Insider Letter Agreement between Beverage Acquisition Corporation and Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc. Regarding IPO

Summary

This agreement is between a stockholder of Beverage Acquisition Corporation and Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc., the underwriter for the company's initial public offering (IPO). The stockholder agrees to certain voting and compensation restrictions, waives rights to liquidation proceeds, and commits to escrow shares for a specified period. The agreement also includes representations about the stockholder's legal and financial background and authorizes background checks. The agreement is binding until a business combination is completed or the IPO process is terminated, and is governed by New York law.

EX-10.9 18 v048945_ex10-9.htm
August        , 2006

Beverage Acquisition Corporation
2670 Commercial Avenue
Mingo Junction, Ohio 43938

Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc.
As representative of the several Underwriters
600 Fifth Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, New York 10020-2302

Re: Initial Public Offering

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned stockholder of Beverage Acquisition Corporation (“Company”), in consideration of Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc. (“Morgan Joseph”) entering into a letter of intent (“Letter of Intent”) to underwrite an initial public offering (“IPO”) of the Company’s units (“Units”), each comprised of one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), and one warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock (“Warrant”) and embarking on the IPO process, hereby agrees as follows (certain capitalized terms used herein are defined in Schedule 1 hereto):

1. If the Company solicits approval of its stockholders of a Business Combination, the undersigned shall (i) vote all Insider Shares owned by such person in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by the holders of the IPO Shares and (ii) vote any shares of Common Stock acquired following or in the IPO in favor of the Business Combination.

2. If a Transaction Failure occurs, the undersigned shall take all reasonable actions within such person’s power to cause (i) the Company to dissolve and liquidate the Trust Account to holders of IPO Shares as soon as reasonably practicable, and (ii) vote his shares in favor of any plan of dissolution and distribution recommended by the Company's board of directors. The undersigned hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distributions by the Company upon liquidation of the Trust Account or dissolution and liquidation of the Company and hereby further waives any claim the undersigned may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and agrees to not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever.

3. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Company will not consummate any Business Combination which involves a company which is affiliated with any of the Insiders unless the Company obtains an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. that the business combination is fair to the Company’s stockholders from a financial perspective.

4. Neither the undersigned, any member of the Immediate Family of the undersigned, nor any affiliate of the undersigned (“Affiliate”) will be entitled to receive and will not accept any compensation for services rendered to the Company prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of the Business Combination; provided that, commencing on the Effective Date, Beverage Marketing Corporation of New York (“Related Party”), shall be allowed to charge the Company up to $7,500 per month, representing an allocable share of Related Party’s overhead, to compensate it for the Company's use of Related Party’s offices, utilities and personnel. The Related Party and the undersigned shall also be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with seeking and consummating a Business Combination.

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5. The undersigned agrees that none of the undersigned, any member of the Immediate Family of the undersigned, or any Affiliate of the undersigned will be entitled to receive or accept, and the undersigned, on behalf of the undersigned and the aforementioned parties, hereby waives any rights to, a finder’s fee or any other compensation in the event the undersigned, any member of the Immediate Family of the undersigned or any Affiliate of the undersigned originates a Business Combination.

6. The undersigned will, as specified in the Stock Escrow Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A which the Company will enter into with the undersigned and an escrow agent acceptable to the Company, escrow its, his or her Insider Shares for the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the earlier of (i) the third anniversary of the Effective Date, (ii) the date on which the Company gives the escrow agent notice that the Company is being liquidated at which time the escrow agent will destroy the shares or (iii) in the event the Company undertakes a Business Combination, at such a time when the escrow agent releases the Insider Shares in order for the undersigned to participate in a Business Combination in which all stockholders have the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for other property.

7. The undersigned further represents and warrants to the Company and Morgan Joseph that:

(a) The undersigned is not subject to or a respondent in any legal action for, any injunction, cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities in any jurisdiction;

(b) The undersigned has never been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any crime (i) involving any fraud or (ii) relating to any financial transaction or handling of funds of another person, or (iii) pertaining to any dealings in any securities and such person is not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding; and

(c) The undersigned has never been suspended or expelled from membership in any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended or revoked.

8. The undersigned has full right and power, without violating any agreement by which the undersigned is bound, to enter into this letter agreement.

9. The undersigned acknowledges and understands that Morgan Joseph and the Company will rely upon the agreements, representations and warranties set forth herein in proceeding with the IPO.

10. This letter agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and such person’s respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns. This letter agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the Business Combination Date or (ii) the Termination Date; provided, however, that any such termination shall not relieve the undersigned from any liability resulting from or arising out of any breach of any agreement or covenant hereunder occurring prior to the termination of this letter agreement.

11. The undersigned authorizes any employer, financial institution, or consumer credit reporting agency to release to Morgan Joseph and its legal representatives or agents (including any investigative search firm retained by Morgan Joseph) any information they may have about the undersigned’s background and finances (“Information”).  Neither Morgan Joseph nor its agents shall be violating the undersigned’s right of privacy in any manner in requesting and obtaining the Information and the undersigned hereby releases them from liability for any damage whatsoever in that connection.

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12. This letter agreement shall be governed by and interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts formed and to be performed entirely within the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of law provisions thereof to the extent such principles and rules would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction. The undersigned hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against the undersigned arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such exclusive jurisdiction. The undersigned hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenience forum.

13. No term or provision of this letter agreement may be amended, changed, waived, altered or modified except by written instrument executed and delivered by (i) Morgan Joseph and (ii) the party against whom such amendment, change, waiver, alteration or modification is to be enforced.


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      Name: Belinda P. Bellas
       
   

Signature
       
       
Accepted and agreed:       
       
       
Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc.       
       
       
 
By:
Name:
Title:  

 
   
 
       
       
Accepted and agreement:       
       
Beverage Acquisition Corporation       
       
       
 
By:
Name:

   
Title:    
 
 
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SCHEDULE 1

SUPPLEMENTAL COMMON DEFINITIONS

Unless the contact shall otherwise require, the following terms shall the following respective meanings for all purposes, and the following definitions are equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms and the feminine, masculine and neuter forms of the terms defined.

“Business Combination” shall mean the acquisition by the Company, whether by merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase or other similar business combination, of one or more operating businesses in the beverage industry, having, collectively, a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the Company’s net assets (excluding deferred underwriting discounts and commissions) at the time of such merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination.

“Business Combination Date” shall mean the date upon which a Business Combination is consummated.

“Effective Date” shall mean the date upon which the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by the SEC.

“Immediate Family” shall mean, with respect to any person, such person’s spouse, lineal descendents, father, mother, brothers or sisters (including any such relatives by adoption or marriage).

“Insiders” shall mean all of the officers, directors and stockholders of the Company immediately prior to the Company’s IPO.

“Insider Shares” shall mean all shares of Common Stock of the Company owned by an Insider immediately prior to the Company’s IPO. For the avoidance of doubt, Insider Shares shall not include any IPO Shares purchased by Insiders in connection with or subsequent to the Company’s IPO.

“IPO Shares” shall mean all shares of Common Stock issued by the Company in its IPO, regardless of whether such shares were issued to an Insider or otherwise.

“Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and included in the Registration Statement.

“Public Stockholders” shall mean holders of common stock sold as part of the IPO or in the aftermarket, including Insiders who purchase those shares in the IPO or aftermarket.

“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement filed by the Company on Form S-1 with the SEC, and any amendment or supplement thereto, in connection with the Company’s IPO.

“SEC” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Termination Date” shall mean the date that is sixty (60) calendar days immediately following the Transaction Failure Date.

“Transaction Failure” shall mean the failure to consummate a Business Combination within 18 months of the Effective Date (or 24 months after the Effective Date, if a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement has been executed within 18 months after the Effective Date and the Business Combination relating thereto has not yet been consummated within such 18-month period).

 
 

 
“Transaction Failure Date” shall mean the 18-month anniversary of the Effective Date (or the 24 month anniversary of the Effective Date, if a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive agreement has been executed within 18 months after the Effective Date and the Business Combination relating thereto has not yet been consummated within such 18-month period).

“Trust Account” shall mean that certain trust account established with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as trustee, and in which the Company deposited the “funds to be held in trust,” as described in the Prospectus.
 
 

 

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF STOCK ESCROW AGREEMENT