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Long-Term Debt
3 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2017
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”).  The Notes bear an interest rate of 5.750% per annum and were issued at par.



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%



The Company has a $175.0 million line of credit (the “Line”) that matures in September 2022.  The Line provides the Company with various interest rate options based on the prime rate, the Federal Funds Rate, or the London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”). The Line allows the Company to issue up to $20.0 million in unused letters of credit, of which $9.9 million of unused letters of credit were issued at December 30, 2017.  The Company is not required to maintain compensating balances in connection with the Line.  At December 30, 2017, the Company had $14.3 million of borrowings outstanding under the Line. 



On December 29, 2010, the Company completed the funding of $99.7 million of bonds (the ”Bonds”) for construction of new warehouse and distribution space adjacent to its existing space in Buncombe County, North Carolina (the “Project”).  The final maturity date of the Bonds is January 1, 2036.

 

Under a Continuing Covenant and Collateral Agency Agreement (the “Covenant Agreement”) between certain financial institutions and the Company, the financial institutions would hold the  Bonds until June 30, 2021, subject to certain events.  Mandatory redemption of the Bonds by the Company in the annual amount of $4.5 million began on January 1, 2014.  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.  Effective January 1, 2018, the interest rate on the Bonds will be adjusted to reflect the reduction in the federal corporate tax rate under the Tax Act.



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.



In September 2017, the Company refinanced approximately $60 million secured borrowing obligations that were scheduled to mature in fiscal years 2018-2020 with a LIBOR-based floating rate loan maturing in October 2027.  On December 19, 2017 the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement for a notional amount of $58.5 million at a fixed rate of 3.92%.  Under this agreement, the Company pays monthly the fixed rate of 3.92% and receives the one-month LIBOR plus 1.65%.  The interest rate swap effectively hedges the floating rate debt closed by the Company in September, 2017.  Both the floating rate debt and the interest rate swap have monthly principal amortization of $0.5 million and mature October 1, 2027.  The fair market value of the interest rate swap is measured quarterly with adjustments recorded in other comprehensive income.  The difference between the notional amount and fair market value of the interest rate swap at December 30, 2017 was not significant.



The Notes, the Bonds and the Line 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 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 at December 30, 2017.  



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,  Bonds and Notes indenture in the event of default under any one instrument.