株探米国株
英語
エドガーで原本を確認する
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission file number 001-41545
MasterBrand, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
88-3479920
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
3300 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 300
Beachwood, Ohio
44122
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
877-622-4782
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share MBC New York Stock Exchange
(Title of each class) (Trading Symbol) (Name of each exchange on which registered)
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).Yes  x   No  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer
x
Accelerated filer
o
Non-accelerated filer
o
Smaller reporting company
o
Emerging growth company
o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).     Yes o   No  x

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant at June 25, 2023, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $1,387,631,718.

The registrant had outstanding 127,002,728 shares of common stock as of February 23, 2024.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
Certain information from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on June 5, 2024 will be herein incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.


Table of Contents

Page


PART I
Item 1.    Business

MasterBrand, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” “MasterBrand” or the “Company”) was founded nearly 70 years ago in 1954 under the name United Cabinet Incorporated. We are the largest manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America, based on 2022 reported net sales. Our products are sold throughout the United States and Canada to the remodeling and new construction markets through three primary channels: dealers, retailers and builders.

On December 14, 2022, our former parent company, Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (formerly known as Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc.) (“Fortune Brands”) completed a tax free spin-off transaction to separate its Cabinets segment into a standalone publicly-traded company (the “Separation”). The Separation was completed through a series of transactions ending with a pro rata distribution of all of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock owned by Fortune Brands to Fortune Brands stockholders (the “Distribution”). After the Distribution, we became an independent, publicly-traded company.

Strategy
Our superior product quality, innovative design and service excellence drives a compelling value proposition. We have insight into the fashion and features consumers desire, which we use to tailor our product lines across price points. Our volume leadership allows us to achieve an advantaged cost structure and service platform by standardizing product platforms and components to the greatest extent possible—resulting in a more flexible facility footprint and an efficient supply chain. Further, our decades of experience have informed how we use global geographies to optimize procurement and manufacturing costs. Finally, with the most extensive dealer network throughout the United States and Canada, we have an advantaged distribution model that we believe cannot be easily replicated. We plan to further extend our competitive advantages by using technology and data to enhance the consumer’s experience from visualization and ordering to delivery and installation.

We believe we are only beginning to unlock the potential value of our unique combination of scale, operational agility, data-first operating model and strong continuous improvement culture. We intend to continue to distinguish this advantaged platform by capitalizing on the powerful demographic trends that we expect will drive repair and remodel (“R&R”) and new construction growth for years to come. We believe the combination of our leading market position and size, strategic vision, strong partnerships and commitment to continuous improvement will drive our future growth.

We seek to achieve exceptional financial performance and growth through the disciplined execution of The MasterBrand Way and our continued strategic transformation.

The MasterBrand Way
Our ever-evolving business system and center of our culture is The MasterBrand Way. Based on foundational lean tools, The MasterBrand Way enables our associates across all locations and levels of work to operate under common frameworks and a consistent lexicon to effectively develop cross-functional solutions to complex business issues. The MasterBrand Way organizes these proven lean tools around three guiding principles: The Four Basics, Continuous Improvement and Associate Engagement. Our disciplined deployment of these tools in recent years has driven our strategic transformation and improvements in commercial and operational efficiency. To derive further efficiencies, we added three incremental initiatives to The MasterBrand Way: Align to Grow, Lead Through Lean and Tech Enabled.

Align to Grow – Deliver on the unique needs of each customer
As an organization that historically grew through acquisitions, processes across the disparate acquired companies were inherently different. We believe we have further opportunities to both commercially and operationally align our business to reduce complexity in our product offering to customers. We are focused on reducing complexity that consumers do not notice or value, without reducing the variety of choices available. Our ability to reduce complexity in our product offering, and move to common platforms, enables us to simplify our manufacturing processes as well. Common platforms across plants and standard work allow us to drive supply chain efficiencies. In addition to leveraging scale across our network, we believe these initiatives will reduce our lead times, allow for more rapid reaction to changing customer needs and preferences and increase our ability to respond to any future macroeconomic or other disruptions. We believe these factors will allow us to deliver on the unique needs of each customer and in the most efficient way possible.

3

Lead Through Lean – Engage teams and foster problem-solving
The MasterBrand Way and the associated lean tools not only drive efficiencies, but engage our associates in the process. The importance of human capital, specifically the ability to attract, retain and develop associates, has become more apparent in a post-pandemic world. Through weekly kaizen events across our manufacturing facilities and offices, we provide the individuals closest to our business problems with the training and tools required to fix these issues. Through empowering associates to remedy issues locally, the MasterBrand Way fosters problem-solving and enhances our culture of continuous improvement. Beyond improved engagement and retention, we are able to witness leadership among our associates and develop internal talent. As opportunities present themselves across the organization, we are positioned to staff these roles internally. Given the competition for skilled labor in North America, we believe our Lead Through Lean initiative will help us achieve exceptional financial performance.

Tech Enabled - Drive profitable growth and transform the way we work through digital, data, and analytics
We are focused on ways to transform our business and how we service our customers and, ultimately, the end consumer by leveraging technology. We see opportunities to leverage data and analytics across our back office, plant floor and through customer interactions. The consumer journey in residential kitchen and bath cabinets is evolving as new technologies become available to both consumers and manufacturers. Beyond a transactional process, the consumer journey is increasingly relationship-based, starting from the initial contact or touchpoint, continuing through the buying cycle and finishing at the end of installation. Customers prefer partners that can support them through this evolving landscape, and consumers are demanding a transformation of the buying process. We are utilizing data-first strategies like net promoter scores and web analytics to unlock insights into customer and consumer trends and drive improvements in the consumer experience. We believe we can further differentiate ourselves as the leader in this space by continuing to invest in digital tools and sophisticated data analytics capabilities that will improve the overall experience, speed to market and access to information, allowing us to serve consumers’ evolving needs and capture additional sales growth.

In addition, we believe there is ongoing potential in the e-commerce channel for cabinets and vanities. We believe there is opportunity for us to expand in this channel, through commonly known large e-commerce platforms, our existing retailers’ websites, digital native specialized e-tailors or direct-to-consumer opportunities. As a result of our scale, our streamlined product offerings and our existing relationships, we believe we are uniquely positioned to win in the e-commerce space, and we plan to be the market leader in this high-potential channel.

Execute strategic acquisitions that broaden our platform and capitalize on our proven strengths.
Our Company was built in part through strategic, well-executed acquisitions, and we have proven to be a highly effective consolidation platform. We believe we will have opportunities to drive future value creation through thoughtful and strategic acquisitions. We regularly monitor the landscape for attractive opportunities that could allow us to leverage our operations and strong customer relationships, expand our portfolio of products and expand into new categories and geographies. We expect to drive long-term stockholder value by utilizing a disciplined process to identify, evaluate, and execute strategic acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses.

Channels
Our products are sold primarily throughout the United States and Canada to the remodeling and new construction markets through three primary channels: Dealers, Retailers and Builders.

1.Dealers: We built the industry’s largest and, we believe, strongest network, with well-established relationships with over 4,400 cabinet dealers across the United States and Canada, many of whom have been partners for decades. Our dealers cover a wide spectrum of the market. Some specialize in remodeling, while others provide regional service to a variety of new construction home builders. Our extensive dealer network allows us to have exceptional market reach and the ability to target key growth markets.

2.Retailers: We serve a variety of retailers, including the top continental retailers in North America, and have developed strong and lasting partnerships with them as a result of our deliberate category management and commitment to best-in-class execution. Retail sales occur in-store and through various emerging and established e-commerce channels, including our retail channel partners’ online presence.

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3.Builders: We strategically partner with the industry’s regional and large scale builders for single-family construction throughout North America, serving them directly or through a large distribution network, allowing us to customize our service to each builder’s expectations. Our relationships with our key builders and our channel partners that service them have existed for decades, and we continue to work together to penetrate new and growing single-family construction markets.

In addition, we are actively growing our presence in the emerging cabinets e-commerce channel, including through our retail channel partners’ online presence, and are actively partnering with leading players to develop continuing opportunities to penetrate and innovate in this exciting category.

Customers
Our business competes based on quality, price, service and responsiveness to dealer, retailer and builder needs, as well as end-user consumer preferences. Our markets are very competitive. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (“Lowe’s”) comprised approximately 21 percent and 20 percent of our net sales for our 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively. The Home Depot, Inc. (“The Home Depot”) comprised approximately 16 percent and 17 percent of our net sales for our 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively. Net sales to international markets represented approximately 5 percent and 6 percent for our 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively.

Products
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of leading residential cabinetry products for the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the home. Our products are available in a wide variety of designs, finishes and styles and span the most attractive categories of the cabinets market: stock, semi-custom and premium cabinetry. Our unique product portfolio allows homeowners to create the living spaces of their dreams, tailored to their price point and personalized for their individual style. While our product offerings may overlap in different categories, they generally follow the following characteristics: (1) stock products provide consumers with a strong value proposition at entry level pricing, and these products benefit from low design complexity, standardized components and shorter lead times, while also offering exceptional quality and reliability; (2) semi-custom products offer more styles and features than stock cabinets, allowing consumers to create a more personalized space at a lower price point compared to premium products; and finally, (3) premium products enable consumers to achieve their dream home by designing highly customized cabinets to meet their exact specifications—if they can dream it, we can make it.

Raw Materials
We utilize raw materials in the operation of our business, principally hardwoods (maple, birch and oak), plywood and particleboard. These materials are available from a number of sources. Volatility in the prices of commodities and transportation costs in making and distributing our products impacts the cost of manufacturing our products.

Intellectual Property
In addition to the brand protection offered by our trademarks, patent protection helps distinguish our unique product features in the market by preventing others from making, using, importing, and selling our innovations in markets in which we have patent protection. We hold U.S. and foreign patents covering various features used in products we sell. Although we rely on certain patents and patent groups that provide important protections to us, no single patent or patent group is material to our business as a whole.

Seasonality
There is year-round demand for our products. However, we traditionally experience lower sales in the first quarter of the year when new home construction and R&R activity are at their lowest. As a result of the seasonal demand pattern and associated timing of working capital fluctuations, our cash flow from operating activities is typically higher in the second half of the year.

Environmental Matters
We endeavor to be a leader in environmental compliance and sustainability. Since 2018, we have partnered with the National Forest Foundation (“NFF”) tree planting campaign. NFF works with U.S. Forest Service to promote the health and public enjoyment of our 193-million-acre National Forest System. We support NFF’s campaign to plant 50 million trees across national forests by the end of 2025, of which, the NFF has planted 32.9 million trees as of December 31, 2023.

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We reserve for remediation activities to clean up potential environmental liabilities as required by federal and state laws based on our best estimate of undiscounted future costs, excluding possible insurance recoveries or recoveries from other third parties. There were no material environmental accruals for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022. We believe that the cost of complying with the present environmental protection laws, before considering estimated recoveries either from other potentially responsible parties under Superfund or similar state laws or from insurance, will not have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

Governmental Regulations
We are subject to a wide variety of local, state, and federal laws and regulations in the countries where we conduct business. These laws and regulations often require the dedication of time and effort of associates, as well as financial resources. During 2023, compliance with the applicable regulations did not have a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position.

Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had more than 12,000 full-time and part-time associates (excluding contract workers). Approximately 82 percent of our workforce is composed of hourly production and distribution associates and the remaining population is comprised of associates in administrative roles. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 37 percent of our associates worked under collective bargaining agreements. Below is a summary of the number of associates by role as of December 31, 2023:

Production and Distribution Office Total
10,055 2,252 12,307

We are a values-based organization and believe our strong culture is a true differentiator. We are guided by our purpose of building great experiences together. We do this through The MasterBrand Way, a cultural foundation where every individual plays a role to make the team better, be bold to drive our business forward and champion improvement in all that we do. We build opportunity, purpose, and reward into our associate experience and create a culture where our associates can thrive and bring the full power of MasterBrand to all that we do. We invest in our teams and develop our associates to become the next generation of leaders who seek out a continuous improvement mindset in all aspects of our business to unlock our full potential. We also endeavor to create a best place to work environment that keeps our associates safe, values their unique experiences and perspectives and fosters a culture of ethical behavior, transparency, honesty, business integrity, collaboration and belonging. We do this through the programs summarized below, and the objectives and related risks of each are overseen by our Board of Directors or its committees.

Health and Safety
Safety is a critical element to our growth strategy, integral to our culture and one of our core values. This is reflected in our goal of zero safety incidents and through our efforts to create an injury-free workplace. Our Employee Safety & Environmental Policies set standards for how we maintain a safe work environment and guide our business operations. We also have an Environmental, Health & Safety Leadership team comprised of representatives from across our operations that share best practices and are responsible for driving environmental, health and safety strategy. This team helps drive our best-in-class programs designed to reinforce positive behaviors, to empower our associates to actively take part in maintaining a safe work environment, to heighten awareness and to mitigate risk on critical safety components. Within each of our manufacturing and distribution facilities, we have site-specific safety and environmental plans designed to reduce risk. Through a continued commitment to improve our safety performance, we have historically been successful in reducing the number of injuries sustained by our associates.

Two of our primary safety measures are the Total Recordable Incidence Rate (“TRIR”) and Lost Time Rate (“LTR”). For our 2023 fiscal year, our TRIR was 0.84, compared to 1.04 for our 2022 fiscal year, and our LTR was 0.18 for our 2023 fiscal year, compared to 0.26 for our 2022 fiscal year. Our safety focus is also demonstrated by comparing our TRIR and LTR to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”) industry averages. For our 2023 fiscal year, our TRIR and LTR were below the 2022 BLS industry averages of 3.3 and 1.3, respectively.

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Attracting and Retaining Superior Talent
To attract and retain superior talent at all levels of our Company, we have designed our offerings to be competitive and are seen as a leader in the communities where our associates live and work. Our total rewards are designed to be market competitive, align incentives with our performance and provide physical, emotional, and financial well-being support to meet the individualized needs of our associates. We have a strong pay-for-performance culture that is supported by incentive programs that take into consideration business results and associate performance. We also offer a range of benefits including retirement savings plans, comprehensive healthcare and mental-health benefits, including medical, dental and vision coverage, health savings and spending accounts, wellness and associate assistance services. In 2023, we strengthened inclusivity in our benefit offerings by providing enhanced parental support from fertility through post-partum for our U.S. associates.

Creating an Inclusive, Team-Based Culture
We value fostering an inclusive, team-based culture and celebrate our diverse team of associates and experiences. We believe attracting and engaging talented and diverse associates enables us to be more innovative, responsive to consumer needs and deliver strong performance and growth.

We are committed to increasing the representation of professionals of color and women through building and developing robust talent pools, ensuring an inclusive, team-based culture through proactive programs, business practices and education, and by demonstrating support for equality in our communities through outreach and investment. As of December 31, 2023, our worldwide workforce was composed of approximately 35 percent women, while our workforce in the U.S. and Canada was composed of approximately 34 percent people of color.

Our engagement pulse survey fosters our associate listening strategy, providing routine feedback and meaningful action to drive improvement in our culture and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Talent Development and Succession
Our talent philosophy guides our talent management approach from hiring to talent development and succession planning. We believe that it is about the team, and individual success cannot be achieved without exceptional team performance. We provide associates the tools to be successful in their current role and invest in front-line leader training across the organization to ensure we are developing those with the greatest impact on our associate experience. We expect high performance and raise the bar on ourselves every year. We invest heavily in goal setting to create clarity and alignment and use performance management programs to support this high-performance culture. We understand that our most critical roles serve as points of leverage to deliver value, and we place our best people in those roles, while attracting new talent and capabilities in support of continuous improvement in all we do. Our culture of making the team better, being bold and championing improvement is embedded in our performance management programs to drive alignment across teams. Finally, we know that we grow through transparency and have courageous conversations about expectations and development to ensure that we are helping each other be better every day.

Succession planning for critical roles is an important part of our talent program. Succession and development plans are created and monitored to ensure progress is made along established timelines. We make a significant investment in assessing our talent against our human capital needs both in the near term and the future and ensuring our leaders are prepared for greater levels of responsibility and can successfully transition into new roles.

Legal Structure
MasterBrand, Inc. is a holding company that was initially organized as a Delaware corporation in July 2022. Our principal operating subsidiaries include MasterBrand Cabinets, LLC (“MBC LLC”), Norcraft Companies, L.P., Kitchen Craft of Canada and Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de R.L. de C.V. As a holding company, we are a legal entity separate and distinct from our subsidiaries. Accordingly, our right, and thus the rights of our creditors (including holders of debt and other obligations) and stockholders to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of any subsidiary is subject to the claims of creditors of the subsidiary, except to the extent that our claims as a creditor of such subsidiary may be recognized, in which event our claims may in certain circumstances be subordinate to certain claims of others. In addition, as a holding company, the source of our unconsolidated revenues and funds is dividends and other payments from subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries have financial obligations that must be satisfied before funding us. These obligations include debt service and obligations to trade creditors, among others.
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Available Information
The Company makes available free of charge, on or through its website, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as soon as reasonably practicable after it electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") (https://www.sec.gov). The Company’s website is http://www.masterbrand.com. The Company has adopted charters for each of its Audit, Compensation and Nominating, Environmental, Social and Governance Committees, corporate governance guidelines and a code of conduct, which are available on the Company’s website and will be available to any stockholder who requests them from the Company’s Investor Relations department. The information contained on or accessible through the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered a part of this report.
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Item 1A.    Risk Factors

There are inherent risks and uncertainties associated with our business that could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Set forth below are descriptions of those risks and uncertainties that we currently believe to be material, but the risks and uncertainties described below are not the only risks and uncertainties that could affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, (“results of operations”). If any of these risks materialize, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected, and the trading price of our common stock could materially decline.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Our business primarily relies on U.S. and Canadian home improvement, R&R and new home construction activity levels, all of which are impacted by risks associated with fluctuations in the housing market. Unfavorable changes in the general economy, the housing market, interest rates, inflation or other business conditions could adversely affect our results of operations.
Our business primarily relies on home improvement, R&R, and new home construction activity levels, principally in the U.S. and Canada. The housing market is sensitive to changes in economic conditions and other factors, such as the level of employment, access to and the cost of labor, consumer confidence, demographic changes, consumer income, government tax programs, home prices, availability of financing, inflation and interest rate levels. Adverse changes in any of these conditions generally, or in any of the markets where we operate, could decrease demand and could adversely impact our businesses by: causing consumers to delay or decrease homeownership; making consumers more price conscious, resulting in a shift in demand to smaller, less expensive homes; making consumers more reluctant to make investments in their existing homes or causing them to delay investments, including large kitchen and bath R&R projects; or making it more difficult to secure loans for renovations. Economic conditions, including as a result of inflation and increased interest rates, may adversely impact our business by causing softer end-market demand for our products, decreased customer orders, delays in decisions to purchase our products and price-consciousness and “trade-downs” to lower priced products by consumers.

The cabinet industry is highly competitive with relatively low barriers to entry and market share losses could occur. Competition has further intensified as a result of current economic conditions. We compete with numerous large national and regional companies for, among other things, customers, raw materials, skilled management and labor resources.
The cabinet industry in which we operate is highly competitive. Additionally, there are few barriers to entry in the U.S. and Canadian cabinet markets and new competitors may enter these markets at any time. Since our competitors offer products that are similar to ours, we face significant price competition from our competitors, which tends to intensify during economic downturns, such as during the recent inflationary environment. This price competition impacts our ability to implement price increases or, in some cases, such as during an economic downturn, maintain prices, which could lower our profit margins. Although we believe that competition in our business is based largely on product quality, consumer and trade brand reputation, customer service and product features, as well as fashion trends, innovation and ease of installation, price is a significant factor for consumers as well as our trade customers. Additionally, some of our competitors may resort to price competition to sustain or grow market share and manufacturing capacity utilization. Due to the highly competitive nature of the cabinets industry and the low barriers to entry in our markets, we are continually subject to the risk of losing market share, which may adversely affect our profitability and revenue levels, as well as our results of operations.

We also use e-commerce to sell our products. E-commerce brings an increased number of competitors and greater pricing transparency for consumers, which could affect our results of operations. In addition, our relationships with our customers, including our retailers, may be affected if we increase the amount of business we transact in the e-commerce channel.

Furthermore, we compete with numerous large national and regional companies for, among other things, customers, raw materials, skilled management and labor resources. We may face challenges in: (1) maintaining, developing or expanding our customer relationships; (2) sourcing raw materials on a timely basis or for a cost-effective price due to ongoing global supply chain issues and elevated inflation; and (3) attracting and retaining qualified personnel at all levels, including our senior management team and other key associates.
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We face competition with respect to some of our products from competitors who operate in countries with lower labor and compliance costs. These competitors may also benefit from certain local government subsidies or other incentives that are not available to us.
We face competition with respect to some of our products from competitors who operate in countries that have lower labor and compliance costs. Accordingly, these competitors may be able to produce their products at lower costs compared to the costs we incur to produce similar products. These competitors may also benefit from certain local government subsidies or other incentives that are not available to us. Such competitors may be able to offer lower prices for their products as compared to the prices we offer, which could harm our competitive position and result in the loss of our market share.

We could lose market share if we do not successfully develop new products or processes or improve existing products or processes.
Our success depends on meeting consumer needs and anticipating changes in consumer preferences with successful new products and product improvements. We aim to introduce products and new or improved production processes proactively to offset obsolescence and decreases in sales of existing products. We may not be successful in product development and our new products may not be commercially successful. In addition, it is possible that competitors may improve their products or processes more rapidly or effectively, which could adversely affect our sales. If the products we introduce do not gain widespread acceptance or if our competitors improve their products more rapidly or effectively than we do, we could lose market share or be required to reduce our prices, which could adversely impact our results of operations.

Furthermore, market demand may decline as a result of consumer preferences trending away from our categories or trending down within our brands or product categories.

Our businesses rely on the performance of dealers, retailers and other marketing arrangements and could be adversely affected by poor performance or other disruptions impacting our distribution channels and customers.
We rely on a distribution network comprised of consolidating customers. Any disruption to the existing distribution channels could adversely affect our results of operations. The consolidation of dealers or retailers or the financial instability or default of a dealer or one of its major customers could potentially cause such a disruption. In addition to our own sales force, we offer our products through a variety of third-party dealers and retailers. Many of our customers may also market other products that compete with our products. In addition, one or more retailers may stop carrying certain of our products, reduce the volume of purchases of our products and/or replace certain of our products with the products of our competitors. The loss or termination of, or significant reduction in sales to, one or more of our major dealers or retailers, the failure of one or more of our dealers or retailers to effectively promote our products, or changes in the financial or business condition of these dealers or retailers could adversely affect our ability to bring products to market.

The loss of any of our significant customers or a reduction in the quantity of products they purchase could affect our financial health.
Our ten largest customers generated approximately 55 percent, 52 percent and 50 percent of our net sales for our 2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years, respectively. Lowe’s and The Home Depot comprised approximately 37 percent, 37 percent and 36 percent of our net sales for our 2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years. We cannot guarantee that we will maintain or improve our relationships with these customers or that we will supply these customers at historical levels. Moreover, in the event of any economic downturn, some of our customers may exit or severely curtail activity in certain of our markets.

The loss of one or more of our significant customers or deterioration in our relations with any of them could significantly affect our results of operations. Furthermore, our customers are not required to purchase any minimum amount of products from us. The contracts into which we have entered with most of our customers typically provide that we supply particular products for a certain period of time when and if ordered by the customer. Should our customers purchase our products in significantly lower quantities than they have in the past, such decreased purchases could adversely impact our results of operations.

Certain of our customers may expand through consolidation and internal growth, which may increase their buying power. The increased size of our customers could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Certain of our significant customers are large companies with strong buying power, and our customers may expand through consolidation or internal growth. Consolidation could decrease the number of potential significant customers for our products and increase our reliance on key customers. Further, the increased size of our customers could result in our customers seeking more favorable terms, including pricing, for the products that they purchase from us. Accordingly, the increased size of our customers may further limit our ability to maintain or raise prices in the future.
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Failure to maintain the performance, reliability and quality of our products, or to timely deliver our products, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
If our products have performance, reliability or quality problems, our reputation and brand equity, which we believe is a substantial competitive advantage, could be adversely affected. We may also experience increased and unanticipated warranty and service expenses. Furthermore, we manufacture a significant portion of our products based on the specific requirements of our customers, and delays in providing our customers the products and services they specify on a timely basis could result in reduced or canceled orders and delays in the collection of accounts receivable. Additionally, claims from our customers, with or without merit, could result in costly and time-consuming litigation that could require significant time and attention of management and involve significant monetary damages.

Risks Related to Our Operations

Risks associated with our ability to improve organizational productivity and global supply chain efficiency and flexibility could adversely affect our results of operations.
If we are unable to obtain sufficient components or raw materials on a timely basis or for a cost-effective price or if we experience other manufacturing, supply or distribution difficulties, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. We acquire our components and raw materials from many suppliers and vendors across the globe. We endeavor to ensure the continuity of our components and materials and make efforts to diversify certain of our sources of components and materials, but we cannot guarantee these efforts will be successful. A reduction or interruption in supply or an issue in the supply chain, including due to any potential cybersecurity attacks on our sourcing vendors as well as a result of our inability to quickly develop acceptable alternative sources for such supply, could adversely affect our ability to manufacture, distribute and sell our products in a timely or cost-effective manner.

We regularly evaluate our organizational productivity and global supply chains and assess opportunities to increase capacity, reduce costs and enhance quality. We may be unable to enhance quality, speed and flexibility to meet changing and uncertain market conditions, as well as manage continued cost inflation, including wages, pension and medical costs. Our success depends in part on refining our cost structure and supply chains to promote consistently flexible and low-cost supply chains that can respond to market changes to protect profitability and cash flow or ramp up quickly and effectively to meet demand. Global supply chain disruptions could continue to impact our ability to timely source necessary components and inputs. Import tariffs or other adverse trade actions could potentially lead to increases in prices of raw materials or components which are critical to our business. Failure to achieve the desired level of quality, capacity or cost reductions could impair our results of operations.

Risks associated with global commodity and energy availability and price volatility, as well as the possibility of sustained inflation, could adversely affect our results of operations.
Because our component products have few distinguishing properties from producer to producer, competition for these products is based primarily on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand. Prices for our products are also affected by many other factors outside of our control. As a result, we have less influence or control over timing and price changes, which often are volatile in our industry. Moreover, our profit margins with respect to these products depend, in part, on managing our costs, particularly raw materials, labor (including contract labor) and transportation costs, which represent significant cost components that also fluctuate based upon market and other factors beyond our control.

We buy raw materials that contain commodities such as hardwoods (maple, birch and oak), plywood and particleboard. In addition, our distribution costs are significantly impacted by the price of oil and diesel fuel. Decreased availability and increased or volatile prices for these commodities, as well as energy used in making, distributing and transporting our products, could increase the costs of our products. While in the past we have been able to mitigate the impact of these cost increases through productivity improvements and passing on increasing costs to our customers over time, there is no assurance that we will be able to offset such cost increases in the future, and the risk of potentially sustained high levels of inflation could adversely impact our results of operations. During 2021 and 2022, we experienced price increases in nearly all raw materials due to inflation and continued global supply chain issues. In 2023, we experienced cost deflation in certain raw materials and transportation costs.

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Failure to attract and retain qualified personnel and other labor constraints, including increases in labor costs, potential labor disputes and work stoppages, could adversely affect our results of operations.
Our success depends in part on the efforts and abilities of qualified personnel at all levels, including our senior management team and other key associates. Their motivation, skills, experience, contacts and industry knowledge significantly benefit our operations and administration.

Low unemployment rates in the U.S., rising wages, competition for qualified talent and attracting and retaining personnel in remote locations could result in the failure to attract, motivate and retain personnel. This has resulted in higher associate costs, increased attrition and significant shifts in the labor market and associate expectations and we may continue to face challenges in finding and retaining qualified personnel, particularly at the production level, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

As of December 31, 2023, approximately 37 percent of our associates worked under collective bargaining agreements. These collective bargaining agreements are subject to periodic negotiation and renewal. If we are unable to enter into new, satisfactory labor agreements with our unionized associates upon expiration of their agreements, we could experience a significant disruption of our operations, which could cause us to be unable to deliver products to customers on a timely basis. Such disruptions could result in a loss of business and an increase in our operating expenses, which could reduce our net sales and profit margins. In addition, our non-unionized labor force may become subject to labor union organizing efforts, which could cause us to incur additional labor costs and increase the related risks that we now face.

COVID-19 impacted our business in the past and future global pandemics would likely cause disruptions to our business and results of operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic had, and future global pandemics would likely have, an adverse impact on many aspects of our business and operations, including impacting our ability to efficiently operate our facilities, manufacture and distribute our products, the ability of our suppliers to supply and manufacture key inputs, availability and cost of transportation and logistics, the operation of domestic and international supply chains, raw materials and commodity costs and competition, customer behaviors, our associates, the dealers and retailers who sell our products, and the market generally. Our business could be negatively impacted over the longer term if the disruptions related to global pandemics decrease consumer confidence and housing investments, or precipitate a prolonged economic downturn and/or an extended rise in unemployment or tempering of wage growth, any of which could lower demand for our products. Global pandemics may also exacerbate certain of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

We may experience delays or outages in our information technology systems and computer networks. We may be subject to breaches of our information technology systems, which could damage our reputation and consumer relationships. Such breaches could subject us to significant financial, legal and operational consequences.
We, or third-party systems that we rely upon, may be subject to information technology system failures and network disruptions caused by delays or disruptions due to system updates, natural disasters, malicious attacks and threats, accidents, power disruptions, telecommunications failures, acts of terrorism or war, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, or similar events or disruptions. We rely on information technology systems and infrastructure, including support provided by third parties. In particular, we rely on such systems for manufacturing, customer orders, shipping, regulatory compliance and various other matters, as well as information technology systems and infrastructure to aid us in the collection, use, storage and transfer and other processing of data including confidential, business, financial, and personal information such as customer buying preferences and marketing profiles.

Our businesses may implement digital systems or technologies, enterprise resource planning systems or add applications to replace outdated systems and to operate more efficiently. We may not be able to successfully implement these projects without experiencing difficulties. Any expected benefits of implementing projects might not be realized or the costs of implementation might outweigh the benefits realized.

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We may be subject to security threats, including cyber and other attacks, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated, frequent and adaptive. In addition, many of our associates are working remotely, which, among other things, increases the importance of and exposes us to greater risks related to cybersecurity and our information technology systems. Third-party systems that we rely upon could also become vulnerable to the same risks and may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could result in system disruption or compromise the information security of our own systems. From time to time, we have had to address non-material security incidents. There can be no assurance that we will not experience security incidents in the future. Security measures and resources we devote to network security, data encryption, and other security measures to protect our systems and data cannot provide absolute security. Breaches and breakdowns affecting our information technology systems or protected data could lead to negative publicity, legal claims, extortion, ransom, theft, modification or destruction of proprietary information or key information, damage to or inaccessibility of critical systems, manufacture of defective products, production downtimes, operational disruptions, data breach claims, privacy violations and other significant costs.

Data privacy considerations could impact our business.
In our business, we, ourselves and through our third parties, collect and process personal, confidential, and sensitive data about our business, which includes sensitive information about our customers, associates, suppliers, distributors and others, including users of our online product engagement applications. Some of this data is stored, accessible or transferred. The interpretation and application of information security and privacy laws, rules and regulations applicable to our business (collectively, the “Data Protection Laws”) are uncertain and evolving. It is possible that the Data Protection Laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices. Complying with these various laws is difficult and could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business.

Further, there can be no assurance that our internal controls and procedures designed to manage compliance with the Data Protection Laws and protect our data will prevent a breach or that our procedures will enable us to be fully compliant with all Data Protection Laws. Cybersecurity attacks or breaches due to security vulnerabilities, associate error, supplier or third-party error, malfeasance or other disruptions may still occur and create data privacy risks, which may lead to negative publicity, legal claims, extortion, ransom, theft, remediation costs and other significant costs.

We manufacture, source and sell products internationally and are exposed to risks associated with doing business globally, including risks associated with uncertain trade environments.
We manufacture, source or sell our products in a number of locations throughout the world, predominantly in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Southeast Asia. Accordingly, we are subject to risks associated with potential disruption caused by changes in political, economic and social environments, including civil and political unrest, illnesses declared as a public health emergency (including global pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic), terrorism, expropriation, local labor conditions, changes in laws, regulations and policies of foreign governments and trade disputes with the U.S., and U.S. laws affecting activities of U.S. companies abroad. We could be adversely affected by international trade regulations, including duties, tariffs and anti-dumping penalties. Risks inherent to international operations include: potentially adverse tax laws, unfavorable changes or uncertainty relating to trade agreements or importation duties, uncertainty regarding clearance and enforcement of intellectual property rights, risks associated with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-bribery laws, mandatory or voluntary shutdowns of our facilities or our suppliers due to changes in political dynamics, economic policies or health emergencies and difficulty enforcing contracts. While we hedge certain foreign currency transactions, a change in the value of the currencies will impact our financial statements when translated into U.S. dollars. In addition, fluctuations in currency can adversely impact the cost position of our products in local currency, making it more difficult for us to compete. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage our businesses through the impact of these potential changes. In addition, we source certain raw materials, components and finished goods from Southeast Asia where we have experienced higher manufacturing costs and longer lead times due to higher tariffs, currency fluctuations, higher wage rates, labor shortages and higher raw material costs.

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Disruption of operations could adversely affect our profitability and competitive position.
We manufacture a significant portion of the products we sell. Any prolonged disruption in our manufacturing operations, whether due to technical or labor difficulties, continued labor shortages, transportation-related shortages, supply chain constraints, global pandemics such as COVID-19, weather conditions (including due to the impacts of climate change, particularly for those facilities near any shorelines or in any other area traditionally impacted by extreme weather), lack of raw material or component availability, startup inefficiencies for new operations, destruction of or damage to any facility (as a result of natural disasters, fires and explosions, use and storage of hazardous materials or other events) or other reasons, could negatively impact our profitability and competitive position.

Inability to obtain raw materials and finished goods in a timely and cost-effective manner from suppliers could adversely affect our ability to manufacture and market our products.
We purchase raw materials to be used in manufacturing our products and also rely on third-party manufacturers to produce certain of the finished goods we sell. We often opt not to enter into long-term contracts with our suppliers or sourcing partners. Instead, most raw materials and sourced goods are obtained on a “purchase order” basis. In addition, in some instances we maintain single-source or limited-source sourcing relationships, either because multiple sources are not available or the relationship is advantageous due to performance, quality, support, delivery, capacity or price considerations. Financial, operating or other difficulties encountered by our suppliers or sourcing partners or changes in our relationships with them could result in manufacturing or sourcing interruptions, delays and inefficiencies, and prevent us from manufacturing or obtaining the finished goods necessary to meet customer demand.

We are dependent on third-party suppliers and service providers.
We are dependent on third parties for many of our products and components and for certain services. Our ability to offer a wide variety of products and provide high levels of service to our customers depend on our ability to obtain an adequate and timely supply of products and components. Failure of our suppliers to timely provide us quality products or services on commercially reasonable terms or to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations or could damage our reputation. The operations of the third parties we depend on could be impacted by changing laws, regulations and policies, including those related to climate change, labor availability, cybersecurity attacks and by adverse weather conditions, pandemics, and other force majeure events, any of which could result in disruptions to their operations and result in shortages of supply, assertion of force majeure contract provisions and increases in the prices they charge for the raw materials, components and products they produce. Sourcing these products and components from alternate suppliers, including suppliers from new geographic regions, or re-engineering our products as a result of supplier disruptions, is time-consuming and costly and could result in inefficiencies or delays in our business operations or could negatively impact the quality of our products. In addition, the loss of critical suppliers, or a substantial decrease in the availability of products or components from our suppliers, could disrupt our business and may adversely affect our results of operations.

Many of the suppliers we rely upon are located in foreign countries. The differences in business practices, shipping and delivery requirements, changes in economic conditions and trade policies and laws and regulations, together with the limited number of suppliers, have increased the complexity of our supply chain logistics and the potential for interruptions in our production scheduling. We may experience constraints on and disruptions to transporting our raw materials, components and products from our international suppliers and may have to pay higher transportation costs. If we are unable to effectively manage our supply chain or if we experience transportation constraints, disruptions and higher costs for timely delivery of our products or components, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Risks associated with strategic acquisitions and joint ventures could adversely affect our results of operations.
We will consider acquisitions and joint ventures as a means of enhancing stockholder value. Acquisitions and joint ventures involve risks and uncertainties, including: difficulties integrating acquired companies and operating joint ventures; difficulties retaining the acquired businesses’ customers; the inability to achieve the expected financial results and benefits of transactions; the loss of key associates from acquired companies; implementing and maintaining consistent standards, controls, policies and information systems; incurrence of acquisition and integration costs and diversion of management’s attention from other business and strategic matters. Future acquisitions could cause us to incur additional debt or issue additional shares, resulting in increased financial leverage, increased borrowing costs, dilution in earnings per share or decreased return on capital.

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Impairment charges could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Goodwill and other acquired intangible assets expected to contribute indefinitely to our cash flows are not amortized, but must be evaluated for impairment by management at least annually. If the carrying value exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, the goodwill is considered impaired and is reduced to fair value via a non-cash charge to earnings. If the carrying value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is greater than its fair value, the intangible asset is considered impaired and is reduced to fair value via a non-cash charge to earnings. In 2022, we recognized impairment charges of $46.4 million, consisting of $38.8 million related to an indefinite-lived tradename, and $7.6 million related to another indefinite-lived tradename. No intangible asset impairments were recorded during 2023. Future events may occur that would adversely affect the fair value of our goodwill or other acquired intangible assets and require impairment charges. Such events may include, but are not limited to, lower than forecasted revenues, actual new construction and R&R growth rates that fall below our assumptions, actions of key customers, increases in discount rates, continued economic uncertainty, higher levels of unemployment, weak consumer confidence, lower levels of discretionary consumer spending, a decrease in royalty rates and a decline in the trading price of our common stock. We continue to evaluate the impact of economic and other developments to assess whether impairment indicators are present. Accordingly, we may be required to perform impairment tests based on changes in the economic environment and other factors, and these tests could result in impairment charges in the future.

Our pension costs and funding requirements could increase as a result of volatility in the financial markets and changes in interest rates and actuarial assumptions, or the decision to transfer administration of the pension plan to a third-party.
Increases in the costs of pension benefits and accelerated expenses may continue and negatively affect our business as a result of: the effect of potential declines in the stock and bond markets on the performance of our pension plan assets; potential reductions in the discount rate used to determine the present value of our benefit obligations; the decision by the Company to transfer administration of the pension plan to a third-party; and changes to our investment strategy that may impact our expected return on pension plan asset assumptions. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that we calculate income or expense for the plans using actuarial valuations. These valuations reflect assumptions about financial markets and interest rates, which may change based on economic conditions. Our accounting policy for defined benefit plans may subject earnings to volatility due to the recognition of actuarial gains and losses, particularly due to the change in the fair value of pension assets and interest rates. Funding requirements for our U.S. pension plan may become more significant. However, the ultimate amounts to be contributed are dependent upon, among other things, interest rates, underlying asset returns and the impact of legislative or regulatory changes related to pension funding obligations.

We have debt obligations, and may in the future incur additional debt obligations, that could adversely affect our business and profitability and our ability to meet our other obligations.
Our total debt was approximately $712.5 million at December 31, 2023. This debt could potentially have important consequences to us and our debt and equity investors, including:

▪requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make interest and principal payments, which could reduce our profitability;
▪making it more difficult to satisfy debt service and other obligations;
▪if we have a credit rating, increasing the risk of a future credit ratings downgrade of our debt, which could increase future debt costs and limit the future availability of debt financing;
▪increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions, such as adverse interest rates;
▪reducing the cash flow available to fund capital expenditures and other corporate purposes and to grow our business;
▪limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry;
▪placing us at a competitive disadvantage relative to our competitors that may not be as highly leveraged with debt; and
▪limiting our ability to borrow additional funds as needed or take advantage of business opportunities as they arise, pay cash dividends or repurchase shares of our common stock.

To the extent that we incur additional indebtedness, the foregoing risks could increase. In addition, our actual cash requirements in the future may be greater than expected. Our cash flow from operations may not be sufficient to repay all of the outstanding debt as it becomes due, and we may not be able to borrow money, sell assets or otherwise raise funds on acceptable terms, or at all, to refinance our debt.

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Additionally, our access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms and conditions in the future will be impacted by many factors, including, but not limited to: (1) our financial performance; (2) our credit ratings or absence of a credit rating; (3) the liquidity of the overall capital markets; and (4) the state of the economy, including the housing market. There can be no assurance that we will have access to the capital markets on terms acceptable to us.

Risks Related to Litigation and Regulations

Changes in government and industry regulatory standards could adversely affect our results of operations.
Government regulations and policies pertaining to trade agreements, health and safety (including protection of associates as well as consumers), taxes and environment (including those specific to climate change and the reduction of air and energy emissions) may continue to emerge in the U.S., as well as internationally. There are many government and industry regulatory standards focused on wood, including the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Lacey Act. In particular, there may be additional tariffs or taxes related to our imported raw materials, components and finished goods. It is necessary for us to comply with current requirements (including requirements that do not become effective until a future date), and even more stringent requirements could be imposed on our products or processes in the future. Compliance with changes in taxes, tariffs and other regulations may require us to further alter our manufacturing and installation processes and our sourcing. Such actions may result in customers transitioning to available competitive products, loss of market share, negative publicity, reputational damage, loss of customer confidence or other negative consequences (including a decline in stock price) and could increase our capital expenditures and adversely impact our results of operations.

Potential liabilities and costs from claims and litigation could adversely affect our results of operations.
We are, from time to time, involved in various claims, litigation matters, audits and regulatory proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business and that could have an adverse effect on us. These matters may include contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, product recalls, personal injury claims, construction defects and home warranty claims, warranty disputes, environmental claims or proceedings, other tort claims, employment, trade and tax matters and other proceedings and litigation, including class actions. It is not possible to predict the outcome of pending or future claims, litigation, audits and regulatory proceedings and, as with any litigation, it is possible that some of the actions could be decided unfavorably and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

We are subject to product safety regulations, recalls and direct claims for product liability that can result in significant liability and, regardless of the ultimate outcome, can be costly to defend. As a result of the difficulty of controlling the quality of products or components sourced from other manufacturers, we are exposed to risks relating to the quality of such products and to limitations on our recourse against such suppliers.

Failure to comply with laws, government regulations and other requirements could adversely affect our results of operations.
We are subject to a wide variety of federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations pertaining to:

▪securities matters;
▪taxation (including import and export related taxes);
▪anti-bribery/anti-corruption;
▪employment and labor matters;
▪wage and hour matters;
▪environment, health and safety matters;
▪the protection of associates and consumers;
•unclaimed property (i.e., aged outstanding checks to vendors & associates, aged unused credits issued to customers, etc.)
▪product safety and performance;
▪competition practices;
▪trade, including duties and tariffs;
▪data privacy and the collection and storage of information; and
▪climate change and protection of the environment.

In addition to complying with current requirements and known future requirements, we may be subject to new or more stringent requirements in the future.

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As we sell new types of products or existing products in new geographic areas or channels, we are subject to the requirements applicable to those sales. Compliance with new or changed laws, regulations and other requirements, including as a part of government or industry response to climate change, may require us to alter our product designs, our manufacturing processes, our packaging or our sourcing. Existing and new compliance activities are or may be costly and require significant management attention and resources. If we do not effectively and timely comply with such regulations and other requirements, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

We may be subject to significant compliance costs, as well as liabilities under environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations.
Our past and present operations, assets and products are subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations at the federal, state, and local level worldwide. These laws regulate, among other things, traceability of our wood sources, air emissions, the discharge or release of materials into the environment, the handling and disposal of wastes, remediation of contaminated sites, worker health and safety, and the impact of products on human health and safety and the environment. Under certain of these laws, liability for contaminated property may be imposed on current or former owners or operators of the property or on parties that generated or arranged for waste sent to the property for disposal. Liability under these laws may be joint and several and may be imposed without regard to fault or the legality of the activity giving rise to the contamination. Notwithstanding our compliance efforts, we may still face material liability, limitations on our operations, fines, or penalties for violations of environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, including releases of regulated materials and contamination by us or previous occupants at our current or former properties or at offsite disposal locations we use.

The applicable environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, and any changes to them or in their enforcement, may require us to make material expenditures with respect to ongoing compliance with or remediation under these laws and regulations or require that we modify our products or processes in a manner that increases our costs and/or reduces our profitability. For example, additional pollution control equipment, process changes, or other environmental control measures may be needed at some of our facilities to meet future requirements. In addition, discovery of currently unknown or unanticipated soil or groundwater conditions at our properties could result in significant liabilities and costs. Accordingly, we are unable to predict the exact future costs of compliance with or liability under environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations.

Climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Concerns over the long-term effects of climate change have led to, and we expect will continue to lead to, governmental efforts around the world to mitigate those effects, including potential changes to wood sourcing practices. We will need to respond to any new laws and regulations as well as to consumer, investor and business preferences resulting from climate change concerns, which may increase our operational complexity and result in costs to us in order to comply with any new laws, regulations or preferences. Further, the effects of climate change may negatively impact international, regional and local economic activity, which may lower demand for our products or disrupt our manufacturing or distribution operations. Additionally, sustained changes to the climate may impact the growing patterns or locations of some of the species of wood we use, resulting in increased costs or shortages. Overall, climate change, its effects and the resulting, unknown impact on government regulation, consumer, investor and business preferences could have a long-term adverse effect on our business.

ESG matters may adversely impact our business and reputation and we may be required to make material expenditures to respond to customer needs and investor expectations regarding ESG matters.
In addition to the importance of their financial performance, companies are increasingly being judged by their performance on a variety of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) matters. In light of the increased focus on ESG matters, there can be no certainty that we will manage such issues successfully, or that we will successfully meet stakeholder expectations. Any failure or perceived failure by us in this regard could adversely impact our business and reputation, including reducing our profitability and stock price. The current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations with respect to ESG matters, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate. In addition, customers have, and are likely to continue to, require us and our products to comply with their internal ESG-related standards, such as wood-sourcing policies. Complying with such standards may impose significant additional costs on us, and we may no longer be able to do business with customers with whose standards we are unable to comply with.
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Changes in tax laws or regulations may have a negative impact on our results of operations.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. The determination of our income tax positions involves consideration of uncertainties, changing fiscal policies, tax laws, court rulings, regulations, and related legislation.

New income, sales, use, or other tax laws, treaties, statutes, rules, regulations, interpretations, or court rulings could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Additionally, existing tax laws, treaties, statutes, rules, regulations, or court rulings could be interpreted, changed, modified, or applied adversely to us.

In 2023, certain jurisdictions in which we operate enacted, or announced their intention to enact, legislation consistent with one or more Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules (Pillar Two). The model rules include minimum domestic top up taxes, income inclusion rules, and undertaxed profit rules all aimed to ensure that multinationals pay a minimum effective corporate tax rate of 15 percent in each jurisdiction in which they operate, with some rules becoming effective in 2024. The Pillar Two legislation does not impact our 2023 annual effective tax rate, nor do we expect it to materially impact our annual effective rate in 2024. However, further changes to our entity structure or changes in jurisdictions in which we operate could adversely impact our results of operations.

Tax audits may result in findings that have a negative impact on our results of operations.
We regularly undergo tax audits in various jurisdictions in which our products are sold or manufactured, including audits of indirect taxes, value-added tax, import and export related taxes, customs and duties in certain jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that tax authorities agree with our determinations on tax positions, and tax authorities have disagreed and may disagree with certain tax positions we have taken or may challenge our compliance with related rules and regulations. We may decide to challenge any assessments, if made, and may exercise our right to appeal, which could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation that may ultimately be unsuccessful. Any final determination by tax authorities, including related litigation, penalties and interest, with respect to any tax, import and export tax, customs and duty audits, could be materially different from our estimates or from our historical results in the periods for which that determination is made. Such determinations and additional costs relating to reviews of our practices as a result of such audits may adversely impact future period results of operations.

Our inability to secure and protect our intellectual property rights could negatively impact revenues and brand reputation.
We have many patents, trademarks, brand names, trade names and trade secrets that, in the aggregate, are important to our business. Unauthorized use of these intellectual property rights or other loss of our intellectual property may not only erode sales of our products, but may also cause us to incur substantial significant damage to our brand name and reputation, interfere with our ability to effectively represent our self to our customers, contractors and suppliers and increase litigation costs. There can be no assurance that our efforts to protect our intellectual property will be effective. In addition, existing patent, trade secret and trademark laws offer only limited protection, and the laws of some countries in which our products are or may be developed, manufactured or sold may not fully protect our intellectual property from infringement by others. There can be no assurance that our efforts to assess possible third party intellectual property rights will ensure our ability to manufacture, distribute, market or sell our products in any given country or territory. Furthermore, others may assert claims of intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or violation against us or our customers that may require us to incur significant expense to defend such claims or indemnify our customers.

Risks Related to the Separation and Distribution

We have a very short operating history as an independent, publicly-traded company, and our historical consolidated financial statements are not necessarily representative of the results we would have achieved as an independent, publicly-traded company and may not be reliable indicators of our future results.
Our historical consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K do not necessarily reflect the results of operations that we would have achieved as an independent, publicly-traded company during the periods presented or those that we will achieve in the future, including as a result of the following factors:

▪Historically, prior to Separation, our working capital requirements and capital for our general corporate purposes, including acquisitions and capital expenditures, were financed by Fortune Brands. Additionally, Fortune Brands historically managed and retained cash we generated prior to Separation. Following completion of the Separation as of December 14, 2022, Fortune Brands no longer provides us with funds to finance our working capital or other cash requirements.
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Without the opportunity to obtain financing from Fortune Brands, we have obtained and may need to obtain additional financing from banks, through public offerings or private placements of debt or equity securities, strategic relationships or other arrangements, and such arrangements may not be available to us or available on terms that are as favorable as those we could have obtained when we were part of Fortune Brands.

•Prior to the Separation, our business was operated by Fortune Brands as part of its broader corporate organization, rather than as an independent company. Fortune Brands historically performed various corporate functions for us, including, but not limited to, tax administration, treasury activities, accounting, legal, ethics and compliance program administration, investor and public relations, certain governance functions, including the board of directors and related committees, internal audit and external reporting. Our historical consolidated financial statements reflect allocations of corporate expenses from Fortune Brands for these and similar functions. These allocations may be more or less than the comparable expenses we would have incurred had we operated as an independent, publicly-traded company.

•Prior to the Separation, we took advantage of Fortune Brands’ overall size and scope to obtain more advantageous procurement terms. After the Separation, we may be unable to obtain similar arrangements to the same extent as Fortune Brands did, or on terms as favorable as those Fortune Brands obtained.

•Other significant changes may occur in our cost structure, management, financing and business operations as a result of our operation as a company separate from Fortune Brands.

Following the Separation, our financial profile has changed, and we are a smaller, less diversified company than Fortune Brands prior to the Separation.
The Separation resulted in our business becoming smaller and less diversified. As a result, we are more vulnerable to changing market conditions,. In addition, the diversification of our revenues, costs and cash flows are diminished as a standalone company, such that our results of operations, cash flows, working capital and financing requirements may be subject to increased volatility and our ability to fund capital expenditures and investments and service debt may be diminished. We may experience decreased capital allocation efficiency and flexibility because we can no longer use cash flow from Fortune Brands to fund our business.

The terms we received in our agreements with Fortune Brands could be less beneficial than the terms we may have otherwise received from unaffiliated third parties, and Fortune Brands may fail to perform under such agreements.
The agreements we entered into with Fortune Brands in connection with the Separation, including the Separation and Distribution Agreement, a tax allocation agreement (the “Tax Allocation Agreement”), Transition Services Agreement and an associate matters agreement (the “Employee Matters Agreement,”) that are still in effect, were prepared in the context of the Separation while we were still a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortune Brands. Accordingly, during the period in which the terms of those agreements were prepared, we did not have an independent Board of Directors or a management team that was independent of Fortune Brands. As a result, the terms of those agreements may not reflect terms that would have resulted from negotiations between unaffiliated third parties.

The Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Tax Allocation Agreement and the Employee Matters Agreement determined the allocation of assets and liabilities between the companies following the Separation for those respective areas and includes any necessary indemnifications related to liabilities and obligations. The Employee Matters Agreement also provides for the establishment or amendment of certain associate benefit arrangements and the conversion or adjustment of equity incentive awards. The Transition Services Agreement provides for the performance of certain services by each company for the benefit of the other generally for a term of up to 24 months after the Separation. We will rely on Fortune Brands to satisfy its performance and payment obligations under these agreements. If Fortune Brands is unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligations under these agreements, including its indemnification obligations, we could incur operational difficulties or losses.

Fortune Brands may fail to perform under various transaction agreements that were executed as part of the Separation, which could cause us to incur expenses or losses we would not otherwise incur.
In connection with the Separation and prior to the Distribution, we and Fortune Brands entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement and also entered into various other agreements, including a Tax Allocation Agreement, a Transition Services Agreement and an Employee Matters Agreement. The Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Tax Allocation Agreement and the Employee Matters Agreement determined the allocation of assets and liabilities between the companies following the Separation for those respective areas and includes any necessary indemnifications related to liabilities and obligations.
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The Employee Matters Agreement also provides for the establishment or amendment of certain employee benefit arrangements and the conversion or adjustment of equity incentive awards. The Transition Services Agreement provides for the performance of certain services by each company for the benefit of the other generally for a term of up to 24 months after the Separation. We will rely on Fortune Brands to satisfy its performance and payment obligations under these agreements. If Fortune Brands is unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligations under these agreements, including its indemnification obligations, we could incur operational difficulties or losses.

In connection with the Separation, each of Fortune Brands and MasterBrand are indemnifying each other for certain liabilities. If we are required to pay under these indemnities to Fortune Brands, our results of operations could be negatively impacted. The Fortune Brands indemnities may not be sufficient to hold MasterBrand harmless from the full amount of liabilities for which Fortune Brands will be allocated responsibility, and Fortune Brands may not be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations in the future.
Pursuant to the Separation and certain other agreements between Fortune Brands and us, each party agrees to indemnify the other for certain liabilities, in each case for uncapped amounts. Indemnities that we may be required to provide Fortune Brands are not subject to any cap, may be significant and could negatively impact our business. Third parties could also seek to hold us responsible for any of the liabilities that Fortune Brands has agreed to retain. Any amounts we are required to pay pursuant to these indemnification obligations and other liabilities could require us to divert cash that would otherwise have been used in furtherance of our operating business. Further, the indemnities from Fortune Brands for our benefit may not be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of such liabilities, and Fortune Brands may not be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations, and we could incur operational difficulties or losses.

Moreover, even if we ultimately succeed in recovering from Fortune Brands any amounts for which we are held liable, we may be temporarily required to bear these losses ourselves. Each of these risks could negatively affect our results of operations.

If the Distribution, together with certain related transactions, were to fail to qualify as tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then we, Fortune Brands and our stockholders could be subject to significant tax liability or tax indemnity obligations.
Prior to the Separation, Fortune Brands received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) together with a written opinion of counsel to the effect that, among other things, the Distribution will qualify as a transaction that is tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”).

The opinion of counsel does not address any U.S. state or local or foreign tax consequences of the Separation. The opinion of counsel and the private letter ruling rely on certain facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings from Fortune Brands and us regarding the past and future conduct of the companies’ respective businesses and other matters. If any of these facts, assumptions, representations, or undertakings are incorrect or not otherwise satisfied, Fortune Brands and its stockholders may not be able to rely on the private letter ruling or the opinion of counsel and could be subject to significant tax liabilities. The opinion of counsel is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position. Notwithstanding the private letter ruling or opinion of counsel, the IRS could determine on audit that the Distribution or any of certain related transactions is taxable if it determines that any of these facts, assumptions, representations or undertakings are not correct or have been violated or if it disagrees with the conclusions in the opinion that are not covered by the private letter ruling, or for other reasons, including as a result of certain significant changes in the stock ownership of Fortune Brands or us after the Distribution.

If the Distribution were determined not to qualify for non-recognition of gain or loss under Section 355 and related provisions of the Code, each stockholder that is subject to U.S. federal income tax who received our common stock in the Distribution would generally be treated as having received a distribution in an amount equal to the fair market value of our common stock received, which would generally result in: (1) a taxable dividend to such stockholder to the extent of that such stockholder’s pro rata share of Fortune Brand’s current or accumulated earnings and profits; (2) a reduction in such stockholder’s basis (but not below zero) in Fortune Brand common stock to the extent the amount received exceeds the stockholder’s share of Fortune Brand’s earnings and profits; and (3) taxable gain from the exchange of Fortune Brand common stock to the extent the amount received exceeded the sum of such stockholder’s share of Fortune Brand’s earnings and profits and such stockholder’s basis in its Fortune Brand common stock.
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We might not be able to engage in desirable strategic transactions and equity issuances following the Distribution because of certain restrictions relating to requirements for tax-free distributions.
Our ability to engage in significant equity transactions could be limited or restricted after the Distribution in order to preserve, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax-free nature of the Distribution by Fortune Brands. Even if the Distribution otherwise qualifies for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code, it may result in a corporate level taxable gain to Fortune Brands under Section 355(e) of the Code if 50 percent or more, by vote or value, of shares of our stock or Fortune Brands’ stock are acquired or issued as part of a plan or series of related transactions that includes the Separation. Any acquisitions or issuances of our stock or Fortune Brands’ stock within two years after the Distribution are generally presumed to be part of such a plan, although we or Fortune Brands may be able to rebut that presumption.

To preserve the tax-free treatment to Fortune Brands of the Distribution, under the Tax Allocation Agreement that we entered into with Fortune Brands, we are prohibited from taking or failing to take any action that prevents the Distribution and related transactions from being tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Further, for the two-year period following the Distribution, without a private letter ruling from the IRS or an unqualified opinion of a nationally recognized law or accounting firm that is acceptable to Fortune Brands acting reasonably and in good faith, we may be prohibited from:

▪approving or allowing any transaction that results in a change in ownership of more than a specified percentage of our common stock;
•a redemption of equity securities;
•a sale or other disposition of a specified percentage of our assets;
•an acquisition of a business or assets with equity securities to the extent one or more persons would acquire in excess of a specified percentage of our common stock; or
•engaging in certain internal transactions.

These restrictions may limit our ability to pursue strategic transactions or engage in new business or other transactions that may maximize the value of our business. Moreover, the Tax Allocation Agreement also provides that we are responsible for any taxes imposed on Fortune Brands or any of its affiliates as a result of the failure of the Distribution to qualify for favorable treatment under the Code if such failure is attributable to certain actions taken after the Distribution by or in respect of us, any of our affiliates or our stockholders. Any such indemnification obligation could adversely affect our results of operations.

A court could deem the Distribution to be a fraudulent conveyance and void the transaction or impose substantial liabilities upon us.
A court could deem the Distribution or certain internal restructuring transactions undertaken by Fortune Brands in connection with the Separation to be a fraudulent conveyance or transfer. Fraudulent conveyances or transfers are defined to include transfers made or obligations incurred with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud current or future creditors or transfers made or obligations incurred for less than reasonably equivalent value when the debtor was insolvent, or that rendered the debtor insolvent, inadequately capitalized or unable to pay its debts as they become due. A court could void the transactions or impose substantial liabilities upon us, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Among other things, the court could require our stockholders to return to Fortune Brands, for the benefit of its creditors, some or all of the shares of our common stock issued in the Distribution, or require us to fund liabilities of other companies involved in the restructuring transaction. Whether a transaction is a fraudulent conveyance or transfer under applicable state law may vary depending upon the jurisdiction whose law is being applied.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The market price of our shares of common stock may fluctuate significantly.
Our common stock has been listed and is being traded on the NYSE under the trading symbol “MBC.” Many factors could cause the market price of our common stock to rise and fall, including the following:

▪a shift in our investor base;
•our quarterly or annual earnings, or those of other companies in our industry or in similar industries;
•actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results;
•success or failure of our business strategy;
•our ability to obtain financing as needed;
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•changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;
•changes in laws and regulations affecting our business;
•announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions or dispositions;
•the failure of securities analysts to cover our common stock after the Distribution;
•changes in earnings estimates by securities analysts or our ability to meet our earnings guidance;
•the operating and stock price performance of other comparable companies; and
•overall market fluctuations and general economic and geopolitical conditions.

Stock markets in general have also experienced volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of a particular company. These broad market fluctuations could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock. Additionally, if any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if successfully defended, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management.

We rely on dividends, distributions, and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries, and we could be harmed if such distributions were not made in the future, because we are a holding company with no operations of our own.
We are a holding company that conducts all of our operations through subsidiaries and our operating income is derived from our subsidiaries. Consequently, we rely on dividends or advances from our subsidiaries. We presently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance our business or reduce debt. As a result, we do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends, although we may do so in the future. To the extent that we determine in the future to pay cash dividends on our common stock, none of our subsidiaries will be obligated to make funds available to us for the payment of dividends. The ability of such subsidiaries to pay dividends to us is subject to applicable local law and may be limited due to terms of other contractual arrangements, including our indebtedness. Such laws and restrictions would restrict our ability to continue operations.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws and provisions of Delaware law may prevent or delay an acquisition of us, even if that change may be considered beneficial by some of our stockholders.
The existence of some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (“our charter”), our amended and restated bylaws (“our bylaws”) and Delaware law may discourage a future takeover attempt not approved by our Board of Directors but which our stockholders may deem to be in their best interests or in which stockholders may receive a substantial premium for their shares over then current market prices. These provisions include but are not limited to: a classified board of directors with three-year staggered terms (however, beginning with our 2030 annual meeting, all directors will be elected annually); the right of our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval; no stockholder ability to fill director vacancies; elimination of the rights of our stockholders to act by written consent and call special stockholder meetings; until our Board of Directors is no longer classified, prohibiting stockholders from removing directors other than “for cause”; and rules regarding how stockholders may present proposals or nominate directors for election at stockholder meetings.

In addition, following the Separation, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), which may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our Board of Directors, including discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for shares of our common stock.

These provisions apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that our Board of Directors determines is not in our best interests or the best interests of our stockholders.

Our charter contains an exclusive forum provision that may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors and officers.
Our charter provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the state courts within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any state derivative action or proceeding brought or purporting to be brought on our behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director or officer of ours to us or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our charter or our bylaws, (4) any action asserting a claim relating to or involving us governed by the internal affairs doctrine or (5) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as that term is defined in Section 115 of the DGCL.

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Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our charter will further provide that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty of liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and as a result, the exclusive forum provision does not apply to actions arising under the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. While the Delaware Supreme Court ruled in March 2020 that federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims under the Securities Act be brought in federal court are “facially valid” under Delaware law, there is uncertainty as to whether other courts will enforce our federal forum provision described above. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

This exclusive forum provision may limit the ability of our stockholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such stockholders find favorable for disputes with us or our directors or officers, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors and officers. Alternatively, if a court were to find this exclusive forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings described above, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could negatively affect our results of operations.

We cannot guarantee that our stock repurchase program will be fully consummated or will enhance long-term stockholder value, and stock repurchases could increase the volatility of our stock prices and could diminish our cash reserves.
Our Board of Directors has adopted a stock repurchase program, and we may make repurchases under such program. The actual manner, timing, amount and value of repurchases under our repurchase program or any future repurchase programs will be determined by management at its discretion and will depend on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock, trading volume, other capital management objectives and opportunities, applicable legal requirements, applicable tax effects and general market and economic conditions. Any stock repurchases could affect our share trading price, increase volatility and reduce our cash reserves, which may result in a decrease in the trading price of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to make repurchases in accordance with our repurchase program, then we would not be able to reduce the effects of dilution experienced when we issue stock under our equity incentive programs, and we would not receive other benefits contemplated by the repurchase program.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

None.



Item 1C. Cybersecurity
We are committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of our data, as well as the data of our associates and customers. The mission of our cybersecurity program is to protect the assets used to create products, generate revenue, and service customers while complying with industry frameworks. Our cybersecurity program consists of three key pillars: cyber defense, governance and compliance, and risk management. Each of these pillars consists of controls and processes that are aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework.

Managing cybersecurity risk and maintaining a secure, reliable, and functional corporate network and data systems are among our highest priorities. As a result, we have implemented practices, procedures, processes, and management mechanisms to help us achieve a robust cybersecurity environment.

Governance
Our Board delegates to the Audit Committee the oversight of our programs, policies, and procedures related to cybersecurity, information asset security, network security, and data privacy and protection. Broad oversight is maintained by our full Board, which receives a report from the Audit Committee at least annually.

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Our VP, Cyber Security and Risk oversees our cybersecurity matters and has over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and is a Certified Information Security Services Professional (CISSP). Our VP, Cyber Security and Risk reports to both the Audit Committee and the Board at least once a year, or more frequently as needed. The Audit Committee reviews and discusses with Company management key process and risk indicators, progress on plans to address keys risks, and any material changes in threat landscapes or risk posture which could negatively affect our business.

Risk Management and Strategy
Cybersecurity risk management is a critical component of our overall enterprise risk management program. We consider cybersecurity to be a key risk, and we prioritize mitigating those risks.

Our cyber defense practices prioritize protection against cyber threats. We have operationalized a written incident response plan designed to assess, identify, address, and manage risks from cybersecurity threats that may result in material adverse effects on the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our business and information systems. We perform periodic cybersecurity assessments, including with the assistance of external third parties, to identify, assess, and prioritize potential risks that could affect our information and data assets and infrastructure.

In addition, we use a threat intelligence platform to routinely monitor risks specific to both our organization and third parties. Risks we identify are assessed based on severity and are addressed as appropriate through both tactical and strategic plans.

Our governance and compliance practice focuses on cybersecurity and data privacy policy taxonomy and policy compliance.

We have implemented a number of measures to enhance the security and resiliency of our network and information and data systems. These measures include, but are not limited to: (i) user access control management; (ii) intrusion detection and prevention systems; (iii) information security continuity measures, including redundant systems and information backups; (iv) network segmentation; (v) encryption of critical information and data; (vi) event logging; (vii) implementation of an application patching and update cadence; and (viii) incident response planning.

Training and Awareness
Our associates are a critical part of our defense against potential cybersecurity incident exposure. All of our associates and contractors have a responsibility and a role to play by complying with our cybersecurity operational practices and reporting any potential cybersecurity incidents or exposures to our cybersecurity team.

To ensure that associates can play their part in protecting our networks and data from cybersecurity incident exposure, all of our associates receive cybersecurity training in the form of online modules on an annual basis, routine simulations, and newsletters.

Material Cybersecurity Risks, Threats & Incidents
We are not aware of any cyber event that has had a material effect on our business. However, we cannot assure that we will not experience any such event in the future. Any security breach or other significant disruption involving our computer networks and related systems could cause substantial costs and other negative effects, including litigation, remediation costs, costs to deploy additional protection strategies, compromising of confidential information, and reputational damage adversely affecting investor confidence. Further, a penetration of our systems or a third-party’s systems or other misappropriation or misuse of personal information could subject us to business, regulatory, litigation and reputation risk, which could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for further details on risks related to potential breaches of our information technology systems.

Item 2.    Properties

As of December 31, 2023, our principal executive office was located at One MasterBrand Cabinets Drive, Jasper, Indiana, 47546. In February 2024, we relocated our corporate headquarters to Beachwood, Ohio. While our new corporate headquarters will be in Beachwood, Ohio, our operations headquarters will remain in Jasper, Indiana.

As of December 31, 2023, we principally operated 41 manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and warehouses throughout North America.
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Type of Facility United States Mexico Canada Total
Manufacturing facilities* ............................... 15 4 1 20
Distribution centers and warehouses** ......... 14 6 1 21
Total .............................................................. 29 10 2 41
* Manufacturing facilities include 15 which are owned and 5 which are leased.
** Distribution centers and warehouses include 4 which are owned and 17 which are leased.

We believe these principal properties have been adequately maintained, generally are in good condition and are suitable to meet the demands and production capacities required of our business.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

We are defendants in lawsuits that are ordinary routine litigation matters incidental to our business and operations. In addition, other matters, including tax assessments, audits, claims and governmental investigations and proceedings covering a wide range of matters are pending against us. It is not possible to predict the outcome of the pending actions, and, as with any such matters, it is possible that these actions could be decided unfavorably to us. We believe that there are meritorious defenses to these actions and that these actions will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, and, where appropriate, these actions are being vigorously contested. Accordingly, we believe the likelihood of material loss is remote. However, such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings or other events could occur. The Company regularly undergoes tax audits in various jurisdictions in which our products are sold or manufactured. In the future, such costs or an unfavorable outcome could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations. Based on available information to date and subject to below, we do not consider any such action, assessment, claim, investigation or proceeding to be material, within the meaning of that term as used in “Item 103 of Regulation S-K” and the instructions thereto.

Following an audit for the 2018 tax year, the Mexican tax administration service, the Servicio de Administración Tributaria, (the “SAT”), issued a tax assessment in the amount of approximately $54.9 million to our subsidiary, Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de R.L. de C.V., for allegedly failing to make certain tax payments and to export timely certain merchandise. The Company disputed these findings and the SAT annulled their decision on January 11, 2024. In order to prevent the 2018 tax year from further audit by the SAT, the Company has filed an action to declare this annulment final in the specialized court of trade and customs in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Sala Especializada en Materia de Comercio Exterior y Auxiliar – Noreste, Tribunal Federal de Justicia Administrativa. We have reserved an immaterial amount related to the 2018 tax year audit as our best estimate of our probable liability. While we cannot predict with certainty the outcome of any future review relating to the 2018 tax year or other open tax years, based on currently known information, we believe our risk of additional loss is remote and not estimable.

For additional information regarding our legal proceedings, refer to Note 16, "Contingencies and Accrued Losses," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5.    Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information and Dividends
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “MBC”.

We presently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance our business or reduce debt. As a result, we do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends in the short term. Our Board of Directors will continue to evaluate dividend payment opportunities on a quarterly basis. There can be no assurance as to when and if future dividends will be paid, or at what level, because the payment of dividends is dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, debt covenants and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.

As a holding company, we are a legal entity separate and distinct from our subsidiaries. Accordingly, the source of our unconsolidated revenues and funds is dividends and other payments from subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries are not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their abilities to pay cash dividends or to make other distributions with respect to their capital stock or other payments to the Company.

Holders
On February 23, 2024, there were 8,574 record holders of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers or other financial institutions.

Stockholder Return Comparison
We include in our Annual Report a line graph presentation comparing the relative performance of our stock compared with the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and the S&P 600 Building Products Industry Index from the date we became publicly traded, December 15, 2022, through December 31, 2023. We have selected the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and the S&P 600 Building Products Industry Index for comparison due to the similarities of the companies in those indexes with respect to our market capitalization and line of business, respectively.

The following chart assumes a hypothetical $100 investment on December 15, 2022 and shows the cumulative value at the end of each succeeding year.

549755816929


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Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The following table presents information with respect to purchases of common stock of the Company made during the fourteen week period that ended on December 31, 2023 by the Company or any “affiliated purchaser” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended:

Period Total number of shares purchased Average price paid per share (2) Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs
Maximum dollar amount that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs(1)
September 25, 2023 through October 22, 2023
298,742  $ 11.59  298,742  $ 30,597,909 
October 23, 2023 through November 19, 2023
228,288  $ 11.36  228,288  $ 28,003,421 
November 20, 2023 through December 31, 2023
—  $ —  —  $ 28,003,421 
Q4 Total
527,030  $ 11.49  527,030 
(1) On May 9, 2023, we announced our authorization of a stock repurchase program under which we may repurchase up to $50.0 million of MasterBrand common stock over a twenty-four month period at management’s discretion for general corporate purposes.
(2) Average price paid per share excludes commissions paid.
Item 6.    Reserved

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Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” regarding business strategies, market potential, future financial performance, and other matters. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the word “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “plans,” “may increase,” “may fluctuate,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could,” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations of our management. Although we believe that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those indicated in such statements. These factors include those listed under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and, except pursuant to any obligations to disclose material information under the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statements to reflect events, new information or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Some of the important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements include:

◦Our ability to develop and expand our business;
◦Our anticipated financial resources and capital spending;
◦Our ability to manage costs;
◦The impact of our dependence on third parties with respect to sourcing our raw materials;
◦Our ability to accurately price our products;
◦Our anticipated future revenues and expectations of operational performance;
◦The effects of competition and consolidation of competitors in our industry;
◦Costs of complying with evolving tax and other regulatory requirements and the effect of actual or alleged violations of tax, environmental or other laws;
◦The effect of climate change and unpredictable seasonal and weather factors;
◦Failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Separation;
◦Conditions in the housing market in the United States and Canada;
◦The expected strength of our existing customers and consumers;
◦Worldwide economic, geopolitical and business conditions and risks associated with doing business on a global basis;
◦The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or another public health crisis or other unexpected event; and
◦Other statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K regarding items that are not historical facts or that involve predictions.
Introduction
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is a supplement to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of MasterBrand and its consolidated subsidiaries and provides additional information on our business, recent developments, financial condition, liquidity and capital resources, cash flows and results of operations.
MD&A is organized as follows:
•Overview: This section provides a general description of our business, as well as recent developments we believe are important in understanding our results of operations and financial condition or in understanding anticipated future trends.
•Separation from Fortune Brands: This section provides a general discussion of our Separation from Fortune Brands.
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•Basis of Presentation: This section provides a discussion of the basis on which our consolidated financial statements were prepared, including our historical results of operations and adjustments thereto, primarily allocations of general corporate expenses from Fortune Brands.
•Results of Operations: Our consolidated financial statements are based on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in December in each calendar year. This section provides an analysis of our results of operations for the 53-week period that ended on December 31, 2023 as compared to the 52-week period that ended on December 25, 2022. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to years and quarters contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K pertain to our fiscal years and fiscal quarters. Additionally, unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to: (1) “2023,” “fiscal 2023” or our “2023 fiscal year” refers to our 2023 fiscal year that is a 53-week period that ended on December 31, 2023; (2)“2022,” “fiscal 2022” or our “2022 fiscal year” refers to our 2022 fiscal year that was a 52-week period that ended on December 25, 2022; and (3) “2021,” “fiscal 2021” or our “2021 fiscal year” refers to our 2021 fiscal year that was a 52-week period that ended on December 26, 2021.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources: This section provides a discussion of our financial condition and an analysis of our cash flows for our 2023 fiscal year as compared to our 2022 fiscal year. This section also provides a discussion of our contractual obligations, other purchase commitments and customer credit risk that existed at December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, as well as a discussion of our ability to fund our future commitments and ongoing operating activities through internal and external sources of capital.
•Recently Issued Accounting Standards: This section identifies our adoption of recently issued accounting standards.
•Critical Accounting Estimates: This section identifies and summarizes those accounting policies that significantly impact our reported results of operations and financial condition and require significant judgment or estimates on the part of management in their application.
Overview
Founded nearly 70 years ago, we are the largest manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America based on 2022 reported net sales. Our superior product quality, innovative design and service excellence drives a compelling value proposition. We have insight into the fashion and features consumers desire, which we use to tailor our product lines across price points. Our volume leadership allows us to achieve an advantaged cost structure and service platform by standardizing product platforms and components to the greatest extent possible—resulting in an improved facility footprint and an efficient supply chain. Further, our decades of experience have informed how we use global geographies to optimize procurement and manufacturing costs. Finally, with the most extensive dealer network throughout the United States and Canada, we have an advantaged distribution model that cannot be easily replicated. We expect to further extend our competitive advantages by using technology and data to enhance the consumer’s experience from visualization to ordering to delivery and installation.
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Separation from Fortune Brands
On April 28, 2022, Fortune Brands announced that its Board of Directors approved in principle the Separation. The Cabinets segment of Fortune Brands had historically been operated by MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc. (“MBCI”). In July 2022, Fortune Brands incorporated MasterBrand, Inc. in the State of Delaware and subscribed to all of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc.’s common stock upon its incorporation. After the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc., the following occurred: (1) Fortune Brands contributed all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of MBCI to MasterBrand, Inc., resulting in MBCI becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of MasterBrand, Inc. through a transaction between entities under common control; and (2) MBCI was converted into a Delaware limited liability company, MasterBrand Cabinets LLC (collectively, the “Reorganization”).

On December 14, 2022, the Separation was completed via the Distribution. On December 14, 2022, the date of Separation, 128.0 million shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock were issued. Fortune Brands shareholders received one share of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock for each share of Fortune Brands common stock held on the record date. Following the Distribution, Fortune Brands stockholders owned 100 percent of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock, and MasterBrand, Inc. became an independent, publicly-traded company, listed under the symbol “MBC” on the New York Stock Exchange beginning December 15, 2022. All share and per share amounts for all prior periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, as discussed in further detail in Note 5, "Earnings Per Share," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been retroactively recast to reflect the effects of the changes in equity structure resulting from the Reorganization, Separation and Distribution. The historical activity of the Company is that of MBCI prior to the Reorganization. The Company’s equity structure prior to the Separation and Distribution included 5,000 shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock authorized and 100 shares issued. Prior to the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc. in July 2022, the equity structure of MBCI included 1,000 authorized and issued shares of common stock. MasterBrand, Inc. is the registrant and the financial reporting entity following the consummation of the Separation and Distribution.

In order to govern the ongoing relationships between MasterBrand, Inc. and Fortune Brands after the Separation and to facilitate an orderly transition, the parties entered into a series of agreements including the following:

•Separation and Distribution Agreement – sets forth the principal actions to be taken in connection with the Separation, including the transfer of assets and assumption of liabilities, among others, and sets forth other agreements governing aspects of the relationship between MasterBrand and Fortune Brands.
•Transition Services Agreement – allows for Fortune Brands and MasterBrand to provide certain transition services to each other for a limited time, up to 24 months following the Separation.
•Tax Allocation Agreement – governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of MasterBrand and Fortune Brands with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other matters regarding income taxes, non-income taxes and related tax returns.
•Employee Matters Agreement – addresses certain employment, compensation and benefits matters, including the allocation and treatment of certain assets and liabilities relating to MasterBrand associates.

Separating the former Cabinets segment into a standalone publicly-traded company significantly enhances the long-term growth and return prospects of our Company and offers substantially greater long-term value to stockholders, customers and associates. Moreover, separating the Cabinets segment into an independent, standalone company with publicly-traded stock provides our Company with a number of benefits, including:
•Strategic and Management Focus: The Separation enables our management team to better focus on strengthening our market-leading business and pursue targeted opportunities for long-term growth, profitability, and value creation. Like many of our competitors and peers, we believe that we will be more effective in managing our capital structure with credit tied more specifically to its industry and business performance and achieving greater margin expansion by focusing on our operational effectiveness specific to its products. A dedicated management team and board of directors streamlines operational and strategic decision-making, and ensures management incentives are optimized and aligned with our strategic priorities and financial objectives are in line with our industry.
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•Resource Allocation and Capital Deployment: The Separation provides us with an opportunity to implement a tailored capital structure that ties specifically to our industry and business that provides greater financial and operational flexibility and increased agility. We are better positioned to more effectively allocate resources to address unique operating needs relating to our manufacturing and marketing requirements within our specific markets, invest in strategic priorities that will maximize long-term potential, and manage capital return strategies. Our unique operating needs are tailored towards enhancing the standardization of our processes, including with respect to our supply chain, and the specific manufacturing needs of our products, and strengthening our lean manufacturing capabilities. The Separation provides an opportunity for us to more effectively focus on these unique operating needs and markets.
•Distinct Investment Opportunities and Investor Choice: The Separation creates a compelling investment opportunity for investors based on our unique operating model and financial profile. It also provides investors with enhanced insight into our distinct value drivers and allows for more targeted investment decisions.

Basis of Presentation
Our consolidated financial statements are based on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in December in each calendar year and have been principally derived from the consolidated financial statements of our Company and its consolidated subsidiaries using the historical results of operations, and historical basis of assets and liabilities. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our historical financial statements through the date of Separation include allocations of expenses related to certain Fortune Brands corporate functions, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance and legal services. These expenses have been allocated based on direct usage or benefit where specifically identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a proportional cost allocation method based primarily on net sales, associate headcount or number of facilities, as applicable. Prior to the Separation, total expenses allocated for our 2022 and 2021 fiscal years were $92.5 million and $62.0 million, respectively. Of these allocations, $72.4 million and $42.3 million, respectively, were not previously allocated to us for our 2022 and 2021 fiscal years. Such amounts are primarily included within selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of income. We consider the expense methodology and resulting allocation to be reasonable for all periods presented; however, the allocations may not be indicative of actual expenses that would have been incurred had we operated as an independent, publicly-traded company during all periods presented. Actual costs that we may have incurred had we been a standalone company during all periods presented would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, whether functions were outsourced or performed by our associates and strategic decisions made in areas such as manufacturing, selling and marketing, research and development, information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, historical allocations may not be indicative of future costs we incur operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.

The income tax amounts in our consolidated financial statements have been calculated on a separate return method and presented as if our operations were separate taxpayers in the respective jurisdictions. For the period prior to the Separation in 2022, including the Separation, federal and state income tax payments and refunds were paid and received by Fortune Brands on our behalf. The net taxes paid on our behalf are payable to Fortune Brands, as provided in the indemnification provisions of the Tax Allocation Agreement. Accordingly, the net tax payable of $32.6 million to Fortune Brands as of December 25, 2022, was recorded in accounts payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and settled in 2023.
Following the Separation, a limited number of services that Fortune Brands provided to us, or we provided to them, prior to the Separation continue to be provided for a period of time under a Transition Services Agreement. We are now incurring certain costs as a standalone public company, including services provided by our own resources or through third-party service providers relating to corporate functions, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance and legal services, as well as ongoing additional costs associated with operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.
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All transactions between us and Fortune Brands previously resulting in related party balances were settled in our consolidated financial statements immediately prior to the Distribution, or were settled shortly thereafter, including by making a distribution of capital by us to Fortune Brands of any remaining related party receivable owed by Fortune Brands to us. For more information regarding related party transactions with Fortune Brands, see Note 20, "Related Party Transactions," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Fortune Brands utilized a central approach to treasury management, and we historically participated in related cash pooling arrangements prior to the Separation. Our cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheets represent cash balances held in bank accounts owned by us and our consolidated subsidiaries. Prior to Separation, we had no third-party borrowings. All borrowings attributable to our business and due to Fortune Brands were recorded as “related party payable” in our consolidated balance sheets and classified as current or noncurrent based on loan maturity dates. Fortune Brands’ third-party debt and related interest expense have not historically been attributed to us as we were not the legal obligor of the debt, and the borrowings are not specifically identifiable to us. However, we incurred indebtedness in connection with the Separation and Distribution, which resulted in additional interest expense beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Results of Operations
The following discussion includes a comparison of results of operations for the fifty-three weeks ended December 31, 2023 compared to the fifty-two weeks ended December 25, 2022. For comparisons of our 2022 fiscal year compared to our 2021 fiscal year, please refer to the heading “Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2022, as filed with the SEC.
Fiscal 2023 compared to Fiscal 2022
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) December 31,
2023
$ change % change December 25,
2022
NET SALES
$ 2,726.2  $ (549.3) (16.8  %) $ 3,275.5 
Cost of products sold 1,824.8  (510.2) (21.9  %) 2,335.0 
GROSS PROFIT
901.4  (39.1) (4.2  %) 940.5 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 569.7  (78.8) (12.2  %) 648.5 
Amortization of intangible assets 15.3  (1.9) (11.0) % 17.2 
Asset impairment charges —  (46.4)
n/m(1)
46.4 
Restructuring charges 10.1  (15.0) (59.8  %) 25.1 
OPERATING INCOME
306.3  103.0  50.7  % 203.3 
Related party interest income, net —  12.9 
n/m(1)
(12.9)
Interest expense 65.2  63.0 
n/m(1)
2.2 
Other expense, net 2.4  1.8  300.0  % 0.6 
INCOME BEFORE TAXES
238.7  25.3  11.9  % 213.4 
Income tax expense 56.7  (1.3) (2.2  %) 58.0 
NET INCOME
$ 182.0  $ 26.6  17.1  % $ 155.4 
__________
(1)Not meaningful.

Net sales
Net sales were $2,726.2 million for 2023 compared to $3,275.5 million for 2022, a decrease of $549.3 million, or 16.8 percent. The lower net sales compared to 2022 was driven mainly by a decrease in sales unit volume, partially offset by favorable price, including the carryover of price increases implemented in the second half of 2022. Foreign currency impact was unfavorable by $3.8 million during 2023 as compared to 2022.
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Cost of products sold
Cost of products sold decreased by $510.2 million, or 21.9 percent, to $1,824.8 million (66.9 percent of net sales) in 2023 as compared to $2,335.0 million (71.3 percent of net sales) in 2022. In addition to the impact of decreased sales unit volume, the lower cost of products sold as a percentage of net sales in 2023 is due to the favorable carryover of price increases implemented in the second half of 2022, as well as realized savings from various cost reduction actions taken in the fourth quarter of 2022 and throughout 2023. Fiscal 2023 was also favorably impacted by deflation in commodity costs and inbound transportation. These factors were partially offset by labor inflation. Additionally, 2023 included $9.4 million of incremental costs, less $7.4 million of insurance recoveries, related to the tornado that occurred during the first quarter at our Jackson, GA facility.

Selling, general and administrative expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $78.8 million, or 12.2 percent, to $569.7 million (20.9 percent of net sales) in 2023 compared to $648.5 million (19.8 percent of net sales) in the prior year. 2023 includes lower unit volume related costs, including distribution costs ($40.4 million) and commission costs ($18.1 million), offset by increased associate-related costs ($40.3 million), including salaries, incentive compensation and stock-based compensation, and professional support fees ($37.0 million). 2023 reflects associate-related and professional support fee costs for newly established MasterBrand corporate functions, as compared to 2022, which included $92.5 million of allocated costs from Fortune Brands that did not recur in 2023. In 2023, we incurred $2.4 million of additional costs directly related to the Separation from Fortune Brands, as compared to $15.4 million in 2022.

Asset impairment charges
During 2022, we incurred $46.4 million of asset impairment charges related to indefinite-lived tradenames. During the second quarter of 2022, we incurred an asset impairment charge of $26.0 million related to an indefinite-lived tradename, as production was shifted within our manufacturing footprint to enable what we expect to be a higher value purpose and growth opportunity, which led to downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth rates associated with the tradename and the recognition of the corresponding asset impairment charge. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we incurred an additional asset impairment charge of $12.8 million related to the same indefinite-lived tradename as a result of further shifts within our product portfolio to better align with forecasted future customer demand as a result of a significant decrease in sales during the fourth quarter of 2022, driven by continued and persistent inflation, as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. These downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth were not known when recording the impairment charge during the second quarter of 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we also incurred an impairment charge of $7.6 million related to another indefinite-lived tradename, due to a shift in customer demand in the fourth quarter from this tradename to a lower price point product, as a result of continued and persistent inflation, as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. We did not incur any asset impairment charges in 2023.

Restructuring charges
Restructuring charges were $10.1 million in 2023 as compared to $25.1 million in 2022. Restructuring charges for all periods presented are largely related to severance costs and other associate-related costs in order to better align our workforce with our forecasted demand within our manufacturing footprint. In the fourth quarter of 2023, we also recorded an asset impairment charge associated with a decision to permanently close our Newton, Kansas manufacturing facility, which had previously been idled.

Operating income
We recorded operating income of $306.3 million for 2023, compared to operating income of $203.3 million for 2022. The $103.0 million, or 50.7 percent, increase in operating income was driven by the favorable carryover of price increases implemented in 2022, realized savings from various cost reduction actions taken in the fourth quarter of 2022 and fiscal 2023, and lower commodity costs and inbound transportation. Additionally, 2023 included lower selling, general and administrative expenses, decreased restructuring charges and the non-recurrence of the impairment of indefinite-lived tradenames of $46.4 million occurring in fiscal 2022.

Related party interest income, net
Related party interest income, net, was $12.9 million in 2022 based upon the related party loan receivable from Fortune Brands. Prior to the Separation, excess cash generated by our operations was remitted to Fortune Brands on a regular basis through the cash pooling arrangements. At the date of the Separation, such arrangements ceased.
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Interest expense
We incurred indebtedness in connection with the Separation and Distribution, which resulted in $65.2 million of interest expense in fiscal 2023, as compared to $2.2 million in fiscal 2022. Prior to the Separation, we had no third-party borrowings in 2022.

Other expense, net
Other expense, net of $2.4 million in 2023 was comparable to other expense, net of $0.6 million in 2022.

Income taxes
Our consolidated income tax expense, income before taxes, and effective tax rate for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) December 31,
2023
December 25,
2022
Income before taxes $ 238.7  $ 213.4 
Income tax expense 56.7  58.0 
Effective tax rate 23.8  % 27.2  %

For 2023, the Company’s effective tax rate was 23.8 percent, compared to an effective tax rate of 27.2 percent for 2022. The decrease in effective tax rate in 2023 was primarily the result of changes in state and local income taxes and the nonrecurrence of IRS audit adjustments in 2022, including recognition of a deferred tax liability for earnings of various foreign entities, partially offset by benefits for the release of uncertain tax positions in 2022 and foreign income taxed at higher rates.

The 2023 effective income tax rate of 23.8 percent was unfavorably impacted by net changes in state and local income taxes, and foreign income taxed at higher rates. The 27.2 percent effective income tax rate for 2022 was unfavorably impacted by IRS audit adjustments, including recognition of a deferred tax liability for earnings of various foreign entities, and state and local income taxes, partially offset by favorable benefits for the release of uncertain tax positions and foreign income taxed at lower rates.

Net income
Net income was $182.0 million for 2023 compared to $155.4 million for 2022. The $26.6 million, or 17.1 percent, increase in net income was primarily due to the increase in operating income partially offset by the $65.2 million of interest expense in 2023 resulting from the indebtedness we incurred upon Separation from Fortune Brands.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary liquidity needs have historically been to support working capital requirements and fund capital expenditures. Subsequent to the Separation, we may have liquidity needs to finance acquisitions and return cash to stockholders, if and when appropriate. Historically, prior to Separation, our principal sources of liquidity were cash on hand, cash flows from operating activities and financial support from Fortune Brands via participation in Fortune Brands’ centralized approach to treasury management, including financing and cash management activities. Subsequent to the Separation, we implemented our own centralized approach to treasury, including cash management performed through cash pooling arrangements. Certain of our entities have standalone cash accounts that are not included in the centralized cash pooling arrangements. All cash balances specifically identifiable to us are included in our consolidated balance sheets and statement of cash flows. The cash flows presented in our consolidated statement of cash flows may not be indicative of the cash flows we would have recognized had we operated as a standalone publicly-traded company for the periods presented prior to the Separation.
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After the Separation, we no longer have financial support from Fortune Brands. Our operating income is generated by our subsidiaries. There are no restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to MasterBrand. We periodically review our portfolio of brands, manufacturing and supply chain footprint, and evaluate potential strategic transactions to increase stockholder value. However, we cannot predict whether or when we may enter into acquisitions, joint ventures or dispositions, or what impact any such transactions could have on our results of operations. Our cash flows from operations, borrowing availability and overall liquidity are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

On November 18, 2022, we entered into a 5-year, $1.25 billion credit agreement, consisting of a $750.0 million term loan and a $500.0 million revolving credit facility (the “2022 Credit Agreement”). Initial proceeds of $955.0 million from the credit agreement were received at the time of Separation from Fortune Brands. The proceeds were primarily used to make a cash dividend payment of $940.0 million to Fortune Brands and to pay related fees and expenses at the Separation. The 2022 Credit Agreement is secured by certain assets as well as the guarantee of certain of our subsidiaries.

Interest rates under these facilities are variable based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) at the time of the borrowing, and our net leverage ratio as measured by our Net Leverage to our consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Consolidated EBITDA”). Net Leverage is defined as consolidated total indebtedness minus certain cash and cash equivalents. Consolidated EBITDA is defined as consolidated net income before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, losses from asset impairments, and certain other one-time adjustments. The Net Leverage Ratio could not exceed 3.875 to 1.0 at the initial borrowing through the second fiscal quarter of 2023, adjusting downward in various future quarters before settling at 3.25 to 1.0 in January 2025. As of December 31, 2023, the net leverage ratio could not exceed 3.75 to 1.0. Interest rates can range from SOFR plus 1.85 percent to SOFR plus 2.60 percent. We also are required to maintain a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.0 to 1.0. The Interest Coverage Ratio is defined as Consolidated EBITDA to consolidated interest expense.

Our 2022 Credit Agreement contains additional covenants which limit or preclude certain corporate actions based upon the measurement of certain financial covenant metrics. The $750.0 million Term Loan has quarterly required amortization payments, which began in March 2023. During the third quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company made total payments of $28.1 million on the term loan, consisting of a $4.7 million required payment due September 2023, and $23.4 million of required amortization payments due during each of the next three quarters. We did not make any additional term loan payments during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, and, as of December 31, 2023, we were paid in advance for our next two scheduled quarterly payments due during the first and second quarters of 2024. Additionally, the revolving credit facility was paid in full during the third quarter of 2023. These additional amortization payments, made possible due to the generation of strong operating cash flow, were made to reduce future interest expense and provide financial flexibility.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants set forth in the 2022 Credit Agreement, and expects to remain in compliance for the foreseeable future.

As of December 31, 2023, we had $707.8 million outstanding in third-party borrowings, net of deferred financing fees. We may also incur additional indebtedness in the future.
Cash Flows
Below is a summary of cash flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022.
For years ended
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 405.6  $ 235.6 
Net cash used in investing activities (56.9) (55.9)
Net cash used in financing activities (299.9) (215.3)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash (1.2) (4.7)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$ 47.6  $ (40.3)
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Fiscal 2023 as compared to Fiscal 2022
Net cash provided by operating activities increased to $405.6 million in 2023 as compared to $235.6 million in 2022. Net cash provided by operating activities included net income of $182.0 million in 2023, as compared to net income of $155.4 million in 2022. Net income in 2023 included interest expense of $65.2 million on external debt that was entered into at the Separation, which resulted in cash outflows of $64.0 million for interest in the period. In 2023, accounts receivable generated $88.1 million of cash, as a result of improvements in our collection processes and decreased sales. In 2022, our accounts receivable generated $13.5 million. In 2023, the movement in inventory was $123.6 million favorable, as compared to 2022, which had an unfavorable movement in inventory of $70.1 million. In 2022, we executed an intentional build in inventory in the first three quarters of the year in order to mitigate the impact of an uncertain and volatile global supply chain environment. The favorable inventory movement in 2023 reflects our efforts to more efficiently manage our inventory levels in the current supply chain environment and in alignment with sales volume. Accounts payable was $69.4 million unfavorable in 2023 as a result of decreased purchasing levels aligned with our lower inventory levels, as well as a reduction in the payable to Fortune Brands of $42.4 million, primarily related to income tax related payments. This compares to the favorable accounts payable movement of $18.3 million in 2022 in conjunction with our increasing inventory levels. Fiscal 2023 was also unfavorably impacted by $9.4 million of restructuring charges net of cash payments, primarily for reserves established in fiscal 2022, as compared to favorable restructuring charges net of cash payments of $13.0 million in fiscal 2022.

Net cash used in investing activities of $56.9 million in 2023 was comparable to net cash used in investing activities of $55.9 million in 2022.

Net cash used in financing activities was $299.9 million in 2023 as compared to $215.3 million in 2022. Fiscal 2023 included net payments on external debt of $272.5 million, as we used cash generated from operations to pay off our revolving credit facility and make advanced payments on our term loan. Fiscal 2023 also includes $22.0 million of stock repurchases made under the $50.0 million stock repurchase program authorized in the second quarter of 2023. Financing activities in 2022 reflect the payment of a dividend of $940.0 million to Fortune Brands in conjunction with the Separation. This dividend was funded by the borrowing of $985.0 million of external debt at, and subsequent to, the Separation date. The remaining activity in 2022 primarily reflects our cash remittances to Fortune Brands, net of cash lending from Fortune Brands, to finance our operations prior to the Separation. The financing relationship with Fortune Brands ceased as of the date of Separation.

We believe that our cash and cash equivalent balances, along with available cash from operating cash flows and credit facilities, will be adequate to fund our typical needs, including working capital requirements and projected capital expenditures. We also believe we have access to additional funds from capital markets to fund strategic initiatives.

Customer Credit Risk
We routinely grant unsecured credit to customers in the normal course of business. Accounts receivable, net, were $203.0 million and $289.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively, and are recorded at their stated amount less allowances for discounts and credit losses. Allowances for credit losses include provisions for certain customers where a risk of default has been specifically identified, as well as provisions determined on a general formula basis when it is determined that the risk of some default is probable and estimable but cannot yet be associated with specific customers. The assessment of the likelihood of customer defaults is based on a variety of factors, including the length of time the receivables are past due, the historical collection experience, existing economic conditions and estimated future collection expectations. In accordance with our policy, our allowance for credit losses was $4.6 million and $11.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively. The conditions in the global economy and ongoing market volatility may reduce our customers’ ability to access sufficient liquidity and capital to fund their operations and make our estimation of customer defaults inherently uncertain. While we believe current allowances for credit losses are adequate, it is possible that continued weak economic conditions may cause significantly higher levels of customer defaults and bad debt expense in future periods.
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Pension Plan
We sponsor a defined benefit pension plan. However, the plan has been frozen to new participants and benefit accruals were frozen for active participants on or prior to December 31, 2016. The defined benefit pension plan is funded with a portfolio of investments maintained within our benefit plan trust. As of December 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value of our pension plan assets was $131.1 million, representing 96.7 percent of the accumulated benefit obligation liability. During fiscal 2023, we made pension contributions of $8.1 million. For the foreseeable future, we believe that we have sufficient liquidity to meet the minimum funding that may be required by the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

During 2023, the Board of Directors of MasterBrand, Inc. approved a plan to terminate the defined benefit pension plan. The termination and settlement process, which preserves retirement benefits due to participants but changes the ultimate payor of such benefits, is expected to take up to 24 months to complete, subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals. During 2024, the Company expects to offer a lump-sum benefit payout option to certain plan participants. During 2025, we expect to complete the purchase of group annuity contracts that will transfer any remaining pension benefit obligation to an insurance company.

Contractual Obligations and Other Commercial Commitments
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2023:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Payment Due by Period
Total 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Thereafter
Contractual Obligations
Purchase obligations (a)
$ 38.3  $ 25.6  $ 7.3  $ 2.7  $ 2.7  $ —  $ — 
Non-cancellable operating leases 71.1  18.1  13.5  10.5  8.7  7.0  13.3 
Non-cancellable financing leases
4.2  1.9  1.4  0.8  0.1  —  — 
Other Corporate Commercial Commitments
Debt payments (b)
712.5  18.8  37.5  37.5  618.7  —  — 
Interest payments 192.7  53.5  51.1  48.3  39.8  —  — 
Total contractual cash obligations $ 1,018.8  $ 117.9  $ 110.8  $ 99.8  $ 670.0  $ 7.0  $ 13.3 

(a) Purchase obligations related to operating activities include agreements and contracts that give the supplier recourse to us for cancellation or nonperformance under the contract or contain terms that would subject us to liquidated damages. The purchase obligations in the table above include contracts for raw materials and finished goods purchases, selling and administrative services and capital expenditures.
(b) Debt payments include our $750.0 million term loan and $500.0 revolving credit facility under the 2022 Credit Agreement.


In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments described above, we also had other corporate commercial commitments for which we are contingently liable as of December 31, 2023. Other corporate commercial commitments as of December 31, 2023 include standby letters of credit of $19.8 million and surety bonds outstanding of $3.6 million, of which $3.4 million are due in the next 12 months.

We do not currently have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are material or reasonably likely to be material to our financial condition or results of operations.
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Derivative Financial Instruments
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) requirements for derivatives and hedging, we recognize all derivative contracts as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, and the measurement of those instruments is at fair value.

We account for derivative instruments as follows:

•Derivative instruments that are designated as cash flow hedges - The changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument are reported in other comprehensive income and are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when the hedged item affects earnings. In all periods presented, the recognized gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in cost of products sold on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as fair value hedges - The gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as net investment hedges - The changes in fair value of the derivative instrument are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when realized upon sale or upon complete or substantially complete liquidation of the investment in the foreign entity.

Deferred currency gains of $10.2 million, $4.5 million, and $2.9 million (before tax impact) were reclassified into earnings for the 2023, 2022, and 2021 fiscal years, respectively. Based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2023, we estimate that $2.2 million of net derivative gain included in other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) as of December 31, 2023, will be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months.

Foreign Currency Risk
We have operations in various foreign countries, principally Canada and Mexico. Therefore, changes in the value of the related currencies affect our financial statements when translated into U.S. dollars. Certain anticipated transactions, assets and liabilities are exposed to foreign currency risk. Principal currencies hedged include the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso. We regularly monitor our foreign currency exposures in order to maximize the overall effectiveness of our foreign currency hedge positions.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
The adoption of recent accounting standards, as discussed in Note 2, "Significant Accounting Policies," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has not had and is not expected to have a significant impact on our revenue, earnings or liquidity.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the reporting period. Management has established detailed policies and control procedures intended to ensure the appropriateness of such estimates and assumptions and their consistent application from period to period. For a description of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2, "Significant Accounting Policies," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Due to their nature, estimates involve judgment based upon available information. Actual results or amounts could differ from estimates and the difference could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Therefore, understanding these critical accounting estimates is important in understanding our reported results of operations and financial position. We believe that of our accounting estimates and assumptions, those described in the following sections involve a high degree of judgment and complexity.

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Inventories
Inventory provisions are recorded to reduce inventory to the net realizable dollar value for obsolete or slow moving inventory based on assumptions about future demand and marketability of products, the impact of new product introductions, inventory levels and turns, product spoilage and specific identification of items, such as product discontinuance, engineering/material changes, or regulatory-related changes. In accordance with this policy, our inventory provision was $15.9 million and $19.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Goodwill
In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter and written down when impaired. An interim impairment test is performed if an event occurs or conditions change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below the carrying value.
To evaluate the recoverability of goodwill, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired. Qualitative factors include changes in volume, margin, customers and the industry. If it is deemed more likely than not that goodwill for a reporting unit is impaired, we will perform a quantitative impairment test using a weighting of the income and market approaches. We may also elect to bypass the qualitative testing and proceed directly to the quantitative testing. For the income approach, we use a discounted cash flow model, estimating the future cash flows of the reporting units to which the goodwill relates and then discounting the future cash flows at a market-participant-derived discount rate. In determining the estimated future cash flows, we consider current and projected future levels of income based on management’s plans for that business; business trends, prospects and market and economic conditions; and market-participant considerations. For the market approach, we apply market multiples for peer groups to the current operating results of the reporting unit to determine the reporting unit’s fair value. Our reporting unit is our operating segment. When the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we measure and recognize the amount of the goodwill impairment loss based on that difference.
The significant assumptions that are used to determine the estimated fair value for goodwill impairment testing include the following: third-party market forecasts of U.S. new home starts and home R&R spending; management’s sales, operating income and cash flow forecasts; peer company earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) multiples; the market-participant-based discount rate; and the perpetuity growth rate. Our estimates of reporting unit fair values are based on certain assumptions that may differ from our historical and future actual operating performance. Specifically, assumptions related to growth in the new construction and R&R market of the U.S. home products markets drive our forecasted sales growth. The market forecasts are developed using independent third-party forecasts from multiple sources. In addition, estimated future operating income and cash flow consider our historical performance at similar levels of sales volume and management’s future operating plans as reflected in annual and long-term plans that are reviewed and approved by management.
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
Certain of our tradenames have been assigned an indefinite life as we currently anticipate that these tradenames will contribute cash flows to us indefinitely. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are evaluated at least annually to determine whether the indefinite useful life is appropriate. We measure the fair value of identifiable intangible assets upon acquisition and we review for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and whenever market or business events indicate there may be a potential impairment of that intangible. Impairment losses are recorded to the extent that the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value. The significant assumptions that are used to determine the estimated fair value for indefinite-lived intangible assets upon acquisition and subsequent impairment testing are: forecasted revenue growth rates; the assumed royalty rates; and the market-participant discount rates.
Our cash flow projections used to assess impairment of our goodwill and other intangible assets are significantly influenced by our projection for the U.S. home products market, our annual operating plans finalized in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and our ability to execute on various planned cost reduction initiatives supporting operating income improvements. Our projection for the U.S. home products market is inherently uncertain and is subject to a number of factors, such as employment rates, home prices, interest rates, credit availability, new home starts and the rate of home foreclosures.

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We first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. Qualitative factors include changes in volume, customers and the industry. If it is deemed more likely than not that an intangible asset is impaired, we will perform a quantitative impairment test. We may also elect to bypass the qualitative testing and proceed directly to the quantitative testing. We measure fair value of our indefinite-lived tradenames using the relief-from-royalty approach which estimates the present value of royalty income that could be hypothetically earned by licensing the brand name to a third party over the remaining useful life. The determination of fair value using this technique requires the use of estimates and assumptions related to forecasted revenue growth rates, the assumed royalty rates and the market-participant discount rates.
In the second quarter ended June 26, 2022, we recognized an impairment charge of $26.0 million related to an indefinite-lived tradename. During the second quarter ended June 26, 2022, production was shifted within our manufacturing footprint to enable what we expect to be a higher value purpose and growth opportunity, which led to downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth rates associated with the tradename. In the fourth quarter ended December 25, 2022, we incurred an additional asset impairment charge of $12.8 million related to the same indefinite-lived tradename as a result of further shifts within our product portfolio to better align with forecasted future customer demand as a result of a significant decrease in sales during the fourth quarter of 2022, driven by continued and persistent inflation, as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. These downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth were not known when recording the impairment charge during the second quarter of 2022. In 2023, we did not recognize any impairment charges related to this indefinite-lived tradename. As of both December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, the carrying value of this tradename was $46.2 million.
In the fourth quarter ended December 25, 2022, we incurred an impairment charge of $7.6 million to another indefinite-lived tradename. This was primarily due to a shift in customer demand from this tradename to a lower price point product, as a result of continued and persistent inflation as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. In 2023, we did not recognize any impairment charges related to this indefinite-lived tradename. As of both December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, the carrying value of this tradename was $19.1 million.
The fair values of the impaired tradenames were measured using the relief-from-royalty approach. Some of the more significant assumptions inherent in estimating the fair values include forecasted revenue growth rates, assumed royalty rates, and market-participant discount rates that reflect the level of risk associated with the tradenames’ future revenues and profitability. We selected the assumptions used in the financial forecasts using historical data, supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions, estimated growth rates, and management plans. These assumptions represent Level 3 inputs of the fair value hierarchy. See Note 8, "Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets," and Note 10, "Fair Value Measurements," of our audited consolidated financial statements within this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information.
During our 2023 impairment test, we elected to bypass the qualitative test and tested all of our indefinite lived tradenames quantitatively. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the tradenames tested quantitatively during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021 were as follows:
2023 2022 2021
Unobservable Input Min Max
Wtd
Avg(a)
Min Max
Wtd
Avg(a)
Min Max
Wtd
Avg(a)
Discount rate 10.5  % 11.0  % 10.8  % 11.9  % 12.6  % 12.2  % 10.9  % 11.5  % 11.2  %
Royalty rate(b)
3.0  % 4.0  % 3.6  % 2.5  % 4.0  % 3.5  % 2.4  % 4.0  % 3.4  %
Long-term revenue growth rate(c)
2.0  % 2.5  % 2.3  % 1.0  % 3.0  % 2.0  % 1.0  % 3.0  % 2.6  %

(a)Weighted by the relative fair value of the tradenames that were tested quantitatively.
(b)Represents estimated percentage of sales a market-participant would pay to license the tradenames that were tested quantitatively.
(c)Selected long-term revenue growth rate within 10-year projection period of the tradenames that were tested quantitatively.
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A 50 basis point change in any of the significant assumptions used during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 would not have resulted in an impairment being recognized when estimating the fair value of our indefinite-lived tradenames. A 50 basis point change in any of the significant assumptions used during the fiscal year ended December 25, 2022 would not have resulted in an impairment being recognized when estimating the fair value of our indefinite-lived tradenames, with the exception of the fourth quarter indefinite-lived tradename impairments noted above, which were subject to partial impairments of $20.4 million. Relating to the impaired indefinite-lived tradenames in the fourth quarter of 2022, a 50 basis point change in the discount rate, royalty rate or long-term revenue growth rate at December 25, 2022 would have resulted in an incremental impairment of $2.8 million, $12.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
Income Taxes
For taxable periods prior to and including the Separation, our operations were included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state and local income tax returns of Fortune Brands, as applicable. We filed separate foreign income tax returns. The income tax expense in our Consolidated Financial Statements has been determined on a stand-alone return basis in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, which requires the recognition of income taxes using the liability method. The tax provision and current and deferred tax balances have been prepared on a separate-return basis as if we were a separate filer.

Post-Separation, our income tax provisions are calculated based on our operating footprint, as well as our tax return elections and assertions. For taxable periods ended after the Separation, we file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and various state and local income tax returns. Our foreign income tax returns will continue to be filed on a full-year basis.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The recognition and measurement of deferred tax asset and liability balances, and the corresponding deferred tax expense or benefit, are determined for each tax-paying component in each relevant jurisdiction. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period the new tax rate is enacted.

We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. In making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. In the event we were to determine that we would be able to realize our deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance in the period in which such changes occur, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

Customer Program Costs
Customer programs and incentives are a common practice in our business. Our business incurs customer program costs to obtain favorable product placement, to promote sales of products and to maintain competitive pricing. We record estimates to reduce revenue for customer programs and incentives, which are considered variable consideration, and include price discounts, volume-based incentives, promotions and cooperative advertising when revenue is recognized in order to determine the amount of consideration we will ultimately be entitled to receive. These estimates are based on historical and projected experience for each type of customer. In addition, for certain customer program incentives, we receive an identifiable benefit in exchange for the consideration given and record the associated expenditure in selling, general and administrative expenses. Volume allowances are accrued based on management’s estimates of customer volume achievement and other factors incorporated into customer agreements, such as new products, store sell-through, merchandising support, levels of returns and customer training. Management periodically reviews accruals for these rebates and allowances, and adjusts accruals when circumstances indicate, typically as a result of a change in volume expectations.
Item 7A.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market Risk
We are exposed to various market risks, including changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. We enter into financial instruments to manage and reduce the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The counterparties are major financial institutions.
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Interest Rate Risk
We had $712.5 million of external variable rate borrowings as of December 31, 2023. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates affecting our external borrowings as of December 31, 2023 would increase our borrowing costs by $7.1 million on a pre-tax basis annually.
Foreign Exchange Rate Risk
We enter into forward foreign exchange contracts principally to hedge currency fluctuations in transactions denominated in certain foreign currencies, thereby limiting our risk that would otherwise result from changes in exchange rates. The periods of the forward foreign exchange contracts correspond to the periods of the hedged transactions.
The estimated fair value of foreign currency contracts represents the amount required to enter into offsetting contracts with similar remaining maturities based on quoted market prices.
The estimated potential loss under foreign exchange contracts from movement in foreign exchange rates would not have a material impact on our results of operations.
Commodity Price Risk
We are subject to commodity price volatility caused by weather, supply conditions, geopolitical and economic variables, and other unpredictable external factors.
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Item 8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

MasterBrand, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
For years ended
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions, except per share amounts)
2023 2022 2021
NET SALES $ 2,726.2  $ 3,275.5  $ 2,855.3 
Cost of products sold 1,824.8  2,335.0  2,071.4 
GROSS PROFIT 901.4  940.5  783.9 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 569.7  648.5  527.6 
Amortization of intangible assets 15.3  17.2  17.8 
Asset impairment charges —  46.4  — 
Restructuring charges 10.1  25.1  4.2 
OPERATING INCOME 306.3  203.3  234.3 
Related party interest income, net —  (12.9) (4.6)
Interest expense 65.2  2.2  — 
Other expense, net 2.4  0.6  0.6 
INCOME BEFORE TAXES
238.7  213.4  238.3 
Income tax expense 56.7  58.0  55.7 
NET INCOME $ 182.0  $ 155.4  $ 182.6 
Average Number of Shares of Common Stock Outstanding
Basic 127.8  128.0  128.0 
Diluted 129.9  129.1  128.0 
Earnings Per Common Share
Basic $ 1.42  $ 1.21  $ 1.43 
Diluted $ 1.40  $ 1.20  $ 1.43 














See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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MasterBrand, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
For years ended
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
2023 2022 2021
NET INCOME $ 182.0  $ 155.4  $ 182.6 
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments 12.1  (9.9) (0.9)
Unrealized (losses) gains on derivatives:
Unrealized holding gains arising during period
9.6  7.2  0.5 
Less: reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income
(10.2) (4.5) (2.9)
Unrealized (losses) gains on derivatives
(0.6) 2.7  (2.4)
Defined benefit plans:
Net actuarial (losses) gains arising during period (4.1) (6.1) 9.4 
Less: Amortization of net actuarial loss and curtailment 3.2  1.7  — 
Defined benefit plans (0.9) (4.4) 9.4 
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax
10.6  (11.6) 6.1 
Income tax benefit (expense) related to items of other comprehensive income 0.2  1.0  (2.3)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
10.8  (10.6) 3.8 
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME $ 192.8  $ 144.8  $ 186.4 


























See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

44

MasterBrand, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
December 31,
2023
December 25,
2022
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 148.7  $ 101.1 
Accounts receivable, net
203.0  289.6 
Inventories 249.8  373.1 
Other current assets 75.7  66.2 
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 677.2  830.0 
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 356.6  352.6 
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net of accumulated amortization 60.1  52.3 
Goodwill 925.1  924.2 
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization 335.5  349.8 
Other assets 27.2  20.5 
TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,381.7  $ 2,529.4 
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable 151.4  219.2 
Current portion of long-term debt 17.6  17.5 
Current operating lease liabilities 16.1  13.9 
Other current liabilities 164.3  160.5 
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 349.4  411.1 
Long-term debt 690.2  961.5 
Deferred income taxes 83.6  87.3 
Pension and other postretirement plan liabilities 7.9  12.2 
Operating lease liabilities 46.3  40.7 
Other non-current liabilities 10.5  7.4 
TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,187.9  1,520.2 
Commitments (Note 15) and Contingencies and Accrued Losses (Note 16)
Equity
Common stock (par value $0.01 per share; authorized 750.0 million shares;
129.1 million shares issued and 126.8 million outstanding as of December 31, 2023;
128.0 shares issued and outstanding as of December 25, 2022 )
1.3  1.3 
Paid-in capital 17.8  — 
Treasury stock, at cost (26.1) (0.1)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3.7) (14.5)
Retained earnings 1,204.5  1,022.5 
TOTAL EQUITY 1,193.8  1,009.2 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 2,381.7  $ 2,529.4 






See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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MasterBrand, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For years ended
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income $ 182.0  $ 155.4  $ 182.6 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation 49.0  47.3  44.4 
Amortization of intangibles 15.3  17.2  17.8 
Restructuring charges, net of cash payments (9.4) 13.0  (0.4)
Amortization of finance fees 2.2  —  — 
Stock-based compensation 17.8  10.9  9.3 
Asset impairment charges —  46.4  — 
Recognition of actuarial losses 2.9  0.9  0.2 
Deferred taxes (5.7) 2.3  (7.7)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable 88.1  13.5  (72.2)
Inventories 123.6  (70.1) (58.5)
Other current assets 2.1  (5.3) (1.7)
Accounts payable (69.4) 18.3  44.7 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 17.2  1.8  3.0 
Other items (10.1) (16.0) (13.3)
NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES 405.6  235.6  148.2 
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures(a)
(57.3) (55.9) (51.6)
Proceeds from the disposition of assets 0.4  —  0.1 
NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES (56.9) (55.9) (51.5)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of long-term and short-term debt 255.0  985.0  — 
Repayments of long-term and short-term debt (527.5) —  — 
Repurchase of common stock (22.0) —  — 
Payments of employee taxes withheld from share-based awards (4.0) (0.1) — 
Related party borrowings —  2,754.5  2,614.2 
Related party repayments —  (3,009.4) (2,767.1)
Net contributions from Fortune Brands —  5.3  43.7 
Dividend to Fortune Brands —  (940.0) — 
Payment of financing fees —  (10.1) — 
Other items
(1.4) (0.5) (0.5)
NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES (299.9) (215.3) (109.7)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (1.2) (4.7) 0.1 
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS $ 47.6  $ (40.3) $ (12.9)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period $ 101.1  $ 141.4  $ 154.3 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 148.7  $ 101.1  $ 141.4 

a) Capital expenditures of $2.3 million, $1.6 million and $4.1 million that have not been paid as of December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021, respectively, were excluded from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.



See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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MasterBrand, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
Common Stock
(U.S. Dollars and shares presented in millions)
Shares Amount
Paid-In
Capital
Treasury stock, at cost
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
 (Loss) Income
Retained
Earnings
Total
Equity
Balance at December 27, 2020 —  $ —  $ 219.2  $ —  $ (7.7) $ 2,002.9  $ 2,214.4 
Comprehensive income:
Net income —  —  —  —  —  182.6  182.6 
Other comprehensive income —  —  —  —  3.8  —  3.8 
Stock-based compensation —  —  9.3  —  —  —  9.3 
Net contributions from Fortune Brands —  —  43.7  —  —  —  43.7 
Balance at December 26, 2021 —  $ —  $ 272.2  $ —  $ (3.9) $ 2,185.5  $ 2,453.8 
Distribution of MasterBrand, Inc. stock to Fortune Brands shareholders 128.0  1.3  —  —  —  —  1.3 
Comprehensive income:
Net income —  —  —  —  —  155.4  155.4 
Other comprehensive loss —  —  —  —  (10.6) —  (10.6)
Stock-based compensation —  —  10.9  (0.1) —  —  10.8 
Dividend to Fortune Brand —  —  —  —  —  (940.0) (940.0)
Net contributions from (distributions to) Fortune Brands —  —  110.6  —  —  (105.3) 5.3 
Return of capital to Fortune Brands —  —  (393.7) —  —  (273.1) (666.8)
Balance at December 25, 2022 128.0  $ 1.3  $ —  $ (0.1) $ (14.5) $ 1,022.5  $ 1,009.2 
Comprehensive income:
Net income —  —  —  —  —  182.0  182.0 
Other comprehensive income —  —  —  —  10.8  —  10.8 
Stock-based compensation 0.7  —  17.8  (4.0) —  —  13.8 
Stock repurchase program (1.9) —  —  (22.0) —  —  (22.0)
Balance at December 31, 2023 126.8  $ 1.3  $ 17.8  $ (26.1) $ (3.7) $ 1,204.5  $ 1,193.8 

















See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1.    Background and Basis of Presentation
Background MasterBrand, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of residential cabinets in North America with a portfolio of leading residential cabinetry products for the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the home. References to “Cabinets,” “MasterBrand,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to MasterBrand, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

On April 28, 2022, Fortune Brands announced that its Board of Directors approved in principle the Separation. The Cabinets segment of Fortune Brands had historically been operated by MBCI. In July 2022, Fortune Brands incorporated MasterBrand, Inc. in the State of Delaware and subscribed to all of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc.’s common stock upon its incorporation. After the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc., the following occurred: (1) Fortune Brands contributed all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of MBCI to MasterBrand, Inc., resulting in MBCI becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of MasterBrand, Inc. through a transaction between entities under common control; and (2) MBCI was converted into a Delaware limited liability company, MasterBrand Cabinets LLC (collectively, the “Reorganization”).

On December 14, 2022, the Separation was completed via the Distribution. On December 14, 2022, the date of Separation, 128.0 million shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock were issued. Fortune Brand shareholders received one share of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock for each share of Fortune Brands common stock held on the record date. Following the Distribution, Fortune Brands stockholders owned 100 percent of the shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock and MasterBrand, Inc. became an independent, publicly-traded company, listed under the symbol “MBC” on the New York Stock Exchange, beginning December 15, 2022. All share and per share amounts for all prior periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, including Note 5, "Earnings Per Share," have been retroactively recast to reflect the effects of the changes in equity structure resulting from the Reorganization, Separation and Distribution. The historical activity of the Company is that of MBCI prior to the Reorganization. The Company’s equity structure prior to the Separation and Distribution included 5,000 shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock authorized and 100 shares issued. Prior to the incorporation of MasterBrand, Inc. in July 2022, the equity structure of MBCI included 1,000 authorized and issued shares of common stock. MasterBrand, Inc. is the registrant and the financial reporting entity following the consummation of the Separation and Distribution.

In order to govern the ongoing relationships between MasterBrand, Inc. and Fortune Brands after the Separation and to facilitate an orderly transition, the parties entered into a series of agreements including the following:

•Separation and Distribution Agreement - sets forth the principal actions to be taken in connection with the Separation, including the transfer of assets and assumption of liabilities, among others, and sets forth other agreements governing aspects of the relationship between MasterBrand, Inc. and Fortune Brands.
•Transition Services Agreement – allows for Fortune Brands and MasterBrand to provide certain transition services to each other for a limited time, up to 24 months following the Separation.
•Tax Allocation Agreement – governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of MasterBrand and Fortune Brands with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other matters regarding income taxes, non-income taxes and related tax returns.
•Employee Matters Agreement – addresses certain employment, compensation and benefits matters, including the allocation and treatment of certain assets and liabilities relating to MasterBrand associates.

Basis of Presentation The accompanying financial statements are presented on a consolidated basis as the Company is a standalone public company. We have historically existed and functioned as a reporting segment of the consolidated business of Fortune Brands up until the Separation on December 14, 2022, at which time we became a standalone public company. Certain information from prior to the Separation was derived from Fortune Brands’ consolidated financial statements and accounting records. The consolidated financial statements and notes to consolidated financial statements as of and subsequent to December 14, 2022, the date of the Separation, reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for MasterBrand as an independent company. Prior to the Separation, the consolidated financial statements and notes to consolidated financial statements were prepared on a carve-out basis using the financial statements and accounting records of Fortune Brands. The carve-out basis financial statements represent the historical financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of MasterBrand as they were historically managed in accordance with GAAP and reflect significant assumptions and allocations. The carve-out financial statements may not include all expenses that would have been incurred had MasterBrand existed as a standalone entity.

48

Our consolidated financial statements are based on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in December in each calendar year. Fiscal 2023 consisted of 53 weeks ended on December 31, 2023. Fiscal 2022 and 2021 both consisted of 52 weeks ending on December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021, respectively. References herein to years are to our fiscal years.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Company has one operating segment based on the nature of products the Company sells, its production and distribution model, the internal management structure and information that is regularly reviewed by the chief executive officer (“CEO”), who is the chief operating decision maker, for the purpose of assessing performance and allocating resources.

The consolidated statements of income include all revenues and costs directly attributable to our business, including costs for facilities, functions, and services we utilize. The consolidated statements of income also include an allocation of expenses related to certain Fortune Brands corporate functions through the Separation, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance and legal services. These expenses have been allocated based on direct usage or benefit where specifically identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a proportional cost allocation method based primarily on net sales, associate headcount, or number of facilities, as applicable. Prior to the Separation, total expenses allocated for the 2022 and 2021 years were $92.5 million and $62.0 million respectively, of which $72.4 million and $42.3 million, respectively, was not previously allocated to us. Such amounts are primarily included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of income. We consider the expense methodology and resulting allocation to be reasonable; however, the allocations may not be indicative of actual expenses that would have been incurred had we operated as an independent, publicly-traded company in the prior year periods presented. Actual costs that we may have incurred during the time period when we were not a standalone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, whether functions were outsourced or performed by our associates and strategic decisions made in areas such as manufacturing, selling and marketing, research and development, information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, historical allocations may not be indicative of future costs we incur operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.

The consolidated statements of income also include $2.4 million and $15.4 million of costs related to the separation from Fortune Brands for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively. The Separation-related costs include advisory fees, professional fees and other transaction related costs incurred directly by us. These costs are included within selling, general and administrative expenses.

The income tax amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been calculated on a separate-return method and presented as if our operations were separate taxpayers in the respective jurisdictions. For the period prior to the Separation in 2022, including the Separation, federal and state income tax payments, withholding taxes, and refunds were paid and received by Fortune Brands on our behalf. The net income taxes paid on our behalf are payable to Fortune Brands, as provided in the indemnification provisions of the Tax Allocation Agreement. Accordingly, the net income tax payable of $32.6 million to Fortune Brands as of December 25, 2022, was recorded in accounts payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and settled in 2023.

Following the Separation, a limited number of services that Fortune Brands provided to us, or we provided to them, prior to the Separation continue to be provided for a period of time under a Transition Services Agreement. Throughout fiscal 2023, we have incurred certain costs as a standalone public company, including services provided by our own resources or through third-party service providers relating to corporate functions, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance, and legal services, as well as ongoing additional costs associated with operating as an independent, publicly-traded company.

Fortune Brands utilized a central approach to treasury management, and prior to the Separation, we historically participated in related cash pooling arrangements. Our cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheets represent cash balances held in bank accounts owned by the Company and its subsidiaries. Prior to the Separation, we had no third-party borrowings, and all borrowings attributable to our business and due to Fortune Brands were recorded as “related party payable” in our consolidated balance sheets and classified as current or noncurrent based on loan maturity dates. Fortune Brands’ third-party debt and related interest expense were not attributed to us as we were not the legal obligor of the debt, and the borrowings were not specifically identifiable to us. However, in connection with the Separation, we completed a financing transaction, which resulted in additional interest expense beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. See Note 11, "Debt," for additional information. For more information regarding related party transactions with Fortune Brands, see Note 20, "Related Party Transactions." During the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized $8.7 million of additional expense in cost of goods sold as an out-of-period adjustment.
49


This adjustment was to correct errors for expenses that should have been recognized of $5.1 million, $1.6 million and $2.0 million in the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2022, June 26, 2022 and September 25, 2022, respectively. The adjustment did not have any impact on our annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 25, 2022.

Tornado at Jackson, GA Production Facility On January 12, 2023, a tornado hit the Company’s leased Jackson, Georgia production facility, causing damage to the Company’s assets and disrupting certain operations. Insurance, less applicable deductibles, covered the repair or replacement of the Company’s assets that suffered loss or damage, and the Company worked closely with its insurance carriers and claims adjusters to ascertain the full amount of insurance proceeds due to the Company as a result of the damages and the losses the Company suffered. The Company’s insurance policies also provide business interruption coverage, including lost profits, and reimbursement for other expenses and costs that have been incurred relating to the damages and losses suffered. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company incurred expenses of $9.4 million solely related to damages caused by the tornado. These expenses included compensation costs that we continued to pay skilled labor at the Jackson facility to enable a timely ramp up of production upon re-opening the facility on March 27, 2023, the first day of our fiscal second quarter of 2023, as well as the write-off of damaged inventory, freight costs to move product to other warehouses and professional fees to secure and maintain the site. No expenses related to the tornado were incurred during our second, third, or fourth quarters of 2023, and we do not expect to incur any additional costs related to this matter. During 2023, we received $7.4 million of insurance proceeds for direct costs caused by the tornado, consisting of $2.2 million, $2.0 million, and $3.2 million received during our second, third, and fourth quarters, respectively. Both the expenses and insurance recoveries are recorded as a component of cost of products sold in the consolidated statements of income. Upon receipt of the final insurance payment in the fourth quarter, we consider this claim to be closed.

2.    Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition In accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Company recognizes revenue for the sale of goods based on its assessment of when control transfers to our customers, which generally occurs upon shipment or delivery of the products. See Note 3, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," for additional information.

Customer Program Costs Customer programs and incentives are a common practice in our business. Our business incurs customer program costs to obtain favorable product placement, to promote sales of products and to maintain competitive pricing. These costs are recognized as either a reduction of revenue or within the selling, general and administrative expenses category, depending on the underlying nature of the cost.

We record estimates to reduce revenue for customer programs and incentives, which are considered variable consideration, and include price discounts, volume-based incentives, promotions and cooperative advertising when revenue is recognized in order to determine the amount of consideration the Company will ultimately be entitled to receive. These estimates are based on historical and projected experience for each type of customer. Volume allowances are accrued based on management’s estimates of customer volume achievement and other factors incorporated into customer agreements, such as new products, store sell-through, merchandising support, levels of returns and customer training. Management periodically reviews accruals for these rebates and allowances, and adjusts accruals when circumstances indicate, typically as a result of a change in volume expectations.

Cost of Products Sold Cost of products sold includes all costs to make products saleable, including the cost of materials, as well as labor costs, inbound freight, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs and internal transfer costs. In addition, all depreciation expense associated with assets used to manufacture products and make them saleable is included in cost of products sold.

50

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Selling, general and administrative expenses include advertising costs; marketing costs; selling costs, including commissions; research and development costs; shipping and handling costs, including warehousing costs; and general and administrative expenses. Shipping and handling costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses were $169.4 million, $209.9 million and $170.1 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Advertising costs, which amounted to $65.0 million, $69.1 million and $65.6 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, are principally expensed as incurred. Advertising costs paid to customers as pricing rebates include product displays, marketing administration costs, media production costs and point of sale materials. Advertising costs recorded as a reduction to net sales, primarily cooperative advertising, were $27.6 million, $29.4 million and $24.4 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Advertising costs recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses were $37.4 million, $39.7 million and $41.2 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Stock-based Compensation Some of our associates participate in stock-based compensation plans sponsored by the Company. Stock based compensation plans may include stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, other types of stock-based awards, and other cash-based compensation. Stock-based compensation expense, measured as the fair value of an award on the date of grant, is recognized in the financial statements over the period that an associate is required to provide services in exchange for the award. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded net of estimated forfeitures. The fair value of each option award is measured on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of each performance share award is based on the average of the high and low share prices on the date of grant and the probability of meeting performance targets. The fair value of each restricted stock unit granted is equal to the average of the high and low share prices on the date of grant. See Note 17, "Stock-Based Compensation," for additional information.

Foreign Currency Translation Foreign currency balance sheet accounts are translated into U.S. dollars at the actual rates of exchange at the balance sheet date. Income and expenses are translated at the average rates of exchange in effect during the period for the foreign subsidiaries where the local currency is the functional currency. The related translation adjustments are made directly to a separate component of the AOCI caption in equity. Transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of a subsidiary are translated into the functional currency with resulting transaction gains or losses recorded in other expense, net.

Income Taxes The income tax expense in our Consolidated Financial Statements has been determined on a stand-alone return basis in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, which requires the recognition of income taxes using the liability method. The tax provision and current and deferred tax balances have been prepared on a separate-return basis as if the Company were a separate filer. The income taxes of the Company, as presented in the consolidated financial statements, may not be indicative of the income taxes that the Company will incur in the future.

For taxable periods prior to and including the Separation, our operations were included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state and local income tax returns of Fortune Brands, as applicable. The Company filed separate foreign income tax returns. Post-Separation, our income tax provisions are calculated based on the Company’s operating footprint, as well as our tax return elections and assertions. Income tax liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits (“UTBs”), including interest and penalties, are reported as a liability within the Consolidated Balance Sheets based upon tax authorities’ ability to assert the Company may be legally liable for UTBs. For taxable periods ended after the Separation, the Company will file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and various state and local income tax returns. The Company’s foreign income tax returns will continue to be filed on a full-year basis.

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. The determination of the Company’s income tax positions involves consideration of uncertainties, changing fiscal policies, tax laws, court rulings, regulations, and related legislation. Accordingly, significant management judgment is required in determining the provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, unrecognized tax benefits and the valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The recognition and measurement of deferred tax asset and liability balances, and the corresponding deferred tax expense or benefit, are determined for each tax-paying component in each relevant jurisdiction. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period the new tax rate is enacted.

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The Company recognizes liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits which are recognized if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is not more-likely-than-not that the positions will be sustained on examination, including resolution of the related appeals or litigation processes, if any. We record liabilities for uncertain income tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step is recognition, where we evaluate whether an individual tax position has a likelihood of greater than 50 percent of being sustained upon examination based on the technical merits of the position, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. For tax positions that are currently estimated to have a less than 50 percent likelihood of being sustained, no tax benefit is recorded. Considerable management judgment is necessary to assess the inherent uncertainties related to the interpretations of complex tax laws, regulations, and taxing authority rulings. For tax positions that have met the recognition threshold in the first step, we perform the second step of measuring the benefit to be recorded. The actual benefits ultimately realized may differ from our estimates. As of each balance sheet date, unrecognized tax benefits are reassessed and adjusted if the Company’s judgment changes as a result of new information, and changes in facts or circumstances. Changes in recognition and measurement estimates are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Consolidated Balance Sheets in the period in which such changes occur.

We reduce our deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion or all of the deferred tax assets. In making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. In the event we were to determine that we would be able to realize our deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance in the period in which such changes occur, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

The Company recognizes Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) tax as a period cost.

The Company recognizes tax-related interest and penalties as a component of income tax expense.

Earnings Per Share Earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to MasterBrand by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share include the impact of all potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the year. For comparative purposes, 2021 has been retroactively recast to reflect the effects of the changes in equity structure resulting from the Reorganization, Separation and Distribution and assumes the same basic weighted average shares. For years prior to the Separation, it is assumed that there are no dilutive securities as there were no stock-based awards of MasterBrand outstanding. See Note 5, "Earnings Per Share," for further discussion.

Cash and Cash Equivalents We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. We do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents approximate fair value.

Allowances for Credit Losses Trade receivables are recorded at the stated amount, less allowances for discounts and credit losses. The allowances represent estimated uncollectible receivables associated with potential customer defaults on contractual obligations (usually due to customers’ potential insolvency) or discounts related to early payment of accounts receivable by our customers. The allowances for credit losses include provisions for certain customers where a risk of default has been specifically identified. In addition, the allowances include a provision for expected customer defaults on a general formula basis when it cannot yet be associated with specific customers. Expected credit losses are estimated using various factors, including the length of time the receivables are past due, historical collection experience and existing economic conditions.

Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, cost being determined on a first-in, first-out basis and net realizable value being determined on the basis of replacement cost. Inventory costs include direct materials, including freight, labor and manufacturing overhead. Inventory provisions are recorded to reduce inventory to the net realizable dollar value for obsolete or slow moving inventory based on assumptions about future demand and marketability of products, the impact of new product introductions, inventory levels and turns, product spoilage and specific identification of items, such as product discontinuance, engineering/material changes, or regulatory-related changes. If actual market conditions differ from our projections, and our estimates prove to be inaccurate, write-downs of inventory values and adjustments to cost of products sold may be required.
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Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost. Depreciation is provided, principally on a straight-line basis, over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Gains or losses resulting from dispositions are included in operating income. Betterments and renewals, which improve and extend the life of an asset, are capitalized; maintenance and repair costs are expensed as incurred. Assets held for use to be disposed of at a future date are depreciated over the remaining useful life. Assets to be sold are written down to fair value less costs to sell at the time the assets are being actively marketed for sale. Estimated useful lives of the related assets are as follows:
Buildings and improvements to leaseholds
1 to 40 years
Machinery and equipment
1 to 20 years
Held for Sale Assets and liabilities to be disposed of by sale ("disposal groups") are reclassified into other current assets and other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. The reclassification occurs when all the held for sale criteria have been met, including when management, having the requisite authority, have committed to a plan to sell the assets within one year. Disposal groups are measured at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell and are not depreciated or amortized. The fair value of a disposal group, less any costs to sell, is assessed each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and any remeasurement to the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell is reported as an adjustment to the carrying value.

Long-lived Assets A long-lived asset (including amortizable identifiable intangible assets) or asset group held for use is tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. Examples of events or circumstances indicating that its carrying amount may not be recoverable include changes in volume, margin, customers and the industry. When such events occur, we compare the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or asset group to the carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group. The cash flows are based on our best estimate of future cash flows derived from the most recent business projections. If this comparison indicates that there is an impairment, the amount of the impairment is calculated based on fair value. Fair value is estimated primarily using discounted expected future cash flows on a market-participant basis.

In 2023, no triggering events were noted related to our goodwill or indefinite-lived tradenames. However, we did note a triggering event requiring assessment of impairment for certain of our long-lived assets due to a restructuring action, resulting in a $4.6 million impairment charge included within restructuring charges. See Note 12, "Restructuring Charges," for additional information.

In 2022, we concluded we had triggering events requiring assessment of impairment for certain of our long-lived assets due to the impairment of certain indefinite-lived tradenames, as well as specific restructuring actions announced in 2022. We performed quantitative impairment analyses during the year and determined there were no impairments of long-lived assets through December 25, 2022.

Leases Operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of our lease contracts do not provide an explicit interest rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of future lease payments. Our incremental borrowing rates include estimates related to the impact of collateralization and the economic environment where the leased asset is located. The operating lease assets also include any prepaid lease payments and initial direct costs incurred, but exclude lease incentives received at lease commencement. Our lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Our leases have remaining lease terms of 1 to 32 years, some of which may include options to extend or terminate the lease. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

We do not recognize leases with an initial term of twelve months or less on the balance sheet and instead recognize the related lease payments as expense in the consolidated statements of income on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We account for lease and non-lease components as a single lease component for all asset classes. Additionally, for certain equipment leases, we apply a portfolio approach and account for multiple lease components as a single lease component.

Certain lease agreements include variable rental payments, including rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation. Variable rental payments are expensed during the period they are incurred and therefore are excluded from our lease assets and liabilities. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

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Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets We account for goodwill and other intangible assets in accordance with the provisions of ASC 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, and account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting and, accordingly, the assets and liabilities of the entities acquired are recorded at their estimated fair values at the acquisition date.

Goodwill
Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually in the fourth quarter and written down when impaired. An interim impairment test is performed if an event occurs or conditions change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below the carrying value.

To evaluate the recoverability of goodwill, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired. Qualitative factors include changes in volume, margin, customers and the industry. If it is deemed more likely than not that goodwill for a reporting unit is impaired, we will perform a quantitative impairment test using a weighting of the income and market approaches. We may also elect to bypass the qualitative testing and proceed directly to the quantitative testing. Assessing qualitative factors during both 2023 and 2022 would not have resulted in us performing a quantitative impairment test. In both 2023 and 2022, we elected to bypass the qualitative testing and performed quantitative tests for all goodwill.

For the income approach, we use a discounted cash flow model, estimating the future cash flows of the reporting units to which the goodwill relates and then discounting the future cash flows at a market-participant-derived discount rate based on the weighted-average cost of capital. In determining the estimated future cash flows, we consider current and projected future levels of income based on management’s plans for that business; business trends, prospects and market and economic conditions; and market-participant considerations. For the market approach, we apply market multiples for peer groups to the current operating results of the reporting units to determine the reporting unit’s fair value. The Company’s reporting units are operating segments, or one level below operating segments when appropriate. When the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we measure and recognize the amount of the goodwill impairment loss based on that difference.

The significant assumptions that are used to determine the estimated fair value for goodwill impairment testing include the following: third-party market forecasts of U.S. new home starts and home repair and remodel spending; management’s sales, operating income and cash flow forecasts; peer company EBITDA earnings multiples; the market-participant-based discount rate; and the perpetuity growth rate. Our estimates of reporting unit fair values are based on certain assumptions that may differ from our historical and future actual operating performance. Specifically, assumptions related to growth in the new construction and repair and remodel segments of the U.S. home products markets drive our forecasted sales growth. The market forecasts are developed using independent third-party forecasts from multiple sources. In addition, estimated future operating income and cash flow consider our historical performance at similar levels of sales volume and management’s future operating plans as reflected in annual and long-term plans that are reviewed and approved by management. As a result of the annual impairment assessments performed for 2023, 2022 and 2021, there were no goodwill impairments.

Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
Certain of our tradenames have been assigned an indefinite life as we currently anticipate that these tradenames will contribute cash flows to the Company indefinitely. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are evaluated at least annually to determine whether the indefinite useful life is appropriate. We measure the fair value of identifiable intangible assets upon acquisition and we review for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and whenever market or business events indicate there may be a potential impairment of that intangible. Impairment losses are recorded to the extent that the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value. The significant assumptions that are used to determine the estimated fair value for indefinite-lived intangible assets upon acquisition and subsequent impairment testing are the market-participant discount rates based on the weighted-average cost of capital; forecasted revenue growth rates; and the assumed royalty rates.

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The market-participant discount rate used in estimating the fair value of future cash flows is dependent on comparable company prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions, as well as broader market assumptions, such as U.S. treasury rates. Our cash flow projections used to assess impairment of our goodwill and other intangible assets are significantly influenced by our projection for the U.S. home products market, our annual operating plans finalized in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, and our ability to execute on various planned cost reduction initiatives supporting operating income improvements. Our projection for the U.S. home products market is inherently uncertain and is subject to a number of factors, such as employment, home prices, interest rates, credit availability, new home starts and the rate of home foreclosures.

We first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. Qualitative factors include changes in volume, customers and the industry. If it is deemed more likely than not that an intangible asset is impaired, we will perform a quantitative impairment test. We may also elect to bypass the qualitative testing and proceed directly to the quantitative testing. In both 2023 and 2022, we elected to bypass the qualitative testing and tested all of our indefinite-lived tradenames quantitatively.

We measure fair value of our indefinite-lived tradenames using the relief-from-royalty approach which estimates the present value of royalty income that could be hypothetically earned by licensing the brand name to a third party over the remaining useful life. The determination of fair value using this technique requires the use of estimates and assumptions related to forecasted revenue growth rates, the assumed royalty rates and the market-participant discount rates. During both our 2023 and 2022 annual impairment tests, we elected to quantitatively test all of our indefinite-lived tradenames. During our 2021 annual impairment test, of our $231.8 million indefinite lived tradenames, we tested $180.7 million quantitatively, and the remainder was assessed using qualitative factors. We recognized impairment charges, which are classified as “Asset impairment charges” on our consolidated statements of income, related to certain indefinite-lived tradenames of $46.4 million in 2022. We did not recognize any impairment charges related to indefinite-lived intangible assets in either fiscal 2023 or 2021. See Note 8, "Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets," for additional information.

Events or circumstances that could have a potential negative effect on the estimated fair value of our reporting units and indefinite-lived tradenames include: increases in discount rates, lower than forecasted revenues, actual new construction and repair and remodel growth rates that fall below our assumptions, actions of key customers, continued economic uncertainty, higher levels of unemployment, weak consumer confidence, lower levels of discretionary consumer spending, a decrease in royalty rates and decline in the trading price of our common stock. We cannot predict the occurrence of certain events or changes in circumstances that might adversely affect the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived assets.

Derivative Financial Instruments In accordance with ASC requirements for derivatives and hedging, we recognize all derivative contracts as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, and the measurement of those instruments is at fair value.

We account for derivative instruments as follows:

•Derivative instruments that are designated as cash flow hedges - The changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument are reported in other comprehensive income and are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when the hedged item affects earnings. In all periods presented, the recognized gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in cost of products sold on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as fair value hedges - The gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as net investment hedges - The changes in fair value of the derivative instrument are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when realized upon sale or upon complete or substantially complete liquidation of the investment in the foreign entity.

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Restructuring Actions Restructuring actions generally include significant actions involving employee-related severance charges, contract termination costs, and impairment or accelerated depreciation or amortization of assets associated with such actions. Employee-related severance charges are largely based upon distributed employment policies and substantive severance plans. These charges are reflected in the quarter when the actions are probable and the amounts are estimable, which typically is when management approves the associated actions. Severance amounts for which affected employees in certain circumstances are required to render service in order to receive benefits at their termination dates are measured at the date such benefits are communicated to the applicable employees and recognized as expense over the employees’ remaining service periods. Contract termination and other charges primarily reflect costs to terminate a contract before the end of its term (measured at fair value at the time the Company provided notice to the counterparty) or costs that will continue to be incurred under the contract for its remaining term without economic benefit to the Company.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions We have a pension plan in the United States covering many of the Company’s associates. However, the plan has been frozen to new participants and benefit accruals were frozen for active participants on or before December 31, 2016. During 2023, the Board of Directors of MasterBrand, Inc. approved a plan to terminate the defined benefit pension plan. The termination and settlement process, which preserves retirement benefits due to participants but changes the ultimate payor of such benefits, is expected to take up to 24 months to complete, subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals. During 2024, the Company expects to offer a lump-sum benefit payout option to certain plan participants. During 2025, we expect to complete the purchase of group annuity contracts that will transfer any remaining pension benefit obligation to an insurance company. In addition, the Company provides postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to certain retirees.

We record amounts relating to these plans based on calculations in accordance with ASC requirements for Compensation—Retirement Benefits, which include various actuarial assumptions, including discount rates, assumed rates of return, turnover and mortality rates and health care cost trend rates. Actuarial gains or losses related to these assumptions represent the difference between actual and actuarially assumed experience. We recognize changes in the fair value of pension plan assets and net actuarial gains or losses in other expense, net to the extent they are in excess of 10 percent of the greater of the fair value of pension plan assets or each plan’s projected benefit obligation for each plan (the “corridor”) in earnings immediately upon remeasurement, which is at least annually in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. We review our actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and make modifications to the assumptions based on current economic conditions and trends. The discount rate used to measure obligations is based on a spot-rate yield curve on a plan-by-plan basis that matches projected future benefit payments with the appropriate interest rate applicable to the timing of the projected future benefit payments. The expected rate of return on plan assets is determined based on the nature of the plans’ investments, our current asset allocation and our expectations for long-term rates of return. For postretirement benefits, our health care trend rate assumptions are based on historical cost increases and expectations for long-term increases. The cost or benefit of plan changes, such as increasing or decreasing benefits for prior associate service (prior service cost), is deferred and included in expense on a straight-line basis over the average remaining service period of the related associates. We believe that the assumptions utilized in recording obligations under our plans, which are presented in Note 14, "Pension and Other Postretirement Plans," are reasonable based on our experience and on advice from our independent actuaries; however, differences in actual experience or changes in the assumptions may materially affect our financial position and results of operations. We will continue to monitor these assumptions as market conditions warrant.

Insurance Reserves We provide for expenses associated with workers’ compensation and product liability obligations when such amounts are probable and can be reasonably estimated. The accruals are adjusted as new information develops or circumstances change that would affect the estimated liability.

Litigation Contingencies Our business is subject to risks related to threatened or pending litigation and we are routinely defendants in lawsuits associated with the normal conduct of business. Liabilities and costs associated with litigation-related loss contingencies require estimates and judgments based on our knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding each matter and the advice of our legal counsel. We record liabilities for litigation-related losses when a loss is probable and we can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss in accordance with ASC Topic 450, Contingencies. We evaluate the measurement of recorded liabilities each reporting period based on the then-current facts and circumstances specific to each matter. The ultimate losses incurred upon final resolution of litigation-related loss contingencies may differ materially from the estimated liability recorded at any particular balance sheet date. Changes in estimates are recorded in earnings in the period in which such changes occur.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss refers to gains and losses that under GAAP are included in comprehensive income but are excluded from net earnings as these amounts are recorded directly as an adjustment to equity.
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Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Issued and Adopted
There are no recently issued accounting pronouncements that we have adopted that had a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting Standards Issued, But Not Yet Adopted

Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures," which is intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses, allowing financial statement users to better understand the components of a segment's profit or loss to assess potential future cash flows for each reportable segment and the entity as a whole. The amendments expand a public entity's segment disclosures by requiring disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), clarifying when an entity may report one or more additional measures to assess segment performance, requiring enhanced interim disclosures, providing new disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and requiring other new disclosures. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures," which is intended to enhance the transparency, decision usefulness and effectiveness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in this ASU require a public entity to disclose a tabular tax rate reconciliation, using both percentages and currency, with specific categories. A public entity is also required to provide a qualitative description of the states and local jurisdictions that make up the majority of the effect of the state and local income tax category and the net amount of income taxes paid, disaggregated by federal, state and foreign taxes and also disaggregated by individual jurisdictions. The amendments also remove certain disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial. The amendments are effective prospectively for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption and retrospective application are permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

3.    Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Our principal performance obligations are the sale of high quality stock, semi-custom and premium cabinetry, as well as vanities, for the kitchen, bath and other parts of the home (collectively, “goods” or “products”). We recognize revenue for the sale of goods based on our assessment of when control transfers to our customers, which generally occurs upon shipment or delivery of the products. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring goods to our customers. Payment terms on our product sales normally range from 30 to 90 days. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that we collect are excluded from revenue. The expected costs associated with our contractual warranties are recognized as expense when the products are sold. See Note 16, "Contingencies and Accrued Losses," for further discussion.

We record estimates to reduce revenue for customer programs and incentives, which are considered variable consideration, and include price discounts, volume-based incentives, promotions and cooperative advertising when revenue is recognized in order to determine the amount of consideration the Company will ultimately be entitled to receive. These estimates are based on historical and projected experience for each type of customer. In addition, for certain customer program incentives, we receive an identifiable benefit (goods or services) in exchange for the consideration given and record the associated expenditure in selling, general and administrative expenses. We account for shipping and handling costs that occur after the customer has obtained control of a product as a fulfillment activity (i.e., as an expense) rather than as a promised service (i.e., as a revenue element). These costs are classified within selling, general and administrative expenses.

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Settlement of our outstanding accounts receivable balances normally occurs within 30 to 90 days of the original sale transaction date. Obligations arise for us from customer rights to return our goods, including among others, product obsolescence, stock rotations, trade-in agreements for newer products and upon termination of a customer contract. We estimate future product returns at the time of sale based on historical experience and record a corresponding refund obligation, which amounted to $2.1 million and $3.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively. Refund obligations are classified within other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet. Return assets related to the refund obligation are measured at the carrying amount of the goods at the time of sale, less any expected costs to recover the goods and any expected reduction in value.

Net sales to two of the Company’s customers, Lowe’s and The Home Depot each accounted for greater than 10 percent of the Company’s net sales in 2023, 2022 and 2021. Net sales to Lowe’s were 21 percent, 20 percent and 18 percent of net sales in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Net sales to The Home Depot were 16 percent, 17 percent, and 18 percent of net sales in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Company disaggregates revenue from contracts with customers into (i) major sales distribution channels and (ii) total sales to customers by shipping location, as these categories depict the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows that are affected by economic factors. The following table disaggregates our consolidated revenue by major sales distribution channels and by shipping location for 2023, 2022 and 2021.

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
2023
2022 2021
Net Sales by Channel(a)
Dealers(b)
$ 1,446.5  $ 1,771.8  $ 1,583.4 
Retailers(c)
967.0  1,173.9  1,012.4 
Builders (d)
312.7  329.8  259.5 
Net sales $ 2,726.2  $ 3,275.5  $ 2,855.3 
Net Sales by Shipping Location
United States
$ 2,584.4  $ 3,086.8  $ 2,680.5 
Canada
125.7  172.5  158.4 
Mexico
16.1  16.2  16.4 
Net sales $ 2,726.2  $ 3,275.5  $ 2,855.3 

a)Net sales by channel presented in fiscal 2022 and 2021 have been reclassified to conform with the new format of this table, which is intended to provide a consolidated view of our net sales by channel and shipping location. Prior to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, net sales by channel was presented for our domestic sales only.
b)Represents sales to domestic dealers whose end customers include builders, professional trades and home remodelers, inclusive of sales through our dealers’ respective internet website portals.
c)Represents sales to domestic “Do-It-Yourself” retailers, including our two largest customers: 1) Lowe’s and 2) The Home Depot, inclusive of sales through their respective internet website portals.
d)Represents sales directly to builders.

Practical Expedients
Incremental costs of obtaining a contract include only those costs the Company incurs that would not have been incurred if the contract had not been obtained. These costs are required to be recognized as assets and amortized over the period that the related goods or services transfer to the customer. As a practical expedient, we expense as incurred costs to obtain a contract when the expected amortization period is one year or less. These costs are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of income.

Allowance for Credit Losses
Our primary allowance for credit losses is the allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts reduces the trade accounts receivable balance to the estimated net realizable value that is expected to be collected. The allowance is based on assessments of current creditworthiness of customers, historical collection experience, the aging of receivables and other currently available evidence. Trade accounts receivable balances are written-off against the allowance if a final determination of uncollectibility is made. All provisions for allowances for doubtful collection of accounts are included in selling, general and administrative expenses.
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The following table summarizes the activity for the allowance for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022
Beginning balance $ 11.6  $ 2.5 
Bad debt provision
1.9  12.1 
Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries (8.9) (3.0)
Ending balance $ 4.6  $ 11.6 
4.    Other Expense, Net
The components of other expense, net for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021 were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Pension and postretirement benefits other than pensions $ 2.9  $ (1.3) $ (2.0)
Foreign currency losses 3.2  1.1  1.4 
Other items, net (3.7) 0.8  1.2 
Total other expense, net $ 2.4  $ 0.6  $ 0.6 
5.    Earnings Per Share
On December 14, 2022, 128.0 million MasterBrand common shares were distributed to Fortune Brands’ shareholders in conjunction with the Separation. For comparative purposes, fiscal 2021 has been retroactively recast to reflect the effects of the changes in equity structure resulting from the Reorganization, Separation and Distribution and assume the same basic weighted average shares. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, diluted earnings per share was computed by giving effect to all potentially dilutive stock awards that are outstanding. For years prior to the Separation, it is assumed that there are no dilutive securities as there were no stock-based awards of MasterBrand outstanding.

The following table sets forth the reconciliation of the numerator and the denominator of basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, and December 26, 2021:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions, except per share amounts) 2023 2022 2021
Numerator:
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share - Net income $ 182.0  $ 155.4  $ 182.6 
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average shares outstanding 127.8  128.0  128.0 
Effect of dilutive securities - stock-based awards 2.1  1.1  — 
Denominator for diluted earnings per share - weighted average shares outstanding
129.9  129.1  128.0 
Earnings per share:
Basic $ 1.42  $ 1.21  $ 1.43 
Diluted $ 1.40  $ 1.20  $ 1.43 

Approximately 0.7 million shares and 1.3 million shares were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.
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6.    Balance Sheet Information
Supplemental information on our year-end consolidated balance sheets is as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022
Inventories:
Raw materials and supplies $ 175.1  $ 292.1 
Work in process 25.1  23.6 
Finished products 49.6  57.4 
Total inventories $ 249.8  $ 373.1 
Property, plant and equipment:
Land and improvements $ 31.8  $ 32.9 
Buildings and improvements to leaseholds 304.0  304.0 
Machinery and equipment 551.9  518.8 
Construction in progress 36.6  37.7 
Property, plant and equipment, gross 924.3  893.4 
Less: accumulated depreciation 567.7  540.8 
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation $ 356.6  $ 352.6 
Accounts payable:
Third party $ 149.7  $ 175.1 
Fortune Brands (a) 1.7  44.1 
Total accounts payable $ 151.4  $ 219.2 
Other current liabilities:
Accrued salaries, wages and other compensation $ 67.6  $ 49.0 
Accrued restructuring 1.4  15.4 
Accrued income and other taxes
18.5  14.3 
Accrued product warranties 12.9  11.2 
Other accrued expenses 63.9  70.6 
Total other current liabilities $ 164.3  $ 160.5 
    
(a) The payable to Fortune Brands of $44.1 million as of December 25, 2022, included various items Fortune Brands paid on our behalf, for which we owed reimbursement, including income taxes incurred prior to the Separation of $32.6 million. The payable to Fortune Brands is $1.7 million at December 31, 2023.

7.    Leases
We have operating and finance leases for buildings and certain machinery and equipment. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use assets, other current liabilities, and operating lease liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Amounts recognized for finance leases as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were immaterial.

Operating lease expense recognized in the consolidated statement of income for the years ended 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $26.9 million, $27.4 million and $24.7 million, respectively, including approximately $9.4 million, $11.7 million and $9.4 million of short-term and variable lease costs for the years ended 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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Other information related to leases was as follows for the fiscal years ending:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions, except lease term and discount rate) December 31,
2023
December 25,
2022
December 26,
2021
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 17.3  $ 15.4  $ 14.7 
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations $ 23.9  $ 5.2  $ 35.8 
Weighted average remaining lease term—operating leases 5.4 years 5.1 years 5.9 years
Weighted average discount rate—operating leases 4.5  % 3.0  % 2.8  %
Total lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as of December 31, 2023 are expected to be:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
Fiscal Years Ending:
2024 $ 18.1 
2025 13.5 
2026 10.5 
2027 8.7 
2028 7.0 
Thereafter 13.3 
Total lease payments 71.1 
Less imputed interest (8.7)
Total $ 62.4 
Reported as of December 31, 2023
Current operating lease liabilities $ 16.1 
Operating lease liabilities (non-current) 46.3 
Total $ 62.4 

8.    Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets
We had goodwill of $925.1 million and $924.2 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively. The change in the net carrying amount of goodwill was as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Total
Goodwill
Balance at December 26, 2021
$ 926.2 
2022 translation adjustments
(2.0)
Balance at December 25, 2022
$ 924.2 
2023 translation adjustments
0.9 
Balance at December 31, 2023
$ 925.1 
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The gross carrying value and accumulated amortization by class of intangible assets as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were as follows:
As of December 31, 2023
As of December 25, 2022
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Gross
Carrying
Amounts
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Book
Value
Gross
Carrying
Amounts
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Book
Value
Indefinite-lived tradenames $ 184.2  $ —  $ 184.2  $ 183.1  $ —  $ 183.1 
Amortizable intangible assets
Tradenames 10.4  (10.4) —  10.3  (10.2) 0.1 
Customer and contractual relationships 363.6  (212.3) 151.3  362.9  (196.8) 166.1 
Patents/proprietary technology 11.0  (11.0) —  11.0  (10.5) 0.5 
Total 385.0  (233.7) 151.3  384.2  (217.5) 166.7 
Total identifiable intangibles $ 569.2  $ (233.7) $ 335.5  $ 567.3  $ (217.5) $ 349.8 
Amortizable intangible assets, principally customer relationships, are subject to amortization on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life, ranging from 18 to 20 years, based on the assessment of a number of factors that may impact useful life, including customer attrition rates and other relevant factors. We expect to record intangible amortization of $14.7 million annually from 2024 through 2028.

In the second quarter of 2022, subsequent to the balance sheet date, we recognized an impairment charge of $26.0 million related to an indefinite-lived tradename. During the second quarter of 2022, production was shifted within our manufacturing footprint to enable what we expect to be a higher value purpose and growth opportunity, which led to downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth rates associated with the tradename. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized an impairment charge of $12.8 million related to the same indefinite-lived tradename as a result of further shifts within our product portfolio to better align with forecasted future customer demand as a result of a significant decrease in sales during the fourth quarter of 2022, driven by continued and persistent inflation, as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. These downward revisions to forecasted revenue growth were not known when recording the impairment charge during the second quarter of 2022. As of both December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, the carrying value of this tradename was $46.2 million.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized an impairment charge of $7.6 million to a second indefinite-lived tradename. This was primarily due to a shift in customer demand from this tradename to a lower price point product, as a result of continued and persistent inflation, as well as elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty. As of both December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, the carrying value of this tradename was $19.1 million.

The fair values of the impaired tradenames were measured using the relief-from-royalty approach, which estimates the present value of royalty income that could be hypothetically earned by licensing the tradename to a third party over its remaining useful life. Some of the more significant assumptions inherent in estimating the fair values include market-participant discount rates based on the weighted-average cost of capital, which is dependent on comparable company prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions, as well as broader market assumptions, such as U.S. treasury rates, forecasted revenue growth rates and assumed royalty rates. We selected the assumptions used in the financial forecasts using historical data, supplemented by current and anticipated market conditions, estimated growth rates, and management plans. These assumptions represent Level 3 inputs of the fair value hierarchy (refer to Note 10, “Fair Value Measurements” ).

A reduction in the estimated fair value of any of our tradenames could trigger impairment charges in future periods. Events or circumstances that could have a potential negative effect on the estimated fair value of our reporting units and indefinite-lived tradenames include: increases in discount rates, lower than forecasted revenues, actual new construction and repair and remodel growth rates that fall below our assumptions, actions of key customers,continued economic uncertainty, higher levels of unemployment, weak consumer confidence, higher interest rates, lower levels of discretionary consumer spending, a decrease in royalty rates and a decline in the trading price of our common stock. We cannot predict with certainty the occurrence of certain events or changes in circumstances that might adversely affect the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived assets.
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There were no impairments of goodwill for any periods presented. There were no impairments of indefinite-lived assets for the years ended December 31, 2023 or December 26, 2021. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the tradenames impaired during the year ended December 25, 2022 were as follows:
2022
Unobservable Input Min Max
Wtd
Avg(a)
Discount rate 11.6  % 12.6  % 12.1  %
Royalty rate(b)
2.5  % 3.0  % 2.8  %
Long-term revenue growth rate(c)
1.0  % 1.0  % 1.0  %

a)Weighted by relative fair value of the impaired tradenames.
b)Represents estimated percentage of sales a market-participant would pay to license the impaired tradenames.
c)Selected long-term revenue growth rate within 10-year projection period of the impaired tradenames.

9.    Financial Instruments
We do not enter into financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. We principally use financial instruments to reduce the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The principal derivative financial instruments we enter into on a routine basis are foreign exchange contracts. Derivative financial instruments are recorded at fair value. The counterparties to derivative contracts are major financial institutions. We are subject to credit risk on these contracts equal to the fair value of these instruments. Management currently believes that the risk of incurring material losses is unlikely and that the losses, if any, would be immaterial to the Company.

We account for derivative instruments as follows:

•Derivative instruments that are designated as cash flow hedges - The changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument are reported in other comprehensive income and are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when the hedged item affects earnings. In all periods presented, the recognized gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in cost of products sold on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as fair value hedges - The gain or loss on the derivative instrument, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of income.
•Derivative instruments that are designated as net investment hedges - The changes in fair value of the derivative instrument are recognized in the consolidated statements of income when realized upon sale or upon complete or substantially complete liquidation of the investment in the foreign entity.

As of and during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, we have only entered into foreign currency forward contracts, some of which have been designated as fair value hedges and some of which have been designated as cash flow hedges. We may enter into foreign currency forward contracts to protect against foreign exchange risks associated with certain existing assets and liabilities, forecasted future cash flows, and net investments in foreign subsidiaries. Foreign exchange contracts related to forecasted future cash flows correspond to the periods of the forecasted transactions, which generally do not exceed 12 to 15 months subsequent to the latest balance sheet date.

Our primary foreign currency hedge contracts pertain to the Mexican peso and the Canadian dollar. The gross U.S. dollar equivalent notional amount of all foreign currency derivative hedges outstanding at December 31, 2023 was $61.3 million, representing a net settlement asset of $2.9 million. Based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2023, we estimate that $2.2 million of net derivative gains associated with cash flow hedges and included in accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2023 will be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months.
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The fair values of foreign exchange derivative instruments on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Location December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022
Assets:
Foreign exchange contracts Other current assets $ 3.0  $ 3.7 
Total assets $ 3.0  $ 3.7 
Liabilities:
Foreign exchange contracts Other current liabilities $ 0.1  $ 0.5 
Total liabilities $ 0.1  $ 0.5 
The effects of cash flow hedging financial instruments included within the consolidated statements of comprehensive income in 2023, 2022 and 2021 were as presented in the table below. When the hedged item affects earnings, amounts are reclassed out of accumulated other comprehensive loss and recognized as a component of cost of products sold.
Amount Recognized in Statement of Comprehensive
Income for Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Foreign exchange contracts:
Unrealized holding gains arising during period
$ 9.6  $ 7.2  $ 0.5 
Less: reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income
(10.2) (4.5) (2.9)
Unrealized (losses) gains on derivatives $ (0.6) $ 2.7  $ (2.4)
The effects of fair value hedging financial instruments included in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of income in 2023, 2022 and 2021 were:
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Earnings
 on Fair Value Hedging Relationships
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Foreign exchange contracts:
Hedged items $ (1.3) $ —  $ — 
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 5.9  (7.2) (0.5)
Net gains (losses) recognized in earnings $ 4.6  $ (7.2) $ (0.5)
10.    Fair Value Measurements
ASC requirements for Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures establish a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels. Level 1 inputs, the highest priority, are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs reflect other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are either observable directly or through corroboration with observable market data. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs due to little or no market activity for the asset or liability, such as internally-developed valuation models. We do not have any assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis that are Level 3, except for certain assumptions in estimating the fair value of indefinite-lived tradenames, as discussed in Note 8, "Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets." Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were as follows:
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(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Fair Value
2023 2022
Assets:
Derivative asset financial instruments (Level 2) $ 3.0  $ 3.7 
Deferred compensation program assets (Level 2) 5.5  3.6 
Total assets $ 8.5  $ 7.3 
Liabilities:
Derivative liability financial instruments (Level 2) $ 0.1  $ 0.5 
The principal derivative financial instruments we enter into on a routine basis are foreign exchange contracts. Derivative financial instruments are recorded at fair value.
11.    Debt
The following table provides a summary of the Company’s debt as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, including the carrying value of the debt less debt issuance costs:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022
Current Long-term Current Long-term
Revolving credit facility due November 2027 $ —  $ —  $ —  $ 235.0 
Term loan due November 2027 18.8  693.7  18.8  731.3 
$ 18.8  $ 693.7  $ 18.8  $ 966.3 
Less: Unamortized debt issuance costs (1.2) (3.5) (1.3) (4.8)
Total $ 17.6  $ 690.2  $ 17.5  $ 961.5 

On November 18, 2022, the Company entered into a 5-year, $1.25 billion credit agreement, consisting of a $750.0 million term loan and a $500.0 million revolving credit facility (the “2022 Credit Agreement”). Initial proceeds from the 2022 Credit Agreement were received at the time of Separation from Fortune Brands and were used to fund the dividend paid to Fortune Brands, with any future proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes. The 2022 Credit Agreement is secured by certain assets as well as the guarantee of certain of our subsidiaries. The $750.0 million Term Loan has quarterly required amortization payments that began in March 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $480.2 million of availability under its revolving credit facility.

Debt issuance costs related to the 2022 Credit Agreement were $10.1 million upon inception of the agreement and are being amortized over the term of the debt. At December 25, 2022, $0.8 million was included in other current assets, $3.2 million is included in other assets, $1.3 million is included in the current portion of long-term debt and $4.8 million is included in long-term debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2023, unamortized debt issuance costs totaled $8.0 million of which $0.9 million was included in other current assets, $2.4 million was included in other assets, $1.2 million was included in the current portion of long-term debt and $3.5 million was included in long-term debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company made total payments of $28.1 million on the term loan, consisting of a $4.7 million required payment due September 2023, and $23.4 million of required amortization payments due during each of the next three quarters. We did not make any additional term loan payments during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, and as of December 31, 2023 we are paid in advance for our next two scheduled quarterly payments due during the first and second quarters of 2024. Total amounts outstanding under the term loan as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were $712.5 million and $750.0 million, respectively. Additionally, the revolving credit facility was paid in full during the third quarter of fiscal 2023. The revolving credit facility did not have an outstanding balance as of December 31, 2023, as compared to a balance of $235.0 million at December 25, 2022.

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Interest rates under these facilities are variable based on the SOFR at the time of the borrowing, and the Company’s net leverage ratio as measured by net leverage to our Consolidated EBITDA. Interest rates can range from SOFR plus 1.85 percent to SOFR plus 2.60 percent. Net leverage is defined as consolidated total indebtedness minus certain cash and cash equivalents. Consolidated EBITDA is defined as consolidated net income before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, losses from asset impairments, and certain other one-time adjustments. The net leverage ratio may not exceed 3.875 to 1.0 at the initial borrowing through the second fiscal quarter of 2023, adjusting downward in various future quarters before settling at 3.25 to 1.0 in January 2025. As of December 31, 2023, the net leverage ratio may not exceed 3.75 to 1.0. The Company also is required to maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio, defined as Consolidated EBITDA to consolidated interest expense, of 3.0 to 1.0.

The Company’s 2022 Credit Agreement contains additional covenants which limit or preclude certain corporate actions based upon the measurement of certain financial covenant metrics. The Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022.

Over the next five years, debt due to be paid by the Company is as follows:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Future Debt Payments
2024 $ 18.8 
2025 $ 37.5 
2026 $ 37.5 
2027 $ 618.7 
2028 $ — 

Interest paid on debt was $64.0 million and $0.3 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we incurred indebtedness in connection with the Separation and Distribution, which resulted in the recognition of interest expense. Prior to the Separation, we had no third-party borrowings. We did not record any material capitalized interest during 2023, 2022, or 2021.

12.    Restructuring Charges
Restructuring charges of $10.1 million in 2023 are primarily related to severance costs and other associate-related costs in order to better align our workforce with our forecasted demand within our manufacturing footprint, and an asset impairment charge associated with a decision to permanently close our Newton, Kansas manufacturing facility, which had previously been idled.

Restructuring charges of $25.1 million in 2022 are largely related to severance costs and other associate-related costs associated with the relocation and closure of certain production facilities within our manufacturing footprint, resulting in a more flexible facility footprint. These actions included the consolidation of two manufacturing facilities in Winnipeg, Canada into one facility, the idling of a manufacturing facility in Newton, Kansas, and the closure of our Lynchburg, Virginia manufacturing facility.
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Restructuring charges of $4.2 million in 2021 are largely related to severance costs and costs associated with closing a facility.
Reconciliation of Restructuring Liability
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Balance at December 25, 2022
2023
Provision
Cash Expenditures(a)
Non-cash Writeoffs
Balance at December 31, 2023
Workforce reduction costs $ 15.3  $ 3.6  $ (17.6) $ —  $ 1.3 
Facility Closure Costs
—  4.6  —  (4.6) — 
Other 0.1  1.9  (1.9) —  0.1 
$ 15.4  $ 10.1  $ (19.5) $ (4.6) $ 1.4 
(a) Cash expenditures primarily related to severance charges.
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Balance at December 26, 2021
2022
Provision
Cash Expenditures(a)
Balance at December 25, 2022
Workforce reduction costs $ 2.2  $ 24.5  $ (11.4) $ 15.3 
Other 0.2  0.6  (0.7) 0.1 
$ 2.4  $ 25.1  $ (12.1) $ 15.4 
(a) Cash expenditures primarily related to severance charges.

13.    Income Taxes
For taxable periods prior to and including the Separation, our operations were included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state and local income tax returns of Fortune Brands, as applicable. The Company filed separate foreign income tax returns. Subsequent to the Separation, as a stand-alone entity, we file consolidated U.S. federal income tax returns and various state and local income tax returns. The Company’s foreign income tax returns will continue to be filed on a full-year basis. The Company’s deferred taxes and effective tax rate may differ from those in the pre-Separation taxable periods.

The components of income from continuing operations before income taxes were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Domestic operations $ 213.2  $ 162.2  $ 204.0 
Foreign operations 25.5  51.2  34.3 
Income before income taxes $ 238.7  $ 213.4  $ 238.3 
Income tax expense in the consolidated statement of income consisted of the following:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Current
Federal $ 44.2  $ 30.9  $ 43.7 
State 9.3  14.2  10.8 
Foreign 8.9  10.6  8.9 
Deferred
Federal 1.2  3.7  (5.4)
State (2.1) (2.3) (0.2)
Foreign (4.8) 0.9  (2.1)
Total income tax expense $ 56.7  $ 58.0  $ 55.7 
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A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to the Company’s effective income tax rate is as follows:
(in percentages) 2023 2022 2021
Income tax expense at U.S. federal statutory income tax rate 21.0  % 21.0  % 21.0  %
State and local income taxes, net of federal tax benefit 2.2  4.3  3.9 
Foreign taxes at a different rate than U.S. federal statutory income tax rate 0.6  (0.4) (0.2)
Unrecognized tax benefits —  (6.6) (0.5)
IRS audit adjustments —  8.1  — 
Miscellaneous other, net —  0.8  (0.8)
Effective income tax rate 23.8  % 27.2  % 23.4  %

For 2023, the Company’s effective tax rate was 23.8 percent, compared to an effective tax rate of 27.2 percent for 2022. The decrease in effective tax rate in 2023 was primarily the result of changes in state and local income taxes and the nonrecurrence of IRS audit adjustments in 2022, including recognition of a deferred tax liability for earnings of various foreign entities, partially offset by benefits for the release of uncertain tax positions in 2022 and foreign income taxed at higher rates.

The 2023 effective income tax rate of 23.8 percent was unfavorably impacted by net changes in state and local income taxes, and foreign income taxed at higher rates. The 27.2 percent effective income tax rate for 2022 was unfavorably impacted by IRS audit adjustments, including recognition of a deferred tax liability for earnings of various foreign entities, and state and local income taxes, partially offset by favorable benefits for the release of uncertain tax positions and foreign income taxed at lower rates.

For 2022, the Company’s effective tax rate was 27.2 percent, compared to an effective tax rate of 23.4 percent for 2021. The increase in effective tax rate was primarily the result of state and local income taxes and IRS audit adjustments, including recognition of a deferred tax liability for earnings of various foreign entities, partially offset by increased benefits for the release of uncertain tax positions and foreign income taxed at lower rates. The 23.4 percent effective income tax rate for 2021 was unfavorably impacted by state and local income taxes and increases in uncertain tax positions that were partially offset by a favorable benefit for foreign income taxed at lower rates.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are provided for the impact of temporary differences between amounts of assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and the bases of such assets and liabilities as measured by tax laws. These temporary differences result in taxable or deductible amounts in future years. As of each reporting date, the Company’s management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, that could impact management’s view regarding the future realization of deferred tax assets.

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The components of net deferred tax assets (liabilities) as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022
Deferred tax assets:
Compensation and benefits $ 15.9  $ 14.6 
Other accrued expenses 14.7  15.9 
Accounts receivable 12.5  18.8 
Operating lease liabilities 11.0  14.6 
Capitalized inventories 4.2  6.0 
Net operating loss and other tax carryforwards 3.2  2.4 
Defined benefit plans 1.1  2.4 
Valuation allowance (1.0) (1.2)
Other 8.7  4.6 
Total deferred tax assets 70.3  78.1 
Deferred tax liabilities:
Intangible assets (114.3) (118.0)
Fixed assets (22.0) (25.3)
Operating lease assets (10.5) (14.0)
Prepaid marketing (3.0) (4.1)
Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries —  (0.2)
Other (0.4) (2.2)
Total deferred tax liabilities (150.2) (163.8)
Net deferred tax liability $ (79.9) $ (85.7)

Deferred taxes were classified in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 as follows:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022
Other assets $ 3.7  $ 1.6 
Deferred income taxes (83.6) (87.3)
Net deferred tax liability $ (79.9) $ (85.7)

As of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, the Company had deferred tax assets related to net operating losses and other tax credit carryforwards of $3.2 million and $2.4 million, respectively. The net operating losses expire between 2024 and 2043, and the tax credit carryforwards expire between 2029 and 2032.
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The Company evaluated its ability to realize tax benefits associated with deferred tax assets and concluded, based on all available positive and negative evidence, that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized. Accordingly, a valuation allowance of $1.0 million and $1.2 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively, was recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets related to the net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards.

A reconciliation of the Company’s gross change in UTBs, including accrued interest and penalties, is as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Unrecognized tax benefits—beginning of year $ 1.2  $ 20.2  $ 21.5 
Gross additions—current year tax positions —  0.1  0.1 
Gross additions—prior year tax positions —  —  0.1 
Gross reductions—prior year tax positions (0.3) (17.8) (1.5)
Gross reductions—settlements with taxing authorities —  (1.3) — 
Unrecognized tax benefits—end of year $ 0.9  $ 1.2  $ 20.2 
Unrecognized tax benefits—accrued interest and penalties 0.7  0.5  3.0 
Gross unrecognized tax benefits $ 1.6  $ 1.7  $ 23.2 

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company released $0.3 million of prior year tax positions due to statute of limitations. In the third quarter of 2022, the IRS completed its examination of the Company’s tax filings for 2017 and 2018. As a result of closing the IRS examination and other changes to UTBs, the Company realized a $19.0 million net reduction in UTBs, which was partially offset by related tax expenses to adjust current and deferred income tax liabilities. As a result of the IRS audit, the Company is now recognizing a deferred tax liability for various foreign entities whose income is currently includable for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Post-Separation, liabilities related to UTBs, including interest and penalties, are reported as a liability within the Consolidated Balance Sheet based upon tax authorities’ ability to assert the Company may be legally liable for UTBs. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from examinations to determine the adequacy of its tax reserves.

The Company classifies interest and penalty accruals related to UTBs as income tax expense. In 2023, the Company recognized interest and penalty expense of approximately $0.2 million. In both 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized interest and penalty expenses of approximately $0.1 million.

The amount of UTBs that, if recognized as of December 31, 2023, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate is $0.9 million. It is reasonably possible that, within the next twelve months, total UTBs may decrease in the range of $0.4 million to $0.9 million primarily as a result of the conclusion of U.S. federal, state, and foreign income tax proceedings or expiration of the relevant statute of limitations.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company believed that it is more-likely-than-not that the tax positions it has taken would be sustained upon the resolution of its audits resulting in no material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. However, the final determination with respect to any tax audits, and any related litigation, could be materially different from the Company’s estimates and/or from its historical income tax provisions and accruals and could have a material effect on operating results and/or cash flows in the periods for which that determination is made. In addition, future period earnings may be adversely impacted by litigation costs, settlements, interest and/or penalty assessments.

For pre-Separation periods, the Company’s federal income tax returns, and various state income tax returns that included operations of the Company, were filed by Fortune Brands and remain open and subject to examination for tax years after 2018. In addition to the U.S., the Company has tax years that remain open and subject to examination by tax authorities in the following major taxing jurisdictions: Canada for years after 2018 and Mexico for years after 2017.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company is not permanently reinvested with respect to all earnings generated by foreign operations. There was no material deferred tax expense recorded for foreign and state tax costs associated with the future remittance of these undistributed earnings. Accordingly, the Company’s foreign earnings are subject to the general presumption of APB 23, including the 100 percent dividends-received deduction and previously taxed income components.
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Income taxes paid directly to taxing authorities, net of refunds received, were $68.5 million, $10.3 million, and $15.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021, respectively. Prior to the Separation in 2022, federal and state income tax payments and refunds were paid and received by Fortune Brands on our behalf.

14.    Pension and Other Postretirement Plans
We have a defined benefit pension plan in the United States covering many of the Company’s associates. However, the plan has been frozen to new participants and benefit accruals were frozen for active participants on or before December 31, 2016. In addition, the Company provides postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to certain retirees. Service cost for 2023 and 2022 relates to benefit accruals for an associate group in Mexico who receive statutorily-mandated retiree health and welfare benefits. The plans provide for payment of retirement benefits, mainly commencing between the ages of 55 and 65. After meeting certain qualifications, an associate acquires a vested right to future benefits. The benefits payable under the plans are generally determined on the basis of an associate’s length of service and/or earnings. Employer contributions to the plans are made, as necessary, to ensure legal funding requirements are satisfied. Also, from time to time, we may make contributions in excess of the legal funding requirements.

During 2023, the Board of Directors of MasterBrand, Inc. approved a plan to terminate the defined benefit pension plan. The termination and settlement process, which preserves retirement benefits due to participants but changes the ultimate payor of such benefits, is expected to take up to 24 months to complete, subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals. During 2024, the Company expects to offer a lump-sum benefit payout option to certain plan participants. During 2025, we expect to complete the purchase of group annuity contracts that will transfer any remaining pension benefit obligation to an insurance company.

Net actuarial gains and losses occur when actual experience differs from any of the assumptions used to value the plans or when assumptions change as they may each year. The primary factors contributing to actuarial gains and losses are changes in the discount rate used to value obligations as of the measurement date and the differences between expected and actual returns on pension plan assets.
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
Obligations and Funded Status December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022 December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022
Change in the Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO):
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 128.9  $ 173.3  $ 3.2  $ 3.5 
Service cost —  —  0.5  0.5 
Interest cost 6.5  5.1  0.3  0.3 
Actuarial loss (gain)
7.9  (41.1) 0.5  0.4 
Benefits paid (7.7) (8.4) (0.2) (0.9)
Settlements/Curtailments gain
—  —  (0.2) (0.6)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year $ 135.6  $ 128.9  $ 4.1  $ 3.2 
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of year (excludes the impact of future compensation increases) $ 135.6  $ 128.9  $ 2.9  $ 2.3 
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 119.4  $ 166.2  $ —  $ — 
Actual return on plan assets 11.3  (39.5) —  — 
Employer contributions 8.1  1.1  1.0  0.9 
Benefits paid (7.7) (8.4) (1.0) (0.9)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year $ 131.1  $ 119.4  $ —  $ — 
Funded status (Fair value of plan assets less PBO) $ (4.5) $ (9.5) $ (4.1) $ (3.2)

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For the year ended December 31, 2023, the actuarial loss is primarily due to declining discount rates and the decision to terminate the plan, which resulted in the adoption of plan termination assumptions that results in an increase to the liability. These liability losses were offset slightly by asset returns greater than expected. For the year ended December 25, 2022, the actuarial gain is primarily a result of the difference in the expected long-term rate of return compared to the actual return on plan assets.

The accumulated benefit obligation exceeds the fair value of the pension plan assets. Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets consist of:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022 December 31, 2023 December 25, 2022
Current liabilities $ (0.1) $ (0.1) $ (0.6) $ (0.4)
Noncurrent liabilities (4.4) (9.4) (3.5) (2.8)
Net amount recognized $ (4.5) $ (9.5) $ (4.1) $ (3.2)
As of December 31, 2023, we utilized the Society of Actuaries’ base MP-2021 mortality projection scale without adjustment, resulting in an immaterial increase in plan benefit obligation and ongoing expenses. As of December 25, 2022, we utilized an aggregate Pri-2012 mortality table with the Society of Actuaries’ MP-2021 projection scale and an adjustment to reflect increased rates of mortality subsequent to the Society of Actuaries’ MP-2021 projection scale, resulting in an immaterial decrease in plan benefit obligation and ongoing expenses.

The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the Consolidated Balance Sheets that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost were as follows:
(In U.S. Dollars in millions)
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
Net actuarial loss at December 26, 2021 $ 7.2  $ 0.4 
Recognition of actuarial loss
(0.2) (0.4)
Current year actuarial loss
5.8  0.3 
Current year net actuarial gain due to curtailment
—  (0.3)
Net actuarial loss at December 25, 2022 $ 12.8  $ — 
Recognition of actuarial loss
(2.9) (0.3)
Current year actuarial loss 3.6  0.5 
Net actuarial loss at December 31, 2023 $ 13.5  $ 0.2 
Components of net periodic cost (benefit) were as follows:
Components of Net Periodic Cost (Benefit)
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021 2023 2022 2021
Service cost $ —  $ —  $ —  $ 0.5  $ 0.5  $ 0.4 
Interest cost 6.5  5.1  4.7  0.3  0.3  0.2 
Expected return on plan assets (7.1) (7.3) (7.5) —  —  — 
Recognition of actuarial losses 2.9  0.2  —  —  0.7  0.2 
Settlement/Curtailment loss/(gain)
—  —  —  0.3  (0.3) — 
Net periodic cost (benefit)
$ 2.3  $ (2.0) $ (2.8) $ 1.1  $ 1.2  $ 0.8 
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Assumptions Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2023 2022 2021 2023 2022 2021
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at balance sheet date:
Discount rate 4.8  % 5.2  % 3.0  % 9.2  % 9.5  % 7.8  %
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost (benefit) for years ended:
Discount rate 5.2% 3.0% 2.7% 9.4% 8.9% 7.0  %
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets 3.8% 6.2% 4.5% —% —% —%
Plan Assets
The fair value of the pension assets by major category of plan assets as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022 were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Total as of
balance sheet date
2023 2022
Collective trusts:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 23.2  $ 5.4 
Equity 28.5  31.0 
Fixed income 73.6  76.6 
Multi-strategy hedge funds 3.0  3.4 
Real estate 2.8  3.0 
Total $ 131.1  $ 119.4 
A reconciliation of Level 3 measurements was as follows:
Group annuity/
insurance
contracts
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022
Beginning of year $ —  $ 4.8 
Assets liquidated —  (4.8)
End of year $ —  $ — 

Our defined benefit plan Master Trust owns a variety of investment assets. All of these investment assets, except for group annuity/insurance contracts which were liquidated during our 2022 fiscal year as shown in the table above, are measured using net asset value per share as a practical expedient per ASC 820. Following the retrospective adoption of ASU 2015-07 (Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share) we excluded all investments measured using net asset value per share in the amount of $131.1 million and $119.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, respectively, from the tabular fair value hierarchy disclosure.

The terms and conditions for redemptions vary for each class of the investment assets valued at net asset value per share as a practical expedient. Real estate assets may be redeemed quarterly with a 105 day redemption notice period. Investment assets in multi-strategy hedge funds have a 1-year lockup with a 95 day redemption notice period. Equity, fixed income and cash and cash equivalents have no specified redemption frequency and notice period and may be redeemed daily. As of December 31, 2023, we did not have an intent to sell or otherwise dispose of these investment assets at prices different than the net asset value per share.

Our investment strategy is to optimize investment returns through a diversified portfolio of investments, taking into consideration underlying plan liabilities and asset volatility. The defined benefit asset allocation policy of the plan allows for an equity allocation of up to 75 percent, a fixed income allocation of 25 percent to 100 percent, a cash allocation of up to 25 percent and other investments of up to 20 percent. Asset allocations are based on the underlying liability structure. All retirement asset allocations are reviewed periodically to ensure the allocation meets the needs of the liability structure.
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Our 2024 expected blended long-term rate of return on plan assets of 3.8 percent was determined based on the nature of the plans’ investments, our current asset allocation and projected long-term rates of return from pension investment consultants. The asset allocation for plan investments has shifted to mirror the revised expected timing of the disbursement of plan assets in conjunction with the plan termination.

Estimated Future Retirement Benefit Payments
The following retirement benefit payments are expected to be paid by the respective plans:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Pension
Benefits
Postretirement
Benefits
2024 $ 47.6  $ 0.5 
2025 $ 7.2  $ 0.5 
2026 $ 7.2  $ 0.4 
2027 $ 7.2  $ 0.4 
2028 $ 7.1  $ 0.4 
Years 2029-2033 $ 33.7  $ 2.5 

Estimated future retirement benefit payments listed are estimates and could change significantly based on differences between actuarial assumptions and actual events and decisions related to lump sum distribution options that are available to certain participants.

Defined Contribution Plan Contributions
We sponsor a number of defined contribution plans. Contributions are determined under various formulas. Cash contributions by the Company related to these plans amounted to $18.2 million, $14.0 million, and $15.3 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
15.    Commitments
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations of the Company as of December 31, 2023 were $38.3 million, of which $25.6 million is due within one year. Purchase obligations include contracts for selling and administrative services and capital expenditures.

16.    Contingencies and Accrued Losses
Product Warranties
We generally record warranty expense related to contractual warranty terms at the time of sale. We may also provide customer concessions for claims made outside of the contractual warranty terms and those expenses are recorded in the period in which the concession is made. We offer our customers various warranty terms based on the type of product that is sold. Warranty expense is determined based on historic claim experience and the nature of the product category. The following table summarizes activity related to our product warranty liability for the years ended 2023, 2022 and 2021.
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Reserve balance at the beginning of the year $ 11.2  $ 7.0  $ 5.5 
Provision for warranties issued 32.7  39.6  28.1 
Settlements made (in cash or in kind) (31.0) (35.4) (26.6)
Reserve balance at end of year $ 12.9  $ 11.2  $ 7.0 
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Litigation
The Company is a defendant in lawsuits that are ordinary routine litigation matters incidental to our business and operations. In addition, other matters, including tax assessments, audits, claims and governmental investigations and proceedings covering a wide range of matters are pending against us. It is not possible to predict the outcome of the pending actions, and, as with any such matters, it is possible that these actions could be decided unfavorably to the Company. The Company believes that there are meritorious defenses to these actions and that these actions will not have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s results of operations, and where appropriate, these actions are being vigorously contested. Accordingly, the Company believes the likelihood of material loss is remote. However, such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings or other events could occur. The Company regularly undergoes tax audits in various jurisdictions in which our products are sold or manufactured. In the future, such costs or an unfavorable outcome could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations.

Following an audit for the 2018 tax year, the Mexican tax administration service, the Servicio de Administración Tributaria, (the “SAT”), issued a tax assessment in the amount of approximately $54.9 million to our subsidiary, Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de R.L. de C.V., for allegedly failing to make certain tax payments and to export timely certain merchandise. The Company disputed these findings and the SAT annulled their decision on January 11, 2024. In order to prevent the 2018 tax year from further audit by the SAT, the Company has filed an action to declare this annulment final in the specialized court of trade and customs in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Sala Especializada en Materia de Comercio Exterior y Auxiliar – Noreste, Tribunal Federal de Justicia Administrativa. We have reserved an immaterial amount related to the 2018 tax year audit as our best estimate of our probable liability. While we cannot predict with certainty the outcome of any future review relating to the 2018 tax year or other open tax years, based on currently known information, we believe our risk of additional loss is remote and not estimable.
Environmental
We reserve for remediation activities to clean up potential environmental liabilities as required by federal and state laws based on our best estimate of undiscounted future costs, excluding possible insurance recoveries or recoveries from other third parties. There were no material environmental accruals as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022.
17.    Stock-Based Compensation
Prior to the Separation, certain of Cabinets’ associates participated in stock-based compensation plans sponsored by Fortune Brands. In connection with the Separation, stock compensation awards granted under the Fortune Brands’ Long-Term Incentive Plans were adjusted as follows:

•Vested and unvested stock options were adjusted so that the grantee holds options to purchase MasterBrand, Inc. common shares.

•The adjustment to the stock options was intended to generally preserve the intrinsic value of each original option grant and the ratio of the exercise price to the fair market value of Fortune Brands’ common shares on December 14, 2022.

•For unvested performance share awards, progress against the targets was projected as of the conclusion of our fiscal third quarter of 2022. The unvested performance share awards were then converted into awards of restricted stock units.

•Unvested restricted stock awards were replaced with adjusted, substitute awards for restricted shares or units, as applicable, of MasterBrand, Inc. common shares. The new awards of restricted stock were intended to generally preserve the intrinsic value of the original award determined as of December 14, 2022.

•Vesting periods of all awards described above were unaffected by the adjustment and substitution.

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Subsequent to the Separation, certain of the Company’s associates participate in a stock-based compensation plan sponsored by MasterBrand, Inc. Our stock-based compensation plan, the MasterBrand, Inc. 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), includes stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, other types of stock-based awards, and other cash-based compensation. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 9.7 million shares of common stock remained authorized for issuance under the Plan. In addition, shares of common stock that were granted and subsequently expired, terminated, cancelled or forfeited, or were used to satisfy the required withholding taxes with respect to existing awards under the Plan may be recycled back into the total numbers of shares available for issuance under the Plan. Upon the exercise or payment of stock-based awards, shares of common stock are issued from authorized common shares of MasterBrand, Inc.

Stock-based compensation expense, including expense recognized under both the Fortune Brands’ Long-Term Incentive Plans and the MasterBrand, Inc. 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan, was as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) 2023 2022 2021
Performance awards $ 1.2  $ 3.2  $ 2.3 
Restricted stock units 15.6  6.2  6.2 
Stock option awards 1.0  1.5  0.8 
Total pre-tax expense 17.8  10.9  9.3 
Tax benefit 4.2  3.0  2.0 
Total after tax expense $ 13.6  $ 7.9  $ 7.3 

Compensation expense for 2022 included the recognition of $0.7 million of incremental compensation expense in the fourth quarter of 2022 resulting from the adjustment and substitution of Fortune Brands awards settled in MasterBrand, Inc. stock.

Performance Share Awards
Performance share awards were granted to officers and certain associates of the Company and represent the right to earn shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock based on the achievement of their company-wide non-GAAP performance conditions, including average adjusted return on net tangible assets and cumulative adjusted EBITDA during the three-year performance period. Compensation cost is amortized into expense over the performance period, which is generally three years, and is based on the probability of meeting performance targets. The fair value of each performance share award is based on the average of the high and low stock price on the date of grant.

Upon Separation, the progress against the targets for all outstanding performance share awards was projected as of the conclusion of our fiscal third quarter of 2022, and were converted into awards of Restricted Stock Units, and the vesting periods of the performance share awards were unaffected by the adjustment and substitution. The fair value of performance share awards that vested during 2022 was $1.5 million (245,111 shares, as converted to MasterBrand, Inc. common stock). As of December 25, 2022, there were no unvested performance share awards outstanding that had been awarded under the Fortune Brands’ Long-Term Incentive Plans.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2023, we granted 411,647 performance share awards. The following table summarizes activity with respect to performance share awards outstanding under the MasterBrand, Inc. Plan:
Number of
Performance Share Awards
Weighted-
Average Grant-
Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 25, 2022
—  $ — 
Granted 411,647  $ 9.91 
Vested (9,332) $ 10.71 
Forfeited —  $ — 
Non-vested at December 31, 2023
402,315  $ 9.92 
The remaining unrecognized pre-tax compensation cost related to PSAs at December 31, 2023 was approximately $2.8 million (based on the current estimated probability of meeting performance targets), and the weighted-average period of time over which this cost will be recognized is 2.09 years. The fair value of PSAs that vested during 2023 was $0.1 million.
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Restricted Stock Units
Restricted stock units (“RSUs”) have been granted to officers and certain associates of the Company and represent the right to receive shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock subject to continued employment through each vesting date. RSUs generally vest ratably over a three-year period (i.e., 1/3 vests on the 1st anniversary of the grant date, 1/3 vests on the 2nd anniversary of the grant date, and 1/3 vests on the 3rd anniversary of the grant date). In addition, certain associates can elect to defer receipt of a portion of their RSU awards upon vesting. Compensation cost is recognized over the service period. We calculate the fair value of each RSU granted by using the average of the high and low share prices on the date of grant.
The following table summarizes activity with respect to RSUs outstanding under the MasterBrand, Inc. Plan:
Number of
Restricted
Stock
Units
Weighted-
Average Grant-
Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 25, 2022
3,924,976  $ 8.98 
Granted 1,254,704  $ 10.28 
Vested (1,019,865) $ 9.19 
Forfeited (160,496) $ 9.19 
Non-vested at December 31, 2023
3,999,319  $ 9.32 

The remaining unrecognized pre-tax compensation cost related to RSUs at December 31, 2023 was approximately $19.3 million, and the weighted-average period of time over which this cost will be recognized is 1.78 years. The fair value of RSUs that vested (including RSUs that had been awarded under the Fortune Brands’ Long-Term Incentive Plans that vested prior to the Separation) during 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $10.6 million, $6.1 million and $6.6 million, respectively.

Stock Option Awards
Stock options have been granted to officers and certain associates of the Company and represent the right to purchase shares of MasterBrand, Inc. common stock subject to continued employment through each vesting date. Stock options granted under the Plan generally vest over a three-year period and generally have a maturity of ten years from the grant date.

All stock-based compensation to associates is required to be measured at fair value and expensed over the requisite service period. We recognize compensation expense on awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

MasterBrand, Inc. did not grant any stock options in fiscal 2023 or 2022, subsequent to the Separation. The fair value of MasterBrand, Inc. options granted in future periods will be estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with assumptions for current expected dividend yield, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and an expected term.

A summary of MasterBrand, Inc. stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2023 was as follows:
Options Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Outstanding at December 25, 2022
1,334,292  $ 9.36 
Granted —  $ — 
Exercised —  $ — 
Expired/forfeited —  $ — 
Outstanding at December 31, 2023
1,334,292 $ 9.36 
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Options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2023 were as follows:
Options Outstanding(a)
Options Exercisable(b)
Range Of
Exercise Prices
Options
Outstanding
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Options
Exercisable
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
$5.92 to $10.76
1,334,292 6.60 $ 9.36  1,022,298 $ 8.94 
(a) At December 31, 2023, the aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding was $7.3 million (as compared to $0.2 million at December 25, 2022).
(b) At December 31, 2023 the weighted-average remaining contractual life of options exercisable was 6.2 years (as compared to 6.7 years at December 25, 2022) and the aggregate intrinsic value of options exercisable was $6.0 million (as compared to $0.2 million at December 25, 2022.

The remaining unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards at December 31, 2023 was $0.4 million, and the weighted-average period of time over which this cost will be recognized is 0.74 years. The fair value of options that vested (including stock options that had been awarded under the Fortune Brands’ Long-Term Incentive Plans that vested prior to the Separation) during the years ended 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $1.4 million, $0.8 million and $0.7 million, respectively. No options were exercised in 2023 or 2022. The intrinsic value of stock options exercised in 2021 was $2.6 million.
18.    Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of net income and other changes in business equity from transactions and other events from sources other than stockholders. It includes currency translation gains and losses, realized gains and losses from derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, and defined benefit plan adjustments. The after-tax components of and changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Foreign
Currency
Adjustments
Derivative
Hedging
Gain (Loss)
Pension and Other
Postretirement Plans
Adjustments
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
Balance at December 27, 2020 $ 2.8  $ 2.5  $ (13.0) $ (7.7)
Amounts classified into accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income . (0.9) 0.5  7.1  6.7 
Amounts reclassified into earnings —  (2.9) —  (2.9)
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income
(0.9) (2.4) 7.1  3.8 
Balance at December 26, 2021 $ 1.9  $ 0.1  $ (5.9) $ (3.9)
Amounts classified into accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (9.9) 7.2  (4.5) (7.2)
Amounts reclassified into earnings —  (4.5) 1.1  (3.4)
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income
(9.9) 2.7  (3.4) (10.6)
Balance at December 25, 2022 $ (8.0) $ 2.8  $ (9.3) $ (14.5)
Amounts classified into accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
12.1  9.6  (3.1) 18.6 
Amounts reclassified into earnings —  (10.2) 2.4  (7.8)
Net current period other comprehensive (loss) income
12.1  (0.6) (0.7) 10.8 
Balance at December 31, 2023 $ 4.1  $ 2.2  $ (10.0) $ (3.7)
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The amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, and December 26, 2021 were as follows:

(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
Details about Accumulated Other
Comprehensive Loss Components
2023 2022 2021
Foreign currency translation adjustments
$ 12.1  $ (9.9) $ (0.9)
—  —  —  Tax expense
$ 12.1  $ (9.9) $ (0.9) Net of tax
Cash flow hedges
Unrealized holding gains arising during period
$ 9.6  $ 7.2  $ 0.5 
—  —  —  Tax expense
$ 9.6  $ 7.2  $ 0.5  Net of tax
Pension and Other Postretirement Plans items
Net actuarial (losses) gains arising during period
$ (4.1) $ (6.1) $ 9.4 
1.0  1.6  (2.3)
Tax benefit (expense)
$ (3.1) $ (4.5) $ 7.1  Net of tax
Total amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss for the period
$ 18.6  $ (7.2) $ 6.7  Net of tax
The reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, and December 26, 2021 were as follows:
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions)
Details about Accumulated Other
Comprehensive Loss Components
2023 2022 2021 Affected Line Item in the Consolidated Statements of Income
Cash flow hedges
Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income
$ (10.2) $ (4.5) $ (2.9) Cost of products sold
—  —  —  Tax expense
$ (10.2) $ (4.5) $ (2.9) Net of tax
Pension and Other Postretirement Plans items
Amortization of net actuarial loss and curtailment
$ 3.2  $ 1.7  $ — 
Other expense, net
(0.8) (0.6) —  Tax benefit
$ 2.4  $ 1.1  $ —  Net of tax
Total reclassifications for the period $ (7.8) $ (3.4) $ (2.9) Net of tax

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19.    Stock Repurchase Program
On May 9, 2023, we announced our authorization of a stock repurchase program under which we may repurchase up to $50.0 million of MasterBrand common stock over a twenty-four month period at management’s discretion for general corporate purposes. As a result of this authorization, we may repurchase shares from time to time through open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, block trades or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including through Rule 10b5-1 trading plans and under Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The timing and amount of our purchases will depend upon prevailing market conditions, our available capital resources, our financial and operational performance, alternative uses of capital and other factors. We may limit or terminate the repurchase program at any time.
During fiscal 2023 we repurchased 1,874,806 shares of our common stock under this program at a cost of approximately $22.0 million, or an average of $11.73 per share. As of December 31, 2023, $28.0 million remained authorized for purchase under our stock repurchase program.

20.    Related Party Transactions
The accompanying financial statements are presented on a consolidated basis as the company is a standalone public company. Certain information from prior to the Separation on December 14, 2022 was derived from Fortune Brands consolidated financial statements and accounting records. Transactions between MasterBrand and Fortune Brands prior to the Separation have been presented as related party transactions in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. After the Separation, Fortune Brands is not considered a related party of MasterBrand, Inc.

Fortune Brands performed, and continues to perform in some areas as part of a transitional services agreement, certain corporate functions, including information technology, finance, executive, human resources, supply chain, internal audit, governance and legal services on behalf of the Company. The expenses associated with these functions have been allocated based on direct usage or benefit where specifically identifiable, with the remainder allocated on a proportional cost allocation method based primarily on net sales, associate headcount, or number of facilities, as applicable. Prior to the Separation, total expenses allocated for the 2022 and 2021 years were $92.5 million and $62.0 million, respectively, and such amounts are primarily included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. These amounts include costs of $72.4 million and $42.3 million for the 2022 and 2021 years, respectively, that were not historically allocated to us as part of Fortune Brands’ normal periodic management reporting process. We consider the expense methodology and resulting allocation to be reasonable for all periods presented; however, the allocations may not be indicative of actual expenses that would have been incurred had we operated as an independent, publicly-traded company for the periods presented. Actual costs that we may have incurred had we been a standalone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, whether functions were outsourced or performed by our associates and strategic decisions made in areas such as manufacturing, selling and marketing, research and development, information technology and infrastructure.

Cash Management
Fortune Brands utilized a central approach to treasury management, and prior to the Separation, we historically participated in related cash pooling arrangements to maximize the availability of cash for general operating and investing purposes. Under these cash pooling arrangements in the United States, cash balances were remitted regularly from our accounts. Our cash and cash equivalents on our consolidated balance sheets represent cash balances held in bank accounts owned by the Company and its subsidiaries.

Stock-Based Compensation
Prior to the Separation, our associates participated in Fortune Brands stock-based compensation plans, the costs of which have been allocated and recorded in cost of products sold, and selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of income. Prior to the Separation, stock-based compensation costs related to our associates for 2022 and 2021 were $10.9 million and $9.3 million, respectively. All of these amounts, except for $0.7 million of incremental compensation expense recognized in the fourth quarter of 2022, as described in Note 17, "Stock-Based Compensation," are included within the total expenses allocated, as noted above.

Related Party Sales
There were no material sales to or from Fortune Brands or its subsidiaries for any of the periods presented.

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Balances Due to and From Related Parties
Prior to Separation, the related party note receivable balance was the amount owed to the Company and its subsidiaries from Fortune Brands. We had written interest-bearing loan agreements in place with Fortune Brands. The receivable balance consisted of excess cash remitted to the Parent’s cash pooling arrangements, net of expenses incurred by us which were paid for by Fortune Brands. The loan agreements were to mature on April 14, 2026, but all amounts under these agreements were settled prior to the Separation. The receivable balance earned interest at a rate in-line with the Fortune Brands’ short-term borrowing rate, which was between 0.95 percent and 4.80 percent during 2022.
Prior to Separation, the related party note payable balance was a note payable between a subsidiary of the Company and Fortune Brands. The balance comprised of a revolving loan that was due at the maturity of the agreement on April 15, 2026, but was settled prior to the Separation. The note bore interest at rates ranging between 1.20 percent and 5.05 percent during 2022.
The Company received interest income on related party receivables of $14.4 million and $5.2 million for 2022 and 2021, respectively. Additionally, the Company incurred interest expense on intercompany payables and notes of $1.5 million and $0.6 million for 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of MasterBrand, Inc.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of MasterBrand, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, and the related consolidated statements of income, of comprehensive income, of equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, including the related notes and schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 appearing after Item 16 and the signatures, (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and December 25, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
82

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Quantitative Impairment Tests – Certain Indefinite-Lived Tradenames
As described in Notes 2 and 8 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s consolidated indefinite-lived tradenames balance was $184.2 million as of December 31, 2023, which included two tradenames with remaining carrying values of $46.2 million and $19.1 million, for which a quantitative impairment test was performed. Management reviews indefinite-lived tradenames for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and whenever market or business events indicate there may be a potential impairment of that intangible. Impairment losses are recorded to the extent that the carrying value of the indefinite-lived tradename exceeds its fair value. Management first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If it is more likely than not that an intangible asset is impaired, management performs a quantitative impairment test. Management may also elect to bypass the qualitative testing and proceed directly to the quantitative testing. Fair value is measured by management using the relief-from-royalty approach. Significant assumptions inherent in estimating fair values include forecasted revenue growth rates, assumed royalty rates and market-participant discount rates.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the quantitative impairment test for certain tradenames is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when developing the fair value estimates of the tradenames; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to forecasted revenue growth rates, market-participant discount rates and assumed royalty rates; and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to management’s indefinite-lived tradename impairment tests, including controls over the valuation of the Company’s indefinite-lived tradenames. These procedures also included, among others, (i) testing management’s process for developing the fair value estimates of the two tradenames requiring a quantitative annual impairment test, (ii) evaluating the appropriateness of the relief-from-royalty approach; (iii) testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the relief-from-royalty approach; and (iv) evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used by management related to forecasted revenue growth rates, market-participant discount rates, and assumed royalty rates. Evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to forecasted revenue growth rates and assumed royalty rates involved evaluating whether the significant assumptions used by management were reasonable considering, (i) the current and past performance of the business associated with the tradenames; (ii) the consistency with external market and industry data; and (iii) whether the assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating (i) the appropriateness of the Company’s relief-from-royalty approach and (ii) the reasonableness of the assumed market-participant discount rate and royalty rate significant assumptions.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 27, 2024

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2021.
83

Item 9.    Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined under Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended ("Exchange Act"). Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, as stated in their report, which appears herein.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.    Other Information
During the year ended December 31, 2023, none of the Company’s directors or executive officers adopted or terminated any contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of Company securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) or any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement.”
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
84

PART III
Item 10.    Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the applicable information set forth in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC.

CODE OF ETHICS
Information regarding the Company’s code of conduct and ethics is available on the Company’s website at https://www.masterbrand.com. To access this information, first click on “Investors”, then click on “Governance” and then click on "Governance Documents" on the Company’s website. Then, select the “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” and “Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers” links.
Item 11.    Executive Compensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the applicable information set forth in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC.
Item 12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the applicable information set forth in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC.
Item 13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the applicable information set forth in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC.
Item 14.    Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the applicable information set forth in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC.
85

PART IV
Item 15.    Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:
Page
Reference
1. Consolidated Financial Statements    
Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, & December 26, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, & December 26, 2021
Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2023 & December 25, 2022
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, & December 26, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022, & December 26, 2021
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID Number: 238)


2. Financial Statement Schedule
Valuation and qualifying accounts – Allowance for cash discounts and sales allowances, customer program allowance and tax valuation allowance

All other schedules have been omitted since the required information is not present or not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedules, or because the information required is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or the notes thereto.


3. Exhibits
The exhibits listed on the accompanying exhibit index are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
86

EXHIBIT INDEX
Incorporated by reference herein
Exhibit
Number
Description Form Date
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 10-Q
(File No. 001-41545)
August 9, 2023
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022

Current Report on Form 10-K
(File No. 001-41545)
March 10, 2023
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022
Current Report on Form 8-K
(File No. 001-41545)
December 15, 2022


Power of Attorney (included as part of the page titled “Signatures”)





101.INS XBRL Instance Document (x)
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
Document (x)
87

101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation
Linkbase Document (x)
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition
101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation
Linkbase Document (x)
101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
* Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
(x) Filed herewith.

Item 16.    Form 10-K Summary
Not applicable.
88

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: 2/27/2024
MasterBrand, Inc.
By: /s/ R. David Banyard, Jr.
Name: R. David Banyard, Jr.
Title: President & Chief Executive Officer


POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW BY ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints R. David Banyard, Jr. and Andrean Horton, jointly and severally, his or her attorney-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
Title Date
/s/ R. David Banyard, Jr. President, Chief Executive Officer, & a Director
2/27/2024
R. David Banyard, Jr. (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Andrea H. Simon Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
2/27/2024
Andrea H. Simon (Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Mark A. Young Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer
2/27/2024
Mark A. Young (Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ David D. Petratis Non-Executive Chairman of the Board
2/27/2024
David D. Petratis*
/s/ Juliana L. Chugg Director
2/27/2024
Juliana L. Chugg*
/s/ Robert C. Crisci Director
2/27/2024
Robert C. Crisci*
/s/ Ann Fritz Hackett Director
2/27/2024
Ann Fritz Hackett*
/s/ Jeffery S. Perry Director
2/27/2024
Jeffery S. Perry*

89

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
For the years ended December 31, 2023, December 25, 2022 and December 26, 2021
(U.S. Dollars presented in millions) Balance at
Beginning
of Period
Charges(a)
Write-offs
and
Deductions(b)
Balance at
End of
Period
2023:
Allowance for cash discounts and sales allowances $ 5.6  $ 73.5  $ 74.2  $ 4.9 
Customer program allowance 58.3  146.5  161.8  43.0 
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets
1.2  (0.2) —  1.0 
2022:
Allowance for cash discounts and sales allowances $ 5.6  $ 85.2  $ 85.2  $ 5.6 
Customer program allowance 55.3  141.0  138.0  58.3 
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets
1.2  —  —  1.2 
2021:
Allowance for cash discounts and sales allowances $ 5.9  $ 66.5  $ 66.8  $ 5.6 
Customer program allowance 37.2  157.1  139.0  55.3 
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets
1.3  (0.1) —  1.2 
(a)Charges related to the allowance for cash discounts and sales allowances and the customer program allowance are classified as a reduction in net sales. Charges related to the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets are classified as income tax expense.
(b)Net of immaterial foreign currency impact.
90
EX-10.8 2 exhibit10_8masterbrand-cre.htm EX-10.8 Document
EXECUTION VERSION

$1,250,000,000
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
November 18, 2022
among
MASTERBRAND, INC.,
as Borrower
The Lenders Party Hereto
and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., BARCLAYS BANK PLC,
MIZUHO BANK, LTD., PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, NEW YORK BRANCH, and
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Co-Syndication Agents

CITIZENS BANK, N.A., FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION and KEYBANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Co-Documentation Agents

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
BOFA SECURITIES, INC., BARCLAYS BANK PLC,
MIZUHO BANK, LTD., PNC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC,
TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC and WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,
as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners




TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ARTICLE I Definitions 1
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms 1
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings 34
SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally 34
SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP 35
SECTION 1.05. Interest Rates; Benchmark Notification 36
SECTION 1.06. Letter of Credit Amounts 36
SECTION 1.07. Divisions 37
SECTION 1.08. Status of Obligations 37
SECTION 1.09. Effectuation of Transactions 37
SECTION 1.10. References to Fiscal Quarters 37
ARTICLE II The Credits 37
SECTION 2.01. Commitments 37
SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings 38
SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings 38
SECTION 2.04. [Intentionally Omitted] 39
SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans 39
SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit 41
SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings 45
SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections 46
SECTION 2.09. Termination, Reduction and Increase of Commitments 47
SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt 49
SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans 51
SECTION 2.12. Fees 52
SECTION 2.13. Interest 53
SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest 54
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs 56
SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments 57
SECTION 2.17. Taxes 57
SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs 60
SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders 62
SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders 63
ARTICLE III Representations and Warranties 66
SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers; Subsidiaries 66
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability 66
SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts 67
SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change 67
SECTION 3.05. Properties 67
i


SECTION 3.06. Litigation, Environmental and Labor Matters 67
SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default 68
SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status 68
SECTION 3.09. Taxes 68
SECTION 3.10. ERISA 68
SECTION 3.11. Disclosure 68
SECTION 3.12. Anti-Corruption Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Sanctions 69
SECTION 3.13. Affected Financial Institutions 69
SECTION 3.14. Margin Regulations 69
SECTION 3.15. [Reserved] 69
SECTION 3.16. Solvency 69
SECTION 3.17. Liens 69
SECTION 3.18. No Burdensome Restrictions 69
SECTION 3.19. Insurance 69
SECTION 3.20. Security Interest in Collateral 69
SECTION 3.21. Use of Proceeds 70
ARTICLE IV Conditions 70
SECTION 4.01. Signing Date 70
SECTION 4.02. Funding Date 70
SECTION 4.03. Each Credit Event 73
ARTICLE V Affirmative Covenants 73
SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other Information 73
SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events 75
SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business 76
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations 76
SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance 76
SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights 76
SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements 77
SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit 77
SECTION 5.09. Accuracy of Information 77
SECTION 5.10. Subsidiary Guarantors; Pledges; Additional Collateral; Further Assurances; Post-Closing Obligations 78
ARTICLE VI Negative Covenants 79
SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness 79
SECTION 6.02. Liens 80
SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes 82
SECTION 6.04. Dispositions 82
SECTION 6.05. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions 83
SECTION 6.06. Swap Agreements 84
SECTION 6.07. Restricted Payments 84
SECTION 6.08. Transactions with Affiliates 84
ii


SECTION 6.09. Restrictive Agreements 85
SECTION 6.10. Subordinated Indebtedness and Amendments to Subordinated Indebtedness Documents 85
SECTION 6.11. Sale and Leaseback Transactions 86
SECTION 6.12. Financial Covenants 86
ARTICLE VII Events of Default 87
SECTION 7.01. Events of Default 87
SECTION 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default 89
SECTION 7.03. Application of Payments 90
ARTICLE VIII The Administrative Agent 91
SECTION 8.01. Authorization and Action 91
SECTION 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc 93
SECTION 8.03. Posting of Communications 94
SECTION 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually 96
SECTION 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent 96
SECTION 8.06. Acknowledgments of Lenders and Issuing Banks 97
SECTION 8.07. Collateral Matters 97
SECTION 8.08. Credit Bidding 98
SECTION 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters 99
SECTION 8.10. Certain Payments 100
SECTION 8.11. Applicable Intercreditor Agreements 101
ARTICLE IX Miscellaneous 101
SECTION 9.01. Notices 101
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments 102
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver; Limitation of Liability 105
SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns 107
SECTION 9.05. Survival 110
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution 111
SECTION 9.07. Severability 112
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff 112
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process 112
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL 113
SECTION 9.11. Headings 114
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality 114
SECTION 9.13. Interest Rate Limitation 114
SECTION 9.14. No Fiduciary Duty, etc 115
SECTION 9.15. USA PATRIOT Act 115
SECTION 9.16. Non-Public Information 116
SECTION 9.17. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions 116
iii


SECTION 9.18. Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs 116
SECTION 9.19. Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors 117
SECTION 9.20. Appointment for Perfection 117
ARTICLE X Borrower Guarantee 118



SCHEDULES:
Schedule 2.01 -- Commitments
Schedule 3.01 – Subsidiaries
Schedule 3.06 -- Disclosed Matters
Schedule 6.01 – Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 6.02 – Existing Liens
Schedule 6.05 – Existing Subsidiary Investments
Schedule 6.08 – Transactions with Affiliates
Schedule 6.09 – Existing Restrictions

EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A – Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit B – Form of Note
Exhibit C – Form of Borrowing Request
Exhibit D – Form of Financial Officer’s Certificate
Exhibit E – List of Closing Documents
Exhibit F – [Reserved]
Exhibit G – Form of U.S. Tax Certificate Exhibit H – Form of Interest Election Request CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of November 18, 2022 among MASTERBRAND, INC., a Delaware corporation, the LENDERS party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

iv


The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I

Definitions
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
“ABR” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Adjusted Covenant Period” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.12(a).
“Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR” means an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Daily Simple SOFR, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted Term SOFR Rate” means, for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Term SOFR Rate for such Interest Period, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (or any of its designated branch offices or affiliates), in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. With respect to any Lender, the term “Affiliate” shall be deemed to include (a) any entity (whether a corporation, partnership, trust or otherwise) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and is administered or managed by such Lender or an Affiliate of such Lender and (b) in the case of any Lender that is a fund that invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit, any other fund that invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit and is managed by the same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of such investment advisor.
“Agent Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(c).
“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement, as amended, restated, modified or supplemented from time to time.
1


“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for a one month Interest Period as published two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such day (or if such day is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the immediately preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day) plus 1%; provided that for the purpose of this definition, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for any day shall be based on the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m. Chicago time on such day (or any amended publication time for the Term SOFR Reference Rate, as specified by the CME Term SOFR Administrator in the Term SOFR Reference Rate methodology. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, respectively. If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, only until the Benchmark Replacement has been determined pursuant to Section 2.14(b)), then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as determined pursuant to the foregoing would be less than 1.00%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.00% for purposes of this Agreement.
“Ancillary Document” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.06(b).
“Ancillary Fees” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.02(b).
“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.
“Anti-Money Laundering Laws” means any and all laws, statutes, regulations or obligatory government orders, decrees, ordinances or rules applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time related to terrorism financing, money laundering, any predicate crime to money laundering or any financial record keeping, including any applicable provision of the Patriot Act and The Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act (also known as the “Bank Secrecy Act,” 31 U.S.C. §§ 5311-5330 and 12 U.S.C. §§ 1818(s), 1820(b) and 1951-1959).
“Applicable EBITDA” means, at any time, Consolidated EBITDA for the most recent Reference Period.
“Applicable Intercreditor Agreement” means a First Lien Intercreditor Agreement or a Junior Lien Intercreditor Agreement, as applicable.
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, (a) with respect to Revolving Loans, LC Exposure or Swingline Loans, the percentage equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and the denominator of which is the aggregate Revolving Commitments of all Revolving Lenders (if the Revolving Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Revolving Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments); provided that in the case of Section 2.20 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, any such Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Commitment shall be disregarded in the calculation and (b) with respect to Term Loans, a percentage equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Term Loan Commitment (or, once the Term Loans have been drawn, the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loans) and the denominator of which is the aggregate of all Term Loan Commitments (or, once the Term Loans have been drawn, the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Term Loans of all Term Lenders).
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“Applicable Pledge Percentage” means 100% but 65% in the case of a pledge by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary of its voting Equity Interests (and 100% of its non-voting Equity Interests) in a Foreign Subsidiary, as set forth in greater detail in the Security Agreement.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, RFR Loan or ABR Loan or with respect to the commitment fees, ticking fees and Letter of Credit fees payable hereunder, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Term Benchmark/RFR Spread”, “ABR Spread”, “Commitment Fee and Ticking Fee Rate” or “L/C Fee Rate”, as the case may be, based upon the Net Leverage Ratio applicable on such date:
Net Leverage Ratio Term Benchmark/RFR Spread and L/C Fee Rate ABR Spread Commitment Fee and Ticking Fee Rate
Category 1:
< 1.00 to 1.00 1.75% 0.75% 0.200%
Category 2:
> 1.00 to 1.00 but
 < 2.00 to 1.00
2.00% 1.00% 0.225%
Category 3:
> 2.00 to 1.00 but
< 3.00 to 1.00
2.25% 1.25% 0.250%
Category 4:
> 3.00 to 1.00
2.50% 1.50% 0.300%
For purposes of the foregoing,
(i)    if at any time the Borrower fails to deliver the Financials on or before the date the Financials are due pursuant to Section 5.01, Category 4 shall be deemed applicable for the period commencing three (3) Business Days after the required date of delivery and ending on the date which is three (3) Business Days after the Financials are actually delivered, after which the Category shall be determined in accordance with the table above as applicable;
(ii)    adjustments, if any, to the Category then in effect shall be effective on the date that is three (3) Business Days following the date the Administrative Agent has received the applicable Financials (it being understood and agreed that each change in Category shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change); and
(iii)    notwithstanding the foregoing, Category 3 shall be deemed to be applicable until the Administrative Agent’s receipt of the applicable Financials for the Borrower’s fiscal quarter ending March 26, 2023 (unless such Financials demonstrate that Category 4 should have been applicable during such period, in which case Category 4 shall be deemed to be applicable during such period) and adjustments to the Category then in effect shall thereafter be effected in accordance with the preceding paragraphs.
“Approved Electronic Platform” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(a).
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“Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
“Arrangers” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., BofA Securities, Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, Mizuho Bank, Ltd., PNC Capital Markets LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, each in its capacity as joint lead arranger and/or joint bookrunner, as applicable.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form (including electronic records generated by the use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Funding Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Revolving Commitments.
“Available Revolving Commitment” means, at any time with respect to any Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such Lender then in effect minus the Revolving Credit Exposure of such Lender at such time; it being understood and agreed that any Lender’s Swingline Exposure shall not be deemed to be a component of the Revolving Credit Exposure for purposes of calculating the commitment fee under Section 2.12(a).
“Available Tenor” means, as of any date of determination and with respect to the then-current Benchmark, as applicable, any tenor for such Benchmark (or component thereof) or payment period for interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark (or component thereof), as applicable, that is or may be used for determining the length of an Interest Period for any term rate or otherwise, for determining any frequency of making payments of interest calculated pursuant to this Agreement as of such date and not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any tenor for such Benchmark that is then-removed from the definition of “Interest Period” pursuant to clause (e) of Section 2.14.
“Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
“Bail-In Legislation” means (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
“Banking Services” means each and any of the following bank services provided to the Borrower or any Subsidiary by any Lender or any of its Affiliates: (a) credit cards for commercial customers (including, without limitation, commercial credit cards and purchasing cards), (b) stored value cards, (c) merchant processing services and (d) treasury management services (including, without limitation, controlled disbursement, automated clearinghouse transactions, return items, any direct debit scheme or arrangement, overdrafts and interstate depository network services).
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“Banking Services Agreement” means any agreement entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with Banking Services.
“Banking Services Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor) in connection with Banking Services.
“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy”, as now and hereafter in effect, or any successor statute.
“Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with the reorganization or liquidation of its business appointed for it, or, in the good faith determination of the Administrative Agent, has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any such proceeding or appointment or has had any order for relief in such proceeding entered in respect thereof, provided that a Bankruptcy Event shall not result solely by virtue of any ownership interest, or the acquisition of any ownership interest, in such Person by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof, provided, further, that such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Person with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.
“Benchmark” means, initially, with respect to any (i) RFR Loan, Daily Simple SOFR or (ii) Term Benchmark Loan, the Term SOFR Rate; provided that if a Benchmark Transition Event and the related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to the Daily Simple SOFR or Term SOFR Rate, as applicable, or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to clause (b) of Section 2.14.
“Benchmark Replacement” means, for any Available Tenor, the sum of: (a) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for Dollar-denominated syndicated credit facilities at such time in the United States and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
If the Benchmark Replacement as determined above would be less than the Floor, the Benchmark Replacement will be deemed to be the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means, with respect to any replacement of the then-current Benchmark with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any applicable Interest Period and Available Tenor for any setting of such Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement, the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower for the applicable Corresponding Tenor giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement by the Relevant Governmental Body on the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date and/or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for syndicated credit facilities denominated in Dollars at such time.
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“Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement and/or any Term Benchmark Loan, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “Alternate Base Rate,” the definition of “Business Day”, the definition of “U.S. Government Securities Business Day”, the definition of “Interest Period,” timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, timing of borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices, length of lookback periods, the applicability of breakage provisions, and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that the Administrative Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of such Benchmark and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Administrative Agent determines that no market practice for the administration of such Benchmark exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents).
“Benchmark Replacement Date” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1)    in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(2)    in the case of clause (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the first date on which such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) to be no longer representative; provided, that such non-representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (3) and even if any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date.
For the avoidance of doubt, (i) if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination and (ii) the “Benchmark Replacement Date” will be deemed to have occurred in the case of clause (1) or (2) with respect to any Benchmark upon the occurrence of the applicable event or events set forth therein with respect to all then-current Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Transition Event” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:
(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof);
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(2)    a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Board, the NYFRB, the CME Term SOFR Administrator, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), in each case, or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), in each case which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or
(3)    a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) are no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative.
For the avoidance of doubt, a “Benchmark Transition Event” will be deemed to have occurred with respect to any Benchmark if a public statement or publication of information set forth above has occurred with respect to each then-current Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Unavailability Period” means, with respect to any Benchmark, the period (if any) (x) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date pursuant to clauses (1) or (2) of that definition has occurred if, at such time, no Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14 and (y) ending at the time that a Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.14.
“Beneficial Ownership Certification” means a certification regarding beneficial ownership or control as required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
“Beneficial Ownership Regulation” means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.
“Benefit Plan” means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code, or (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of ERISA Section 3(42) or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.
“BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an “affiliate’ (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.
“Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
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“Borrower” means MasterBrand, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Borrowing” means (a) a Revolving Borrowing, (b) a Term Loan Borrowing or (c) a Swingline Loan.
“Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, which shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Business Day” means, any day (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) on which banks are open for business in New York City; provided that, in addition to the foregoing, a Business Day shall be a day that is also a U.S. Government Securities Business Day (a) in relation to RFR Loans and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such RFR Loan, or any other dealings of such RFR Loan and (b) in relation to Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate and any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or any other dealings of such Loans referencing the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate.
“Cabinets Business” means certain assets and operations associated with the cabinets businesses of FBHS, all substantially as described in the Form 10.
“Cabinets Business Transfers” means a series of transactions in which (a) all the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the subsidiaries of FBHS engaged in the Cabinets Business have been or will be transferred to the Borrower and (b) other assets and liabilities allocated to the Cabinets Business under the Separation Agreement will be assigned to or assumed by the Borrower and/or certain of its subsidiaries, all substantially as described in the Form 10.
“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases or financing leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Cash Equivalents” means:
(a)    direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;
(b)    investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, are rated A-1 by S&P or P-1 by Moody’s;
(c)    investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;
(d)    fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than thirty (30) days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above;
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(e)    money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in SEC Rule 2a- 7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000; and
(f)    instruments equivalent to those referred to in clauses (a) through (e) above denominated in other currencies and comparable in credit quality and tenor to those referred to above and customarily used for short and medium term investment purposes in jurisdictions outside the United States to the extent reasonably required in connection with any business conducted by any Subsidiary which is not a Domestic Subsidiary in such jurisdictions.
“Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of shares representing more than 35 % of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Borrower or (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower by Persons who were not (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower, (ii) appointed by directors so nominated or (iii) approved for election or nomination for the board by individuals referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above.
“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement (or, with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender), of: (a) the adoption of or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority, or (c) compliance by any Lender or Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, rule, guideline, requirement or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement (or, with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender); provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives thereunder, or issued in connection therewith or in the implementation thereof, and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law” regardless of the date enacted, adopted, issued or implemented.
“Charges” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.13.
“Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans, Term Loans or Swingline Loans.
“CME Term SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited as administrator of the forward-looking term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) (or a successor administrator).
“Co-Documentation Agent” means each of Citizens Bank, N.A., Fifth Third Bank, National Association and KeyBank, National Association, each in its capacity as documentation agent for the Lenders hereunder.
“Co-Syndication Agent” means each of Bank of America, N.A., Barclays Bank PLC, Mizuho Bank, Ltd., PNC Bank, National Association, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, New York Branch, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, each in its capacity as syndication agent for the Lenders hereunder.
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“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Collateral” means any and all property owned, leased or operated by a Person covered by the Collateral Documents and any and all other property of any Loan Party, now existing or hereafter acquired, that may at any time be or become subject to a security interest or Lien in favor of Administrative Agent, on behalf of itself and the Secured Parties under the Loan Documents, to secure the Secured Obligations (in each case, excluding any Excluded Assets).
“Collateral Account” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.06(j).
“Collateral and Guarantee Requirement” means, at any time, the requirement that:
(a)    the Administrative Agent shall have received from the Borrower and each Subsidiary Guarantor either (i) a counterpart of the Security Agreement duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Person or (ii) in the case of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor after the Funding Date, a supplement to the Security Agreement, in the form specified therein, duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Person, together with documents and opinions of the type referred to in paragraph (b) of Section 4.01 and paragraphs (l) and (m) of Section 4.02 with respect to such additional Subsidiary;
(b)    all Collateral (other than Excluded Assets) owned by or on behalf of any Loan Party shall have been pledged pursuant to the Collateral Documents, and the Administrative Agent shall, to the extent required by the Collateral Documents, have received certificates or other instruments representing all pledged Equity Interests and pledged indebtedness, together with undated stock powers, allonges, or other instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank;
(c)    all documents and instruments, including Uniform Commercial Code financing statements and intellectual property security agreements, required by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to be filed, registered or recorded to create or evidence the Liens intended to be created by the Collateral Documents and perfect such Liens to the extent required by, and with the priority required by, the Collateral Documents, shall have been filed, registered or recorded or delivered to the Administrative Agent for filing, registration or recording; and
(d)    each Loan Party shall have obtained all consents and approvals required to be obtained by it in connection with the execution and delivery of the Subsidiary Guaranty and all Collateral Documents or other Loan Documents to which it is a party, the performance of its obligations thereunder and the granting by it of the Liens thereunder.
The foregoing definition shall not require the creation or perfection of pledges of or security interests in, legal opinions or other deliverables with respect to, (i) any Excluded Assets or (ii) particular assets of the Loan Parties, or the provision of Guarantees by any Subsidiary, if and for so long as the Administrative Agent, in consultation with the Borrower, determines that the cost of creating or perfecting such pledges or security interests in such assets, legal opinions or other deliverables in respect of such assets, or providing such Guarantees (taking into account any adverse tax consequences to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries), shall be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Lenders therefrom. The Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, grant extensions of time for the creation and perfection of security interests in, or the delivery of legal opinions or other deliverables with respect to, particular assets or the provision of any Guarantee by any Subsidiary (including extensions beyond the Funding Date or in connection with assets acquired, or Subsidiaries formed or acquired, after the Funding Date) where it determines that such action cannot be accomplished without undue effort or expense by the time or times at which it would otherwise be required to be accomplished by this Agreement or the Collateral Documents.
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“Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Security Agreement and all other agreements, instruments and documents executed in connection with this Agreement that are intended to create, perfect or evidence Liens to secure the Secured Obligations, including, without limitation, all other security agreements, pledge agreements, mortgages, deeds of trust, Applicable Intercreditor Agreements, subordination agreements, pledges, powers of attorney, consents to collateral assignments or other consents relating to Liens in respect of the Secured Obligations, collateral assignments, financing statements and all other similar or related documents or instruments whether heretofore, now, or hereafter executed by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and delivered to the Administrative Agent.
“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the sum of such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and Term Loan Commitment as set forth on Schedule 2.01 opposite such Lender’s name, or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable, and giving effect to (a) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04; provided, that at no time shall the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender exceed its Revolving Commitment.
“Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
“Communications” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.
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“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters (a) Consolidated Net Income for such period, excluding, to the extent included in determining such Consolidated Net Income, (i) unusual, non-recurring or extraordinary items, (ii) noncash restructuring charges, (iii) noncash charges (provided, however, that cash expenditures in respect of charges excluded pursuant to clause (ii) or this clause (iii) shall (subject to clause (b)(v) of this definition) be deducted in determining Consolidated EBITDA for the period during which such expenditures are made), (iv) noncash gains or losses associated with recognition of actuarial gains or losses on the Borrower’s defined benefit pension and post-retirement benefit plans, (v) losses from asset impairments, (vi) gains or losses resulting from the sale of assets not in the ordinary course of business and (vii) gains or losses (including expenses) in respect of any Swap Agreement (including any gains attributable to non-cash mark-to-market adjustments on Swap Agreements) permitted under this Agreement, plus, (b) without duplication and (other than with respect to clause (b)(vii) below) to the extent deducted in determining such Consolidated Net Income, the sum of (i) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period, (ii) income taxes for such period, (iii) depreciation and amortization of intangibles for such period, (iv) equity share based compensation expense, all determined on a consolidated basis for each such item in accordance with GAAP, (v) non-recurring cash restructuring charges not to exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate with respect to any Reference Period, (vi) any non-recurring fees (including amortization of such fees), cash charges and other cash expenses (including severance costs) made or incurred during such period in connection with (A) the Financing Transactions, (B) the Cabinets Business Transfers and the Spin-Off, in each case, to the extent paid or otherwise accounted for within 30 days after the Funding Date in an aggregate amount under this clause (b)(vi)(B) not to exceed $25,000,000, (C) any amendments, waivers or other modifications in respect of the Loan Documents or (D) any acquisition or Permitted Acquisition in an aggregate amount under this clause (b)(vi)(C) not to exceed $10,000,000 for any such acquisition or Permitted Acquisition, (vii) the amount of “run rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions, and expenses and synergies (other than revenue synergies) related to Permitted Acquisitions, any restructurings, business optimizations, cost savings initiatives and other initiatives occurring after the Funding Date (without duplication of any amounts added back pursuant to clause (b)(vi) above or adjustments pursuant to Section 1.10 in connection with any such transaction) and projected by the Borrower in good faith to be realized as a result of specified actions taken or committed to be taken within twelve (12) months after such transaction or initiative is consummated (which “run rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions and expenses and synergies shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as though such “run rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions and expenses and synergies had been realized on the first day of the period for which Consolidated EBITDA is being determined), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions; provided that (A) such “run rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions and expenses and synergies are reasonably expected and factually supportable (in the good faith determination of the Borrower) and (B) the aggregate of all amounts added back to Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to this clause (b)(vii) during any period shall not exceed an amount equal to 10% of Consolidated EBITDA for such period (calculated before giving effect to such add-backs), and (viii) corporate costs of FBHS allocated to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to the Separation Agreement to the extent in excess of $28,000,000; provided that no such amounts that are incurred after the fourth full fiscal quarter following the Funding Date shall be added back pursuant to this clause (b)(viii).
“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, the interest expense of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, net income for the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Consolidated Net Worth” means at any time the consolidated stockholders’ equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time in accordance with GAAP, but excluding the effect of any charges for the impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, and any gains or losses resulting from the sale of assets not in the ordinary course of business, recorded after the date of this Agreement.
“Consolidated Total Indebtedness” means (a) the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP plus, (b) without duplication, (i) the face amount of all letters of credit in respect of which the Borrower or any Subsidiary has any actual or contingent reimbursement obligation (but only to the extent such letters of credit support the Indebtedness of Persons other than the Borrower and its Subsidiaries), and (ii) the principal amount of all Guarantees of Indebtedness owed to third parties by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; provided, in each case, that any Indebtedness that is issued at a discount to its initial principal amount shall be calculated based on the entire principal amount thereof.
“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.
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“Corresponding Tenor” with respect to any Available Tenor means, as applicable, either a tenor (including overnight) or an interest payment period having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as such Available Tenor.
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i)    a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii)    a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii)    a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Covered Party” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the sum of (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure at such time, plus (b) an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of its Term Loans outstanding at such time.
“Daily Simple SOFR” means, for any day (a “SOFR Rate Day”), a rate per annum equal to SOFR for the day (such day, a “SOFR Determination Date”) that is three (3) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to (i) if such SOFR Rate Day is a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, such SOFR Rate Day or (ii) if such SOFR Rate Day is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately preceding such SOFR Rate Day, in each case, as such SOFR is published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrator’s Website. Any change in Daily Simple SOFR due to a change in SOFR shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in SOFR without notice to the Borrower.
“Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or (iii) pay over to any Specified Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular condition precedent, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Borrower or any Specified Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three Business Days after request by a Specified Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations (and is financially able to meet such obligations) to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Specified Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of (A) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action.
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“Disclosed Matters” means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.06 and the matters described in any filings made by the Borrower prior to the Signing Date with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (in one transaction or in a series of transactions and whether effected pursuant to a division or otherwise) of any property by any Person (including any sale and leaseback transaction), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.
“dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is incorporated or organized under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.
“EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent;
“EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
“EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
“ECP” means an “eligible contract participant” as defined in Section 1(a)(18) of the Commodity Exchange Act or any regulations promulgated thereunder and the applicable rules issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or the SEC.
“Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.
“Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.
“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
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“Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest, but excluding any debt securities convertible into or exchangeable for any of the foregoing.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or Section 4001(14) of ERISA or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30 day notice period is waived); (b) the failure to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower of any liability (or the incurrence by any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability for which the Borrower is reasonably likely to be liable) under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower of any liability (or the incurrence by any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability for which the Borrower is reasonably likely to be liable) with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal of the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition upon the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.
“EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.
“Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.
“Excluded Assets” has the meaning set forth in the Security Agreement.
“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Loan Party, any Specified Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guarantee of such Loan Party of, or the grant by such Loan Party of a security interest to secure, such Specified Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Loan Party’s failure for any reason to constitute an ECP at the time the Guarantee of such Loan Party or the grant of such security interest becomes effective with respect to such Specified Swap Obligation. If a Specified Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Specified Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guarantee or security interest is or becomes illegal.
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“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by or by reference to, in whole or in part, its income (but excluding withholding Taxes, profits, capital or net worth), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 2.19) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.17, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.
“Existing Liens” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.02(b).
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.
“FBHS” means Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“FBHS Cash Payment” means the cash dividend to be paid by the Borrower to FBHS on the Funding Date, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $940,000,000.
“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depositary institutions, as determined in such manner as shall be set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the effective federal funds rate, provided that if the Federal Funds Effective Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of the Borrower.
“Financials” means the annual or quarterly financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or 5.01(b) together with the certificate setting forth calculation of the Net Leverage Ratio for purposes of determining the Applicable Rate, as required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(c).
“Financing Transactions” means (i) the execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is to be a party and (ii) the borrowing of Loans and the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder on the Funding Date.
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“First Lien Intercreditor Agreement” means an intercreditor agreement on customary terms or otherwise in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, among the Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors from time to time party thereto, the Administrative Agent and any Other Debt Representatives for the holders of Indebtedness that is permitted under Sections 6.01 and 6.02 to be, and is intended to be, secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is pari passu (but without regard to the control of remedies) with the Liens securing the Secured Obligations.
“First Tier Foreign Subsidiary” means each Foreign Subsidiary with respect to which any one or more of the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries directly owns or Controls more than 50% of such Foreign Subsidiary’s issued and outstanding Equity Interests.
“Floor” means the benchmark rate floor, if any, provided in this Agreement initially (as of the execution of this Agreement, the modification, amendment or renewal of this Agreement or otherwise) for the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, the initial Floor for each of the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate and the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR shall be 0%.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is not a Domestic Subsidiary.
“Form 10” means the Form 10 Information Statement (including the exhibits thereto) filed by FBHS with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2022, and amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on November 15, 2022, and as further amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, but without giving effect to any such modifications that would materially and adversely affect the rights or interests of the Lenders or the creditworthiness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
“Funding Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.02 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“Funding Date Representations” means those representations and warranties of the Loan Parties set forth in Sections 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04, 3.07, 3.08, 3.12, 3.14, 3.16, 3.20 and 3.21 of this Agreement.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank and any group or body charged with setting financial accounting or regulatory capital rules or standards (including, without limitation, the Bank for International Settlements or the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision or any successor or similar authority to any of the foregoing)).
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“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any Guarantee made by any guarantor shall be deemed to be the lower of (a) an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Guarantee is made and (b) the maximum amount for which such guarantor may be liable pursuant to the terms of the instrument embodying such Guarantee, unless (in the case of a primary obligation that is not Indebtedness) such primary obligation and the maximum amount for which such guarantor may be liable are not stated or determinable, in which case the amount of such Guarantee shall be such guarantor’s maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the Borrower in good faith. The amount of any Subsidiary Guaranty shall be excluded in determining the amount of any Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries outstanding at any time for all purposes of this Agreement.
“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“Hostile Acquisition” means (a) the acquisition of the Equity Interests of a Person through a tender offer or similar solicitation of the owners of such Equity Interests which has not been approved (prior to such acquisition) by the board of directors (or any other applicable governing body) of such Person or by similar action if such Person is not a corporation and (b) any such acquisition as to which such approval has been withdrawn.
“Incremental Term Loan” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.09(d).
“Incremental Term Loan Amendment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.09(d).
“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (f) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) the stated face amount or principal component for any letters of credit, demand guarantees and similar independent undertakings for which such Person is an account party, and (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.
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“Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a) hereof, Other Taxes.
“Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(b).
“Ineligible Institution” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).
“Information Memorandum” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated November 2022 relating to the Borrower and the Transactions.
“Interest Coverage Ratio” means the ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITDA to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense, each as calculated as at the end of any fiscal quarter ending on or after the Funding Date for the period of four prior consecutive fiscal quarters then ended.
“Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08, which shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date, (b) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period and the Maturity Date, (c) with respect to any RFR Loan, (i) initially the date that is one week after the date of the borrowing of such RFR Loan and, thereafter, each successive date that is on the same weekday as such initial date (provided that if such initial date or any such successive date is a day other than a Business Day, the applicable Interest Payment Date shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar week, in which case such Interest Payment Date shall occur on the next preceding Business Day), and (ii) the Maturity Date, and (d) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid and the Maturity Date.
“Interest Period” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to the availability for the Benchmark applicable to the relevant Loan or Commitment), as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day, (ii) any Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period and (iii) no tenor that has been removed from this definition pursuant to Section 2.14(e) shall be available for specification in such Borrowing Request or Interest Election Request. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
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“Issuing Bank” means any of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Barclays Bank PLC or one or more other Lenders designated by the Borrower who agree to become Issuing Banks, in each case in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i). Each Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of such Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate (it being agreed that such Issuing Bank shall, or shall cause such Affiliate to, comply with the requirements of Section 2.06 with respect to such Letters of Credit). The “Issuing Bank” in respect of any Letter of Credit shall be the issuer thereof.
“Junior Lien Intercreditor Agreement” means an intercreditor agreement on customary terms or otherwise in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, among the Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors from time to time party thereto, the Administrative Agent and any Other Debt Representatives for the holders of Indebtedness that is permitted under Sections 6.01 and 6.02 to be, and is intended to be, secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is junior to the Liens securing the Secured Obligations.
“LC Disbursement” means a payment made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a drawing made on any Letter of Credit.
“LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Article 29(a) of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 600 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or Rule 3.13 or Rule 3.14 of the International Standby Practices, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time) or similar terms in the governing rules or laws or of the Letter of Credit itself, or if compliant documents have been presented but not yet honored, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” and “undrawn” in the amount so remaining available to be paid, and the obligations of the Borrower and each Lender shall remain in full force and effect until the Issuing Bank and the Lenders shall have no further obligations to make any payments or disbursements under any circumstances with respect to any Letter of Credit.
“Lender Party” means the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any other Lender.
“Lender-Related Person” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(d).
“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lenders and the Issuing Banks.
“Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.
“Liabilities” means any losses, claims, damages or liabilities.
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“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement (including the schedules and exhibits hereto), after the execution and delivery thereof pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, each promissory note, if any, delivered pursuant to Section 2.10(e), the Collateral Documents, the Subsidiary Guaranty, any amendments, modifications or supplements to the Loan Documents, letter of credit applications and any reimbursement agreements between the Borrower and the applicable Issuing Bank regarding such Issuing Bank’s commitment to issue Letters of Credit or the respective rights and obligations between the Borrower and such Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance of Letters of Credit, UCC filings, and any other documents from time to time designated as such by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“Loan Party” means the Borrower and each Subsidiary Guarantor.
“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
“Margin Stock” means margin stock within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X, as applicable.
“Material Acquisition” means any Permitted Acquisition that involves the payment of consideration by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in excess of $100,000,000.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, properties, assets, operations or financial condition of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Loan Parties to perform any of their obligations under the Loan Documents, or (c) the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or the rights of or remedies available to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents.
“Material Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness (other than the Loans) or (b) obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, in either case of any one or more of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding the greater of (x) $38,000,000 and (y) 10% of Applicable EBITDA. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.
“Material Domestic Subsidiary” means each Domestic Subsidiary (i) which, as of the most recent fiscal quarter of the Borrower, for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended, for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b) (or, if prior to the date of the delivery of the first financial statements to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), the most recent financial statements referred to in Section 3.04(a)), contributed greater than five percent (5%) of Consolidated EBITDA for such period or (ii) which contributed greater than five percent (5%) of Consolidated Total Assets as of such date; provided that (x) if at any time the aggregate amount of Consolidated EBITDA or Consolidated Total Assets attributable to all Domestic Subsidiaries that are not Material Domestic Subsidiaries exceeds ten percent (10%) of Consolidated EBITDA for any such period or ten percent (10%) of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of any such fiscal quarter, the Borrower (or, in the event the Borrower has failed to do so within ten (10) days, the Administrative Agent) shall designate sufficient Domestic Subsidiaries as “Material Domestic Subsidiaries” to eliminate such excess, and such designated Subsidiaries shall for all purposes of this Agreement constitute Material Domestic Subsidiaries and (y) MI Service LLC (the “Excluded Subsidiary”) shall not be deemed a Material Domestic Subsidiary hereunder as of the Signing Date or the Funding Date (but, to the extent that after the Funding Date, the Excluded Subsidiary contributes greater than seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of Consolidated EBITDA for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower or greater than seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of Consolidated Total Assets as of any date, then the Administrative Agent may, in its reasonable discretion, designate the Excluded Subsidiary as a Material Domestic Subsidiary hereunder.
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“Maturity Date” means the fifth anniversary of the Signing Date.
“Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.13.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or any successor thereto.
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“Net Leverage Ratio” means, at any time, the ratio of (a)(i) Consolidated Total Indebtedness at such time minus (ii) the Qualified Cash Amount to (b) Consolidated EBITDA for the most recently completed period of four fiscal quarters.
“Net Proceeds” means, with respect to any event, (a) the cash proceeds received in respect of such event including (i) any cash received in respect of any non-cash proceeds (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or purchase price adjustment receivable or otherwise, but excluding any interest payments), but only as and when received, (ii) in the case of a casualty, insurance proceeds and (iii) in the case of a condemnation or similar event, condemnation awards and similar payments, net of (b) the sum of (i) all reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties (other than Affiliates) in connection with such event, (ii) in the case of a sale, transfer or other Disposition of an asset (including pursuant to a Sale and Leaseback transaction or a casualty or a condemnation or similar proceeding), the amount of all payments required to be made as a result of such event to repay Indebtedness (other than Loans) secured by such asset or otherwise subject to mandatory prepayment as a result of such event, (iii) the amount of all Taxes paid (or reasonably estimated to be payable) and (iv) the amount of any reserves established to fund contingent liabilities reasonably estimated to be payable, in each case during the year that such event occurred or the next succeeding year and that are directly attributable to such event (as determined reasonably and in good faith by a Financial Officer).
“Non-U.S. Lender” means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.
“NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
“NYFRB Rate” means, for any day, the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day (or for any day that is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day); provided that if none of such rates are published for any day that is a Business Day, the term “NYFRB Rate” means the rate for a federal funds transaction quoted at 11:00 a.m. on such day received by the Administrative Agent from a Federal funds broker of recognized standing selected by it; provided, further, that if any of the aforesaid rates shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.
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“NYFRB’s Website” means the website of the NYFRB at http://www.newyorkfed.org or any successor source.
“Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries arising under any Loan Document, or to the Lenders or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreement or any Banking Services Agreement, or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any debtor relief laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed or allowable claims in such proceeding. Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations include (a) the obligation to pay principal, interest, Letter of Credit commissions, charges, expenses, fees, indemnities and other amounts payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse any amount in respect of any of the foregoing that the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in each case in its sole discretion, may elect to pay or advance on behalf of the Borrower.
“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Taxes (other than a connection arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, enforced, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, or engaged in any other transaction pursuant to, or enforced, any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan Document).
“Other Debt Representative” means with respect to any series of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred and secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is pari passu (but without regard to the control of remedies) with or junior to the Lien securing the Obligations, the trustee, administrative agent, collateral agent, security agent or similar agent under the indenture or agreement pursuant to which such Indebtedness is issued, incurred or otherwise obtained, as the case may be, and each of their successors in such capacities.
“Other Taxes” means any present or future stamp, court, documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar excise or property Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or from the registration, receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment under Section 2.19(b)).
“Overnight Bank Funding Rate” means, for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight eurodollar transactions denominated in U.S. dollars by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions, as such composite rate shall be determined by the NYFRB as set forth on the NYFRB’s Website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate.
“Parent” means, with respect to any Lender, any Person as to which such Lender is, directly or indirectly, a subsidiary.
“Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).
“Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).
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“Patriot Act” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.15.
“Payment” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.10.
“Payment Notice” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.10.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Permitted Acquisition” means any acquisition (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise but excluding in any event a Hostile Acquisition) or series of related acquisitions by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of (i) all or substantially all the assets of or (ii) all or substantially all the Equity Interests in, a Person or division or line of business of a Person, if, at the time of and immediately after giving effect thereto, (a) no Default has occurred and is continuing or would arise after giving effect (including giving effect on a pro forma basis) thereto, (b) all actions required to be taken with respect to such acquired or newly formed Subsidiary under Section 5.10 shall have been taken, and (c) the Borrower and the Subsidiaries are in compliance, on a pro forma basis, with the covenants contained in Section 6.12 recomputed as of the last day of the most recent Reference Period, as if such acquisition (and any related incurrence or repayment of Indebtedness, with any new Indebtedness being deemed to be amortized over the applicable testing period in accordance with its terms) had occurred on the first day of each relevant period for testing such compliance.
“Permitted Encumbrances” means:
(a)    Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;
(b)    carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;
(c)    pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;
(d)    deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(e)    easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(f)    Liens arising out of conditional sale, retention, consignment or similar arrangements, incurred in the ordinary course of business, for the purchase or sale of goods;
(g)    judgment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default;
(h) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provisions relating to banker’s Liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a depositary institution; provided that such deposit account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than as provided in any Collateral Documents) in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by a Board;
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(i)    Liens, not in respect of Indebtedness, arising from Uniform Commercial Code financing statements for informational purposes with respect to leases entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement;
(j)    Deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers other than in connection with financing premiums;
(k)    Any interest or title of a lessor or lessee or sublessor or sublessee under any lease of property (real, personal or mixed) entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;
(l)    Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of property; and
(m)    Leases, licenses, subleases and sublicenses of assets (including, without limitation, real property and intellectual property rights) which do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“Plan Asset Regulations” means 29 CFR § 2510.3-101 et seq., as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.
“Pledge Subsidiary” means (i) each Domestic Subsidiary and (ii) each First Tier Foreign Subsidiary.
“Prepayment Event” means:
(a)    any sale, transfer or other disposition of any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary which is (x) made pursuant to Section 6.04(j) or (y) not otherwise permitted hereunder, and which disposition, taken together with any other dispositions during the applicable fiscal year, would result in Net Proceeds in excess of $25,000,000 in the aggregate during such fiscal year; or
(b)    any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary with a fair market value immediately prior to such event equal to or greater than $25,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year; or
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(c)    the incurrence by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any Indebtedness (other than the Loans or other Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01 or permitted by the Required Lenders pursuant to Section 9.02).
“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the U.S. or, if The Wall Street Journal ceases to quote such rate, the highest per annum interest rate published by the Board in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (Selected Interest Rates) as the “bank prime loan” rate or, if such rate is no longer quoted therein, any similar rate quoted therein (as determined by the Administrative Agent) or any similar release by the Board (as determined by the Administrative Agent). Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced or quoted as being effective.
“Proceeding” means any claim, litigation, investigation, action, suit, arbitration or administrative, judicial or regulatory action or proceeding in any jurisdiction.
“PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.
“QFC” has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).
“QFC Credit Support” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Qualified Cash Amount” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the lesser of (a) Unrestricted Cash in excess of $10,000,000 and (b) $75,000,000.
“Recipient” means, as applicable, (a) the Administrative Agent, (b) any Lender and (c) any Issuing Bank.
“Reference Period” means, at any time, the most recent period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower ended on or most recently prior to such time for which financial statements have been delivered (or are required to be delivered) to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b) (or, if prior to the date of the delivery of the first financial statements to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), the most recent financial statements referred to in Section 3.04(a)).
“Reference Time” with respect to any setting of the then-current Benchmark means (1) if such Benchmark is the Term SOFR Rate, 5:00 a.m. (Chicago time) on the day that is two U.S. Government Securities Business Days preceding the date of such setting, (2) if such Benchmark is Daily Simple SOFR, then two Business Days prior to such setting and (3) if such Benchmark is not the Term SOFR Rate or Daily Simple SOFR, the time determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion.
“Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b)(iv).
“Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation T” means Regulation T of the Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
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“Regulation X” means Regulation X of the Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.
“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means the Board and/or the NYFRB, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Board or the NYFRB, or, in each case, any successor thereto.
“Relevant Rate” means (i) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate or (ii) with respect to any RFR Borrowing, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, as applicable.
“Required Lenders” means, subject to Section 2.20, Lenders having Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the Total Credit Exposure and unused Commitments at such time (excluding Defaulting Lenders), provided, that solely for purposes of declaring the Loans to be due and payable pursuant to Section 7.02 and for all purposes after the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Section 7.02 or the Commitments expire or terminate, then, as to each Lender, clause (a) of the definition of Swingline Exposure shall only be applicable for purposes of determining its Revolving Credit Exposure to the extent such Lender shall have funded its participation in the outstanding Swingline Loans.
“Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Restricted Payments shall not include any purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any Equity Interests or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests that are, or are issued as part of, any compensation program for directors, officers or employees of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in effect from time to time.
“Revolving Borrowing” means Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
“Revolving Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount under the column “Revolving Commitment” set forth on Schedule 2.01 opposite such Lender’s name, or in the applicable documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the UCC) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Revolving Commitment pursuant to the terms hereof, as applicable, and giving effect to (a) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04; provided, that at no time shall the Revolving Credit Exposure of any Lender exceed its Revolving Commitment. The initial aggregate amount of the Revolving Lenders’ Revolving Commitments is $500,000,000.
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“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.
“Revolving Lender” means a Lender with a Revolving Commitment or Revolving Credit Exposure.
“Revolving Loan” means a Loan made by a Revolving Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(a).
“RFR” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any ABR Loan or Borrowing).
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business.
“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of property by any Person with the intent to lease such property as lessee.
“Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
“Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by OFAC, the U.S. Department of State the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country, (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b), or (d) any Person otherwise subject of any Sanctions.
“Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by OFAC or the U.S. Department of State, or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Secured Obligations” means all Obligations, together with all Swap Obligations and Banking Services Obligations owing to one or more Lenders or their respective Affiliates; provided that the definition of “Secured Obligations” shall not create or include any guarantee by any Loan Party of (or grant of security interest by any Loan Party to support, as applicable) any Excluded Swap Obligations of such Loan Party for purposes of determining any obligations of any Loan Party.
“Secured Parties” means the holders of the Secured Obligations from time to time and shall include (i) each Lender and the Issuing Bank in respect of its Loans and LC Exposure respectively, (ii) the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders in respect of all other present and future obligations and liabilities of the Borrower and each Subsidiary of every type and description arising under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (iii) each Lender and Affiliate of such Lender in respect of Swap Agreements and Banking Services Agreements entered into with such Person by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (iv) each indemnified party under Section 9.03 in respect of the obligations and liabilities of the Borrower to such Person hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, and (v) their respective successors and (in the case of a Lender, permitted) transferees and assigns.
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“Security Agreement” means that certain Pledge and Security Agreement (including any and all supplements thereto), dated as of the Funding Date, between the Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Secured Parties, and any other pledge or security agreement entered into, after the Funding Date by any other Loan Party (as required by this Agreement or any other Loan Document), or any other Person, as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Senior Indebtedness” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.02(b).
“Senior Note Indebtedness” means any other senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries under any notes or convertible notes permitted hereunder and issued under an indenture, loan agreement, note purchase agreement or similar governing instrument or document in a registered public offering or a Rule 144A or other private placement transaction; provided, that no such Indebtedness shall (i) have a maturity date or any installment, sinking fund, mandatory redemption or other principal payment due before the date 91 days after the Maturity Date or (ii) prohibit, restrict or impose any condition upon the ability of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Secured Obligations.
“Separation Agreement” means that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement to be entered into on or prior to the Funding Date by and between FBHS and the Borrower, in substantially the form appended to the Form 10.
“Signing Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
“SOFR” means a rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the SOFR Administrator.
“SOFR Administrator” means the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
“SOFR Administrator’s Website” means the NYFRB’s Website, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
“SOFR Determination Date” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”.
“SOFR Rate Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple SOFR”.
“Solvent” means, as to any Person as of any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts, including contingent debts, as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities, including contingent debts and liabilities, beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature and (d) such Person is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital.
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The amount of any contingent liability at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all of the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.
“Specified Ancillary Obligations” means all obligations and liabilities (including interest and fees accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) of any of the Subsidiaries, existing on the Signing Date or arising thereafter, direct or indirect, joint or several, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise, to the Lenders or any of their Affiliates under any Swap Agreement or any Banking Services Agreement.
“Specified Party” means the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender and each other Lender.
“Specified Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Loan Party, any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Spin-Off” means the distribution, following the consummation of the Cabinets Business Transfers, of all the issued and outstanding Equity Interests in the Borrower to the holders of the common stock of FBHS.
“Spin-Off Agreements” means the Separation Agreement, the transition services agreement, the employee matters agreement and the tax allocation agreement, in each case referred to in the Form 10.
“Subordinated Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary the payment of which is subordinated to payment of the Obligations and all of the terms and conditions of which are reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent (but including, in any event, the absence of a maturity date or any installment, sinking fund, mandatory redemption or other principal payment due before at least 91 days after the Maturity Date (other than (x) customary offers to repurchase upon a change of control, asset sale or event of loss, (y) mandatory prepayments with the proceeds of refinancing Indebtedness permitted hereunder and (z) customary acceleration rights after an event of default, in the case of each of clauses (x) through (z), that are subject to the agreed subordination provisions)), provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, unsecured Indebtedness that is not contractually subordinated to payment of the Obligations shall not constitute Subordinated Indebtedness.
“Subordinated Indebtedness Documents” means any document, agreement or instrument evidencing any Subordinated Indebtedness or entered into in connection with any Subordinated Indebtedness.
“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, Controlled or held, or (b)
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that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled by the parent and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Subsidiary Guarantor” means each Material Domestic Subsidiary that is a party to the Subsidiary Guaranty. The anticipated Subsidiary Guarantors on the Signing Date are identified as such in Schedule 3.01 hereto (to be updated on the Funding Date, as applicable).
“Subsidiary Guaranty” means that certain Subsidiary Guaranty dated as of the Funding Date (including any and all supplements thereto) and executed by each Subsidiary Guarantor party thereto.
“Supported QFC” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“Swap Obligations” means any and all obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (a) any and all Swap Agreements permitted hereunder with a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, and (b) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any such Swap Agreement transaction.
“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be (a) in the case of Lenders other than the Swingline Lenders, its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time and (b) in the case of a Swingline Lender, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans made by such Swingline Lender and outstanding at such time (less the amount of participations funded by the other Lenders in such Swingline Loans).
“Swingline Lender” means any of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A. or Barclays Bank PLC, each in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder. The “Swingline Lender” in respect of any Swingline Loan shall be the applicable Swingline Lender who makes such Swingline Loan (and each reference to “the Swingline Lender” herein shall mean the applicable Swingline Lender or Swingline Lenders as the context requires).
“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.
“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), value added taxes, or any other goods and services, use or sales taxes, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Term Benchmark” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate (other than pursuant to clause (c) of the definition of Alternate Base Rate).
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“Term Lender” means, as of any date of determination, each Lender having a Term Loan Commitment or that holds Term Loans.
“Term Loan Borrowing” means Term Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
“Term Loan Commitment” means (a) as to any Term Lender, the amount under the column “Term Loan Commitment” set forth on Schedule 2.01 opposite such Lender’s name, or in the most recent Assignment Agreement or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the UCC) as provided in Section 9.04, executed by such Term Lender, and giving effect to any reduction or increase in such amount from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04, and (b) as to all Term Lenders, the aggregate commitment of all Term Lenders to make Term Loans, which aggregate commitment shall be $750,000,000 on the date of this Agreement. After advancing the Term Loan, each reference to a Term Lender’s Term Loan Commitment shall refer to that Term Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Term Loans.
“Term Loans” means the term loans made by the Term Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(b).
“Term SOFR Determination Day” has the meaning assigned to it under the definition of Term SOFR Reference Rate.
“Term SOFR Rate” means, with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m., Chicago time, on the day that is two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the commencement of such tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, as such rate is published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator.
“Term SOFR Reference Rate” means, for any day and time (such day, the “Term SOFR Determination Day”), with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing and for any tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period, the rate per annum published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and identified by the Administrative Agent as the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR. If by 5:00 pm (New York City time) on such Term SOFR Determination Day, the “Term SOFR Reference Rate” for the applicable tenor has not been published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Rate has not occurred, then so long as such day is otherwise a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the Term SOFR Reference Rate for such Term SOFR Determination Day will be the Term SOFR Reference Rate as published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such Term SOFR Reference Rate was published by the CME Term SOFR Administrator, so long as such first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day is not more than five (5) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such Term SOFR Determination Day.
“Total Credit Exposure” means the sum of the Total Revolving Credit Exposure and the aggregate principal amount of all Term Loans outstanding at such time.
“Total Revolving Credit Exposure” means, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of all Lenders’ Revolving Loans, their LC Exposure and their Swingline Exposure at such time; provided, that clause (a) of the definition of Swingline Exposure shall only be applicable to the extent Lenders shall have funded their respective participations in the outstanding Swingline Loans.
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“Transactions” means (a) Financing Transactions, (b) the Cabinets Business Transfers, (c) the Spin-Off and (d) the FBHS Cash Payment.
“Trigger Quarter” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.12.
“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR or the Alternate Base Rate.
“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York or any other state the laws of which are required to be applied in connection with the issue of perfection of security interests.
“UK Financial Institution” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
“UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“Unliquidated Obligations” means, at any time, any Secured Obligations (or portion thereof) that are contingent in nature or unliquidated at such time, including any Secured Obligation that is: (i) an obligation to reimburse a bank for drawings not yet made under a letter of credit issued by it; (ii) any other obligation (including any guarantee) that is contingent in nature at such time; or (iii) an obligation to provide collateral to secure any of the foregoing types of obligations.
“Unrestricted Cash” means, as of any date, the sum of (x) 100% of Unrestricted Domestic Cash and (y) 75% of Unrestricted Foreign Cash, in each case, as of such date.
“Unrestricted Domestic Cash” means, as of any date of determination, that portion of the Borrower’s and its Domestic Subsidiaries’ aggregate cash and Cash Equivalents that is (i) on deposit with one or more financial institutions in the United States of America and (ii) not encumbered by or subject to any Lien, setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or any restriction on the use thereof to pay Indebtedness and other liabilities of the Borrower and its Domestic Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any Lien permitted hereunder other than Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Secured Obligations and non-consensual Liens constituting Permitted Encumbrances as provided in clause (h) of the definition thereof).
“Unrestricted Foreign Cash” means, as of any date of determination, that portion of the Borrower’s and its consolidated Subsidiaries’ aggregate cash and Cash Equivalents that is (i) on deposit with one or more financial institutions outside the United States of America, or is owned by a Subsidiary other than a Domestic Subsidiary, and (ii) not encumbered by or subject to any Lien, setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or any restriction on the use thereof to pay Indebtedness and other liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any Lien permitted hereunder other than Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Secured Obligations and non-consensual Liens constituting Permitted Encumbrances as provided in clause (h) of the definition thereof).
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“U.S. Government Securities Business Day” means any day except for (i) a Saturday, (ii) a Sunday or (iii) a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.
“U.S. Person” means a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.18.
“U.S. Tax Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(D).
“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part 1 of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
“Withholding Agent” means any Loan Party and the Administrative Agent.
“Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans and Borrowings may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Loan” or an “RFR Loan” ) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Revolving Loan” or “RFR Revolving Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Borrowing” or an “RFR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowing” or “RFR Revolving Borrowing”).
SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on such assignments set forth herein), (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
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SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP. (a)  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in a manner satisfactory to the Borrower and the Required Lenders. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to (i) any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 or 2015-03 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.
(b) To the extent the Borrower or any Subsidiary (a) makes any acquisition permitted pursuant to Section 6.05 or Disposition of assets outside the ordinary course of business permitted by Section 6.04 during any Reference Period or (b) consummates any transaction that requires any pro forma calculation as a condition thereto or in connection therewith under the terms of this Agreement, then, in each case, (i) the Net Leverage Ratio and Interest Coverage Ratio shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto, as if such acquisition, such Disposition or such other transaction (and any related incurrence, repayment or assumption of Indebtedness) had occurred on the first day of such Reference Period, (ii) unless otherwise expressly required hereunder, such pro forma calculation shall be determined by reference to the financial statements for the Reference Period ended on or most recently prior to such calculation and (iii) any such calculation made by reference to, or requiring pro forma compliance with, any of the financial covenants shall be made by reference to the applicable financial covenant levels required under Section 6.12 (without giving effect to any Adjusted Covenant Period (other than in the case of determining satisfaction of the conditions to a Permitted Acquisition)) for the quarter during which such acquisition, Disposition or other transaction was consummated (or, if there is no financial covenant required to be tested during such fiscal quarter, the financial covenant level for the first testing period scheduled to occur after the date of such calculation). In addition to the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent any Indebtedness is incurred or assumed in connection with any transaction permitted hereunder, any pro forma determination of the Net Leverage Ratio or compliance with the financial covenants required to be made under this Agreement in connection with such transaction shall be made without including the proceeds of such incurred or assumed Indebtedness as Unrestricted Cash (but to the extent any such proceeds are applied to repay or retire any Indebtedness, any pro forma determination of the Net Leverage Ratio shall be calculated after giving effect to such repayment or retirement).
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(c)    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph (b), for the avoidance of doubt, when calculating the Net Leverage Ratio and the Interest Coverage Ratio for purposes of the definition of “Applicable Rate” and for purposes of the financial covenants under Section 6.12 (other than for the purpose of determining pro forma compliance with such financial covenants as a condition to taking any action under this Agreement), the events described in the immediately preceding paragraph that occurred subsequent to the end of the applicable Reference Period shall not be given pro forma effect.
(d)     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 1.04(a) or in the definition of “Capital Lease Obligations,” any change in accounting for leases pursuant to GAAP resulting from the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“FAS 842”), to the extent such adoption would require treating any lease (or similar arrangement conveying the right to use) as a capital lease where such lease (or similar arrangement) would not have been required to be so treated under GAAP as in effect on December 31, 2015 , such lease shall not be considered a capital lease, and all calculations (including with respect to assets and liabilities associated with such lease) and deliverables under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be made or delivered, as applicable, in accordance therewith.
SECTION 1.05. Interest Rates; Benchmark Notification. The interest rate on a Loan denominated in Dollars may be derived from an interest rate benchmark that may be discontinued or is, or may in the future become, the subject of regulatory reform. Upon the occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, Section 2.14(b) provides a mechanism for determining an alternative rate of interest. The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission, performance or any other matter related to any interest rate used in this Agreement, or with respect to any alternative or successor rate thereto, or replacement rate thereof, including without limitation, whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement reference rate will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, the existing interest rate being replaced or have the same volume or liquidity as did any existing interest rate prior to its discontinuance or unavailability. The Administrative Agent and its affiliates and/or other related entities may engage in transactions that affect the calculation of any interest rate used in this Agreement or any alternative, successor or alternative rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) and/or any relevant adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to the Borrower. The Administrative Agent may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain any interest rate used in this Agreement, any component thereof, or rates referenced in the definition thereof, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service.
SECTION 1.06. Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the amount of such Letter of Credit available to be drawn at such time; provided that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms, provides for one or more automatic increases in the available amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum amount is available to be drawn at such time.
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SECTION 1.07. Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized and acquired on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.
SECTION 1.08. Status of Obligations. In the event that the Borrower or any other Loan Party shall at any time issue or have outstanding any Subordinated Indebtedness, the Borrower shall take or cause such other Loan Party to take all such actions as shall be necessary to cause the Secured Obligations to constitute senior indebtedness (however denominated) in respect of such Subordinated Indebtedness and to enable the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness. Without limiting the foregoing, the Secured Obligations are hereby designated as “senior indebtedness” and as “designated senior indebtedness” and words of similar import under and in respect of any indenture or other agreement or instrument under which such Subordinated Indebtedness is outstanding and are further given all such other designations as shall be required under the terms of any such Subordinated Indebtedness in order that the Lenders may have and exercise any payment blockage or other remedies available or potentially available to holders of senior indebtedness or designated senior indebtedness under the terms of such Subordinated Indebtedness.
SECTION 1.09. Effectuation of Transactions. All references herein to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be references to such Persons, and all the representations and warranties of the Borrower and the other Loan Parties contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be deemed made, in each case, after giving effect to the Spin-Off and the other Transactions to occur on the Funding Date, unless the context otherwise requires.
SECTION 1.10. References to Fiscal Quarters. All references herein to fiscal quarters refer to the Borrower’s fiscal quarters which currently are determined based on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in December in each calendar year.

ARTICLE II

The Credits
SECTION 2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (a) each Revolving Lender (severally and not jointly) agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result (after giving effect to any application of proceeds of such Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.10) in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Revolving Commitment or (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total Revolving Commitments and (b) each Term Lender with a Term Loan Commitment (severally and not jointly) agrees to make a Term Loan to the Borrower in Dollars on the Funding Date, in an amount equal to such Lender’s Term Loan Commitment by making immediately available funds available to the Administrative Agent’s designated account, not later than the time specified by the Administrative Agent. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans. Amount repaid or prepaid in respect of Term Loans may not be reborrowed.
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SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings. (a) Each Loan (other than a Swingline Loan) shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Class and Type made by the applicable Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments of the applicable Class. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required. Any Swingline Loan shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.05. The Term Loans shall amortize as set forth in Section 2.10.
(b)    Subject to Section 2.14, each Revolving Borrowing (other than a Swingline Loan) and Term Loan Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans, Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR Loan. Each Lender at its option may make any Term Benchmark Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan (and in the case of an Affiliate, the provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 shall apply to such Affiliate to the same extent as to such Lender); provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(c)    At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Term Benchmark Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000. At the time that each ABR Borrowing and/or RFR Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Revolving Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e). Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $100,000 and not less than $500,000. Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of eight Term Benchmark Revolving Borrowings and RFR Revolving Borrowings outstanding.
(d)    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings. Except to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed in writing otherwise with respect to the Borrowing to be made on the Funding Date, to request a Borrowing (other than a Swingline Loan), the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three U.S. Government Securities Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request signed by the Borrower. Each such telephonic request and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i)    the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii)    the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
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(iii)    whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing and whether such Borrowing is a Revolving Borrowing or a Term Loan Borrowing;
(iv)    in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and
(v)    the location and number of the account of the Borrower (or such other payee designated by the Borrower in writing) to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.
If no election as to the Type of such Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any such requested Term Benchmark Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.
SECTION 2.04. [Intentionally Omitted].
SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Swingline Lender may, in its sole discretion, make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) (w) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $50,000,000, (x) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans made by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. exceeding $16,666,666.68, (y) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans made by Bank of America, N.A. exceeding $16,666,666.66 or (z) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans made by Barclays Bank PLC exceeding $16,666,666.66, (ii) the Swingline Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding its Revolving Commitment, or (iii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding the total Revolving Commitments; provided that no Swingline Lender shall be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.
(b)    To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the applicable Swingline Lender and the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (if promptly confirmed in writing consistent with such telephonic notice), not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the applicable Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower. A Swingline Lender may make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to the general deposit account of the Borrower with such Swingline Lender (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank) by 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.
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(c) A Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent require the Revolving Lenders to acquire participations in all or a portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Revolving Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Revolving Lender, specifying in such notice such Revolving Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Revolving Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, promptly upon receipt of such notice from the Administrative Agent (and in any event, if such notice is received by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Business Day no later than 5:00 p.m. New York City time on such Business Day and if received after 12:00 noon, New York City time, on a Business Day shall mean no later than 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the immediately succeeding Business Day), to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the applicable Swingline Lender, such Revolving Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Revolving Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Revolving Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Revolving Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Revolving Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the applicable Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by a Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by such Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Revolving Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the applicable Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
(d)    A Swingline Lender may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Swingline Lender and a successor Swingline Lender. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Revolving Lenders of any such replacement of a Swingline Lender. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid interest accrued for the account of the replaced Swingline Lender pursuant to Section 2.13(e). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (x) the successor Swingline Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made thereafter and (y) references herein to the term “Swingline Lender” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Swingline Lender, or to such successor and all previous Swingline Lenders, as the context shall require. After the replacement of a Swingline Lender hereunder, the replaced Swingline Lender shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of a Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made by it prior to its replacement, but shall not be required to make additional Swingline Loans.
(e)    Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Swingline Lender, a Swingline Lender may resign as Swingline Lender at any time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Lenders, in which case, such Swingline Lender shall be replaced in accordance with Section 2.05(d) above.
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SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit. (a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Issuing Bank agrees to issue standby Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower to support its or its Subsidiaries’ obligations, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, any Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Issuing Bank shall have any obligation hereunder to issue, and shall not issue, any Letter of Credit the proceeds of which would be made available to any Person (i) to fund any activity or business of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of any Sanctions, (ii) in any manner that would result in a violation of any Sanctions by any party to this Agreement or (iii) in any manner that would result in a violation of one or more policies of the applicable Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally.
(b)    Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the applicable Issuing Bank) to the applicable Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, but in any event no less than three Business Days) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. If requested by an Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) no Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure shall exceed its Revolving Commitment, (ii) the sum of the Total Revolving Credit Exposure shall not exceed the total Revolving Commitments, (iii) the LC Exposure shall not exceed $50,000,000, (iv) the LC Exposure of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. shall not exceed $16,666,666.68 (subject to issuances in excess thereof at the sole discretion of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.), (v) the LC Exposure of Bank of America, N.A. shall not exceed $16,666,666.66 (subject to issuances in excess thereof at the sole discretion of Bank of America, N.A.) and (vi) the LC Exposure of Barclays Bank PLC shall not exceed $16,666,666.66 (subject to issuances in excess thereof at the sole discretion of Barclays Bank PLC).
An Issuing Bank shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(i) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain such Issuing Bank from issuing such Letter of Credit, or request that such Issuing Bank refrain from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any law applicable to such Issuing Bank shall prohibit, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular, or any such order, judgment or decree, or law shall impose upon such Issuing Bank with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital or liquidity requirement (for which such Issuing Bank is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Signing Date, or shall impose upon such Issuing Bank any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense that was not applicable on the Signing Date and that such Issuing Bank in good faith deems material to it; or
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(ii)    the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of such Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally.
(c)    Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(d)    Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of any Issuing Bank or the Revolving Lenders, the Issuing Bank issuing the Letter of Credit hereby grants to each Revolving Lender, and each Revolving Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Revolving Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Each Revolving Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.
(e) Reimbursement. If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice; provided that the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan, as applicable. If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Revolving Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Revolving Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Revolving Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Revolving Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the applicable Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Revolving Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank, then to such Revolving Lenders and the applicable Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
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(f)    Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the applicable Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Revolving Lenders nor the Issuing Banks, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, document, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms, any error in translation or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the applicable Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse any Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to special, indirect, consequential, or punitive damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by such Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of an Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the applicable Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.
(g)    Disbursement Procedures. The applicable Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. The applicable Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by facsimile) or by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the applicable Issuing Bank and the recipient, of such demand for payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.
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(h) Interim Interest. If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the reimbursement is due and payable at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans and such interest shall be due and payable on the date when such reimbursement is payable; provided that, if the Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(d) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse such Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(i)    Replacement and Resignation of an Issuing Bank.
(i)    Any Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(c). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit or extend or otherwise amend any existing Letter of Credit.
(ii)    Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Issuing Bank, any Issuing Bank may resign as an Issuing Bank at any time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Lenders, in which case, such resigning Issuing Bank shall be replaced in accordance with Section 2.06(i)(i) above.
(j) Cash Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Revolving Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Revolving Lenders (the “Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 102.5% of the amount of the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clauses (h) or (i) of Section 7.01. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. In addition, and without limiting the foregoing or paragraph (c) of this Section, if any LC Exposure remains outstanding after the expiration date specified in said paragraph (c), the Borrower shall immediately deposit into the Collateral Account an amount in cash equal to 102.5% of such LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account and the Borrower hereby grants the Administrative Agent a security interest in the Collateral Account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Banks, as applicable, for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed, together with related fees, costs and customary processing charges, and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Revolving Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other Secured Obligations. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
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(k)    Issuing Bank Agreements. Unless otherwise requested by the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank shall report in writing to the Administrative Agent (i) promptly following the end of each calendar month, the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit issued by it and outstanding at the end of such month, (ii) on or prior to each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank expects to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, the date of such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, and the aggregate face amount of the Letter of Credit to be issued, amended, renewed or extended by it and outstanding after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension occurred (and whether the amount thereof changed), it being understood that such Issuing Bank shall not permit any issuance, renewal, extension or amendment resulting in an increase in the amount of any Letter of Credit to occur without first obtaining written confirmation from the Administrative Agent that it is then permitted under this Agreement, (iii) on each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank makes any payment under any Letter of Credit, the date of such payment under such Letter of Credit and the amount of such payment, (iv) on any Business Day on which the Borrower fails to reimburse any payment under any Letter of Credit required to be reimbursed to such Issuing Bank on such day, the date of such failure and the amount of such payment and (v) on any other Business Day, such other information as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.
(l)    Letters of Credit Issued for Account of Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder supports any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, or states that a Subsidiary is the “account party,” “applicant,” “customer,” “instructing party,” or the like of or for such Letter of Credit, and without derogating from any rights of the applicable Issuing Bank (whether arising by contract, at law, in equity or otherwise) against such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit, the Borrower (i) shall reimburse, indemnify and compensate the applicable Issuing Bank hereunder for such Letter of Credit (including to reimburse any and all drawings thereunder) as if such Letter of Credit had been issued solely for the account of the Borrower and (ii) irrevocably waives any and all defenses that might otherwise be available to it as a guarantor or surety of any or all of the obligations of such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit. The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of such Letters of Credit for its Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.
SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 1:00 p.m., New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that (i) Term Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.01(b) and Revolving Loans to be made on the Funding Date shall be made available to the Administrative Agent’s designated account, not later than the time specified by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders and (ii) Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05.
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Except in respect of the provisions of this Agreement covering the reimbursement of Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting (or, as applicable, wiring) the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower or other payee, in either case as designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request and reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.
(b)    Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections. (a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Loans, which may not be converted or continued.
(b)    To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic interest election request shall be irrevocable and shall be promptly confirmed in writing by delivery of a written Interest Election Request signed by the Borrower, which shall be consistent with such telephonic notice. Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, this Section shall not be construed to permit the Borrower to elect an Interest Period for Term Benchmark Loans that does not comply with Section 2.02(d).
(c)    Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
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(ii)    the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii)    whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing; and
(iv)    if the resulting Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.
(d)    Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e)    If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Term Benchmark Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Term Benchmark Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Term Benchmark Borrowing and each RFR Borrowing, in each case, shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
SECTION 2.09. Termination, Reduction and Increase of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, (i) the Term Loan Commitments shall terminate at the earlier of 3:00 p.m. (New York City time) on March 31, 2023 and immediately upon the making of the Term Loans on the Funding Date and (ii) all other Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date (unless the Funding Date does not occur by March 31, 2023, in which case such Commitments shall terminate on March 31, 2023).
(b)    The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Revolving Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Revolving Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $5,000,000 and not less than $25,000,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Revolving Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Revolving Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Revolving Commitments.
(c) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Revolving Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Revolving Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or other transactions specified therein, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.
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(d)    The Borrower, at its option, may from time to time after the Funding Date seek incremental Revolving Commitments and/or enter into one or more tranches of term loans (including term “b” loans) (an “Incremental Term Loan”) not exceeding in the aggregate $650,000,000 for all such Revolving Commitment increases or Incremental Term Loans after the Funding Date upon at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, which notice shall (i) specify the amount of any such proposed increase (which shall not be less than $25,000,000 (or such lesser amount to which the Administrative Agent may agree), (ii) specify whether the proposed increase is with respect to Revolving Commitments, an Incremental Term Loan or both and (iii) certify that no Default has occurred and is continuing. The Borrower may, after giving such notice, offer the increase (which may be declined by any Lender in its sole discretion) in the total Revolving Commitments and Incremental Term Loan on either a ratable basis to the Lenders or on a non pro-rata basis to one or more Lenders and/or to other financial institutions or entities reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, Swingline Lenders and Issuing Banks. No increase in the total Revolving Commitments or the addition of an Incremental Term Loan shall become effective until the existing or new Lenders extending such incremental Revolving Commitment amount or Incremental Term Loan and the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent a document, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent pursuant to which (i) any such existing Lender agrees to the amount of its Revolving Commitment increase or Incremental Term Loan, (ii) any such new Lender agrees to its Revolving Commitment or Incremental Term Loan amount and agrees to assume and accept the obligations and rights of a Lender hereunder, (iii) the Borrower accepts such incremental Revolving Commitments or Incremental Term Loan, (iv) the effective date of any increase in the Revolving Commitments or addition of an Incremental Term Loan and the date of any Incremental Term Loans to be made pursuant thereto is specified and (v) the Borrower certifies that on such date the conditions for a new Loan set forth in Section 4.03 are satisfied. Upon the effectiveness of any increase in the total Revolving Commitments pursuant hereto, (i) each Revolving Lender (new or existing) with a Revolving Commitment shall be deemed to have accepted an assignment from the existing Lenders with a Revolving Commitment, and the existing Revolving Lenders with a Revolving Commitment shall be deemed to have made an assignment at par to each new or existing Lender accepting a new or increased Revolving Commitment, of an interest in each then outstanding Revolving Loan (in each case, on the terms and conditions set forth in the Assignment and Assumption) and (ii) the LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure of the existing and new Revolving Lenders shall be automatically adjusted such that, after giving effect to such assignments and adjustments, all Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder is held ratably by the Revolving Lenders in proportion to their respective Revolving Commitments. Assignments pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be made in exchange for, and substantially contemporaneously with the payment to the assigning Lenders of, the principal amount assigned plus accrued and unpaid interest and commitment and Letter of Credit fees. Payments received by assigning Lenders pursuant to this Section in respect of the principal amount of any Term Benchmark Loan shall, for purposes of Section 2.16, be deemed prepayments of such Loan. The Borrower shall make any payments under Section 2.16 arising out of the making of the assignments referred to in the two preceding sentences. Any Incremental Term Loan extended pursuant to this Section 2.09(d) shall be on terms identical to those of, and shall rank pari passu in right of payment with, the Revolving Loans and the initial Term Loans, and shall be treated substantially the same as (and in any event no more favorably than) the Revolving Loans and initial Term Loans, except that (1) such Incremental Term Loans shall have terms with respect to pricing, amortization, and maturity as the Borrower and the applicable Lenders may agree; provided that (x) the weighted average life to maturity of any
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Incremental Term Loans shall be no shorter than the remaining weighted average life to maturity of the initial Term Loans outstanding at such time) and (y) the final maturity date of such Incremental Term Loans shall not be earlier than the Maturity Date and (2) any Incremental Term Loans in the form of term “b” loans (such Incremental Term Loans, “Term B Loans”) (x) may include a customary “excess cash flow” mandatory prepayment event, (y) may have customary call-protection, including “soft-call” protection in connection with any repricing transaction and (z) may also, to the extent so provided in the applicable Incremental Term Loan Amendment, specify whether (A) the applicable Term Lenders shall have any voting rights in respect of the financial covenants under the Loan Documents (it being agreed that if any subsequently incurred Term B Loans shall have such voting rights, all then outstanding Term B Loans shall also have similar voting rights) and (B) any breach of such covenants would result in a default or event of default for such Term Lenders prior to an acceleration of Commitments or Loans by the applicable Lenders in accordance with the terms hereof as a result of such breach (it being agreed that if any subsequently incurred Term B Loans shall have such a default, all then outstanding Term B Loans shall also have a similar default). Incremental Term Loans may be made hereunder pursuant to an amendment or restatement (an “Incremental Term Loan Amendment”) of this Agreement and, as appropriate, the other Loan Documents, executed by the Borrower, each new or existing Lender participating in such tranche of Incremental Term Loans, and the Administrative Agent. The effectiveness of any such incremental Revolving Commitments or Incremental Term Loan shall be subject to receipt by the Administrative Agent from the Borrower of such resolutions and certificates (consistent with those delivered pursuant to Sections 4.01(b), and clauses (l), (m) and (n) of Section 4.02) and other documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request. From and after the making of a Revolving Loan pursuant to this Section, such loan shall be deemed a “Revolving Loan” hereunder for all purposes hereof, subject to all the terms and conditions hereof. No consent of any Lender (other than the Lenders agreeing to new or increased Revolving Commitments or the Incremental Term Loans) shall be required for any incremental Revolving Commitment or Incremental Term Loans provided or Loan made pursuant to this Section 2.09(d). Nothing contained in this Section 2.09(d) shall constitute, or otherwise be deemed to be, a commitment on the part of any Lender to increase its Commitments hereunder, or provide Incremental Term Loans, at any time. In connection with any increase of the Revolving Commitments or Incremental Term Loans pursuant to this Section 2.09(d), any new Lender becoming a party hereto shall (1) execute such documents and agreements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request and (2) in the case of any new Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside of the United States of America, provide to the Administrative Agent, its name, address, tax identification number and/or such other information as shall be necessary for the Administrative Agent to comply with “know your customer” and Anti-Money Laundering Laws.
SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each applicable Revolving Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date in Dollars and (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan made by such Swingline Lender on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the fifth Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding and the proceeds of any such Borrowing shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to repay any Swingline Loans outstanding. The Borrower shall repay Term Loans on each date set forth below in the aggregate principal amount set forth opposite such date (as adjusted from time to time pursuant to Section 2.11(a) and Section 2.11(d), or as such table below may be modified by the Administrative Agent after the Funding Date (and disclosed to the Lenders) to extend each such date by one quarter to the extent the Funding Date occurs on or after January 1, 2023):
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Date Amount
March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2023 $4,687,500
March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, September 30, 2024, December 31, 2024, March 31, 2025, June 30, 2025, September 30, 2025, December 31, 2025, March 31, 2026, June 30, 2026, September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2026 $9,375,000
March 31, 2027, June 30, 2027 and September 30, 2027 $14,062,500

To the extent not previously repaid, all unpaid Term Loans shall be paid in full in Dollars by the Borrower on the Maturity Date. Term Loans that are repaid or prepaid may not be reborrowed.
(b)    Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c)    The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.
(d)    The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(e)    Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto or in such other form approved by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).
(f)    If at any time the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure of the Lenders exceeds the aggregate Revolving Commitments of the Lenders, the Borrower shall immediately prepay, without penalty or premium (subject to Section 2.16), the Revolving Loans in the amount of such excess. To the extent that, after the prepayment of all Revolving Loans an excess of the Revolving Credit Exposure over the aggregate Revolving Commitments still exists, the Borrower shall promptly cash collateralize the Letters of Credit in the manner described in Section 2.06(j) in an amount sufficient to eliminate such excess.
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SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans. (a) The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay, without penalty or premium (subject to Section 2.16), any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section.
(b)    The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the applicable Swingline Lender) by telephone (if promptly confirmed in writing consistent with such telephonic notice) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Term Benchmark Borrowing or an RFR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09(c), then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09(c). Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Revolving Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing, each voluntary prepayment of a Term Loan Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Term Loans included in the prepaid Term Loan Borrowing in such order of application as directed by the Borrower, and each mandatory prepayment of a Term Loan Borrowing shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.11(d). Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13(e) and any break funding payments required by Section 2.16.
(c)    In the event and on each occasion that any Net Proceeds are received by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of any Prepayment Event, the Borrower shall, immediately after such Net Proceeds are received, prepay the Obligations as set forth in Section 2.11(d) below in an aggregate amount equal to 100% of such Net Proceeds; provided that, in the case of any event described in clause (a) or (b) of the definition of the term “Prepayment Event”, if the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Financial Officer to the effect that the Borrower or its relevant Subsidiaries intend to apply the Net Proceeds from such event (or a portion thereof specified in such certificate), within 365 days after receipt of such Net Proceeds, to acquire (or replace or rebuild) real property, equipment or other tangible assets (excluding inventory) to be used in the business of the Borrower and/or its Subsidiaries (or, to the extent the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries enter into a written commitment to so invest such Net Proceeds during such 365-day period, within 180 days after the end of such 365-day period), and certifying that no Default has occurred and is continuing, then no prepayment shall be required pursuant to this paragraph in respect of the Net Proceeds specified in such certificate; provided further that to the extent of any such Net Proceeds therefrom that have not been so applied by the end of such 365-day (or additional 180-day) period, a prepayment shall be required at such time in an amount equal to such Net Proceeds that have not been so applied.
(d)    All such amounts pursuant to Sections 2.11(c) shall be applied first to the Term Loans (ratably to the initial Term Loans and Incremental Terms Loans, if any), in direct order of maturity to the next eight scheduled installments thereof, thereafter ratably across the remaining scheduled installments thereof (in determining such ratable amounts, excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the final payment due on the Maturity Date (or any other applicable maturity date for Incremental Term Loans, if any)) and thereafter to the final payment due on the
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Maturity Date (or any other applicable maturity date for Incremental Term Loans), and second to the Revolving Loans (but without any required reduction of the aggregate Revolving Commitment).
SECTION 2.12. Fees. (a) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a commitment fee, which fee shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the average daily Available Revolving Commitment during the period from and including the earlier of the Funding Date and the forty-fifth (45th) day following the Signing Date, to but excluding the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate; provided that, if any Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure after its Revolving Commitment terminates, then such commitment fee shall continue to accrue on the daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure from and including the date on which its Revolving Commitment terminates to but excluding the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the Funding Date and thereafter on the fifteenth day following the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the commitment fee begins accruing pursuant to this Section 2.12(a). All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(b)    The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Term Lender a ticking fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount of the Term Loan Commitment of such Lender during the period from and including the forty-fifth (45th) day following the Signing Date to but excluding the Funding Date or, if the Funding Date does not occur prior to the date on which the Term Loan Commitments terminate, the date of such termination. Accrued ticking fees shall be payable in arrears on the Funding Date or, if the Funding Date does not occur prior to the date on which the Term Loan Commitments terminate, the date of such termination. All ticking fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(c) The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender with a Revolving Commitment a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue on the daily maximum stated amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Term Benchmark Revolving Loans during the period from and including the Funding Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Revolving Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) to each Issuing Bank for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, which shall accrue at the rate or rates per annum separately agreed upon between the Borrower and such Issuing Bank on the maximum stated amount then available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit during the period from and including the Funding Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Revolving Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, as well as such Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment, cancellation, negotiation, transfer, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Funding Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Revolving Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to any Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
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(d)    The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers, for their respective accounts, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the applicable party.
(e)    All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in Dollars in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to any Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees, ticking fees, and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION 2.13. Interest. (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan, unless the Borrower and Swingline Lender shall agree in writing to a different rate of interest) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b)    The Loans comprising each Term Benchmark Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.
(c)    Each RFR Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR plus the Applicable Rate.
(d)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower hereunder shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at the election of the Required Lenders or automatically upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default pursuant to clauses(a), (b), (h) or (i) of Section 7.01, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of Loans, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section, (ii) in the case of any fee payable pursuant to Section 2.12, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such fee in Section 2.12, and (iii) in the case of any overdue interest or other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section.
(e)    Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Revolving Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(f)    All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case interest shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). All interest hereunder on any Loan shall be computed on a daily basis based upon the outstanding principal amount of such Loan as of the applicable date of determination. The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, Term SOFR Rate, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR or Daily
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Simple SOFR shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest.
(a)    Subject to clauses (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of this Section 2.14, if:
(i)    the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate (including because the Term SOFR Reference Rate is not available or published on a current basis), for such Interest Period or (B) at any time that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the applicable Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR; or
(ii)    the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone, telecopy or electronic mail as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until (x) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (y) the Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (1) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing and any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be an Interest Election Request or a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (y) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above and (2) any Borrowing Request that requests an RFR Borrowing shall instead be deemed to be a Borrowing Request, as applicable, for an ABR Borrowing; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then all other Types of Borrowings shall be permitted. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of the notice from the Administrative Agent referred to in this Section 2.14(a) with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until (i) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, with respect to the relevant Benchmark and (ii) the Borrower delivers a new Interest Election Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.08 or a new Borrowing Request in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03, (x) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (1) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not also the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above or (2) an ABR Loan if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR also is the subject of Section 2.14(a)(i) or (ii) above, on such day, and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, an ABR Loan.
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(b)    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to the Reference Time in respect of any setting of the then-current Benchmark, then such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to the Lenders without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document so long as the Administrative Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders of each affected Class.
(c)    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
(d)    The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of (i) any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, (ii) the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, (iii) the effectiveness of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, (iv) the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to clause (e) below and (v) the commencement or conclusion of any Benchmark Unavailability Period. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Administrative Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section 2.14, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section 2.14.
(e)    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, at any time (including in connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement), (i) if the then-current Benchmark is a term rate (including the Term SOFR Rate) and either (A) any tenor for such Benchmark is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion or (B) the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark is or will be no longer representative, then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for any Benchmark settings at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-representative tenor and (ii) if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (i) above either (A) is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement) or (B) is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is or will no longer be representative for a Benchmark (including a Benchmark Replacement), then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” for all Benchmark settings at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor.
(f)    Upon the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the Borrower may revoke any request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans to be made, converted or continued during any Benchmark Unavailability Period and, failing that, the Borrower will be deemed to have converted any such request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing into a request for a Borrowing of or conversion to (i) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event
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or (ii) an ABR Borrowing if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event. During any Benchmark Unavailability Period or at any time that a tenor for the then-current Benchmark is not an Available Tenor, the component of ABR based upon the then-current Benchmark or such tenor for such Benchmark, as applicable, will not be used in any determination of ABR. Furthermore, if any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan is outstanding on the date of the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period with respect to a Relevant Rate applicable to such Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, then until such time as a Benchmark Replacement is implemented pursuant to this Section 2.14, (1) any Term Benchmark Loan shall on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute, (x) an RFR Borrowing so long as the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is not the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event or (y) an ABR Loan if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR is the subject of a Benchmark Transition Event, on such day and (2) any RFR Loan shall on and from such day, be converted by the Administrative Agent to, and shall constitute an ABR Loan.
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i)    impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, liquidity or similar requirement (including any compulsory loan requirement, insurance charge or other assessment) against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or Issuing Bank;
(ii)    impose on any Lender or Issuing Bank any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; or
(iii)    subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in any of clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;
and (A) the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender or such other Recipient of making, continuing, converting or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender, Issuing Bank or such other Recipient of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender, Issuing Bank or such other Recipient hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise) and (B) such Lender or such other Recipient, as the case may be, is generally demanding similar compensation from its other similar borrowers in similar circumstances, then the Borrower will pay to such Lender, Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender, Issuing Bank or such other Recipient, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender or Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
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(c)    A certificate of a Lender or an Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d)    Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments. With respect to any Term Benchmark Loans, in the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or an optional or mandatory prepayment of Loans), (ii) the conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (iii) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Term Benchmark Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith) or (iv) the assignment of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.17. Taxes. (a) Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up. Each payment by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without withholding for any Taxes, unless such withholding is required by any law. If any Withholding Agent determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it is so required to withhold Taxes, then such Withholding Agent may so withhold and shall timely pay the full amount of withheld Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law. If such Taxes are Indemnified Taxes, then the amount payable by such Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that, net of such withholding (including such withholding applicable to additional amounts payable under this Section), the applicable Recipient receives the amount it would have received had no such withholding been made.
(b)    Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. The Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for, Other Taxes.
(c) Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes by any Loan Party to a Governmental Authority, such Loan Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
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(d)    Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify each Recipient for any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) that are paid or payable by (or required to be deducted or withheld from any payment to) such Recipient and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. The indemnity under this Section 2.17(d) shall be paid within 10 days after the Recipient delivers to the Borrower a certificate stating the amount of any Indemnified Taxes so paid or payable by such Recipient and describing the basis for the indemnification claim. Such certificate shall be conclusive of the amount so paid or payable absent manifest error. Such Recipient shall deliver a copy of such certificate to the Administrative Agent.
(e)    Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.04(c) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to setoff and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph (e).
(f) Status of Lenders. (i) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from, or reduction of, any applicable withholding Tax with respect to any payments under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without, or at a reduced rate of, withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to any withholding (including backup withholding) or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(A) through (E) and (iii) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender. Upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, any Lender shall update any form or certification previously delivered pursuant to this Section 2.17(f) or notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of its legal inability to do so. If any form or certification previously delivered pursuant to this Section expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect with respect to a Lender, such Lender shall promptly (and in any event within 10 days after such expiration, obsolescence or inaccuracy) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of such expiration, obsolescence or inaccuracy and update the form or certification if it is legally eligible to do so.
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(ii)    Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, any Lender with respect to the Borrower shall, if it is legally eligible to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies reasonably requested by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent) on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a party hereto, duly completed and executed copies of whichever of the following is applicable:
(A)    in the case of a Lender that is a U.S. Person, IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. Federal backup withholding tax;
(B)    in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (1) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (2) with respect to any other applicable payments under this Agreement, IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;
(C)    in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender for whom payments under this Agreement constitute income that is effectively connected with such Lender’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States, IRS Form W-8ECI;
(D)    in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code both (1) IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E and (2) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit G (a “U.S. Tax Certificate”) to the effect that such Lender is not (a) a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (b) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code (c) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (d) conducting a trade or business in the United States with which the relevant interest payments are effectively connected;
(E)    in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender that is not the beneficial owner of payments made under this Agreement (including a partnership or a participating Lender) (1) an IRS Form W-8IMY on behalf of itself and (2) the relevant forms prescribed in clauses (A), (B), (C), (D) and (F) of this paragraph (f)(ii) that would be required of each such beneficial owner or partner of such partnership if such beneficial owner or partner were a Lender; provided, however, that if the Lender is a partnership and one or more of its partners are claiming the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, such Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Certificate on behalf of such partners; or
(F)    any other form prescribed by law as a basis for claiming exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. Federal withholding Tax together with such supplementary documentation necessary to enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the amount of Tax (if any) required by law to be withheld.
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(iii)    If a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. Federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Withholding Agent, at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Withholding Agent, such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Withholding Agent as may be necessary for the Withholding Agent to comply with its obligations under FATCA, to determine that such Lender has or has not complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA and, as necessary, to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this Section 2.17(f)(iii), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(g)    Treatment of Certain Refunds. If any party determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund (or credit in lieu of a refund) of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified pursuant to this Section 2.17 (including additional amounts paid pursuant to this Section 2.17), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (or credit in lieu of a refund) (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund (or credit in lieu of a refund)), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including any Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund (or credit in lieu of a refund)). Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid to such indemnifying party pursuant to the previous sentence (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event such indemnified party is required to repay such refund (or credit in lieu of a refund) to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.17(g), in no event will any indemnified party be required to pay any amount to any indemnifying party pursuant to this Section 2.17(g) if such payment would place such indemnified party in a less favorable position (on a net after-Tax basis) than the indemnified party would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts in respect of such Tax had never been paid. This Section 2.17(g) shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes which it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.
(h)    Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.17 shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other obligations under any Loan Document.
(i)    Issuing Bank. For purposes of Section 2.17, the term “Lender” includes any Issuing Bank.
SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs. (a) The Borrower shall make each payment or prepayment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when due or the date fixed for any prepayment hereunder, in immediately available funds, without set off, recoupment or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, except payments to be made directly to the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.
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The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.
(b)    At any time that payments are not required to be applied in the manner required by Section 7.03, if at any time (x) insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder not constituting (i) a specific payment of principal, interest, fees or other sum payable under the Loan Documents (which shall be applied as specified by the Borrower or (ii) a mandatory prepayment (which shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.11) or (y) any funds are received by the Administrative Agent as proceeds of Collateral, such funds shall be applied ratably first, to pay any fees, indemnities, or expense reimbursements (other than those described in the next clause second), including amounts then due to the Administrative Agent and each Issuing Bank from the Borrower, second, to pay any fees or expense reimbursements then due to the Lenders from the Borrower, third, to pay interest then due and payable on the Loans ratably, fourth, to prepay principal on the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements and any other amounts owing with respect to Banking Services Obligations and Swap Obligations ratably, fifth, to pay an amount to the Administrative Agent equal to one hundred two and one-half percent (102.5%) of the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit and the aggregate amount of any unpaid LC Disbursements, to be held as cash collateral for such Obligations and sixth, to the payment of any other Secured Obligation due to the Administrative Agent or any Lender by the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, amounts received from any Loan Party shall not be applied to any Excluded Swap Obligation of such Loan Party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, unless so directed by the Borrower, or unless a Default is in existence, none of the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall apply any payment which it receives to any Term Benchmark Loan of a Class, except (a) on the expiration date of the Interest Period applicable to any such Term Benchmark Loan or (b) in the event, and only to the extent, that there are no outstanding ABR Loans of the same Class and, in any event, the Borrower shall pay the break funding payment required in accordance with Section 2.16. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have the continuing and exclusive right to apply and reverse and reapply any and all such proceeds and payments to any portion of the Secured Obligations.
(c)    At the election of the Administrative Agent, all payments of principal, interest, LC Disbursements, fees, premiums, reimbursable expenses (including, without limitation, all reimbursement for fees and expenses pursuant to Section 9.03), and other sums payable under the Loan Documents, may be paid from the proceeds of Borrowings made hereunder.
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(d) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or its Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other similarly situated Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the applicable Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders without recourse or warranty from the other Lenders except as contemplated by Section 9.04 in respect of assignments to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the applicable Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(e)    Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or any Issuing Bank hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the applicable Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the NYFRB Rate.
(f)    If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(e) or 9.03(c), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion and notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, (i) apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender and for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Lenders or the Issuing Banks to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid, and/or (ii) for so long as any failure described above shall be continuing, hold any such amounts in a segregated account as cash collateral for, and application to, any future funding obligations of such Lender under such Sections, in the case of each of clause (i) and (ii) above, in any order as determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion.
SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders. (a) If any Lender or Issuing Bank requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Tax or additional amount to any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender or Issuing Bank shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender or such Issuing Bank, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender or such Issuing Bank to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or such Issuing Bank. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or Issuing Bank in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b)    If any Lender or Issuing Bank requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Tax or additional amount to any Lender,
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any Issuing Bank or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or any Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.17, or if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, or if any Issuing Bank defaults in its obligation to issue Letters of Credit hereunder, or if any Lender does not consent to any proposed amendment, supplement, modification, consent or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that requires the consent of each of the Lenders or each of the Lenders affected thereby (so long as the consent of the Required Lenders (with the percentage in such definition being deemed to be 51% for this purpose) has been obtained), then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender (or Issuing Bank, as applicable) and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Section 2.15 or 2.17) and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (other than, in the case of any Issuing Bank, its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the then outstanding Letters of Credit that have been issued by it) to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, if a Lender or Issuing Bank accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Revolving Commitment is being assigned, each Issuing Bank and each Swingline Lender), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments then due and payable. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply. Each party hereto agrees that (i) an assignment required pursuant to this paragraph may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee (or, to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and such parties are participants), and (ii) the Lender required to make such assignment need not be a party thereto in order for such assignment to be effective and shall be deemed to have consented to and be bound by the terms thereof; provided that, following the effectiveness of any such assignment, the other parties to such assignment agree to execute and deliver such documents necessary to evidence such assignment as reasonably requested by the applicable Lender, provided that any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.
SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply until such Lender ceases to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.20(f):
(a)    commitment fees and ticking fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitments of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(a) and (b), and participation fees shall cease to accrue on the LC Exposure of such Defaulting Lender to the extent it is cash collateralized pursuant to Section 2.20(d); provided, that any Term Lender that shall have funded its Term Loan as required hereunder shall be entitled to receive the ticking fees that would have accrued for its account had it not been a Defaulting Lender;
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(b) any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 7.03 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 9.08 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to each Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender hereunder; third, to cash collateralize each Issuing Bank’s LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with this Section; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) cash collateralize each Issuing Bank’s future LC Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with this Section; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks or Swingline Lenders as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the Issuing Banks or Swingline Lenders against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; seventh, so long as no Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender's breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or LC Disbursements in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.03 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and LC Disbursements owed to, all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or LC Disbursements owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure and Swingline Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the applicable Commitments without giving effect to clause (d) below. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post cash collateral pursuant to this Section shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents thereto;
(c)    the Commitments and Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.02); provided that, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.02, this clause (c) shall not apply to the vote of a Defaulting Lender in the case of an amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of each Lender or each Lender directly affected thereby;
(d)    if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
(i) all or any part of such Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure shall be reallocated among the Lenders with Revolving Commitments that are not Defaulting Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent (x) the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Exposure plus such Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure does not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Commitments, (y) the sum of any non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposures plus such non-Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure and Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure does not exceed such non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Commitment and (z) the conditions set forth in Section 4.03 are satisfied at such time; and;
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(ii)    if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender, (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Banks only the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;
(iii)    if the Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to this paragraph (d), the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(c) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s cash collateralized LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is cash collateralized;
(iv)    if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to this paragraph (d), then the fees payable to the Lenders with Revolving Commitments pursuant to Section 2.12(a) and Section 2.12(c) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’ Applicable Percentages; or
(v)    if all or any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is neither cash collateralized nor reallocated pursuant this paragraph (d), then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the applicable Issuing Bank or any Lender hereunder, all commitment fees that otherwise would have been payable to such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.12(c) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure shall be payable to the applicable Issuing Bank until such LC Exposure is cash collateralized and/or reallocated; and
(vi)    so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lenders shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and an Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure and the Defaulting Lender’s then outstanding LC Exposure will be 100% covered by the Revolving Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.20(d), and participating interests in any such newly issued or increased Letter of Credit or newly made Swingline Loan shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.20(d)(i) (and Defaulting Lenders shall not participate therein).
(e)    If (i) a Bankruptcy Event or a Bail-In Action with respect to a Parent of any Lender shall occur following the date hereof and for so long as such event shall continue or (ii) any Swingline Lender or any Issuing Bank has a good faith belief that any Lender has defaulted in fulfilling its obligations under one or more other agreements in which such Lender commits to extend credit, the Swingline Lenders shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Banks shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless the applicable Swingline Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, shall have entered into arrangements with the Borrower or such Lender, satisfactory to such Swingline Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be, to defease any risk to it in respect of such Lender hereunder
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(f)    in the event and on the date that each of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower, each Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender shall agree that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of the other Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Revolving Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such Loans (other than Swingline Loans) and unreimbursed LC Disbursements of the other Lenders as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Revolving Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to commitment fees and participation fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while such Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided further that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the Borrower and any other affected parties, no termination of a Lender’s status as a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of the Borrower or other affected party hereunder arising from such Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.
(g)    Nothing in this Section shall affect any rights or remedies the Borrower may have against any Defaulting Lender.
ARTICLE III

Representations and Warranties
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:
SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers; Subsidiaries. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized or formed, validly existing and, except to the extent otherwise disclosed to the Administrative Agent in writing prior to the Signing Date, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable in the relevant jurisdiction) in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required. Schedule 3.01 hereto (as supplemented from time to time) identifies each Subsidiary (in each case, after giving effect to the consummation of the Cabinets Business Transfers and the Spin-Off), noting whether such Subsidiary is a Material Domestic Subsidiary, the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as the case may be, the percentage of issued and outstanding shares of each class of its Equity Interests owned by the Borrower and the other Subsidiaries and, if such percentage is not 100% (excluding directors’ qualifying shares as required by law), a description of each class issued and outstanding. All of the outstanding shares of Equity Interests of each Subsidiary are validly issued and outstanding and fully paid and (to the extent applicable under governing law) nonassessable and all such shares and other equity interests indicated on Schedule 3.01 as owned by the Borrower or another Subsidiary are owned, beneficially and of record, by the Borrower or any Subsidiary free and clear of all Liens, other than Liens created under the Loan Documents or permitted pursuant to Section 6.02(i). There are no outstanding commitments or other obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to issue, and no options, warrants or other rights of any Person to acquire, any shares of any class of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within each Loan Party’s corporate or other organizational powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational and, if required, stockholder or member action. The Loan Documents to which each Loan Party is a party have been duly executed and delivered by such Loan Party and constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
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SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect and except for filings necessary to perfect Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation binding upon any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority binding upon any Loan Party, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any material indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon any Loan Party or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by any Loan Party, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of, or the requirement to create, any Lien on any asset of the Loan Parties other than Liens created under the Loan Documents.
SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change. (a) The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2021, reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended September 25, 2022, as filed by the Borrower with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and certified by its chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.
(b)    Since December 26, 2021, there has occurred no event, condition or circumstance that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, properties, assets or financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION 3.05. Properties. (a) Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, except for such defects in title that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)    Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.06. Litigation, Environmental and Labor Matters. (a) There are no actions, suits, proceedings or investigations by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii) that specifically involve this Agreement or the Transactions.
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(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, none of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has incurred any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to result in any Environmental Liability.
(c)    (i) There are no strikes, lockouts or slowdowns against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries pending or, to their knowledge, threatened, (ii), the hours worked by and payments made to employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have not been in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable Federal, state, local or foreign law relating to such matters, and (iii) all material payments due from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or for which any claim may be made against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or accrued as liabilities on the books of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, in the case of each of the preceding clauses (i) through (iii), except as could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(d)    Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status. None of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SECTION 3.09. Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) any Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.10. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.11. Disclosure. (a) Neither the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) did not as of the date or dates thereof contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to forecasts or projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed by it to be reasonable at the time so furnished and, if furnished prior to the Signing Date, as of the Signing Date, it being understood that forecasts and projected financial information are inherently uncertain and that actual results may differ (and such differences may be material) from the forecasts and projected financial information.
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(b)    As of the Signing Date, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, the information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification provided on or prior to such date to any Lender in connection with this Agreement is true and correct in all respects.
SECTION 3.12. Anti-Corruption Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Sanctions. The Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects. None of (a) the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, or (b) to the knowledge of the Borrower, any agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person. No Borrowing or Letter of Credit, use of proceeds or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will violate any Anti-Corruption Law, Anti-Money Laundering Law or applicable Sanction.
SECTION 3.13. Affected Financial Institutions. No Loan Party is an Affected Financial Institution.
SECTION 3.14. Margin Regulations. The Borrower is not engaged, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, and no part of the proceeds of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit extension hereunder will be used to buy or carry any Margin Stock. Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing or drawing under a Letter of Credit, not more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of the Borrower only or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) will be Margin Stock.
SECTION 3.15. [Reserved].
SECTION 3.16. Solvency. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole are Solvent as of each of the Signing Date and the Funding Date.
SECTION 3.17. Liens. There are no Liens on any of the real or personal properties of the Borrower or any Subsidiary except for Liens permitted by Section 6.02.
SECTION 3.18. No Burdensome Restrictions. No Loan Party is subject to any Burdensome Restrictions except Burdensome Restrictions permitted under Section 6.09.
SECTION 3.19. Insurance. The Borrower maintains, and has caused each Subsidiary to maintain the insurance required by Section 5.05.
SECTION 3.20. Security Interest in Collateral. The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents create legal and valid perfected Liens on all the Collateral in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and such Liens constitute perfected and continuing Liens on the Collateral, securing the Secured Obligations, enforceable against the applicable Loan Party and all third parties, and having priority over all other Liens on the Collateral except in the case of (a) Permitted Encumbrances, to the extent any such Permitted Encumbrances would have priority over the Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to any applicable law (including because such Liens have priority over Liens perfected by filing of UCC financing statements, account control agreements or “control” under the UCC) and (b) Liens perfected only by possession (including possession of any certificate of title) to the extent the Administrative Agent has not obtained or does not maintain possession of such Collateral.
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SECTION 3.21. Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loans have been used and will be used, whether directly or indirectly, as set forth in Section 5.08.

ARTICLE IV

Conditions
SECTION 4.01. Signing Date. This Agreement and the Commitments hereunder shall become effective on the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(a)    The Administrative Agent shall have received from each party to this Agreement (i) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of each such party or (ii) evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that such party has signed such a counterpart (in each case, which, subject to Section 9.06(b), may include any Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed .pdf or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), and upon the Administrative Agent’s execution and delivery of its signature page to this Agreement, the condition set forth in this clause (a) shall be deemed to be satisfied.
(b)    The Administrative Agent shall have received such customary documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Borrower, the authorization of the Financing Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement or the Transactions, in each case reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. and upon the Administrative Agent’s execution and delivery of its signature page to this Agreement, the condition set forth in this clause (b) shall be deemed to be satisfied.
(c)    (i) The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least five days prior to the Signing Date, all documentation and other information regarding the Loan Parties requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and Anti-Money Laundering Laws and regulations, including the Patriot Act, to the extent requested in writing of the Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Signing Date and (ii) any Lender who has made a request therefor at least 10 days prior to the Signing Date, shall have received a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to each Loan Party at least five days prior to the Signing Date solely to the extent such Loan Party qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation (provided that, upon the execution and delivery by such Lender of its signature page to this Agreement, the condition set forth in this clause (ii) shall be deemed to be satisfied).
SECTION 4.02. Funding Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(a)    The Signing Date shall have occurred.
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(b)    The Borrower shall have delivered a Borrowing Request in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.03.
(c)    The Lenders shall have received true and complete copies of the Spin-Off Agreements and, to the extent requested by any Arranger at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Funding Date, all other material agreements entered into in connection with the Spin-Off. The terms of all such agreements shall be consistent in all material respects with the information set forth in, and the forms of such agreements filed with, the Form 10 or otherwise reasonably satisfactory to the Arrangers (it being agreed that the terms set forth in, and the forms of such agreements filed with, the Form 10 are reasonably satisfactory to the Arrangers), and no term or condition of such agreements shall have been waived, amended or otherwise modified in a manner material and adverse to the rights or interests of the Lenders without the prior approval of the Arrangers, it being agreed that the Arrangers will act reasonably in making any such determination (and if the Borrower notifies the Arrangers of any such waiver, amendment or modification, the Arrangers shall, upon request of the Borrower in writing, confirm to the Borrower whether any such prior approval is required).
(d)    The Form 10 shall have been declared effective by the SEC and all conditions to the Spin-Off set forth in the Form 10 shall have been satisfied (or shall be satisfied on the Funding Date immediately following the occurrence of the Spin-Off) or waived (in the case of any waiver material and adverse to the rights or interests of the Lenders, subject to the receipt of the approval of the Arrangers), and the Cabinets Business Transfers, the Spin-Off and the FBHS Cash Payment shall have been consummated or shall be consummated on the Funding Date following the making of the Loans, on terms consistent with applicable law and, in all material respects, with the information set forth in, and the forms of agreements filed with, the Form 10 and the pro forma financial information heretofore delivered to the Arrangers. There shall be no material payments by the Borrower to FBHS in connection with the Spin-Off other than the payment of the FBHS Cash Payment, repayment of existing intercompany debt and other payments described in the Form 10, and the assets, liabilities and capitalization of the Borrower after giving effect to the FBHS Cash Payment and all related transactions shall be consistent in all material respects with the pro forma financial statements heretofore delivered to the Lenders (it being agreed that the FBHS Cash Payment may be in an aggregate amount up to $940,000,000).
(e)    The Lenders shall have received (a) a favorable solvency certificate from the chief financial officer of the Borrower dated as of the Funding Date (and after giving effect to the Transactions) and in customary form and affirming that a favorable solvency opinion (as to solvency of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) was delivered by a nationally recognized advisory firm to the Board of Directors of FBHS, and (b) copies of the private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, if obtained, and the legal opinions by FBHS (or customary short form opinions of legal counsel relating thereto) as to the tax free nature of the Spin-Off (in each case, on a non-reliance basis).
(f) The Lenders shall have received (i) audited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for the two most recent fiscal years ended prior to the Funding Date as to which such financial statements are available, (ii) unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Borrower for each quarterly period ended subsequent to the date of the latest financial statements delivered pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph (f) as to which such financial statements are available (and in any event, for each such quarterly period ending more than forty-five (45) days prior to the Funding Date) (in each case of the preceding clauses (i) and (ii), giving effect to the transfer of the Cabinets Business to the Borrower) and (iii) the Borrower’s most recent projected income statement, balance sheet and cash flows through 2027, in each case giving effect to the Spin-Off and the transactions related thereto, together with such information as the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall reasonably request (including, without limitation, a detailed description of the assumptions used in preparing such projections).
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(g)    There shall be no litigation or administrative proceeding that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Spin-Off.
(h)    All governmental and third party approvals necessary or, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, advisable in connection with the Transactions shall have been obtained and be in full force and effect.
(i)    The Collateral and Guarantee Requirement shall have been satisfied. The Administrative Agent shall have received a completed perfection certificate, dated the Funding Date and signed by an executive officer or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, together with all attachments contemplated thereby, including the results of a search of the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent) filings made with respect to the Loan Parties in the jurisdictions contemplated by the perfection certificate and copies of the financing statements (or similar documents) disclosed by such search and evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that the Liens indicated by such financing statements (or similar documents) are permitted under Section 6.02 or have been, or substantially contemporaneously with the initial funding of Loans on the Funding Date will be, released.
(j)    The Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Arranger shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Funding Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.
(k)    There shall not have occurred since December 26, 2021, any event, condition or circumstance that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, properties, assets or financial condition of the Borrower and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the Cabinets Business.
(l)    The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Funding Date) of counsel for the Loan Parties (which may include opinions of in house counsel) in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and covering such matters relating to the Loan Parties, this Agreement or the Transactions as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request. The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.
(m)    (i) Each Lender, as applicable, shall have received from the Borrower any promissory notes requested pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 2.10(e), and (ii) subject to Section 5.10(e), the Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed copies of the Subsidiary Guaranty, the Security Agreement and the other documents and certificates identified on Exhibit E attached hereto (including, without limitation, documents and certificates which the Administrative Agent may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Loan Parties, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Loan Parties, this Agreement or the Transactions), all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(n) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Funding Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, confirming (i) that the Funding Date Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects (and in all respects if qualified by Material Adverse Effect or other materiality qualifier) on and as of the Funding Date except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct in all material respects (and in all respects if qualified by Material Adverse Effect or other materiality qualifier) on and as of such earlier date, (ii) that, as of the Funding Date, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and (iii) compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (d), (g), (h) and (k) of this Section 4.02.
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(o)    The Administrative Agent shall have received updated disclosure schedules to the Credit Agreement reflecting updates after giving effect to the Spin-Off and related Transactions, which schedules shall be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Funding Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 31, 2023 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).
SECTION 4.03. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a)    The representations and warranties of the Loan Parties set forth in the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (and in all respects if qualified by Material Adverse Effect or other materiality qualifier) on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct in all material respects (or all respects if qualified by Material Adverse Effect or other materiality qualifier) on and as of such earlier date; provided that the representations and warranties to be made on the Funding Date shall be limited to the Funding Date Representations only.
(b)    At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.
ARTICLE V

Affirmative Covenants
From and after (x) the Signing Date with respect to the requirements of Sections 5.01 and 5.02, and (y) the Funding Date with respect to any other requirement of this Section V, and until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent (with sufficient copies for each Lender):
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(a)    within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or, if earlier, within five (5) days following the date that the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Borrower for such fiscal year would be required to be filed under the rules and regulations of the SEC, giving effect to any automatic extension available thereunder for the filing of such form) (commencing with the fiscal year ended December 25, 2022), its audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification commentary or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;
(b)    within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or, if earlier, within five (5) days following the date that the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Borrower for such fiscal quarter would be required to be filed under the rules and regulations of the SEC, giving effect to any automatic extension available thereunder for the filing of such form) (commencing with the fiscal quarter ended March 26, 2023), its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;
(c)    concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower in the form of Exhibit D (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Section 6.12 and calculation of the Net Leverage Ratio for purposes of determining the Applicable Rate and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;
(d)    concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) above, a certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination of such financial statements of any Default (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines);
(e)    as soon as available, but in any event not more than thirty (30) days prior to the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a copy of the plan and forecast (including a projected consolidated and consolidating balance sheet, income statement and funds flow statement) of the Borrower for each month of the upcoming fiscal year in form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;
(f) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be; and
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(g)    promptly following any request therefor, (x) such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request and (y) information and documentation reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” laws and regulations and Anti-Money Laundering Laws, including the Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a), (b) or (f) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and, if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which such materials are publicly available as posted on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR); or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether made available by the Administrative Agent). The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any request by a Lender for delivery of paper copies, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for timely accessing posted documents or requesting delivery of paper copies of such document to it and maintaining its copies of such documents.
SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a)    the occurrence of any Default;
(b)    the filing or commencement of any Proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws, that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect
(c)    the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(d)    [reserved];
(e)    any material change in accounting or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(f)    any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect; and
(g)    any change in the information provided in the Beneficial Ownership Certification delivered to such Lender that would result in a change to the list of beneficial owners identified in such certification.
Each notice delivered under this Section (i) shall be in writing, (ii) shall contain a heading or a reference line that reads “Notice under Section 5.02 of MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement dated November 18, 2022” and (iii) shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
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SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges, franchises, governmental authorizations and intellectual property rights material to the conduct of its business, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted, in each case (other than with respect to the preservation of the existence of the Borrower), except to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.04.
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will pay, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay, their respective obligations, including Tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and (b) the Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP.
SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, except for any such failure that could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and (b) maintain with financially sound and reputable carriers (i) insurance in such amounts (with no greater risk retention) and against such risks as are considered appropriate by management of the Borrower (but including loss or damage by fire and loss in transit; theft, burglary, pilferage, larceny, embezzlement, and other criminal activities; business interruption; and general liability) and such other hazards, as is customarily maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations and (ii) all insurance required pursuant to the Collateral Documents. The Borrower will furnish to the Lenders, upon request of the Administrative Agent, information in reasonable detail as to the insurance so maintained. The Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent endorsements (x) to all “All Risk” physical damage insurance policies on all of the Loan Parties’ tangible personal property and assets insurance policies naming the Administrative Agent as lender loss payee, and (y) to all general liability and other liability policies naming the Administrative Agent an additional insured. In the event the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries at any time or times hereafter shall fail to obtain or maintain any of the policies or insurance required herein or to pay any premium in whole or in part relating thereto, then the Administrative Agent, without waiving or releasing any obligations or resulting Default hereunder, may at any time or times thereafter (but shall be under no obligation to do so) obtain and maintain such policies of insurance and pay such premiums and take any other action with respect thereto which the Administrative Agent deems advisable. All sums so disbursed by the Administrative Agent shall constitute part of the Obligations, payable as provided in this Agreement. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders prompt written notice of any casualty or other insured damage to any material portion of the Collateral or the commencement of any action or proceeding for the taking of any material portion of the Collateral or interest therein under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding.
SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep books, records and accounts which, in reasonable detail, accurately reflect all transactions in relation to its business and activities.
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The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon at least three (3) Business Days’ notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants (and hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to contact its independent accountants directly) and to provide contact information for each bank where each Loan Party has a depository and/or securities account and each such Loan Party hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to contact the bank(s) in order to request bank statements and/or balances, all at such reasonable times (during normal business hours) and as often as reasonably requested, subject, in each case, to any access, safety or security (including data security) procedures as may then be in effect at the location of such properties, books and records or the persons maintaining those books and records for the Borrower or any Subsidiary. The Borrower acknowledges that the Administrative Agent, after exercising its rights of inspection, may prepare and distribute to the Lenders certain reports pertaining to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries’ assets for internal use by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders.
SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower will maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote compliance in all material respects by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions. The Borrower and each Subsidiary will comply with each Spin-Off Agreement to which it is party, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit. The proceeds of the Term Loans will be used on the Funding Date solely to fund the FBHS Cash Payment, and the proceeds of the Revolving Loans will be used on the Funding Date solely to fund the portion of the FBHS Cash Payment not funded by Term Loans on such date, and to pay related fees and expenses in connection with the Transactions. The proceeds of any Revolving Loans made subsequent to the Funding Date and of any Incremental Term Loans made pursuant to Section 2.09(d) will be used only for general corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures, permitted acquisitions and other lawful corporate purposes. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of Regulation U or X of the Board. Letters of Credit will be used only to support obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business. The Borrower will not request any Borrowing or Letter of Credit, and the Borrower shall not use, and shall not permit its Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers, employees and agents to use, the proceeds of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws or Anti-Money Laundering Laws, (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, to the extent such activities, businesses or transaction would be prohibited by Sanctions if conducted by a corporation incorporated in the United States, the European Union and its member states or the United Kingdom, or (C) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.
SECTION 5.09. Accuracy of Information. The Borrower will ensure that any written information, including financial statements or other documents, furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder contains no material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and the furnishing of such information shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in this Section.
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SECTION 5.10. Subsidiary Guarantors; Pledges; Additional Collateral; Further Assurances; Post-Closing Obligations.
(a)    As promptly as possible but in any event within thirty (30) days (or such later date as may be agreed upon by the Administrative Agent) after any Person becomes a Subsidiary or any Subsidiary qualifies independently as, or is designated by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as, a Material Domestic Subsidiary pursuant to the definition of “Material Domestic Subsidiary”, the Borrower shall provide the Administrative Agent with written notice thereof setting forth information in reasonable detail describing the material assets of such Person and shall cause each such Subsidiary which also qualifies as a Material Domestic Subsidiary to deliver to the Administrative Agent a joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Security Agreement (in each case in the form contemplated thereby) pursuant to which such Subsidiary agrees to be bound by the terms and provisions thereof, such joinders to the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Security Agreement to be accompanied by appropriate corporate resolutions, other corporate documentation and legal opinions in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(b)    The Borrower will cause, and will cause each other Loan Party to cause, all of its owned personal property (whether tangible, intangible, or mixed) to be subject at all times to first priority, perfected Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties to secure the Secured Obligations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents, subject in any case to Liens permitted by Section 6.02. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Borrower will cause the Applicable Pledge Percentage of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each Pledge Subsidiary directly owned by the Borrower or any other Loan Party to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Secured Obligations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents (subject, in each case, to Permitted Encumbrances which may have priority as a matter of law). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such pledge agreement in respect of the Equity Interests of a Foreign Subsidiary shall be required hereunder (A) until the date that is sixty (60) days after the Funding Date or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in the exercise of its reasonable discretion with respect thereto, or (B) to the extent the Administrative Agent or its counsel determines that such pledge would not provide material credit support for the benefit of the Secured Parties pursuant to legally valid, binding and enforceable pledge agreements.
(c)    Without limiting the foregoing, the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent such documents, agreements and instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements and other documents and such other actions or deliveries of the type required by Sections 4.02(i) or otherwise in accordance with the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement) which may be required by law or which the Administrative Agent may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to ensure perfection and priority of the Liens created or intended to be created by the Collateral Documents, all at the expense of the Borrower.
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(d) If any assets are acquired by a Loan Party after the Funding Date (other than (i) assets constituting Collateral under the Security Agreement that become subject to the Lien under the Security Agreement upon acquisition thereof or (ii) assets for which no additional requirements apply under the Security Agreement), the Borrower will notify the Administrative Agent thereof, and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will cause such assets to be subjected to a Lien securing the Secured Obligations and will take, and cause the other Loan Parties to take, such actions as shall be necessary or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to grant and perfect such Liens, including actions described in paragraph (c) of this Section, all at the expense of the Borrower.
(e)    Borrower shall provide Administrative Agent certificates of insurance and related endorsements described on Exhibit E in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent evidencing that the Borrower is carrying insurance in accordance with Section 5.05 not later than 60 days after the Funding Date (or at such later time to be determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion).

ARTICLE VI

Negative Covenants
From and after the Funding Date and until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except any one or any combination of the following:
(a)    The Secured Obligations;
(b)    Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness with Indebtedness of a similar type that does not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof (except by the amount of any accrued interest and premiums with respect to such Indebtedness and transaction fees, costs and expenses in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement thereof);
(c)    Indebtedness of the Borrower to any Subsidiary and of any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that Indebtedness of any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party to any Loan Party shall be subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6.05(d);
(d)    Guarantees by the Borrower of Indebtedness of any Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(e)    Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease Obligations or conditional sales or other title retention agreements and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (e) shall not exceed the greater of (x) $95,000,000 and (y) 25% of Applicable EBITDA at any time;
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(f)    Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof in connection with a Permitted Acquisition; provided that such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such Person becoming a Subsidiary;
(g)    Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary as an account party in respect of trade letters of credit or similar undertakings;
(h)    unsecured Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary so long as both immediately before and immediately after giving pro forma effect thereto (i) no Default has occurred and is continuing and (ii) the Borrower shall be in compliance on a pro forma basis) with the covenants contained in Section 6.12; provided, that (A) any senior unsecured Indebtedness of Borrower or any Subsidiary under any notes or convertible notes permitted hereunder and issued under an indenture, loan agreement, note purchase agreement or similar governing instrument or document in a registered public offering or a Rule 144A or other private placement transaction shall only be permitted hereunder to the extent such Indebtedness constitutes, and complies with the terms set forth in the definition of, Senior Note Indebtedness, (B) any Indebtedness that is contractually subordinated to the payment of the Obligations shall only be permitted hereunder to the extent such Indebtedness constitutes, and complies with the terms set forth in the definition of, Subordinated Indebtedness, and (C) any such unsecured Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (h) shall not be guaranteed by any Person that is not a Loan Party;
(i)    other Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (“Ratio Debt”) in an unlimited amount so long as (i) on the date of incurrence thereof on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the incurrence of such Ratio Debt and the application of the proceeds thereof and any related transaction the Net Leverage Ratio does not exceed 3.00 to 1.00, (ii) the weighted average life to maturity of any such Ratio Debt shall be no shorter than the remaining weighted average life to maturity of the initial Term Loans outstanding at such time, (iii) the final maturity date of such Ratio Debt shall not be earlier than the Maturity Date, (iv) such Ratio Debt may not participate on a greater than pro rata basis in any prepayments pursuant to Section 2.11(c), (v) all other terms of any such Ratio Debt (other than pricing) that are not consistent with the terms of this Agreement shall not be materially more restrictive (as determined by the Borrower in good faith), when taken as a whole, than those under this Agreement (except for covenants or other provisions that are also added for the benefit of the Lenders under this Agreement), (vi) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Ratio Debt incurred by Subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors under this clause (i), shall not exceed the greater of (x) $47,500,000 and (y) 12.5% of Applicable EBITDA at any time and (vii) any such Ratio Debt incurred by the Borrower or a Subsidiary Guarantor (x) shall not be guaranteed by any Person that is not a Loan Party and (y) shall not be secured by any property or assets that constitutes Collateral; and
(j)    other Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided that the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (j) shall not in the aggregate exceed the greater of (x) $95,000,000 and (y) 25% of Applicable EBITDA at any time.
For purposes of determining compliance with clauses (e), (i) and (j) of this Section 6.01, any Indebtedness that was permitted to be incurred hereunder on the date of such incurrence shall be permitted hereunder after the date of such incurrence notwithstanding any decrease in the applicable amount of permitted Indebtedness as a result of a decrease in Applicable EBITDA.
SECTION 6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except any one or any combination of the following:
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(a)    Liens created pursuant to any Loan Document;
(b)    Permitted Encumbrances;
(c)    any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof (except by the amount of any accrued interest and premiums with respect to such Indebtedness and transaction fees, costs and expenses in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement thereof);
(d)     any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof (except by the amount of any accrued interest and premiums with respect to such Indebtedness and transaction fees, costs and expenses in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement thereof);
(e)    Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided that (i) such security interests secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (e) of Section 6.01, (ii) such security interests and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (iv) such security interests shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(f)    Liens on the Collateral created pursuant to the collateral documentation for Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(i); provided that an Other Debt Representative acting on behalf of the holders of such Indebtedness shall have become party to (i) if such Indebtedness is secured by a Lien on the Collateral that is pari passu (but without regard to the control of remedies) with the Liens securing the Obligations, a First Lien Intercreditor Agreement as a “Senior Representative” (or similar term, in each case, to be defined in the First Lien Intercreditor Agreement) or (ii) if such Indebtedness is secured by the Collateral that is junior to the Liens securing the Obligations, a Junior Lien Intercreditor Agreement as a “Junior Priority Representative” (or similar term, in each case, to be defined in the Junior Lien Intercreditor Agreement);
(g)     Liens on assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not otherwise permitted above so long as the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness and other obligations subject to such Liens does not exceed the greater of (x) $95,000,000 and (y) 25% of Applicable EBITDA at any time;
(h)    Liens securing industrial revenue bond financings (inclusive of obligations in respect of letters of credit supporting such financings) for which the principal amount does not exceed, without duplication, $20,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding;
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(i)    in the case of Equity Interests, restrictions on transfer under any applicable securities laws of any jurisdictions or the organizational documents of the issuer of those Equity Interests; and
(j)    any restriction on assignment in any contract, lease, indenture or other instrument that is not made ineffective under Part 4 of Article Nine of the UCC.
SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes. (a) The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or otherwise Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, or all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of any of its Subsidiaries (in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) any Person may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation, (ii) any Person may merge into a Loan Party in a transaction in which the surviving entity is such Loan Party (provided that any such merger involving the Borrower must result in the Borrower as the surviving entity), (iii) any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party may Dispose of its assets to the Borrower or to another Subsidiary and (iv) any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party may liquidate or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any such merger or consolidation involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger or consolidation shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 6.05.
(b)    The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related thereto.
(c)    The Borrower will not permit its fiscal year to end on a day other than the last Sunday of December or change the Borrower’s method of determining its fiscal quarters.
SECTION 6.04. Dispositions. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, make any Disposition, except (to the extent that at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing):
(a)    Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) in the ordinary course of business;
(b)    Dispositions of inventory and Cash Equivalents in the ordinary course of business;
(c)    Dispositions of equipment or real property to the extent that (i) such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement property or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement property;
(d)    Dispositions of property by any Subsidiary to any Loan Party;
(e)    Dispositions permitted by Section 6.03;
(f)    leases, licenses, subleases or sublicenses (including the provision of open source software under an open source license) granted in the ordinary course of business and on ordinary commercial terms that do not interfere in any material respect with the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;
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(g)    Dispositions of intellectual property rights that are no longer used or useful in the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;
(h)    the discount, write-off or Disposition of past-due accounts receivable, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(i)    Restricted Payments permitted by Section 6.07 and investments permitted by Section 6.05; and
(j)    other Dispositions (including any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, but excluding any Disposition of Equity Interests in a Subsidiary unless all Equity Interests in such Subsidiary are sold) that are not permitted by any other clause of this Section 6.04; provided that (i) the aggregate fair market value of all assets Disposed of in reliance upon this Section 6.04(j) during any fiscal year of the Borrower shall not exceed an amount equal to 15% of Consolidated Total Assets (based on Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the most recent Reference Period), (ii) any Sale and Leaseback Transaction shall be made in compliance with Section 6.11 and (iii) all Dispositions permitted under this Section 6.04(j) shall be made for fair value (as reasonably determined by the Borrower) and for consideration consisting of at least 75% cash and Cash Equivalents.
SECTION 6.05. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger or consolidation with any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger or consolidation) any capital stock, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any Person or any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit, except any one or combination of the following:
(a)    Cash Equivalents;
(b)    Permitted Acquisitions;
(c)    (i) investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries existing on the date hereof in the Equity Interests of its Subsidiaries, and (ii) other loans, advances or guarantees of obligations by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in their respective Subsidiaries existing on the Funding Date and, to the extent the value of all such investments exceeds $5,000,000, set forth on Schedule 6.05;
(d)    investments, loans or advances made by the Borrower to any Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary (provided that not more than an aggregate amount equal to the greater of (x) $95,000,000 and (y) 25% of Applicable EBITDA in investments, loans or advances or capital contributions may be made and remain outstanding, at any time, by Loan Parties to Subsidiaries which are not Loan Parties);
(e)    Guarantees constituting Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01(d); and
(f)    any other investment, loan or advance (other than acquisitions) so long as at the time of making such investment, loan or advance and immediately after giving effect (including giving effect on a pro forma basis) thereto, (i) no Default then exists or would result therefrom and (ii) the Borrower is in compliance with the financial covenants contained in Section 6.12 on a pro forma basis.
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For purposes of determining the amount of any investment then outstanding, such amount shall be deemed to be the amount of such investment when made, purchased or acquired (without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such investment) less any amount realized in respect of such investment upon the sale, collection or return of capital (not to exceed the original amount invested).
SECTION 6.06. Swap Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a) Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries), and (b) Swap Agreements entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from fixed to floating rates, from one floating rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing liability or investment of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 6.07. Restricted Payments . The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except:
(a)    the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock;
(b)    Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests;
(c)    the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;
(d)    the Borrower may make the FBHS Cash Payment on the Funding Date;
(e)    the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make other Restricted Payments so long as at the time of making such Restricted Payment and immediately after giving effect (including giving effect on a pro forma basis) thereto (x) no Default has occurred and is continuing and (y) the Net Leverage Ratio is not greater than 2.75 to 1.00; and
(f)    the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make any other Restricted Payment so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing prior to making such Restricted Payment or would arise after giving effect (including giving effect on a pro forma basis) thereto and, at the time such Restricted Payment is made, the amount thereof, when aggregated with all other Restricted Payments made in reliance on this clause (f) during the term of this Agreement, does not exceed 25% of Applicable EBITDA.
SECTION 6.08. Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not materially less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.07, (d) transactions in connection with the agreements set forth on Schedule 6.08 and (e) the FBHS Cash Payment, the Spin-Off and the Transactions relating thereto (including the entry into the Spin-Off Agreements), in each case of this clause (e) substantially as described in the Form 10.
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SECTION 6.09. Restrictive Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any holders of its Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by any Loan Document, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.09 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale; provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (iv) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions imposed under the terms of any Indebtedness permitted under clauses (f), (h) or (i) of Section 6.01, in each case, so long as such terms permit the granting of Liens on property and assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Secured Obligations and (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof.
SECTION 6.10. Subordinated Indebtedness and Amendments to Subordinated Indebtedness Documents. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly voluntarily prepay, defease or in substance defease, purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire, any Subordinated Indebtedness or any Indebtedness from time to time outstanding under the Subordinated Indebtedness Documents; provided that, to the extent not prohibited by the applicable subordination agreement, the Borrower and any Subsidiary may make payments with respect to Subordinated Indebtedness so long as at the time of making such payment and immediately after giving effect (including giving effect on a pro forma basis) thereto (x) no Default has occurred and is continuing and (y) the Net Leverage Ratio is not greater than 2.75 to 1.00.
Furthermore, the Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, amend the Subordinated Indebtedness Documents or any document, agreement or instrument evidencing any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to the Subordinated Indebtedness Documents (or any replacements, substitutions, extensions or renewals thereof) or pursuant to which such Indebtedness is issued where such amendment, modification or supplement provides for the following or which has any of the following effects:
(a)    increases the overall principal amount of any such Indebtedness or increases the amount of any single scheduled installment of principal or interest (except by the amount of any accrued interest and premiums added to principal thereof in accordance with the applicable subordination terms relating thereto);
(b)    shortens or accelerates the date upon which any installment of principal or interest becomes due or adds any additional mandatory redemption provisions;
(c)    shortens the final maturity date of such Indebtedness or otherwise accelerates the amortization schedule with respect to such Indebtedness;
(d)    increases the rate of interest accruing on such Indebtedness;
(e)    provides for the payment of additional fees or increases existing fees;
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(f)    amends or modifies any financial or negative covenant (or covenant which prohibits or restricts the Borrower or any Subsidiary from taking certain actions) in a manner which is more onerous or more restrictive in any material respect to the Borrower or such Subsidiary or which is otherwise materially adverse to the Borrower, any Subsidiary and/or the Lenders or, in the case of any such covenant, which places material additional restrictions on the Borrower or such Subsidiary or which requires the Borrower or such Subsidiary to comply with more restrictive financial ratios or which requires the Borrower to better its financial performance, in each case from that set forth in the existing applicable covenants in the Subordinated Indebtedness Documents or the applicable covenants in this Agreement; or
(g)    amends, modifies or adds any affirmative covenant in a manner which (i) when taken as a whole, is materially adverse to the Borrower, any Subsidiary and/or the Lenders or (ii) is more onerous or more restrictive in any material respect than the existing applicable covenant in the Subordinated Indebtedness Documents or the applicable covenant in this Agreement.
SECTION 6.11. Sale and Leaseback Transactions. Subject to Section 6.04(j), the Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, except for any such Sale and Leaseback Transaction that is made for cash consideration in an amount not less than the fair value (as reasonably determined by the Borrower) of such fixed or capital asset.
SECTION 6.12. Financial Covenants.
(a)    Net Leverage Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the Net Leverage Ratio at the end of any of its fiscal quarters to exceed (w) 3.875 to 1.00 for its first fiscal quarter ending after the Funding Date through and including the last day of its second fiscal quarter in 2023, (x) 3.75 to 1.00 for its third and fourth fiscal quarters in 2023, (y) 3.5 to 1.00 for its first fiscal quarter in 2024 through and including its fourth fiscal quarter in 2024, and (z) 3.25 to 1.00 for its first fiscal quarter in 2025 and thereafter; provided that if, at the end of any fiscal quarter described in the preceding clauses (y) or (z), the Net Leverage Ratio is greater than 3.25 to 1.00 or 3.5 to 1.00, as applicable, and the Borrower has entered into a Material Acquisition within the two most recently ended fiscal quarters (including such fiscal quarter) (a fiscal quarter in which all such conditions are satisfied, a “Trigger Quarter”), then the Net Leverage Ratio may be greater than 3.25 to 1.00 or 3.5 to 1.00, as applicable (but shall not exceed 3.75 to 1.00) for such Trigger Quarter and the next succeeding three fiscal quarters (such four fiscal quarter period, an “Adjusted Covenant Period”); provided that, following the occurrence of a Trigger Quarter, no subsequent Trigger Quarter shall be permitted or deemed to exist unless and until the Net Leverage Ratio has returned to less than or equal to 3.25 to 1.00 or 3.5 to 1.00, as applicable, as of the end of at least one fiscal quarter following the occurrence of such initial Trigger Quarter; provided, further that, the Borrower shall cause the Net Leverage Ratio to be less than or equal to the level otherwise required by this Section 6.12(a) by the end of a fiscal quarter no later than the fourth fiscal quarter after such initial Trigger Quarter.
(b)    Interest Coverage Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the Interest Coverage Ratio at the end of any fiscal quarter ending after the Funding Date (calculated as of the end of each such fiscal quarter for the four-fiscal quarter period ending on such date) to be less than 3.00 to 1.00.
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ARTICLE VII

Events of Default
SECTION 7.01. Events of Default. The following events shall each constitute an “Event of Default” hereunder:
(a)    the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;
(b)    (i) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or on any LC Disbursement or any recurring fees when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five Business Days or (ii) the Borrower shall fail to pay any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) or (b)(i) of this Article) payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five Business Days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);
(c)    any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made;
(d)    the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence), 5.08 or 5.10 or in Article VI or Article X;
(e)    the Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article) or any other Loan Document, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);
(f)    the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to make any payment (of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable (after giving effect to any period of grace or notice requirement thereunder);
(g)    any Material Indebtedness becomes due prior to its scheduled maturity or any event or condition occurs that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness;
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(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;
(i)    the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
(j)    the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;
(k)    one or more final judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of the greater of (x) $38,000,000 and (y) 10% of Applicable EBITDA shall be rendered against the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and either (i) the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 60 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or (ii) any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;
(l)    an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(m)    a Change in Control shall occur;
(n)    the occurrence of any “default”, as defined in any Loan Document (other than this Agreement) or the breach of any of the terms or provisions of any Loan Document (other than this Agreement), which default or breach continues beyond any period of grace therein provided);
(o)    any material provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Person contests in writing the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies in writing that it has any or further liability or obligation under any Loan Document, or purports in writing to revoke, terminate or rescind any Loan Document in each case other than solely as a result of acts or omissions by the Administrative Agent;
(p)    any Collateral Document shall for any reason fail to create a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any portion of the Collateral purported to be covered thereby, except (x) as permitted by the terms of any Loan Document or (y) solely as a result of acts or omissions by the Administrative Agent;
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(q)    the Spin-Off shall not be consummated at 11:59 p.m. New York City time on the Funding Date following the funding of the Term Loans and the initial Revolving Loans made on the Funding Date.
SECTION 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default. If an Event of Default occurs (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in Section 7.01(h) or 7.01(i)), then at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may with the consent of the Required Lenders, and shall at the request of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, take any or all of the following actions, at the same or different times:
(a)    terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately;
(b)    declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Secured Obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder and under any other Loan Document, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower;
(c)    require that the Borrower provide cash collateral for the LC Exposure as required in Section 2.06(j) hereof; and
(d)    exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks under the Loan Documents and applicable law.
If an Event of Default described in clause (h) or (i) of Section 7.01 occurs with respect to the Borrower, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding and, to the extent required, cash collateral for the LC Exposure, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other Secured Obligations accrued hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to cash collateralize the LC Exposure as provided in clause (c) above shall automatically become effective, in each case, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
In addition to any other rights and remedies granted to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties may exercise all rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC or any other applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent, without demand of performance or other demand, presentment, protest, advertisement or notice of any kind (except any notice required by law referred to below) to or upon any Loan Party or any other Person (all and each of which demands, defenses, advertisements and notices are hereby waived by the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries), may in such circumstances forthwith collect, receive, appropriate and realize upon the Collateral, or any part thereof, or consent to the use by any Loan Party of any cash collateral arising in respect of the Collateral on such terms as the Administrative Agent deems reasonable, and/or may forthwith sell, lease, assign give an option or options to purchase or otherwise dispose of and deliver, or acquire by credit bid on behalf of the Lenders, the Collateral or any part thereof (or contract to do any of the foregoing), in one or more parcels at public or private sale or sales, at any exchange, broker’s board or office of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or elsewhere, upon such terms and conditions as it may deem advisable and at such prices as it may deem best, for cash or on credit or for future delivery, all without assumption of any credit risk.
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The Administrative Agent or any Lender shall have the right upon any such public sale or sales, and, to the extent permitted by law, upon any such private sale or sales, to purchase the whole or any part of the Collateral so sold, free of any right or equity of redemption in any Loan Party, which right or equity is hereby waived and released by the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries. The Borrower further agrees on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, at the Administrative Agent’s request, to assemble the Collateral and make it available to the Administrative Agent at places which the Administrative Agent shall reasonably select, whether at the premises of the Borrower, another Loan Party or elsewhere. The Administrative Agent shall apply the net proceeds of any action taken by it pursuant to this Article VII, after deducting all reasonable costs and expenses of every kind incurred in connection therewith or incidental to the care or safekeeping of any of the Collateral or in any other way relating to the Collateral or the rights of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements, to the payment in whole or in part of the obligations of the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents, in such order as the Administrative Agent may elect (but subject to Section 7.03), and only after such application and after the payment by the Administrative Agent of any other amount required by any provision of law, including Section 9-615(a)(3) of the UCC, need the Administrative Agent account for the surplus, if any, to any Loan Party. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries waives all Liabilities it may acquire against the Administrative Agent or any Lender arising out of the exercise by them of any rights hereunder. If any notice of a proposed sale or other disposition of Collateral shall be required by law, such notice shall be deemed reasonable and proper if given, as provided in Section 9.01, at least 10 days before such sale or other disposition.
SECTION 7.03. Application of Payments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, and notice thereof to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or the Required Lenders:
(a)    all payments received on account of the Secured Obligations shall, subject to Section 2.20, be applied by the Administrative Agent as follows:
(i)    first, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts payable to the Administrative Agent (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Administrative Agent payable under Section 9.03 and amounts pursuant to Section 2.12(d) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such);
(ii)    second, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, expenses, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, reimbursement obligations in respect of LC Disbursements, interest and Letter of Credit fees) payable to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks payable under Section 9.03) arising under the Loan Documents, ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (ii) payable to them;
(iii)    third, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit fees and charges and interest on the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iii) payable to them;
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(iv) fourth, (A) to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and unreimbursed LC Disbursements and any other amounts owing with respect to Banking Services Obligations and Swap Obligations and (B) to cash collateralize that portion of LC Exposure comprising the undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise cash collateralized by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.06 or 2.20, ratably among the Lenders and the Issuing Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iv) payable to them; provided that (x) any such amounts applied pursuant to subclause (B) above shall be paid to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of the applicable Issuing Bank to cash collateralize Secured Obligations in respect of Letters of Credit, (y) subject to Section 2.06 or 2.20, amounts used to cash collateralize the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to this clause (iv) shall be used to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur and (z) upon the expiration of any Letter of Credit (without any pending drawings), the pro rata share of cash collateral shall be distributed to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth in this Section 7.03;
(v)    fifth, to the payment in full of all other Secured Obligations, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks based upon the respective aggregate amounts of all such Secured Obligations owing to them in accordance with the respective amounts thereof then due and payable; and
(vi)    finally, the balance, if any, after all Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by law; and
(b)    if any amount remains on deposit as cash collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired (without any pending drawings), such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Secured Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.
ARTICLE VIII

The Administrative Agent
SECTION 8.01. Authorization and Action. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent and collateral agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender and each Issuing Bank authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, and to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.
(b) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender and each Issuing Bank; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification and is exculpated in a manner satisfactory to it from the Lenders and the Issuing Banks with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may affect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
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(c)    In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(i)    the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender, Issuing Bank or holder of any other obligation other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby; and
(ii)    nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account;
(d)    The Administrative Agent may perform any of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.
(e) None of any Co-Syndication Agent, any Co-Documentation Agent or any Arranger shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.
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(f)    In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to any Loan Party under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered (but not obligated) by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise (i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, LC Disbursements and all other Secured Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.12, 2.13, 2.15, 2.17 and 9.03) allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (ii) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and each other Secured Party to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 9.03). Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.
(g)    The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and Issuing Banks, and, except solely to the extent of the Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, none of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions. Each Secured Party, whether or not a party hereto, will be deemed, by its acceptance of the benefits of the Collateral and of the Guarantees of the Secured Obligations provided under the Loan Documents, to have agreed to the provisions of this Article.
SECTION 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Limitation of Liability, Etc. (a) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by such party, the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and non-appealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by any Loan Party or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Administrative Agent’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf, or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page) or for any failure of any Loan Party to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.
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(b)    The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any (i) notice of any of the events or circumstances set forth or described in Section 5.02 unless and until written notice thereof stating that it is a “notice under Section 5.02” in respect of this Agreement and identifying the specific clause under said Section is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, or (ii) notice of any Default or Event of Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a “notice of Default” or a “notice of an Event of Default”) is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or an Issuing Bank. Further, the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, (iv) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items (which on their face purport to be such items) expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, or (vi) the creation, perfection or priority of Liens on the Collateral. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be liable for, or be responsible for any Liabilities, costs or expenses suffered by the Borrower, any Subsidiary, any Lender or any Issuing Bank as a result of, any determination of the Revolving Credit Exposure, any of the component amounts thereof or any portion thereof attributable to each Lender or Issuing Bank.
(c)    Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 9.04, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 9.04(b), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender or Issuing Bank and shall not be responsible to any Lender or Issuing Bank for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or Issuing Bank unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or Issuing Bank sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit and (vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).
SECTION 8.03. Posting of Communications. (a) The Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks by posting the Communications on IntraLinksTM, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the “Approved Electronic Platform”).
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(b) Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Signing Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform, and that there may be confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.
(c)    THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER, ANY CO-DOCUMENTATION AGENT, ANY CO-SYNDICATION AGENT OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, “APPLICABLE PARTIES”) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY LOAN PARTY, ANY LENDER, ANY ISSUING BANK OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF ANY LOAN PARTY’S OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT’S TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM.
“Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.
(d)    Each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s (as applicable) email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.
(e)    Each of the Lenders, each of the Issuing Banks and the Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.
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(f)    Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.
SECTION 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually. With respect to its Commitment, Loans (including Swingline Loans), and Letters of Credit, the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender or Issuing Bank, as the case may be. The terms “Issuing Banks”, “Lenders”, “Required Lenders” and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender, Issuing Bank or as one of the Required Lenders, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust or other business with, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks.
SECTION 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent. (a) The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice thereof to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Borrower, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, appoint a successor Administrative Agent, which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York or an Affiliate of any such bank. In either case, such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.
(b)    Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Borrower, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided that, solely for purposes of maintaining any security interest granted to the Administrative Agent under any Collateral Document for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to be vested with such security interest as collateral agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and continue to be entitled to the rights set forth in such Collateral Document and Loan Document, and, in the case of any Collateral in the possession of the Administrative Agent, shall continue to hold such Collateral, in each case until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed and accepts such appointment in accordance with this Section (it being understood and agreed that the retiring Administrative Agent shall have no duty or
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obligation to take any further action under any Collateral Document, including any action required to maintain the perfection of any such security interest), and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender and each Issuing Bank. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agent’s resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and in respect of the matters referred to in the proviso under clause (i) above.
SECTION 8.06. Acknowledgments of Lenders and Issuing Banks. (a) Each Lender and each Issuing Bank represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility, (ii) it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans and in providing other facilities set forth herein as may be applicable to such Lender or Issuing Bank, in each case in the ordinary course of business and not for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument (and each Lender and each Issuing Bank agrees not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing), (iii) it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Syndication Agent, any Co-Documentation Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and to provide other facilities set forth herein, as may be applicable to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans or to provide such other facilities, is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans or providing such other facilities. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Syndication Agent, any Co-Documentation Agent or any other Lender or Issuing Bank, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Borrower and its Affiliates) as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
(b)    Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Signing Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Assumption or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent or the Lenders on the Signing Date.
SECTION 8.07. Collateral Matters. (a) Except with respect to the exercise of setoff rights in accordance with Section 9.08 or with respect to a Secured Party’s right to file a proof of claim in an insolvency proceeding, no Secured Party shall have any right individually to realize upon any of the Collateral or to enforce any Guarantee of the Secured Obligations, it being understood and agreed that all powers, rights and remedies under the Loan Documents may be exercised solely by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in accordance with the terms thereof.
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(b)    In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation thereof, no arrangements in respect of Banking Services the obligations under which constitute Secured Obligations and no Swap Agreement the obligations under which constitute Secured Obligations, will create (or be deemed to create) in favor of any Secured Party that is a party thereto any rights in connection with the management or release of any Collateral or of the obligations of any Loan Party under any Loan Document. By accepting the benefits of the Collateral, each Secured Party that is a party to any Banking Services Agreement or Swap Agreement in respect of Swap Obligations, as applicable, shall be deemed to have appointed the Administrative Agent to serve as administrative agent and collateral agent under the Loan Documents and agreed to be bound by the Loan Documents as a Secured Party thereunder, subject to the limitations set forth in this paragraph.
(c)    The Secured Parties irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 6.02(b). The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon or any certificate prepared by any Loan Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders or any other Secured Party for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.
SECTION 8.08. Credit Bidding. The Secured Parties hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Required Lenders, to credit bid all or any portion of the Obligations (including by accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the Obligations pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure or otherwise) and in such manner purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral (a) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code, or any similar laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, or (b) at any other sale, foreclosure or acceptance of collateral in lieu of debt conducted by (or with the consent or at the direction of) the Administrative Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with any applicable law. In connection with any such credit bid and purchase, the Obligations owed to the Secured Parties shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid by the Administrative Agent at the direction of the Required Lenders on a ratable basis (with Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that shall vest upon the liquidation of such claims in an amount proportional to the liquidated portion of the contingent claim amount used in allocating the contingent interests) for the asset or assets so purchased (or for the equity interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are issued in connection with such purchase).
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In connection with any such bid, (i) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles and to assign any successful credit bid to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, (ii) each of the Secured Parties’ ratable interests in the Obligations which were credit bid shall be deemed without any further action under this Agreement to be assigned to such vehicle or vehicles for the purpose of closing such sale, (iii) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to adopt documents providing for the governance of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles (provided that any actions by the Administrative Agent with respect to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, including any disposition of the assets or equity interests thereof, shall be governed, directly or indirectly, by, and the governing documents shall provide for, control by the vote of the Required Lenders or their permitted assignees under the terms of this Agreement or the governing documents of the applicable acquisition vehicle or vehicles, as the case may be, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in Section 9.02 of this Agreement), (iv) the Administrative Agent on behalf of such acquisition vehicle or vehicles shall be authorized to issue to each of the Secured Parties, ratably on account of the relevant Obligations which were credit bid, interests, whether as equity, partnership interests, limited partnership interests or membership interests, in any such acquisition vehicle and/or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle, all without the need for any Secured Party or acquisition vehicle to take any further action, and (v) to the extent that Obligations that are assigned to an acquisition vehicle are not used to acquire Collateral for any reason (as a result of another bid being higher or better, because the amount of Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of Obligations credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Secured Parties pro rata with their original interest in such Obligations and the equity interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of such Obligations shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Secured Party or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action. Notwithstanding that the ratable portion of the Obligations of each Secured Party are deemed assigned to the acquisition vehicle or vehicles as set forth in clause (ii) above, each Secured Party shall execute such documents and provide such information regarding the Secured Party (and/or any designee of the Secured Party which will receive interests in or debt instruments issued by such acquisition vehicle) as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request in connection with the formation of any acquisition vehicle, the formulation or submission of any credit bid or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such credit bid.
SECTION 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters. (a) Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:
(i)    such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the Commitments,
(ii)    the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84-14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95-60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90-1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91-38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96-23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement,

(iii) (A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84-14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, or
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(iv)    such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.
(b)    In addition, unless sub-clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or such Lender has not provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in sub-clause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that none of the Administrative Agent, or any Arranger, any Co-Syndication Agent, any Co-Documentation Agent or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related hereto or thereto).
SECTION 8.10. Certain Payments.
(a)    Each Lender hereby agrees that (x) if the Administrative Agent notifies such Lender that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Lender from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (whether as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees or otherwise; individually and collectively, a “Payment”) were erroneously transmitted to such Lender (whether or not known to such Lender), and demands the return of such Payment (or a portion thereof), such Lender shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect, and (y) to the extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender shall not assert, and hereby waives, as to the Administrative Agent, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Payments received, including without limitation any defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine.  A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender under this Section 8.10 shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(b) Each Lender hereby further agrees that if it receives a Payment from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such Payment (a “Payment Notice”) or (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a Payment Notice, it shall be on notice, in each such case, that an error has been made with respect to such Payment. Each Lender agrees that, in each such case, or if it otherwise becomes aware a Payment (or portion thereof) may have been sent in error, such Lender shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such occurrence and, upon demand from the Administrative Agent, it shall promptly, but in no event later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent at the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
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(c)    The Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender that has received such Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Lender with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Loan Party.
(d)    Each party’s obligations under this Section 8.10 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations under any Loan Document.
SECTION 8.11. Applicable Intercreditor Agreements. Without limiting the authority granted to the Administrative Agent in the preceding provisions of this Article VIII, each Lender (and each Person that becomes a Lender hereunder pursuant to Section 9.04) hereby authorizes and directs the Administrative Agent to enter into any Applicable Intercreditor Agreement on behalf of such Lender and agrees that the Administrative Agent may take such actions on its behalf as is contemplated by the terms of such Applicable Intercreditor Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Applicable Intercreditor Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of the Applicable Intercreditor Agreement shall govern and control.
ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous
SECTION 9.01. Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:
(i)    if to the Borrower, to it at One MasterBrand Cabinets Drive, Jasper, Indiana 47546, Attention of General Counsel and Treasurer (E-mail: AHorton@masterbrand.com and CKruse@masterbrand.com);
(ii)    if to the Administrative Agent or to JPMorgan as Swingline Lender, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N. A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2, Suite IL1-0480, Chicago, IL 60603-2300, Attention: Victor Escobar (Phone: (312) 732-3649; Fax No. (844) 490-5665; E-mail: victor.escobar@chase.com), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Middle Market Servicing, 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2, Suite IL1-0480, Chicago, IL 60603-2300, Attention: Commercial Banking Group (Fax No: (844) 490-5663; E-mail: jpm.agency.cri@jpmorgan.com and jpm.agency.servicing.1@jpmorgan.com);
(iii) if to JPMorgan as Issuing Bank, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N. A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2, Suite IL1-0480, Chicago, IL 60603-2300, Attention: LC Agency Team (Phone: (800) 364-1969; Fax No: (856) 294-5267; E-Mail: chicago.lc.agency.activity.team@jpmchase.com), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2, Suite IL1-0480, Chicago, IL 60603-2300, Attention: Loan & Agency Services Group (Phone: (312) 732-3649; Fax No: (844) 490-5665; E-mail: victor.escobar@chase.com); and
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(iv)    if to any other Lender, Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices delivered through Approved Electronic Platforms, to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).
(b)    Notices and other communications to the Borrower, any Loan Party, the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
(c)    Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient, at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i), of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii) above, if such notice, email or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient.
(d)    Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
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(b) Except as provided in Section 2.09(d) with respect to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment and subject to Section 2.14(b) and (c) and clauses (c) and (e) below, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby (except that any amendment or modification of the financial covenants in this Agreement (or defined terms used in the financial covenants in this Agreement) shall not constitute a reduction in the rate of interest or fees for purposes of this clause (ii)), (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby (other than any reduction of the amount of, or any extension of the payment date for, the mandatory prepayments required under Section 2.11(c) or change in any of the defined terms used therein, in each case which shall only require the approval of the Required Lenders), (iv) change Section 2.09(c) or Section 2.18(b) or (d) in a manner that would alter the ratable reduction of Commitments or pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) change the payment waterfall provisions of Section 2.20(b) or 7.03 without the written consent of each Lender, (vi) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender (it being understood that, solely with the consent of the parties prescribed by Section 2.09(d) to be parties to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment, Incremental Term Loans may be included in the determination of Required Lenders on substantially the same basis as the Commitments and the Revolving Loans and existing Term Loans are included on the Signing Date), (vii) (x) release the Borrower from its obligations under Article X or (y) release all or substantially all of the Subsidiary Guarantors from their obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty, in each case, without the written consent of each Lender, (viii) except as provided in clause (d) of this Section or in any Collateral Document, release all or substantially all of the Collateral, without the written consent of each Lender, or (ix) subordinate (x) the Liens securing any of the Obligations on all or substantially all of the Collateral (“Existing Liens”) to the Liens securing any other Indebtedness or other obligations or (y) any Obligations in contractual right of payment to any other Indebtedness or other obligations (any such other Indebtedness or other obligations, to which such Liens securing any of the Obligations or such Obligations, as applicable, are subordinated, “Senior Indebtedness”), in either the case of subclause (x) or (y), unless each adversely affected Lender has been offered a bona fide opportunity to fund or otherwise provide its pro rata share (based on the amount of Obligations that are adversely affected thereby held by each Lender) of the Senior Indebtedness on the same terms (other than bona fide backstop fees and reimbursement of counsel fees and other expenses in connection with the negotiation of the terms of such transaction; such fees and expenses, “Ancillary Fees”) as offered to all other providers (or their Affiliates) of the Senior Indebtedness and to the extent such adversely affected Lender decides to participate in the Senior Indebtedness, receive its pro rata share of the fees and any other similar benefit (other than Ancillary Fees) of the Senior Indebtedness afforded to the providers of the Senior Indebtedness (or any of their Affiliates) in connection with providing the Senior Indebtedness pursuant to a written offer made to each such adversely affected Lender describing the material terms of the arrangements pursuant to which the Senior Indebtedness is to be provided, which offer shall remain open to each adversely affected Lender for a period of not less than five (5) Business Days; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders, as the case may be (it being understood that any change to Section 2.20 shall require the consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Swingline Lenders); provided further that no such agreement shall amend or modify the provisions of Section 2.06 or any letter of credit application and any bilateral agreement between the Borrower and the Issuing Banks regarding the Issuing Bank’s commitment to issue letters of credit or the respective rights and obligations between the Borrower and the Issuing Banks in connection with the issuance of Letters of Credit without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, respectively. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) no consent shall be required of any Defaulting Lender, except with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification referred to in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first proviso of this paragraph and then only in the event such Defaulting Lender shall be directly affected by such amendment, waiver or other modification and (y) any provision of this Agreement may be amended or amended and restated by an agreement in writing entered into by the Borrower the Required Lenders and the Administrative Agent (and, if their rights or obligations are affected thereby, the Issuing Banks and the Swingline Lenders) if (i) by the terms of such agreement the Commitments of each Lender not consenting to the amendment provided for therein shall terminate upon the effectiveness of such amendment or amendment and restatement and (ii) at the time such amendment becomes effective, each Lender not consenting thereto receives payment in full of the principal of and interest accrued on each Loan made by it and all other amounts owing to it or accrued for its account under this Agreement.
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(c)    Notwithstanding anything in clause (b) above to the contrary, this Agreement and any other Loan Document may be amended (or amended and restated) with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (x) to add one or more credit facilities (in addition to the Incremental Term Loans pursuant to an Incremental Term Loan Amendment) to this Agreement and to permit extensions of credit from time to time outstanding thereunder and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof to share ratably in the benefits of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with the Revolving Loans, the initial Term Loans, Incremental Term Loans and the accrued interest and fees in respect thereof and (y) to include appropriately the Lenders holding such credit facilities in any determination of the Required Lenders and Lenders.
(d) The Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its sole discretion, to release any and all Liens granted to the Administrative Agent by the Loan Parties on any and all Collateral (i) upon the termination of all the Commitments, payment and satisfaction in full in cash of all Secured Obligations (other than Unliquidated Obligations), and the cash collateralization of all Unliquidated Obligations in a manner satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, (ii) constituting property being sold or disposed of if the Borrower certifies to the Administrative Agent that the sale or disposition is made in compliance with the terms of this Agreement (and the Administrative Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate, without further inquiry), (iii) constituting property leased to the Borrower or any Subsidiary under a lease which has expired or been terminated in a transaction permitted under this Agreement, or (iv) as required to effect any sale or other disposition of such Collateral in connection with any exercise of remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Article VII. Any such release shall not in any manner discharge, affect, or impair the Obligations or any Liens (other than those expressly being released) upon (or obligations of the Loan Parties in respect of) all interests retained by the Loan Parties, including the proceeds of any sale, all of which shall continue to constitute part of the Collateral. In addition, each of the Lenders, on behalf of itself and any of its Affiliates that are Secured Parties, irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, (i) to subordinate any Lien on any assets granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 6.02(e) or (ii) in the event that the Borrower shall have advised the Administrative Agent that, notwithstanding the use by the Borrower of commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the consent of such holder (but without the requirement to pay any sums to obtain such consent) to permit the Administrative Agent to retain its liens (on a subordinated basis as contemplated by clause (i) above), the holder of such other Indebtedness requires, as a condition to the extension of such credit, that the Liens on such assets granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document be released, to release the Administrative Agent’s Liens on such assets.
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(e)    If the Administrative Agent and the Borrower acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver; Limitation of Liability. (a) The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers and their respective Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of a single counsel for the Administrative Agent and Arrangers, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by each Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Issuing Bank or any Lender (other than any Defaulting Lender), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such reasonable out-of pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit; provided that the Borrower shall have no obligation to pay fees, charges or disbursements for more than (A) one firm of counsel acting for the Administrative Agent in each applicable jurisdiction and (B) one firm of counsel acting for the Lenders and Issuing Banks in each applicable jurisdiction (except that any Lender or Issuing Bank which in good faith determines that a conflict does or may exist with such firm shall be entitled to retain its own conflict-free counsel at the expense of the Borrower).
(b) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Arranger, each Co-Syndication Agent, each Co-Documentation Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by any Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective Proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such Proceeding is brought by the Borrower or any other Loan Party or its or their respective equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third Person and whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such Liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or result from a dispute that does not involve an act or omission by the Borrower or any of its Affiliates and that is brought by an Indemnitee against any other Indemnitee (other than any claims against an Indemnitee in its capacity as Administrative Agent, Co-Syndication Agent, Co-Documentation Agent or Arranger); provided that the Borrower shall have no obligation to pay fees, charges or disbursements for more than (A) one firm of counsel acting for the Administrative Agent and all of its Related Parties in each applicable jurisdiction and (B) one firm of counsel acting for the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and all of their Related Parties in each applicable jurisdiction (except that any Lender or Issuing Bank which in good faith determines that a conflict does or may exist with such firm shall be entitled to retain its own conflict-free counsel at the expense of the Borrower). This Section 9.03(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
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(c)    Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required to be paid by the Borrower under paragraphs (a), (b) or (d) of this Section 9.03 to the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Swingline Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an “Agent Related Person”) (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), ratably according to their respective Applicable Percentage in effect on the date on which such payment is sought under this Section (or, if such payment is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Applicable Percentage immediately prior to such date), and agrees to indemnify and hold each Agent-Related Person harmless from and against any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Agent Related Person in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments, this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent Related Person under or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided that the unreimbursed expense or Liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent Related Person in its capacity as such; provided further that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such Liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and nonappealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily from such Agent Related Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(d) To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) the Borrower and any Loan Party shall not assert, and the Borrower and each Loan Party hereby waives, any claim against the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any Co-Syndication Agent, any Co-Documentation Agent, and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called a “Lender-Related Person”) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of information or other materials (including, without limitation, any personal data) obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this Section 9.03(d) shall relieve the Borrower or any Loan Party of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as provided in Section 9.03(b), against any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.
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(e)    All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than five Business Days after written demand therefor.
SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns. (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) neither the Borrower nor any Loan Party may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower or any other Loan Party without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b)    (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more Persons (other than an Ineligible Institution) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitments and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A)    the Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within five Business Days after having received notice thereof.
(B)    the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of (x) any Revolving Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender (other than a Defaulting Lender) with a Revolving Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment or (y) all or any portion of a Term Loan to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;
(C)    the Issuing Banks; provided that no consent of the Issuing Banks shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Term Loan; and
(D)    the Swingline Lenders provided that no consent of the Swingline Lenders shall be required for an assignment of all or any portion of a Term Loan.
(ii)    Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
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(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 in the case of a Revolving Commitment, or $1,000,000 in the case of a Term Loan, unless, in each case, each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(B)    each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C)    the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent (x) an Assignment and Assumption or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants), together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500, such fee to be paid by either the assigning Lender or the assignee Lender or shared between such Lenders; and
(D)    the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more credit contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its affiliates, the Loan Parties and their related parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the terms “Approved Fund” and “Ineligible Institution” have the following meanings:
“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
“Ineligible Institution” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its Parent, (c) a company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or relative(s) thereof; provided that, such company, investment vehicle or trust shall not constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business or (d) any Loan Party or Affiliate of a Loan Party.
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(iii)    Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (in each case solely in respect of any period ended on or before the date of such assignment) and Section 9.03. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.
(iv)    The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amount of (and stated interest on) the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v)    Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, a duly completed agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(e) or 9.03(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
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(c) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lenders, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”), other than an Ineligible Institution, in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitments and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 2.17(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (i) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections 2.18 and 2.19 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (ii) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant which has been identified to the Borrower in writing as such also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(d) as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under this Agreement (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register to any Person (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(d)    Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
SECTION 9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.
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The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or thereof.
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.
(a)    This Agreement 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. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
(b)    Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of (x) this Agreement, (y) any other Loan Document and/or (z) any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any notice delivered pursuant to Section 9.01, certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or the transactions contemplated hereby and/or thereby (each an “Ancillary Document”) that is an Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed 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 Agreement, such other Loan Document or such Ancillary Document, as applicable. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in any electronic form (including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept Electronic Signatures in any form or format to the extent it otherwise makes a request in writing for a manually executed signature or for a specific form or format for an Electronic Signature; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept any Electronic Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party without further verification thereof and without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic signature and (ii) upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Borrower and each Loan Party hereby (i) agrees that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring, enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower and the Loan Parties, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as any paper original, (ii) the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may,
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at its option, create one or more copies of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document in the form of an imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record), (iii) waives any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement, such other Loan Document and/or such Ancillary Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature pages thereto and (iv) waives any claim against any Lender-Related Person for any Liabilities arising solely from the Administrative Agent’s and/or any Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page, including any Liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Borrower and/or any Loan Party to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
SECTION 9.07. Severability. Any provision of any Loan Document held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the Issuing Bank, and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to setoff and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final and in whatever currency denominated) at any time held, and other obligations at any time owing, by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or any such Affiliate, to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor against any and all of the Secured Obligations now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, Issuing Bank or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch office or Affiliate of such Lender or such Issuing Bank different from the branch office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so setoff shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.20 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, each Issuing Bank and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Each of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that, notwithstanding the governing law provisions of any applicable Loan Document, any claims brought against the Administrative Agent by any Lender or Secured Party relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, the Collateral or the consummation or administration of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
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(c)    Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan), and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may (and any such claims, cross-claims or third party claims brought against the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties may only) be heard and determined in such Federal (to the extent permitted by law) or New York State court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document shall (i) affect any right that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borrower, any Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction, (ii) waive any statutory, regulatory, common law, or other rule, doctrine, legal restriction, provision or the like providing for the treatment of bank branches, bank agencies, or other bank offices as if they were separate juridical entities for certain purposes, including Uniform Commercial Code Sections 4-106, 4-A-105(1)(b), and 5-116(b), UCP 600 Article 3 and ISP98 Rule 2.02, and URDG 758 Article 3(a), or (iii) affect which courts have or do not have personal jurisdiction over the issuing bank or beneficiary of any Letter of Credit or any advising bank, nominated bank or assignee of proceeds thereunder or proper venue with respect to any litigation arising out of or relating to such Letter of Credit with, or affecting the rights of, any Person not a party to this Agreement, whether or not such Letter of Credit contains its own jurisdiction submission clause.
(d)    Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (c) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(e)    Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
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SECTION 9.11. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over such Person (including any self-regulatory authority such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations under this Agreement or (iii) any actual or prospective credit insurance provider or broker relating to the Borrower and its obligations under this Agreement, (g) on a confidential basis to (1) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided for herein or (2) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of identification numbers with respect to the credit facilities provided for herein, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
SECTION 9.13. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the NYFRB Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.
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SECTION 9.14. No Fiduciary Duty, etc.
(a)    The Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that no Lender Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and each Lender Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Borrower. The Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against any Lender Party based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by such Lender Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Lender Party is advising the Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. The Borrower may consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Lender Parties shall have no responsibility or liability to the Borrower with respect thereto.
(b)    The Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Lender Party, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary course of business, any Lender Party may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, the Borrower and other companies with which it may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by any Lender Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.
(c)    In addition, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Lender Party and its affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the Borrower or its Subsidiaries may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions contemplated hereby and otherwise. Each Lender Party agrees that it shall not use confidential information obtained from the Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or its other relationships with the Borrower in connection with the performance by such Lender Party of services for other companies, and no Lender Party will furnish any such information to other companies. The Borrower also acknowledges that no Lender Party has any obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to the Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.
SECTION 9.15. USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Patriot Act”) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.
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SECTION 9.16. Non-Public Information.
(a)    Each Lender acknowledges that all information furnished to it pursuant to this Agreement from the Borrower or on its behalf and relating to the Borrower, its Subsidiaries or its or their respective businesses may include material non-public information concerning the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or its or their securities, and confirms that it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and that it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with such procedures and applicable law, including Federal and state securities laws.
(b)    All such information, including requests for waivers and amendments, furnished by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent pursuant to, or in the course of administering, this Agreement will be syndicate-level information which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and its and their securities. Accordingly, each Lender represents to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent that it has identified in its Administrative Questionnaire a credit contact who may receive information that may contain material non-public information in accordance with its compliance procedures and applicable law, including Federal and state securities laws.
SECTION 9.17. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a)    the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b)    the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i)    a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii)    a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii)    the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
SECTION 9.18. Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Swap Agreements or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support “QFC Credit Support” and each such QFC a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S.
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Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States).
In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
SECTION 9.19. Releases of Subsidiary Guarantors. (a) A Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by this Agreement as a result of which such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary; provided that, if so required by this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall have consented to such transaction and the terms of such consent shall not have provided otherwise. In connection with any termination or release pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to) execute and deliver to any Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan Party shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent.
(b)    Further, the Administrative Agent may (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender to), upon the request of the Borrower, release any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty if such Subsidiary Guarantor is no longer a Material Domestic Subsidiary.
(c)    At such time as the principal and interest on the Loans, all LC Disbursements, the fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Loan Documents and the other Secured Obligations (other than Swap Obligations, Banking Services Obligations, and other Obligations expressly stated to survive such payment and termination) shall have been paid in full in cash, the Commitments shall have been terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding, the Subsidiary Guaranty and all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of each Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder shall automatically terminate, all without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.
SECTION 9.20. Appointment for Perfection . Each Lender hereby appoints each other Lender as its agent for the purpose of perfecting Liens, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties, in assets which, in accordance with Article 9 of the UCC or any other applicable law can be perfected only by possession or control.
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Should any Lender (other than the Administrative Agent) obtain possession or control of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent thereof, and, promptly upon the Administrative Agent’s request therefor shall deliver such Collateral to the Administrative Agent or otherwise deal with such Collateral in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s instructions.

ARTICLE X

Borrower Guarantee
In order to induce the Lenders to extend credit to the Borrower hereunder and for other good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged), the Borrower hereby absolutely and irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, the payment when and as due of the Specified Ancillary Obligations of the Subsidiaries. The Borrower further agrees that the due and punctual payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice to or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound upon its guarantee hereunder notwithstanding any such extension or renewal of any such Specified Ancillary Obligation.
The Borrower waives presentment to, demand of payment from and protest to any Subsidiary of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, and also waives notice of acceptance of its obligations and notice of protest for nonpayment. The obligations of the Borrower hereunder shall not be affected by (a) the failure of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against any Subsidiary under the provisions of any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or release from, any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement or other agreement; (d) any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (e) the failure of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to take any steps to perfect and maintain any security interest in, or to preserve any rights to, any security or collateral for the Specified Ancillary Obligations, if any; (f) any change in the corporate, partnership or other existence, structure or ownership of any Subsidiary or any other guarantor of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; (g) the enforceability or validity of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or any part thereof or the genuineness, enforceability or validity of any agreement relating thereto or with respect to any collateral securing the Specified Ancillary Obligations or any part thereof, or any other invalidity or unenforceability relating to or against any Subsidiary or any other guarantor of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, for any reason related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document, any Banking Services Agreement, any Swap Agreement, or any provision of applicable law, decree, order or regulation of any jurisdiction purporting to prohibit the payment by such Subsidiary or any other guarantor of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or otherwise affecting any term of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations; or (h) any other act, omission or delay to do any other act which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of the Borrower or otherwise operate as a discharge of a guarantor as a matter of law or equity or which would impair or eliminate any right of the Borrower to subrogation.
The Borrower further agrees that its agreement hereunder constitutes a guarantee of payment when due (whether or not any bankruptcy or similar proceeding shall have stayed the accrual or collection of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or operated as a discharge thereof) and not merely of collection, and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) to any balance of any deposit account or credit on the books of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in favor of any Subsidiary or any other Person.
118


The obligations of the Borrower hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason (other than in connection with the payment in full in cash of all principal and interest on the Loans, all LC Disbursements, the fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Loan Documents and the other Secured Obligations (other than Swap Obligations, Banking Services Obligations, and other Obligations expressly stated to survive such payment and termination) and the termination of all Commitments and Letters of Credit), and shall not be subject to any defense or set-off, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever, by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations, any impossibility in the performance of any of the Specified Ancillary Obligations or otherwise.
The Borrower further agrees that its obligations hereunder shall constitute a continuing and irrevocable guarantee of all Specified Ancillary Obligations now or hereafter existing and shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any Specified Ancillary Obligation (including a payment effected through exercise of a right of setoff) is rescinded, or is or must otherwise be restored or returned by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of any Subsidiary or otherwise (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by a holder of Specified Ancillary Obligations in its discretion).
In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) may have at law or in equity against the Borrower by virtue hereof, upon the failure of any Subsidiary to pay any Specified Ancillary Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, after notice of prepayment or otherwise, the Borrower hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates), forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to such applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) in cash an amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of such Specified Ancillary Obligations then due, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Borrower further agrees that if payment in respect of any Specified Ancillary Obligation shall be due in a currency other than Dollars and/or at a place of payment other than New York or Chicago and if, by reason of any Change in Law, disruption of currency or foreign exchange markets, war or civil disturbance or other event, payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligation in such currency or at such place of payment shall be impossible or, in the reasonable judgment of any applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates), disadvantageous to such applicable Lender (or any of its Affiliates) in any material respect, then, at the election of such applicable Lender, the Borrower shall make payment of such Specified Ancillary Obligation in Dollars and/or in New York or Chicago as is designated by such applicable Lender (or its Affiliate) and, as a separate and independent obligation, shall indemnify such applicable Lender (and any of its Affiliates) against any losses or reasonable out-of-pocket expenses that it shall sustain as a result of such alternative payment.
Upon payment by the Borrower of any sums as provided above, all rights of the Borrower against any Subsidiary arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation or otherwise shall in all respects be subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Specified Ancillary Obligations owed by such Subsidiary to the applicable Lender (or its applicable Affiliates).
Nothing shall discharge or satisfy the liability of the Borrower hereunder except the full performance and payment in cash of the Secured Obligations.

119


[signature pages follow]

120


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement



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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement



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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement



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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


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Signature Page to MasterBrand, Inc. Credit Agreement


Schedule 2.01
Commitments
Lender Revolving Commitment Term Loan Commitment
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. $44,666,666.66 $67,000,000.00
Bank of America, N.A. $44,666,666.67 $67,000,000.00
Barclays Bank PLC $44,666,666.67 $67,000,000.00
Mizuho Bank, Ltd. $42,000,000.00 $63,000,000.00
PNC Bank, National Association $42,000,000.00 $63,000,000.00
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, New York Branch $42,000,000.00 $63,000,000.00
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association $42,000,000.00 $63,000,000.00
Citizens Bank, N.A. $30,000,000.00 $45,000,000.00
Fifth Third Bank, National Association $30,000,000.00 $45,000,000.00
KeyBank, National Association $30,000,000.00 $45,000,000.00
Citibank, N.A. $24,000,000.00 $36,000,000.00
Farm Credit Mid-America, PCA $18,000,000.00 $27,000,000.00
Compeer Financial $16,000,000.00 $24,000,000.00
AgCountry Farm Credit Services, FLCA $10,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00
Farm Credit Bank of Texas $10,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00
First Bank Chicago $10,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00
The Northern Trust Company $10,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00
U.S. Bank, National Association $10,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00
TOTAL $500,000,000.00 $750,000,000.00





Schedule 3.01
Subsidiaries
NAME MATERIAL DOMESTIC SUBSIDIARY [Y/N] JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION PERCENTAGE OF ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING SHARES OF EACH CLASS OF EQUITY INTERESTS OWNED BY BORROWER AND OTHER SUBSIDIARIES
MasterBrand Cabinets LLC  Y Delaware 100% owned by MasterBrand, Inc.
KCMB Nova Scotia Corp. N Nova Scotia, Canada 100% owned by MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
MBCI Canada Holdings Corp. N Nova Scotia, Canada 100% owned by KCMB Nova Scotia Corp.
Kitchen Craft of Canada N Canada 96.30% owned by MBCI Canada Holdings Corp.; 3.70% owned by NHB Industries, Ltd.
MasterBrand Home Products, LLC Y Delaware 100% owned by Masterbrand Cabinets LLC
MasterBrand Online LLC N Delaware 100% owned by Masterbrand Cabinets LLC
Norcraft Holding LLC Y North Carolina 100% owned by MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
Norcraft Companies, Inc. Y Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Holding LLC
Norcraft Companies LLC N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Holding LLC
Norcraft GP, L.L.C. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Companies LLC
Norcraft Holdings, L.P. N Delaware 99.9% owned by Norcraft Companies LLC; 0.1% owned by Norcraft GP, L.L.C.



Norcraft Capital Corp. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft GP, L.L.C.
Norcraft Intermediate GP, L.L.C. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Holdings, L.P.
Norcraft Intermediate Holdings, L.P. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Holdings, L.P.
Norcraft Companies, L.P. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Intermediate Holdings, L.P.
Norcraft Finance Corp. N Delaware 100% owned by Norcraft Companies, L.P.
NHB Industries Limited N Canada 100% owned by MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
Panther Transport, Inc. N Iowa 100% owned by MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
Woodcrafters UK Co. Ltd. N United Kingdom 100% owned by MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
Woodcrafters Home Products GmbH N Switzerland 100% owned by Woodcrafters UK Co. Ltd.
MI Service Company LLC N Delaware 100% owned by Woodcrafters Home Products GmbH
Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de R.L. de C.V. N Mexico 99.9771% owned by MI Service Company LLC; 0.0229% owned by Woodcrafters Mexico Holding, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Woodcrafters Mexico Holding, S. de R.L. de C.V. N Mexico 99.9979% owned by MI Service Company LLC; 0.0001% owned by MasterBrand Home Products LLC and 0.002% owned by Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de R.L. de C.V.








Schedule 3.06
Disclosed Matters


None.



Schedule 6.01
Existing Indebtedness
None.





Schedule 6.02
Existing Liens
None.




Schedule 6.05
Existing Subsidiary Investments
None.




Schedule 6.08
Transactions with Affiliates
None.





Schedule 6.09
Existing Restrictions
None.



EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF]
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
This Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.
For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities identified below (including any letters of credit, guarantees, and swingline loans included in such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as the “Assigned Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.
1.    Assignor:        
2.    Assignee:        
        [and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]1]
3.    Borrower:    MasterBrand, Inc.
4.    Administrative Agent: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement
5.    Credit Agreement: The $1,250,000,000 Credit Agreement dated as of November 18, 2022 among MasterBrand, Inc., the Lenders parties thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the other agents parties thereto.
6.    Assigned Interest:
1    Select as applicable.
A-1


Facility Assigned2 Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders Amount of Commitment/Loans Assigned Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans3
$ $ %
$ $ %
$ $ %

Effective Date:      ___, 20___ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]
The Assignee agrees to deliver to the Administrative Agent a completed Administrative Questionnaire in which the Assignee designates one or more credit contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its affiliates, the Loan Parties and their related parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the Assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:
ASSIGNOR
[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]


By:            
    Title:
ASSIGNEE
[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]


By:            
    Title:
Consented to and Accepted:4
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent,

By:        
    Name:
    Title:
[MASTERBRAND, INC.,]
2    Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g. “Revolving Commitment,” “Term Loan Commitment,” etc.)
3    Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.
4     Consents to be included to the extent required by Section 9.04(b)(i) of the Credit Agreement.
A-2



By:        
    Name:
    Title:
[ISSUING BANKS]

By:        
    Name:
    Title:
[SWINGLINE LENDERS]

By:        
    Name:
    Title:

A-3


ANNEX 1
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
1.    Representations and Warranties.
1.1    Assignor. The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document, (iv) any requirements under applicable law for the Assignee to become a lender under the Credit Agreement or to charge interest at the rate set forth therein from time to time or or (v) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document.
1.2.    Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement and under applicable law that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, and (iv) it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to acquire assets of the type represented by the Assigned Interest and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to acquire the Assigned Interest, is experienced in acquiring assets of such type, (v) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and (vi) attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
2.    Payments. From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.
A-4


3.    General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Acceptance and adoption of the terms of this Assignment and Assumption by the Assignee and the Assignor by Electronic Signature or delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by any Approved Electronic Platform shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.

A-5


EXHIBIT B
[FORM OF]
NOTE
$___,000,000
    , 20__

MasterBrand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), promises to pay to _________________ (the “Lender”) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Loans made by the Lender to the Borrower pursuant to Article II of the Agreement (as hereinafter defined), in immediately available funds at the main office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in New York, New York, as Administrative Agent, together with interest on the unpaid principal amount hereof at the rates and on the dates set forth in the Agreement. The Borrower shall pay the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on such Loans in full on the Maturity Date.
The Lender shall, and is hereby authorized to, record on the schedule attached hereto, or to otherwise record in accordance with its usual practice, the date and amount of each Loan and the date and amount of each principal payment hereunder.
This Note is one of the Notes issued pursuant to, and is entitled to the benefits of, the Credit Agreement dated as of November 18, 2022 (which, as it may be amended, restated or modified and in effect from time to time, is herein called the “Agreement”), among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto, including the Lender, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a statement of the terms and conditions governing this Note, including the terms and conditions under which this Note may be prepaid or its maturity date accelerated. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein are used with the meanings attributed to them in the Agreement.
This Note is to be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

B-1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Note by its duly authorized officer.
MASTERBRAND, INC.

By:            
    Name:
    Title:

B-2


SCHEDULE OF LOANS AND PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL
TO
NOTE,
DATED _____________, 20___
Date Principal
Amount of
Loan
Maturity
of Interest Period
Principal
Amount
Paid
Unpaid
Balance


B-3


EXHIBIT C
[FORM OF]
BORROWING REQUEST
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent for
the Lenders referred to below,
500 Stanton Christiana Rd.
NCC5 / 1st Floor
Newark, DE 19713
Attention: Loan and Agency Service Group
[Date]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned MASTERBRAND, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), refers to the Credit Agreement dated as of November 18, 2022 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among the Borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. The Borrower hereby gives you notice pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Credit Agreement that it requests a Loan under the Credit Agreement, and requests the making of a Loan on the terms set forth below:
(A)    Date of Loan
    (which is a Business Day)        
(B)    Principal Amount of
    Loan        
(C)    Type and Class of Loan1        
(D)    Interest Period and the     __________________________
    last day thereof2
(E)    Funds are requested to be disbursed to the Borrower’s account as follows:
    Account No.        
    Location        
MASTERBRAND, INC.

By:            
    Name:
    Title:

1     Specify (x) Revolving or Term Loan, and (y) Term Benchmark, RFR or ABR Loan.
2     Only applicable to Term Benchmark Loans
C-1


EXHIBIT D
[FORM OF]
FINANCIAL OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE
This certificate is being delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(c) of the Credit Agreement dated as of November 18, 2022, among MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement.
The undersigned, [name of officer], [title of officer] of the Borrower hereby certifies, on behalf of the Borrower, that as of the date hereof each of the conditions specified in clauses (a) and (b) of Section 4.03 of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied and that:
i.    No Default has occurred;
ii.    The attached calculation demonstrates compliance with Section 6.12 of the Agreement; and
iii.    There has been no change in GAAP or in the application thereof since the date of the last audited financial statement referred to in Section 3.04 of the Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name as of the [__] day of [__], 20[__].
MASTERBRAND, INC.

By:            
    Name:
    Title:

D-1


EXHIBIT E
LIST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS
[Attached]
E-1


EXHIBIT F
[RESERVED]
F-1


EXHIBIT G
[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE
(For Non-U.S. Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of November 18, 2022, among MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (v) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business.
The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF LENDER]


By:        
    Name:
    Title:

Date:    ________ __, 20__

G-1


[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE
(For Non-U.S. Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of November 18, 2022, among MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement, neither the undersigned nor any of its partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (v) none of its partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (vi) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s or its partners/members’ conduct of a U.S. trade or business.
The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of its partners/members claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF LENDER]


By:        
    Name:
    Title:

Date:    ________ __, 20__

G-2


[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE
(For Non-U.S. Participants That Are Not Partnerships
For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of November 18, 2022, among MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (v) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF LENDER]


By:        
    Name:
    Title:

Date:    ________ __, 20__

G-3


[FORM OF]
U.S. TAX CERTIFICATE
(For Non-U.S. Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of November 18, 2022, among MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, (v) none of its partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code, and (vi) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with the undersigned’s or its partners/members’ conduct of a U.S. trade or business.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of its partners/members claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.
[NAME OF PARTICIPANT] By: Name: Title: Date: ________ __, 20__ JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent for the Lenders referred to below
G-4


EXHIBIT H
FORM OF INTEREST ELECTION REQUEST
Attention of Loan and Agency Service Group
Re: MasterBrand, Inc.
[Date]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned MASTERBRAND, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), refers to the Credit Agreement dated as of November 18, 2022 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among the Borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. The Borrower hereby gives you notice pursuant to Section 2.08 of the Credit Agreement that it requests to [convert][continue] an existing Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in that connection the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such [conversion][continuation] requested hereby:
1.    List date, Type, Class, principal amount and Interest Period (if applicable) of existing Borrowing: __________
2.    Aggregate principal amount of resulting Borrowing: __________
3.    Effective date of interest election (which shall be a Business Day): __________
4.    Type of Borrowing (ABR, RFR or Term Benchmark): __________
5.    Interest Period and the last day thereof (if a Term Benchmark Borrowing):1 __________
[Signature Page Follows]

1    Which must comply with the definition of “Interest Period” and end not later than the Maturity Date.
H-1


Very truly yours,
MASTERBRAND, INC.

By:            
    Name:
    Title:

H-2
EX-21.1 3 exhibit21_1-listingofsubsi.htm EX-21.1 Document

Exhibit 21.1
The list below represents the subsidiaries of MasterBrand, Inc., including the state or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization.
 
Name of Company    Place of Incorporation or Organization
MasterBrand Cabinets LLC
   Delaware
Norcraft Holding LLC
   Delaware
Norcraft Companies, Inc.
   Delaware
Norcraft Companies LLC
   Delaware
Norcraft Holdings, L.P.
   Delaware
Norcraft Intermediate GP, L.L.C.
   Delaware
Norcraft Capital Corp.
   Delaware
Norcraft Intermediate Holdings, L.P.
   Delaware
Norcraft Companies, L.P.
   Delaware
Norcraft Finance Corp.
   Delaware
Norcraft GP, L.L.C.
   Delaware
Panther Transport, Inc.
   Iowa
NHB Industries Limited
   Canada
KCMB Nova Scotia Corp.
   Canada
MBCI Canada Holdings Corp.
   Canada
Kitchen Craft of Canada
   Canada
Woodcrafters UK Co. Ltd.
   United Kingdom
Woodcrafters Home Products Pte. Ltd.
(formerly known as Woodcrafters Home Products GmbH)
   Singapore
(formerly Switzerland)
MI Service Company, LLC
   Delaware
Woodcrafters Mexico Holdings, S. de R.L. de C.V.
   Mexico
Woodcrafters Home Products, S. de. R.L. de C.V.
   Mexico
MasterBrand Home Products, LLC
   Delaware
MasterBrand Online LLC
   Delaware


EX-23.1 4 exhibit23_1-mbcf2310xkcons.htm EX-23.1 Document

Exhibit 23.1



CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S-8 (Nos. 333-268789 and 333-269037) of MasterBrand, Inc. of our report dated February 27, 2024 relating to the financial statements, financial statement schedule and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in this Form 10-K.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 27, 2024




EX-31.1 5 exhibit31_1-banyardxq42023.htm EX-31.1 Document

Exhibit No. 31.1
RULE 13a-14(a) CERTIFICATION
I, R. David Banyard, Jr., certify that:

1.I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of MasterBrand, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
 
/s/ R. David Banyard, Jr.
R. David Banyard, Jr.
President & Chief Executive Officer

Dated: February 27, 2024


EX-31.2 6 exhibit31_2-simonxq42023xc.htm EX-31.2 Document

Exhibit No. 31.2
RULE 13a-14(a) CERTIFICATION
I, Andrea H. Simon, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of MasterBrand, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.


/s/ Andrea H. Simon
Andrea H. Simon
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Dated: February 27, 2024

EX-32.1 7 exhibit32_1-banyardxq42023.htm EX-32.1 Document

Exhibit No. 32.1
CERTIFICATION
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, the undersigned officer of MasterBrand, Inc., does hereby certify, to such officer’s knowledge, that the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in the Form 10-K.


/s/ R. David Banyard, Jr.
R. David Banyard, Jr.
President & Chief Executive Officer

Dated: February 27, 2024

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to MasterBrand, Inc. and will be retained by MasterBrand, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

EX-32.2 8 exhibit32_2-simonxq42023xc.htm EX-32.2 Document

Exhibit No. 32.2
CERTIFICATION
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, the undersigned officer of MasterBrand, Inc., does hereby certify, to such officer’s knowledge, that the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in the Form 10-K.


/s/ Andrea H. Simon
Andrea H. Simon
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Dated: February 27, 2024

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to MasterBrand, Inc. and will be retained by MasterBrand, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

EX-97 9 mbclg011-doddxfrankclawb.htm EX-97 mbclg011-doddxfrankclawb
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 1 of 7 Corporate Policy – LG-011 Name: Clawback Policy Version #: 1.0 Owner: Chief Legal Officer Distribution: Executive Officers Purpose The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of MasterBrand, Inc. (the “Company”) believes that it is appropriate for the Company to adopt this Clawback Policy (the “Policy”) to be applied to the Executive Officers of the Company and adopts this Policy to be effective as of the Effective Date. Policy 1. Recoupment of Erroneously Awarded Compensation In the event of a Restatement, any Erroneously Awarded Compensation Received during the Lookback Period prior to the Restatement (a) that is then-outstanding but has not yet been paid shall be automatically and immediately forfeited and (b) that has been paid to any person shall be subject to reasonably prompt repayment to the Company Group in accordance with Section 3 of this Policy. The Committee must pursue (and shall not have the discretion to waive) the forfeiture and/or repayment of such Erroneously Awarded Compensation in accordance with Section 3 of this Policy, except as provided below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee (or, if the Committee is not a committee of the Board responsible for the Company’s executive compensation decisions and composed entirely of independent directors, a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board) may determine not to pursue the forfeiture and/or recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation from any person if the Committee determines that such forfeiture and/or recovery would be impracticable due to any of the following circumstances: (i) the direct expense paid to a third party (for example, reasonable legal expenses and consulting fees) to assist in enforcing the Policy would exceed the amount to be recovered (following reasonable attempts by the Company Group to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, the documentation of such attempts, and the provision of such documentation to the NYSE), (ii) pursuing such recovery would violate the Company’s Home Country laws adopted prior to November 28, 2022 (provided that the Company obtains an opinion of Home Country counsel acceptable to the NYSE that recovery would result in such a violation and provides such opinion to the NYSE), or (iii) recovery would likely cause any otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of Company Group, to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and regulations thereunder. DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 2 of 7 2. Means of Repayment In the event that the Committee determines that any person shall repay any Erroneously Awarded Compensation, the Committee shall provide written notice to such person by email or certified mail to the physical address on file with the Company Group for such person, and the person shall satisfy such repayment in a manner and on such terms as required by the Committee, and the Company Group shall be entitled to set off the repayment amount against any amount owed to the person by the Company Group, to require the forfeiture of any award granted by the Company Group to the person, or to take any and all necessary actions to reasonably promptly recoup the repayment amount from the person, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, including without limitation, Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations and guidance thereunder. If the Committee does not specify a repayment timing in the written notice described above, the applicable person shall be required to repay the Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company Group by wire, cash or cashier’s check no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice. 3. No Indemnification No person shall be indemnified, insured or reimbursed by the Company Group in respect of any loss of compensation by such person in accordance with this Policy, nor shall any person receive any advancement of expenses for disputes related to any loss of compensation by such person in accordance with this Policy, and no person shall be paid or reimbursed by the Company Group for any premiums paid by such person for any third-party insurance policy covering potential recovery obligations under this Policy. For this purpose, “indemnification” includes any modification to current compensation arrangements or other means that would amount to de facto indemnification (for example, providing the person a new cash award which would be cancelled to effect the recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation). In no event shall the Company Group be required to award any person an additional payment if any Restatement would result in a higher incentive compensation payment. 4. Miscellaneous This Policy generally will be administered and interpreted by the Committee, provided that the Board may, from time to time, exercise discretion to administer and interpret this Policy, in which case, all references herein to “Committee” shall be deemed to refer to the Board. Any determination by the Committee with respect to this Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding on all interested parties. Any discretionary determinations of the Committee under this Policy, if any, need not be uniform with respect to all persons, and may be made selectively amongst persons, whether or not such persons are similarly situated. This Policy is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as it may be amended from time to time, and any related rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC or the NYSE, including any additional or new requirements that become effective after the Effective Date which upon DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 3 of 7 effectiveness shall be deemed to automatically amend this Policy to the extent necessary to comply with such additional or new requirements. The provisions in this Policy are intended to be applied to the fullest extent of the law. To the extent that any provision of this Policy is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such provision will be applied to the maximum extent permitted and shall automatically be deemed amended in a manner consistent with its objectives to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Policy shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Policy. Recoupment of Erroneously Awarded Compensation under this Policy is not dependent upon the Company Group satisfying any conditions in this Policy, including any requirements to provide applicable documentation to the NYSE. The rights of the Company Group under this Policy to seek forfeiture or reimbursement are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any rights of recoupment, or remedies or rights other than recoupment, that may be available to the Company Group pursuant to the terms of any law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement or any other policy, code of conduct, employee handbook, employment agreement, equity award agreement, or other plan or agreement of the Company Group. 5. Amendment and Termination To the extent permitted by, and in a manner consistent with applicable law, including SEC and NYSE rules, the Committee may terminate, suspend or amend this Policy at any time in its discretion. 6. Successors This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all persons and their respective beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives with respect to any Covered Compensation granted, vested or paid to or administered by such persons or entities. DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 4 of 7 MASTERBRAND, INC. CLAWBACK POLICY ACKNOWLEDGMENT, CONSENT AND AGREEMENT I acknowledge that I have received and reviewed a copy of the MasterBrand, Inc. Clawback Policy (as may be amended from time to time, the “Policy”) and I have been given an opportunity to ask questions about the Policy and review it with my counsel. I knowingly, voluntarily and irrevocably consent to an agree to be bound by and subject to the Policy’s terms and conditions, including that I will return any Erroneously Awarded Compensation that is required to be repaid in accordance with the Policy. I further acknowledge, understand and agree that (i) the compensation that I receive, have received or may become entitled to receive from the Company Group is subject to the Policy, and the Policy may affect such compensation and (ii) I have no right to indemnification, insurance payments or other reimbursement by or from the Company Group for any compensation that is subject to recoupment and/or forfeiture under the Policy. Capitalized terms not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Policy. Signed: _________________________________________ Print Name: _________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________ DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 5 of 7 Definitions For purposes of this Policy, the following definitions shall apply: a) “Company Group” means the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, as applicable. b) “Covered Compensation” means any Incentive-Based Compensation granted, vested or paid to a person who served as an Executive Officer at any time during the performance period for the Incentive-Based Compensation and that was Received (i) on or after the Effective Date, (ii) after the person became an Executive Officer and (iii) at a time that the Company had a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association. c) “Effective Date” means September 6, 2023. d) “Erroneously Awarded Compensation” means the amount of Covered Compensation granted, vested or paid to a person during the fiscal period when the applicable Financial Reporting Measure relating to such Covered Compensation was attained that exceeds the amount of Covered Compensation that otherwise would have been granted, vested or paid to the person had such amount been determined based on the applicable Restatement, computed without regard to any taxes paid (i.e., on a pre-tax basis). For Covered Compensation based on stock price or total shareholder return, where the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in a Restatement, the Committee will determine the amount of such Covered Compensation that constitutes Erroneously Awarded Compensation, if any, based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Covered Compensation was granted, vested or paid and the Committee shall maintain documentation of such determination and provide such documentation to the NYSE. e) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. f) “Executive Officer” means each “officer” of the Company as defined under Rule 16a-1(f) under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, which shall be deemed to include any individuals identified by the Company as executive officers pursuant to Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Both current and former Executive Officers are subject to the Policy in accordance with its terms. g) “Financial Reporting Measure” means (i) any measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures derived wholly or in part from such measures and may consist of GAAP or non-GAAP financial measures (as defined under Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act), (ii) stock price or (iii) total shareholder return. Financial Reporting Measures may or may not be filed with the SEC and may be presented outside the Company’s financial statements, such as in Managements’ Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Result of Operations or in the performance graph required under Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 6 of 7 h) “Home Country” means the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation. i) “Incentive-Based Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure. j) “Lookback Period” means the three completed fiscal years (plus any transition period of less than nine months that is within or immediately following the three completed fiscal years and that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) immediately preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare a Restatement for a given reporting period, with such date being the earlier of: (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes, or reasonably should have concluded, that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement, or (ii) the date a court, regulator or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Restatement. Recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation under the Policy is not dependent on if or when the Restatement is actually filed. k) “NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange. l) “Received”: Incentive-Based Compensation is deemed “Received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in or otherwise relating to the Incentive-Based Compensation award is attained, even if the grant, vesting or payment of the Incentive-Based Compensation occurs after the end of that period. m) “Restatement” means a required accounting restatement of any Company financial statement due to the material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, including (i) to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements (commonly referred to as a “Big R” restatement) or (ii) to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is not material to the previously issued financial statements but that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (commonly referred to as a “little r” restatement). Changes to the Company’s financial statements that do not represent error corrections under the then-current relevant accounting standards will not constitute Restatements. Recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation under the Policy is not dependent on fraud or misconduct by any person in connection with the Restatement. n) “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. o) “Subsidiary” means any domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, association, joint stock company, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization “affiliated” with the Company, that is, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, “controlling”, “controlled by” or “under common control with”, the Company. “Control” for this purpose means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, contract or otherwise. DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B


 
MasterBrand, Inc. - Confidential Policy Page 7 of 7 Effective Date Review Date Policy End Date September 6, 2023 January 31, 2025 Summary of Revisions Revision Revised By Description Date Original September 6, 2023 Approval Approved By Title Date MasterBrand Cabinets LLC reserves the right to amend, delete, revise and/or supplement this policy as needed to be consistent with its business needs and requirements. DocuSign Envelope ID: 54A5BB47-F907-427F-A2F1-4778B85E279B CLO 10/26/2023 | 6:57 AM EDT