ITEM 1.01 ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT
The information set forth under Item 2.03 "Creation of a Direct Financial
Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a
Registrant" is incorporated into this Item 1.01 by reference.
On October 26, 2009, Terra Capital, Inc. (the "Company" or "Terra
Capital"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terra Industries Inc. (the "Parent" or
"Terra") completed the sale of its private offering (the "Closing") of
$600 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019
(the "Notes") pursuant to a Purchase Agreement, dated October 19, 2009, by and
among the Company, the Parent, as guarantor, the other guarantors named therein
and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (the
"Initial Purchasers").
Pursuant to an Exchange and Registration Rights Agreement, dated
October 26, 2009, among the Company, the Parent, as guarantor, the other
guarantors named therein and the Initial Purchaser relating to the Notes (the
"Exchange and Registration Rights Agreement"), the Company, the Parent and the
other guarantors are obligated to file and use their commercially reasonable
efforts to cause to become effective a registration statement with respect to an
offer to exchange the Notes for other freely tradable notes issued by the
Company that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") and have substantially identical terms as the Notes. The Exchange and
Registration Rights Agreement provides that if the Company is not able to effect
the applicable exchange offer, the Company will file with the SEC and use its
commercially reasonable efforts to cause to become effective a shelf
registration statement relating to the resale of the Notes. Pursuant to the
Notes and the Exchange and Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will be
obligated to pay additional interest on the Notes in certain instances,
including if it does not file the registration statement within 90 days
following the Closing, if such registration statement has not become effective
within 120 days following the Closing, or the related exchange offer has not
been consummated within 150 days after the Closing.
The Initial Purchasers and their affiliates have provided and may, from
time to time, continue to provide investment banking, financial advisory and
other services to Terra and its affiliates, for which they have received and
will receive customary fees and reimbursements of expenses. Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC also acted as dealer manager for the tender offer and
consent solicitation relating to the Company's 7.00% senior notes due 2017 which
was completed on October 27, 2009, with approximately 96.2% of the outstanding
notes tendered. Citicorp USA, Inc., an affiliate of Citigroup Global Markets
Inc., is the administrative agent and a lender under the Company's revolving
credit facility and has received and will continue to receive fees in connection
therewith.
ITEM 2.03 CREATION OF A DIRECT FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OR AN OBLIGATION UNDER AN
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENT OF A REGISTRANT
The Company completed the offering of the Notes on October 26, 2009. The
Notes were sold in a private offering in reliance on Rule 144A and Regulation S
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Notes
have not been registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws,
and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except
pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws.
The Notes will bear interest at the rate of 7.75% per annum. Interest on
the Notes will be payable on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on
May 1, 2010. The notes will mature on November 1, 2019. Prior to November 1,
2012, the Company may redeem up to 35% of the Notes from the proceeds of certain
equity offerings at 107.750% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid
interest, if any, to the date of redemption. The Company may redeem some or all
of the Notes at any time prior to November 1, 2014, at a price equal to 100% of
the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of
redemption, plus a "make-whole" premium based on a discount rate equal to the
yield on a comparable U.S. Treasury Security plus 50 basis points. In addition,
on or after November 1, 2014, the Company may redeem some or all of the Notes at
any time at redemption prices that start at 103.875% of their aggregate
principal amount. The Company is required to offer to purchase the Notes at 101%
of their aggregate principal amount, plus accrued interest to the repurchase
date, if it experiences specific kinds of changes in control.
The Notes are the Company's senior unsecured obligations and will rank
equal in right of payment with all of its existing and future senior obligations
and senior to its subordinated indebtedness. The Notes are unconditionally
guaranteed by the Parent and certain of its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries. The
guarantees are unsecured and will rank equal in right of payment with all of the
existing and future senior obligations of such guarantors. The Notes and the
guarantees will be effectively subordinated to the Company's existing and future
secured indebtedness to the extent of the assets securing that indebtedness.
If an event of default as defined in the indenture governing the Notes
occurs and is continuing (other than specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency
or reorganization with respect to the Company or the Parent), the trustee or the
holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may declare
the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Notes to be due and
payable. Upon such a declaration, such principal and interest shall be due and
payable immediately. If an event of default relating to specified events of
bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization with respect to the Company or the
Parent occurs, the principal of and interest on all the Notes will immediately
become due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the
trustee or any holders of the Notes.
The indenture governing the Notes contains covenants that will limit, among
other things, the Company and the Parent's ability and the ability of the
Parent's restricted subsidiaries to:
• incur additional debt;
• pay dividends on capital stock or repurchase capital stock;
• make certain investments;
• create liens on assets to secure debt;
• enter into transactions with affiliates;
• create restrictions on restricted subsidiaries' abilities to pay dividends
or make other payments;
• enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
• engage in other businesses; or
• sell all or substantially all of its assets or merge with or into other
companies.
These covenants are subject to important exceptions and qualifications and the
requirement to comply with certain covenants may be suspended upon achievement
of investment grade ratings for the Notes.