Consent Memorandum effective August 13, 2019

EX-10.17(A) 2 consentmemorandum.htm EXHIBIT 10.17(A) Exhibit



Exhibit 10.17(a)

CONSENT MEMORANDUM
TO:
Briggs & Stratton Lender Group
RE:
Consent regarding Average Leverage Ratio Financial Covenant
DATE:
August 6, 2019
Reference is hereby made to that certain Amended and Restated Multicurrency Credit Agreement, dated as of March 25, 2016 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) among Briggs & Stratton Corporation, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”), Briggs & Stratton AG, a Swiss corporation (“Briggs AG” and, together with the Company, the “Borrowers”), the Lenders parties thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
The Borrowers have requested the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders to consent to and agree (the “Consent”) that, (i) solely for the purposes of Section 6.10(b) of the Credit Agreement (and, for the avoidance of doubt, not including the related reporting requirement in respect thereof set forth in Section 5.02(b) of the Credit Agreement), the Average Leverage Ratio will not be tested for the Computation Period ending June 30, 2019 (such Computation Period, the “Specified Computation Period”), and no failure (or anticipated failure) by the Company to comply with the restrictions set forth in such Section 6.10(b) of the Credit Agreement in respect of the Average Leverage Ratio for the Specified Computation Period shall constitute (or be deemed to have constituted) a Default or Event of Default under the Credit Agreement, and (ii) no Default shall be deemed to exist in respect of any anticipated failure by the Company to comply with the restrictions set forth in such Section 6.10(b) of the Credit Agreement in respect of the Average Leverage Ratio for the Computation Period ending on or about September 30, 2019 (such Computation Period, the “September Computation Period”; it being understood and agreed, for the avoidance of doubt, that (x) the foregoing clause (ii) shall not operate as a waiver or modification of Section 6.10(b) for the September Computation Period and (y) the Company's actual failure to comply with Sectioný 6.10(b) of the Credit Agreement for the September Computation Period in accordance with the terms of such Section 6.10(b) shall constitute an Event of Default).
It is understood and agreed that, notwithstanding the Consent, the defined term “Average Leverage Ratio” and Section 6.10(b) of the Credit Agreement will remain in full force and effect, and be will be effective and applicable in all other respects under the Credit Agreement, at all times.
Please indicate your Consent, as soon as possible but in no event later than 5:00 p.m. (ET) on August 12, 2019 by executing one (1) counterpart of your attached signature page to this Consent Memorandum and, upon execution, return one PDF copy by e-mail to the attention of Katherine Stork ***@***) at Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Administrative Agent and return one (1) original thereof to Katherine Stork at the following address via overnight courier: Latham & Watkins LLP, 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Please make any necessary corrections or adjustments to your signature block prior to execution and delivery. This Consent Memorandum, and the Consent evidenced hereby, will be effective upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of executed PDF signature pages via e-mail from the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders pursuant to Section 9.02 of the Credit Agreement (the date of such receipt by the Administrative Agent, the “Consent Effective Date”).





Each Borrower hereby represents and warrants as follows as of the Consent Effective Date: (a) this Consent Memorandum and the Credit Agreement, as modified hereby, constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of such Borrower, enforceable against such Borrower in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability; and (b)(i) upon giving effect to this Consent Memorandum, no Default has occurred and is continuing and (ii) the representations and warranties of the Borrowers set forth in the Credit Agreement (other than the representations contained in Section 3.05 and 3.10 of the Credit Agreement), as the Credit Agreement is modified hereby, are true and correct (or, if any such representation or warranty is expressly stated to have been made as of a specific date, as of such specific date).
Each reference in the Credit Agreement to “this Credit Agreement,” “this Agreement,” “hereunder,” “hereof,” “herein,” or words of like import, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to the Credit Agreement (including, without limitation, by means of words like “thereunder”, “thereof” and words of like import), shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement after giving effect to this Consent Memorandum; and this Consent Memorandum and the Credit Agreement shall be read together and construed as a single instrument. This Consent Memorandum is a Loan Document. Except as expressly set forth herein, (i) all of the terms and provisions of the Credit Agreement and all other Loan Documents are and shall remain in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed and (ii) the execution, delivery and effectiveness of this Consent Memorandum shall not operate as a waiver of any right, power or remedy of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, nor constitute a waiver of any provision of the Credit Agreement, the Loan Documents or any other documents, instruments and agreements executed and/or delivered in connection therewith.
This Consent Memorandum may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Consent Memorandum by telecopy, e-mailed .pdf or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of the actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Consent Memorandum. This Consent Memorandum shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

[Signature Pages Follow]









JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
individually as a Lender and as Administrative Agent

By: /s/ Richard Barritt    
Name: Richard Barritt
Title: Executive Director


























Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation






U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Caroline V. Krider
Name: Caroline V. Krider
Title: Senior Vice President



























Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





BMO HARRIS BANK, N.A.,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Ronald J. Carey    
Name: Ronald J. Carey
Title: Senior Vice President












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Steven K. Kessler    
Name: Steven K. Kessler
Title: Senior Vice President












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Emma Clifford    
Name: Emma Clifford
Title: Director and Portfolio Manager












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Stuart Thomas    
Name: Stuart Thomas
Title: Assistant Vice President












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





BANK OF THE WEST,
as a Lender


By: /s/ David Wang    
Name: David Wang
Title: Director












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Trevor H. Williams     
Name: Trevor H. Williams
Title: Assistant Vice President












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Lisa DeCristofaro    
Name: Lisa DeCristofaro
Title: SVP











































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation






COMERICA BANK,
as a Lender


By: /s/ John Lascody     
Name: John Lascody
Title: Vice President












































Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





ASSOCIATED BANK, N.A.,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Daniel Holzhauer    
Name: Daniel Holzhauer
Title: Senior Vice President





























Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





HSBC BANK USA, N.A.,
as a Lender


By: /s/ Matthew Brannon    
Name: Matthew Brannon
Title: VP





























Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation





Acknowledged and Agreed as of the Consent Effective
Date: August 13, 2019

BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATION,
as the Company


By: /s/ Mark A. Schwertfeger    
Name: Mark A. Schwertfeger
Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


BRIGGS & STRATTON AG,
as a Borrower


By: /s/ Mark A. Schwertfeger     
Name: Mark A. Schwertfeger
Title: Director and Chairman of the Board






























Signature Page to Consent Memorandum
Briggs & Stratton Corporation