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Long-Term Debt
6 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2014
Long-Term Debt [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt

F. LONG-TERM DEBT

 

In June 2013, the Company issued $700.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2023 (the “Notes”) in a private placement.  The Notes bear an interest rate of 5.750% per annum and were issued at par. Note proceeds were used to repay $575.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes maturing in 2017,  $52.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Company’s line of credit, and to pay costs related to the offering of the Notes.  Remaining Note proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including future capital expenditures.

 

The Company filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to exchange the private placement notes with registered notes. The exchange has been completed.

 

The Company may redeem all or a portion of the Notes at any time on or after June 15, 2018 at the following redemption prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount), if redeemed during the 12-month period beginning June 15 of the years indicated below:

 

 

 

 

 

Year

 

2018

102.875%

2019

101.917%

2020

100.958%

2021 and thereafter

100.000%

 

In connection with the offering of the Notes, the Company extended the maturity date of its $175.0 million line of credit from December 29, 2015 to June 12, 2018 and modified certain interest rate options and covenants.  There were no outstanding borrowings under the line of credit at March 29, 2014 or at September 28, 2013.

 

The line of credit provides the Company with various interest rate options based on the prime rate, the Federal Funds Rate, or the London Interbank Offering Rate. The line allows the Company to issue up to $30.0 million in unused letters of credit, of which $9.7 million of unused letters of credit were issued at March 29, 2014.  The Company is not required to maintain compensating balances in connection with the line of credit.

 

On December 29, 2010, the Company completed the funding of $99.7 million of Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (the “Bonds”) for:  (A) acquisition, construction and equipping of an approximately 830,000 square foot new warehouse and distribution center located in Buncombe County, North Carolina (the “Project”), and (B) the payment of certain expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the Bonds.  The final maturity date of the Bonds is January 1, 2036.

 

The Bonds were issued by the Buncombe County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority and were purchased by certain financial institutions.  Under a Continuing Covenant and Collateral Agency Agreement (the “Covenant Agreement”) between the financial institutions and the Company, the financial institutions would hold the Bonds until January 2, 2018, subject to certain events.   Mandatory redemption of the Bonds by the Company in the annual amount of $4,530,000 began on January 1, 2014

 

In connection with the offering of the Notes, the Company extended the maturity date of the Covenant Agreement from January 2, 2018 to June 30, 2021 and modified certain interest rate options and covenants. The Company may redeem the Bonds without penalty or premium at any time prior to June 30, 2021.

 

Interest earned by bondholders on the Bonds is exempt from Federal and North Carolina income taxation.  The interest rate on the Bonds is equal to one month LIBOR (adjusted monthly) plus a credit spread, adjusted to reflect the income tax exemption.

 

The Company’s obligation to repay the Bonds is collateralized by the Project.  Additional collateral was required in order to meet certain loan to value criteria in the Covenant Agreement.  The Covenant Agreement incorporates substantially all financial covenants included in the line of credit.

 

The Notes, the Bonds and the line of credit contain provisions that under certain circumstances would permit lending institutions to terminate or withdraw their respective extensions of credit to the Company. Included among the triggering factors permitting the termination or withdrawal of the line of credit to the Company are certain events of default, including both monetary and non-monetary defaults, the initiation of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, and the failure of the Company to meet certain financial covenants designated in its respective loan documents. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants related to its borrowings at March 29, 2014.

 

The Company’s long-term debt agreements generally have cross-default provisions which could result in the acceleration of payments due under the Company’s line of credit, Bond and Notes indenture in the event of default under any one instrument.