EXHIBIT 99.3
___________, 199__
FORM OF EXCHANGE AGENT AGREEMENT
The Bank of New York
Corporate Trust Trustee Administration
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx - 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
AMTROL Inc. (the "Company") proposes to make an offer (the "Exchange
Offer") to exchange its new
10 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2006 (the "Old Securities") for its
outstanding 10 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2006 (the "New Securities").
The terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer as currently contemplated are set
forth in a prospectus, dated ___________, 199__ (the "Prospectus"), proposed to
be distributed to all record holders of the Old Securities. The Old Securities
and the New Securities are collectively referred to herein as the "Securities".
The Company hereby appoints The Bank of New York to act as exchange
agent (the "Exchange Agent") in connection with the Exchange Offer. References
hereinafter to "you" shall refer to The Bank of New York.
The Exchange Offer is expected to be commenced by the Company on or
about _____________, 199_. The Letter of Transmittal accompanying the
Prospectus (or in the case of book entry securities, the ATOP system) is to be
used by the holders of the Old Securities to accept the Exchange Offer and
contains instructions with respect to the delivery of certificates for Old
Securities tendered in connection therewith.
The Exchange Offer shall expire at 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on
_____________, 199__ or on such later date or time to which the Company may
extend the Exchange Offer (the "Expiration Date"). Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus, the Company expressly reserves the right
to extend the Exchange Offer from time to time and may extend the Exchange Offer
by giving oral (confirmed in writing) or written notice to you before 9:00 A.M.,
New York City time, on the business day following the previously scheduled
Expiration Date.
The Company expressly reserves the right to amend or terminate the
Exchange Offer, and not to accept for exchange
any Old Securities not theretofore accepted for exchange, upon the occurrence of
any of the conditions of the Exchange Offer specified in the Prospectus under
the caption "The Exchange Offer". The Company will give oral (confirmed in
writing) or written notice of any amendment, termination or nonacceptance to
you as promptly as practicable.
In carrying out your duties as Exchange Agent, you are to act in
accordance with the following instructions:
1. You will perform such duties and only such duties as are
specifically set forth in the section of the Prospectus captioned "The Exchange
Offer" or as specifically set forth herein; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no way
will your general duty to act in good faith be discharged by the foregoing.
2. You will establish an account with respect to the Old Securities
at The Depository Trust Company (the "Book-Entry Transfer Facility") for
purposes of the Exchange Offer within two business days after the date of the
Prospectus, and any financial institution that is a participant in the
Book-Entry Transfer Facility's systems may make book-entry delivery of the Old
Securities by causing the Book-Entry Transfer Facility to transfer such Old
Securities into your account in accordance with the Book-Entry Transfer
Facility's procedure for such transfer.
3. You are to examine each of the Letters of Transmittal and
certificates for Old Securities (or confirmation of book-entry transfer into
your account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility) and any other documents
delivered or mailed to you by or for holders of the Old Securities to ascertain
whether: (i) the Letters of Transmittal and any such other documents are duly
executed and properly completed in accordance with instructions set forth
therein and (ii) the Old Securities have otherwise been properly tendered. In
each case where the Letter of Transmittal or any other document has been
improperly completed or executed or any of the certificates for Old Securities
are not in proper form for transfer or some other irregularity in connection
with the acceptance of the Exchange Offer exists, you will endeavor to inform
the presenters of the need for fulfillment of all requirements and to take any
other action as may be necessary or advisable to cause such irregularity to be
corrected.
4. With the approval of the President, Senior Vice President,
Executive Vice President, or any Vice President of the Company (such approval,
if given orally, to be confirmed in writing) or any other party designated by
such an officer in writing, you are authorized to waive any irregularities in
connection with any tender of Old Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer.
5. Tenders of Old Securities may be made only as
set forth in the Letter of Transmittal and in the section of the Prospectus
captioned "The Exchange Offer", and Old Securities shall be considered properly
tendered to you only when tendered in accordance with the procedures set forth
therein.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph 5, Old Securities
which the President, Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President, or any
Vice President of the Company shall approve as having been properly tendered
shall be considered to be properly tendered (such approval, if given orally,
shall be confirmed in writing).
6. You shall advise the Company with respect to any Old Securities
received subsequent to the Expiration Date and accept its instructions with
respect to disposition of such Old Securities.
7. You shall accept tenders:
(a) in cases where the Old Securities are registered in two or more
names only if signed by all named holders;
(b) in cases where the signing person (as indicated on the Letter of
Transmittal) is acting in a fiduciary or a representative capacity only when
proper evidence of his or her authority so to act is submitted; and
(c) from persons other than the registered holder of Old Securities
provided that customary transfer requirements, including any applicable transfer
taxes, are fulfilled.
You shall accept partial tenders of Old Securities where so indicated
and as permitted in the Letter of Transmittal and deliver certificates for Old
Securities to the transfer agent for split-up and return any untendered Old
Securities to the holder (or such other person as may be designated in the
Letter of Transmittal) as promptly as practicable after expiration or
termination of the Exchange Offer.
8. Upon satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to the
Exchange Offer, the Company will notify you (such notice if given orally, to be
confirmed in writing) of its acceptance, promptly after the Expiration Date, of
all Old Securities properly tendered and you, on behalf of the Company, will
exchange such Old Securities for New Securities and cause such Old Securities to
be cancelled. Delivery of New Securities will be made on behalf of the Company
by you at the rate of $1,000 principal amount of New Securities for each $1,000
principal amount of the corresponding series of Old Securities tendered promptly
after notice (such notice if given orally, to be confirmed in writing) of
acceptance of said Old Securities by the Company; provided, however, that in all
cases, Old Securities tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer will be exchanged
only after timely receipt by you of certificates for such Old Securities (or
confirmation of book-entry transfer into your account at the Book-Entry
Transfer Facility), a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal
(or facsimile thereof) with any required signature guarantees and any other
required documents. You shall issue New Securities only in denominations of
$1,000 or any integral multiple thereof.
9. Tenders pursuant to the Exchange Offer are irrevocable, except
that, subject to the terms and upon the conditions set forth in the Prospectus
and the Letter of Transmittal, Old Securities tendered pursuant to the Exchange
Offer may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date.
10. The Company shall not be required to exchange any Old Securities
tendered if any of the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer are not met.
Notice of any decision by the Company not to exchange any Old Securities
tendered shall be given (and confirmed in writing) by the Company to you.
11. If, pursuant to the Exchange Offer, the Company does not accept
for exchange all or part of the Old Securities tendered because of an invalid
tender, the occurrence of certain other events set forth in the Prospectus under
the caption "The Exchange Offer -- Termination" or otherwise, you shall as soon
as practicable after the expiration or termination of the Exchange Offer return
those certificates for unaccepted Old Securities (or effect appropriate
book-entry transfer), together with any related required documents and the
Letters of Transmittal relating thereto that are in your possession, to the
persons who deposited them.
12. All certificates for reissued Old Securities, unaccepted Old
Securities or for New Securities shall be forwarded by (a) first-class certified
mail, return receipt requested under a blanket surety bond protecting you and
the Company from loss or liability arising out of the non-receipt or
non-delivery of such certificates or (b) by registered mail insured separately
for the replacement value of each of such certificates.
13. You are not authorized to pay or offer to pay any concessions,
commissions or solicitation fees to any broker, dealer, bank or other persons or
to engage or utilize any person to solicit tenders.
14. As Exchange Agent hereunder you:
(a) shall have no duties or obligations other than those
specifically set forth herein or as may be subsequently agreed to in writing by
you and the Company;
(b) will be regarded as making no representations and having no
responsibilities as to the validity, sufficiency, value or genuineness of any of
the certificates or the Old Securities represented thereby deposited with you
pursuant to the Exchange Offer, and will not be required to and will make no
representation as to the validity, value or genuineness of the Exchange Offer;
(c) shall not be obligated to take any legal action hereunder
which might in your reasonable judgment involve any expense or liability, unless
you shall have been furnished with reasonable indemnity;
(d) may reasonably rely on and shall be protected in acting in
reliance upon any certificate, instrument, opinion, notice, letter, telegram or
other document or security delivered to you and reasonably believed by you to be
genuine and to have been signed by the proper party or parties;
(e) may reasonably act upon any tender, statement, request,
comment, agreement or other instrument whatsoever not only as to its due
execution and validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the
truth and accuracy of any information contained therein, which you shall in good
faith believe to be genuine or to have been signed or represented by a proper
person or persons;
(f) may rely on and shall be protected in acting upon written or
oral instructions from any officer of the Company;
(g) may consult with your counsel with respect to any questions
relating to your duties and responsibilities and the advice or opinion of such
counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of
any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by you hereunder in good faith
and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel; and
(h) shall not advise any person tendering Old Securities
pursuant to the Exchange Offer as to the wisdom of making such tender or as to
the market value or decline or appreciation in market value of any Old
Securities.
15. You shall take such action as may from time to time be requested
by the Company or its counsel (and such other action as you may reasonably deem
appropriate) to furnish copies of the Prospectus, Letter of Transmittal and the
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (as defined in the Prospectus) or such other forms
as may be approved from time to time by the Company, to all persons requesting
such documents and to accept and comply with telephone requests for information
relating to the Exchange Offer, provided that such information shall
relate only to the procedures for accepting (or withdrawing from) the Exchange
Offer. The Company will furnish you with copies of such documents at your
request. All other requests for information relating to the Exchange Offer
shall be directed to the Company, Attention: Chief Financial Officer.
16. You shall advise by facsimile transmission or telephone, and
promptly thereafter confirm in writing to Chief Financial Officer of the Company
and such other person or persons as it may request, daily (and more frequently
during the week immediately preceding the Expiration Date and if otherwise
requested) up to and including the Expiration Date, as to the number of Old
Securities which have been tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer and the items
received by you pursuant to this Agreement, separately reporting and giving
cumulative totals as to items properly received and items improperly received.
In addition, you will also inform, and cooperate in making available to, the
Company or any such other person or persons upon oral request made from time to
time prior to the Expiration Date of such other information as it or he or she
reasonably requests. Such cooperation shall include, without limitation, the
granting by you to the Company and such person as the Company may request of
access to those persons on your staff who are responsible for receiving tenders,
in order to ensure that immediately prior to the Expiration Date the Company
shall have received information in sufficient detail to enable it to decide
whether to extend the Exchange Offer. You shall prepare a final list of all
persons whose tenders were accepted, the aggregate principal amount of Old
Securities tendered, the aggregate principal amount of Old Securities accepted
and deliver said list to the Company.
17. Letters of Transmittal and Notices of Guaranteed Delivery shall
be stamped by you as to the date and the time of receipt thereof and shall be
preserved by you for a period of time at least equal to the period of time you
preserve other records pertaining to the transfer of securities. You shall
dispose of unused Letters of Transmittal and other surplus materials by
returning them to the Company.
18. You hereby expressly waive any lien, encumbrance or right of
set-off whatsoever that you may have with respect to funds deposited with you
for the payment of transfer taxes by reasons of amounts, if any, borrowed by the
Company, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates pursuant to any loan or credit
agreement with you or for compensation owed to you hereunder.
19. For services rendered as Exchange Agent hereunder, you shall be
entitled to such compensation as set forth on Schedule I attached hereto.
20. You hereby acknowledge receipt of the Prospectus and the Letter
of Transmittal and further acknowledge that you
have examined each of them. Any inconsistency between this Agreement, on the
one hand, and the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal (as they may be
amended from time to time), on the other hand, shall be resolved in favor of the
latter two documents, except with respect to the duties, liabilities and
indemnification of you as Exchange Agent, which shall be controlled by this
Agreement.
21. The Company covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold you
harmless in your capacity as Exchange Agent hereunder against any loss,
liability, cost or expense, including attorneys' fees and expenses, arising out
of or in connection with any act, omission, delay or refusal made by you in
reliance upon any signature, endorsement, assignment, certificate, order,
request, notice, instruction or other instrument or document reasonably believed
by you to be valid, genuine and sufficient and in accepting any tender or
effecting any transfer of Old Securities reasonably believed by you in good
faith to be authorized, and in delaying or refusing in good faith to accept any
tenders or effect any transfer of Old Securities; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be liable for indemnification or otherwise for any loss,
liability, cost or expense to the extent arising out of your gross negligence or
willful misconduct. In no case shall the Company be liable under this indemnity
with respect to any claim against you unless the Company shall be notified by
you, by letter or cable or by facsimile confirmed by letter, of the written
assertion of a claim against you or of any other action commenced against you,
promptly after you shall have received any such written assertion or notice of
commencement of action. The Company shall be entitled to participate at its own
expense in the defense of any such claim or other action, and, if the Company so
elects, the Company shall assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any
such claim. In the event that the Company shall assume the defense of any such
suit, the Company shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel thereafter retained by you so long as the Company shall
retain counsel satisfactory to you to defend such suit.
22. You shall arrange to comply with all requirements under the tax
laws of the United States, including those relating to missing Tax
Identification Numbers, and shall file any appropriate reports with the Internal
Revenue Service. The Company understands that you are required to deduct 31% on
payments to holders who have not supplied their correct Taxpayer Identification
Number or required certification. Such funds will be turned over to the
Internal Revenue Service in accordance with applicable regulations.
23. You shall deliver or cause to be delivered, in a timely manner to
each governmental authority to which any transfer taxes are payable in respect
of the exchange of Old Securities, your check in the amount of all transfer
taxes so
payable, and the Company shall reimburse you for the amount of any and all
transfer taxes payable in respect of the exchange of Old Securities; provided,
however, that you shall reimburse the Company for amounts refunded to you in
respect of your payment of any such transfer taxes, at such time as such refund
is received by you.
24. This Agreement and your appointment as Exchange Agent hereunder
shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely within such
state, and without regard to conflicts of law principles, and shall inure to the
benefit of, and the obligations created hereby shall be binding upon, the
successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto.
25. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall
constitute one and the same agreement.
26. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal
or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
27. This Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be modified,
amended, rescinded, cancelled or waived, in whole or in part, except by a
written instrument signed by a duly authorized representative of the party to be
charged. This Agreement may not be modified orally.
28. Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices, requests and other
communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile
or similar writing) and shall be given to such party, addressed to it, at its
address or telecopy number set forth below:
If to the Company:
AMTROL Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
If to the Exchange Agent:
The Bank of New York
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx 00 Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Corporate Trust Trustee
Administration
29. Unless terminated earlier by the parties hereto, this Agreement
shall terminate 90 days following the Expiration Date. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Paragraphs 19, 21 and 23 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement. Upon any termination of this Agreement, you shall promptly deliver
to the Company any certificates for Securities, funds or property then held by
you as Exchange Agent under this Agreement.
30. This Agreement shall be binding and effective as of the date
hereof.
Please acknowledge receipt of this Agreement and confirm the
arrangements herein provided by signing and returning the enclosed copy.
AMTROL Inc.
By:______________________
Name:
Title:
Accepted as the date
first above written:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Exchange Agent
By:_____________________
Name:
Title:
