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Debt
3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt
Debt
The following table presents the Company's outstanding debt at March 29, 2014 and December 28, 2013: 
In thousands
March 29,
2014
 
December 28,
2013
Senior Secured Notes
$
560,000

 
$
560,000

ABL Facility

 

Term Loans
293,610

 
293,545

Argentina credit facilities:
 
 
 
Argentina Credit Facility — Nacion
7,508

 
8,341

Argentina Credit Facility — Galicia
2,499

 
3,082

China Credit Facility
22,920

 
24,920

India Loans
3,309

 
3,216

Capital lease obligations
1,143

 
1,092

Total long-term debt
890,989

 
894,196

Short-term borrowings
8,147

 
2,472

Total debt
$
899,136

 
$
896,668


The fair value of the Company's long-term debt was $934.3 million at March 29, 2014 and $933.8 million at December 28, 2013. The fair value of long-term debt is based upon quoted market prices in inactive markets or on available rates for debt with similar terms and maturities (Level 2).
Senior Secured Notes
In connection with the Merger, the Company issued $560.0 million of 7.75% Senior Secured Notes on January 28, 2011. The notes are due in 2019 and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally on a senior secured basis, by each of the Polymer Group's wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. Interest on the notes is paid semi-annually on February 1 and August 1 of each year.
The indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes, among other restrictions, limits the Company's ability and the ability of the Company's restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur or guarantee additional debt or issue disqualified stock or preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends and make other distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, capital stock; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) repurchase stock; (v); incur certain liens; (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate; (viii) enter into agreements that restrict the ability of subsidiaries to make dividends or other payments to Polymer Group, Inc.; (ix) designate restricted subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and (x) transfer or sell assets. However, subject to certain exceptions, the indenture permits the Company and its restricted subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness, including senior indebtedness and secured indebtedness. The indenture also does not limit the amount of additional indebtedness that Parent or its parent entities may incur.
Under the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes and under the credit agreement governing the senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility, the Company's ability to engage in activities such as incurring additional indebtedness, making investments, refinancing certain indebtedness, paying dividends and entering into certain merger transactions is governed, in part, by the Company's ability to satisfy tests based on Adjusted EBITDA as defined in the indenture.
ABL Facility
On January 28, 2011, the Company entered into a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility which was amended and restated on October 5, 2012 (the "ABL Facility") to provide for borrowings not to exceed $50.0 million, subject to borrowing base availability. The ABL Facility provides borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and borrowings on a same-day basis and is comprised of (i) a revolving tranche of up to $42.5 million (“Tranche 1”) and (ii) a first-in, last out revolving tranche of up to $7.5 million (“Tranche 2”). Provided that no default or event of default was then existing or would arise therefrom, the Company had the option to request that the ABL Facility be increased by an amount not to exceed $20.0 million, subject to certain rights of the administrative agent, swing line lender and issuing banks with respect to the lenders providing commitments for such increase. The facility matures on October 5, 2017.
On November 26, 2013, the Company entered into an amendment to the ABL Facility which increased the Tranche 1 revolving credit commitments by $30.0 million (for a total aggregate revolving credit commitment of $80.0 million) as well as made certain other changes to the agreement. In addition, the Company increased the amount by which the Company can request that the ABL Facility be increased at the Company's option to an amount not to exceed $75.0 million, subject to certain rights of the administrative agent, swing line lender and issuing banks with respect to the lenders providing commitments for such increase. The effectiveness of the amendment was subject to the satisfaction of certain specified closing conditions by no later than January 31, 2014, all of which were satisfied prior to such date.
Based on current average excess availability, the borrowings under the ABL Facility will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at our option, either (A) British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“LIBOR”) (adjusted for statutory reserve requirements) plus a margin of (i) 2.00% in the case of Tranche 1 or (ii) 4.00% in the case of Tranche 2; or (B) the higher of (a) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Citibank, N.A. as its "prime rate" and (b) the federal funds effective rate plus ½ of 1.0% (“ABR”) plus a margin of (x) 1.00% in the case of Tranche 1 or (y) 3.00% in the case of the Tranche 2. As of March 29, 2014, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the ABL Facility. The borrowing base availability was $58.1 million, however, outstanding letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $14.4 million left $43.7 million available for additional borrowings. The aforementioned letters of credit were primarily provided to certain administrative service providers and financial institutions. None of these letters of credit had been drawn on as of March 29, 2014.
The ABL Facility contains certain restrictions which limit the Company's ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur or guarantee additional debt; (ii) pay dividends and make other distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, capital stock; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) repurchase stock; (v) incur certain liens; (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate or other fundamental changes; (viii) enter into agreements that restrict the ability of subsidiaries to make dividends or other payments; (ix) designate restricted subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; (x) transfer or sell assets and (xi) prepay junior financing or other restricted debt. In addition, the ABL Facility contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants and events of default, including among other things payment defaults, breach of representations and warranties, covenant defaults, cross-defaults and cross acceleration to certain indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency defaults, certain events under ERISA, certain monetary judgment defaults, invalidity of guarantees or security interests, and change of control. If such an event of default occurs, the lenders under the ABL Facility would be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due under the ABL Facility and all actions permitted to be taken by a secured creditor.
Term Loans
On December 19, 2013, the Company entered into a Senior Secured Credit Agreement (the "Term Loans") with a maturity date upon the earlier of (i) six years from the date of borrowing and (ii) the 91st day prior to the scheduled maturity of our 7.75% Senior Secured Notes. The Term Loans provides for a commitment by the lenders to make secured term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $295.0 million, the proceeds of which were used to partially repay amounts outstanding under the Secured Bridge Facility and the Unsecured Bridge Facility.
Borrowings bear interest at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to, at our option, (i) a base rate equal to the highest of (a) the federal funds rate plus ½ of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Citicorp North America, Inc. as its "prime rate" and (c) the LIBOR rate for a one-month interest period plus 1.0% (provided that in no event shall such base rate with respect to the Term Loans be less than 2.0% per annum), in each case plus an applicable margin of 3.25% or (ii) a LIBOR rate for the applicable interest period (provided that in no event shall such LIBOR rate with respect to the Term Loans be less than 1.0% per annum) plus an applicable margin of 4.25%. The applicable margin for the Term Loans is subject to a 25 basis point step-down upon the achievement of certain a senior secured net leverage ratio. The Company is required to repay installments on the Term Loans in quarterly installments in aggregate amounts equal to 1.0% per annum of their funded total principal amount, with the remaining amount payable on the maturity date.
The agreement governing the Term Loans, among other restrictions, limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to: (i) incur or guarantee additional debt or issue disqualified stock or preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends and make other distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, capital stock; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) repurchase stock; (v) incur certain liens; (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vii) merge or consolidate; (viii) enter into agreements that restrict the ability of subsidiaries to make dividends or other payments to Polymer; (ix) designate restricted subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and (x) transfer or sell assets. In addition, the Term Loans contain certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants and events of default.
Argentina Credit Facility Nacion
In January 2007, the Company's subsidiary in Argentina entered into an arrangement with banking institutions in Argentina in order to finance the installation of a new spunmelt line at its facility near Buenos Aires, Argentina. The maximum borrowings available under the facility, excluding any interest added to principal, were 33.5 million Argentine pesos with respect to an Argentine peso-denominated loan and $26.5 million with respect to a U.S. dollar-denominated loan. The loans are secured by pledges covering (i) the subsidiary's existing equipment lines; (ii) the outstanding stock of the subsidiary; and (iii) the new machinery and equipment being purchased, as well as a trust assignment agreement related to a portion of receivables due from certain major customers of the subsidiary.
The interest rate applicable to borrowings under these term loans is based on LIBOR plus 290 basis points for the U.S. dollar-denominated loan and Buenos Aires Interbanking Offered Rate plus 475 basis points for the Argentine peso-denominated loan. Principal and interest payments began in July 2008 with the loans maturing as follows: annual amounts of $3.5 million beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2015, and the remaining $1.7 million in 2016.
In connection with the Merger, the Company repaid and terminated the Argentine peso-denominated loan. In addition, the U.S. denominated loan was adjusted to reflect its fair value as of the date of the Merger. As a result, the Company recorded a contra-liability in Long-term debt and will amortize the balance over the remaining life of the facility. At March 29, 2014, the face amount of the outstanding indebtedness under the U.S. dollar-denominated loan was $7.8 million, with a carrying amount of $7.5 million and a weighted average interest rate of 3.14%.
Argentina Credit Facility Galicia
On September 27, 2013, the Company's subsidiary in Argentina entered into an arrangement with a banking institution in Argentina in order to partially finance the upgrade of a manufacturing line at its facility located near Buenos Aires, Argentina. The maximum borrowings available under the facility, excluding any interest added to principal, is 20.0 million Argentine pesos (approximately $3.5 million). The three-year term of the agreement began with the date of the first draw down on the facility, which occurred in the third quarter of 2013, with payments required in twenty-five equal monthly installments beginning after one year. Borrowings will bear interest at 15.25%. As of March 29, 2014, the outstanding balance under the facility was $2.5 million. The remainder of the upgrade is expected to be financed by existing cash balances and cash generated from operations.
China Credit Facility
In the third quarter of 2012, the Company's subsidiary in China entered into a three-year U.S. dollar denominated construction loan agreement (the “Hygiene Facility”) with a banking institution in China to finance a portion of the installation of a new spunmelt line at its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China. The interest rate applicable to borrowings under the Hygiene Facility is based on three-month LIBOR plus an amount to be determined at the time of funding based on the lender's internal head office lending rate (520 basis points at the time the credit agreement was executed).
The maximum borrowings available under the facility, excluding any interest added to principal, were $25.0 million. At December 28, 2013, the outstanding balance under the Hygiene Facility was $24.9 million with a weighted average interest rate of 5.46%. The Company repaid $2.0 million of the principal balance during the first quarter of 2014 using a combination of existing cash balances and cash generated from operations. As a result, the outstanding balance under the Hygiene Facility was $22.9 million at March 29, 2014 with a weighted-average interest rate of 5.44%.
India Indebtedness
As a result of the acquisition of Fiberweb, the Company assumed control of Terram Geosynthetics Private Limited, a joint venture located in Mundra, India in which the Company maintains a 65% controlling interest. As part of the net assets acquired, the Company assumed $3.8 million of debt that was entered into with a banking institution in India. Amounts outstanding primarily relate to a 14.70% term loan, due in 2017, used to purchase fixed assets. Other amounts relate to a short-term credit facility used to finance working capital requirements (included in Short-term borrowings in the Consolidated Balance Sheets) and an existing automobile loan. Combined, the outstanding balances totaled $4.1 million at March 29, 2014.
Other Indebtedness
The Company periodically enters into short-term credit facilities in order to finance various liquidity requirements, including insurance premium payments and short-term working capital needs. At March 29, 2014 and December 28, 2013, outstanding amounts related to such facilities were $7.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively. Borrowings under these facilities are included in Short-term borrowings in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company also has documentary letters of credit not associated with the ABL Facility or the Hygiene Facility. These letters of credit were primarily provided to certain raw material vendors and amounted to $9.4 million and $8.5 million at March 29, 2014 and December 28, 2013, respectively. None of these letters of credit have been drawn upon.