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8-K - FORM 8-K - SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL INCc55533e8vk.htm
EX-10.2 - EX-10.2 - SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL INCc55533exv10w2.htm
EX-10.1 - EX-10.1 - SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL INCc55533exv10w1.htm
EX-99.1 - EX-99.1 - SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL INCc55533exv99w1.htm
Exhibit 10.3
PROMISSORY NOTE
$2,500,000.00   Chicago, Illinois
January 8, 2010
     FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL, INC. (“Borrower”) promises to pay to the order of WELLS FARGO HSBC TRADE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (“Bank”) at its office at 230 W. Monroe Street, 29th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606, or at such other place as the holder hereof may designate, in lawful money of the United States of America and in immediately available funds, the principal sum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00), with interest thereon as set forth herein. All references to Wells Fargo Bank in this Note shall mean Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.
1. INTEREST:
     (a) Interest. The outstanding principal balance of this Note shall bear interest at Six and Forty Two One Hundredths of One Percent (6.42%) per annum (computed on the basis of a 360-day year, actual days elapsed).
     (b) Payment of Interest. Interest accrued on this Note shall be payable on the first day of each month, commencing February 1, 2010.
     (c) Default Interest. From and after the maturity date of this Note, or such earlier date as all principal owing hereunder becomes due and payable by acceleration or otherwise, or at Bank’s option upon the occurrence, and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the outstanding principal balance of this Note shall bear interest at an increased rate per annum (computed on the basis of a 360-day year, actual days elapsed) equal to four percent (4%) above the rate of interest then in effect.
2. REPAYMENT AND PREPAYMENT:
     (a) Repayment. Principal shall be payable on the first day of each month in installments of Eight Thousand Three Hundred Thirty Three Dollars ($8,333.00) each, commencing February 1, 2010, and continuing up to and including January 1, 2015, with a final installment consisting of all remaining unpaid principal due and payable in full on January 8, 2015. The entire principal balance and accrued interest hereon shall be due and payable upon the occurrence of an Event of Default or the termination (including repayment in full) of the Credit Agreement (as hereinafter defined).
     (b) Application of Payments. Each payment made on this Note shall be credited first, to any interest then due and second, to the outstanding principal balance hereof.
     (c) Prepayment. Borrower may prepay principal on this Note in the minimum amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00); provided however, that if the outstanding principal balance of this Note is less than said amount, the minimum prepayment amount shall be the entire outstanding principal balance hereof. In consideration of Bank providing this prepayment option to Borrower, or if this Note shall become due and payable at any time prior to the maturity date hereof by acceleration or otherwise, Borrower shall pay to Bank immediately upon demand a fee which is the sum of the discounted monthly differences

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for each month from the month of prepayment through the month in which said maturity date occurs, calculated as follows for each such month:
  (i)   Determine the amount of interest which would have accrued each month on the amount prepaid at the interest rate applicable to such amount had it remained outstanding until the maturity date hereof.
 
  (ii)   Subtract from the amount determined in (i) above the amount of interest which would have accrued for the same month on the amount prepaid for the remaining term until the maturity date hereof at the Money Market Funds Rate in effect on the date of prepayment for new loans made for such term and in a principal amount equal to the amount prepaid.
 
  (iii)   If the result obtained in (ii) for any month is greater than zero, discount that difference by the Money Market Funds Rate used in (ii) above.
Borrower acknowledges that prepayment of such amount may result in Bank incurring additional costs, expenses and/or liabilities, and that it is difficult to ascertain the full extent of such costs, expenses and/or liabilities. Borrower, therefore, agrees to pay the above-described prepayment fee and agrees that said amount represents a reasonable estimate of the prepayment costs, expenses and/or liabilities of Bank. If Borrower fails to pay any prepayment fee when due, the amount of such prepayment fee shall thereafter bear interest until paid at a rate per annum four percent (4.00%) above Bank’s Prime Rate in effect from time to time (computed on the basis of a 360-day year, actual days elapsed).
The “Money Market Funds Rate” means the rate per annum which Wells Fargo Bank estimates and quotes to its borrowers as the rate, adjusted for reserve requirements, federal deposit insurance and any other amount which Wells Fargo Bank deems appropriate, at which funds in the amount of a loan and for a period of time comparable to the term of such loan are available for purchase in the money market on the date such loan is made, with the understanding that the Money Market Funds Rate is Wells Fargo Bank’s estimate only and that Wells Fargo Bank is under no obligation to actually purchase and/or match funds for any transaction. This rate is not fixed by or related in any way to any rate that Wells Fargo Bank quotes or pays for deposits accepted through its branch system. All prepayments of principal shall be applied on the most remote principal installment or installments then unpaid.
The Borrower shall be required to prepay amounts outstanding under the credit facilities described herein, without premium or penalty (other than any funding losses resulting from prepayment of the Line of Credit Note and the Term Loan bearing interest at LIBOR other than on the last day of the relevant interest period or other break funding costs) as follows: i) 100% of the net cash proceeds for the sale or disposition of assets outside the ordinary course or business; provided that so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, proceeds of insurance may be applied by the Borrower for the purchase of replacement property and the Borrower may retain the proceeds of the disposition of obsolete or worn out property consistent with reasonable and customary practices, (ii) 100% of the net cash proceeds of any issuance or sale by the Borrower of any indebtedness other than indebtedness permitted by Section 5.3 of the Credit Agreement and (iii) 100% of the net cash proceeds of any issuance or sale by the Borrower of equity securities in each case applied first to the Term Loan in the inverse order of maturity and then to the Line of Credit.

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3. EVENTS OF DEFAULT:
     This Note is made pursuant to and is subject to the terms and conditions of that certain Credit Agreement between Borrower and Bank dated as of January 8, 2010, as amended from time to time (the “Credit Agreement”). Any default in the payment or performance of any obligation under this Note, or any defined event of default under the Credit Agreement, shall constitute an “Event of Default” under this Note.
4. MISCELLANEOUS:
     (a) Remedies. Upon the sale, transfer, hypothecation, assignment or other encumbrance, whether voluntary, involuntary or by operation of law, of all or any interest in any real property securing this Note, or upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the holder of this Note, at the holder’s option, may declare all sums of principal and interest outstanding hereunder to be immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, notice of nonperformance, notice of protest, protest or notice of dishonor, all of which are expressly waived by Borrower. Borrower shall pay to the holder immediately upon demand the full amount of all payments, advances, charges, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees (to include outside counsel fees and all allocated costs of the holder’s in-house counsel), expended or incurred by the holder in connection with the enforcement of the holder’s rights and/or the collection of any amounts which become due to the holder under this Note, and the prosecution or defense of any action in any way related to this Note, including without limitation, any action for declaratory relief, whether incurred at the trial or appellate level, in an arbitration proceeding or otherwise, and including any of the foregoing incurred in connection with any bankruptcy proceeding (including without limitation, any adversary proceeding, contested matter or motion brought by Bank or any other person) relating to Borrower or any other person or entity.
     (b) Obligations Joint and Several. Should more than one person or entity sign this Note as a Borrower, the obligations of each such Borrower shall be joint and several.
     (c) Governing Law. This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, but giving effect to federal laws applicable to national banks.
     (d) Amendment. This Note may be amended or modified only in writing signed by each party hereto. If any provision of this Note shall be held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or any remaining provisions of this Note.
5. ARBITRATION:
     (a) Arbitration. The parties hereto agree, upon demand by any party, to submit to binding arbitration all claims, disputes and controversies between or among them (and their respective employees, officers, directors, attorneys, and other agents), whether in tort, contract or otherwise, in any way arising out of or relating to (i) any credit subject hereto, or this Note or any other contract, instrument or document relating to this Note, and their negotiation, execution, collateralization, administration, repayment, modification, extension, substitution, formation, inducement, enforcement, default or termination; or (ii) requests for additional credit.

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     (b) Governing Rules. Any arbitration proceeding will (i) proceed in a location in Chicago, Illinois selected by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”); (ii) be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (Title 9 of the United States Code), notwithstanding any conflicting choice of law provision in any of the documents between the parties; and (iii) be conducted by the AAA, or such other administrator as the parties shall mutually agree upon, in accordance with the AAA’s commercial dispute resolution procedures, unless the claim or counterclaim is at least $1,000,000.00 exclusive of claimed interest, arbitration fees and costs in which case the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the AAA’s optional procedures for large, complex commercial disputes (the commercial dispute resolution procedures or the optional procedures for large, complex commercial disputes to be referred to herein, as applicable, as the “Rules”). If there is any inconsistency between the terms hereof and the Rules, the terms and procedures set forth herein shall control. Any party who fails or refuses to submit to arbitration following a demand by any other party shall bear all costs and expenses incurred by such other party in compelling arbitration of any dispute. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a waiver by any party that is a bank of the protections afforded to it under 12 U.S.C. §91 or any similar applicable state law.
     (c) No Waiver of Provisional Remedies, Self-Help and Foreclosure. The arbitration requirement does not limit the right of any party to (i) foreclose against real or personal property collateral; (ii) exercise self-help remedies relating to collateral or proceeds of collateral such as setoff or repossession; or (iii) obtain provisional or ancillary remedies such as replevin, injunctive relief, attachment or the appointment of a receiver, before during or after the pendency of any arbitration proceeding. This exclusion does not constitute a waiver of the right or obligation of any party to submit any dispute to arbitration or reference hereunder, including those arising from the exercise of the actions detailed in sections (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph.
     (d) Arbitrator Qualifications and Powers. Any arbitration proceeding in which the amount in controversy is $5,000,000.00 or less will be decided by a single arbitrator selected according to the Rules, and who shall not render an award of greater than $5,000,000.00. Any dispute in which the amount in controversy exceeds $5,000,000.00 shall be decided by majority vote of a panel of three arbitrators; provided however, that all three arbitrators must actively participate in all hearings and deliberations. The arbitrator will be a neutral attorney licensed in the State of Illinois or a neutral retired judge of the state or federal judiciary of Illinois, in either case with a minimum of ten years experience in the substantive law applicable to the subject matter of the dispute to be arbitrated. The arbitrator will determine whether or not an issue is arbitratable and will give effect to the statutes of limitation in determining any claim. In any arbitration proceeding the arbitrator will decide (by documents only or with a hearing at the arbitrator’s discretion) any pre-hearing motions which are similar to motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim or motions for summary adjudication. The arbitrator shall resolve all disputes in accordance with the substantive law of Illinois and may grant any remedy or relief that a court of such state could order or grant within the scope hereof and such ancillary relief as is necessary to make effective any award. The arbitrator shall also have the power to award recovery of all costs and fees, to impose sanctions and to take such other action as the arbitrator deems necessary to the same extent a judge could pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Illinois Rules of Civil Procedure or other applicable law. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The institution and maintenance of an action for judicial relief or pursuit of a provisional or ancillary remedy shall not constitute a waiver of the right of any party, including the plaintiff, to submit the controversy or claim to arbitration if any other party contests such action for judicial relief.

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     (e) Discovery. In any arbitration proceeding, discovery will be permitted in accordance with the Rules. All discovery shall be expressly limited to matters directly relevant to the dispute being arbitrated and must be completed no later than 20 days before the hearing date. Any requests for an extension of the discovery periods, or any discovery disputes, will be subject to final determination by the arbitrator upon a showing that the request for discovery is essential for the party’s presentation and that no alternative means for obtaining information is available.
     (f) Class Proceedings and Consolidations. No party hereto shall be entitled to join or consolidate disputes by or against others in any arbitration, except parties who have executed this Note or any contract, instrument or document relating to this Note, or to include in any arbitration any dispute as a representative or member of a class, or to act in any arbitration in the interest of the general public or in a private attorney general capacity.
     (g) Payment Of Arbitration Costs And Fees. The arbitrator shall award all costs and expenses of the arbitration proceeding.
     (h) Miscellaneous. To the maximum extent practicable, the AAA, the arbitrators and the parties shall take all action required to conclude any arbitration proceeding within 180 days of the filing of the dispute with the AAA. No arbitrator or other party to an arbitration proceeding may disclose the existence, content or results thereof, except for disclosures of information by a party required in the ordinary course of its business or by applicable law or regulation. If more than one agreement for arbitration by or between the parties potentially applies to a dispute, the arbitration provision most directly related to the documents between the parties or the subject matter of the dispute shall control. This Note may be amended or modified only in writing signed by each party hereto. If any provision of this Note shall be held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or any remaining provisions of this Note. This arbitration provision shall survive termination, amendment or expiration of any of the documents or any relationship between the parties.
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Note as of the date first written above.
         
SIGMATRON INTERNATIONAL, INC.
 
 
By:   /s/ Linda K. Frauendorfer    
     
 
By:   CFO    
     
     
 

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