Debt

Long-term debt consisted of the following:



	March 31, 2016			December 31, 2015
	(thousands)
Term loan	$	75,000		$	—
Asset-based revolving credit facility	55,000			—
Asset-based credit facility term loan	50,000			50,000
6.375% senior notes	299,990			299,990
Unamortized premium on 6.375% senior notes	1,160			1,215
Deferred financing costs	(6,794		)	(6,616		)
Long-term debt	$	474,356		$	344,589

Term Loan

On March 30, 2016 (Closing Date), Boise Cascade and its principal operating subsidiaries, Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C., and Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, L.L.C., as borrowers, and the guarantors party thereto, entered into a term loan agreement (Term Loan Agreement) with American AgCredit, PCA, as administrative agent and sole lead arranger, and the banks named therein as lenders. The Term Loan Agreement contemplates a $75.0 million secured term loan (Term Loan). The outstanding principal balance of the Term Loan amortizes and is payable in equal installments of $10 million per year on each of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth anniversaries of the Closing Date. The remaining principal balance is due and payable on March 30, 2026. The Term Loan may be repaid from time to time at the discretion of the borrowers without premium or penalty. However, any principal amount of Term Loan repaid may not be subsequently re-borrowed.

Pursuant to the Term Loan Agreement, the borrowers are required to maintain, as of the end of any fiscal quarter, a Capitalization Ratio lower than 60%, a Consolidated Net Worth greater than $350 million, and Available Liquidity greater than $100 million (each as defined in the Term Loan Agreement). In addition, under the Term Loan Agreement, and subject to certain exceptions, the borrowers may not, among other things, (i) incur indebtedness, (ii) incur liens, (iii) make junior payments, (iv) make certain investments, and (v) under certain circumstances, make capital expenditures in excess of $50 million during four consecutive quarters. The Term Loan Agreement also includes customary representations of the borrowers and provides for certain events of default customary for similar facilities.

Interest rates under the Term Loan Agreement are based, at our election, on either the LIBOR or a base rate, as defined in the Term Loan Agreement, plus a spread over the index. The applicable spread for the Term Loan ranges from 1.875% to 2.125% for LIBOR rate loans, and 0.875% to 1.125% for base rate loans, both dependent on our Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Term Loan Agreement). The Term Loan was issued by three institutions within the Farm Credit system and will be eligible for patronage credits. During the period for which the Term Loan was outstanding, the average interest rate on the Term Loan was approximately 2.32%.

We expect to receive patronage credits under the Term Loan. Patronage credits are distributions of profits from banks in the Farm Credit system, which are cooperatives that are required to distribute profits to their members. Patronage distributions, which are generally made in cash, are received in the year after they are earned. Patronage credits are recorded as a reduction to interest expense in the year earned. After giving effect to expected patronage distributions, the effective net interest rate on the Term Loan was approximately 1.6%.

Proceeds from the Term Loan were used to partially finance the purchase of Georgia-Pacific LLC’s engineered lumber production facilities in Thorsby, Alabama and Roxboro, North Carolina (Acquired Facilities). The Term Loan is secured by a first priority mortgage on the Acquired Facilities and a first priority security interest on the equipment and certain tangible personal property located therein. For additional information on the Acquired Facilities, see Note 5, Acquisitions.

Asset-Based Credit Facility

On May 15, 2015, Boise Cascade and its principal operating subsidiaries, Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C., and Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, L.L.C., as borrowers, and Boise Cascade Wood Products Holdings Corp., Chester Wood Products LLC, and Moncure Plywood LLC, as guarantors, entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (Amended Agreement) with Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC, as administrative agent, and the banks named therein as lenders. The Amended Agreement includes a $350 million senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (Revolving Credit Facility) maturing on April 30, 2020 and a $50.0 million term loan (ABL Term Loan) maturing on May 1, 2022. Borrowings under the Amended Agreement are constrained by a borrowing base formula dependent upon levels of eligible receivables and inventory reduced by outstanding borrowings and letters of credit (Availability). On February 11, 2016, we entered into the second amendment to the Amended Agreement so that the LIBOR rate for the ABL Term Loan is determined and adjusted on a monthly basis rather than a daily basis.

The Amended Agreement is secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of our assets, except for property and equipment. The proceeds of borrowings under the agreement are available for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The Amended Agreement contains customary nonfinancial covenants, including a negative pledge covenant and restrictions on new indebtedness, investments, distributions to equityholders, asset sales, and affiliate transactions, the scope of which are dependent on the Availability existing from time to time. The Amended Agreement also contains a requirement that we meet a 1:1 fixed-charge coverage ratio (FCCR), applicable only if Availability falls below 10% of the aggregate revolving lending commitments (or $35 million). Availability exceeded the minimum threshold amounts required for testing of the FCCR at all times since entering into the Amended Agreement, and Availability at March 31, 2016, was $288.9 million.

The Amended Agreement generally permits dividends only if certain conditions are met, including complying with either (i) pro forma Excess Availability (as defined in the Amended Agreement) equal to or exceeding 25% of the aggregate Revolver Commitments (as defined in the Amended Agreement) or (ii) (x) pro forma Excess Availability equal to or exceeding 15% of the aggregate Revolver Commitment and (y) a fixed-charge coverage ratio of 1:1 on a pro forma basis.

Revolving Credit Facility

Interest rates under the Revolving Credit Facility are based, at our election, on either LIBOR or a base rate, as defined in the credit agreement, plus a spread over the index elected that ranges from 1.25% to 1.75% for loans based on LIBOR and from 0.25% to 0.75% for loans based on the base rate. The spread is determined on the basis of a pricing grid that results in a higher spread as average quarterly Availability declines. Letters of credit are subject to a fronting fee payable to the issuing bank and a fee payable to the lenders equal to the LIBOR margin rate. In addition, we are required to pay an unused commitment fee at a rate ranging from 0.25% to 0.375% per annum (based on facility utilization) of the average unused portion of the lending commitments.

At March 31, 2016, we had $55.0 million outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility and $6.1 million of letters of credit outstanding. At December 31, 2015, we had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility and $5.6 million of letters of credit outstanding. These letters of credit and borrowings, if any, reduced our borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility by an equivalent amount. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the minimum and maximum borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility were zero and $55.0 million, respectively, and the average interest rate on borrowings was approximately 1.68%.

ABL Term Loan

The ABL Term Loan was provided by institutions within the Farm Credit system. Borrowings under the ABL Term Loan may be repaid from time to time at the discretion of the borrowers without premium or penalty. However, any principal amount of ABL Term Loan repaid, may not be subsequently re-borrowed.

Interest rates under the ABL Term Loan are based, at our election, on either LIBOR or a base rate, as defined in the agreement, plus a spread over the index elected that ranges from 1.75% to 2.25% for LIBOR rate loans and from 0.75% to 1.25% for base rate loans, both dependent on the amount of Average Excess Availability (as defined in the Amended Agreement). During the period for which the ABL Term Loan was outstanding, the average interest rate on the ABL Term Loan was approximately 2.18%.

We have received and expect to continue receiving patronage credits under the ABL Term Loan. Patronage credits are recorded as a reduction to interest expense in the year earned. After giving effect to expected patronage distributions, the effective net interest rate on the ABL Term Loan was approximately 1.4%.

Senior Notes

On October 22, 2012, Boise Cascade and its wholly owned subsidiary, Boise Cascade Finance Corporation (Boise Finance and together with Boise Cascade, the Co-issuers), issued $250 million of 6.375% senior notes due November 1, 2020 (Senior Notes) through a private placement that was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act). Interest on our Senior Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on May 1 and November 1. On March 28, 2013, Boise Finance was merged with and into Boise Cascade, with Boise Cascade as the surviving entity and sole issuer of the Senior Notes. The Senior Notes are guaranteed by each of our existing and future direct or indirect domestic subsidiaries that is a guarantor or co-borrower under our Amended Agreement.

On August 15, 2013, we issued an additional $50 million in aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes in a private placement that was exempt from registration under the Securities Act. The additional $50 million of Senior Notes were priced at 103.5% of their principal amount plus accrued interest from May 1, 2013, and were issued as additional Senior Notes under the related indenture dated as of October 22, 2012.

On May 8, 2013 and November 26, 2013, we completed offers to exchange any and all of our $250 million and $50 million, respectively, outstanding Senior Notes for a like principal amount of new 6.375% Senior Notes due 2020 having substantially identical terms to those of the Senior Notes. $250 million and $49,990,000 in aggregate principal amount (or 100% and 99.98%, respectively) of the outstanding Senior Notes were tendered and accepted for exchange upon closing of the related exchange offers and have been registered under the Securities Act.

Interest Rate Swaps

For information on interest rate swaps, see Interest Rate Risk and Interest Rate Swaps of Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Cash Paid for Interest

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, cash payments for interest were $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively.