repurchase plan. As of
April 29, 2010, we had $284.5 million of borrowings
outstanding under our domestic revolving credit facility at a
weighted average interest rate of 0.85% We have used the
proceeds from borrowings under our domestic revolving credit
facility for working capital and other general corporate
purposes. Affiliates of certain underwriters are lenders under
our domestic revolving credit facility and, as such, may receive
a portion of the proceeds from this offering. See
UnderwritingConflicts of interest.
S-11
Capitalization
The following table sets forth our capitalization as of
March 31, 2010, and as adjusted to give effect to the sale
of the notes in this offering. You should read this table in
conjunction with Use of Proceeds and our
consolidated financial statements and related notes incorporated
by reference in this prospectus supplement. The as adjusted
information may not reflect our cash, debt and capitalization in
the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of March 31, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
|
As Adjusted
|
|
|
|
|
(in millions)
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$
|
63.0
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capitalization
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short-term debt
|
|
|
$
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
$
|
4.3
|
|
Long-term debt, including current portion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes offered hereby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic revolving credit facility
|
|
|
|
269.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
17.5
|
|
|
|
|
17.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total long-term debt, including current portion
|
|
|
|
287.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total debt
|
|
|
|
291.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $.01 par value, 25,000,000 shares
authorized, no shares issued or outstanding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock, $.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares
authorized, 85,978,262 shares issued
|
|
|
|
0.9
|
|
|
|
|
0.9
|
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
|
846.6
|
|
|
|
|
846.6
|
|
Retained earnings
|
|
|
|
548.7
|
|
|
|
|
548.7
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
|
|
|
|
7.1
|
|
|
|
|
7.1
|
|
Treasury stock, at cost, 30,216,824 shares
|
|
|
|
(832.8
|
)
|
|
|
|
(832.8
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders equity
|
|
|
|
570.5
|
|
|
|
|
570.5
|
|
|
|
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Total capitalization
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$
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861.8
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$
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S-12
Ratio of earnings
to fixed charges
The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed
charges for each of the periods indicated. For purposes of
computing our ratio of earnings to fixed charges,
earnings consist of income before income taxes and
fixed charges, excluding minority interest, and fixed
charges consist of the total of interest expense,
amortization of loan origination costs and that portion of
rental expense considered to represent interest cost.
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Three Months
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Ended
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March 31,
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Year Ended December 31,
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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2006
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2005
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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
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0.41x(1)
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6.04x
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7.82x
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11.68x
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10.11x
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7.23x
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(1)
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Earnings for the three months ended
March 31, 2010 were insufficient to cover fixed charges by
$4.1 million.
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S-13
Description of
the notes and guarantees
The notes constitute a series of debt securities to be issued
under the indenture dated as of May 3, 2010 (the base
indenture) between us and U.S. Bank National
Association, as trustee (the trustee), as
supplemented by a supplemental indenture to be dated as of
May , 2010 (the supplemental
indenture, and together with the base indenture, the
indenture) among us, the subsidiary guarantors and
the trustee. The following description is only a summary of the
material provisions of the notes and the indenture. You should
read these documents in their entirety because they, and not
this description, define your rights as holders of the notes.
The following summary does not purport to be complete and is
subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to,
the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the TIA), and
to all of the provisions of the indenture and those terms made a
part of the indenture by reference to the TIA. Unless the
context requires otherwise, all references to we,
us, our, and Lennox in this
section refer solely to Lennox International Inc. and not to its
subsidiaries.
The following description of the particular terms of the notes
offered hereby supplements the general description of debt
securities set forth in the accompanying prospectus.
General
The notes will be issued in an initial aggregate principal
amount of $ and will mature
on ,
20 . The notes will be issued only in fully
registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of
$2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 above that amount. The
notes will not be entitled to any sinking fund.
Interest on the notes will accrue at the rate per annum shown on
the cover of this prospectus supplement from
May , 2010, or from the most recent date to
which interest has been paid or provided for, payable
semi-annually
on
and
of each year, beginning
on ,
2010, to the persons in whose names the notes are registered in
the security register at the close of business on
the
or preceding
the relevant interest payment date, except that interest payable
at maturity will be paid to the same persons to whom principal
of the notes is payable. Interest will be computed on the notes
on the basis of a
360-day year
of twelve
30-day
months.
The indenture does not limit the amount of notes that we may
issue. We may from time to time, without notice to or the
consent of the registered holders of the notes, create and issue
additional notes ranking equally and ratably with the notes
being issued in this offering in all respects (other than the
issue price, the date of issuance, the payment of interest
accruing prior to the issue date of such additional notes and
the first payment of interest following the issue date of such
additional notes), provided that such notes must be part of the
same issue as the notes being issued in this offering for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any such additional notes
will be consolidated and form a single series with the notes
being issued in this offering, including for purposes of voting
and redemptions.
The indenture does not limit our ability, or the ability of our
subsidiaries, to incur or guarantee additional unsecured
indebtedness. The indenture and the terms of the notes will not
contain any covenants (other than those described herein)
designed to afford holders of any notes protection in a highly
leveraged or other transaction involving us that may adversely
affect holders of the notes.
There are no public trading markets for the notes, and we do not
intend to apply for listing of the notes on any national
securities exchange or for quotation of the notes on any
automated dealer quotation system.
Ranking
The notes will be our senior unsecured obligations and will be:
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equal in right of payment to all of our existing and future
senior unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness;
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S-14
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senior in right of payment to all of our existing and future
subordinated indebtedness;
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effectively subordinated to all of our existing and future
secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of our assets
and the assets of our subsidiaries securing such
indebtedness; and
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structurally subordinated to all of the existing and future
indebtedness and other liabilities of our non-guarantor
subsidiaries.
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Subsidiary
guarantees
The notes will initially be guaranteed, on a senior unsecured
basis, by Lennox Industries Inc., Allied Air Enterprises Inc.,
Service Experts LLC and Lennox Global Ltd. The guarantee of each
subsidiary guarantor will be a senior unsecured obligation of
that guarantor and will be:
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equal in right of payment to all existing and future senior
indebtedness of that guarantor;
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senior in right of payment to all existing and future
subordinated indebtedness of that guarantor;
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effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured
indebtedness of that guarantor to the extent of the value of the
assets securing such indebtedness; and
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structurally subordinated to all of the existing and future
indebtedness and other liabilities of the non-guarantor
subsidiaries of the subsidiary guarantors.
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Each subsidiary guarantor will jointly and severally guarantee
our obligations under the notes. The obligations of each
subsidiary guarantor under its guarantee will be limited as
necessary to prevent such guarantee from constituting a
fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable
law. See Risk factorsIf the subsidiary guarantees
are deemed fraudulent conveyances or preferential transfers, a
court may subordinate or void them.
Each subsidiary guarantee will be a continuing guarantee and
will inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the trustee,
the holders of the debt securities and their successors,
transferees and assigns.
A subsidiary guarantor will be released from its obligations
under the indenture:
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(a)
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upon the sale or other disposition of the subsidiary guarantor;
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(b)
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upon the sale or disposition of all or substantially all the
assets of the subsidiary guarantor;
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(c)
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if we exercise our legal defeasance option or our covenant
defeasance option as described under Defeasance and
discharge or if our obligations under the Indenture are
discharged in accordance with the terms of the Indenture; or
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(d)
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upon delivery of an officers certificate to the trustee
that the subsidiary guarantor does not guarantee the obligations
of the Company under any indebtedness for money borrowed of the
Company and that any other guarantees of the subsidiary
guarantor have been released other than through discharges as a
result of payment by such guarantor on such guarantees.
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provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) and
(b) above, (1) such sale or other disposition is made
to a Person other than us or one of our subsidiaries and
(2) such sale or disposition is otherwise permitted by the
indenture.
If at any time after the issuance of the notes, including
following any release of a subsidiary guarantor from its
guarantee under the indenture, a subsidiary of ours (including
any future subsidiary) guarantees more than $50 million of
our indebtedness for money borrowed or more than
$50 million of the indebtedness for money borrowed of our
other subsidiaries, we will cause such subsidiary to guarantee
the notes by simultaneously executing and delivering a
supplemental indenture in accordance with the indenture.
S-15
At our request, and upon delivery to the trustee of an
officers certificate and an opinion of counsel, each
stating that all conditions precedent under the indenture
relating to such release have been complied with, the trustee
will execute any documents reasonably requested by us evidencing
such release.
The notes will be structurally subordinated to the indebtedness
and other liabilities of our non-guarantor subsidiaries. As of
March 31, 2010, the indebtedness and other liabilities of
our non-guarantor subsidiaries were approximately
$263.3 million (excluding intercompany indebtedness and
liabilities). Our non-guarantor subsidiaries generated
approximately 37.4% of our net sales for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2009 and approximately 39.1% of our net sales
for the three months ended March 31, 2010. The assets of
our non-guarantor subsidiaries (excluding the receivable
securitization and goodwill of our non-guarantor subsidiaries)
represented approximately 42.2% of our total consolidated assets
as of December 31, 2009 and approximately 38.2% of our
total consolidated assets as of March 31, 2010.
Limitation on
consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer
We will not consolidate with or merge into any other Person in a
transaction in which we are not the surviving corporation, or
sell, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our
assets (on a consolidated basis) to any Person, unless:
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the successor entity, if any, is a U.S. corporation,
limited liability company, partnership or trust (subject to
certain exceptions provided for in the indenture);
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the successor entity expressly assumes our obligations on the
notes and under the indenture;
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immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no event of
default, and no event, that after notice or lapse of time, or
both, would become an event of default, has occurred and is
continuing under the indenture; and
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certain other conditions under the indenture are met.
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In such event, we will be discharged from all obligations and
covenants under the indenture and the notes and may be
liquidated and dissolved. The successor Person formed by such
consolidation or into which we are merged or to which such sale,
conveyance, transfer or lease is made will succeed to, and be
substituted for, and may exercise all of our rights and powers
under the indenture with the same effect as if such successor
had been named as the Company in the indenture.
Defeasance and
discharge
Defeasance
The term defeasance means we (and to the extent applicable, the
subsidiary guarantors) are discharged from some or all of our
obligations under the indenture. If we deposit in trust with the
trustee under the indenture any combination of money or
government securities in an amount sufficient to make payments
on the notes under the indenture on the dates those payments are
due, then, at our option:
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we will be discharged from any and all obligations with respect
to the notes (legal defeasance); or
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we will no longer have any obligation to comply with any
specified restrictive covenants with respect to the notes
described in this prospectus supplement and other specified
covenants under the indenture, and the related events of default
will no longer apply (covenant defeasance).
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If the notes are defeased, the holders of the notes will not be
entitled to the benefits of the indenture, except for
obligations to register the transfer or exchange of notes,
replace stolen, lost or mutilated notes or maintain paying
agencies and hold money for payment in trust.
S-16
In the event that we exercise our legal defeasance option or our
covenant defeasance option with respect to the notes, each
subsidiary guarantor will be released from all of its
obligations with respect to its guarantee of the notes.
We will be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of
counsel that the deposit and related defeasance would not cause
the holders of the notes to recognize income, gain or loss for
U.S. federal income tax purposes and that the holders would
be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts,
in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the
case if the deposit and related defeasance had not occurred. If
we elect legal defeasance, the opinion of counsel must be based
upon a ruling from the United States Internal Revenue Service or
a change in law to that effect.
Satisfaction
and Discharge
In addition, we may discharge our obligations and, to the extent
applicable, the obligations of the subsidiary guarantors with
respect to the notes and the indenture when:
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we pay or cause to be paid, as and when due and payable, the
principal of and any interest on all of the notes outstanding
under the indenture;
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all of the notes previously authenticated and delivered (subject
to certain exceptions) have been delivered to the trustee for
cancellation and we have paid all amounts payable by us under
the indenture; or
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all of the notes are to be called for redemption within one year
under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee, and we
irrevocably deposit in trust with the trustee, solely for the
benefit of the holders, cash or government securities (maturing
as to principal and interest in such amounts and at such times
as will insure the availability of cash sufficient) that, after
payment of all federal, state and local taxes and other charges
and assessments in respect thereof payable by the trustee, will
be sufficient to pay the principal of and any interest on the
notes to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and to pay
all other amounts payable by us under the indenture.
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With respect to the first and second bullet points, only our
obligations to compensate and indemnify the trustee and our
right to recover unclaimed money held by the trustee under the
indenture will survive. With respect to the third bullet point,
certain rights and obligations under the indenture (such as our
obligation to maintain an office or agency, to have moneys held
for payment in trust, to register the transfer or exchange of
the notes, to deliver the notes for replacement or to be
canceled, to compensate and indemnify the trustee and to appoint
a successor trustee, and our right to recover unclaimed money
held by the trustee) will survive until the notes are no longer
outstanding. Thereafter, only our obligations to compensate and
indemnify the trustee and our right to recover unclaimed money
held by the trustee will survive.
Optional
redemption
We may, at our option, at any time and from time to time, redeem
the notes, in whole or in part, on not less than 30 nor more
than 60 days prior notice mailed to the holders of
the notes, with a copy provided to the trustee. The notes will
be redeemable at a redemption price, to be calculated by us,
equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of
the notes to be redeemed and (2) the sum of the present
values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and
interest on the notes to be redeemed (not including interest
accrued to the date of redemption), discounted to the redemption
date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a
360-day year
consisting of twelve
30-day
months) at the Treasury Rate
plus
basis points, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest on
the notes to be redeemed to the date of redemption.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the United
States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment
Banker that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in
accordance with customary
S-17
financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt
securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the
notes.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect
to any redemption date, (1) the average of the Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after
excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations, or (2) if we obtain fewer than six such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all
Quotations obtained.
Independent Investment Banker means one of
the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by us.
Reference Treasury Dealer means each of
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., a Primary Treasury Dealer (as
defined below) selected by Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and their
respective successors and two other nationally recognized
investment banking firms that are Primary Treasury Dealers
specified from time to time by us, except that if any of the
foregoing ceases to be a primary U.S. government securities
dealer in the United States (a Primary Treasury
Dealer), we will substitute another nationally recognized
investment banking firm that is a Primary Treasury Dealer.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means,
with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any
redemption date, the average, as determined by us, of the bid
and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in
each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to us by such Reference Treasury Dealer as of
3:30 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day
preceding such redemption date.
Treasury Rate means, with respect to any
redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual
equivalent yield to maturity (computed as of the third business
day immediately preceding such redemption date) of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal
amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such
redemption date.
On and after any redemption date, interest will cease to accrue
on the notes called for redemption. Prior to any redemption
date, we are required to deposit with a paying agent money
sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest
on the notes to be redeemed on such date. If we are redeeming
less than all the notes, the trustee under the indenture must
select the notes to be redeemed by such method as the trustee
deems fair and appropriate in accordance with methods generally
used at the time of selection by fiduciaries in similar
circumstances.
Change of control
triggering event
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event with
respect to the notes, unless we have exercised our right to
redeem the notes as described under Optional
redemption by giving irrevocable notice to the trustee in
accordance with the indenture, each holder of notes will have
the right to require us to purchase all or a portion of such
holders notes pursuant to the offer described below (the
Change of Control Offer), at a purchase price equal
to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to the date of purchase (the Change of
Control Payment), subject to the rights of holders of
notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the
relevant interest payment date.
Unless we have exercised our right to redeem the notes, within
30 days following the date upon which the Change of Control
Triggering Event occurs with respect to the notes, or at our
option, prior to any Change of Control but after the public
announcement of the pending Change of Control, we will be
required to send, by first class mail, a notice to each holder
of notes, with a copy to the trustee, which notice will govern
the terms of the Change of Control Offer. Such notice will
state, among other things, the purchase date, which must be no
earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the
date such notice is mailed, other than as may be required by law
(the Change of Control Payment Date). The notice, if
mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of
Control, will state that the Change of Control Offer is
conditioned on the Change of Control being consummated on or
prior to the Change of Control Payment Date.
S-18
On the Change of Control Payment Date, we will, to the extent
lawful:
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accept or cause a third party to accept for payment all notes or
portions of notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of
Control Offer;
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deposit or cause a third party to deposit with the paying agent
an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of
all notes or portions of notes properly tendered; and
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deliver or cause to be delivered to the trustee the notes
properly accepted together with an officers certificate
stating the aggregate principal amount of notes or portions of
notes being repurchased and that all conditions precedent to the
Change of Control Offer and to the repurchase by us of notes
pursuant to the Change of Control Offer have been complied with.
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We will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer with
respect to the notes if a third party makes such an offer in the
manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the
requirements for such an offer made by us and such third party
purchases all the notes properly tendered and not withdrawn
under its offer.
We will comply in all material respects with the requirements of
Rule 14e-1
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act), and any other securities laws and
regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations
are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the notes as
a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent
that the provisions of any such securities laws or regulations
conflict with the Change of Control Offer provisions of the
notes, we will comply with those securities laws and regulations
and will not be deemed to have breached our obligations under
the Change of Control Offer provisions of the notes by virtue of
any such conflict.
For purposes of the foregoing discussion of a Change of Control
Offer, the following definitions are applicable:
Change of Control means the occurrence of any
of the following after the date of issuance of the notes:
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1.
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the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or
other disposition (other than by way of merger or
consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of
all or substantially all of the assets of us and our
subsidiaries taken as a whole to any person or
group (as those terms are used in
Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than to us or
one of our subsidiaries;
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2.
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the consummation of any transaction (including, without
limitation, any merger or consolidation) that results in any
person or group (as those terms are used
in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, provided that an
employee of the Company or any of our subsidiaries for whom
shares are held under an employee stock ownership, employee
retirement, employee savings or similar plan and whose shares
are voted in accordance with the instructions of such employee
is not a member of a group solely because such
employees shares are held by a trustee under said plan)
becoming the beneficial owner (as defined in
Rules 13d-3
and 13d-5
under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock
representing more than 50% of the voting power of our
outstanding Voting Stock or of the Voting Stock of any of our
direct or indirect parent companies;
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3.
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we consolidate with, or merge with or into, any Person, or any
Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, us, in any
such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of our
outstanding Voting Stock or the Voting Stock of such other
Person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or
other property, other than any such transaction in which our
Voting Stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction
constitutes, or is converted into or exchanged for, Voting Stock
representing more than 50% of the voting power of the Voting
Stock of the surviving Person immediately after giving effect to
such transaction;
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S-19
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4.
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the first day on which a majority of the members of our board of
directors or the board of directors of any of our direct or
indirect parent companies are not Continuing Directors; or
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5.
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the adoption of a plan relating to our liquidation or
dissolution.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed
to involve a Change of Control solely because we become a direct
or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company if the
direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding
company immediately following that transaction are substantially
the same as the holders of our Voting Stock immediately prior to
that transaction.
Change of Control Triggering Event means,
with respect to the notes, (1) the rating of such notes is
lowered by any of the Rating Agencies on any date during the
period (the Trigger Period) commencing on the
earlier of (a) the occurrence of a Change of Control and
(b) the first public announcement by us of any Change of
Control (or pending Change of Control), and ending 60 days
following consummation of such Change of Control (which Trigger
Period will be extended following consummation of a Change of
Control for so long as any of the Rating Agencies has publicly
announced that it is considering a possible ratings change), and
(2) such notes are rated below Investment Grade by each of
the Rating Agencies on any day during the Trigger Period;
provided that a Change of Control Trigger Event will not
be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of
Control if the Rating Agency making the reduction in rating does
not publicly announce or confirm or inform the trustee at our
request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part,
of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result
of, or in respect of, the Change of Control.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Change of Control Triggering
Event will be deemed to have occurred in connection with any
particular Change of Control unless and until such Change of
Control has actually been consummated.
Continuing Director means, as of any date of
determination, any member of the applicable board of directors
who: (1) was a member of our board of directors on the date
of issuance of the notes or (2) was nominated for election,
elected or appointed to such board of directors with the
approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were
members of such board of directors at the time of such
nomination, election or appointment (either by a specific vote
or by approval of a proxy statement in which such member was
named as a nominee for election as a director).
Investment Grade means a rating of Baa3 or
better by Moodys (or its equivalent under any successor
rating category of Moodys) or a rating of BBB-or better by
S&P (or its equivalent under any successor rating category
of S&P), and the equivalent investment grade credit rating
from any replacement rating agency or rating agencies selected
by us under the circumstances permitting us to select a
replacement agency and in the manner for selecting a replacement
agency, in each case as set forth in the definition of
Rating Agency.
Moodys means Moodys Investors
Service, Inc., a subsidiary of Moodys Corporation, and its
successors.
Person means any individual, corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, business trust,
association, joint-stock company, joint venture, trust,
incorporated or unincorporated organization or government or any
agency or political subdivision thereof.
Rating Agency means each of Moodys and
S&P; provided, that if any of Moodys or
S&P ceases to provide rating services to issuers or
investors, we may appoint another nationally recognized
statistical rating organization within the meaning of
Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F)
under the Exchange Act as a replacement for such Rating Agency.
S&P means Standard &
Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc., and its successors.
S-20
Voting Stock of any specified Person as of
any date means the capital stock of such Person that is at the
time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of
directors of such Person.
The definition of Change of Control includes a phrase relating
to the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or
other disposition of all or substantially all of the
assets of us and our subsidiaries taken as a whole. Although
there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase
substantially all, there is no precise, established
definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, the
applicability of the requirement that we offer to repurchase the
notes as a result of a sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or
other disposition of less than all of the assets of us and our
subsidiaries taken as a whole to another Person or group may be
uncertain.
Certain
covenants
Limitations on
liens
We will not, and will not permit any Material Subsidiary to,
create, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for money borrowed
that is secured by Liens on any Principal Property without
making effective provision for securing the notes equally and
ratably with such indebtedness, except that the foregoing
restrictions will not apply to:
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Liens on Principal Property existing at the time we or a
Material Subsidiary acquired or leased the Principal Property,
including Principal Property owned by us or a Material
Subsidiary through a merger or similar transaction;
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Liens on any Principal Property acquired, constructed or
improved by us or any Material Subsidiary after the date of the
indenture, which Liens are created or assumed contemporaneously
with, or within 180 days of, such acquisition, construction
or improvement and which are created to secure, or provide for
the payment of, all or any part of the cost of such acquisition,
construction or improvement;
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Liens on property of any Person existing at the time such Person
becomes a Material Subsidiary;
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any Permitted Credit Agreement Lien;
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any Lien renewing, extending or replacing any Lien referred to
above; or
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any other Liens on any of our or our subsidiaries assets
or properties that secure indebtedness, liabilities and
obligations of us or our subsidiaries in an aggregate amount of
up to 15% of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.
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Limitations on
sale and leaseback transactions
The indenture provides that we will not, and will not permit any
Material Subsidiary to, enter into any sale and leaseback
transaction covering any Principal Property. However, a sale and
leaseback transaction will not be prohibited if:
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the transaction is permitted pursuant to the exception described
in the last bullet point under Limitation on
liens;
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the transaction is a Permitted Credit Agreement Transfer;
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an amount equal to the greater of (1) the net proceeds of
the sale or transfer and (2) the Attributable Debt of the
Principal Property sold (as determined by us) is applied within
180 days to the voluntary retirement of notes or other
indebtedness of the Company (other than indebtedness
subordinated to the notes) or a Material Subsidiary, for money
borrowed, maturing more than 12 months after the voluntary
retirement;
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the lease is for a period not exceeding three years and by the
end of which it is intended that the use of such Principal
Property by the lessee will be discontinued; or
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the lease is with us or another Material Subsidiary.
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S-21
Limitation on
transfer of principal properties to specified
subsidiaries
The indenture provides that, so long as the notes are
outstanding, we will not, and will not permit any Material
Subsidiary to, transfer any Principal Property, unless
(1) the transfer is a Permitted Credit Agreement Transfer
or (2) within one year after the effective date of the
transfer, the subsidiary applies or commits to apply an amount
equal to the fair value of the Principal Property at the time of
the transfer:
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to the acquisition, construction, development or improvement of
properties, facilities or equipment that are, or upon the
acquisition, construction, development or improvement will be, a
Principal Property or a part thereof;
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to the redemption of notes;
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to the repayment of indebtedness for money borrowed having a
maturity of more than 12 months from the date of our most
recent consolidated balance sheet, other than any indebtedness
owed to us or any Material Subsidiary; or
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in part to an acquisition, construction, development or
improvement and in part to redemption
and/or
repayment, in each case as described above.
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The fair value of any Principal Property for purposes of this
covenant will be as determined by our board of directors.
Certain
definitions relating to our restrictive covenants
For purposes of the foregoing discussion of the restrictive
covenants under the indenture, the following definitions are
applicable:
Attributable Debt with regard to a sale and
leaseback transaction with respect to any Principal Property
means, at the time of determination, the present value of the
total net amount of rent required to be paid under the lease
during the remaining term thereof (including any period for
which the lease has been extended), discounted at the rate of
interest set forth or implicit in the terms of the lease (or, if
not practicable to determine the rate, the weighted average
interest rate per annum borne by the notes then outstanding
under the indenture) compounded semi-annually. In the case of
any lease that is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a
penalty, the net amount of rent will be the lesser of
(x) the net amount determined assuming termination upon the
first date the lease may be terminated (in which case the net
amount will also include the amount of the penalty, but will not
include any rent that would be required to be paid under the
lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so
terminated) or (y) the net amount determined assuming no
such termination.
Capital Lease means a lease with respect to
which the lessee is required concurrently to recognize the
acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of a liability in
accordance with GAAP.
Consolidated Net Tangible Assets means the
aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other
properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom
(a) all current liabilities (excluding any indebtedness for
money borrowed having a maturity of less than 12 months
from the date of our most recent consolidated balance sheet but
which by its terms is renewable or extendable beyond
12 months from such date at our option) and (b) all
goodwill, trade names, patents, unamortized debt discount and
expense and any other like intangibles, all as set forth on our
most recent consolidated balance sheet and determined in
accordance with GAAP.
Credit Agreement means the Third Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement, dated October 12, 2007, among
the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent,
swingline lender and issuing bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. (as successor to Wachovia Bank, National
Association), as co-syndication agents, and the lenders party
thereto, as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise
modified from time to time.
S-22
EBITDA means, for any period, the total of
the following calculated for us and our subsidiaries without
duplication on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP:
(a) our consolidated net income (or net loss) for such
period, determined in accordance with GAAP, plus (b) any
deduction for (or less any gain from) income or franchise taxes
included in determining such consolidated net income; plus
(c) interest expenses deducted in determining such
consolidated net income; plus (d) amortization and
depreciation expense deducted in determining such consolidated
net income; plus (e) any non-recurring and non-cash charges
resulting from application of GAAP that requires a charge
against earnings for the impairment of goodwill to the extent
not already added back in determining such consolidated net
income; plus (f) any non-cash expenses that arose in
connection with the grant of stock options to our and our
subsidiaries officers, directors and employees and were
deducted in determining such consolidated net income.
ERISA means the Employment Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time
in effect.
GAAP means generally accepted accounting
principles as in effect from time to time in the United States.
Lake Park Insurance, Ltd. means a Bermuda
corporation and a subsidiary of ours.
Liens means, with respect to any Person, any
mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other
encumbrance, or any interest or title of any vendor, lessor,
lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any
conditional sale or other title retention agreement or Capital
Lease, upon or with respect to any property or asset of such
Person.
Material Subsidiary means each subsidiary
guarantor and any other subsidiary of Lennox (except LPAC Corp.,
LPAC Corp. II and Lake Park Insurance Ltd.) the book value
(determined in accordance with GAAP) of whose total assets
equals or exceeds ten percent (10%) of the book value of our
consolidated total assets as determined as of the last day of
our most recent fiscal quarter.
Permitted Credit Agreement Liens means:
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any Liens that secure payment of our borrowings or any other
obligations of us or our subsidiaries under the Credit
Agreement, including any renewal, extension, replacement or
amendment of the Credit Agreement; provided, however, that we
make effective provision for securing the notes equally and
ratably with the indebtedness under the Credit Agreement,
including any such renewal, extension, replacement or amendment
of the Credit Agreement;
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any Liens for taxes not yet due or that are being contested in
good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted,
if adequate reserves with respect to such Liens are maintained
in accordance with GAAP;
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any statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers,
warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen and other similar Liens, in
each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business for sums
not yet due, and any such Liens which are being contested in
good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted,
if adequate reserves with respect to such Liens are maintained
in accordance with GAAP;
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any Liens (other than any Lien imposed by ERISA) incurred or
deposits made in the ordinary course of business (1) in
connection with workers compensation, unemployment
insurance and other types of social security or retirement
benefits, or (2) to secure (or to obtain letters of credit
that secure) the performance of tenders, statutory obligations,
surety bonds, appeal bonds, bids, leases (other than Capital
Leases), performance bonds, purchase, construction or sales
contracts and other similar obligations, in each case not
incurred or made in connection with the borrowing of money, the
obtaining of advances or credit or the payment of the deferred
purchase price of property;
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S-23
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any Liens securing judgments for the payment of money; provided,
however, that such judgments that are final judgments (excluding
judgments that, within 60 days after entry thereof, are
bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are discharged
within 60 days after the expiration of such stay) rendered
against one or more of us and our subsidiaries may not aggregate
in excess of $40,000,000 to the extent not covered by
independent third party insurance as to which the insurer does
not dispute coverage;
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any (1) leases or subleases granted in the ordinary course
of business and covering only the assets so leased and
(2) easements,
rights-of-way,
restrictions and other similar charges or encumbrances that do
not, in the aggregate, materially detract from the value of the
subject property or materially interfere with the ordinary
conduct of our and our subsidiaries business;
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Liens in favor of us, any Material Subsidiary, or Lake Park
Insurance Ltd.;
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any Liens on property of any subsidiary that is not a Material
Subsidiary securing indebtedness owed to any other subsidiary
that is not a Material Subsidiary;
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any Liens (1) contemplated by financing statements filed in
respect of operating leases or (2) securing the obligations
of Lennox Procurement Company Inc. under the lease agreement,
dated as of June 22, 2006, by and between Lennox
Procurement Company Inc. and BTMU Capital Corporation, regarding
the lease of an office building, including our corporate
headquarters in Richardson, Texas, and land and related
improvements;
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Liens granted in connection with a Receivable Securitization on
the receivables sold pursuant thereto (together with all
collections and other proceeds thereof and any collateral
securing the payment thereof), all right title and interest in
and to the lockboxes and other collection accounts in which
proceeds of such receivables are deposited, the rights under the
documents executed in connection with such Receivable
Securitization and in the equity interests issued by any special
purpose entity organized to purchase the receivables thereunder;
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any Liens (1) on property of any Person existing at the
time the Person is merged or consolidated with or into, or
otherwise acquired by, us or one of our subsidiaries or
(2) existing on any asset prior to the acquisition thereof
by us or one of our subsidiaries; and
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any Liens securing indebtedness of any foreign subsidiary,
indebtedness in respect of Capital Leases, or purchase money
indebtedness for fixed or capital assets.
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Permitted Credit Agreement Transfers means:
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transfers in the ordinary course of business of inventory held
for sale or property no longer used, useful or required in the
operation of our or the transferring subsidiarys business
or that is obsolete;
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transfers (1) by any domestic subsidiary to us or another
wholly-owned domestic subsidiary of the Company, (2) by a
foreign subsidiary to us or another wholly-owned subsidiary of
the Company, (3) by us to a Material Subsidiary that is a
wholly-owned domestic subsidiary of the Company, and (4) by
any subsidiary that is not a Material Subsidiary to another
subsidiary that is not a Material Subsidiary;
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transfers that constitute the sale of receivables, or undivided
interests therein, together with all collections and other
proceeds thereof and any collateral securing the payment
thereof, pursuant to a Receivable Securitization;
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transfers by a subsidiary of all or substantially all of its
assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise), provided,
however, that if such transferor is a subsidiary guarantor, the
transferee must be us or another subsidiary guarantor;
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the sale of all or a portion of any business segment other than
the domestic heating (with the exception of the hearth products
division and the advanced distributor products division) and
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S-24
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cooling manufacturing segment and the domestic refrigeration
segment, provided, however, that (1) the aggregate book
value of all business segments or portions thereof transferred
in reliance on this clause in any fiscal year may not exceed 10%
of our consolidated total assets as determined as of the last
day of our most recent fiscal year and (2) all business
segments or portions thereof transferred in reliance on this
clause in any fiscal year, in the aggregate, may not have
contributed more than 5% of our EBITDA for the immediately
preceding fiscal year; and
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any other sale, provided that (1) the aggregate book value
of all property transferred in reliance on this clause in any
fiscal year may not exceed 5% of our consolidated total assets
as determined as of the last day of our most recent fiscal year,
and (2) all property transferred in reliance on this clause
in any fiscal year, in the aggregate, may not have contributed
more than 5% of our EBITDA for the immediately preceding fiscal
year.
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Principal Property means any manufacturing
plant, warehouse, office building or parcel of real property,
including fixtures but excluding leases and other contract
rights which might otherwise be deemed real property, owned by
us or any of our Material Subsidiaries, whether owned on the
date of the indenture or thereafter acquired, that has a book
value (determined in accordance with GAAP) in excess of 2% of
the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of us and our consolidated
subsidiaries. Any plant, warehouse, office building or parcel of
real property or portion thereof which our board of directors
determines is not of material importance to the business
conducted by us and our subsidiaries taken as a whole will not
be a Principal Property.
Receivable Securitization means, with respect
to a Person, a transaction or group of transactions typically
referred to as a securitization in which the Person sells its
accounts receivable in a transaction accounted for as a true
sale to a special purpose bankruptcy remote entity that obtains
debt financing to finance the purchase price.
Subsidiary means any corporation, partnership
or other legal entity (a) the accounts of which are
consolidated with ours in accordance with GAAP and (b) of
which, in the case of a corporation, more than 50% of the
outstanding voting stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by us
or by one or more other subsidiaries, or by us and one or more
other subsidiaries or, in the case of any partnership or other
legal entity, more than 50% of the ordinary equity capital
interests is, at the time, directly or indirectly owned or
controlled by us or by one or more of the subsidiaries or by us
and one or more of the subsidiaries.
Events of
default
You will have special rights if an event of default occurs and
is not cured, as further described in the section Events
of default in the accompanying prospectus.
With respect to the notes, the term event of default
means any of the following:
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our default in the payment of principal or premium on the notes
when due and payable whether at maturity, upon acceleration,
redemption, or otherwise;
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default in the payment of interest on the notes when due and
payable; if that default continues for a period of 30 days;
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default in the performance of or breach of any of our other
covenants or agreements in the indenture, and that default or
breach continues for a period of 90 consecutive days after we
receive written notice from the trustee or from the holders of
25% or more in aggregate principal amount of the notes;
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any guarantee by a Material Subsidiary ceases for any reason to
be, or is asserted in writing by us or such Material Subsidiary
not to be, in full force and effect and enforceable in
accordance with its terms except to the extent contemplated by
the indenture and any such guarantee;
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an event of default, as defined in the indenture or instrument
under which we or any Material Subsidiary have outstanding at
least $75 million aggregate principal amount of
indebtedness for
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S-25
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money borrowed, occurs and is continuing and such indebtedness,
as a result thereof, is accelerated so that the same is or
becomes due and payable prior to the date on which the same
would otherwise have become due and payable, and such
acceleration is not rescinded or annulled within 30 days
after notice thereof has been given, by registered or certified
mail, to us by the trustee, or to us and the trustee by the
holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
notes at the time outstanding;
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a court having jurisdiction enters a decree or order for:
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relief in respect of us or a Material Subsidiary in an
involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or
other similar law now or hereafter in effect;
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appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian,
trustee, sequestrator or similar official of us or a Material
Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of our or a Material
Subsidiarys property and assets; or
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the winding up or liquidation of our or a Material
Subsidiarys affairs and such decree or order remains
unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive
days; or
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we or a Material Subsidiary:
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commence a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or
consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary
case under any such law;
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consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator
or similar official of all or substantially all of our or a
Material Subsidiarys property and assets; or
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effect any general assignment for the benefit of creditors.
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Book-entry
system: delivery and form
The notes will be represented by one or more global notes in
definitive, fully registered form without interest coupons. Each
global note will be deposited with the trustee as custodian for
DTC and registered in the name of DTC or a nominee of DTC in New
York, New York for the accounts of institutions that have
accounts with DTC (participants).
Investors may hold their interests in a global note directly
through DTC if they are DTC participants, or indirectly through
organizations that are DTC participants. Except in the limited
circumstances described below, holders of notes represented by
interests in a global note will not be entitled to receive their
notes in fully registered definitive form, which notes we refer
to as definitive notes.
DTC has advised us as follows: DTC is a limited-purpose trust
company organized under New York Banking Law, a banking
organization within the meaning of the New York Banking
Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing
corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code and a clearing agency registered
pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange
Act. DTC was created to hold securities of its participants and
to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities
transactions among its participants in such securities through
electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the participants,
thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities
certificates. DTCs participants include securities brokers
and dealers (which may include the underwriters), banks, trust
companies, clearing corporations and certain other
organizations. Access to DTCs book-entry systems is also
available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a participant, whether directly or indirectly.
Ownership of
beneficial interests
We expect that, pursuant to the procedures established by DTC,
upon the issuance of each global note, DTC will credit, on its
book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective
principal amount of the individual beneficial interests
represented by the global note to the accounts of participants.
Ownership of beneficial interests in each global note will be
limited to participants or
S-26
persons that may hold interests through participants. Ownership
of beneficial interests in each global note will be shown on,
and the transfer of those ownership interests will be effected
only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to
participants interests) and such participants (with
respect to the owners of beneficial interests in the global note
other than participants).
So long as DTC, or its nominee, is the registered holder and
owner of a global note, DTC or such nominee, as the case may be,
will be considered the sole legal owner of the notes represented
by the global note for all purposes under the indenture, the
notes and applicable law. Except as set forth below, owners of
beneficial interests in a global note will not be entitled to
receive definitive notes, will not be entitled to have the notes
represented by the global note registered in their names and
will not be considered to be the owners or holders of any notes
under the global note. We understand that under existing
industry practice, in the event an owner of a beneficial
interest in a global note desires to take any actions that DTC,
as the holder of the global note, is entitled to take, DTC would
authorize the participants to take such action, and that
participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through
such participants to take such action or would otherwise act
upon the instructions of beneficial owners owning through them.
No beneficial owner of an interest in a global note will be able
to transfer the interest except in accordance with DTCs
applicable procedures. Because DTC can only act on behalf of
participants, who in turn act on behalf of others, the ability
of a person having a beneficial interest in a global note to
pledge that interest to persons that do not participate in the
DTC system, or otherwise to take actions in respect of that
interest, may be impaired by the lack of a physical certificate
of that interest.
All payments on the notes represented by a global note
registered in the name of and held by DTC or its nominee will be
made to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the
registered owner and holder of the global note.
We expect that DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment
of principal or interest in respect of a global note, will
credit participants accounts with payments in amounts
proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the
principal amount of the global note as shown on the records of
DTC or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants
to owners of beneficial interests in the global note held
through such participants will be governed by standing
instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with
securities held for accounts of customers in the names of
nominees for such customers. Such payments, however, will be the
responsibility of such participants and indirect participants,
and neither we, the underwriters, the trustee nor any paying
agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect
of the records relating to, or payments made on account of,
beneficial ownership interests in any global note or for
maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to
such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of
the relationship between DTC and its participants or the
relationship between such participants and the owners of
beneficial interests in the global note.
Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for
definitive notes, no global note may be transferred except as a
whole by DTC to a nominee of DTC or by a nominee of DTC to DTC
or another nominee of DTC. Transfers between participants in DTC
will be effected in the ordinary way in accordance with DTC
rules and will be settled in
same-day
funds.
We expect that DTC will take any action permitted to be taken by
a holder of notes (including the presentation of notes for
exchange as described below) only at the direction of one or
more participants to whose account the DTC interests in a global
note are credited and only in respect of such portion of the
aggregate principal amount of the notes as to which such
participant or participants has or have given such direction.
However, if there is an event of default under the notes, DTC
will exchange each global note for definitive notes, which it
will distribute to its participants.
Although we expect that DTC will agree to the foregoing
procedures in order to facilitate transfers of interests in each
global note among participants of DTC, DTC is under no
obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures,
and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither the
underwriters, the trustee nor we will have any responsibility
for the performance or
S-27
nonperformance by DTC or their participants or indirect
participants of their respective obligations under the rules and
procedures governing their operations.
The indenture provides that if:
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DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
depositary or if DTC ceases to be eligible under the indenture
and we do not appoint a successor depositary within
90 days; or
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we determine that the notes will no longer be represented by
global notes, and we execute and deliver to the trustee, in our
discretion, a company order to such effect,
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the global notes will be exchanged for notes in definitive form
of like tenor and of an equal principal amount, in authorized
denominations. Such definitive notes will be registered in such
name or names as DTC instructs the trustee. We expect that such
instructions may be based upon directions received by DTC from
participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interest in
global securities.
We have obtained the information in this section concerning DTC
and DTCs book-entry system from sources that we believe to
be reliable, but neither we nor the trustee take responsibility
for its accuracy.
Holding
through Euroclear and Clearstream
If the depositary for a global security is DTC, you may hold
interests in the global security through Clearstream Banking,
société anonyme, which we refer to as
Clearstream or Euroclear Bank S.A./ N.V., as
operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as
Euroclear, in each case, as a participant in DTC.
Euroclear and Clearstream will hold interests, in each case, on
behalf of their participants through customers securities
accounts in the names of Euroclear and Clearstream on the books
of their respective depositaries, which in turn will hold such
interests in customers securities in the
depositaries names on DTCs books.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other
matters relating to the notes made through Euroclear or
Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those
systems. Those systems could change their rules and procedures
at any time. We have no control over those systems or their
participants, and we take no responsibility for their
activities. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or
Clearstream, on the one hand, and other participants in DTC, on
the other hand, would also be subject to DTCs rules and
procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and
Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices
and other transactions involving any securities held through
those systems only on days when those systems are open for
business. Those systems may not be open for business on days
when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business
in the United States.
In addition, because of time-zone differences,
U.S. investors who hold their interests in the notes
through these systems and wish on a particular day to transfer
their interests, or to receive or make a payment or delivery or
exercise any other right with respect to their interests, may
find that the transaction will not be effected until the next
business day in Luxembourg or Brussels, as applicable. Thus,
investors who wish to exercise rights that expire on a
particular day may need to act before the expiration date. In
addition, investors who hold their interests through both DTC
and Euroclear or Clearstream may need to make special
arrangements to finance any purchases or sales of their
interests between the U.S. and European clearing systems,
and those transactions may settle later than transactions within
one clearing system.
Trustee
U.S. Bank National Association is the trustee under the
indenture. Initially, the trustee will also act as the paying
agent, registrar and custodian for the notes. In the ordinary
course of their businesses, affiliates of the trustee have
engaged in commercial banking transactions with us, and may in
the future engage in commercial banking and other transactions
with us.
S-28
Certain U.S.
federal income tax considerations
The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income
tax considerations relating to the purchase, ownership and
disposition of the notes. It is not a complete analysis of all
the potential tax considerations relating to the notes. This
summary is based upon the provisions of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), Treasury
Regulations promulgated under the Code, administrative rulings
and pronouncements and judicial decisions, all as in effect on
the date of this prospectus supplement and all subject to change
or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect.
This summary is limited to beneficial owners of notes that
purchase the notes for cash upon their initial issuance at their
initial offering price and that will hold the notes as capital
assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. The
issue price of a note will be the first price at which a
substantial amount of the notes is sold to the public, excluding
bond houses, brokers or similar persons or organizations acting
in the capacity of underwriters, placement agents or wholesalers.
This summary does not address the tax considerations arising
under other federal tax laws (such as estate and gift tax laws)
or the laws of any foreign, state or local jurisdiction. In
addition, this discussion does not address all tax
considerations that may be applicable to holders
particular circumstances or to holders that may be subject to
special tax rules under the U.S. federal income tax laws,
such as, for example:
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holders subject to the alternative minimum tax;
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banks, insurance companies, or other financial institutions;
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real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies;
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tax-exempt organizations;
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brokers and dealers in securities or currencies;
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persons who have ceased to be citizens or residents of the
United States;
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traders in securities that elect to use a
mark-to-market
method of tax accounting for their securities holdings;
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U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional
currency is not the U.S. dollar or who hold notes
through a foreign entity or foreign account;
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persons that will hold the notes as a position in a hedging
transaction, straddle, conversion transaction or other risk
reduction transaction;
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persons deemed to sell the notes under the constructive sale
provisions of the Code; or
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partnerships (or other entities or arrangements classified as
partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or other
pass-through entities, or investors in such entities.
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This summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations is for general information only and is not tax
advice. This summary is not binding on the Internal Revenue
Service, which we refer to as the IRS. We have not sought, and
will not seek, any ruling from the IRS with respect to the
statements made in this summary, and there can be no assurance
that the IRS will not take a position contrary to these
statements or that a contrary position taken by the IRS would
not be sustained by a court. If you are considering purchasing
the notes, you are urged to consult your own tax advisor with
respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax
laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax
considerations arising under other U.S. federal tax laws,
the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction or
any applicable income tax treaty.
Certain
additional payments
Under certain circumstances, we may become obligated to make
payments on the notes in excess of stated principal and
interest. For example, we may be required to pay 101% of the
face amount of any
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note purchased by us at the holders election after a
change of control, as described above under the heading
Description of the notes and guaranteesChange of
control triggering event. Treasury regulations provide
special rules for contingent payment debt instruments which, if
applicable, could cause the timing, amount and character of a
holders income, gain or loss with respect to the notes to
be different from the consequences discussed below. For purposes
of determining whether a debt instrument is a contingent payment
debt instrument, remote or incidental contingencies are ignored.
We intend to treat the possibility of our making the above
payments as remote or to treat such payments as incidental.
Accordingly, we do not intend to treat the notes as contingent
payment debt instruments. Our treatment will be binding on all
holders, except a holder that discloses its differing treatment
in a statement attached to its timely filed U.S. federal
income tax return for the taxable year during which the note was
acquired. However, our treatment is not binding on the IRS. If
the IRS were to challenge our treatment, a holder might be
required to accrue income on the notes in excess of stated
interest and any otherwise applicable original issue discount
(described below) and to treat as ordinary income, rather than
capital gain, any gain recognized on the disposition of the
notes before the resolution of the contingencies. In any event,
if we actually make any such payment, the timing, amount and
character of a holders income, gain or loss with respect
to the notes may be affected. The remainder of this discussion
assumes that the notes will not be contingent payment debt
instruments. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors
regarding the potential application to the notes of the rules
regarding contingent payment debt instruments and the
consequences thereof.
Consequences to
U.S. holders
As used in this prospectus supplement, the term
U.S. Holder means a beneficial owner of a note
that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
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a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the
United States, a state thereof or the District of Columbia;
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an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income taxation regardless of its source; or
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a trust that (1) is subject to the supervision of a court
within the United States, if one or more U.S. persons have
the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust,
or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable
U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a
U.S. person.
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If an entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for
U.S. federal income tax purposes holds notes, the tax
treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend
upon the status of the partner and the activities of the
partnership. If you are an entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (or if you
are a partner in such a partnership), you are urged to consult
your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of holding the
notes to you.
Payments of
stated interest
Stated interest on the notes will generally be taxable to you as
ordinary income at the time it is paid or accrued in accordance
with your method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax
purposes.
Sale or other
taxable disposition of the notes
Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of a note (including
a retirement or redemption), you generally will recognize
capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount
realized on such disposition (except to the extent any amount
realized is attributable to accrued but unpaid stated interest,
which, if not previously taxed, will be taxable as ordinary
income) and your adjusted tax basis in the note. Your adjusted
tax basis in a note generally will be your cost for the note.
S-30
The capital gain or loss recognized on the disposition of a note
generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time
of such disposition, you have held the note for more than one
year. Long-term capital gains of individuals and other
non-corporate taxpayers are generally eligible for reduced rates
of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to
certain limitations.
Information
reporting and backup withholding
In general, information reporting requirements will apply to
certain payments of interest and to the proceeds of a sale or
other disposition (including a retirement or redemption) of
notes unless you are an exempt recipient such as a corporation.
Backup withholding (currently at a rate of 28%) will apply to
such amounts if you fail to provide your taxpayer identification
number or certification of exempt status or have been notified
by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding. Backup
withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under
the backup withholding rules will generally be allowed as a
refund or a credit against your U.S. federal income tax
liability provided that you furnish the required information to
the IRS on a timely basis.
Consequences to
non-U.S.
holders
As used in this prospectus supplement, the term
Non-U.S. Holder
means a beneficial owner of a note that is, for federal income
tax purposes, an individual, corporation, estate, or trust, that
is not a U.S. Holder.
If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United
States federal income tax purposes is a holder of a note, the
U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in such a
partnership will generally depend on the status of the partner
and the activities of the partnership. If you are an entity or
arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes (or if you are a partner in such a
partnership), you are urged to consult your tax advisor
regarding the tax consequences of holding the notes to you.
Payments of
interest
Subject to the discussion of backup withholding below, if you
are a
Non-U.S. Holder,
you will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income
tax or the 30% U.S. federal withholding tax on interest
paid on the notes so long as that interest is not effectively
connected with your conduct of a trade or business within the
United States, provided that:
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you do not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the
total combined voting power of all classes of our stock that are
entitled to vote;
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you are not a controlled foreign corporation that is actually or
constructively related to us through stock ownership;
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you are not a bank whose receipt of interest on a note is
described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; and
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you provide the applicable withholding agent with, among other
things, your name and address, and certify, under penalties of
perjury, that you are not a U.S. person (which
certification may be made on an IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form)).
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If you cannot satisfy the requirements described above, payments
of interest will generally be subject to the 30%
U.S. federal withholding tax, unless you provide the
applicable withholding agent with a properly executed
(1) IRS
Form W-8BEN
(or successor form) claiming an exemption from or reduction in
withholding under the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty
or (2) IRS
Form W-8ECI
(or successor form) stating that interest paid on the notes is
not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax because it is
effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business
in the United States (as discussed below under
Interest or gain effectively connected with a United
States trade or business).
S-31
Sale or other
taxable disposition of the notes
Subject to the discussion of backup withholding below, you will
generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or
withholding tax on any gain recognized on the sale or other
taxable disposition of a note (including a retirement or
redemption), unless:
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if you are an individual
non-U.S. holder,
you are present in the United States for at least 183 days
in the taxable year of such disposition and certain other
conditions are met; or
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that gain is effectively connected with the conduct by you of a
trade or business within the United States.
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If you are described in the first bullet point above, you will
generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate
of 30% on the amount by which your capital gains allocable to
U.S. sources, including gain from such disposition, exceed
any capital losses allocable to U.S. sources, except as
otherwise required by an applicable income tax treaty. If you
are described in the second bullet point, see
Interest or gain effectively connected with a United
States trade or business, below.
To the extent that the amount realized on any disposition of
notes is attributable to accrued but unpaid interest on the
note, such amount generally will be treated in the same manner
as payments of interest as described under the heading
Payments of interest above.
Interest or
gain effectively connected with a United States trade or
business
If you are engaged in a trade or business in the United States
and interest on a note or gain recognized from the sale or other
taxable disposition (including a retirement or redemption) of a
note is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or
business, you will generally be subject to U.S. federal
income tax (but not the 30% U.S. federal withholding tax on
interest if you provide an applicable IRS
Form W-8ECI,
as described above) on that interest or gain on a net income
basis in the same manner as if you were a U.S. person as
defined under the Code (unless an applicable income tax treaty
provides otherwise). In addition, if you are a foreign
corporation, you may be subject to a branch profits
tax equal to 30% (or lower applicable income tax treaty
rate) of your earnings and profits for the taxable year, subject
to adjustments, that are effectively connected with your conduct
of a trade or business in the United States. For this purpose,
interest or gain effectively connected with your trade or
business in the United States will be included in your earnings
and profits.
Information
reporting and backup withholding
Generally, information returns will be filed with the IRS in
connection with payments of interest on the notes and proceeds
from the sale or other taxable disposition (including a
retirement or redemption) of the notes. Copies of the
information returns reporting such payments and any withholding
may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country
in which you reside under the provisions of an applicable income
tax treaty.
You may be subject to backup withholding on payments of interest
and, depending on the circumstances, the proceeds of a sale or
other taxable disposition (including a retirement or redemption)
unless you comply with certain certification procedures to
establish that you are not a U.S. person. The certification
procedures required to claim an exemption from withholding of
tax on interest described above generally will satisfy the
certification requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding
as well. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount
of any backup withholding from a payment to you will be allowed
as a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability
and may entitle you to a refund, provided that the required
information is timely furnished to the IRS.
S-32
Underwriting
Subject to the terms and conditions in the underwriting
agreement among us, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Wells
Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the underwriters
named below, we have agreed to sell to each underwriter, and
each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase from us, the
principal amount of notes set forth opposite the names of the
underwriters below:
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Principal Amount
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Underwriter
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of Notes
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J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
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$
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Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
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Total
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$
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The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters
severally and not jointly agree to purchase all of the notes if
any of them are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the
underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of
the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the
underwriting agreement may be terminated. The underwriters
initially propose to offer the notes to the public at the public
offering price that appears on the cover page of this prospectus
supplement. The underwriters may offer the notes to selected
dealers at the public offering price minus a concession of up
to % of the principal amount of the
notes. In addition, the underwriters may allow, and those
selected dealers may reallow, a concession of up
to % of the principal amount of the
notes to certain other dealers. After the initial offering, the
underwriters may change the public offering price and any other
selling terms. The underwriters may offer and sell notes through
certain of their affiliates.
The following table shows the underwriting discounts and
commissions to be paid to the underwriters in connection with
this offering (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount
of the notes).
In the underwriting agreement, we have agreed that:
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We will pay our expenses related to the offering, which we
estimate will be $ .
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We will indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or
contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to
make in respect of those liabilities.
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The underwriters are offering the notes, subject to prior sale,
when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to
approval of legal matters by their counsel, including the
validity of the notes, and other conditions contained in the
underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters
of an officers certificate and legal opinions. The
underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify
offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
The notes are a new issue of securities, and there is currently
no established trading market for the notes. We do not intend to
apply for the notes to be listed on any securities exchange or
to arrange for the notes to be quoted on any quotation system.
The underwriters have advised us that they intend to make a
market in the notes, but they are not obligated to do so. The
underwriters may discontinue any market making in the notes at
any time in their sole discretion. Accordingly, we cannot assure
you that liquid trading markets will develop for the notes, that
you will be able to sell your notes at a particular time or that
the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.
In connection with the offering of the notes, the underwriters
may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions and
syndicate covering transactions. Over-allotment involves sales
in excess of the offering size, which creates a short position
for the underwriters. Stabilizing transactions involve bids to
purchase the notes in the open market for the purpose of
pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of
S-33
the notes. Syndicate-covering transactions involve purchases of
the notes in the open market after the distribution has been
completed in order to cover short positions. Stabilizing
transactions and syndicate-covering transactions may cause the
price of the notes to be higher than it would otherwise be in
the absence of those transactions. If the underwriters engage in
stabilizing or syndicate-covering transactions, they may
discontinue them at any time.
The underwriters may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a
particular underwriter repays to the other underwriters a
portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the
representatives of the underwriters have repurchased notes sold
by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or
short covering transactions.
Neither we nor any of the underwriters makes any representation
or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect
that the transactions described above may have on the price of
the notes. In addition, neither we nor any of the underwriters
makes any representation that the underwriters will engage in
these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced,
will not be discontinued without notice.
Selling
restrictions
The notes may be offered and sold in the United States and
certain jurisdictions outside of the United States in which such
offer and sale is permitted.
European
Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area
that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a
relevant member state), each underwriter has
represented and agreed with effect from and including the date
on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that
relevant member state (the relevant implementation
date), an offer of securities described in this prospectus
supplement may not be made to the public in that relevant member
state other than:
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to any legal entity that is authorized or regulated to operate
in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated,
whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;
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to any legal entity that has two or more of (1) an average
of at least 250 employees during the last financial year;
(2) a total balance sheet of more than
43 million and (3) an annual net turnover of
more than 50 million, as shown in its last annual or
consolidated accounts;
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to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified
investors as defined below); or
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in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of
the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of notes
shall require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to
Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
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Each purchaser of notes described in this prospectus supplement
located within a relevant member state will be deemed to have
represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a
qualified investor within the meaning of
Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive.
For purposes of this provision, the expression an offer of
securities to the public in any relevant member state
means the communication in any form and by any means of
sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the
securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide
to purchase or subscribe the securities, as the expression may
be varied in that relevant member state by any measure
implementing the Prospectus Directive in that relevant member
state, and the expression Prospectus Directive means
Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing
measure in each relevant member state.
The sellers of the notes have not authorized and do not
authorize the making of any offer of notes through any financial
intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the
underwriters with a view to the final placement of the notes as
contemplated in this prospectus supplement. Accordingly,
S-34
no purchaser of the notes, other than the underwriters, is
authorized to make any further offer of the notes on behalf of
the sellers or the underwriters.
United
Kingdom
This prospectus supplement is only being distributed to, and is
only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are
qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e)
of the Prospectus Directive who (i) have professional
experience in matters relating to investments falling within
Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act
2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the
Order); and/ or (ii) are high net worth
entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the
Order; and (iii) other persons to whom it may otherwise
lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being
referred to as relevant persons). This prospectus
supplement and its contents are confidential and should not be
distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or
disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United
Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant
person should not act or rely on this document or any of its
contents.
Conflicts of
interest
In the ordinary course of business, the underwriters or their
respective affiliates have engaged, or may in the future engage,
in commercial banking or investment banking transactions with
Lennox International Inc. and its affiliates. In particular,
certain affiliates of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Wells
Fargo Securities, LLC are parties to and lenders under our
domestic revolving credit facility. Our domestic revolving
credit facility was negotiated on an arms-length basis and
contains customary terms pursuant to which the lenders receive
customary fees. A portion of the net proceeds of this offering
will be used to reduce our indebtedness to such lenders under
our domestic revolving credit facility. See Use of
proceeds and Capitalization in this prospectus
supplement.
Because more than 10% of the net proceeds from the offering may
be used to repay indebtedness owed to the underwriters or their
affiliates, this offering will be conducted in accordance with
NASD Rule 2720(a) of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. Neither J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. nor
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will confirm sales of the debt
securities to accounts over which they exercise discretionary
authority without the prior written approval of the customer. In
addition, from time to time, certain of the underwriters and
their affiliates have effected transactions for their own
account or the account of customers, and have held on behalf of
themselves or their customers, long or short positions in our
debt or equity securities or loans, and may do so in the future.
S-35
Legal
matters
The validity of the notes and guarantees offered hereby will be
passed upon for us and the guarantors by Jones Day. Certain
legal matters with respect to the offering of the notes will be
passed upon for the underwriters by Davis Polk &
Wardwell LLP.
Experts
The consolidated financial statements and the related financial
statement schedule, incorporated in this prospectus supplement
by reference to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, and the
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting,
have been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is
incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial
statements and financial statement schedule have been so
incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given
upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The consolidated financial statements and the related financial
statement schedule for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2009, and the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting incorporated in this prospectus supplement
by reference to our Current Report on
Form 8-K
dated May 3, 2010, have been audited by KPMG LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in
their report, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such
consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in
reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority
as experts in accounting and auditing.
S-36
Prospectus
LENNOX INTERNATIONAL
INC.
Debt Securities
Guarantees of Debt Securities
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Depositary Shares
Units
We will provide the specific terms of the securities in one or
more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this
prospectus and any related prospectus supplement carefully
before you invest in our securities. No person may use this
prospectus to offer and sell our securities unless a prospectus
supplement accompanies this prospectus.
We may offer from time to time:
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Debt Securities;
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Guarantees of Debt Securities;
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Common Stock;
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Preferred Stock;
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Warrants;
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Depositary Shares; and
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Units.
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Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol LII.
Investing in our securities involves risks. See Risk
Factors on page 3 of this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined whether this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 3, 2010.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC) utilizing a shelf registration
process. Under this process, we may offer any combination of the
securities described in this prospectus in one or more
offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general
description of the securities we may offer. Each time we use
this prospectus to offer securities, we will file a prospectus
supplement with the SEC that will describe the specific terms of
the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add to, update
or change the information contained in this prospectus. Before
you invest, you should carefully read this prospectus, the
applicable prospectus supplement and the information contained
in the documents we refer to under the heading Where You
Can Find More Information.
We are responsible for the information contained in or
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any
prospectus supplement we may authorize to be delivered to you.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different
information and take no responsibility for any other information
that others may give you. You should assume that the information
appearing in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus
and any prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date on
its cover page and that any information we have incorporated by
reference is accurate only as of the date of the document
incorporated by reference. Our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects may have changed since such
dates.
Generally, whenever we use the terms we,
our, us and Lennox, we are
referring to Lennox International Inc. and its subsidiaries.
However, for purposes of the Description of Our Debt
Securities, the Description of Guarantees of Our
Debt Securities, the Description of Our Capital
Stock, the Description of Our Warrants, the
Description of Our Depositary Shares and the
Description of Our Units sections of this
prospectus, and when the context otherwise requires, the terms
we, our, us, and
Lennox refer only to Lennox International Inc.
2
ABOUT
LENNOX INTERNATIONAL INC.
Through our subsidiaries, we are a leading global provider of
climate control solutions. We design, manufacture and market a
broad range of products for the heating, ventilation, air
conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) markets. We
have leveraged our expertise to become an industry leader known
for innovation, quality and reliability. Our products and
services are sold through multiple distribution channels under
well-established brand names including Lennox,
Armstrong Air, Ducane, Bohn,
Larkin, Advanced Distributor Products,
Service Experts and others.
Our principal executive offices are located at 2140 Lake Park
Boulevard, Richardson, Texas 75080. Our telephone number at that
location is
972-497-5000.
ABOUT THE
GUARANTORS
The guarantors of the debt securities may include Allied Air
Enterprises Inc., Lennox Global Ltd., Lennox Industries Inc. and
Service Experts LLC, each of which is a direct or indirect
subsidiary of Lennox International Inc. If so provided in a
prospectus supplement, each of the guarantors will fully and
unconditionally guarantee on a joint and several basis our
obligations under the debt securities, subject to certain
limitations described in such prospectus supplement.
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves risks. You should
carefully consider the risks described in our filings with the
SEC referred to under the heading Where You Can Find More
Information, as well as the risks included and
incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the risk
factors incorporated by reference herein from our Annual Report
on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009, as updated by annual,
quarterly and other reports and documents we file with the SEC
after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by
reference herein.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
In this prospectus, including the information we incorporate by
reference, we make statements concerning our expectations,
beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or
performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that
are not historical facts. These statements are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results
may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
statements. You can generally identify our forward-looking
statements by the words anticipate,
believe, continue, could,
estimate, expect, forecast,
goal, intend, may,
objective, plan, potential,
predict, projection, should,
will or other similar words.
We have based our forward-looking statements on our
managements beliefs and assumptions based on information
available to our management at the time the statements are made.
We caution you that assumptions, beliefs, expectations,
intentions and projections about future events may and often do
vary materially from actual results. Therefore, we cannot assure
you that actual results will not differ materially from those
expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements.
The following are some of the factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements:
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general economic conditions in the United States and abroad;
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the impact of higher raw material prices;
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our ability to implement price increases for our products and
services;
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the impact of weather in the United States and abroad, which can
depress demand for our products and services;
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changes in new construction activity;
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warranty and product liability claims;
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competition in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and
refrigeration business;
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our ability to successfully develop and manage new products;
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our ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions;
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labor relations problems;
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litigation and environmental risks; and
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foreign currency fluctuations and changes in local government
regulation associated with our international operations.
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You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the
date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.
RATIO OF
EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed
charges for each of the periods indicated. For purposes of
computing our ratio of earnings to fixed charges,
earnings consist of income before income taxes and
fixed charges, excluding minority interest, and fixed
charges consist of the total of interest expense,
amortization of loan origination costs and that portion of
rental expense considered to represent interest cost.
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Three Months
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Ended
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March 31,
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Year Ended December 31,
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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2006
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2005
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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
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0.41
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x(1)
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6.04
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x
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7.82
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x
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11.68
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x
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10.11
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x
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7.23x
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(1) |
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Earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2010 were
insufficient to cover fixed charges by $4.1 million. |
USE OF
PROCEEDS
Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, we
anticipate using any net proceeds from the sale of our
securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate
purposes. These purposes may include, but are not limited to:
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working capital;
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capital expenditures;
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acquisitions;
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the repayment or refinancing of debt securities; and
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the repurchase or redemption of securities.
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Pending any specific application, we may initially invest funds
in short-term marketable securities or apply them to the
reduction of short-term indebtedness.
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR DEBT SECURITIES
Our debt securities, consisting of notes, debentures or other
evidences of indebtedness, may be issued from time to time in
one or more series pursuant to, in the case of senior debt
securities, a senior indenture to
4
be entered into between us and a trustee to be named therein,
and in the case of subordinated debt securities, a subordinated
indenture to be entered into between us and a trustee to be
named therein. The terms of our debt securities will include
those set forth in the indentures and those made a part of the
indentures by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
Because the following is only a summary of selected provisions
of the indentures and the debt securities, it does not contain
all information that may be important to you. This summary is
not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
the base indentures and any supplemental indentures thereto or
officers certificate or board resolution related thereto.
We urge you to read the indentures because the indentures, not
this description, define the rights of the holders of the debt
securities. The senior indenture and the subordinated indenture
will be substantially in the forms included as exhibits to the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
The senior debt securities will constitute unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations of ours and will rank pari passu
with our other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations. The
subordinated debt securities will constitute our unsecured and
subordinated obligations and will be junior in right of payment
to our Senior Indebtedness (including senior debt securities),
as described under the heading Certain Terms of the
Subordinated Debt Securities Subordination.
We conduct all of our operations through subsidiaries.
Consequently, our ability to pay our obligations, including our
obligation to pay principal or interest on the debt securities,
to pay the debt securities at maturity or upon redemption or to
buy the debt securities will depend on our subsidiaries repaying
investments and advances we have made to them, and on our
subsidiaries earnings and their distributing those
earnings to us. The debt securities will be effectively
subordinated to all obligations (including trade payables and
preferred stock obligations) of our subsidiaries. Our
subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have
no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to pay any amounts due
on the debt securities or to make funds available to us to do
so. Our subsidiaries ability to pay dividends or make
other payments or advances to us will depend on their operating
results and will be subject to applicable laws and contractual
restrictions. The indentures generally will not limit our
subsidiaries ability to enter into other agreements that
prohibit or restrict dividends or other payments or advances to
us.
The debt securities will be our unsecured obligations. Our
secured debt and other secured obligations will be effectively
senior to the debt securities to the extent of the value of the
assets securing such debt or other obligations.
You should look in the prospectus supplement for any additional
or different terms of the debt securities being offered,
including the following terms:
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the debt securities designation;
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the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
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the percentage of the principal amount (i.e., price) at
which the debt securities will be issued;
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the date or dates on which the debt securities will mature and
the right, if any, to extend such date or dates;
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the rate or rates, if any, per year, at which the debt
securities will bear interest, or the method of determining such
rate or rates;
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the date or dates from which such interest will accrue, the
interest payment dates on which such interest will be payable or
the manner of determination of such interest payment dates and
the record dates for the determination of holders to whom
interest is payable on any interest payment date;
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the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and
the duration of that extension;
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the manner of paying principal and interest and the place or
places where principal and interest will be payable;
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provisions for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund,
if any;
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the period or periods, if any, within which, the price or prices
at which, and the terms and conditions upon which the debt
securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option
or at your option;
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the form of the debt securities;
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whether and the extent that debt securities shall be guaranteed
by the guarantors, the ranking of any such guarantee, the terms
of such subordination, if applicable, of any such guarantee and
the form of any such guarantee;
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any provisions for payment of additional amounts for taxes and
any provision for redemption, if we must pay such additional
amounts in respect of any debt security;
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the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we may have to
repay the debt securities early at your option;
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the currency, currencies or currency units for which you may
purchase the debt securities and the currency, currencies or
currency units in which principal and interest, if any, on the
debt securities may be payable;
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the terms and conditions upon which conversion or exchange of
the debt securities may be effected, if any, including the
initial conversion or exchange price or rate and any adjustments
thereto and the period or periods when a conversion or exchange
may be effected;
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whether and upon what terms the debt securities may be defeased;
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any events of default or covenants in addition to or in lieu of
those set forth in the indenture;
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provisions for electronic issuance of debt securities or for
debt securities in uncertificated form; and
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any other terms of the debt securities, including any terms
which may be required by or advisable under applicable laws or
regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the
debt securities.
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We may from time to time, without notice to or the consent of
the holders of any series of debt securities, create and issue
further debt securities of any such series ranking equally with
the debt securities of such series in all respects (or in all
respects other than the payment of interest accruing prior to
the issue date of such further debt securities or except for the
first payment of interest following the issue date of such
further debt securities). Such further debt securities may be
consolidated and form a single series with the debt securities
of such series and have the same terms as to status, redemption
or otherwise as the debt securities of such series.
You may present debt securities for exchange and you may present
debt securities for transfer in the manner, at the places and
subject to the restrictions set forth in the debt securities and
the applicable prospectus supplement. We will provide you those
services without charge, although you may have to pay any tax or
other governmental charge payable in connection with any
exchange or transfer, as set forth in the indenture.
Debt securities will bear interest at a fixed rate or a floating
rate. Debt securities bearing no interest or interest at a rate
that at the time of issuance is below the prevailing market rate
(original issue discount securities) may be sold at a discount
below their stated principal amount. Special U.S. federal
income tax considerations applicable to any such discounted debt
securities or to certain debt securities issued at par which are
treated as having been issued at a discount for
U.S. federal income tax purposes will be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
We may issue debt securities with the principal amount payable
on any principal payment date, or the amount of interest payable
on any interest payment date, to be determined by reference to
one or more
6
currency exchange rates, securities or baskets of securities,
commodity prices or indices. You may receive a payment of
principal on any principal payment date, or a payment of
interest on any interest payment date, that is greater than or
less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable
on such dates, depending on the value on such dates of the
applicable currency, security or basket of securities, commodity
or index. Information as to the methods for determining the
amount of principal or interest payable on any date, the
currencies, securities or baskets of securities, commodities or
indices to which the amount payable on such date is linked and
certain additional tax considerations will be set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
Certain
Terms of the Senior Debt Securities
Covenants
Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the
senior debt securities will not contain any financial or
restrictive covenants, including covenants restricting either us
or any of our subsidiaries from incurring, issuing, assuming or
guarantying any indebtedness secured by a lien on any of our or
our subsidiaries property or capital stock, or restricting
either us or any of our subsidiaries from entering into sale and
leaseback transactions.
Consolidation,
Merger and Sale of Assets
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we may
not consolidate with or merge into any other person, in a
transaction in which we are not the surviving corporation, or
convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets
substantially as an entirety to any person, unless:
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the successor entity, if any, is a U.S. corporation,
limited liability company, partnership or trust (subject to
certain exceptions provided for in the senior indenture);
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the successor entity assumes our obligations on the senior debt
securities and under the senior indenture;
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immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no default
or event of default shall have occurred and be
continuing; and
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certain other conditions are met.
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No
Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement with
respect to a particular series of senior debt securities, the
senior debt securities will not contain any provisions which may
afford holders of the senior debt securities protection in the
event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly
leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results
in a change in control).
Events
of Default
An event of default for any series of senior debt securities is
defined under the senior indenture as being:
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our default in the payment of principal or premium on the senior
debt securities of such series when due and payable whether at
maturity, upon acceleration, redemption, or otherwise, if that
default continues for a period of five days (or such other
period as may be specified for such series);
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our default in the payment of interest on any senior debt
securities of such series when due and payable, if that default
continues for a period of 60 days (or such other period as
may be specified for such series);
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our default in the performance of or breach of any of our other
covenants or agreements in the senior indenture applicable to
senior debt securities of such series, other than a covenant
breach which is specifically dealt with elsewhere in the senior
indenture, and that default or breach continues for a
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period of 90 consecutive days after we receive written notice
from the trustee or from the holders of 25% or more in aggregate
principal amount of the senior debt securities of such series;
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there occurs any other event of default provided for in such
series of senior debt securities;
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a court having jurisdiction enters a decree or order for:
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relief in respect of us in an involuntary case under any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or
hereafter in effect;
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appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian,
trustee, sequestrator or similar official of us or for all or
substantially all of our property and assets; or
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the winding up or liquidation of our affairs and such decree or
order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60
consecutive days.
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commence a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or
consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary
case under any such law;
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consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator
or similar official of ours for all or substantially all of our
property and assets; or
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effect any general assignment for the benefit of creditors.
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The default by us under any other debt, including any other
series of debt securities, is not a default under the senior
indenture.
If an event of default other than an event of default specified
in the last two bullet points above occurs with respect to a
series of senior debt securities and is continuing under the
senior indenture, then, and in each and every such case, either
the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate
principal amount of such series then outstanding under the
senior indenture (each such series voting as a separate class)
by written notice to us and to the trustee, if such notice is
given by the holders, may, and the trustee at the request of
such holders shall, declare the principal amount of and accrued
interest, if any, on such senior debt securities to be
immediately due and payable.
If an event of default specified in the last two bullet points
above occurs with respect to us and is continuing, either the
trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the senior debt securities of all series
then outstanding under the senior indenture (treated as one
class) may, by written notice to us and to the trustee, if such
notice is given by the holders, declare the entire principal
amount of, and accrued interest, if any, on each series of
senior debt securities then outstanding to be immediately due
and payable.
Upon a declaration of acceleration, the principal amount of and
accrued interest, if any, on such senior debt securities shall
be immediately due and payable. Unless otherwise specified in
the prospectus supplement relating to a series of senior debt
securities originally issued at a discount, the amount due upon
acceleration shall include only the original issue price of the
senior debt securities, the amount of original issue discount
accrued to the date of acceleration and accrued interest, if any.
Upon certain conditions, declarations of acceleration may be
rescinded and annulled and past defaults may be waived by the
holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all the
senior debt securities of such series affected by the default,
each series voting as a separate class (or, of all the senior
debt securities, as the case may be, voting as a single class).
Furthermore, subject to various provisions in the senior
indenture, the holders of at least a majority in aggregate
principal amount of a series of senior debt securities, by
notice to the trustee, may waive an existing default or event of
default with respect to such senior debt securities and its
consequences, except a default in the payment of principal of or
interest on such senior debt securities or in respect of a
covenant or provision of the senior indenture which cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the holders of each
such senior debt security. Upon any such waiver, such default
shall cease to
8
exist, and any event of default with respect to such senior debt
securities shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose
of the senior indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any
subsequent or other default or event of default or impair any
right consequent thereto. For information as to the waiver of
defaults, see Modification and Waiver.
The holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount
of a series of senior debt securities may direct the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power
conferred on the trustee with respect to such senior debt
securities. However, the trustee may refuse to follow any
direction that conflicts with law or the senior indenture, that
may involve the trustee in personal liability, or that the
trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to
the rights of holders of such series of senior debt securities
not joining in the giving of such direction and may take any
other action it deems proper that is not inconsistent with any
such direction received from holders of such series of senior
debt securities. A holder may not pursue any remedy with respect
to the senior indenture or any series of senior debt securities
unless:
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the holder gives the trustee written notice of a continuing
event of default;
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the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of
such series of senior debt securities make a written request to
the trustee to pursue the remedy in respect of such event of
default;
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the requesting holder or holders offer the trustee indemnity
satisfactory to the trustee against any costs, liability, or
expense;
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the trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days
after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and
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during such
60-day
period, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of such series of senior debt securities do not give the trustee
a direction that is inconsistent with the request.
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These limitations, however, do not apply to the right of any
holder of a senior debt security to receive payment of the
principal of or interest, if any, on such senior debt security,
or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment, on or
after the due date for the senior debt securities, which right
shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the
holder.
The senior indenture requires certain of our officers to
certify, on or before a fixed date in each year in which any
senior debt security is outstanding, as to their knowledge of
our compliance with all conditions and covenants under the
senior indenture.
Defeasance
and Discharge
Defeasance. The term defeasance means we (and
to the extent applicable, the guarantors) are discharged from
some or all of our obligations under the senior indenture. If we
deposit with the trustee under the senior indenture any
combination of money or government securities sufficient to make
payments on the senior debt securities of a series issued under
that indenture on the dates those payments are due, then, at our
option, either of the following will occur:
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we will be discharged from our obligations with respect to the
senior debt securities of that series (legal
defeasance);
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we will no longer have any obligation to comply with any
specified restrictive covenants with respect to the senior debt
securities of that series, the covenant described under
Consolidation, Merger and Sales of
Assets and other specified covenants under the applicable
indenture, and the related events of default will no longer
apply (covenant defeasance).
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If a series of senior debt securities is defeased, the holders
of the senior debt securities of that series will not be
entitled to the benefits of the senior indenture, except for
obligations to register the transfer or exchange of debt
securities, replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities or
maintain paying agencies and hold money for payment in trust. In
the case of covenant defeasance, our obligation to pay
principal, premium and interest on the senior debt securities of
that series will also survive.
9
Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, we
will be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel
that the deposit and related defeasance would not cause the
holders of the senior debt securities to recognize income, gain
or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that the
holders would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the
same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would
have been the case if the deposit and related defeasance had not
occurred. If we elect legal defeasance, that opinion of counsel
must be based upon a ruling from the United States Internal
Revenue Service or a change in law to that effect.
Satisfaction and Discharge. In addition,
unless the terms of any series of senior debt securities
provides otherwise, we may discharge our obligations (and to the
extent applicable, the obligations of the guarantors) with
respect to a series of senior debt securities and the senior
indenture with respect to such series of senior debt securities
when:
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we pay or cause to be paid, as and when due and payable, the
principal of and any interest on all senior debt securities of
such series outstanding under the senior indenture;
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all senior debt securities of such series previously
authenticated and delivered with certain exceptions, have been
delivered to the trustee for cancellation and we have paid all
sums payable by us under the senior indenture; or
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the senior debt securities of such series mature within one year
or all of them are to be called for redemption within one year
under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for giving the
notice of redemption, and we irrevocably deposit in trust with
the trustee, as trust funds solely for the benefit of the
holders of the senior debt securities of such series, for that
purpose, the entire amount in cash or, in the case of any series
of senior debt securities payments on which may only be made in
U.S. dollars, U.S. government obligations (maturing as
to principal and interest in such amounts and at such times as
will insure the availability of cash sufficient), after payment
of all federal, state and local taxes or other charges and
assessments in respect thereof payable by the trustee, to pay
principal of and interest on the senior debt securities of such
series to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and to pay
all other sums payable by us under the senior indenture.
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With respect to the first and second bullet points, only our
obligations to compensate and indemnify the trustee and our
right to recover unclaimed money held by the trustee under the
senior indenture shall survive. With respect to the third bullet
point, certain rights and obligations under the senior indenture
(such as our obligation to maintain an office or agency in
respect of such senior debt securities, to have moneys held for
payment in trust, to register the transfer or exchange of such
senior debt securities, to deliver such senior debt securities
for replacement or to be canceled, to compensate and indemnify
the trustee and to appoint a successor trustee, and our right to
recover unclaimed money held by the trustee) shall survive until
such senior debt securities are no longer outstanding.
Thereafter, only our obligations to compensate and indemnify the
trustee and our right to recover unclaimed money held by the
trustee shall survive.
Modification
and Waiver
We and the trustee may amend or supplement the senior indenture
or the senior debt securities without the consent of any holder:
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to convey, mortgage or pledge any assets as security for the
senior debt securities of one or more series;
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to evidence the succession of another corporation to us, and the
assumption by such successor corporation of our covenants,
agreements and obligations under the senior indenture;
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to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency in the senior
indenture or in any supplemental indenture; provided that such
amendments or supplements shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of the senior debt securities of any
series in any material respect, or to conform the senior
indenture or the senior debt securities to the description of
senior debt securities of such series set forth in this
prospectus or a prospectus supplement;
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to comply with the provisions described under
Certain Covenants Consolidation,
Merger and Sale of Assets;
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to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
thereunder by a successor trustee, or to make such changes as
shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the
administration of the trusts in the senior indenture by more
than one trustee;
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to provide for or add guarantors with respect to the senior debt
securities of any series;
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to establish the form or forms or terms of the senior debt
securities as permitted by the senior indenture;
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to make any change that is necessary or desirable provided that
such change shall not adversely affect the interests of the
holders of the senior debt securities of any series in any
material respect;
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to add to our covenants such new covenants, restrictions,
conditions or provisions for the protection of the holders, and
to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a
default in any such additional covenants, restrictions,
conditions or provisions an event of default;
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to make any change to the senior debt securities of any series
so long as no senior debt securities of such series are
outstanding; or
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to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of
any holder.
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Other amendments and modifications of the senior indenture or
the senior debt securities issued may be made, and our
compliance with any provision of the senior indenture with
respect to any series of senior debt securities may be waived,
with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of
the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior debt
securities of all series affected by the amendment or
modification (voting as one class); provided, however, that each
affected holder must consent to any modification, amendment or
waiver that:
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changes the stated maturity of the principal of, or any
installment of interest on, any senior debt securities of such
series;
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reduces the principal amount of, or premium, if any, or interest
on, any senior debt securities of such series;
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changes the place or currency of payment of principal of, or
premium, if any, or interest on, any senior debt securities of
such series;
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changes the provisions for calculating the optional redemption
price, including the definitions relating thereto;
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changes the provisions relating to the waiver of past defaults
or changes or impairs the right of holders to receive payment or
to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment of any
senior debt securities of such series on or after the due date
therefor;
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reduces the above-stated percentage of outstanding senior debt
securities of such series the consent of whose holders is
necessary to modify or amend or to waive certain provisions of
or defaults under the senior indenture;
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waives a default in the payment of principal of or interest on
the senior debt securities;
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adversely affects the rights of such holder under any mandatory
redemption or repurchase provision or any right of redemption or
repurchase at the option of such holder; or
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modifies any of the provisions of this paragraph, except to
increase any required percentage or to provide that certain
other provisions cannot be modified or waived without the
consent of the holder of each senior debt security of such
series affected by the modification.
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It shall not be necessary for the consent of the holders under
this section of the senior indenture to approve the particular
form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it
shall be sufficient if
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such consent approves the substance thereof. After an amendment,
supplement or waiver under this section of the senior indenture
becomes effective, the trustee must give to the holders affected
thereby certain notice briefly describing the amendment,
supplement or waiver. We will mail supplemental indentures to
holders upon request. Any failure by the trustee to give such
notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way
impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture
or waiver.
No
Personal Liability of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers or
Directors
The senior indenture provides that no recourse shall be had
under or upon any obligation, covenant, or agreement of ours in
the senior indenture or any supplemental indenture, or in any of
the senior debt securities or because of the creation of any
indebtedness represented thereby, against any incorporator,
stockholder, officer or director of ours or of any successor
person thereof under any law, statute or constitutional
provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any
legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise. Each holder, by
accepting the senior debt securities, waives and releases all
such liability.
Concerning
the Trustee
The senior indenture provides that, except during the
continuance of a default, the trustee will not be liable, except
for the performance of such duties as are specifically set forth
in the senior indenture. If an event of default has occurred and
is continuing, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers
vested in it under the senior indenture and will use the same
degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person
would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of such
persons own affairs.
We may have normal banking relationships with the trustee under
the senior indenture in the ordinary course of business.
Unclaimed
Funds
All funds deposited with the trustee or any paying agent for the
payment of principal, interest, premium or additional amounts in
respect of the senior debt securities that remain unclaimed for
two years after the maturity date of such senior debt securities
will be repaid to us upon our request. Thereafter, any right of
any noteholder to such funds shall be enforceable only against
us, and the trustee and paying agents will have no liability
therefor.
Governing
Law
The senior indenture and the debt securities will be governed
by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the
State of New York.
Certain
Terms of the Subordinated Debt Securities
Other than the terms of the subordinated indenture and
subordinated debt securities relating to subordination, or
otherwise as described in the prospectus supplement relating to
a particular series of subordinated debt securities, the terms
of the subordinated indenture and subordinated debt securities
are identical in all material respects to the terms of the
senior indenture and senior debt securities. Additional or
different subordination terms may be specified in the prospectus
supplement applicable to a particular series.
Subordination
The indebtedness evidenced by the subordinated debt securities
is subordinate to the prior payment in full of all our Senior
Indebtedness, as defined in the subordinated indenture. During
the continuance beyond any applicable grace period of any
default in the payment of principal, premium, interest or any
other payment due on any of our Senior Indebtedness, we may not
make any payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or
interest on the subordinated debt securities. In addition, upon
any payment or distribution of our assets upon any dissolution,
winding up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the
principal of, or premium, if any, and interest on the
subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the extent
provided in the subordinated
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indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of
all our Senior Indebtedness. Because of this subordination, if
we dissolve or otherwise liquidate, holders of our subordinated
debt securities may receive less, ratably, than holders of our
Senior Indebtedness. The subordination provisions do not prevent
the occurrence of an event of default under the subordinated
indenture.
The term Senior Indebtedness of a person means with
respect to such person the principal of, premium, if any,
interest on, and any other payment due pursuant to any of the
following, whether outstanding on the date of the subordinated
indenture or incurred by that person in the future:
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all of the indebtedness of that person for money borrowed,
including any indebtedness secured by a mortgage or other lien
which is (1) given to secure all or part of the purchase
price of property subject to the mortgage or lien, whether given
to the vendor of that property or to another lender, or
(2) existing on property at the time that person acquires
it;
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all of the indebtedness of that person evidenced by notes,
debentures, bonds or other securities sold by that person for
money;
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all of the lease obligations which are capitalized on the books
of that person in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles;
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all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the first
two bullet points above and all lease obligations of others of
the kind described in the third bullet point above that the
person, in any manner, assumes or guarantees or that the person
in effect guarantees through an agreement to purchase, whether
that agreement is contingent or otherwise; and
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all renewals, extensions or refundings of indebtedness of the
kinds described in the first, second or fourth bullet point
above and all renewals or extensions of leases of the kinds
described in the third or fourth bullet point above;
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unless, in the case of any particular indebtedness,
lease, renewal, extension or refunding, the instrument or lease
creating or evidencing it or the assumption or guarantee
relating to it expressly provides that such indebtedness, lease,
renewal, extension or refunding is not superior in right of
payment to the subordinated debt securities. Our senior debt
securities constitute Senior Indebtedness for purposes of the
subordinated debt indenture.
DESCRIPTION
OF GUARANTEES OF OUR DEBT SECURITIES
Each prospectus supplement will describe any guarantees of debt
securities for the benefit of the series of debt securities to
which it relates. If so provided in a prospectus supplement, the
debt securities will be guaranteed, jointly and severally, by
each of the guarantors named in such prospectus supplement on a
senior unsecured basis. The obligations of a guarantor under its
guarantee will be limited to the extent necessary to prevent the
obligations of such guarantor from constituting a fraudulent
conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares
of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and
25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per
share. Of the 200,000,000 shares of common stock
authorized, 85,978,262 were outstanding as of March 31,
2010, 30,216,824 shares were held in treasury and
8,685,191 shares have been reserved for issuance under our
incentive plans and employee stock purchase program. None of the
preferred stock was outstanding as of March 31, 2010.
Common
Stock
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per
share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. Generally,
all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a
majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a
plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of
common stock
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present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a
single class, except as may be required by law and subject to
any voting rights granted to holders of any preferred stock.
However, the removal of a director from office, the approval and
authorization of specified business combinations and amendments
to specified provisions of our certificate of incorporation each
require the approval of not less than 80% of the combined voting
power of our outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors, voting together as a
single class. See Certificate of Incorporation
and Bylaw Provisions. The common stock does not have
cumulative voting rights.
Subject to the prior rights of the holders of any shares of our
preferred stock, the holders of our common stock shall be
entitled to receive, to the extent permitted by law, such
dividends as may be declared from time to time by our board of
directors. On our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after
payment in full of the amounts required to be paid to holders of
preferred stock, if any, all holders of common stock are
entitled to share ratably in any assets available for
distribution to holders of shares of common stock.
The outstanding shares of our common stock are legally issued,
fully paid and nonassessable. The common stock does not have any
preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. Additional shares
of authorized common stock may be issued, as authorized by our
board of directors from time to time, without stockholder
approval, except as may be required by applicable stock exchange
requirements.
Preferred
Stock
Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred
stock in one or more series and may determine, for the series,
the designations, powers, preferences and rights of such series,
and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the
series, including:
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the designation of the series;
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the consideration for which the shares of any such series are to
be issued;
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the rate or amount per annum, if any, at which holders of the
shares of such series shall be entitled to receive dividends,
the dates on which such dividends shall be payable, whether the
dividends shall be cumulative or noncumulative, and if
cumulative, the date or dates from which such dividends shall be
cumulative;
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the redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of
the series;
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the amounts payable on and the preferences, if any, of shares of
the series in the event of dissolution or upon distribution of
our assets;
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whether the shares of the series will be convertible into or
exchangeable for other of our securities, and the price or
prices or rate or rates at which conversion or exchange shall be
exercised;
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the terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the
purchase or redemption of shares of the series;
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the voting rights, if any, of the holders of shares of the
series; and
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such other preferences and rights, privileges and restrictions
applicable to any such series as may be permitted by law.
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Although our board of directors has no intention at the present
time of doing so, it could issue a series of preferred stock
that could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the
completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt.
Our board of directors will make any determination to issue such
shares based on its judgment as to our best interests and the
best interests of our stockholders. Our board of directors, in
so acting, could issue preferred stock having terms that could
discourage a potential acquiror from making, without first
negotiating with our board of directors, an acquisition attempt
through which such acquiror may be able to change the
composition of our board of directors, including a tender offer
or other transaction that some, or a majority, of our
stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in
which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over
the then current market price of such stock.
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Business
Combination Statute
As a corporation organized under the laws of the State of
Delaware, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware
General Corporation Law, which restricts specified business
combinations between us and an interested
stockholder or its affiliates or associates for a period
of three years following the time that the stockholder becomes
an interested stockholder. In general, an
interested stockholder is defined as a stockholder
owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. The
restrictions do not apply if:
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prior to an interested stockholder becoming such, our board of
directors approved either the business combination or the
transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an
interested stockholder;
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upon completion of the transaction which resulted in any person
becoming an interested stockholder, such interested stockholder
owns at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time
the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by employee
stock ownership plans and persons who are both directors and
officers of Lennox; or
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at or subsequent to the time an interested stockholder becomes
such, the business combination is both approved by our board of
directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of our
stockholders, not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of
at least 66
2/3%
of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested
stockholder.
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Under some circumstances, Section 203 makes it more
difficult for a person who would be an interested
stockholder to effect various business combinations with a
corporation for a three-year period, although the stockholders
may elect to exclude a corporation from the restrictions imposed
under Section 203. Our certificate of incorporation does
not exclude us from the restrictions imposed under
Section 203.
Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaw Provisions
The summary below describes provisions of our certificate of
incorporation and bylaws. The provisions of our certificate of
incorporation and bylaws discussed below may have the effect,
either alone or in combination with the provisions of
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
discussed above, of making more difficult or discouraging a
tender offer, proxy contest or other takeover attempt that is
opposed by our board of directors but that a stockholder might
consider to be in such stockholders best interest. Those
provisions include:
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restrictions on the rights of stockholders to remove directors;
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prohibitions against stockholders calling a special meeting of
stockholders or acting by unanimous written consent in lieu of a
meeting;
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requirements for advance notice of actions proposed by
stockholders for consideration at meetings of the
stockholders; and
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restrictions on business combination transactions with any
person, entity or group that beneficially owns at least 10% of
our aggregate voting stock such person, entity or
group is sometimes referred to as a Related Person.
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Classified
Board of Directors; Removal; Number of Directors; Filling
Vacancies
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our
board of directors shall be divided into three classes,
designated Class I, Class II and Class III, with
the classes to be as nearly equal in number as possible. The
term of office of each class shall expire at the third annual
meeting of stockholders for the election of directors following
the election of such class. Each director is to hold office
until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or
until his or her earlier resignation or removal.
Our bylaws provide that the number of directors will be fixed
from time to time by a resolution adopted by our board of
directors; provided that the number so fixed shall not be more
than 15 nor less than three directors. Our bylaws also provide
that any vacancies will be filled only by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a
quorum. Accordingly, absent an amendment to the bylaws, our
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board of directors could prevent any stockholder from enlarging
our board of directors and filling the new directorships with
such stockholders own nominees. Moreover, our certificate
of incorporation and bylaws provide that directors may be
removed only for cause and only upon the affirmative vote of
holders of at least 80% of our voting stock at a special meeting
of stockholders called expressly for that purpose.
The classification of directors could have the effect of making
it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of
our board of directors. At least two annual meetings of
stockholders, instead of one, are generally required to effect a
change in a majority of our board of directors. Such a delay may
help ensure that our directors, if confronted by a holder
attempting to force a proxy contest, a tender or exchange offer,
or an extraordinary corporate transaction, would have sufficient
time to review the proposal as well as any available
alternatives to the proposal and to act in what they believe to
be the best interest of the stockholders. The classification
provisions will apply to every election of directors, however,
regardless of whether a change in the composition of our board
of directors would be beneficial to us and our stockholders and
whether or not a majority of our stockholders believe that such
a change would be desirable.
The classification provisions could also have the effect of
discouraging a third party from initiating a proxy contest,
making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control
of us, even though such an attempt might be beneficial to us and
our stockholders. The classification of our board of directors
could thus increase the likelihood that incumbent directors will
retain their positions. In addition, because the classification
provisions may discourage accumulations of large blocks of our
stock by purchasers whose objective is to take control of us and
remove a majority of our board of directors, the classification
of our board of directors could tend to reduce the likelihood of
fluctuations in the market price of the common stock that might
result from accumulations of large blocks. Accordingly,
stockholders could be deprived of opportunities to sell their
shares of common stock at a higher market price than might
otherwise be the case.
No
Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special
Meetings
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that
stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special
meeting of stockholders and stockholder action may not be taken
by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Special meetings of
stockholders can be called only by our board of directors by a
resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors, or
by the chairman of the board, vice chairman or the president.
Moreover, the business permitted to be conducted at any special
meeting of stockholders is limited to the business brought
before the meeting under the notice of meeting given by us.
The provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws
prohibiting stockholder action by written consent and permitting
special meetings to be called only by the chairman, vice
chairman or president, or at the request of a majority of our
board or directors, may have the effect of delaying
consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual
meeting. The provisions would also prevent the holders of a
majority of our voting stock from unilaterally using the written
consent procedure to take stockholder action. Moreover, a
stockholder could not force stockholder consideration of a
proposal over the opposition of the chairman, vice chairman or
president, or a majority of our board of directors, by calling a
special meeting of stockholders prior to the time such parties
believe such consideration to be appropriate.
Advance
Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder
Proposals
Our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for
stockholders to make nominations of candidates for election as
directors or bring other business before an annual meeting of
stockholders.
The stockholder notice procedure provides that only persons who
are nominated by, or at the direction of, our board of
directors, or by a stockholder who has given timely written
notice containing specified information to our secretary prior
to the meeting at which directors are to be elected, will be
eligible for election as our directors. The stockholder notice
procedure also provides that at an annual meeting only such
business may be conducted as has been brought before the meeting
by, or at the direction of, the chairman of the board of
directors, or in the absence of the chairman of the board, the
president, or by a stockholder who has given timely written
notice containing specified information to our secretary of such
stockholders intention to bring such business before such
meeting. Under the stockholder notice procedure, for notice of
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stockholder nominations or proposals to be made at an annual
meeting to be timely, such notice must be received by us not
less than 60 days nor more than 90 days in advance of
such meeting. For notice of stockholder nominations or proposals
to be made at a special meeting of stockholders to be timely,
such notice must be received by us not later than the close of
business on the tenth day following the date on which notice of
such meeting is first given to stockholders. However, in the
event that less than 70 days notice or prior public
disclosure of the date of the meeting of stockholders is given
or made to the stockholders, to be timely, notice of a
nomination or proposal delivered by the stockholder must be
received by our secretary not later than the close of business
on the tenth day following the day on which notice of the date
of the meeting of stockholders was mailed or such public
disclosure was made to the stockholders. If our board of
directors or, alternatively, the presiding officer at a meeting,
in the case of a stockholder proposal, or the chairman of the
meeting, in the case of a stockholder nomination to our board of
directors, determines at or prior to the meeting that business
was not brought before the meeting or a person was not nominated
in accordance with the stockholder notice procedure, such
business will not be conducted at such meeting, or such person
will not be eligible for election as a director, as the case may
be.
By requiring advance notice of nominations by stockholders, the
stockholder notice procedure will afford our board of directors
an opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed
nominees and, to the extent considered necessary or desirable by
our board of directors, to inform stockholders about such
qualifications. By requiring advance notice of other proposed
business, the stockholder notice procedure will also provide a
more orderly procedure for conducting annual meetings of
stockholders and, to the extent considered necessary or
desirable by our board of directors, will provide our board of
directors with an opportunity to inform stockholders, prior to
such meetings, of any business proposed to be conducted at such
meetings, together with any recommendations as to our board of
directors position regarding action to be taken regarding
such business, so that stockholders can better decide whether to
attend such a meeting or to grant a proxy regarding the
disposition of any such business.
Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors any power
to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations for the
election of directors or proposals for action, they may have the
effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or
the consideration of stockholder proposals if the proper
procedures are not followed, and of discouraging or deterring a
third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect
its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal,
without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or
proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our
stockholders.
Fair
Price Provision
Our certificate of incorporation contains a fair
price provision that applies to specified business
combination transactions involving any person, entity or group
that beneficially owns at least 10% of our aggregate voting
stock such person, entity or group is sometimes
referred to as a related person. This provision
requires the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than
80% of our voting stock to approve specified transactions
between a related person and us or our subsidiaries, including:
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any merger, consolidation or share exchange;
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any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other
disposition of our assets, or the assets of any of our
subsidiaries having a fair market value of more than 10% of our
total consolidated assets, or assets representing more than 10%
of our earning power and our subsidiaries taken as a whole,
which is referred to as a substantial part;
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any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other
disposition to or with us or any of our subsidiaries of all or a
substantial part of the assets of a related person;
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the issuance or transfer of any of our securities or any of our
subsidiaries by us or any of our subsidiaries to a related
person;
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any reclassification of securities, recapitalization, or any
other transaction involving us or any of our subsidiaries that
would have the effect of increasing the voting power of a
related person;
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the adoption of a plan or proposal for our liquidation or
dissolution proposed by or on behalf of a related person;
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the acquisition by or on behalf of a related person of shares
constituting a majority of our voting power; and
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the entering into of any agreement, contract or other
arrangement providing for any of the transactions described
above.
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This voting requirement will not apply to certain transactions,
including:
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any transaction approved by a two-thirds vote of the continuing
directors; or
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any transaction in which:
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the consideration to be received by the holders of common stock,
other than the related person involved in the business
combination, is not less in amount than the highest per share
price paid by the related person in acquiring any of its
holdings of common stock; and
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if necessary, a proxy statement complying with the requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall have been mailed at
least 30 days prior to any vote on such business
combination to all of our stockholders for the purpose of
soliciting stockholder approval of such business combination.
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This provision could have the effect of delaying or preventing a
change in control of us in a transaction or series of
transactions that did not satisfy the fair price
criteria.
Liability
of Directors; Indemnification
Our certificate of incorporation provides that a director will
not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our
stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except
for liability:
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for any breach of the directors duty of loyalty to us or
our stockholders;
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for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve
intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
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for paying a dividend or approving a stock repurchase in
violation of Section 174 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law; or
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for any transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit.
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Any amendment or repeal of such provision shall not adversely
affect any right or protection of a director existing under such
provision for any act or omission occurring prior to such
amendment or repeal.
Our bylaws provide that each person who at any time serves or
served as one of our directors or officers, or any person who,
while one of our directors or officers, is or was serving at our
request as a director or officer of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall be
entitled to indemnification and the advancement of expenses from
us, and to the fullest extent, permitted by Section 145 of
the Delaware General Corporation Law or any successor statutory
provision. We will indemnify any person who was or is a party to
any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding
because he or she is or was one of our directors or officers, or
is or was serving at our request as a director or officer of
another corporation, partnership or other enterprise. However,
as provided in Section 145, this indemnification will only
be provided if the indemnitee acted in good faith and in a
manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed
to, our best interests.
Amendments
Our certificate of incorporation provides that we reserve the
right to amend, alter, change, or repeal any provision contained
in our certificate of incorporation, and all rights conferred to
stockholders are granted subject to such reservation. The
affirmative vote of holders of not less than 80% of our voting
stock, voting together as a single class, shall be required to
alter, amend, adopt any provision inconsistent with or repeal
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specified provisions of our certificate of incorporation,
including those provisions discussed in this section. In
addition, the 80% vote described in the prior sentence shall not
be required for any alteration, amendment, adoption of
inconsistent provision or repeal of the fair price
provision discussed under Fair Price
Provision above which is recommended to the stockholders
by two-thirds of our continuing directors and such alteration,
amendment, adoption of inconsistent provision or repeal shall
require the vote, if any, required under the applicable
provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our
certificate of incorporation. In addition, our certificate of
incorporation provides that stockholders may only adopt, amend
or repeal our bylaws by the affirmative vote of holders of not
less than 80% of our voting stock, voting together as a single
class. Our bylaws may be amended by our board of directors.
Rights
Plan
On July 27, 2000, our board of directors declared a
dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (individually, a
right and collectively, the rights) to
stockholders of record at the close of business on
August 7, 2000 and approved the further issuance of rights
with respect to all shares of common stock that are subsequently
issued. The rights expire on July 27, 2010. Each right
entitles the holder, under certain circumstances, to purchase
from us one one-hundredth of a share of our Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $75.00 per
fractional share subject to certain adjustments.
Initially, the rights are attached to outstanding certificates
representing our common stock, and no separate certificates
representing the rights are distributed. The rights will
separate from our common stock and will become exercisable upon
the earlier of:
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ten days following a public announcement or disclosure that a
person or group (an acquiring person) becomes the
beneficial owner of 15% or more of our outstanding common
stock; or
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ten days following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer which would result in the offeror becoming an
acquiring person.
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Lineal descendants of D.W. Norris (and their spouses) and trusts
established primarily for the benefit of such lineal descendants
(and their spouses) will not become an acquiring person and will
not be counted as affiliates or associates of any other person
in determining whether such person is an acquiring person, in
each case as long as the primary purpose for holding shares in
us is not to effect an extraordinary corporate transaction. In
addition, holders of 1% or more of our common stock which are
identified in the prospectus relating to our initial public
offering are also excluded from becoming an acquiring person.
If the rights become exercisable, each right (other than rights
held by the acquiring person) will entitle the holder to
purchase, at a price equal to the exercise price of the right, a
number of shares of our common stock having a then-current
market value of twice the exercise price of the right. If at any
time from and after the time an acquiring person becomes such we
agree to merge into another entity or we sell more than 50% of
our assets, each right (other than rights held by the acquiring
person) will entitle the holder to purchase, at a price equal to
the exercise price of the right, a number of shares of common
stock of such entity having a then-current market value of twice
the exercise price.
We will generally be entitled to redeem the rights at a price of
$0.01 per right at any time prior to the day a person becomes an
acquiring person. The description and terms of the rights are
set forth in a Rights Agreement dated as of July 27, 2000
entered into between us and the rights agent named therein. The
Rights Agreement was filed as an exhibit to our Current Report
on
Form 8-K
dated July 27, 2000, filed with the SEC.
The Rights Agreement approved by our board of directors is
designed to protect and maximize the value of our outstanding
equity interests in the event of an unsolicited attempt to
acquire us in a manner or on terms not approved by our board of
directors and that prevent our stockholders from realizing the
full value of their shares of our common stock. However, the
rights may have the effect of rendering more difficult or
discouraging an acquisition of us that is deemed undesirable by
our board of directors. The rights may cause substantial
dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire us on
terms or in a manner not approved by
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our board of directors, except pursuant to an offer conditioned
upon the negation, purchase or redemption of the rights.
Rights To
Purchase Securities And Other Property
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of
directors to create and issue rights, warrants and options
entitling the holders of them to purchase from us shares of any
class or classes of our capital stock or other securities or
property upon such terms and conditions as our board of
directors may deem advisable.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol LII.
Transfer
Agent And Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the common stock is Mellon
Investor Services LLC.
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR WARRANTS
We may issue warrants to purchase any combination of debt
securities, common stock, preferred stock, rights or other
securities of Lennox or any other entity. Warrants may be issued
warrants independently or together with other securities and may
be attached to or separate from other securities. Each series of
warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be
entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant
agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in
connection with the warrants and will not have any obligation or
relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or
beneficial owners of warrants. A copy of the warrant agreement
will be filed with the SEC in connection with any offering of
warrants.
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of
warrants to issue debt securities, preferred stock or common
stock will describe the terms of those warrants, including the
following:
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the title of the warrants;
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the offering price for the warrants, if any;
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the aggregate number of warrants offered;
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the designation and terms of the debt securities, common stock,
preferred stock, rights or other securities purchasable upon
exercise of the warrants, and procedures by which the number of
securities purchasable may be adjusted;
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the dates or periods during which the warrants are exercisable;
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the designation and terms of any securities with which the
warrants are issued;
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if applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and
any securities issued with them will be separately transferable;
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the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased
upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which the debt
securities may be purchased upon exercise;
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the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock that may
be purchased upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which
the shares may be purchased upon exercise;
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the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will
commence and expire;
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants
that may be exercised at any one time;
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whether the warrants represented by the warrant certificates or
debt securities that may be issued upon exercise of the warrants
will be issued in registered or bearer form;
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information relating to book-entry procedures, if any;
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the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if
any, and the exercise price are payable;
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if applicable, a discussion of material United States federal
income tax considerations;
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anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any;
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redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the
warrants;
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any additional terms of the warrants, including terms,
procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise
of the warrants; and
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any other information we think is important about the warrants.
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DESCRIPTION
OF OUR DEPOSITARY SHARES
General
At our option, we may elect to offer fractional shares of
preferred stock, rather than full shares of preferred stock. If
we do elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, we
will issue to the public receipts for depositary shares and each
of these depositary shares will represent a fraction of a share
of a particular series of preferred stock, as specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement. Each owner of a depositary
share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable
fractional interest in shares of preferred stock underlying that
depositary share, to all rights and preferences of the preferred
stock underlying that depositary share. These rights may include
dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights.
The shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares
will be deposited with a bank or trust company selected by us to
act as depositary, under a deposit agreement between us, the
depositary and the holders of the depositary receipts. The
depositary will be the transfer agent, registrar and dividend
disbursing agent for the depositary shares.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts
issued pursuant to the depositary agreement. Holders of
depositary receipts agree to be bound by the deposit agreement,
which requires holders to take certain actions such as filing
proof of residence and paying certain charges.
The summary of terms of the depositary shares contained in this
prospectus is not complete. You should refer to the forms of the
deposit agreement, our certificate of incorporation and the
certificate of designation for the applicable series of
preferred stock that are, or will be, filed with the SEC.
Dividends
The depositary will distribute cash dividends or other cash
distributions, if any, received in respect of the series of
preferred stock underlying the depositary shares to the record
holders of depositary receipts in proportion to the number of
depositary shares owned by those holders on the relevant record
date. The relevant record date for depositary shares will be the
same date as the record date for the preferred stock. In the
event of a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will
distribute property received by it to the record holders of
depositary receipts that are entitled to receive the
distribution, unless the depositary determines that it is not
feasible to make the distribution. If this occurs, the
depositary, with our approval, may adopt another method for the
distribution, including selling the property and distributing
the net proceeds to the holders.
Liquidation
Preference
If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares
has a liquidation preference, in the event of the voluntary or
involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Lennox,
holders of depositary shares will be entitled to receive the
fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each share of
the applicable series of preferred stock, as set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
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Redemption
If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares
is subject to redemption, the depositary shares will be redeemed
from the proceeds received by the depositary resulting from the
redemption, in whole or in part, of the preferred stock held by
the depositary. Whenever we redeem any preferred stock held by
the depositary, the depositary will redeem, as of the same
redemption date, the number of depositary shares representing
the preferred stock so redeemed. The depositary will mail the
notice of redemption to the record holders of the depositary
receipts promptly upon receiving the notice from, unless
otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement,
prior to the date fixed for redemption of the preferred stock.
Voting
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of
preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail
the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record
holders of the depositary receipts underlying the preferred
stock. Each record holder of those depositary receipts on the
record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to
the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the amount of
preferred stock underlying that holders depositary shares.
The record date for the depositary will be the same date as the
record date for the preferred stock. The depositary will try, as
far as practicable, to vote the preferred stock underlying the
depositary shares in accordance with these instructions. We will
agree to take all action that may be deemed necessary by the
depositary in order to enable the depositary to vote the
preferred stock in accordance with these instructions. The
depositary will not vote the preferred stock to the extent that
it does not receive specific instructions from the holders of
depositary receipts.
Withdrawal
of Preferred Stock
Owners of depositary shares will be entitled to receive upon
surrender of depositary receipts at the principal office of the
depositary and payment of any unpaid amount due to the
depositary, the number of whole shares of preferred stock
underlying their depositary shares. Partial shares of preferred
stock will not be issued. Holders of preferred stock will not be
entitled to deposit the shares under the deposit agreement or to
receive depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares for the
preferred stock.
Amendment
and Termination of Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares
and any provision of the deposit agreement may be amended by
agreement between us and the depositary. However, any amendment
which materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders
of depositary shares, other than fee changes, will not be
effective unless the amendment has been approved by at least a
majority of the outstanding depositary shares. The deposit
agreement may be terminated by the depositary or us only if:
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all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; or
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there has been a final distribution of the preferred stock in
connection with our dissolution and such distribution has been
made to all the holders of depositary shares.
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Charges
of Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental
charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary
arrangement. We will also pay charges of the depositary in
connection with:
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the initial deposit of the preferred stock;
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the initial issuance of the depositary shares;
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any redemption of the preferred stock; and
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all withdrawals of preferred stock by owners of depositary
shares.
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Holders of depositary receipts will pay transfer, income and
other taxes and governmental charges and other specified charges
as provided in the deposit agreement for their accounts. If
these charges have not been paid, the depositary may:
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refuse to transfer depositary shares;
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withhold dividends and distributions; and
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sell the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipt.
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Miscellaneous
The depositary will forward to the holders of depositary
receipts all reports and communications we deliver to the
depositary that we are required to furnish to the holders of the
preferred stock. In addition, the depositary will make available
for inspection by holders of depositary receipts at the
principal office of the depositary, and at such other places as
it may from time to time deem advisable, any reports and
communications we deliver to the depositary as the holder of
preferred stock. Neither the depositary nor Lennox will be
liable if either the depositary or Lennox is prevented or
delayed by law or any circumstance beyond either the depositary
or Lennoxs control in performing their respective
obligations under the deposit agreement. Our obligations and the
depositarys obligations will be limited to the performance
in good faith of our or the depositarys respective duties
under the deposit agreement. Neither the depositary nor Lennox
will be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in
respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless
satisfactory indemnity is furnished.
We and the depositary may rely on:
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written advice of counsel or accountants;
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information provided by holders of depositary receipts or other
persons believed in good faith to be competent to give such
information; and
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documents believed to be genuine and to have been signed or
presented by the proper party or parties.
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Resignation
and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering a notice to
us. We may remove the depositary at any time. Any such
resignation or removal will take effect upon the appointment of
a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment.
The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days
after delivery of the notice for resignation or removal. The
successor depositary must be a bank and trust company having its
principal office in the United States of America and having a
combined capital and surplus of at least $150,000,000.
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
Owners of the depositary shares will be treated for federal
income tax purposes as if they were owners of the preferred
stock underlying the depositary shares. As a result, owners will
be entitled to take into account for federal income tax purposes
and deductions to which they would be entitled if they were
holders of such preferred stock. No gain or loss will be
recognized for federal income tax purposes upon the withdrawal
of preferred stock in exchange for depositary shares. The tax
basis of each share of preferred stock to an exchanging owner of
depositary shares will, upon such exchange, be the same as the
aggregate tax basis of the depositary shares exchanged. The
holding period for preferred stock in the hands of an exchanging
owner of depositary shares will include the period during which
such person owned such depositary shares.
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DESCRIPTION
OF OUR UNITS
As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may
issue units consisting of one or more warrants, debt securities,
shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock or any
combination of such securities. The applicable prospectus
supplement will describe:
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the terms of the units and of the warrants, debt securities,
preferred stock and common stock comprising the units, including
whether and under what circumstances the securities comprising
the units may be traded separately;
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a description of the terms of any unit agreement governing the
units; and
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a description of the provisions for the payment, settlement,
transfer or exchange or the units.
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PLAN OF
DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the offered securities in and outside the United
States (1) through underwriters or dealers,
(2) directly to purchasers, including our affiliates,
(3) through agents or (4) through a combination of any
of these methods. The prospectus supplement will include the
following information:
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the terms of the offering;
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the names of any underwriters or agents;
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the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;
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the purchase price of the securities from us;
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the net proceeds to us from the sale of the securities;
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any delayed delivery arrangements;
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any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items
constituting underwriters compensation;
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any initial public offering price;
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any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers; and
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any commissions paid to agents.
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Sale
through Underwriters or Dealers
If we use underwriters in the sale, the underwriters will
acquire the securities for their own account. The underwriters
may resell the securities from time to time in one or more
transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed
public offering price or at varying prices determined at the
time of sale. Underwriters may offer securities to the public
either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or
more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms
acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in the
prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to
purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions,
and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the
offered securities if they purchase any of them. The
underwriters may change from time to time any initial public
offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or
reallowed or paid to dealers.
During and after an offering through underwriters, the
underwriters may purchase and sell the securities in the open
market. These transactions may include overallotment and
stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short
positions created in connection with the offering. The
underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that
selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other
broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account
may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered securities are
repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering
transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or
otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities,
which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail
in the open market. If commenced, the underwriters may
discontinue these activities at any time.
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If we use dealers in the sale of securities, we will sell the
securities to them as principals. They may then resell those
securities to the public at varying prices determined by the
dealers at the time of resale. The dealers participating in any
sale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within
the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any
sale of those securities. We will include in the prospectus
supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the
transaction.
Direct
Sales and Sales Through Agents
We may sell the securities directly. In that event, no
underwriters or agents would be involved. We may also sell the
securities through agents we designate from time to time. In the
prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the
offer or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe
any commissions payable by us to the agent. Unless we inform you
otherwise in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to
use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the
period of its appointment.
We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors
or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the
meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any sale
of those securities. We will describe the terms of any such
sales in the prospectus supplement.
Delayed
Delivery Contracts
If we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, we may authorize
agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain
types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the
public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These
contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified
date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those
conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The
prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for
solicitation of those contracts.
Remarketing
We may offer and sell any of the offered securities in
connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance
with a redemption or repayment by their terms or otherwise by
one or more remarketing firms acting as principals for their own
accounts or as our agents. We will identify any remarketing
firm, the terms of any remarketing agreement and the
compensation to be paid to the remarketing firm in the
prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed
underwriters under the Securities Act of 1933.
Derivative
Transactions
We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or
sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties
in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable
prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those
derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by
this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement,
including in short sale transactions. If so, the third parties
may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others
to settle those sales or to close out any related open
borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in
settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open
borrowings of stock. The third parties in these sale
transactions will be underwriters and, if not identified in this
prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus
supplement or in a post-effective amendment to the registration
statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
General
Information
We may have agreements with the remarketing firms, agents,
dealers and underwriters to indemnify them against certain civil
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of
1933, or to contribute with respect to payments that the agents,
dealers or underwriters may be required to make. Such firms,
agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in
transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary
course of their businesses.
Each series of offered securities will be a new issue, and other
than the common stock, which is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, will have no established trading market. We may elect
to list any series of
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offered securities on an exchange, but we are not obligated to
do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a
market in a series of offered securities. However, they will not
be obligated to do so and may discontinue market making at any
time without notice. We cannot assure you that a liquid trading
market for any of our offered securities will develop.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The validity of the securities described in this prospectus will
be passed upon for us by Jones Day.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements and the related financial
statement schedule, incorporated in this prospectus by reference
to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, and the
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting,
have been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is
incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial
statements and financial statement schedule have been so
incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given
upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we
file with the SEC at the SECs public reference room
located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549. You may obtain further information regarding the
operation of the SECs public reference room by calling the
SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
Our filings are also available to the public on the SECs
Internet site located at
http://www.sec.gov.
You can obtain information about us at the offices of the
New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New
York 10005.
This prospectus, which includes information we have incorporated
by reference (see Incorporation by Reference below),
is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC
relating to the securities we may offer. As permitted by SEC
rules, this prospectus does not contain all of the information
we have included in the registration statement and the
accompanying exhibits and schedules we file with the SEC. You
may refer to the registration statement, the exhibits and the
schedules for more information about us and our securities. The
registration statement, exhibits and schedules are available at
the SECs public reference room or through its Internet
site.
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
We are incorporating by reference into this
prospectus certain information we file with the SEC. This means
we are disclosing important information to you by referred you
to the documents containing the information. The information we
incorporate by reference is considered to be a part of this
prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC that is
deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus (but not
information deemed to be furnished to and not filed with the
SEC) will automatically update and supersede information
previously included.
We are incorporating by reference into this prospectus the
documents listed below and any subsequent filings we make with
the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (excluding information deemed to
be furnished and not filed with the SEC) until we sell all of
the securities we are offering with this prospectus:
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Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2009, including the
information specifically incorporated by reference into our
Form 10-K
from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as
filed with the SEC on April 16, 2010;
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Our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010;
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Our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on February 23, 2010, February 24,
2010, March 15, 2010, and April 21, 2010; and
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The description of our common stock contained in our
Form 8-A
dated July 12, 1999.
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You may also obtain a copy of our filings with the SEC at no
cost by writing to or telephoning us at the following address:
Investor Relations
Lennox International Inc.
2140 Lake Park Boulevard
Richardson, Texas 75080
(972) 497-5000
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