Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement among Crescent Jewelers, Bank of America, Lenders, and Guarantors (April 5, 2002)

Summary

This amendment updates the existing Credit Agreement between Crescent Jewelers (the borrower), Bank of America (as administrative agent), the participating lenders, and the guarantors. The main change is to extend the agreement's termination date to April 12, 2002, or a later date if all lenders agree in writing. The amendment confirms that all parties consent to the changes, reaffirm their obligations, and release any claims against the lenders or agent up to the amendment date. All other terms of the original agreement remain in effect unless specifically changed by this amendment.

EX-10.3 5 y60716ex10-3.txt AMENDMENT #4 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT EXHIBIT 10.3 FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT This Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement ("Amendment") is executed and entered into by and among CRESCENT JEWELERS, a California corporation (the "Borrower"), Bank of America, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent (the "Administrative Agent"), the Lenders (as defined by the Credit Agreement, defined below) party hereto (the "Lenders") and the Guarantors (as defined by the Credit Agreement, defined below) (the "Guarantors"), effective as of April 5, 2002 (the "Amendment Effective Date"), as follows: Recitals a. The Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Guarantors are party to the certain Credit Agreement dated as of September 15, 1999, as amended by Amendment No.1 dated March 7, 2001, the Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated December 21, 2001 and the Third Amendment to Credit Agreement dated March 31, 2002 (the "Credit Agreement"). Terms defined by the Credit Agreement, where used in this Amendment, shall have the same meanings as are prescribed by the Credit Agreement. b. The Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Guarantors have agreed to enter into this agreement on the terms specified hereinbelow. NOW THEREFORE, FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Guarantors each hereby agrees as follows: ARTICLE 1 Amendment Section 1.1 Amendment to Certain Definitions. Effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the definition of the term "Termination Date" in Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement hereby is amended and restated to read as follows: "Termination Date" means April 12, 2002 or such later date as to which the Administrative Agent and all of the Lenders may in their sole discretion by written consent agree. ARTICLE II Miscellaneous Section 2.1 Conditions Precedent. The effectiveness of this Amendment is subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions precedent: Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 1 (a) the Administrative Agent shall have received this Amendment, duly executed by the Borrower, the Guarantors, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders; and (b) All corporate proceedings taken in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Amendment and all other agreements, documents and instruments executed and/or delivered pursuant hereto, and all legal matters incident thereto, shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Section 2.2 Representations and Warranties. The Borrower and the Guarantors each hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that, as of the Amendment Effective Date (a) the execution, delivery and performance of this Amendment and any and all agreements or documents executed and/or delivered in connection herewith have been authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Borrower and the Guarantors and will not violate the Borrower's or any such Guarantor's certificate of incorporation or bylaws and (b) the Credit Agreement (as amended by this Amendment), and all other Credit Documents are and remain legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligations in accordance with the terms thereof except as enforceability may be limited by applicable debtor relief laws and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or law). Section 2.3 No Claims or Offsets; Release. Neither the Borrower nor any of the Guarantors has any counterclaims, offsets, credits or defenses to the Credit Documents and the performance of its obligations thereunder, or if such Person has any such claims, counterclaims, offsets, credits or defenses to the Credit Documents or any transaction related to the Credit Documents, the same are hereby waived, relinquished and released in consideration of this Amendment. In consideration of the agreements of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders under this Amendment, the Borrower and the Guarantors each hereby releases and discharges the Administrative Agent and the Lenders from any and all claims or causes of action, if any, known or unknown, based upon any facts or circumstances in connection with the Credit Agreement may have occurred at any time on or prior to the Amendment Effective Date. Section 2.4 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made in this Amendment or any other Credit Document shall survive the execution and delivery of this Amendment and the other Credit Documents, and no investigation by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or any closing, shall affect the representations and warranties or the right of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to rely upon them. Section 2.5 Reference to Agreement. Each of the Credit Documents is hereby amended so that any reference in such Credit Documents to the Credit Agreement, whether direct or indirect, shall mean a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment. Section 2.6 Crescent Jewelers, Inc. Crescent Jewelers, Inc. joins in the execution of this Amendment for the purpose of acknowledging and consenting to the terms of this Amendment and reaffirming its guaranty obligations under the Credit Agreement, as amended and modified hereby. Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 2 Section 2.7 Friedman's Guarantors. The Friedman's Guarantors join in the execution of this Amendment for the purpose of acknowledging and consenting to the terms of this Amendment and reaffirming their guaranty obligations under the Friedman's Guaranty Agreement. Section 2.8 Reservations of Rights. Nothing in this Amendment shall constitute a waiver of any Default or Event of Default under the Credit Agreement. Section 2.9 General. Except as expressly provided by this Amendment, all of the terms and provisions of the Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents remain in full force and effect. This Amendment, when signed by the Borrower, each Guarantor and all of the Lenders as provided required by Section 11.6 of the Credit Agreement (i) contains the entire agreement among the parties and may not be amended or modified except in writing signed by all parties, (ii) may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be valid as an original and all of which shall be one and the same agreement, and (iii) shall constitute a Credit Document. It shall not be necessary in making proof of this Amendment to produce or account for more than one such counterpart. A telecopy or other electronic transmission of any executed counterpart shall be deemed valid as an original. THIS WRITTEN AGREEMENT REPRESENTS THE FINAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES. THERE ARE NO ORAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE PARTIES. [SIGNATURE PAGES TO FOLLOW.] Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 3 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their duly authorized officers in several counterparts effective as of the Amendment Effective Date specified in the preamble hereof. BORROWER: CRESCENT JEWELERS, a California corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer GUARANTORS: CRESCENT JEWELERS, INC., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer FRIEDMAN'S INC., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer FRIEDMAN'S MANAGEMENT CORP., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia President Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 4 FRIEDMAN'S HOLDING CORP., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer FI STORES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, a Georgia limited partnership By: Friedman's Inc., its sole general partner By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia -------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer FRIEDMAN'S FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP, a Florida general partnership By: Friedman's Management Corp., its managing partner By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia -------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia President FCJV HOLDING CORP. a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia ----------------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia President FCJV, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership By: FCJV Holding Corp., its general partner By: /s/ Victor M. Suglia -------------------------------- Victor M. Suglia President Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 5 ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., in its capacity as Administrative Agent By: /s/ David Knoblauch ----------------------------------------- Name: David Knoblauch --------------------------------------- Title: SVP -------------------------------------- LENDERS: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., individually in its capacity as a Lender By: /s/ David Knoblauch ----------------------------------------- Name: David Knoblauch --------------------------------------- Title: SVP -------------------------------------- GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, individually in its capacity as a Lender and in its capacity as Documentation Agent By: /s/ Mark Smith ----------------------------------------- Name: Mark Smith --------------------------------------- Title: Duly Authorized Signatory -------------------------------------- FLEET RETAIL FINANCE INC. By: /s/ Christine M Scott ----------------------------------------- Name: Christine M Scott --------------------------------------- Title: Vice President -------------------------------------- FLEET CAPITAL CORPORATION By: /s/ Rodney G. McSwain ----------------------------------------- Name: Rodney G. McSwain --------------------------------------- Title: Sr. Vice President -------------------------------------- SUNROCK CAPITAL CORP. By: /s/ Y. Renee Hannah ----------------------------------------- Name: Y. Renee Hannah --------------------------------------- Title: Account Executive -------------------------------------- Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 6 LASALLE BANK, N.A. By: /s/ Bruce Denby ----------------------------------------- Name: Bruce Denby --------------------------------------- Title: Group Senior Vice President -------------------------------------- THE PROVIDENT BANK By: /s/ Brent S. Vandermyde ----------------------------------------- Name: Brent S. Vandermyde --------------------------------------- Title: Assistant Vice President -------------------------------------- CONGRESS FINANCIAL CORPORATION By: /s/ David Stair ----------------------------------------- Name: David Stair --------------------------------------- Title: First Vice President -------------------------------------- Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, Page 7