HAMPSHIRE GROUP LTD
8-K, 2000-09-15
KNIT OUTERWEAR MILLS
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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D. C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K
                                    --------

                 CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                Date of Earliest Event Reported September 5, 2000

                          Commission File No. 000-20201
                          -----------------------------


                            HAMPSHIRE GROUP, LIMITED
                            ------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



                     DELAWARE                       06-0967107
             ----------------------     ---------------------------------
            (State of Incorporation)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)


                             215 COMMERCE BOULEVARD

                         ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA 29625

                                 (864) 225-6232
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including
             Area Code of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)


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<PAGE>
Item 2.  Acquisition of Assets
------------------------------
     On September 6, 2000, Hampshire Group, Limited ("Hampshire Group"), through
its wholly  owned  subsidiary  Vintage  III,  Inc.  ("Vintage"),  concluded  the
acquisition  of  substantially  all the assets and business of  Item-Eyes,  Inc.
("Item-Eyes"),  a privately  held  sportswear  company.  Item-Eyes  maintains an
operation  center and sales  offices/showroom  in New York City and a  corporate
office in Hauppauge, New York.

     The purchase price consisted of $13,000,000 cash,  $2,350,000  subordinated
notes of Vintage (the "Subordinated  Notes"), and 377,056 shares of common stock
of  Hampshire  Group.  Vintage  also assumed  certain  liabilities  of Item-Eyes
including  approximately  $26,850,000  of  borrowings  under a revolving  credit
agreement and approximately  $11,050,000 in trade payables and accrued expenses.
The Subordinated  Notes issued by Vintage are subordinate in all respects to all
indebtedness  incurred  under  Hampshire  Group's  Credit  Agreement (as defined
below) and Hampshire  Group's  outstanding  Insurance  Notes (as defined below),
bear interest at 9.5% to 11.5% per year and are due in full in 2 1/2 to 4 years.
Hampshire Group and its chairman have guaranteed Vintage's  obligations pursuant
to the Subordinated Notes.

     A portion of the  consideration  paid by Vintage was obtained through loans
under  Hampshire  Group's senior secured  revolving line of credit and letter of
credit  facility  pursuant to the  Amended and  Restated  Credit  Agreement  and
Guaranty,  dated  as of  September  5,  2000  (the  "Credit  Agreement"),  among
Hampshire Group, the Guarantors named therein (Hampshire Group's  subsidiaries),
The  Chase  Manhattan  Bank  ("Chase"),   HSBC  Bank  USA,  ("HSBC"),   The  CIT
Group/Commercial  Services, Inc. ("CIT"), Fleet National Bank ("Fleet"),  Israel
Discount  Bank of New York  ("IDB") and Bank of America,  N.A.  ("BOA")  (Chase,
HSBC, CIT, Fleet, IDB and BOA collectively the "Banks"),  and Chase as agent for
the Banks.  The Credit  Agreement  provides for up to  $97,937,500  in revolving
line of credit and letters of credit.

     Hampshire Group also entered into Amendment No. 1, dated as of September 5,
2000  (the  "Amendment"),  to the  Note  Purchase  Agreements,  dated  as of May
15,1998, among Hampshire Group, the Guarantors named therein,  Phoenix Home Life
Mutual  Insurance  Company and the Ohio National Life  Insurance  Company,  with
respect to the $15,000,000  aggregate principal amount, Senior Secured Notes due
January 2, 2008 (the "Insurance Notes"). The Amendment provides for, among other
things,  changes in the  applicable  interest  rate and  principal  amortization
schedule of the Insurance Notes.

     On September 11, 2000, Vintage changed its name to Item-Eyes, Inc.

     A copy of the press release issued by Hampshire  Group on September 6, 2000
in  respect  of  the   acquisition  is  attached  hereto  as  Exhibit  99.1  and
incorporated hereto by reference.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
------------------------------------------
     In  accordance  with  Item 7,  the  information  required  by this  item is
incorporated by reference from the Registrant's Report on Form 8-K/A to be filed
within 60 days  after the date on which this Form 8-K is  required  to be filed.

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<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES


Pursuant  to the  requirements  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.




                                   HAMPSHIRE GROUP, LIMITED
                                   (Registrant)



Date:   September 15, 2000         /s/ Ludwig Kuttner
----------------------------       ----------------------------
                                   Ludwig Kuttner
                                   President and Chief Executive Officer
                                   (Principal Executive Officer)



Date:   September 15, 2000         /s/ Charles W. Clayton
----------------------------       ----------------------------
                                   Charles W. Clayton
                                   Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
                                   and Chief Financial Officer
                                   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


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<PAGE>

                                   EXHIBITS


 Exhibit No.                        Description
-------------  ---------------------------------------------------------------

    4.1        Amendment  No. 1,  dated as of  September  5,  2000,  to the Note
               Purchase  Agreement,  dated as of May  15,1998,  among  Hampshire
               Group,  the Guarantors  named  therein,  Phoenix Home Life Mutual
               Insurance Company and the Ohio National Life Insurance Company.

   10.1        Asset Purchase  Agreement  between Vintage III, Inc.,  Item-Eyes,
               Inc. and certain other parties, dated June 26, 2000.

   10.2        Amended  and  Restated   Credit   Agreement  and  Guaranty  among
               Hamphsire Group,  the Guarantors  named therein,  the Banks named
               therein  and The Chase  Manhattan  Bank as agent  for the  Banks,
               dated as of September 5, 2000.

   99.1        Press release dated  announcing the completion of the acquisition
               of the assets and business of Item-Eyes, Inc., dated September 6,
               2000.



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