<PAGE> 1
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ]
Check the appropriate box:
[ ] Preliminary Proxy Statement
[ ] Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
[X] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
[ ] Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss. 240.14a-11(c) or ss. 240.14a-12
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
N/A
-------------------------
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
[X] No fee required
[ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and O-11.
1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
........................................................................
2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
........................................................................
3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule O-11 (Set forth the amount on which the
filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
........................................................................
4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
........................................................................
5) Total fee paid:
........................................................................
[ ] Fee paid previously by written preliminary materials.
[ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
O-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
1) Amount Previously Paid:
--------------------------------------
2) Form Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
-----------------
3) Filing Party:
------------------------------------------------
4) Date Filed:
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<PAGE> 2
RENTERS CHOICE LOGO
September 18, 1998
Dear Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend a Special Meeting of Stockholders (the
"Special Meeting") of Renters Choice, Inc. (the "Company") to be held at the
offices of the Company, 13800 Montfort Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240 on
Tuesday October 20, 1998, at 10:00 o'clock a.m. local time.
The Special Meeting has been called to consider and approve (1) (i) the
conversion of 120,209 shares of the Company's Series B Convertible Preferred
Stock (the "Series B Preferred Stock") that have been issued to certain
affiliates of Apollo Management IV, L.P. ("Apollo") and to RC Acquisition Corp.,
an affiliate of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. (collectively the "Preferred
Stockholders") into 120,209 shares of the Company's Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock") that, upon conversion (along
with the other shares of Series A Preferred Stock previously issued to the
Preferred Stockholders), will represent more than 20% of the voting power
outstanding prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) the
terms of the Series A Preferred Stock; and (2) an amendment to the Amended and
Restated 1994 Renters Choice, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") to
increase the number of shares of common stock reserved under the Plan from
3,000,000 shares to 4,500,000 shares.
The proposals to be considered and voted upon at the Special Meeting are of
great importance to your investment and the future of the Company. Your Board of
Directors believes that the acquisition of Rent-A-Center, Inc. (f/k/a Thorn
Americas, Inc.) ("Rent-A-Center") and the Company's alliance with Apollo will
substantially increase the Company's ability to grow and improve profitability.
A critical element to the success of the acquisition of Rent-A-Center is
the retention of certain managers and employees of Rent-A-Center. In order to
induce such employees to remain with the Company and to establish an incentive
whereby such employees will align their interests with that of the Company's
stockholders, the Company intends to offer such employees options to acquire the
Company's common stock consistent with those currently offered to the Company's
employees. The approval by the stockholders of the proposal to increase the
number of shares reserved under the Plan will enable the Company to properly
incentivize such employees.
AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS APPROVED BOTH
PROPOSALS. YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR EACH
PROPOSAL.
Details of each proposal is set forth in the accompanying Proxy Statement.
We urge you to read it carefully. Your vote is important. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AT THE SPECIAL MEETING EITHER IN PERSON OR BY PROXY.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING, PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN AND
DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE PREPAID
ENVELOPE. If you attend the Special Meeting, you may vote in person if you wish,
even if you have previously returned your proxy card. Your prompt cooperation
will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
J. ERNEST TALLEY
J. ERNEST TALLEY
Chairman of the Board of Directors
and Chief Executive Officer
ADDRESS, PHONE, FAX
<PAGE> 3
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
13800 MONTFORT DRIVE, SUITE 300
DALLAS, TEXAS 75240
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD OCTOBER 20, 1998
To the Holders of Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock of RENTERS CHOICE,
INC.
The Special Meeting of Stockholders of Renters Choice, Inc. (the "Company")
will be held at the offices of the Company, 13800 Montfort Drive, Suite 300,
Dallas, Texas 75240, on Tuesday, October 20, 1998, at 10:00 o'clock a.m., local
time, for the following purposes:
1. To approve (i) the conversion of 120,209 shares of the Company's
Series B Preferred Stock (the "Series B Preferred Stock") that have been
issued to certain affiliates of Apollo Management IV, L.P., and to RC
Acquisition Corp., an affiliate of Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. (collectively,
the "Preferred Stock Holders"), into 120,209 shares of the Company's Series
A Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock") that, upon conversion
(along with the other shares of Series A Preferred Stock previously issued
to the Preferred Stockholders), will represent more than 20% of the voting
power outstanding prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock,
and (ii) the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock;
2. To amend the Amended and Restated 1994 Renters Choice, Inc.
Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") to increase the number of shares of
the common stock reserved under the Plan from 3,000,000 shares to 4,500,000
shares; and
3. In the discretion of the persons named in the proxy, to transact
any other business that may properly come before the Special Meeting, and
any postponements or adjournments thereof (the "Special Meeting").
A copy of the Proxy Statement in which the foregoing matters are described
in more detail accompanies this Notice of Special Meeting of Stockholders.
Stockholders are urged to read carefully the attached Proxy Statement for
additional information concerning the matters to be considered at the Special
Meeting. The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on September 18,
1998 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and
to vote at the Special Meeting. A complete list of the stockholders will be
available for examination at the Company's offices located at 13800 Montfort
Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240, during normal business hours for ten days
before the meeting.
PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT
PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL
MEETING. IF YOU ATTEND THE MEETING, YOU MAY VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU WISH, EVEN IF
YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY RETURNED YOUR PROXY CARD.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
DAVID M. GLASGOW
DAVID M. GLASGOW
Secretary
September 18, 1998
Dallas, Texas
<PAGE> 4
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
13800 MONTFORT DRIVE, SUITE 300
DALLAS, TEXAS 75240
------------------------
PROXY STATEMENT
------------------------
SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD OCTOBER 20, 1998
------------------------
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of
proxies by the Board of Directors of Renters Choice, Inc. (the "Company") for
use at the Special Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held at the time
and place and for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Special
Meeting, and any postponements or adjournments thereof (the "Special Meeting").
This Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy are first being mailed to
stockholders on or about September 21, 1998. All duly executed proxies received
by the Company prior to the Special Meeting will be voted in accordance with the
instructions specified therein. As to a matter for which no instruction has been
specified in a properly executed proxy, the shares represented thereby will be
voted by the person named therein (1) FOR a proposal ("Proposal I") to approve
(i) the conversion of 120,209 shares of the Company's Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock (the "Series B Preferred Stock") that have been issued to
certain affiliates of Apollo Management IV, L.P. (collectively, "Apollo") and to
RC Acquisition Corp., an affiliate of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. ("RCAC" and
together with Apollo, the "Preferred Stock Holders") into 120,209 shares of the
Company's Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"
and along with the Series B Preferred Stock the "Preferred Stock") that, upon
conversion (along with the other shares of Series A Preferred Stock previously
issued to the Preferred Stock Holders), will represent more than 20% of the
voting power outstanding prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock,
and (ii) the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock; (2) FOR a proposal
("Proposal II") to amend the Amended and Restated 1994 Renters Choice, Inc.
Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") to increase the number of shares of the
Company's voting common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"),
reserved under the Plan from 3,000,000 shares to 4,500,000 shares, and (3) in
the discretion of the persons named in the proxy, to transact any other business
that may properly come before the Special Meeting. A stockholder who attends the
Special Meeting may, if he or she wishes, vote by ballot at the Special Meeting,
thereby canceling any proxy previously given. In addition, a stockholder giving
a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is voted at the Special Meeting by
delivering a written notice of revocation to the Secretary of the Company or by
delivering a properly executed proxy bearing a later date.
The Board of Directors does not intend to bring any matters before the
Special Meeting other than those set forth in the accompanying Notice of Special
Meeting and does not know of any additional matters to be brought before the
Special Meeting by others.
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on September 18,
1998 (the "Record Date") as the record date for the determination of the
stockholders of the Company entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special
Meeting. At that date, there were outstanding 24,055,209 shares of Common Stock
and 139,791 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The holders of Common Stock will
be entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted at the Special
Meeting. The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to the number
of votes equal to the number of whole shares of Common Stock into which the
number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock are convertible immediately after
the close of business on the Record Date. On the Record Date, the 139,791 shares
of Series A Preferred Stock had the right to convert into 5,004,152 shares of
Common Stock, and thus such holders are entitled to an equal number of votes.
Other than the Series B Preferred Stock, which is not entitled to vote, the
Company has no other class of stock outstanding.
The By-laws of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
("NASD"), require each issuer listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq")
to obtain stockholder approval prior to an issuance of common stock, or
securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock if, in connection
with an acquisition of the assets of another company (i) the issuance of common
stock or securities convertible or
<PAGE> 5
exercisable for common stock, has or will have upon issuance voting power equal
to or in excess of 20% of the voting power outstanding prior to such issuance;
or (ii) the number of shares of common stock to be issued is or will be equal to
or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding prior to
such issuance. As a result of the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the
Preferred Stock Holders will initially have voting power, in the aggregate,
equal to 19.99% of the voting power outstanding prior to the issuance of the
Preferred Stock. The Series B Preferred Stock will not be convertible into
voting Common Stock. The number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock into which
the Series B Preferred Stock are convertible is based on a predetermined formula
derived from the date on which the Company's stockholders approve the conversion
(ranging from 1:1 to 1:1.2). See "Proposal I: CONVERSION OF PREFERRED STOCK --
Terms of the Preferred Stock -- Series B Preferred Stock". If stockholder
approval is not received by December 3, 1998, commencing on December 4, 1998 or
the date of the Special Meeting (the "Conversion Release Date"), the Series B
Preferred Stock will be convertible into non-voting common stock at any time
following the Conversion Release Date, provided, however, if it is determined
that the Company cannot issue non-voting common stock, each share of Series B
Preferred Stock will be convertible into Common Stock.
In connection with the acquisition of Thorn Americas, Inc. (which following
the acquisition was renamed Rent-A-Center, Inc. ("Rent-A-Center")) the number of
employees of the Company increased from approximately 3,260 employees to
approximately 11,950 employees. Management of the Company believes in order to
maintain the Company's policies of granting stock options to employees at all
management levels in order to closer align the interests of the Company's
employees with those of the Company's stockholders, the number of shares of
Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan needs to increase. Without an
increase, there will not be a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock
available to grant these new employees the number of stock options the Company
has historically granted store managers and regional executives. Under the Plan,
stockholder approval is necessary to increase the number of shares of Common
Stock under the Plan.
<PAGE> 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
----
<S> <C>
THE SPECIAL MEETING......................................... 1
Date, Time and Place...................................... 1
Purpose................................................... 1
Record Date............................................... 1
Quorum.................................................... 1
Required Vote............................................. 1
Proxies................................................... 2
Proxy Solicitor........................................... 2
Availability of Principal Auditors........................ 2
PROPOSAL I: CONVERSION OF PREFERRED STOCK................... 3
Terms of the Preferred Stock.............................. 3
Certain Voting Rights of the Series A Preferred Stock..... 5
Certain Consent Rights of the Series B Preferred Stock.... 6
Use of Proceeds........................................... 6
Preferred Stock Holders................................... 7
Certain Risks Associated with Failure to Approve the
Conversion............................................. 7
Validity Issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock......... 7
Nasdaq Listing Requirements............................... 7
Voting Agreements......................................... 8
Recommendation of the Board of Directors.................. 8
PROPOSAL II: AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF
COMMON STOCK RESERVED UNDER THE AMENDED AND RESTATED 1994
RENTERS CHOICE, INC. LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN............. 9
Description of the Plan................................... 9
Participants Subject to Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934................................... 10
Nonqualified Stock Options................................ 11
Incentive Stock Options................................... 12
Exercise of Stock Options with Common Stock............... 14
Restricted Stock.......................................... 15
Stock Appreciation Rights................................. 15
Other Considerations...................................... 16
Recommendation of the Board of Directors.................. 18
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND
MANAGEMENT................................................ 18
RENTERS CHOICE, INC. SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA..... 20
NOTES TO SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA OF THE COMPANY............. 21
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS....................................... 22
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS........... 22
AVAILABLE INFORMATION....................................... 22
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE............. 23
APPENDICES:
APPENDIX-A -- SERIES A CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
APPENDIX-B -- SERIES B CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
</TABLE>
i
<PAGE> 7
THE SPECIAL MEETING
DATE, TIME AND PLACE
The Special Meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 20, 1998 at
10:00 o'clock a.m., local time, at the offices of the Company, 13800 Montfort
Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240.
PURPOSE
At the Special Meeting the holders of the Common Stock and Series A
Preferred Stock will be asked to consider and vote upon (1) a proposal to (i)
approve the conversion of 120,209 shares of the Series B Preferred Stock into
120,209 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock which, upon conversion (along
with the other shares of Series A Preferred Stock previously issued to the
Preferred Stock Holders), will represent more than 20% of the voting power
outstanding prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, and (ii) the
terms of the Series A Preferred Stock and (2) a proposal to amend the Plan to
increase the number of shares of Common Stock, reserved under the Plan from
3,000,000 shares to 4,500,000 shares.
RECORD DATE
The Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on
September 18, 1998 as the Record Date for the determination of the holders of
Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock entitled to notice of and to vote at
the Special Meeting. On the Record Date, there were 24,055,209 shares of Common
Stock outstanding each entitled to one vote and held by approximately 75 holders
of record and 139,791 shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding entitled to
5,004,152 votes and held by 3 holders of record.
QUORUM
The holders of a majority of the votes entitled to vote at the Special
Meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business at the Special Meeting. If a quorum is not present
or represented at the Special Meeting, the stockholders entitled to vote who are
present in person or represented by proxy have the power to adjourn the Special
Meeting from time to time, without notice, other than by announcement at the
meeting, until a quorum is present or represented. At any such adjourned meeting
at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that
might have been transacted at the original meeting. If and when a quorum is
present or represented at the Special Meeting or any adjournment thereof, the
stockholders present or represented at the meeting may continue to transact
business until adjournment notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of
stockholders counted in determining the existence of a quorum.
REQUIRED VOTE
Proposal I requires the affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast
at the Special Meeting, in person or by proxy, with respect to Proposal I, and
Proposal II requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to
vote at the Special Meeting, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote
thereon.
Votes cast by proxy or in person will be counted by two persons appointed
by the Company to act as inspectors at the Special Meeting. The election
inspectors will treat shares represented by proxies that reflect abstentions as
shares that are present and entitled to vote for the purpose of determining the
presence of a quorum and of determining the outcome of any matter submitted to
the stockholders for a vote. Abstentions will not be deemed to be cast and thus
have no effect on the outcome of Proposal I. However, because Proposal II
requires the majority of the votes entitled to vote at the Special Meeting,
abstentions will have the same legal effect as a vote against Proposal II.
Broker non-votes occur where a broker holding stock in street name votes
the shares on some matters but not others. The missing votes are deemed to be
"broker non-votes." The election inspectors will treat broker non-votes as
shares that are present and entitled to vote for the purpose of determining the
presence of a
1
<PAGE> 8
quorum. However, for the purpose of determining the outcome of any matter as to
which the broker or nominee has indicated on the proxy that it does not have
discretionary authority to vote, those shares will be treated as not present and
not entitled to vote with respect to that matter (even though those shares are
considered entitled to vote for quorum purposes and may be entitled to vote on
other matters).
As of the Record Date, directors and executive officers of the Company and
their affiliates had the right to vote approximately 26.94% of all votes
entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. J. Ernest Talley and Mark E. Speese
have each entered into voting agreements with Apollo, and L. Dowell Arnette,
Mitchell E. Fadel, Michael C. Talley, and Mark Talley have signed letters
addressed to Apollo. Pursuant to these agreements or letters, each such
stockholder has agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of the agreements or
letters, to vote the 8,933,227 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by them
(representing approximately 30.74% of the votes entitled to vote at the Special
Meeting) in favor of Proposal I.
PROXIES
All shares of Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock represented by
properly executed proxies received prior to or at the Special Meeting and not
revoked will be voted in accordance with the instructions indicated in such
proxies. Properly executed proxies that do not contain voting instructions will
be voted FOR approval of Proposal I and FOR Proposal II. Stockholders are urged
to mark the box on the proxy to indicate how their Common Stock and Series A
Preferred Stock is to be voted.
It is not expected that any matter other than those referred to herein will
be brought before the Special Meeting. If, however, other matters are properly
presented, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance with their own
judgment with respect to such matters, unless authority to do so is withheld in
the proxy.
A duly executed proxy is irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable
and only as long as it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support
an irrevocable power.
Any stockholder who executes and returns a proxy may revoke such proxy at
any time before it is voted by: (i) notifying the Secretary of the Company in
writing at 13800 Montfort Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240; (ii) granting a
subsequent proxy; or (iii) appearing in person and voting at the Special
Meeting. Attendance at the Special Meeting will not in and of itself constitute
revocation of a proxy.
PROXY SOLICITOR
The Company has retained ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.
("ChaseMellon") to aid in the solicitation of proxies. It is estimated that the
cost of these services will be approximately $7,500 plus expenses. The Company
will bear the entire cost of soliciting proxies in the accompanying form. In
addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, proxies may also be solicited
by telephone, telegram or personal interview by officers and regular employees
of ChaseMellon and the Company. The Company will reimburse brokers or other
persons holding stock in their names or in the names of their nominees for their
reasonable expenses incurred in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners
of stock.
AVAILABILITY OF PRINCIPAL AUDITORS
Representatives of Grant Thornton LLP, principal auditors of the Company,
will be present at the Special Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a
statement should they desire, and are expected to be available to respond to
appropriate questions.
2
<PAGE> 9
PROPOSAL I:
CONVERSION OF PREFERRED STOCK
At the Special Meeting, you are asked to vote in favor of Proposal I to
approve (i) the conversion of 120,209 shares of the Series B Preferred Stock
that have been issued to Apollo and RCAC into 120,209 shares of the Series A
Preferred Stock that, upon conversion (along with the other shares of Series A
Preferred Stock previously issued to the Preferred Stock Holders), will
represent more than 20% of the voting power outstanding prior to the issuance of
the Series A Preferred Stock, and (ii) the terms of the Series A Preferred
Stock.
TERMS OF THE PREFERRED STOCK
Series A Preferred Stock.
A copy of the Certificate of Designation establishing the Series A
Preferred Stock (the "Series A Certificate of Designation"), as filed with the
Secretary of State of Delaware, is included in this Proxy Statement as Appendix
A. The following summary of the provisions of the Series A Preferred Stock is
qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the Series
A Certificate of Designation.
The Series A Certificate of Designation authorizes 400,000 shares of the
Series A Preferred Stock. Each share of the Series A Preferred Stock is
convertible into Common Stock of the Company at a price equal to $27.935.
Assuming the Series B Preferred Stock is converted into Series A Preferred Stock
prior to the Conversion Release Date and any dividends paid on the Preferred
Stock have not been paid in Preferred Stock, there would be 260,000 shares of
Series A Preferred Stock outstanding which would be convertible into 9,307,321
shares of Common Stock. The number of shares of Common Stock of the Company into
which the Series A Preferred Stock is convertible is also subject to adjustment
pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions contained in the Series A Certificate
of Designation.
The Company will pay a preferred dividend in the amount of 3 3/4% per annum
on the Series A Preferred Stock. For the first five years, dividends may be
payable at the option of the Company in cash or in additional Series A Preferred
Stock. The dividends will be paid quarterly on March 31, June 30, September 30
and December 31 of each year commencing September 30, 1998. For the four
calendar quarters beginning July 1, 2000 and ending June 30, 2001, no dividend
shall be paid or accrued for any quarter in which the average of the last
reported sales prices per share of the Common Stock for the fifteen consecutive
trading days (provided the Common Stock is listed on an exchange or generally
there is another public market for the shares of Common Stock) immediately
preceding the payment date is equal to or greater than two times the conversion
price (i.e., $55.87 per share subject to adjustment). For each quarter beginning
July 1, 2001 no dividend shall be paid or accrued in any quarter in which the
average of the last reported sales prices per share of the Common Stock for the
fifteen consecutive trading days immediately preceding the payment date is equal
to or greater than $27.935, subject to adjustment, accumulated forward to the
payment date at a compound annual growth rate of 25% per annum compounded
quarterly.
Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall carry a liquidation preference
in the amount of $1,000 per share plus all accrued and unpaid dividends. No
distribution may be made to the holders of Common Stock until the holders of the
Preferred Stock have received the liquidation preference.
The Series A Preferred Stock is not redeemable for four years. After August
5, 2002, the Company may redeem all but one share of the Series A Preferred
Stock at any time at 105% of the liquidation preference amount for the redeemed
shares, plus accrued and unpaid dividends. In addition, the holders of the
Series A Preferred Stock shall have the right to require the Company to redeem
the Series A Preferred Stock on the earlier of a "change of control," August 5,
2009, or on or after the date on which the Common Stock is not listed on a
national stock exchange or the Nasdaq National Market, at a price of 100% of the
liquidation preference for the Series A Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid
dividends.
The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote on
all matters presented to the holders of the Common Stock. The number of votes
per share of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be equal
3
<PAGE> 10
to the number of votes associated with the underlying voting Common Stock into
which Series A Preferred Stock is convertible. At the Special Meeting, the
holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to cast 5,004,152
votes. If the Series B Preferred Stock is converted into Series A Preferred
Stock on or before December 3, 1998, and no dividends on the Preferred Stock
have been paid in Preferred Stock, there would be 260,000 shares of Series A
Preferred Stock outstanding, and the holders would be entitled to cast 9,307,321
votes.
Series B Preferred Stock.
A copy of the Certificate of Designation establishing the Series B
Preferred Stock (the "Series B Certificate of Designation"), as filed with the
Secretary of State of Delaware, is included in this Proxy Statement as Appendix
B. The following summary of the provisions of the Series B Preferred Stock is
qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the Series
B Certificate of Designation.
The Series B Certificate of Designation authorizes 400,000 shares of the
Series B Preferred Stock. Upon approval of the stockholders of the Company prior
to January 3, 1999, the Series B Preferred Stock automatically converts into
Series A Preferred Stock without any further action. The number of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock into which the Series B Preferred stock converts is
based on a predetermined formula derived from the date on which the Company's
stockholders approve the conversion. If the Company's stockholders approve the
conversion on or prior to December 3, 1998, each share of Series B Preferred
Stock automatically converts into one share of Series A Preferred Stock. If such
approval is obtained after December 3, 1998 but on or before January 2, 1999,
each share of Series B Preferred Stock automatically converts into 1.15 shares
of Series A Preferred Stock. If such approval is obtained after January 2, 1999,
the conversion of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Series A
Preferred Stock will be at the sole option and discretion of each holder of the
Series B Preferred Stock and each outstanding share of Series B Preferred Stock
will be convertible into 1.2 fully-paid and non-assessable shares of Series A
Preferred Stock. Each share of the Series B Preferred Stock is convertible into
non-voting common stock of the Company, at any time following the Conversion
Release Date, provided, however, if it is determined that the Company cannot
issue non-voting common stock, each share of Series B Preferred Stock will be
convertible into Common Stock. The number of shares of non-voting common stock
of the Company into which the Series B Preferred Stock could be converted is
determined by dividing (i) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable as if
the Series B Preferred Stock had been converted first into Series A Preferred
Stock by (ii) (y) 1.00, in the event the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are
converted on or after December 4, 1998 but before January 3, 1999 and (z) 0.75,
in the event the shares of Series B Preferred stock are converted on or after
January 3, 1999. The number of shares of non-voting common stock into which the
Series B Preferred Stock is convertible is also subject to adjustment pursuant
to the anti-dilution provision contained in the Series B Certificate of
Designation.
The Company will pay a preferred dividend in the amount of 3 3/4% per annum
on the Series B Preferred Stock. The dividends will be paid quarterly on March
31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year commencing September 30,
1998. If the stockholders of the Company do not first approve the conversion of
the Series B Preferred Stock into Series A Preferred Stock, commencing on the
Conversion Release Date, the per annum dividend rate will increase to 7%. For
the first five years, dividends may be payable at the option of the Company in
cash or in additional Series B Preferred Stock.
The Series B Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference equal to the
product of (i) $1,050 per share of Series B Preferred Stock, plus all accrued
and unpaid dividends multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is
the number equal to the average of the last reported sales prices per share of
the Common Stock as of the date of determination and the denominator of which is
the number equal to $25.395, the average of the last reported sales prices per
share of the Common Stock for the fifteen consecutive trading days prior to
August 5, 1998, (as adjusted for stock splits, reorganizations, recapitalization
of similar events); provided, however, in no case shall the liquidation
preference for Series B Preferred Stock be an amount less than the number in
subparagraph (i) immediately above. The holders of the Series B Preferred Stock
are entitled to receive distribution in liquidation pari passu with any
distributions made to the holders of the Series A Preferred
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Stock. No distributions may be made to holders of Common Stock until the holders
of the Preferred Stock have received the liquidation preference.
The Company shall not have the right to redeem the Series B Preferred
Stock; however, the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall have the right
to require the Company to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock on the earlier of
a "change of control," August 5, 2009, or on or after the date on which the
Common Stock is not listed on a national stock exchange or the Nasdaq National
Market, at a price of 100% of the liquidation preference for the Series B
Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid dividends.
CERTAIN VOTING RIGHTS OF THE SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class,
have the right to elect two of the members of the Company's Board of Directors.
By agreement, Apollo has the right to vote the shares of Series A Preferred
Stock owned by RCAC. Pursuant to the Series A Certificate of Designation, one of
the directors elected by the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock is to be a
member of the Finance Committee of the Company's Board of Directors. Currently,
the Finance Committee consists of Messrs. Talley, Copses, and Lentell. While any
shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Company (i) will not,
without the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Finance
Committee, issue debt securities of the Company with a value in excess of $10
million, or (ii) will not, without the unanimous vote of the Finance Committee,
issue equity securities with a value in excess of $10 million, except that the
following equity issuances shall only require a majority vote:
(A) a Common Stock offering on or before August 5, 2000 that is equal
to or less than $75,000,000 of gross proceeds to the Company and the
selling price is equal to or greater than $27.935 per share;
(B) an offering in which the selling price (A) at any time prior to
August 5, 2001 is equal to or greater than $55.87 and (B) thereafter, equal
to or greater than the price that would imply 25% or greater internal rate
of return ("IRR") compounded quarterly from August 5, 1998 on $27.935; and
(C) the issuance of equity in connection with an acquisition if the
issuance is equal to less than 10% of the outstanding shares (calculated
post-issuance of such shares).
In addition to the foregoing, while any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
are outstanding, the Company will not, without approval of the holders of at
least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting
separately as a class (i) increase the number of authorized shares of Series A
Preferred Stock or authorize the issuance or issue of any shares of Series A
Preferred Stock other than to existing holders of Series A Preferred Stock or
holders of Series B preferred Stock, (ii) issue any new class or series of
equity security, (iii) amend, alter or repeal, in any manner whatsoever, the
designations, preferences and relative rights and limitations and restrictions
of the Series A Preferred Stock or the Series B Preferred Stock; (iv) amend,
alter or repeal any of the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation or Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company in a manner that
would negatively impact the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, (v)
directly or indirectly, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for value
(including through an exchange), or set apart money or other property for any
mandatory purchase or other analogous fund for the redemption, purchase or
acquisition of any shares of Common Stock or junior stock, except for the
repurchase by the Company of up to $25,000,000 in Common Stock from J. Ernest
Talley, declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution (whether in cash,
shares of capital stock of the Company, or other property) on shares of Common
Stock or junior stock; (vi) cause the number of directors of the Company to be
greater than seven (7); (vii) enter into any agreement or arrangement with or
for the benefit of any person who is an affiliate of the Company with a value in
excess of $5 million in a single transaction or a series of related
transactions; (viii) effect a voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up
of the Company, or (ix) sell or agree to sell all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company or, enter into any merger or consolidation or other
business combination involving the Company (except a merger of a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company into the Company in which the Company's capitalization
is unchanged as a result of such merger), unless such transaction (1) occurs
after August 5, 2002, (2) is a sale for cash and (3) results
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in an IRR of 30% or greater compounded quarterly from August 5, 1998 to the
holder of the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to each share of Series A
Preferred Stock issued on August 5, 1998.
CERTAIN CONSENT RIGHTS OF THE SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK
Commencing on December 4, 1998 and for so long as any shares of Series B
Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Company will not, without the consent of
the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series B
Preferred Stock (i) increase the number of authorized shares of Series B
Preferred Stock or authorize the issuance or issue of any shares of Series B
Preferred Stock other than to existing holders of Series B Preferred Stock, (ii)
amend, alter or repeal, in any manner whatsoever, the designations, preferences
and relative rights and limitations and restrictions of the Series A Preferred
Stock or the Series B Preferred Stock; (iii) amend, alter or repeal any of the
provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended
and Restated By-Laws of the Company in a manner that would negatively impact the
holders of the Series B Preferred Stock, (iv) directly or indirectly, redeem,
purchase or otherwise acquire for value (including through an exchange), or set
apart money or other property for any mandatory purchase or other analogous fund
for the redemption, purchase or acquisition of any shares of Common Stock or
junior stock, except for the repurchase by the Company of up to $25,000,000 in
Common Stock from J. Ernest Talley, declare or pay any dividend or make any
distribution (whether in cash, shares of capital stock of the Company, or other
property) on shares of Common Stock or any junior stock; (v) effect a voluntary
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) sell or agree to
sell all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or enter into any
merger or consolidation or other business combination involving the Company
(except a merger of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company into the Company in
which the Company's capitalization is unchanged as a result of such merger),
unless such transaction (1) occurs after August 5, 2002, (2) is a sale for cash
and (3) results in an IRR of 30% or greater compounded quarterly from August 5,
1998 to the holder of the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to each share of
Series B Preferred Stock issued on August 5, 1998.
USE OF PROCEEDS
The Company used the proceeds from the sale of the Preferred Stock, the
$962.3 million Senior Credit Facility and the $175.0 million Senior Subordinated
Credit Facility (which was subsequently retired with the issuance of $175.0
million of 11% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008 (the "Notes") on August 18,
1998) for the following purposes: (i) to fund the acquisition of Rent-A-Center
on August 5, 1998; (ii) to retire the Company's prior senior credit facility on
August 5, 1998; (iii) to repurchase $25 million worth of Common Stock (990,099
shares) held by J. Ernest Talley, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
the Company on August 18, 1998; and (iv) to pay certain fees and expenses
incurred by the Company in connection with the aforementioned transactions.
The purchase price for the acquisition of Rent-A-Center was $900 million
(including the repayment of certain debts), subject to adjustment. Rent-A-Center
was the largest rent-to-own operator in the United States with 1,404
company-owned stores and 65 franchised stores in 49 states and the District of
Columbia. Rent-A-Center operated under three brand names, "Rent-A-Center,"
"Remco" and "U-Can-Rent." For its fiscal year ended March 31, 1998,
Rent-A-Center generated revenues from rent-to-own operations of approximately
$880 million.
The outstanding balance of the Company's prior senior credit facility was
approximately $103.5 million when it was retired.
The repurchase of Mr. Talley's stock was approved by the Board of Directors
of the Company on August 5, 1998. The price was determined by a pricing
committee made up of Joseph V. Mariner, Jr., J. V. Lentell and Rex W. Thompson
(and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company). The pricing committee
met on August 17, 1998, after the close of markets, and Mr. Talley's shares were
repurchased at the price of $25.25 per share, the closing price of the Common
Stock on August 17, 1998.
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PREFERRED STOCK HOLDERS
Apollo.
On August 5, 1998, Apollo purchased 134,414 shares of the Series A
Preferred Stock and 115,586 shares of Series B Preferred Stock for $250 million.
In connection with Apollo's purchase of the Preferred Stock, Peter P. Copses and
Lawrence M. Berg, each of whom are affiliates of Apollo, were appointed to the
Board of Directors of the Company. Apollo is a private investment firm that
specializes in leveraged acquisitions, recapitalizations, and other principal
investing activities. Since its inception in 1990, Apollo has overseen the
investment of more than $8 billion, including $3.5 billion in corporate private
equity-type investments. Apollo's four private equity funds have, to date, held
interests in more than 65 companies. In July 1998, Apollo closed its current
investment vehicle, Apollo Investment Fund IV, L.P., and its affiliated
investment partnerships with aggregate investor capital commitments of $3.6
billion.
RCAC.
On August 18, 1998, RCAC, an affiliate of Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.,
purchased 5,377 shares of Series A Preferred Stock and 4,623 shares of Series B
Preferred Stock for $10 million. Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. acted as financial
advisor to the Company in connection with the acquisition of Rent-A-Center and
was co-manager of the Company's offering of the Notes, which closed on August
18, 1998.
CERTAIN RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FAILURE TO APPROVE THE CONVERSION
In deciding whether to approve Proposal I, the Company's stockholders
should consider the following risks, in addition to the other matters set forth
herein. If the Company's stockholders do not approve Proposal I, there are
certain negative consequences to the Company and the holders of the Common
Stock, including, without limitation:
(i) a larger liquidation preference on the Series B Preferred Stock
that will further increase with increases in the market price of the Common
Stock;
(ii) an increase in the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
into which the Series B converts (assuming stockholder approval is
eventually obtained);
(iii) the number of shares of non-voting common stock into which the
Series B is convertible is greater than the number of shares of voting
Common Stock into which the Series A Preferred Stock is convertible;
(iv) an increase in the dividend rate from 3 3/4% per annum to 7% per
annum on the Series B Preferred Stock which, unlike the Series A Preferred
Stock, will be continued to be required to be paid irrespective of the
market price of the Common Stock;
(v) unlike the Series A Preferred Stock, the Company does not have the
option to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock; and
(vi) possible delisting from Nasdaq. See "-- Terms of Preferred
Stock -- Series B Preferred Stock" and "Nasdaq Listing Requirements."
VALIDITY ISSUANCE OF THE SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
Proposal I is being submitted to the stockholders for the sole purpose of
complying with the requirements of the NASD. The failure to approve Proposal I
will have no effect on the validity of the Preferred Stock and the shares of the
Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock will remain outstanding in
such case.
NASDAQ LISTING REQUIREMENTS
The By-laws of the NASD require each issuer listed on Nasdaq to obtain
stockholder approval prior to an issuance of common stock, or securities
convertible into or exercisable for common stock, if in connection with an
acquisition of the assets of another company (i) the issuance of common stock or
securities convertible or exercisable for common stock, has or will have upon
issuance voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the
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voting power outstanding prior to such issuance; or (ii) the number of shares of
common stock to be issued is or will be equal to or in excess of 20% of the
number of shares of common stock outstanding prior to such issuance.
If the stockholder approval is not obtained by December 3, 1998, the Series
B Preferred Stock will be convertible into non-voting common stock, and the
Preferred Stock issued will be convertible into more than 20% of the Common
Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Preferred Stock, and the Company
would be subject to delisting from Nasdaq if such excess shares of Preferred
Stock are not repurchased by the Company. Currently, the Company's senior credit
facility and the trust indenture under which the Notes were issued would
prohibit the repurchase of those shares. Furthermore, the Company has no
contractual rights to require the Preferred Stock Holders to sell any of the
Preferred Stock to the Company. Further, even if the requisite consents are
obtained from the debt holders, there can be no assurance that the Company would
have the financing to repurchase the Series B Preferred Stock. If stockholder
approval is not obtained by December 3, 1998 and the Company is subject to such
delisting, the Company will consider such actions as it deems appropriate in
order to maintain a public market in the Common Stock, including without
limitation, negotiation with the Preferred Stockholders for the exchange of the
Series B Preferred Stock for securities of the Company that would not be
required to seek stockholder approval under the NASD By-laws (however, the
Preferred Stock Holders have no obligation to enter into such negotiations or to
exchange the Series B Preferred Stock) or the listing the Common Stock on the
New York Stock Exchange or another national stock exchange. Further, if the
Common Stock is not listed on the Nasdaq National Market or on a United States
national securities exchange, the Preferred Stock Holders may require the
Company to redeem all of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. There can be
no assurance that any such actions would be successful, and the failure of the
stockholders to approval Proposal I could result in the delisting of the Common
Stock, which could have a material adverse effect on the liquidity and value of
the Common Stock.
VOTING AGREEMENTS
J. Ernest Talley and Mark E. Speese have each entered into voting
agreements with Apollo, and L. Dowell Arnette, Mitchell E. Fadel, Michael C.
Talley, and Mark Talley have signed letters addressed to Apollo. Pursuant to
these agreements or letters, subject to the terms of the agreements or letters,
each such stockholder has agreed to vote the 8,933,277 shares of Common Stock
beneficially owned by them in favor of Proposal I. Such stockholders own
approximately 30.74% of the voting power entitled to vote on Proposal I.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS APPROVED THE MATTERS SET FORTH IN PROPOSAL I AND
BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMPANY AND ITS STOCKHOLDERS
AND RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL I.
MESSRS. COPSES AND BERG, AFFILIATES OF APOLLO, RECUSED THEMSELVES FROM
CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSAL I DUE TO APOLLO'S OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE PREFERRED
STOCK.
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PROPOSAL II:
AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER
OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK RESERVED UNDER THE AMENDED AND
RESTATED 1994 RENTERS CHOICE, INC. LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
At the Special Meeting, you will be asked to vote in favor of a proposal to
amend Renters Choice, Inc.'s Amended and Restated 1994 Long-Term Incentive Plan
to increase the number of shares of the Common Stock, reserved under the Plan
from 3,000,000 shares to 4,500,000.
In connection with the acquisition of Rent-A-Center the number of employees
of the Company increased from approximately 3,260 employees to approximately
11,950 employees. Management of the Company believes in order to maintain the
Company's policies of granting stock options to employees at all management
levels in order to closer align the interests of the Company's employees with
those of the Company's stockholders, the number of shares of Common Stock
reserved for issuance under the Plan needs to increase. Without an increase,
there will not be a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock available to
grant these new employees the number of stock options the Company has
historically granted store managers and regional executives. Under the Plan,
stockholder approval is necessary to increase the number of shares of Common
Stock under the Plan.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN
Under the Plan, designated officers, employees and directors of the Company
are eligible to receive awards in the form of stock options, stock appreciation
rights, restricted stock grants and cash awards.
An aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock is currently reserved for
issuance under the Long-Term Plan, subject to adjustment in the event of a stock
split, stock dividend or other change in the Common Stock or the capital
structure of the Company. As of September 18, 1998, 1,254,913 options were
outstanding under the Plan with a market value of $31,764,985 (based on the
September 17, 1998 closing sales price of $25.3125 per share), 256,788 of which
are currently exercisable.
Under the Plan, no employee participant may be granted awards for more than
20% of the total number of shares authorized for issuance under the Plan. The
Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Subject to the Plan's terms and provisions, the Compensation Committee is
authorized to determine who may participate in the Plan, the number and types of
awards made to each participant and the terms, conditions and limitations
applicable to each award. The Compensation Committee determines all questions of
interpretation and application of the Plan as well as any award under the Plan.
The Board of Directors has the authority to adopt, amend and rescind rules and
regulations relating to the Plan and to make all other determinations necessary
for administering the Plan.
Stock Options. The Compensation Committee is authorized to grant options to
purchase shares of Common Stock, including options qualifying as "incentive
stock options" ("ISOs") under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code to
employees and options that do not so qualify ("NQSOs") to employees and
directors, as additional compensation for their services to the Company. A
$100,000 limit applies to the aggregate fair market value (determined at grant)
of stock with respect to which ISOs are first exercisable by an optionee under
all incentive stock option plans of the Company during any calendar year.
Options are exercisable over such period as may be determined by the
Compensation Committee, but no ISO may be exercised after ten years from the
date of grant. Options are evidenced by option agreements. No option may be
transferred other than by will, by the laws of descent and distribution or by
domestic order. The purchase price of Common Stock issued pursuant to the
exercise of any option must be paid in full at the time of exercise in cash or,
if permitted by the Compensation Committee with respect to options granted to
employees, in shares of Common Stock or by surrender of all or part of that or
any other award granted under the Plan.
Outside Director Stock Options. Of the shares reserved for issuance under
the Plan, a total of 240,000 have been reserved for issuance pursuant to options
granted to Outside Directors. On the first day of business each year, each
Outside Director receives an automatic annual award of fully-vested stock
options, providing
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for the purchase of 3,000 shares of Common Stock at a price equal to the fair
market value of such shares on the date of grant. Upon the approval of Proposal
II, the number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to options granted to
Outside Directors will increase to 360,000.
Stock Appreciation Rights. Stock appreciation rights ("SAR's") may be
granted in tandem with a stock option, in addition to a stock option or
freestanding and unrelated to a stock option. SARs granted in tandem with or in
addition to a stock option may be granted either at the same time as the stock
option or at a later time. SARs have an exercise price as determined by the
Compensation Committee on the date of grant.
Restricted Stock. The Compensation Committee may grant up to an aggregate
of 150,000 shares of restricted Common Stock under the Plan, which may be
subject to forfeiture under such conditions and for such period of time as the
Compensation Committee may determine. Such restrictions may include restrictions
related to transferability or tied to continued employment, individual
performance goals or the Company's financial performance. The Compensation
Committee may cancel all or any portion of any outstanding restrictions prior to
the expiration of such restrictions with respect to any or all of the shares of
restricted Common Stock awarded to an employee. Upon the approval of Proposal
II, the number of shares of restricted stock which may be granted by the
Compensation Committee will be increased to 225,000.
Cash Awards. An employee award may be denominated in cash with the amount
of the eventual payment subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be
established by the Compensation Committee, including continued employment and
the achievement of specified business objectives.
Since the Plan provides that future as well as present employees, officers,
and directors may participate, it is not possible to determine the number of
such persons who will be eligible to participate. Further, since receipt of
benefits under the Plan depends upon the particular grants made from time to
time by the Compensation Committee, in its discretion, it is not possible to
determine the amounts that will be received under the Plan.
Federal Tax Consequences. The following briefly summarizes the federal
income tax consequences arising from participation in the Plan. This discussion
is based upon present law, which is subject to change, possibly retroactively.
The tax treatment to persons who participate in the Plan may vary depending upon
each person's particular situation and, therefore, may be subject to special
rules not discussed below. This discussion does not address the effects, if any,
under any potentially applicable foreign, state, or local tax laws, or the
consequences thereunder, or the effects, if any, of any local, federal, gift,
estate, or inheritance taxes, or the consequences thereunder, that may result
from the acquisition, holding, or disposition of Common Stock issued under the
terms of the Plan.
The Company has the right to deduct applicable taxes from any employee
award payment and withhold, at the time of delivery or vesting of cash shares of
Common Stock under the Plan, an appropriate amount of cash or number of shares
of Common Stock or a combination thereof for payment of taxes required by law or
to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to
satisfy all obligations for withholding of such taxes. The Compensation
Committee may also permit withholding to be satisfied by the transfer to the
Company of shares of Common Stock theretofore owned by the holder of the
employee award with respect to which withholding is required. If shares of
Common Stock are used to satisfy tax withholding, such shares shall be valued
based on the fair market value when the tax withholding is required to be made.
PARTICIPANTS SUBJECT TO SECTION 16(b) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
The Plan is intended to comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3
promulgated under the Exchange Act relating to rules for directors, officers and
10% owners of the Company. Therefore, because the acquisition of the Common
Stock will not be deemed to be a "purchase" for purposes of Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act, a sale of Common Stock by a Plan participant within six months
after the date of exercise of an option or SAR (or the date restrictions on a
restricted stock award lapse) should not necessarily subject the Plan
participant to liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act ("Section
16(b)"). However, because the sale of the Common Stock can still be "matched"
with other purchases, if a Plan participant has purchased Common Stock or a
right to acquire Common Stock which is considered a "purchase" for purposes of
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Section 16(b) within six months before the date of exercise of an option or SAR
(or the date restrictions on a restricted stock award lapse) (an "Interim
Purchase"), the Plan participant may have short-swing liability under Section
16(b) if he were to sell the Common Stock within six months after the date of
the Interim Purchase. The Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") has not yet
formally taken a position about the tax consequences of this fact situation.
However, IRS regulations suggest that because an interim purchase would trigger
liability upon the sale of the Common Stock within six months after the interim
purchase, the Common Stock may be treated as subject to a "substantial risk of
forfeiture" under Section 83(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and
not transferable and, therefore, substantially nonvested. Tax consequences
regarding this issue are discussed below.
NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTIONS
A Plan participant will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of a
nonqualified stock option. The federal income tax consequences to a Plan
participant of exercising a nonqualified stock option will vary depending on
whether the Common Stock received upon the exercise of such option are either
"substantially vested" or "substantially nonvested" within the meaning of
Section 83 of the Code. Generally, such shares will be "substantially nonvested"
if they are both nontransferable and subject to a substantial risk of
forfeiture, and will be "substantially vested" if they are either transferable
or not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. A Plan participant generally
should not recognize compensation income upon exercising a nonqualified stock
option for shares that are "substantially nonvested" until such shares become
"substantially vested." A Plan participant who wishes to recognize compensation
income at the time of the exercise of such an option (rather than when the
shares become "substantially vested") must file an election under Section 83(b)
of the Code (a "Section 83(b) Election").
A Section 83(b) Election is made by filing a written notice with the IRS
office with which the Plan participant files his federal income tax return. The
notice must be filed within 30 days of the Plan participant's receipt of the
Common Stock related to the applicable employee award and must meet certain
technical requirements.
Plan Participants Not Subject to Section 16(b). Upon the exercise of a
nonqualified stock option, an employee who is not subject to Section 16(b) will
receive stock that is substantially vested. Therefore, the employee will
recognize ordinary income upon the exercise of the nonqualified stock option in
an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the Common Stock
received on the date of exercise over the exercise price.
Plan Participants Subject to Section 16(b) -- If Interim Purchases Cause
Common Stock Issued under the Terms of the Plan to be Substantially
Nonvested. If a Plan participant who is subject to Section 16(b) has made an
interim purchase of shares of Common Stock (or a right to acquire Common Stock
which is considered a "purchase" for purposes of Section 16(b)) within six
months prior to the exercise of the nonqualified stock option, such interim
purchase may, under IRS positions yet to be announced, cause the Common Stock to
be substantially nonvested and, as a result, the employee will recognize
ordinary income on the Applicable Date (as hereinafter defined) equal to the
difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the Common
Stock on the Applicable Date unless the Plan participant has made a Section
83(b) Election. Alternatively, if the Plan participant makes a Section 83(b)
Election, then the Plan participant will recognize ordinary income on the date
of exercise in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the
Common Stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price.
As used in this discussion, "Applicable Date" means the earlier of (i) the
date the Plan participant disposes of the Common Stock issued under the terms of
the Plan or (ii) the first date on which the sale of Common Stock issued under
the terms of the Plan will not subject the Plan participant to liability under
Section 16(b).
Plan Participants Subject to Section 16(b) -- If Interim Purchases Do Not
Cause Common Stock Issued under the Terms of the Plan to be Substantially
Nonvested. If no interim purchases were made or if the IRS concludes that
interim purchases do not cause the Common Stock to be substantially nonvested,
the tax
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consequences will be the same as if the Plan participant were not subject to
Section 16(b). Therefore, upon the exercise of a nonqualified stock option, a
Plan participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess
of the fair market value of the Common Stock received on the date of exercise
over the exercise price.
Company Deduction. The Company will be entitled to a corresponding
deduction equal to the amount recognized as income by a Plan participant at the
time such amount is recognized by the Plan participant, provided that the Plan
participant's compensation is reasonable in amount, and otherwise within
statutory limitations.
Basis. The Plan participant's basis in Common Stock acquired upon the
exercise of a nonqualified stock option will be the exercise price plus the
amount of ordinary income recognized by the Plan participant with respect to
those Common Stock, assuming the exercise price is paid solely in cash. The tax
basis in the Common Stock for which the exercise price is paid in stock (if
permitted by the Compensation Committee pursuant to the Plan) is discussed below
under the caption "Exercise of Stock Options with Common Stock."
Subsequent Sale or Disposition of Common Stock. Upon the sale or other
disposition of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of a nonqualified stock
option, a Plan participant will recognize taxable income (or a deductible loss)
equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or disposition
and the Plan participant's basis in the Common Stock. The Plan participant's
gain or loss will be taxable as a capital gain or deductible as a capital loss
provided the shares constitute a capital asset in the hands of the Plan
participant. The type of capital gain or loss will depend upon the holding
period of the Common Stock. If the Common Stock is held for less than twelve
months, there will be a short-term capital gain or loss on sale or disposition.
If the Common Stock is held between twelve and eighteen months, there will be
mid-term capital gain or loss. Finally, if the Common Stock is held for eighteen
months or longer, there will be long-term capital gain or loss on sale or
disposition.
INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS
Incentive stock options may be granted only to employees of the Company and
its subsidiaries.
An employee will not recognize any taxable income upon the grant of an
incentive stock option. An employee also will not recognize any taxable income
upon the exercise of an incentive stock option provided that the employee (i)
was an employee of the Company (or any subsidiary of the Company) at all times
beginning on the date the option was granted and ending on the date three months
before the option was exercised (one year in the case of a disabled employee)
and (ii) holds the Common Stock related to the option for at least two years
after the date the option was granted and for at least one year after the date
the option was exercised (collectively, these periods shall be referred to as
the "Holding Period").
Alternative Minimum Tax. The exercise of an incentive stock option will
result, however, in an item of income for purposes of determining the
alternative minimum tax (the "AMT"). Liability for tax under the AMT rules will
arise only if the employee's tax liability determined under the AMT rules
exceeds the employee's tax liability determined under the ordinary income tax
rules. The exercise of an incentive stock option will give rise to an item of
AMT income to an employee in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market
value of the Common Stock received on the date the option is exercised over the
exercise price. Plan participants who exercise incentive stock options and
receive Common Stock that are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture within
the meaning of Section 83(c) of the Code are urged to consult their tax advisor
concerning the application of the AMT rules.
Company Deduction. Neither the Company (nor any subsidiary of the Company)
will be entitled to a deduction for federal income tax purposes with respect to
the grant of an incentive stock option to an employee under the Plan, the
exercise of such option by the employee, or the sale of the Common Stock
acquired through the exercise of such option by the employee subsequent to the
expiration of the Holding Period.
Basis. The employee's tax basis in the Common Stock acquired upon the
exercise of an incentive stock option for which the exercise price is paid
solely in cash will be equal to the amount of the cash paid. The tax basis in
the Common Stock for which the exercise price is paid in stock (if permitted by
the Compensation
12
<PAGE> 19
Committee pursuant to the Plan) is discussed below under the caption "Exercise
of Stock Options With Common Stock."
Subsequent Sale or Disposition after Holding Period. If shares of Common
Stock acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option are sold after the
expiration of the Holding Period, upon the sale of such Common Stock the
employee will recognize a mid-term or long-term capital gain (or loss) in an
amount equal to the excess (or deficiency) of the sales price over the
employee's basis, provided the shares are held as a capital asset by the
employee.
Disqualifying Dispositions
Disqualifying Disposition by Employees Not Subject to Section 16(b). If
shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option
are sold before the expiration of the Holding Period (hereinafter referred to as
a "Disqualifying Disposition"), the employee will recognize ordinary income in
an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the
Common Stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price or (ii) the amount
realized on the sale of such stock over the exercise price.
Disqualifying Disposition by Employees Subject to Section 16(b) -- If
Interim Purchases Cause Common Stock Issued under the Terms of the Plan to be
Substantially Nonvested. If an employee who is subject to Section 16(b) has made
an interim purchase of shares of Common Stock (or a right to acquire Common
Stock which is considered a "purchase" for purposes of Section 16(b)) within six
months prior to the exercise of an incentive stock option (and if such interim
purchase causes the Common Stock to be substantially nonvested as heretofore
discussed) and the employee sells the Plan shares in a Disqualifying
Disposition, the employee will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to
the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the
Applicable Date over the exercise price or (ii) the amount realized on the sale
of such stock over the exercise price, unless the employee makes a Section 83(b)
Election, in which case the tax consequences will be the same as if the employee
was not subject to Section 16(b) as described in the immediately preceding
paragraph.
Disqualifying Disposition by Employees Subject to Section 16(b) -- If There
Are No Interim Purchases or Interim Purchases Do Not Cause Common Stock Issued
under the Terms of the Plan to be Substantially Nonvested. If no interim
purchases were made or the IRS concludes that interim purchases do not cause the
Common Stock to be substantially nonvested, the tax consequences will be the
same as if the employee was not subject to Section 16(b) as described in the
second preceding paragraph.
Capital Gain. If the amount realized by an employee on the sale of the
Common Stock exceeds the fair market value of such shares on the date of
exercise, the excess will be taxed to the employee as a short-term, mid-term or
long-term capital gain, provided that the employee held the Common Stock as a
capital asset.
Company Deduction. Upon the occurrence of a Disqualifying Disposition, the
Company will be entitled to a deduction for federal income tax purposes equal to
the amount of ordinary income recognized by the employee, provided that the
employee's compensation is reasonable and is otherwise within statutory
limitations.
Alternative Minimum Tax. If an employee exercises an incentive stock option
and sells the Common Stock related thereto in a Disqualifying Disposition in the
same taxable year, the tax treatment for purposes of ordinary income tax and AMT
will be the same (resulting in no additional AMT liability). Conversely, if the
employee sells Common Stock in a Disqualifying Disposition in a tax year
subsequent to the tax year in which the incentive stock option was exercised,
the employee will recognize AMT income (as determined above) in the first
taxable year, and ordinary taxable income (but not AMT income) in the year in
which the disposition was made.
Exercise Following Employee's Death. Under certain circumstances, Common
Stock acquired upon exercise of an incentive stock option following the
employee's death will receive the tax treatment described herein without regard
to the Holding Period requirement.
13
<PAGE> 20
EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTIONS WITH COMMON STOCK
The Plan permits, subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee,
the exercise price of stock options to be paid with shares of Common Stock owned
by the Plan participant. The Compensation Committee does not presently intend to
allow the use of shares of Common Stock that are substantially nonvested (i.e.,
nontransferable or subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture and for which a
Section 83(b) Election has not been filed) to pay the exercise price of a stock
option. Therefore, only shares of Common Stock that are substantially vested may
be used to pay the exercise price of a stock option.
Nonqualified Stock Options. If a Plan participant pays the exercise price
of a nonqualified stock option with shares of Common Stock that are
substantially vested (including, pursuant to proposed IRS regulations, stock
obtained through the exercise of an incentive stock option and not held for the
Holding Period), the Plan participant will not recognize any gain on the shares
surrendered. With respect to the Common Stock received, that portion of the
Common Stock equal in number to the shares of Common Stock surrendered will have
a basis equal to the basis of the shares surrendered. The excess shares received
will be taxable to the Plan participant as ordinary compensation income in an
amount equal to the fair market value (i) if the excess shares are substantially
vested, as of the exercise date, or (ii) if the excess shares are substantially
nonvested, as of the Applicable Date. The Plan participant's basis in those
excess Common Stock will equal the amount of ordinary compensation income
recognized by the Plan participant.
Incentive Stock Options. The tax consequences to an employee from using
shares of Common Stock to pay the exercise price of incentive stock options will
depend on the status of the Common Stock acquired.
If an employee pays the exercise price of an incentive stock option for
stock that is substantially vested with shares of Common Stock that are
substantially vested, under proposed IRS regulations the employee will not
recognize any compensation income or gain with respect to the shares
surrendered. With respect to the Common Stock received, that portion of the
Common Stock equal in number to the shares of Common Stock surrendered will have
a basis equal to the basis of the shares surrendered. The Holding Period of the
surrendered shares will be carried over to the equivalent number of shares of
Common Stock received. The employee will recognize no gain with respect to the
excess shares received, the basis of such shares will be zero, and the Holding
Period of such shares will begin on the date of receipt thereof by the employee.
Similarly, it appears that if the employee pays the exercise price for
substantially nonvested Common Stock with shares of Common Stock that are
substantially vested, the tax consequences will be the same.
If an employee exercised an incentive stock option granted pursuant to the
Plan using shares of Common Stock that were obtained through the exercise of an
incentive stock option (whether granted under the Plan or under another plan of
the Company) and that have been held by the employee for the Holding Period for
either substantially vested Common Stock or substantially nonvested Common
Stock, the tax consequences of such payment to the employee will be identical to
those discussed in the preceding paragraph.
Conversely, if an employee exercises an incentive stock option granted
pursuant to the Plan using shares of Common Stock received upon the prior
exercise of an incentive stock option (whether granted under the Plan or under
another plan of the Company) and the employee has not held that Common Stock for
the Holding Period, under proposed IRS regulations the employee will have made a
Disqualifying Disposition of the number of shares of Common Stock used as
payment for the exercise price of the incentive stock option. If the employee
receives Common Stock that is substantially vested, the employee generally will
recognize ordinary compensation income with respect to the surrender of those
shares equal to the excess of the fair market value of the Common Stock
surrendered (determined as of the date the option relating to such Common Stock
was exercised) over the exercise price of the shares surrendered. It is unclear
whether, if the employee receives Common Stock that is substantially nonvested,
the recognition of income will be deferred until the Common Stock becomes
substantially vested. The basis of the shares received will equal the amount of
ordinary compensation income recognized by the employee plus the employee's
basis in the shares surrendered, allocated equally among the shares received.
14
<PAGE> 21
RESTRICTED STOCK
Plan Participants Not Subject to Section 16(b). A Plan participant who is
not subject to Section 16(b) who receives a restricted stock award will
recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock
received at the time the restrictions lapse, unless the Plan participant makes a
Section 83(b) Election to report the fair market value of the Common Stock
received as restricted stock as ordinary income at the time of receipt.
Plan Participants Subject to Section 16(b). A Plan participant subject to
Section 16(b) who receives a restricted stock award will recognize ordinary
income equal to the fair market value of the stock received at the later of (i)
the Applicable Date or (ii) the date on which the restrictions lapse, unless the
Plan participant makes a Section 83(b) Election to report the fair market value
of the Common Stock received as restricted stock as ordinary income at the time
of receipt.
Company Deduction. The Company may deduct an amount equal to the income
recognized by the Plan participant at the time the Plan participant recognizes
the income, provided the Plan participant's compensation is reasonable, and
otherwise within statutory limitations.
Basis. The basis of the restricted stock in the hands of the Plan
participant will be equal to the fair market value of the restricted stock on
the date the Plan participant recognizes ordinary income as described above.
Subsequent Sale or Disposition. The restrictions placed on restricted stock
do not permit sale or disposition until the restrictions lapse. Upon the sale or
disposition of restricted stock after the restrictions lapse, a Plan participant
will recognize taxable income or loss equal to the difference between the amount
realized by the Plan participant on the disposition of the stock and the Plan
participant's basis in the stock. The gain or loss will be taxable to the Plan
participant as a capital gain or deductible by the Plan participant as a capital
loss (either short-term, mid-term or long-term, depending on the holding period
of the restricted stock), provided that the Plan participant held the restricted
stock as a capital asset.
Dividends. During the period in which a Plan participant holds restricted
stock, prior to the lapse of the restrictions, if dividends are declared but not
distributed to the Plan participant until the restrictions lapse, the dividends
will be treated for tax purposes by the Plan participant and the Company in the
following manner: (i) if the Plan participant makes a Section 83(b) Election to
recognize income at the time of receipt of the restricted stock, the dividends
will be taxed as dividend income to the Plan participant when the restrictions
lapse and the Company will not be entitled to a deduction and will not be
required to withhold income tax, (ii) if the Plan participant does not make a
Section 83(b) Election, the dividends will be taxed as compensation to the Plan
participant when the restrictions lapse and will be deductible by the Company
and subject to applicable federal income tax withholding at that time.
If the Company pays the dividends to the Plan participant prior to the
lapse of the restrictions and the Plan participant makes a Section 83(b)
Election, the dividends will be taxed as dividend income at the time of payment
and will not be deductible by the Company. Conversely, if the Plan participant
does not make a Section 83(b) Election, the dividends will be taxable to the
Plan participant as compensation at the time of payment and the Company will be
entitled to a deduction.
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
A Plan participant will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of a
stock appreciation right.
Plan Participants Not Subject to Section 16(b). Upon the exercise of an
SAR, a Plan participant who is not subject to Section 16(b) will recognize
ordinary income in an amount equal to the cash and fair market value of the
Common Stock received.
Plan Participants Subject to Section 16(b) -- If Interim Purchases Cause
Common Stock Issued under the Terms of the Plan to be Substantially Nonvested.
If a Plan participant who is subject to Section 16(b) has made an interim
purchase of shares of Common Stock (or a right to acquire Common Stock which is
considered a "purchase" for purposes of Section 16(b)) within six months prior
to the exercise of an SAR and
15
<PAGE> 22
the IRS concludes that such interim purchase causes the Common Stock received in
settlement of an SAR to be substantially nonvested, the Plan participant will
recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the cash received and the fair
market value of any Common Stock received determined as of (i) the exercise date
if the Plan participant makes a Section 83(b) Election or (ii) the Applicable
Date if the Plan participant does not make a Section 83(b) Election.
Plan Participants Subject to Section 16(b) -- If There Are No Interim
Purchases or Interim Purchases Do Not Cause Common Stock Issued under the Terms
of the Plan to be Substantially Nonvested. If no interim purchases were made or
the IRS determines that interim purchases do not cause the Common Stock paid in
settlement of an SAR to be substantially nonvested, the tax consequences will be
the same as if the Plan participant was not subject to Section 16(b). Therefore,
upon the exercise of an SAR, the Plan participant will recognize ordinary income
in an amount equal to the cash and fair market value of the Common Stock
received.
Company Deduction. The Company will be entitled to a deduction in the
amount of, and at the time that, ordinary income is recognized by the Plan
Participant in connection with the exercise of an SAR, provided that the Plan
participant's compensation is reasonable and is otherwise within the statutory
limitations.
Basis. In the event that an SAR is paid in whole or in part in Common
Stock, the amount recognized by the Plan participant as ordinary income with
respect to those shares will be the Plan participant's basis in those Common
Stock for purposes of determining any gain or loss on the subsequent sale of
those shares.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Any Common Stock subject to restriction in order to comply with the
"Pooling-of-Interest Accounting" rules set forth in Accounting Series Release
Numbered 130 ((10/5/72) 37 F.R. 20937; 17 C.F.R. 211.130) and Accounting Series
Release Numbered 135 ((1/18/73) 38 F.R. 1734; 176 C.F.R. 211.135) are considered
to be substantially nonvested. As discussed above, the time for determining the
fair market value of such Common Stock would be the date on which such
restrictions lapse.
Pursuant to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, the Company's
tax deduction for all compensation (including the value of restricted stock when
it becomes taxable to the officer) paid to specified officers in any one year
after 1993 is limited to $1,000,000. The Plan is intended to comply with certain
provisions of the Code that will allow the Company's deduction arising from an
officer's exercise of a stock option or stock appreciation right (or the sale of
the underlying stock acquired through the exercise of an incentive stock option
before the required holding periods are met) to be exempt from this limitation.
However, stock options that may be granted with a "bargain" exercise price are
not eligible for such exemption.
16
<PAGE> 23
Options Granted Under the Plan. The following table sets forth certain
information with respect to options awarded to the specified persons and groups
under the Plan through September 18, 1998:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME AND NUMBER
PRINCIPAL POSITION OF SHARES GRANT DATE EXERCISE PRICE EXPIRATION DATE
- ------------------ --------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
J. Ernest Talley................ 0 N/A N/A N/A
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
Mark E. Speese.................. 0 N/A N/A N/A
President
L. Dowell Arnette............... 30,000 May 9, 1995 $6.67 to $28.50 May 9, 2005
Executive Vice President to to
July 1, 1998 July 1, 2008
Mitchell E. Fadel............... 10,000 January 2, 1997 $14.38 January 2, 2007
President and Chief Executive
Officer -- ColorTyme, Inc.
Dana F. Goble................... 20,000 May 9, 1995 $6.67 to $14.38 May 9, 2005
Senior Vice President to to
January 2, 1997 January 2, 2007
All current executive officers
as a group (12 persons)....... 181,500 May 9, 1995 $6.67 to $28.50 May 9, 2005
to to
July 1, 1998 July 1, 2008
Lawrence M. Berg................ 0 N/A N/A N/A
Director
Peter P. Copses................. 0 N/A N/A N/A
Director
J.V. Lentell.................... 18,000 April 1, 1995 $3.34 to $18.00 April 1, 2005
Director to to
January 2, 1998 January 2, 2008
Joseph V. Mariner, Jr........... 18,000 April 1, 1995 $3.34 to $18.00 April 1, 2005
Director to to
January 2, 1998 January 2, 2008
Rex W. Thompson................. 18,000 April 1, 1995 $3.34 to $18.00 April 1, 2005
Director to to
January 2, 1998 January 2, 2008
All current directors who are
not executive officers as a
group (5 persons)............. 54,000 April 1, 1995 $3.34 to $18.00 April 1, 2005
to to
January 2, 1998 January 2, 2008
All Employees (including current (1)
officers who are not executive
officers) as a group.......... 3,253,000 April 1, 1995 $3.34 to $28.50 April 1, 2005
to to
July 1, 1998 July 1, 2008
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) Pursuant to the terms of the Plan, when an optionee leaves the employ of the
Company, unvested options granted to that employee terminate and become
available for issuance. Vested options not exercised within 90 days from the
date the optionee leaves the employ of the Company terminate and become
17
<PAGE> 24
available for issuance. As a result of terminations, the number of shares
reserved under the Plan on a historical basis, exceed the number of shares
available for issuance. However, at no time did grants under the Plan exceed the
number of shares available for issuance.
The closing sales price of the Common Stock as of September 18, 1998 was $25.875
per share, as reported on Nasdaq.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED, SUBJECT TO SHAREHOLDER
APPROVAL, AN AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN, WHICH AMENDMENT WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
SHARES OF THE COMPANY'S COMMON STOCK RESERVED FOR GRANTS TO BE MADE PURSUANT TO
THE PLAN FROM 3,000,000 SHARES TO 4,500,000 SHARES. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BELIEVES THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN WILL OFFER THE COMPANY ADDED
FLEXIBILITY IN ITS EFFORTS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN KEY EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS AND
DIRECTORS. ACCORDINGLY, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of the voting securities of the Company as of September 18, 1998 by
(i) each person who is known to the Company to be the beneficial owner of more
than 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, (ii) each
director of the Company, (iii) each Named Executive Officer, and (iv) all
executive officers and directors of the Company as a group. Unless otherwise
indicated, the persons named below have the sole power to vote and dispose of
the shares of voting securities beneficially owned by them, subject to community
property laws, where applicable.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES OF SERIES A
SHARES OF COMMON STOCK PREFERRED STOCK
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BENEFICIALLY OWNED
------------------------ -----------------------
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERCENT PERCENT
BENEFICIAL OWNER NUMBER OF CLASS NUMBER OF CLASS
------------------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
J. Ernest Talley(1)............................ 4,903,166(2) 20.38% -- --
Mark E. Speese(1).............................. 2,288,432 9.51% -- --
Montgomery Asset Management, LLC(3)............ 1,553,600(4) 6.46% -- --
L. Dowell Arnette.............................. 416,164(5) 1.73% -- --
Mitchell E. Fadel.............................. 87,023(6) * -- --
Dana F. Goble.................................. 21,563(7) * -- --
J.V. Lentell................................... 13,000(8) * -- --
Rex W. Thompson................................ 12,000(8) * -- --
Joseph V. Mariner, Jr.......................... 5,842 * -- --
Lawrence M. Berg(9)............................ 0 * -- --
Peter P. Copses(9)............................. 0 * -- --
Apollo(10)..................................... 5,004,152 17.23% 139,791 100%
All officers and directors as a group (21
total)....................................... 7,827,073 32.40% -- --
</TABLE>
- ---------------
* Less than 1%.
(1) The address of J. Ernest Talley and Mark E. Speese is 13800 Montfort Drive,
Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240.
(2) Does not include an aggregate of 326,184 shares owned by two of Mr.
Talley's children, as to which Mr. Talley disclaims beneficial ownership.
18
<PAGE> 25
(3) The address of Montgomery Asset Management, LLC is 101 California Street,
San Francisco, California 94111.
(4) As of September 15, 1998.
(5) Includes 11,250 shares issuable pursuant to options granted under the Plan,
all of which are currently exercisable.
(6) Includes 2,500 shares issuable pursuant to options granted under the Plan,
all of which are currently exercisable.
(7) Includes 12,500 shares issuable pursuant to options granted under the Plan,
all of which are currently exercisable.
(8) These shares are issuable pursuant to options granted under the Plan, all
of which are currently exercisable.
(9) Messrs. Berg and Copses are each principals and officers of certain
affiliates of Apollo. Accordingly, each of Messrs. Berg and Copses may be
deemed to beneficially own shares owned by Apollo. Messrs. Berg and Copses
disclaim beneficial ownership with respect to any such shares owned by
Apollo.
(10) The address of Apollo is 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1900, Los Angeles,
California 90067. The 5,004,152 shares of Common Stock represent the shares
of Common Stock into which the Series A Preferred Stock is convertible
(which is equal to the number of votes it will be entitled to cast at the
Special Meeting). Apollo owns 134,414 shares of the Series A Preferred
Stock and 115,586 shares of the Series B Preferred Stock, which represents
in excess of 96% of each of the outstanding shares of the Series A
Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock. Apollo also has the right to
vote RCAC's 5,377 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Apollo disclaims any
beneficial ownership in these 5,377 shares other than its right to vote
these shares. The Series B Preferred Stock is not entitled to vote.
19
<PAGE> 26
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA
The selected historical financial data for the Company as of and for each
of the five years in the period ended December 31, 1997, have been derived from
the Company's consolidated financial statements which have been audited and
reported upon by Grant Thornton LLP. The selected historical financial data for
the Company as of and for the six months ended June 30, 1997 and 1998 have been
derived from the Company's unaudited consolidated financial statements which
were prepared on the same basis as the Company's audited financial statements
and include, in the opinion of the Company's management, all adjustments
necessary to present fairly the information presented for such interim periods.
This information should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. Because of the significant
growth of the Company from acquisitions, the historical results of operations,
its period-to-period comparisons of such results and certain financial data may
not be comparable, meaningful or indicative of future results.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIX MONTHS ENDED
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, JUNE 30,
--------------------------------------------------- -------------------
1993(1) 1994(1) 1995 1996 1997 1997 1998
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS DATA:
Total revenue.............................. $ 53,212 $74,385 $133,289 $237,965 $331,541 $155,389 $193,546
Direct store expenses
Depreciation of rental merchandise....... 11,626 15,614 29,640 42,978 57,223 27,510 33,839
Other store expenses..................... 29,576 40,701 74,966 124,934 173,823 82,751 103,588
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
41,202 56,315 104,606 167,912 231,046 110,261 137,427
Franchise operating expense(2)............. -- -- -- 24,010 35,841 14,726 16,386
General and administrative expenses........ 2,151 2,809 5,766 10,111 13,304 6,773 7,194
Amortization of intangibles................ 5,304 6,022 3,109 4,891 5,412 2,649 3,271
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Total operating expenses........... 48,657 65,146 113,481 206,924 285,603 134,409 164,278
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Operating profit................... 4,555 9,239 19,808 31,041 45,938 20,980 29,268
Interest expense........................... 1,817 2,160 2,202 606 2,194 1,021 1,555
Interest income............................ -- -- (890) (667) (304) (432) (238)
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Earnings before income taxes....... 2,738 7,079 18,496 31,102 44,048 20,391 27,951
Income tax expense......................... 937 1,600 7,784 13,076 18,170 8,622 11,566
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Net earnings....................... $ 1,801 $ 5,479 $ 10,712 $ 18,026 $ 25,878 $ 11,769 $ 16,385
======== ======= ======== ======== ======== ======== ========
Basic earnings per share................. $ .52 $ .73 $ 1.04 $ .47 $ .66
======== ======== ======== ======== ========
Diluted earnings per share............... $ .52 $ .72 $ 1.03 $ .47 $ .65
======== ======== ======== ======== ========
OTHER FINANCIAL DATA:
Depreciation and amortization(3)......... $ 6,164 $ 7,207 $ 5,239 $ 8,571 $ 11,013 $ 5,158 $ 6,547
Capital expenditures(4).................. 1,489 1,715 3,473 8,187 10,446 4,755 5,758
BALANCE SHEET DATA (END OF PERIOD):
Cash and cash equivalents................ $ 1,359 $ 1,441 $ 35,321 $ 5,920 $ 4,744 $ 6,446 $ 23,347
Rental merchandise, net.................. 20,672 28,096 64,240 95,110 112,759 110,260 148,432
Total assets............................. 34,813 36,959 147,294 174,467 208,868 205,330 335,838
Total debt............................... 27,592 23,383 40,850 18,993 27,172 39,086 128,235
Total stockholders' equity............... 4,168 9,286 96,484 125,503 152,753 137,676 170,343
OPERATING DATA:
Number of stores (end of period)......... 112 114 325 423 504 491 683
Average annual revenue per store(5)...... $ 591 $ 653 $ 626 $ 608 $ 610 $ 604 $ 653
Comparable store revenue growth(6)....... 11.1% 10.8% 18.1% 3.8% 8.1% 8.9% 9.3%
Revenues:
Store revenue
Rentals and fees........................... $ 51,162 $70,590 $126,264 $198,486 $275,344 $130,150 $163,443
Merchandise sales.......................... 1,678 3,470 6,383 10,604 14,125 7,457 10,513
Other...................................... 372 325 642 687 679 339 281
Franchise revenue
Merchandise sales.......................... -- -- -- 25,229 37,385 15,461 17,061
Royalty income and fees.................... -- -- -- 2,959 4,008 1,982 $ 2,248
-------- ------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Total revenue...................... $553,212 $74,385 $133,289 $237,965 $331,541 $155,389 $193,546
======== ======= ======== ======== ======== ======== ========
</TABLE>
20
<PAGE> 27
NOTES TO SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA OF THE COMPANY
(1) In each of the periods presented ending prior to January 1, 1995, the
Company operated as an S corporation under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue
Code and comparable provisions of certain state tax laws. Accordingly, prior to
January 1, 1995, the Company was not subject to federal income taxation.
Earnings per share are not provided for periods prior to January 1, 1995,
because operating results for those periods are not comparable.
(2) Prior to the Company's acquisition of ColorTyme in May, 1996, the
Company conducted no franchise operations. Therefore, franchise operation
financial information is presented for periods beginning with the year ended
December 31, 1996.
(3) This amount does not include depreciation of rental merchandise.
(4) Excludes purchases of rental merchandise.
(5) Revenues for the six months ended June 30, 1997 and 1998 have been
annualized.
(6) Comparable store revenue growth for each period presented includes
revenues only of stores open throughout the full period and the comparable prior
period.
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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
Proposals that stockholders of the Company intend to present for inclusion
in the Company's proxy statement and form of proxy with respect to the Company's
1999 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be received by the Company at the
address indicated on the first page of this Proxy Statement no later than
December 1, 1998. In addition, the Company's Amended and Restated Bylaws
generally require stockholders to give notice to the Company not less than 90
days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting
of stockholders of the Company in order to present proposals (whether or not
such proposals are to be included in the Company's proxy materials) or to
nominate directors.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain matters discussed in this Proxy Statement are forward looking
statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking
statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," or
"believe" or the negative thereof or variations thereof or similar terminology.
Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward
looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no
assurance that their expectations will be achieved. Factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the Company's current expectations
include, but are not limited to, declining general economic conditions,
regulatory changes within the RTO industry, unexpected declines in revenues,
inability to achieve expected synergies from the acquisition of Rent-A-Center,
outcome of existing material litigation, unexpected increases in operating costs
and general and administrative expenses and those factors set forth in the
Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 1997, the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 1998 and the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended June 30, 1998.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and, in accordance
therewith, files reports, proxy and information statements and other information
with the Commission. Such reports, proxy and information statements and other
information filed with the Commission by the Company can be inspected and copied
at the office of the Commission at Room 1024, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, or at its Regional Offices located at 7 World Trade
Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048, and 500 West Madison Street, Suite
1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661, and copies of such materials can be obtained from
the Public Reference Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Copies of documents electronically
filed with the Commission also may be obtained at the Commission's Internet
address at "http://www.sec.gov." The Company's common stock is listed on the
Nasdaq, and copies of documents filed with the Commission can be inspected and
copied at the offices of Nasdaq, 1735 K Street, Washington, DC 20006.
THIS PROXY STATEMENT INCORPORATES DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE WHICH ARE NOT
PRESENTED HEREIN OR DELIVERED HEREWITH. COPIES OF THESE DOCUMENTS (OTHER THAN
EXHIBITS TO SUCH DOCUMENTS, UNLESS SUCH EXHIBITS ARE SPECIFICALLY INCORPORATED
BY REFERENCE INTO SUCH DOCUMENTS) ARE AVAILABLE WITHOUT CHARGE, UPON WRITTEN OR
ORAL REQUEST FROM DAVID M. GLASGOW, SECRETARY, RENTERS CHOICE, INC., 13800
MONTFORT DRIVE, SUITE 300, DALLAS, TEXAS 75240; TELEPHONE NUMBER (972) 419-2692.
IN ORDER TO ENSURE TIMELY DELIVERY OF THE DOCUMENTS PRIOR TO THE SPECIAL
MEETING, ANY SUCH REQUEST SHOULD BE MADE BY OCTOBER 9, 1998.
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<PAGE> 29
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The following documents previously filed with the Commission by the Company
are incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement:
(i) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1997 (the "1997 Annual Report");
(ii) The portions of the Company's Proxy Statement for the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders held May 18, 1998 that have been incorporated by
reference into the 1997 Annual Report;
(iii) The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 1998 and June 30, 1998; and
(iv) The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated on May 28, 1998
(and filed June 11, 1998, as amended by Form 8-K/A and filed on August 7,
1998), and August 5, 1998 (and filed on August 20, 1998, as amended by Form
8-K/A and filed on August 25, 1998,).
All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of this Proxy Statement and
prior to the Special Meeting shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
into this Proxy Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of
such documents.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Proxy
Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this Proxy Statement, or
in any other subsequently filed document which is also incorporated herein by
reference, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified
or superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a part of this Proxy Statement
except as so modified or superseded.
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<PAGE> 30
APPENDIX-A
SERIES A CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
<PAGE> 31
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES
AND RELATIVE RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
OF
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
---------------------
PURSUANT TO SECTION 151
OF THE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
---------------------
Renters Choice, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does by its Assistant
Secretary hereby certify that pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, its Board of Directors, at a
meeting held on August 4, 1998, duly adopted the following resolution
establishing, the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of a series
of preferred stock of the corporation which resolution remains in full force and
effect as of the date hereof:
"WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Renters Choice, Inc. (the
"Corporation") is authorized, within the limitations and restrictions stated in
its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate of
Incorporation"), to fix by resolution or resolutions adopted prior to the
issuance of any shares of each particular series of preferred stock and
incorporated in a certificate of designation filed with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware, the designation, powers (including voting powers and
voting rights), preferences and relative, participating, optional or other
special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as
may be fixed from time to time by the Board of the Directors in the resolution
or resolutions adopted pursuant to the authority granted under the Certificate
of Incorporation; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board of Directors of the Corporation,
pursuant to its authority as aforesaid, to authorize and fix the terms of a
series of preferred stock and the number of shares constituting such series;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that pursuant to Paragraph Fourth, Section
1 of the Certificate of Incorporation, there is hereby authorized such series of
preferred stock on the terms and with the provisions herein set forth:
1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined in this Section 1
shall have, for all purposes of this resolution, the meanings specified (with
terms defined in the singular having comparable meanings when used in the
plural).
Affiliate. The term "Affiliate" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any
other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct
or indirect common control with such specified Person and, in the case of a
Person who is an individual, shall include (i) members of such specified
Person's immediate family (as defined in Instruction 2 of Item 404(a) of
Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) and (ii) trusts, the trustee and all
beneficiaries of which are such specified Person or members of such Person's
immediate family as determined in accordance with the foregoing clause (i) For
the purposes of this definition, control when used with respect to any person
means the power to direct the management and policies of such person, directly
or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise; and the terms "affiliated," "controlling" and "controlled" have
meanings correlative to the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Initial Holders and their Affiliates shall not be deemed Affiliates of the
Corporation.
Change of Control. The term "Change of Control" shall mean the occurrence
of any one of the following events: (I) the acquisition after the Initial Issue
Date, in one or more transactions, of beneficial
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ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by (i) any
person or entity (other than any Permitted Holder) or (ii) any group of persons
or entities (excluding any Permitted Holders) who constitute a group (within the
meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), in either case, of any
securities of the Corporation such that, as a result of such acquisition, such
person, entity or group beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3
under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, 40% or more of the then
outstanding voting securities entitled to vote on a regular basis for a majority
of the Board of Directors of the Corporation (but only to the extent that such
beneficial ownership is not shared with any Permitted Holder who has the power
to direct the vote thereof), provided, however, that no such Change of Control
shall be deemed to have occurred if (A) the Permitted Holders beneficially own,
in the aggregate, at such time, a greater percentage of such voting securities
than such other person, entity or group or (B) at the time of such acquisition,
the Permitted Holders (or any of them) possess the ability (by contract or
otherwise) to elect, or cause the election of, a majority of the members of the
Corporation's Board of Directors; (II) the acquisition by any person of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation; (III) the determination by
the Corporation's Board of Directors to recommend the acceptance of any proposal
set forth in a tender offer statement or proxy statement filed by any person
with the Securities and Exchange Commission which indicates the intention on the
part of that person to acquire, or acceptance of which would otherwise have the
effect of that person acquiring, control of the Corporation; or (IV) upon, other
than as a result of the death or disability of one or more of the directors
within a three-month period, a majority of the members of the Board of Directors
of the Corporation for any period of three consecutive months not being persons
who (a) had been directors of the Corporation for at least the preceding 24
consecutive months or were elected by the holders of the Series A Preferred
Stock, voting separately as a class, or (b) when they initially were elected to
the Board of Directors of the Corporation, (x) were nominated (if they were
elected by the stockholders) or elected (if they were elected by the directors)
with the affirmative concurrence of 66 2/3% of the directors who were Continuing
Directors at the time of the nomination or election by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation and (y) were not elected as a result of an actual or threatened
solicitation of proxies or consents by a person other than the Board or an
agreement intended to avoid or settle such a proxy solicitation (the directors
described in clauses (a) and (b) of this subsection (IV) being "Continuing
Directors"); provided, however, that no Change of Control shall be deemed to
have occurred by virtue of any merger of the Corporation with any wholly owned
subsidiary of the Corporation or any merger of two wholly owned subsidiaries of
the Corporation if, in any such merger, the proportionate ownership interests of
the stockholders of the Corporation remain unchanged.
Common Stock. The term "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par
value $.01 per share, of the Corporation.
Conversion Date. The term "Conversion Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Sections 8(c) below, as applicable.
Conversion Price. The term "Conversion Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 8(d) below.
Convertible Preferred Nominees. The term "Convertible Preferred Nominees"
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b)(i) below.
Convertible Securities. The term "Convertible Securities" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 8(f)(iii).
Corporation Notice. The term "Corporation Notice" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 5(b)(ii)(A) below.
Current Market Price. The term "Current Market Price" shall mean the
current market price of the Common Stock as computed in accordance with Section
8(f)(xi) below.
Dividend Payment Date. The term "Dividend Payment Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 3(a) below.
Dividend Rate. The term "Dividend Rate" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) below.
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Exchange Act. The term "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Initial Holders. The term "Initial Holders" shall mean those holders of
Series A Preferred Stock as of the Initial Issue Date.
Initial Issue Date. The term "Initial Issue Date" shall mean the date that
shares of Series A Preferred Stock are first issued by the Corporation..
Initial Series A Preferred Shares. The term "Initial Series A Preferred
Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b)(i)(B) below.
IRR. The term "IRR" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(c)(ix)
below.
Junior Stock. The term "Junior Stock" shall mean any stock of the
Corporation, other than the Common Stock, ranking junior to the Series A
Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation. Junior Stock shall not
include the Series B Preferred Stock.
Liquidation. The term "Liquidation" shall mean any liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary; provided,
that neither the voluntary sale, conveyance, exchange or transfer (for cash,
shares of stock, securities or other consideration) of all or substantially all
of the property or assets of the Corporation, nor the consolidation or merger of
the Corporation with one or more other entities, shall, by itself, be deemed a
Liquidation.
Liquidation Preference Amount. The term "Liquidation Preference Amount"
shall mean an amount equal to the sum of (i) $1,000 per share of Series A
Preferred Stock, plus (ii) all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon calculated
in accordance with Sections 3(a) and 3(b) hereof.
Permitted Holder. The term "Permitted Holder" shall mean (i) Apollo
Investment Fund IV, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners IV, L.P., or any entity
controlled by either of the foregoing or any of the partners of the foregoing,
(ii) an employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the
Corporation, or any participant therein, (iii) a trustee or other fiduciary
holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any of
its subsidiaries or (iv) any Permitted Transferee of any of the foregoing
persons.
Permitted Transferee. The term "Permitted Transferee" shall mean, with
respect to any Person, (i) any officer, director or partner of, or Person
controlling, such Person, (ii) any other Person that is (x) an Affiliate of the
general partner(s), investment manager(s) or investment advisor(s) of such
Person, (y) an Affiliate of such Person or a Permitted Transferee of an
Affiliate or (z) an investment fund, investment account or investment entity
whose investment manager, investment advisor or general partner thereof is such
Person or a Permitted Transferee of such Person or (iii) if a Permitted
Transferee of a Person set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) is an
individual, (x) any spouse or issue of such individual, or any trust solely for
the benefit of such individual, spouse or issue, and (y) upon such individual's
death, any Person to whom Shares are transferred in accordance with the laws of
descent and/or testamentary distribution, in each case in a bona fide
distribution or other transaction not intended to avoid the provisions of this
Agreement.
Person. The term "Person" shall mean an individual or a corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, trust, or any other entity or
organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or
instrumentality thereof.
Quarterly Dividend Period. The term "Quarterly Dividend Period" shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) below.
Redemption Date. The term "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 5(a)(ii) below.
Redemption Event. A Redemption Event will be deemed to occur at the
earliest of (i) the date upon which there is a Change of Control of the
Corporation, (ii) the date upon which the Corporation's Common Stock is not
listed for trading on a United States national securities exchange or the NASDAQ
National Market System, or (iii) the eleventh anniversary of the Initial Issue
Date.
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<PAGE> 34
Redemption Percentage. The term "Redemption Percentage" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 5(a)(i) below.
Redemption Price. The term "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 5(a)(i) below.
Repurchase Date. The term "Repurchase Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 5(b)(i) below.
Repurchase Price. The term "Repurchase Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 5(b)(i) below.
Securities Act. The term "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Series A Preferred Stock. The term "Series A Preferred Stock" shall mean
the Series A Preferred Stock authorized hereby.
Series B Preferred Stock. The term "Series B Preferred Stock" shall mean
the Series B Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation.
Stockholders Agreement. The term "Stockholders Agreement" shall mean that
certain stockholders agreement of the Corporation dated as of August 5, 1998, as
in effect on the Initial Issue Date, a copy of which shall be maintained by the
Secretary of the Corporation and which shall be available to any stockholder of
the Corporation upon request.
Trading Days. The term "Trading Days" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8(f)(xi) below.
2. DESIGNATION.
The series of preferred stock authorized hereby shall be designated as the
"Series A Convertible Preferred Stock." The number of shares constituting such
series shall initially be Four Hundred Thousand (400,000). The par value of the
Series A Preferred Stock shall be $.01 per share.
3. DIVIDENDS.
(a) The holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled
to receive cumulative quarterly dividends at a dividend rate equal to 3 3/4% per
annum (the "Dividend Rate") computed on the basis of $1,000 per share, when and
as declared by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, out of funds legally
available for the payment of dividends; provided, however, for the five-year
period commencing with the Initial Issue Date, payments of dividends may be
made, at the election of the Corporation, either (i) in cash or (ii) by issuing
a number of additional fully paid and nonassessable shares (and/or fractional
shares) of Series A Preferred Stock for each such share (or fractional share) of
Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding determined by dividing (x) the
dividend then payable on each such share (or fractional share) of Series A
Preferred Stock (expressed as a dollar amount) by (y) 1,000. Quarterly dividend
periods (each a "Quarterly Dividend Period") shall commence on January 1, April
1, July 1 and October 1, in each year, except that the first Quarterly Dividend
Period shall commence on the date of issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock,
and shall end on and include the day immediately preceding the first day of the
next Quarterly Dividend Period. Dividends on the shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall be payable on March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 of each
year (a "Dividend Payment Date"), commencing September 30, 1998. Each such
dividend shall be paid to the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock
as they shall appear on the stock register of the Corporation on such record
date, not exceeding 45 days nor less than 10 days preceding such Dividend
Payment Date, as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation or
a duly authorized committee thereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, (A) for the four Quarterly
Dividend Periods commencing with the ninth Quarterly Divided Period following
the Initial Issue Date, no dividend shall be paid or accrued for any Quarterly
Dividend Period in which the Current Market Price as of the related Dividend
Payment Date is
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equal to or greater than two (2) times the Conversion Price and (B) for each
Quarterly Dividend Period commencing with the thirteenth Quarterly Dividend
Period following the Initial Issue Date, no dividend shall be paid or accrued
for any Quarterly Dividend Period in which the Current Market Price as of the
related Dividend Payment Date is equal to or greater than the Conversion Price
accumulated forward to the payment date at a compound annual growth rate of
Twenty-Five Percent (25%) per annum compounded quarterly.
If, on any Dividend Payment Date, the full dividends provided for in this
Section 3(a) are not declared or paid to the holders of the Series A Preferred
Stock, whether in cash or in additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock, then
such dividends shall cumulate, with additional dividends thereon, compounded
quarterly, at the dividend rate applicable to the Series A Preferred Stock as
provided in this Section 3(a), for each succeeding full Quarterly Dividend
Period during which such dividends shall remain unpaid. In the event the
Corporation elects to pay dividends in additional shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, the Corporation shall on the Dividend Payment Date deliver to the holders
certificates representing such shares.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event any
conversion, redemption or liquidation occurs as of a date other than on a
Dividend Payment Date, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be paid a
pro rata dividend equal to the dividend payable for that Quarterly Dividend
Period multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days
that have elapsed since the last Dividend Payment Date and the denominator of
which is the number of days in the Quarterly Dividend Period in which the
conversion, redemption or liquidation occurs.
(b) The amount of any dividends accrued on any share of the Series A
Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date shall be deemed to be the amount of
any unpaid dividends accumulated thereon to and including such Dividend Payment
Date, whether or not earned or declared. The amount of dividends accrued on any
share of the Series A Preferred Stock on any date other than a Dividend Payment
Date shall be deemed to be the sum of (i) the amount of any unpaid dividends
accumulated thereon to and including the last preceding Dividend Payment Date,
whether or not earned or declared, and (ii) an amount determined by multiplying
(x) the Dividend Rate by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
number of days from the last preceding Dividend Payment Date to and including
the date on which such calculation is made and the denominator of which shall be
the full number of days in such Quarterly Dividend Period.
(c) Immediately prior to authorizing or making any distribution in
redemption or liquidation with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock (other
than a purchase or acquisition of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to a
purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding
Series A Preferred Stock), the Board of Directors shall, to the extent of any
funds legally available therefor, declare a dividend in cash on the Series A
Preferred Stock payable on the distribution date in an amount equal to any
accrued and unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock as of such date.
4. VOTING RIGHTS.
(a) Except as otherwise required by law, the shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall be entitled to vote together with the shares of voting Common Stock
as one class at all annual and special meetings of stockholders of the
Corporation, and to act by written consent in the same manner as the Common
Stock, upon the following basis: each holder of Series A Preferred Stock shall
be entitled to such number of votes for the Series A Preferred Stock held by the
holder on the record date fixed for such meeting, or on the effective date of
such written consent, as shall be equal to the number of whole shares of Common
Stock into which all of such holder's shares of Series A Preferred Stock are
convertible immediately after the close of business on the record date fixed for
such meeting or the effective date of such written consent.
(b) (i) The holders of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class
shall have the right to elect such number of directors (the "Convertible
Preferred Nominees") of the Corporation as set forth below, in addition to such
holders' rights to vote for the election of directors, generally, in accordance
with Section 4(a):
(A) Subject to Section 4(b)(i) (B) below, the number of Convertible
Preferred Nominees shall be two (2). One Convertible Preferred Nominee
shall be classified as a Class I Director of the Corporation, and the
other Convertible Preferred Nominee shall be classified as a Class II
Director
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of the Corporation. Each of the Finance Committee, the Audit Committee
and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors shall have one
Convertible Preferred Nominee as a member; and, in the event the
Corporation establishes an Executive Committee of the Board of
Directors, at least one Convertible Preferred Nominee shall be a member
of such Executive Committee.
(B) At such time as the Initial Holders together with any and all
of their Permitted Transferees cease to hold in aggregate 50% or more of
the number of the Initial Series A Preferred Shares, the holders of
Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect one Convertible
Preferred Nominee under this Certificate; and, at such time as the
Initial Holders cease to hold in aggregate 10% or more of the number of
the Initial Series A Preferred Shares, the holders of Series A Preferred
Stock shall no longer be entitled to elect any Convertible Preferred
Nominees under this Certificate.
(ii) The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock may exercise any
right under Section 4(b)(i) to elect directors at a special meeting of the
holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, at an annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Corporation held for the purpose of electing directors,
and in each written consent executed in lieu of any such meetings.
(iii) A director elected in accordance with Section 4(b)(i) will serve
until the next annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation at which
other directors of the Corporation of the same class shall be elected and
until his or her successor is elected and qualified by the holders of the
Series A Preferred Stock, except as otherwise provided in the Corporation's
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated
Bylaws.
(iv) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the
provisions of this Section 4(b) shall inure only to the benefit of the
Initial Holders and their Permitted Transferees, and any shares of Series A
Preferred Stock subsequently transferred by the Initial Holders to any
Person other than one of their Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled
to the benefits of this Section 4(b).
(c) While any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the
Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, including through a merger or
consolidation with any other corporation or otherwise, without approval of
holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, voting separately as a class, (i) increase the number of authorized
shares of Series A Preferred Stock or authorize the issuance or issue of any
shares of Series A Preferred Stock other than to existing holders of Series A
Preferred Stock or holders of Series B Preferred Stock, (ii) issue any new class
or series of equity security, (iii) amend, alter or repeal, in any manner
whatsoever, the designations, preferences and relative rights and limitations
and restrictions of the Series A Preferred Stock or the Series B Preferred
Stock; (iv) amend, alter or repeal any of the provisions of the Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated By-Laws of the
Corporation in a manner that would negatively impact the holders of the Series A
Preferred Stock, including (but not limited to) any amendment that is in
conflict with the approval rights set forth in this Section 4; (v) directly or
indirectly, redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for value (including through
an exchange), or set apart money or other property for any mandatory purchase or
other analogous fund for the redemption, purchase or acquisition of any shares
of Common Stock or Junior Stock, except for the repurchase by the Corporation of
up to $25,000,000 in Common Stock from J. Ernest Talley, declare or pay any
dividend or make any distribution (whether in cash, shares of capital stock of
the Corporation, or other property) on shares of Common Stock or Junior Stock;
(vi) cause the number of directors of the Corporation to be greater than seven
(7); (vii) enter into any agreement or arrangement with or for the benefit of
any Person who is an Affiliate of the Corporation with a value in excess of $5
million in a single transaction or a series of related transactions; (viii)
effect a voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation;
(ix) sell or agree to sell all or substantially all of the assets of the
Corporation, unless such transaction (1) occurs after the fourth anniversary of
the Initial Issue Date, (2) is a sale for cash and (3) results in an internal
rate of return ("IRR") of 30% compounded quarterly or greater to the holder of
the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to each share of Series A Preferred
Stock issued on the Initial Issue Date; or (x) enter into any merger or
consolidation or other business combination involving the Corporation (except a
merger of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation into the Corporation in
which the Corporation's
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capitalization is unchanged as a result of such merger) unless such transaction
(1) occurs after the fourth anniversary of the Initial Issue Date, (2) is for
cash and (3) results in an IRR of 30% compounded quarterly or greater to the
holder of the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to each share of Series A
Preferred Stock issued on the Initial Issue Date.
(d) While any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the
Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, without the majority affirmative
vote of the Finance Committee, issue debt securities of the Corporation with a
value in excess of $10 million (including any refinancing of existing
indebtedness).
(e) While any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the
Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, without the unanimous affirmative
vote of the Finance Committee, issue equity securities of the Corporation with a
value in excess of $10 million (including any refinancing of existing
indebtedness); provided, however, that the following equity issuances shall
require only a majority affirmative vote of the Finance Committee: (A) a Common
Stock offering within 24 months of the Initial Issue Date that is equal to or
less than $75 million of gross proceeds to the Corporation and the selling price
is equal to or greater than the Conversion Price, (B) a Common Stock offering in
which the selling price (1) at any time prior to the third anniversary of the
Initial Issue Date is equal to or greater than two times the Conversion Price
and (2) thereafter, equal to or greater than the price that would imply a 25% or
greater IRR compounded quarterly on the Conversion Price and (C) an issuance of
equity in connection with an acquisition if the issuance is equal to or less
than 10% of the outstanding Common Stock (calculated post-issuance of such
shares of Common Stock).
5. REDEMPTION
(a) Optional Redemption.
(i) Optional Redemption by the Corporation. (A) The Series A Preferred
Stock may not be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the election of the
Corporation prior to the fourth anniversary of the Initial Issue Date. The
Corporation by resolution of its Board of Directors may redeem the Series A
Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at any time after the fourth
anniversary of the Initial Issue Date. The redemption price per share (the
"Redemption Price") for such shares of Series A Preferred Stock so redeemed
shall equal 105% of the Liquidation Preference Amount on the Redemption
Date (as defined below).
(B) Notwithstanding the forgoing Section 5(a)(i)(A), an Initial
Holder shall be entitled to reserve from redemption by the Corporation
pursuant to Section 5(a)(i)(A) one share of the Series A Preferred Stock
until such time as the Initial Holders and their Permitted Transferees
collectively shall own less than 33 1/3% of the Shares issued to the
Initial Holders on the Initial Issuance Date as defined below. For the
purposes of this Section 5(a)(i)(B), "Shares" shall mean shares of the
Common Stock, the Series A Preferred Stock and the Series B Preferred
Stock, and the preceding percentage shall be calculated as if each of
the Shares had been exchanged or converted into shares of Common Stock
immediately prior to each such calculation regardless of the existence
of any restrictions on such exchange or conversion.
(C) In the event that at any time less than all of the Series A
Preferred Stock outstanding is to be redeemed, the shares to be redeemed
will be selected pro rata. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the
Corporation may not redeem less than all of the Series A Preferred Stock
outstanding unless all accrued and unpaid dividends have been paid on
all then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
(ii) Notice of Redemption. Notice of any redemption pursuant to this
Section 5(a) shall be mailed, postage prepaid, at least 30 days but not
more than 60 days prior to the date of redemption specified in such notice
(the "Redemption Date") to each holder of record of the Series A Preferred
Stock to be redeemed at its address as the same shall appear on the stock
register of the Corporation. Each such notice shall state: (A) the
Redemption Date, (B) the place or places where certificates for
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such shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment,
(C) the Redemption Price and (D) that unless the Corporation defaults in
making the redemption payment, dividends on the shares of Series A
Preferred Stock called for redemption shall cease to accrue on and after
the Redemption Date. If less than all the shares of the Series A Preferred
Stock owned by such holder are then to be redeemed, such notice shall also
specify the number of shares thereof which are to be redeemed and the
numbers of the certificates representing such shares.
(iii) No Preclusion of Conversion. Nothing in this Section 5(a) shall
be construed to preclude a holder of Series A Preferred Stock from
converting any or all of its shares of Series A Preferred Stock in
accordance with Section 8 at any time prior to the Redemption Date.
(b) Mandatory Redemption.
(i) Right to Require Redemption. If at any time there shall occur any
Redemption Event of the Corporation, then each holder of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have the right, at such holder's option, to require the
Corporation to redeem, and upon the exercise of such right the Corporation
shall redeem, all or any part of such holder's Series A Preferred Stock on
the date (the "Repurchase Date") that is 45 days after the date of the
Corporation Notice (as defined below). The redemption price per share (the
"Repurchase Price") for such shares of Series A Preferred Stock so redeemed
shall equal the Liquidation Preference Amount on the Repurchase Date.
(ii) Notices; Method of Exercising Redemption Right, etc.
(A) Unless the Corporation shall have theretofore called for
redemption all the Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding pursuant to
Section 5(a) hereof, within 15 days after the occurrence of a Redemption
Event, the Corporation shall mail to all holders of record of the Series
A Preferred Stock a notice (the "Corporation Notice") of the occurrence
of the Redemption Event and of the redemption right set forth herein
arising as a result thereof. Each Corporation Notice of a redemption
right shall state: (I) the Repurchase Date; (II) the date by which the
redemption right must be exercised; (III) the Repurchase Price; (IV) a
description of the procedure which a holder must follow to exercise a
redemption right including a form of the irrevocable written notice
referred to in Section 5(b)(ii)(B) hereof; and (V) the place or places
where such Series A Preferred Stock may be surrendered for redemption.
No failure of the Corporation to give the foregoing notices or any defect
therein shall limit any holder's right to exercise a redemption right or affect
the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of Series A Preferred Stock.
(B) To exercise a redemption right, a holder must deliver to the
Corporation on or before the 15th day after the date of the Corporation
Notice (i) irrevocable written notice of the holder's exercise of such
rights, which notice shall set forth the name of the holder, the amount
of the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed, a statement that an
election to exercise the redemption right is being made thereby, and
(ii) the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to which the redemption
right is being exercised, duly endorsed for transfer to the Corporation.
Such written notice shall be irrevocable. Subject to the provisions of
paragraph (D) below, Series A Preferred Stock surrendered for redemption
together with such irrevocable written notice shall cease to be
convertible from the date of delivery of such notice. If the Repurchase
Date falls after the record date and before the following Dividend
Payment Date, any Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed must be
accompanied by payment of an amount equal to the dividends thereon which
the registered holder thereof is to receive on such Dividend Payment
Date, and, notwithstanding such redemption, such dividend payment will
be made by the Corporation to the registered holder thereof on the
applicable record date; provided that any quarterly payment of dividends
becoming due on the Repurchase Date shall be payable to the holders of
such Series A Preferred Stock registered as such on the relevant record
date subject to the terms of Section 3(b) hereof.
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(C) In the event a redemption right shall be exercised in
accordance with the terms hereof, the Corporation shall pay or cause to
be paid the Repurchase Price in cash, to the holder on the Repurchase
Date.
(D) If any Series A Preferred Stock surrendered for redemption
shall not be so redeemed on the Repurchase Date, such Series A Preferred
Stock shall be convertible at any time from the Repurchase Date until
redeemed and, until redeemed, continue to accrue dividends to the extent
permitted by applicable law from the Repurchase Date at the same rate
borne by such Series A Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall pay to the
holder of such Series A Preferred Stock the additional amounts arising
from this Section 5(b)(ii)(D) hereof at the time that it pays the
Repurchase Price, and if applicable such Series A Preferred Stock shall
remain convertible into Common Stock until the Repurchase Price plus any
additional amounts owing on such Series A Preferred Stock shall have
been paid or duly provided for.
(E) Any Series A Preferred Stock which is to be redeemed only in
part shall be surrendered at any office or agency of the Corporation
designated for that purpose pursuant to Section 5(b)(ii)(A)(V) hereof
and the Corporation shall execute and deliver to the holder of such
Series A Preferred Stock without service charge, a new certificate or
certificates representing the Series A Preferred Stock, of any
authorized denomination as requested by such holder, in aggregate amount
equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the Series A
Preferred Stock so surrendered.
6. PRIORITY.
(a) Priority as to Dividends. Holders of shares of the Series A Preferred
Stock shall be entitled to receive the dividends provided for in Section 3
hereof in preference to and in priority over any dividends upon any Junior Stock
or Common Stock.
(b) Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation's Series A Preferred Stock
shall rank on parity with the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends
and redemption.
7. LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE.
(a) In the event of any Liquidation, holders of the Series A Preferred
Stock will be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Corporation whether
such assets are capital or surplus and whether or not any dividends as such are
declared, the Liquidation Preference Amount to the date fixed for distribution,
and no more, before any distribution shall be made to the holders of Junior
Stock or Common Stock with respect to the distribution of assets. If the assets
of the Corporation are not sufficient to pay in full the Liquidation Preference
Amount to the holders of outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock,
then the holders of all such shares shall share ratably in such distribution of
assets in accordance with the amount which would be otherwise payable on such
distribution to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock were such Liquidation
Preference Amount paid in full. Except as provided, in this Section 7(a), in the
event of any Liquidation of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any additional payments.
(b) The consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into such
corporation or corporations shall not itself be deemed to be a Liquidation of
the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 7.
(c) Written notice of any Liquidation of the Corporation, stating a payment
date and the place where the distributive amounts shall be payable, shall be
given by mail, postage prepaid, not less than 30 days prior to the payment date
stated therein, to the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock at
their respective addresses as the same shall appear on the books of the
Corporation.
(d) The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank on parity with the Series B
Preferred Stock with respect to liquidation.
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8. CONVERSION.
(a) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall be convertible at any time
and from time to time, at the option of the holder thereof into validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock, in an amount determined in
accordance with Section 8(d) below.
(b) Immediately following the conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into
Common Stock on the Conversion Date (i) such converted shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be deemed no longer outstanding and (ii) the Persons
entitled to receive the Common Stock upon the conversion of such converted
Series A Preferred Stock shall be treated for all purposes as having become the
owners of record of such Common Stock. Upon the issuance of shares of Common
Stock upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 8,
such shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to be duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
in this Section 8, any holder of Series A Preferred Stock may convert shares of
such Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock in accordance with Section 8 on
a conditional basis, such that such conversion will not take effect unless
conditions set forth in Section 8(c) are satisfied, and the Corporation shall
make such arrangements as may be necessary or appropriate to allow such
conditional conversion and to enable the holder to satisfy such other
conditions.
(c) To convert Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock at the option of
the holder pursuant to Section 8(a), a holder must give written notice to the
Corporation at its principal office that such holder elects to convert Series A
Preferred Stock into Common Stock, and the number of shares to be converted.
Such conversion, to the extent permitted by law, regulation, rule or other
requirement of any governmental authority (collectively, "Laws") and the
provisions hereof, including but not limited to Section 5(a)(iii), shall be
deemed to have been effected as of the close of business on the date on which
the holder delivers such notice to the Corporation (such date is referred to
herein as the "Conversion Date" for purposes of any conversion of Series A
Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 8(a)). Promptly thereafter the holder shall
(i) surrender the certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Series A
Preferred Stock to be converted, duly endorsed in a form reasonably satisfactory
to the Corporation, at the office of the Corporation or of the transfer agent
for the Series A Preferred Stock, (ii) state in writing the name or names in
which the certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock are to be
issued, (iii) provide evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that
such holder has satisfied any conditions, contained in any agreement or any
legend on the certificates representing the Series A Preferred Stock, relating
to the transfer thereof, if shares of Common Stock are to be issued in a name or
names other than the holder's, and (iv) pay any transfer or similar tax if
required as provided in Section 8(k) below. As soon as practical following
receipt of the foregoing, the Corporation shall deliver to such former holder of
Series A Preferred Stock, a certificate representing the shares of Common Stock
issued upon the conversion, together with a new certificate representing the
unconverted portion, if any, of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock formerly
represented by the certificate or certificates surrendered for conversion.
(d) For the purposes of the conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into
Common Stock pursuant to Section 8(a), each share of Series A Preferred Stock
shall be convertible into the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the
Liquidation Preference Amount divided by the Conversion Price in effect on the
Conversion Date. The number of full shares of Common Stock issuable to a single
holder upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be based on the
aggregate Liquidation Preference Amount of all shares of Series A Preferred
Stock owned by such holder. The Conversion Price initially shall equal $27.935.
In order to prevent dilution of the conversion rights granted hereunder, the
Conversion Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in accordance
with Sections 8(f) and 8(i) below.
(e) If the Corporation shall at any time subdivide, by stock split,
reclassification or otherwise, the outstanding shares of Common Stock or shall
issue a dividend on its outstanding Common Stock payable in capital stock, the
Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such subdivision or the issuance
of such dividend shall be proportionately decreased, and in case the Corporation
shall at any time combine, by stock split, reclassification or otherwise, the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Conversion Price in effect immediately
prior to such combination shall be proportionately increased, effective at the
close of business on the date of such subdivision, dividend, combination or
other event, as the case may be.
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(f) The number of shares issuable upon conversion and the Conversion Price
(and each component thereof) are subject to adjustment by the Corporation from
time to time upon the occurrence of the events enumerated in this Section 8.
(i) Changes in Capital Stock.
(A) If the Corporation (i) pays a dividend or makes a distribution
on its Common Stock in shares of its Common Stock, (ii) subdivides its
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater number of shares,
(iii) combines its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, (iv) makes a distribution on its Common Stock in
shares of its capital stock other than Common Stock or (v) issues by
reclassification of its Common Stock any shares of its capital stock,
then the Conversion Price (and each component thereof) in effect
immediately prior to such action shall be proportionately adjusted so
that each holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock may receive the
aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock of the Corporation
which such holder would have owned immediately following such action if
such holder had converted all of his shares of Series A Preferred Stock
into Common Stock immediately prior to such action.
(B) The adjustment shall become effective immediately after the
record date in the case of a dividend or distribution and immediately
after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or
reclassification.
(C) If after an adjustment a holder of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock upon conversion may receive shares of two or more classes of
capital stock of the Corporation, the Corporation shall determine the
allocation of the adjusted Conversion Price between the classes of
capital stock. After such allocation, the conversion privilege and the
Conversion Price of each class of capital stock shall thereafter be
subject to adjustment on terms comparable to those applicable to Common
Stock in this Section 8(f)(i).
(D) Any adjustments made pursuant to this Section 8(f)(i) shall be
made successively.
(ii) Common Stock Issue.
(A) If the Corporation issues any additional shares of Common Stock
for a consideration per share less than the Current Market Price (as
hereinafter defined) on the date the Corporation fixes the offering
price of such additional shares, the Conversion Price shall be adjusted
as set forth below, such that a holder of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, upon conversion of his shares of Series A Preferred Stock into
shares of Common Stock, shall have the right to receive that number of
shares of Common Stock which, after giving effect to the following
adjustment, such holder would receive if such holder elected to convert
his shares of Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock. The Conversion
Price shall be adjusted to the number determined by multiplying the
Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance or sale by
a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the sum of (i) the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the issuance or
sale of such additional shares of Common Stock plus (ii) the number of
such additional shares which the aggregate consideration received (or by
express provision hereof deemed to have been received) by the
Corporation for such additional shares so issued or sold would purchase
at a consideration per share equal to the Current Market Price, and the
denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after the issuance or sale of such additional
shares of Common Stock. For the purposes of this Section 8(f)(ii), the
date as of which the Current Market Price shall be determined shall be
the date of the actual issuance or sale of such shares.
(B) The adjustment shall be made successively whenever any such
issuance is made, and shall become effective immediately after such
issuance.
(C) This Section 8(f)(ii) does not apply to: (i) any of the
transactions described in Section 8(f)(iii) and 8(f)(iv); (ii) the
conversion of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock; and
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(iii) any shares issued under the Corporation's Amended and Restated
1994 Long-Term Incentive Plan, and any other such plans adopted by the
Board of Directors.
(iii) Rights Issue.
(A) If the Corporation issues or sells any warrants or options or
other rights entitling the holders of Common Stock to subscribe for or
purchase either any additional shares of Common Stock or evidences of
indebtedness, shares of stock or other securities which are convertible
into or exchangeable, with or without payment of additional
consideration in cash or property, for additional shares of Common Stock
(such convertible or exchangeable evidence of indebtedness, shares of
stock or other securities hereinafter being called "Convertible
Securities"), and the consideration per share for which additional
shares of Common Stock may at any time thereafter be issuable pursuant
to such warrants, options or other rights or pursuant to the terms of
such Convertible Securities (when added to the consideration per share
of Common Stock, if any, received for such warrants, options or other
rights), shall be less than the Current Market Price at the time of the
issuance of the warrants, options or other rights, then the Conversion
Price shall be adjusted as provided below, such that a holder of shares
of the Series A Preferred Stock, upon conversion of his shares of Series
A Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock, shall have the right to
receive that number of shares of Common Stock which, after giving effect
to the following adjustment, such holder would receive if such holder
elected to convert his shares of Series A Preferred Stock into Common
Stock. The Conversion Price shall be adjusted to the number determined
by multiplying the current Conversion Price by a fraction, (A) the
numerator of which shall be the sum of (i) the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding on the record date plus (ii) the quotient of
(x) the number of additional shares of Common Stock covered by such
warrants, options or rights, multiplied by the sales price per share of
additional shares covered by such warrants, options or other rights,
divided by (y) the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on the
record date, and (B) the denominator of which shall be the sum of (i)
the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the record date and
(ii) the number of additional shares of Common Stock covered by such
warrants, options or other rights. For purposes of this Section
8(f)(iii), the foregoing adjustment shall be made on the basis that (i)
the maximum number of additional shares of Common Stock issuable
pursuant to all such warrants, options or other rights or necessary to
effect the conversion or exchange of all such Convertible Securities
shall be deemed to have been issued and (ii) the aggregate consideration
for such maximum number of additional shares shall be deemed to be the
minimum consideration received and receivable by the Corporation for the
issuance of such additional shares (plus the consideration, if any,
received for such warrants, options or other rights) pursuant to such
warrants, options or other rights or pursuant to the terms of such
Convertible Securities.
(B) The adjustment shall be made successively whenever any such
warrants, options or other rights are issued and shall become effective
immediately after the record date for the determination of shareholders
entitled to receive the warrants, options or other rights.
(C) This Section 8(f)(iii) does not apply to: (i) the conversion of
the shares of Series A Preferred Stock; and (ii) any shares issued under
the Corporation's Amended and Restated 1994 Long-Term Incentive Plan,
and any other such plans adopted by the Board of Directors.
(iv) Convertible Securities Issue.
(A) If the Corporation issues Convertible Securities (other than
securities issued in transactions described in Section 8(f)(iii)) and
the consideration per share for which additional shares of Common Stock
may at any time thereafter be issuable pursuant to the terms of such
Convertible Securities is less than the Current Market Price on the date
of issuance of such securities, the Conversion Price shall be adjusted
as provided below, such that a holder of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, upon conversion of his shares of Series A Preferred Stock into
shares of Common Stock, shall have the right to receive that number of
shares of Common Stock which, after giving effect to the following
formula, such holder would receive if such holder elected to convert his
shares
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of Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock. The Conversion Price
shall be adjusted to the number determined by multiplying the current
Conversion Price by a fraction, (A) the numerator of which shall be the
sum of (i) the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
prior to the issuance of such securities and (ii) the quotient of (x)
the aggregate consideration received for the issuance of such
securities, divided by (y) the Current Market Price per share on the
date of issuance of such securities and (B) the denominator of which
shall be the sum of (i) the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the issuance of such securities and (ii) the
maximum number of shares deliverable upon conversion or in exchange for
such securities at the initial conversion or exchange rate. The
adjustment shall be made on the basis that (i) the maximum number of
additional shares of Common Stock necessary to effect the conversion or
exchange of all such Convertible Securities shall be deemed to have been
issued and (ii) the aggregate consideration for such maximum number of
additional shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to be the minimum
consideration received and receivable by the Corporation for the
issuance of such additional shares pursuant to the terms of such
Convertible Securities. No adjustment of the Conversion Price shall be
made under this Section 8(f)(iv) upon the issuance of any Convertible
Securities which are issued pursuant to the exercise of any warrants or
other subscription or purchase rights therefor, if such adjustment shall
previously have been made upon the issuance of such warrants or other
rights pursuant to Section 8(f)(iii).
(B) The adjustment shall be made successively whenever any such
issuance is made, and shall become effective immediately after such
issuance.
(C) This Section 8(f)(iv) does not apply to: (i) the conversion of
the shares of Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) any shares issued under
the Corporation's Amended and Restated 1994 Long-Term Incentive Plan,
and any other such plans adopted by the Board of Directors.
(v) Conversion Price Date. For purposes of Sections 8(f)(iii) and
8(f)(iv), the date as of which the Conversion Price shall be computed shall
be the earliest of (i) the date on which the Corporation shall take a
record of the holders of its Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them
to receive any warrants or other rights referred to in Section 8(f)(iii) or
to receive any Convertible Securities, (ii) the date on which the
Corporation shall enter into a firm contract for the issuance of such
warrants or other rights or Convertible Securities or (iii) the date of the
actual issuance of such warrants or other rights or Convertible Securities.
(vi) No Compound Adjustment. No adjustment of the Conversion Price
shall be made under Section 8(f)(ii) upon the issuance of any additional
shares of Common Stock which are issued pursuant to the exercise of any
warrants or other subscription or purchase rights or pursuant to the
exercise of any conversion or exchange rights in any Convertible
Securities, if such adjustment shall previously have been made upon the
issuance of such warrants or other rights or upon the issuance of such
Convertible Securities (or upon the issuance of any warrants or other
rights therefor), pursuant to Sections 8(f)(iii).
(vii) Readjustment. If any warrants or other rights (or any portions
thereof) which shall have given rise to an adjustment pursuant to Section
8(f)(iii) or conversion rights pursuant to Convertible Securities which
shall have given rise to an adjustment pursuant to Section 8(f)(iv) shall
have expired or terminated without the exercise thereof and/or if by reason
of the terms of such warrants or other rights or Convertible Securities
there shall have been an increase or increases, with the passage of time
otherwise, in the price payable upon the exercise or conversion thereof,
then the Conversion Price hereunder shall be readjusted (but to no greater
extent than originally adjusted), taking into account all transactions
described in Sections 8(f)(i) through 8(f)(iv) hereof that have occurred in
the interim, on the basis of (i) eliminating from the computation any
additional shares of Common Stock corresponding to such warrants or other
rights or conversion rights as shall have expired or terminated, (ii)
treating the additional shares of Common Stock, if any, actually issued or
issuable pursuant to the previous exercise of such warrants or other rights
or of conversion rights pursuant to any Convertible Securities as having
been issued for the consideration actually received and receivable therefor
and (iii) treating any of such warrants or other rights or conversion
rights pursuant to any Convertible Securities which remain
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outstanding as being subject to exercise or conversion on the basis of such
exercise or Conversion Price as shall be in effect at the time; provided,
however, that any consideration which was actually received by the
Corporation in connection with the issuance or sale of such warrants or
other rights shall form part of the readjustment computation even though
such warrants or other rights shall have expired or terminated without the
exercise thereof.
(viii) Consideration Received. To the extent that any additional
shares of Common Stock, any warrants, options or other rights to subscribe
for or purchase any additional shares of Common Stock, or any Convertible
Securities shall be issued for cash consideration, the consideration
received by the Corporation therefor shall be deemed to be the amount of
the cash received by the Corporation therefor, or, if such additional
shares, warrants, options or other rights or Convertible Securities are
sold to underwriters or dealers for public offering without a subscription
offering, the initial public offering price, in any such case excluding any
amounts paid or receivable for accrued interest or accrued dividends and
without deduction of any compensation, discounts or expenses paid or
incurred by the Corporation for and in the underwriting of, or otherwise in
connection with, the issuance thereof. If and to the extent that such
issuance shall be for a consideration other than cash, then, except as
herein otherwise expressly provided, the amount of such consideration shall
be deemed to be the fair value of such consideration at the time of such
issuance as determined by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. If
additional shares of Common Stock shall be issued as part of a unit with
warrants or other rights, then the amount of consideration for the warrant
or other right shall be deemed to be the amount determined at the time of
issuance by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. If the Board of
Directors of the Corporation shall not make any such determination, the
consideration for the warrant, option or other right shall be deemed to be
zero.
(ix) Other Conversions. If a state of facts shall occur which, without
being specifically controlled by the provisions of this Section 8, would
not fairly protect the conversion rights of the holders of shares of Series
A Preferred Stock in accordance with the essential intent and principles of
such provisions, then the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall make
an adjustment in the application of such provisions, in accordance with
such essential intent and principles, so to protect such conversion rights.
(x) De Minimis Adjustment. Anything herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Conversion Price shall be required
unless such adjustment, either by itself or with other adjustments not
previously made, would require a change of at least one percent (1%) in the
Conversion Price; provided, however, that any adjustment which by reason of
this Section 8(f)(x) is not required to be made shall be carried forward
and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under
this Section 8 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth of a cent ($.001)
(rounded to the nearest cent ($.01) with respect to any monetary amount to
be actually paid) or to the nearest one hundredth (0.01) of a share, as the
case may be.
(xi) Current Market Price. For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the "Current Market Price" on any date will be the average of
the last reported sale prices per share (the "Quoted Price") of the Common
Stock on each of the fifteen consecutive Trading Days (as defined below)
preceding the date of the computation. The Quoted Price of the Common Stock
on each day will be (A) the last reported sales price of the Common Stock
on the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed, or (B)
if the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange, the last reported
sales price of the Common Stock on the principal automated securities price
quotation system on which sale prices of the Common Stock are reported, or
(C) if the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange and sale prices
of the Common Stock are not reported on an automated quotation system, the
mean of the high bid and low asked price quotations for the Common Stock as
reported by National Quotation Bureau Incorporated if at least two
securities dealers have inserted both bid and asked quotations for the
Common Stock on a day will be the Quoted Price of the Common Stock on that
day as determined by a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
selected by the Board of Directors. If no two securities dealers have
inserted such bid and ask quotations, or such Quoted Prices otherwise are
not available, the Current Market Price means the fair market value of the
Common Stock as of the date prior to the date on which the Current Market
Price is determined, which such fair market value shall be
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determined by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. As used with
regard to the Series A Preferred Stock, the term "Trading Day" means (x) if
the Common Stock is listed on at least one stock exchange, a day on which
there is trading on the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock
is listed, (y) if the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange, but
sale prices of the Common Stock are reported on an automated quotation
system, a day on which trading is reported on the principal automated
quotation system on which sales of the Common Stock are reported, or (z) if
the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange and sale prices of the
Common Stock are not reported on an automated quotation system, a day on
which quotations are reported by National Quotation Bureau Incorporated.
(g) No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the
conversion of Series A Preferred Stock. If any fractional interest in a share of
Common Stock would, except for the provisions of this subparagraph (g), be
deliverable upon the conversion of any Series A Preferred Stock, the Corporation
shall, in lieu of delivering the fractional share therefor, adjust such
fractional interest by payment to the holder of such converted Series A
Preferred Stock of an amount in cash equal (computed to the nearest cent) to the
Current Market Price of such fractional interest as of the end of the
Corporation's last fiscal year as determined in good faith in the sole
discretion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
(h) Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted, as herein provided, the
Corporation shall promptly mail a notice of the adjustment to holders of Series
A Preferred Stock by first class mail. The Corporation shall forthwith maintain
at its principal executive office and file with the transfer agent, if any, for
Series A Preferred Stock, a statement, signed by the Chairman of the Board, or
the President, or a Vice President of the Corporation and by its chief financial
officer or an Assistant Treasurer, showing in reasonable detail the facts
requiring such adjustment and the Conversion Price after such adjustment. Such
transfer agent shall be under no duty or responsibility with respect to any such
statement except to exhibit the same from time to time to any holder of Series A
Preferred Stock desiring an inspection thereof.
(i) If there shall occur any capital reorganization or any reclassification
of the capital stock of the Corporation, consolidation or merger of the
Corporation with or into another entity, or the conveyance of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation to another person or entity,
each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall thereafter be convertible into the
number of shares or other securities or property to which a holder of the number
of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation deliverable upon conversion of such
Series A Preferred Stock would have been entitled upon such reorganization,
reclassification, consolidation, merger or conveyance; and, in any such case,
appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith in the sole discretion of
the Board of Directors of the Corporation) shall be made in the application of
the provisions herein set forth with respect to the rights and interests
thereafter of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, to the end that the
provisions set forth herein (including provisions with respect to changes in and
other adjustments of the Conversion Price) shall be applicable, as nearly as
reasonably may be, in relation to any shares or other property thereafter
deliverable upon the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock.
(j) The Corporation shall at all times reserve and keep available, out of
its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock or treasury shares thereof,
solely for the purpose of issuance upon the conversion of Series A Preferred
Stock, the full number of shares of Common Stock deliverable upon the conversion
of all Series A Preferred Stock from time to time outstanding. The Corporation
shall from time to time, in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware,
increase the authorized amount of its Common Stock if at any time the authorized
number of shares of Common Stock remaining unissued shall not be sufficient to
permit the conversion of all of the Series A Preferred Stock at the time
outstanding.
(k) The Corporation shall pay any documentary, stamp or similar issue or
transfer tax due on the issue of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the
Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock. The Corporation shall not, however,
be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer
involved in the issue and delivery of any security in a name other than that in
which the Series A Preferred Stock so converted was registered, and no such
issue or delivery shall be made unless and until the person requested such issue
has paid to the Corporation the amount of any such tax, or has established to
the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid.
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<PAGE> 46
9. EXCLUSION OF OTHER RIGHTS.
Except as otherwise required by law, shares of Series A Preferred Stock
shall not have any preferences or relative, participating, optional or other
special rights, other than those specifically set forth in this resolution and
in the Certificate of Designations filed pursuant hereto (as such Certificate
may be amended from time to time) and in the Certificate of Incorporation. No
shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have any rights of preemption or
subscription whatsoever as to any securities of the Corporation, except as
expressly provided in any written agreement among the Corporation and any holder
or holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
10. REISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.
Shares of Series A Preferred Stock that have been issued and reacquired in
any manner, including shares purchased or redeemed or exchanged, shall (upon
compliance with any applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware) be canceled and shall not be reissued.
11. HEADINGS OF SUBDIVISIONS.
The headings of the various subdivisions hereof are for convenience of
reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of any of the provisions
hereof.
12. SEVERABILITY OF PROVISIONS.
If any right, preference or limitation of the Series A Preferred Stock set
forth in this resolution and in the Certificate of Designations for the Series A
Preferred Stock (as such Certificate may be amended from time to time) is
invalid, unlawful or incapable of being enforced by reason of any rule or law or
public policy, all other rights, preferences and limitations set forth in such
Certificate of Designations (as so amended) which can be given effect without
the invalid, unlawful or unenforceable right, preference or limitation shall,
nevertheless, remain in full force and effect, and no right, preference or
limitation herein set forth shall be deemed dependent upon any other such right,
preference or limitation unless so expressed herein.
13. NOTICE.
All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given to
the Corporation hereunder shall be made by hand delivery or registered or
certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Corporation at its principal
executive offices (currently located on the date of the adoption of these
resolutions at 13800 Montfort Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240, Attention:
Secretary. Minor imperfections in any such notice shall not affect the validity
thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Renters Choice, Inc. has caused this certificate to be
signed by L. Dowell Arnette, its Executive Vice President, this 5th day of
August, 1998.
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
a Delaware corporation
By: /s/ L. DOWELL ARNETTE
----------------------------------
Name: L. Dowell Arnette
Title: Executive Vice President
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<PAGE> 47
APPENDIX-B
SERIES B CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
<PAGE> 48
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES
AND RELATIVE RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK
OF
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
---------------------
PURSUANT TO SECTION 151
OF THE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
---------------------
Renters Choice, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does by its Assistant
Secretary hereby certify that pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, its Board of Directors, at a
meeting on August 4, 1998, duly adopted the following resolution establishing,
the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of a series of preferred
stock of the corporation which resolution remains in full force and effect as of
the date hereof:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Renters Choice, Inc. (the "Corporation")
is authorized, within the limitations and restrictions stated in its Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), to
fix by resolution or resolutions adopted prior to the issuance of any shares of
each particular series of preferred stock and incorporated in a certificate of
designation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, the
designation, powers (including voting powers and voting rights), preferences and
relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the
qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as may be fixed from time
to time by the Board of the Directors in the resolution or resolutions adopted
pursuant to the authority granted under the Certificate of Incorporation; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board of Directors of the Corporation,
pursuant to its authority as aforesaid, to authorize and fix the terms of a
series of preferred stock and the number of shares constituting such series;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that pursuant to Paragraph Fourth, Section
1 of the Certificate of Incorporation, there is hereby authorized such series of
preferred stock on the terms and with the provisions herein set forth:
1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined in this Section 1
shall have, for all purposes of this resolution, the meanings specified (with
terms defined in the singular having comparable meanings when used in the
plural).
Affiliate. The term "Affiliate" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any
other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct
or indirect common control with such specified Person and, in the case of a
Person who is an individual, shall include (i) members of such specified
Person's immediate family (as defined in Instruction 2 of Item 404(a) of
Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) and (ii) trusts, the trustee and all
beneficiaries of which are such specified Person or members of such Person's
immediate family as determined in accordance with the foregoing clause (i). For
the purposes of this definition, control when used with respect to any person
means the power to direct the management and policies of such person, directly
or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise; and the terms "affiliated," "controlling" and "controlled" have
meanings correlative to the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
holders of the Series B Preferred Shares and their Affiliates shall not be
deemed Affiliates of the Corporation.
Change of Control. The term "Change of Control" shall mean the occurrence
of any one of the following events (i) the acquisition after the Initial Issue
Date, in one or more transactions, of beneficial ownership (within the meaning
of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by (i) any person or entity (other
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<PAGE> 49
than any Permitted Holder) or (ii) any group of persons or entities (excluding
any Permitted Holders) who constitute a group (within the meaning of Section
13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), in either case, of any securities of the
Corporation such that, as a result of such acquisition, such person, entity or
group beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange
Act), directly or indirectly, 40% or more of the then outstanding voting
securities entitled to vote on a regular basis for a majority of the Board of
Directors of the Corporation (but only to the extent that such beneficial
ownership is not shared with any Permitted Holder who has the power to direct
the vote thereof); provided, however, that no such Change of Control shall be
deemed to have occurred if (A) the Permitted Holders beneficially own, in the
aggregate, at such time, a greater percentage of such voting securities than
such other person, entity or group or (B) at the time of such acquisition, the
Permitted Holders (or any of them) possess the ability (by contract or
otherwise) to elect, or cause the election of, a majority of the members of the
Corporation's Board of Directors; (II) the acquisition by any person of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation; (III) the determination by
the Corporation's Board of Directors to recommend the acceptance of any proposal
set forth in a tender offer statement or proxy statement filed by any person
with the Securities and Exchange Commission which indicates the intention on the
part of that person to acquire, or acceptance of which would otherwise have the
effect of that person acquiring, control of the Corporation; or (IV) upon, other
than as a result of the death or disability of one or more of the directors
within a three-month period, a majority of the members of the Board of Directors
of the Corporation for any period of three consecutive months not being persons
who (a) had been directors of the Corporation for at least the preceding 24
consecutive months or were elected by the holders of the Series B Preferred
Stock, voting separately as a class, or (b) when they initially were elected to
the Board of Directors of the Corporation, (x) were nominated (if they were
elected by the stockholders) or elected (if they were elected by the directors)
with the affirmative concurrence of 66 2/3% of the directors who were Continuing
Directors at the time of the nomination or election by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation and (y) were not elected as a result of an actual or threatened
solicitation of proxies or consents by a person other than the Board or an
agreement intended to avoid or settle such a proxy solicitation (the directors
described in clauses (a) and (b) of this subsection (IV) being "Continuing
Directors"); provided, however, that no Change of Control shall be deemed to
have occurred by virtue of any merger of the Corporation with any wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Corporation or any merger of two wholly-owned subsidiaries of
the Corporation if, in any such merger, the proportionate ownership interests of
the stockholders of the Corporation remain unchanged.
Common Stock. The term "Common Stock" shall mean the voting common stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation.
Conversion Date. The term "Conversion Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Sections 3(c) and 9(c) below, as applicable.
Conversion Price. The term "Conversion Price" shall mean the "Conversion
Price" as set forth in the Series A Certificate of Designations as adjusted in
accordance with Sections 9(d) and 9(e) hereof.
Conversion Release Date. The term "Conversion Release Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 9(a) below.
Corporation Notice. The term "Corporation Notice" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 6(a)(ii)(A) below.
Current Market Price. The term "Current Market Price" on any date shall be
the average of the last reported sale prices per share (the "Quoted Price") of
the Common Stock on each of the fifteen consecutive Trading Days (as defined
below) preceding the date of the computation. The Quoted Price of the Common
Stock on each day will be (A) the last reported sales price of the Common Stock
on the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed, or (B) if
the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange, the last reported sales
price of the Common Stock on the principal automated securities price quotation
system on which sale prices of the Common Stock are reported, or (C) if the
Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange and sale prices of the Common
Stock are not reported on an automated quotation system, the mean of the high
bid and low asked price quotations for the Common Stock as reported by National
Quotation Bureau Incorporated if at least two securities dealers have inserted
both bid and asked
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<PAGE> 50
quotations for the Common Stock on a day will be the Quoted Price of the Common
Stock on that day as determined by a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange,
Inc. selected by the Board of Directors. If no two securities dealers have
inserted such bid and ask quotations, or such Quoted Prices otherwise are not
available, the Current Market Price means the fair market value of the Common
Stock as of the date prior to the date on which the Current Market Price is
determined, which such fair market value shall be determined by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation. As used herein the term "Trading Day" means (x) if
the Common Stock is listed on at least one stock exchange, a day on which there
is trading on the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed,
(y) if the Common Stock is not listed on a stock exchange, but sale prices of
the Common Stock are reported on an automated quotation system, a day on which
trading is reported on the principal automated quotation system on which sales
of the Common Stock are reported, or (z) if the Common Stock is not listed on a
stock exchange and sale prices of the Common Stock are not reported on an
automated quotation system, a day on which quotations are reported by National
Quotation Bureau Incorporated.
Dividend Payment Date. The term "Dividend Payment Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 4(a) below.
Dividend Rate. The term "Dividend Rate" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) below.
Exchange Act. The term "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Initial Issue Date. The term "Initial Issue Date" shall mean the date that
shares of Series B Preferred Stock are first issued by the Corporation.
IRR. The term "IRR" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a)(vi)
below.
Junior Stock. The term "Junior Stock" shall mean any stock of the
Corporation, other than the Common Stock, ranking junior to the Series B
Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation. Junior Stock shall not
include the Series A Preferred Stock.
Liquidation. The term "Liquidation" shall mean any liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary; provided,
that neither the voluntary sale, conveyance, exchange or transfer (for cash,
shares of stock, securities or other consideration) of all or substantially all
of the property or assets of the Corporation, nor the consolidation or merger of
the Corporation with one or more other entities, shall, by itself, be deemed a
Liquidation.
Liquidation Preference Amount. The term "Liquidation Preference Amount"
shall mean at any date a number equal to the product of (i) $1,050 per share of
Series B Preferred Stock, plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon
calculated in accordance with Sections 4(a) and 4(b) hereof, multiplied by (ii)
a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number equal to the Current
Market Price as of such date, and the denominator of which shall be the number
equal to the Current Market Price as of the Initial Issue Date (adjusted for
stock splits, reorganizations, recapitalizations or similar events); provided,
however, that in no case shall the Liquidation Preference Amount be an amount
less than $1,050 per share of Series B Preferred Stock, plus all accrued and
unpaid dividends thereon calculated in accordance with Sections 4(a) and 4(b)
hereof.
Non-Voting Common Stock. The term "Non-Voting Common Stock" shall mean the
non-voting common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation.
Permitted Holder. The term "Permitted Holder" shall mean (i) Apollo
Investment Fund IV, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners IV, L.P., or any entity
controlled by either of the foregoing or any of the partners of the foregoing,
(ii) an employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the
Corporation, or any participant therein, (iii) a trustee or other fiduciary
holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Corporation or any of
its subsidiaries or (iv) any Permitted Transferee of any of the foregoing
persons.
Permitted Transferee. The term "Permitted Transferee" shall mean, with
respect to any Person, (i) any officer, director or partner of, or Person
controlling, such Person, (ii) any other Person that is (x) an Affiliate
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<PAGE> 51
of the general partner(s), investment manager(s) or investment advisor(s) of
such Person, (y) an Affiliate of such Person or a Permitted Transferee of an
Affiliate or (z) an investment fund, investment account or investment entity
whose investment manager, investment advisor or general partner thereof is such
Person or a Permitted Transferee of such Person or (iii) if a Permitted
Transferee of a Person set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) is an
individual, (x) any spouse or issue of such individual, or any trust solely for
the benefit of such individual, spouse or issue, and (y) upon such individual's
death, any Person to whom Shares are transferred in accordance with the laws of
descent and/or testamentary distribution, in each case in a bona fide
distribution or other transaction not intended to avoid the provisions of this
Agreement.
Person. The term "Person" shall mean an individual or a corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, trust, or any other entity or
organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or
instrumentality thereof.
Quarterly Dividend Period. The term "Quarterly Dividend Period" shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) below.
Redemption Event. A Redemption Event will be deemed to occur at the
earliest of (i) the date upon which there is a Change of Control of the
Corporation, (ii) the date upon which the Corporation's Common Stock is not
listed for trading on a United States national securities exchange or the NASDAQ
National Market System, or (iii) the eleventh anniversary of the Initial Issue
Date.
Repurchase Date. The term "Repurchase Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 6(a)(i) below.
Repurchase Price. The term "Repurchase Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 6(a)(i) below.
Securities Act. The term "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Series A Certificate of Designations. The term "Series A Certificate of
Designations" shall mean the Certificate of Designations, Preferences, and
Relative Rights and Limitations relating to the Series A Preferred Stock, in the
form filed with the Delaware Secretary of State.
Series A Preferred Stock. The term "Series A Preferred Stock" shall mean
the Series A Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation.
Series B Preferred Stock. The term "Series B Preferred Stock" shall mean
the Series B Preferred Stock authorized hereby.
Stockholders Agreement. The term "Stockholders Agreement" shall mean that
certain stockholders agreement of the Corporation dated as of August 5, 1998, as
in effect on the Initial Issue Date, a copy of which shall be maintained by the
Secretary of the Corporation and which shall be available to any stockholder of
the Corporation upon request.
2. DESIGNATION.
The series of preferred stock authorized hereby shall be designated as the
"Series B Preferred Stock." The number of shares constituting such series shall
initially be Four Hundred Thousand (400,000). The par value of the Series B
Preferred Stock shall be $.01 per share.
3. CONVERSION TO SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK.
(a) (i) If the stockholders of the Corporation shall on or before the day
that is 120 calendar days following the Initial Issue Date approve the proposal
to allow the Series B Preferred Stock to be converted into shares of the Series
A Preferred Stock (the "Series A-to-B Conversion"), then each outstanding share
of Series B Preferred Stock shall, without any action on the part of the holder
thereof or the Corporation, be automatically converted into one fully-paid and
non-assessable share of Series A Preferred Stock.
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(ii) If the stockholders of the Corporation shall approve the Series
A-to-B Conversion during the period commencing on the date that is 121
calendar days following the Initial Issue Date and continuing up to and
including the date that is 150 calendar days following the Initial Issue
Date, then each outstanding share of Series B Preferred Stock shall,
without any action on the part of the holder thereof or the Corporation, be
automatically converted into 1.15 fully-paid and non-assessable shares of
Series A Preferred Stock.
(iii) If the stockholders of the Corporation shall approve the Series
A-to-B Conversion on or after the date that is 151 days following the
Initial Issue Date, the conversion of the shares of Series B Preferred
Stock into shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be at the sole option
and discretion of each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock, and each
outstanding share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be convertible into 1.2
fully-paid and non-assessable shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
(b) Promptly following the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock to Series
A Preferred Stock pursuant to Sections 3(a)(i) and (ii) above, the holder of the
Series B Preferred Stock shall (i) surrender the certificates or certificates
evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock, duly endorsed in a form
reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation, at the office of the Corporation or
of the transfer agent for the Series B Preferred Stock and (ii) state in writing
the name or names in which the certificate or certificates for shares of Series
A Preferred Stock are to be issued. As soon as practical following receipt of
the foregoing, the Corporation shall deliver to such former holder of Series B
Preferred Stock, a certificate or certificates in denominations acceptable to
the holders representing the shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Such conversion
shall be deemed to have been effected as of the close of business on the date on
which the stockholders of the Corporation approved the Series A-to-B Conversion.
(c) To convert Series B Preferred Stock into Series A Preferred Stock at
the option of the holder pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) above, a holder must give
written notice to the Corporation at such office that such holder elects to
convert Series B Preferred Stock into Series A Preferred Stock, and the number
of shares to be converted. Such conversion shall be deemed to have been effected
as of the close of business on the date on which the holder delivers such notice
to the Corporation (such date is referred to herein as the "Conversion Date" for
purposes of any conversion of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to Section
3(a)(iii)). Promptly thereafter, the holder of the Series B Preferred Stock
shall (i) surrender the certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of
Series B Preferred Stock to be converted, duly endorsed in a form reasonably
satisfactory to the Corporation, at the office of the Corporation or of the
transfer agent for the Series B Preferred Stock and (ii) state in writing the
name or names in which the certificate or certificates for shares of Series A
Preferred Stock are to be issued. As soon as practical following receipt of the
foregoing, the Corporation shall deliver to such former holder of Series B
Preferred Stock, a certificate representing the shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, together with a new certificate representing the unconverted portion, if
any, of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock formerly represented by the
certificate or certificates surrendered for conversion.
4. DIVIDENDS.
(a) The holders of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled
to receive cumulative quarterly dividends at a dividend rate equal to 3 3/4% per
annum (the "Dividend Rate") computed on the basis of $1,000 per share, when and
as declared by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, out of funds legally
available for the payment of dividends; provided, however, on and after the
earlier of the day that is 121 calendar days following the Initial Issue Date or
the date of a stockholders meeting convened for the purpose of obtaining the
approval described in Section 3(a) of this Certificate of Designations, the
dividend rate shall be equal to 7% per annum computed on the basis of $1,000 per
share. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the five-year period commencing with
the Initial Issue Date, payments of dividends shall be made, at the election of
the Corporation, either (i) in cash or (ii) by issuing a number of additional
fully paid and nonassessable shares (and/or fractional shares) of Series B
Preferred Stock for each such share (or fractional share) of Series B Preferred
Stock then outstanding equal to the dividend then payable on each such share (or
fractional share) of Series B Preferred Stock (expressed as a dollar amount)
divided by 1,000.
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Quarterly dividend periods (each a "Quarterly Dividend Period") shall commence
on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, in each year, except that the first
Quarterly Dividend Period shall commence on the date of issuance of the Series B
Preferred Stock, and shall end on and include the day immediately preceding the
first day of the next Quarterly Dividend Period. Dividends on the shares of
Series B Preferred Stock shall be payable on March 31, June 30, September 30,
December 31 of each year (a "Dividend Payment Date"), commencing September 30,
1998. Each such dividend shall be paid to the holders of record of the Series B
Preferred Stock as they shall appear on the stock register of the Corporation on
such record date, not exceeding 45 days nor less than 10 days preceding such
Dividend Payment Date, as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation or a duly authorized committee thereof.
If, on any Dividend Payment Date, the full dividends provided for in this
Section 4(a) are not declared and paid to the holders of the Series B Preferred
Stock, whether in cash or in additional shares of Series B Preferred Stock, then
such dividends shall cumulate with additional dividends thereon, compounded
quarterly, at the dividend rate applicable to the Series B Preferred Stock as
provided in this Section 4(a), for each succeeding full Quarterly Dividend
Period during which such dividends shall remain unpaid. In the event the
Corporation elects to pay dividends in additional shares of Series B Preferred
Stock, the Corporation shall on the Dividend Payment Date deliver to the holders
certificates representing such shares.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Certificate of
Designations, in the event any conversion (including into Series A Preferred
Stock or Non-Voting Common Stock), redemption or liquidation occurs as of a date
other than on a Dividend Payment Date, the holder of Series B Preferred Stock
shall be paid a pro rata dividend equal to the dividend payable for that
Quarterly Dividend Period multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is
the number of days that have elapsed since the last Dividend Payment Date and
the denominator of which is the number of days in the Quarterly Dividend Period
in which the conversion, redemption or liquidation occurs.
(b) The amount of any dividends accrued on any share of the Series B
Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date shall be deemed to be the amount of
any unpaid dividends accumulated thereon to and including such Dividend Payment
Date, whether or not earned or declared. The amount of dividends accrued on any
share of the Series B Preferred Stock on any date other than a Dividend Payment
Date shall be deemed to be the sum of (i) the amount of any unpaid dividends
accumulated thereon to and including the last preceding Dividend Payment Date,
whether or not earned or declared, and (ii) an amount determined by multiplying
(x) the Dividend Rate by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
number of days from the last preceding Dividend Payment Date to and including
the date on which such calculation is made and the denominator of which shall be
the full number of days in such Quarterly Dividend Period.
(c) Immediately prior to authorizing or making any distribution in
redemption or liquidation with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock (other
than a purchase or acquisition of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to a
purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding
Series B Preferred Stock), the Board of Directors shall, to the extent of any
funds legally available therefor, declare a dividend in cash on the Series B
Preferred Stock payable on the distribution date in an amount equal to any
accrued and unpaid dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock as of such date.
5. CONSENT RIGHTS.
(a) Commencing on the day that is 121 calendar days following the Initial
Issue Date and for so long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are
outstanding, the Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, including through
a merger or consolidation with any other corporation or otherwise, without the
consent of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series B
Preferred Stock, (i) increase the number of authorized shares of Series B
Preferred Stock or authorize the issuance or issue of any shares of Series B
Preferred Stock other than to existing holders of Series B Preferred Stock, (ii)
amend, alter or repeal, in any manner whatsoever, the designations, preferences
and relative rights and limitations and restrictions of the Series B Preferred
Stock or the Series A Preferred Stock; (iii) amend, alter or repeal any of the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Corporation in
a manner that would negatively impact the holders of the Series B Preferred
Stock, including (but not limited to) any amendment that is in conflict with
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the consent rights set forth in this Section 5; (iv) directly or indirectly,
redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for value (including through an exchange),
or set apart money or other property for any mandatory purchase or other
analogous fund for the redemption, purchase or acquisition of any shares of
Common Stock or Junior Stock, except for the repurchase by the Corporation of up
to $25,000,000 in Common Stock from J. Ernest Talley, declare or pay any
dividend or make any distribution (whether in cash, shares of capital stock of
the Corporation, or other property) on shares of Common Stock or Junior Stock;
(v) effect a voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation; (vi) sell or agree to sell all or substantially all of the assets
of the Corporation, unless such transaction (1) occurs after the fourth
anniversary of the Initial Issue Date, (2) is a sale for cash and (3) results in
an internal rate of return ("IRR") of 30% compounded quarterly or greater to the
holder of the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to each share of Series B
Preferred Stock issued on the Initial Issue Date, or (vii) enter into any merger
or consolidation or other business combination involving the Corporation (except
a merger of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation into the Corporation in
which the Corporation's capitalization is unchanged as a result of such merger)
unless such transaction (1) occurs after the fourth anniversary of the Initial
Issue Date, (2) is for cash and (3) results in an IRR of 30% compounded
quarterly or greater to the holder of the Series B Preferred Stock with respect
to each share of Series B Preferred Stock issued on the Initial Issue Date.
(b) While any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the
Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, without the majority affirmative
vote of the Finance Committee, issue debt securities of the Corporation with a
value in excess of $10 million (including any refinancing of existing
indebtedness).
(c) While any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the
Corporation will not, directly or indirectly, without the unanimous affirmative
vote of the Finance Committee, issue equity securities of the Corporation with a
value in excess of $10 million (including any refinancing of existing
indebtedness); provided, however, that the following equity issuances shall
require only a majority affirmative vote of the Finance Committee: (A) a Common
Stock offering within 24 months of the Initial Issue Date that is equal to or
less than $75 million of gross proceeds to the Corporation and the selling price
is equal to or greater than the Conversion Price, (B) a Common Stock offering in
which the selling price (1) at any time prior to the third anniversary of the
Initial Issue Date is equal to or greater than two times the Conversion Price
and (2) thereafter, equal to or greater than the price that would imply a 25% or
greater IRR compounded quarterly on the Conversion Price and (C) an issuance of
equity in connection with an acquisition if the issuance is equal to or less
than 10% of the outstanding Common Stock (calculated post-issuance of such
shares of Common Stock).
6. REDEMPTION
(a) Mandatory Redemption.
(i) Right to Require Redemption. If at any time there shall occur any
Redemption Event of the Corporation, then each holder of Series B Preferred
Stock shall have the right, at such holder's option, to require the
Corporation to redeem, and upon the exercise of such right the Corporation
shall redeem, all or any part of such holder's Series B Preferred Stock on
the date (the "Repurchase Date") that is 45 days after the date of the
Corporation Notice (as defined below). The redemption price per share (the
"Repurchase Price") for such shares of Series B Preferred Stock so redeemed
shall equal the Liquidation Preference Amount on the Repurchase Date.
(ii) Notices; Method of Exercising Redemption Right, etc.
(A) Within 15 days after the occurrence of a Redemption Event, the
Corporation shall mail to all holders of record of the Series B
Preferred Stock a notice (the "Corporation Notice") of the occurrence of
the Redemption Event and of the redemption right set forth herein
arising as a result thereof. Each Corporation Notice of a redemption
right shall state: (i) the Repurchase Date; (II) the date by which the
redemption right must be exercised; (III) the Repurchase Price; (IV) a
description of the procedure which a holder must follow to exercise a
redemption right including a form of the irrevocable written notice
referred to in Section 6(a)(ii)(B) hereof; and (V) the place or places
where such Series B Preferred Stock may be surrendered for redemption.
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No failure of the Corporation to give the foregoing notices or any defect
therein shall limit any holder's right to exercise a redemption right or affect
the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of Series B Preferred Stock.
(B) To exercise a redemption right, a holder must deliver to the
Corporation on or before the 15th day after the date of the Corporation
Notice (i) irrevocable written notice of the holder's exercise of such
rights, which notice shall set forth the name of the holder, the amount
of the Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed, a statement that an
election to exercise the redemption right is being made thereby, and
(ii) the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to which the redemption
right is being exercised, duly endorsed for transfer to the Corporation.
Such written notice shall be irrevocable. Subject to the provisions of
Section 6(a)(ii)(D) below, Series B Preferred Stock surrendered for
redemption together with such irrevocable written notice shall cease to
be convertible from the date of delivery of such notice. If the
Repurchase Date falls after the record date and before the following
Dividend Payment Date, any Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed must
be accompanied by payment of an amount equal to the dividends thereon
which the registered holder thereof is to receive on such Dividend
Payment Date, and, notwithstanding such redemption, such dividend
payment will be made by the Corporation to the registered holder thereof
on the applicable record date; provided that any quarterly payment of
dividends becoming due on the Repurchase Date shall be payable to the
holders of such Series B Preferred Stock registered as such on the
relevant record date subject to the terms of Section 4(b) hereof.
(C) In the event a redemption right shall be exercised in
accordance with the terms hereof, the Corporation shall pay or cause to
be paid the Repurchase Price in cash, to the holder on the Repurchase
Date.
(D) If any Series B Preferred Stock surrendered for redemption
shall not be so redeemed on the Repurchase Date, such Series B Preferred
Stock shall be convertible at any time from the Repurchase Date until
redeemed and, until redeemed, continue to accrue dividends to the extent
permitted by applicable law from the Repurchase Date at the same rate
borne by such Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall pay to the
holder of such Series B Preferred Stock the additional amounts arising
from this Section 6(a)(ii)(D) at the time that it pays the Repurchase
Price, and if applicable such Series B Preferred Stock shall remain
convertible into NonVoting Common Stock until the Repurchase Price plus
any additional amounts owing on such Series B Preferred Stock shall have
been paid or duly provided for.
(E) Any Series B Preferred Stock which is to be redeemed only in
part shall be surrendered at any office or agency of the Corporation
designated for that purpose pursuant to Section 6(a)(ii)(A)(V) hereof
and the Corporation shall execute and deliver to the holder of such
Series B Preferred Stock without service charge, a new certificate or
certificates representing the Series B Preferred Stock, of any
authorized denomination as requested by such holder, in aggregate amount
equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the Series B
Preferred Stock so surrendered.
7. PRIORITY.
(a) Priority as to Dividends. Holders of the shares of the Series B
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive the dividends provided for in
Section 4 hereof in preference to and in priority over any Junior Stock or
Common Stock.
(b) Series A Preferred Stock. The Series B Preferred Stock shall rank on
parity with the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends and
redemption.
8. LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE.
(a) In the event of any Liquidation, holders of the Series B Preferred
Stock will be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Corporation whether
such assets are capital or surplus and whether or not any dividends as
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such are declared, the Liquidation Preference Amount to the date fixed for
distribution, and no more, (i) pari passu with any distribution to the holders
of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets and (ii)
before any distribution shall be made to the holders of Junior Stock or Common
Stock with respect to the distribution of assets. If the assets of the
Corporation are not sufficient to pay in full the Liquidation Preference Amount
payable to the holders of outstanding shares of the Series B Preferred Stock,
then the holders of all such shares shall share ratably in such distribution of
assets in accordance with the amount which would be otherwise payable on such
distribution to the holders of Series B Preferred Stock were such Liquidation
Preference Amount paid in full. Except as provided, in this Section 8(a), in the
event of any Liquidation of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any additional payments.
(b) The consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into such
corporation or corporations shall not itself be deemed to be a Liquidation of
the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 8.
(c) Written notice of any Liquidation of the Corporation, stating a payment
date and the place where the distributive amounts shall be payable, shall be
given by mail, postage prepaid, not less than 30 days prior to the payment date
stated therein, to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at
their respective addresses as the same shall appear on the books of the
Corporation.
(d) The Series B Preferred Stock shall rank on parity with the Series A
Preferred Stock with respect to liquidations.
9. CONVERSION.
(a) The Series B Preferred Stock shall not be convertible into any other
class or series of stock of the Corporation until the earlier to occur of the
day that is 121 calendar days following the Initial Issue Date or the date of
the first stockholders meeting following the Initial Issue Date, the earlier
date of which shall constitute the "Conversion Release Date." After the
Conversion Release Date, each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be
convertible at any time and from time to time, at the option of the holder
thereof into validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Non-Voting
Common Stock, in an amount determined in accordance with Section 9(d) below;
provided, however, if after the Conversion Release Date any holder of Series B
Preferred Stock elects to convert but it is determined that the Corporation
cannot issue Non-Voting Common Stock, such holder shall be entitled to receive
Common Stock in lieu of Non-Voting Common Stock.
(b) Immediately following the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock into
NonVoting Common Stock on the Conversion Date (i) such converted shares of
Series B Preferred Stock shall be deemed no longer outstanding and (ii) the
Persons entitled to receive the Non-Voting Common Stock upon the conversion of
such converted Series B Preferred Stock shall be treated for all purposes as
having become the owners of record of such Non-Voting Common Stock. Upon the
issuance of shares of Non-Voting Common Stock upon conversion of Series B
Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 9, such shares of Non-Voting Common
Stock shall be deemed to be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 9, any
holder of Series B Preferred Stock may convert shares of such Series B Preferred
Stock into Non-Voting Common Stock in accordance with Section 9 on a conditional
basis, such that such conversion will not take effect unless the conditions set
forth in Section 9(c) are satisfied, and the Corporation shall make such
arrangements as may be necessary or appropriate to allow such conditional
conversion and to enable the holder to satisfy such other conditions.
(c) To convert Series B Preferred Stock into Non-Voting Common Stock at the
option of the holder pursuant to Section 9(a), a holder must give written notice
to the Corporation at such office that such holder elects to convert Series B
Preferred Stock into Non-Voting Common Stock, and the number of shares to be
converted. Such conversion, to the extent permitted by law, regulation, rule or
other requirement of any governmental authority (collectively, "Laws") and the
provisions hereof, shall be deemed to have been effected as of the close of
business on the date on which the holder delivers such notice to the Corporation
(such date is referred to herein as the "Conversion Date" for purposes of any
conversion of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 9(a)). Promptly
thereafter the holder shall (i) surrender the certificates or
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certificates evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be converted,
duly endorsed in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation, at the
office of the Corporation or of the transfer agent for the Series B Preferred
Stock, (ii) state in writing the name or names in which the certificate or
certificates for shares of Non-Voting Common Stock are to be issued, (iii)
provide evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation that such holder has
satisfied any conditions, contained in any agreement or any legend on the
certificates representing the Series B Preferred Stock, relating to the transfer
thereof, if shares of Non-Voting Common Stock are to be issued in a name or
names other than the holder's, and (iv) pay any transfer or similar tax if
required as provided in Section 9(j) below. As soon as practical following
receipt of the foregoing, the Corporation shall deliver to such former holder of
Series B Preferred Stock, a certificate representing the shares of Non-Voting
Common Stock issued upon the conversion, together with a new certificate
representing the unconverted portion, if any, of the shares of Series B
Preferred Stock formerly represented by the certificate or certificates
surrendered for conversion.
(d) For the purposes of the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock into
Non-Voting Common Stock pursuant to Section 9(a), the number of shares of
Non-Voting Common Stock issuable upon conversion for each share of Series B
Preferred Stock shall be determined by dividing (i) the number of shares of
Common Stock issuable as if the Series B Preferred Stock had been first
converted into Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) hereof
(whether or not the stockholder approval referenced therein has actually
occurred) and then converted into Common Stock by (ii) (A) 1.00, in the event
the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are converted during the period
commencing on the date that is 121 calendar days following the Initial Issue
Date and continuing up to and including the date that is 150 calendar days
following the Initial Issue Date, or (B) .75, in the event the shares of Series
B Preferred Stock are converted on or after the date that is 151 calendar days
following the Initial Issue Date.
(e) In order to prevent dilution of the conversion rights granted
hereunder, the number of shares of Non-Voting Common Stock issuable upon
conversion and the Conversion Price shall each be adjusted from time to time in
the same manner as the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion
of the Series A Preferred Stock and the "Conversion Price" as set forth in the
Series A Certificate of Designations are adjusted pursuant to the Series A
Certificate of Designations.
(f) No fractional shares of Non-Voting Common Stock shall be issued upon
the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock. If any fractional interest in a
share of Non-Voting Common Stock would, except for the provisions of this
Section 9(f), be deliverable upon the conversion of any Series B Preferred
Stock, the Corporation shall, in lieu of delivering the fractional share
therefor, adjust such fractional interest by payment to the holder of such
converted Series B Preferred Stock of an amount in cash equal (computed to the
nearest cent) to the Current Market Price of such fractional interest as of the
end of the Corporation's last fiscal year as determined in good faith in the
sole discretion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
(g) Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted, as herein provided, the
Corporation shall promptly mail a notice of the adjustment to holders of Series
B Preferred Stock by first class mail. The Corporation shall forthwith maintain
at its principal executive office and file with the transfer agent, if any, for
Series B Preferred Stock, a statement, signed by the Chairman of the Board, or
the President, or a Vice President of the Corporation and by its chief financial
officer or an Assistant Treasurer, showing in reasonable detail the facts
requiring such adjustment and the Conversion Price after such adjustment. Such
transfer agent shall be under no duty or responsibility with respect to any such
statement except to exhibit the same from time to time to any holder of Series B
Preferred Stock desiring an inspection thereof.
(h) If there shall occur any capital reorganization or any reclassification
of the capital stock of the Corporation, consolidation or merger of the
Corporation with or into another entity, or the conveyance of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation to another person or entity,
each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall thereafter be convertible into the
number of shares or other securities or property to which a holder of the number
of shares of Non-Voting Common Stock of the Corporation deliverable upon
conversion of such Series B Preferred Stock would have been entitled upon such
reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger or conveyance; and, in
any such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith in the sole
discretion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation) shall be made in the
application of the provisions
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herein set forth with respect to the rights and interests thereafter of the
holders of the Series B Preferred Stock, to the end that the provisions set
forth herein (including provisions with respect to changes in and other
adjustments of the Conversion Price) shall be applicable, as nearly as
reasonably may be, in relation to any shares or other property thereafter
deliverable upon the conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock.
(i) The Corporation shall at all times reserve and keep available, out of
its authorized but unissued shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Non-Voting
Common Stock or treasury shares thereof, solely for the purpose of issuance upon
the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock, the full number of shares of Series
A Preferred Stock and Non-Voting Common Stock deliverable upon the conversion of
all Series B Preferred Stock from time to time outstanding. In addition, the
Corporation shall at all times reserve and keep available, out of its authorized
but unissued shares of Common Stock or treasury shares thereof, solely for the
purpose of issuance upon the conversion of Series A Preferred Stock, the full
number of shares of Common Stock deliverable upon the conversion of those shares
of Series A Preferred Stock deliverable upon the conversion of all Series B
Preferred Stock from time to time outstanding. The Corporation shall from time
to time, in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, increase the
authorized amount of its Series A Preferred Stock or Non-Voting Common Stock if
at any time the authorized number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock or
Non-Voting Common Stock remaining unissued shall not be sufficient to permit the
conversion of all of the Series B Preferred Stock at the time outstanding.
(j) The Corporation shall pay any documentary, stamp or similar issue or
transfer tax due on the issue of (i) shares of Series A Preferred Stock upon
conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock into Series A Preferred Stock and
(ii) shares of Non-Voting Common Stock upon conversion of the Series B Preferred
Stock into Non-Voting Common Stock. The Corporation shall not, however, be
required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved
in the issue and delivery of any security in a name other than that in which the
security so converted was registered, and no such issue or delivery shall be
made unless and until the person requested such issue has paid to the
Corporation the amount of any such tax, or has established to the satisfaction
of the Corporation that such tax has been paid.
10. EXCLUSION OF OTHER RIGHTS.
Except as otherwise required by law, shares of Series B Preferred Stock
shall not have any preferences or relative, participating, optional or other
special rights, other than those specifically set forth in this resolution and
in the Certificate of Designations filed pursuant hereto (as such Certificate
may be amended from time to time) and in the Certificate of Incorporation. No
shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have any rights of preemption or
subscription whatsoever as to any securities of the Corporation, except as
expressly provided in any written agreement among the Corporation and any holder
or holders of Series B Preferred Stock.
11. REISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.
Shares of Series B Preferred Stock that have been issued and reacquired in
any manner, including shares purchased or redeemed or exchanged, shall (upon
compliance with any applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware) be canceled and shall not be reissued.
12. HEADINGS OF SUBDIVISIONS.
The headings of the various subdivisions hereof are for convenience of
reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of any of the provisions
hereof.
13. SEVERABILITY OF PROVISIONS.
If any right, preference or limitation of the Series B Preferred Stock set
forth in this resolution and in the Certificate of Designations for the Series B
Preferred Stock (as such Certificate may be amended from time to time) is
invalid, unlawful or incapable of being enforced by reason of any rule or law or
public policy, all other rights, preferences and limitations set forth in such
Certificate of Designations (as so amended) which can be given effect without
the invalid, unlawful or unenforceable right, preference or limitation shall,
nevertheless,
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remain in full force and effect, and no right, preference or limitation herein
set forth shall be deemed dependent upon any other such right, preference or
limitation unless so expressed herein.
14. NOTICE.
All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given to
the Corporation hereunder shall be made by hand delivery or registered or
certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Corporation at its principal
executive offices (currently located on the date of the adoption of these
resolutions at 13800 Montfort Drive, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75240, Attention:
Secretary. Minor imperfections in any such notice shall not affect the validity
thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Renters Choice, Inc. has caused this certificate to be
signed by L. Dowell Arnette, its Executive Vice President, this 5th day of
August, 1998.
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
a Delaware corporation
By: /s/ L. DOWELL ARNETTE
------------------------------------
Name: L. Dowell Arnette
Title: Executive Vice President
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AMENDED AND RESTATED
1994 RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
1. Objectives. The 1994 Renters Choice, Inc. Long-Term
Incentive Plan (the "Plan") is designed to retain selected employees and
non-employee directors of Renters Choice, Inc. (the "Company") and reward them
for making significant contributions to the success of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined). These objectives are to be accomplished
by making awards under the Plan and thereby providing Participants (as
hereinafter defined) with a proprietary interest in the growth and performance
of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
2. Definitions. As used herein, the terms set forth below
shall have the following respective meanings:
"Agreement" means a written agreement between the Company and
a Participant that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations applicable
to an Employee Award or a Director Option.
"Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
"Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
from time to time.
"Committee" means such committee of the Board as is designated
by the Board to administer the Plan. The Committee shall be constituted to
permit the Plan to comply with Rule 16b-3.
"Common Stock" means the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per
share, of the Company.
"Director" means an individual serving as a member of the
Board who is not an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
"Director Option" means a nonqualified stock option granted to
a Director under the terms of this Plan.
"Employee Award" means the grant of any form of Employee Stock
Option, stock appreciation right, stock award or cash award, whether granted
singly, in combination or in tandem, to an employee of the Company or any
Subsidiary pursuant to any applicable terms, conditions and limitations as the
Committee may establish in order to fulfill the objectives of the Plan.
<PAGE> 61
"Employee Stock Option" means an incentive stock option or a
nonqualified stock option granted to an employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries under this Plan by the Committee.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended from time to time.
"Fair Market Value" means, as of a particular date, (a) if the
shares of Common Stock are listed on a national securities exchange, the mean
between the highest and lowest sales price per share of Common Stock on the
consolidated transaction reporting system for the principal such national
securities exchange on that date, or, if there shall have been no such sale so
reported on that date, on the last preceding date on which such a sale was so
reported, (b) if the shares of Common Stock are not so listed but are quoted on
the Nasdaq National Market, the mean between the highest and lowest sales price
per share of Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market on that date, or, if
there shall have been no such sale so reported on that date, on the last
preceding date on which such a sale was so reported or (c) if the Common Stock
is not so listed or quoted, the mean between the closing bid and asked price on
that date, or, if there are no quotations available for such date, on the last
preceding date on which such quotations shall be available, as reported by the
Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., or, if not reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.,
by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.
"Participant" means an employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to whom an Employee Award has been made under this Plan or a
Director who has received a Director Option.
"Rule 16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange
Act, or any successor rule.
"Subsidiary" means any corporation of which the Company
directly or indirectly owns shares representing more than 50% of the voting
power of all classes or series of capital stock of such corporation which have
the right to vote generally on matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders
of such corporation.
3. Eligibility.
(a) Employee Awards. All employees of the Company and its
Subsidiaries are eligible for Employee Awards under this Plan. The Committee
shall select the employees who shall become Participants in the Plan from time
to time by the grant of Employee Awards under the Plan.
(b) Director Options. Recipients of Director Options shall
include all persons who, as of the time Director Options are awarded, are
serving as Directors of the Company.
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4. Common Stock Available Under the Plan. There shall be
available for Employee Awards granted wholly or partly in Common Stock
(including rights or options which may be exercised for or settled in Common
Stock) and Director Options during the term of this Plan an aggregate of
4,500,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment as provided in Paragraph
14, 360,000 of which shall be set aside for issuance pursuant to Director
Options and 225,000 of which shall be set aside for stock awards, as described
in subparagraph 6(iii) hereof. The Board and the appropriate officers of the
Company shall from time to time take whatever actions are necessary to file
required documents with governmental authorities and stock exchanges and
transaction reporting systems to make shares of Common Stock available for
issuance pursuant to Employee Awards and Director Options. Common Stock related
to Employee Awards and Director Options that are forfeited or terminated, expire
unexercised, are settled in cash in lieu of Common Stock or in a manner such
that all or some of the shares covered by an Employee Award or Director Option
are not issued to a Participant, or are exchanged for Employee Awards that do
not involve Common Stock, shall immediately become available for Employee Awards
and Director Options hereunder. The Committee may from time to time adopt and
observe such procedures concerning the counting of shares against the Plan
maximum as it may deem appropriate under Rule 16b-3.
5. Administration. This Plan shall be administered by the
Committee, which shall have full and exclusive power to interpret this Plan and
to adopt such rules, regulations and guidelines for carrying out this Plan as it
may deem necessary or proper, all of which powers shall be exercised in the best
interests of the Company and in keeping with the objectives of this Plan. The
Committee may, in its discretion, provide for the extension of the
exercisability of an Employee Award, accelerate the vesting or exercisability of
an Employee Award, eliminate or make less restrictive any restrictions contained
in an Employee Award, waive any restriction or other provision of an Employee
Award or otherwise amend or modify an Employee Award in any manner that is
either (a) not adverse to the Participant holding such Employee Award or (b)
consented to by such Participant. The Committee may correct any defect or supply
any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in this Plan or in any Employee
Award in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or desirable
to carry it into effect. Any decision of the Committee in the interpretation and
administration of this Plan shall lie within its sole and absolute discretion
and shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties concerned. No member
of the Committee or officer of the Company to whom it has delegated authority in
accordance with the provisions of this Plan shall be liable for anything done or
omitted to be done by him or her, by any member of the Committee or by any
officer of the Company in connection with the performance of any duties under
this Plan, except for his or her own willful misconduct or as expressly provided
by statute. The Committee may delegate to the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company and to other senior officers of the Company its duties under this Plan
pursuant to such conditions or limitations as the Committee may establish,
except that the Committee may not delegate to any person the authority to grant
Employee Awards to, or take other action with respect to, Participants who are
subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
6. Employee Awards. The Committee shall determine the type or
types of Awards to be made to each Participant under this Plan. Each Employee
Award made hereunder shall
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be embodied in an Agreement, which shall contain such terms, conditions and
limitations as shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and
shall be signed by the Participant and by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief
Operating Officer or any Vice President of the Company for and on behalf of the
Company. Employee Awards may consist of those listed in this Paragraph 6 and may
be granted singly, in combination or in tandem. Employee Awards may also be made
in combination or in tandem with, in replacement of, or as alternatives to
grants or rights (a) under this Plan or any other employee plan of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, including the plan of any acquired entity, or (b)
made to any Company or Subsidiary employee by the Company or any Subsidiary. An
Employee Award may provide for the granting or issuance of additional,
replacement or alternative Employee Awards upon the occurrence of specified
events, including the exercise of the original Employee Award. Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, no Participant may be granted Employee Awards
consisting of stock options or stock appreciation rights exercisable for more
than 20% of the shares of Common Stock originally authorized for Employee Awards
under this Plan, subject to adjustment as provided in Paragraph 14. In the event
of an increase in the number of shares authorized under the Plan, the 20%
limitation will apply to the number of shares authorized.
(i) Employee Stock Option. An Employee Award may consist of a
right to purchase a specified number of shares of Common Stock at a price
specified by the Committee in the Agreement or otherwise. A stock option may be
in the form of an incentive stock option ("ISO") which, in addition to being
subject to applicable terms, conditions and limitations established by the
Committee, complies with Section 422 of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no ISO can be granted under the Plan more than ten years following the Effective
Date of the Plan.
(ii) Stock Appreciation Right. An Employee Award may consist of
a right to receive a payment, in cash or Common Stock, equal to the excess of
the Fair Market Value or other specified valuation of a specified number of
shares of Common Stock on the date the stock appreciation right ("SAR") is
exercised over a specified strike price as set forth in the applicable
Agreement.
(iii) Stock Award. An Employee Award may consist of Common Stock
or may be denominated in units of Common Stock. All or part of any stock
Employee Award may be subject to conditions established by the Committee and set
forth in the Agreement, which conditions may include, but are not limited to,
continuous service with the Company and its Subsidiaries, achievement of
specific business objectives, increases in specified indices, attaining
specified growth rates and other comparable measurements of performance. Such
Employee Awards may be based on Fair Market Value or other specified valuations.
The certificates evidencing shares of Common Stock issued in connection with a
stock Employee Award shall contain appropriate legends and restrictions
describing the terms and conditions of the restrictions applicable thereto.
(iv) Cash Award. An Employee Award may be denominated in cash
with the amount of the eventual payment subject to future service and such other
restrictions and conditions as may be established by the Committee and set forth
in the Agreement, including, but not limited
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to, continuous service with the Company and its Subsidiaries, achievement of
specific business objectives, increases in specified indices, attaining
specified growth rates and other comparable measurements of performance.
7. Director Stock Options. Director Options shall be granted
to each eligible Director as of the date of consummation of the initial public
offering of the Common Stock providing for the purchase of 9,000 shares of
Common Stock. Commencing on January 1, 1996, automatic annual awards of Director
Options shall be made to each eligible Director on the first business day of the
Company's fiscal year, providing for the purchase of 3,000 shares of Common
Stock; provided that such Director Options shall provide for the purchase of
9,000 shares of Common Stock if the recipient of such Director Option had not
previously received a grant of a Director Option pursuant to this Plan. The
purchase price of each share of Common Stock placed under a Director Option
shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of such shares on the date the Director
Option is granted; provided, that the purchase price of each share of Common
Stock placed under a Director Option on the date of consummation of the initial
public offering of the Common Stock shall be equal to the initial public
offering price of the Common Stock. Director Options shall terminate and be of
no force or effect with respect to any shares not previously purchased by the
Director Optionee upon the expiration of ten years from the date of granting of
each Director Option, notwithstanding any earlier termination of the Director
Optionee's status as a Director of the Company. All Director Options shall be
exercisable immediately on the date of grant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
grant of Director Options shall be made unless the number of shares available
under the Plan is sufficient to make all automatic grants of Director Options on
the grant date. All Director Options shall be evidenced by a written Agreement
conforming with the terms of this Plan.
8. Payment of Employee Awards.
(a) General. Payment of Employee Awards may be made in the
form of cash or Common Stock or combinations thereof and may include such
restrictions as the Committee shall determine including, in the case of Common
Stock, restrictions on transfer and forfeiture provisions. As used herein,
"Restricted Stock" means Common Stock that is restricted or subject to
forfeiture provisions.
(b) Deferral. The Committee may, in its discretion, (i) permit
selected Participants to elect to defer payments of some or all types of
Employee Awards in accordance with procedures established by the Committee or
(ii) provide for the deferral of an Employee Award in an Agreement or otherwise.
Any such deferral may be in the form of installment payments or a future lump
sum payment. Any deferred payment, whether elected by the Participant or
specified by the Agreement or by the Committee, may be forfeited if and to the
extent that the Agreement so provides.
(c) Dividends and Interest. Dividends or dividend equivalent
rights may be extended to and made part of any Employee Award denominated in
Common Stock or units of
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Common Stock, subject to such terms, conditions and restrictions as the
Committee may establish. The Committee may also establish rules and procedures
for the crediting of interest on deferred cash payments and dividend equivalents
for deferred payment denominated in Common Stock or units of Common Stock.
(d) Substitution of Employee Awards. At the discretion of the
Committee, a Participant may be offered an election to substitute an Employee
Award for another Employee Award of the same or different type.
9. Stock Option Exercise. The price at which shares of Common
Stock may be purchased under a stock option shall be paid in full at the time of
exercise in cash or, if permitted by the Committee, by means of tendering Common
Stock or surrendering all or part of that or any other Employee Award, including
Restricted Stock, valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise, or any
combination thereof. The Committee shall determine acceptable methods for
tendering Common Stock or Employee Awards to exercise a stock option as it deems
appropriate. If permitted by the Committee, payment may be made by successive
exercises by the Participant. The Committee may provide for procedures to permit
the exercise or purchase of Employee Awards by (a) loans from the Company or (b)
use of the proceeds to be received from the sale of Common Stock issuable
pursuant to an Employee Award. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable
Agreement, in the event shares of Restricted Stock are tendered as consideration
for the exercise of a stock option, a number of the shares issued upon the
exercise of the stock option, equal to the number of shares of Restricted Stock
used as consideration therefor, shall be subject to the same restrictions as the
Restricted Stock so submitted as well as any additional restrictions that may be
imposed by the Committee.
10. Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the right to
deduct applicable taxes from any Employee Award payment and withhold, at the
time of delivery or vesting of cash or shares of Common Stock under this Plan,
an appropriate amount of cash or number of shares of Common Stock or a
combination thereof for payment of taxes required by law or to take such other
action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all
obligations for withholding of such taxes. The Committee may also permit
withholding to be satisfied by the transfer to the Company of shares of Common
Stock theretofore owned by the holder of the Employee Award with respect to
which withholding is required. If shares of Common Stock are used to satisfy tax
withholding, such shares shall be valued based on the Fair Market Value when the
tax withholding is required to be made.
11. Amendment, Modification, Suspension or Termination. The
Board may amend, modify, suspend or terminate this Plan for the purpose of
meeting or addressing any changes in legal requirements or for any other purpose
permitted by law except that (a) no amendment or alteration that would impair
the rights of any Participant under any Employee Award previously granted to
such Participant shall be made without such Participant's consent, (b) no
amendment or alteration shall be effective prior to approval by the Company's
stockholders to the extent such approval is then required pursuant to Rule 16b-3
in order to preserve the applicability of any
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<PAGE> 66
exemption provided by such rule to any Employee Award then outstanding (unless
the holder of such Employee Award consents) or to the extent stockholder
approval is otherwise required by applicable legal requirements, and (c) the
Plan shall not be amended more than once every six months to the extent such
limitation is required by Rule l6b-3(c)(2)(ii) (or any successor provision)
under the Exchange Act as then in effect.
12. Termination of Employment. Upon the termination of
employment by a Participant, any unexercised, deferred or unpaid Employee Awards
shall be treated as provided in the specific Agreement evidencing the Employee
Award. In the event of such a termination, the Committee may, in its discretion,
provide for the extension of the exercisability of an Employee Award, accelerate
the vesting or exercisability of an Employee Award, eliminate or make less
restrictive any restrictions contained in an Employee Award, waive any
restriction or other provision of this Plan or an Employee Award or otherwise
amend or modify the Employee Award in any manner that is either (a) not adverse
to such Participant or (b) consented to by such Participant.
13. Assignability. Unless otherwise determined by the
Committee and provided in the Agreement, no Employee Award, Director Option or
any other benefit under this Plan constituting a derivative security within the
meaning of Rule 16a-l(c) under the Exchange Act shall be assignable or otherwise
transferable except by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant
to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Code or Title I of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules thereunder. The Committee
may prescribe and include in applicable Agreements other restrictions on
transfer. Any attempted assignment of an Employee Award, Director Option or any
other benefit under this Plan in violation of this Paragraph 13 shall be null
and void.
14. Adjustments.
(a) The existence of outstanding Employee Awards shall not
affect in any manner the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to
make or authorize any or all adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations or
other changes in the capital stock of the Company or its business or any merger
or consolidation of the Company, or any issue of bonds, debentures, preferred or
prior preference stock (whether or not such issue is prior to, on a parity with
or junior to the Common Stock) or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company,
or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any
other corporate act or proceeding of any kind, whether or not of a character
similar to that of the acts or proceedings enumerated above.
(b) In the event of any subdivision or consolidation of
outstanding shares of Common Stock or declaration of a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or capital reorganization or reclassification or other
transaction involving an increase or reduction in the number of outstanding
shares of Common Stock, the Committee may adjust proportionally (i) the number
of shares of Common Stock reserved under this Plan and covered by outstanding
Employee Awards and Director Options denominated in Common Stock or units of
Common Stock; (ii) the exercise or other price in respect of such Employee
Awards and Director Options; and (iii) the
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<PAGE> 67
appropriate Fair Market Value and other price determinations for such Employee
Awards and Director Options. In the event of any consolidation or merger of the
Company with another corporation or entity or the adoption by the Company of a
plan of exchange affecting the Common Stock or any distribution to holders of
Common Stock of securities or property (other than normal cash dividends or
dividends payable in Common Stock), the Committee shall make such adjustments or
other provisions as it may deem equitable, including adjustments to avoid
fractional shares, to give proper effect to such event. In the event of a
corporate merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation,
reorganization or liquidation, the Committee shall be authorized to issue or
assume stock options, regardless of whether in a transaction to which Section
424(a) of the Code applies, by means of substitution of new options for
previously issued options or an assumption of previously issued options, or to
make provision for the acceleration of the exercisability of, or lapse of
restrictions with respect to, Employee Awards and the termination of unexercised
options in connection with such transaction.
15. Restrictions. No Common Stock or other form of payment
shall be issued with respect to any Employee Award unless the Company shall be
satisfied based on the advice of its counsel that such issuance will be in
compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. It is the intent
of the Company that this Plan comply with Rule 16b-3 with respect to persons
subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act unless otherwise provided herein or in
an Agreement, that any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the construction of
this Plan be interpreted to give effect to such intention and that, if any
provision of this Plan is found not to be in compliance with Rule 16b-3, such
provision shall be null and void to the extent required to permit this Plan to
comply with Rule 16b-3. Certificates evidencing shares of Common Stock delivered
under this Plan may be subject to such stop transfer orders and other
restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations
and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any securities
exchange or transaction reporting system upon which the Common Stock is then
listed and any applicable federal and state securities law. The Committee may
cause a legend or legends to be placed upon any such certificates to make
appropriate reference to such restrictions.
16. Unfunded Plan. Insofar as it provides for Employee Awards
of cash, and Employee Awards and Director Options covering Common Stock or
rights thereto, this Plan shall be unfunded. Although bookkeeping accounts may
be established with respect to Participants who are entitled to cash, Common
Stock or rights thereto under this Plan, any such accounts shall be used merely
as a bookkeeping convenience. The Company shall not be required to segregate any
assets that may at any time be represented by cash, Common Stock or rights
thereto, nor shall this Plan be construed as providing for such segregation, nor
shall the Company, the Board or the Committee be deemed to be a trustee of any
cash, Common Stock or rights thereto to be granted under this Plan. Any
liability or obligation of the Company to any Participant with respect to a
grant of cash, Common Stock or rights thereto under this Plan shall be based
solely upon any contractual obligations that may be created by this Plan and any
Agreement, and no such liability or obligation of the Company shall be deemed to
be secured by any pledge or other encumbrance on any property of the Company.
None of the Company, the Board or the Committee shall be required to give any
security or bond for the performance of any obligation that may be created by
this Plan.
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<PAGE> 68
17. Governing Law. This Plan and all determinations made and
actions taken pursuant hereto, to the extent not otherwise governed by mandatory
provisions of the Code or the securities laws of the United States, shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.
18. Effective Date of Plan.
(a) This Plan was approved by the Board of Directors of the
Company as of December 5, 1994, and by the unanimous written consent dated as of
December 21, 1994, of the holders of all of the shares of Common Stock
outstanding and entitled to vote thereon.
(b) The Plan was amended effective May 20, 1996 for the
purpose of increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan
from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000. The amendments to the Plan were approved by the
Board of Directors of the Company as of March 18, 1996, and by the holders of a
majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company as
of May 20, 1996.
(c) The Plan was again amended effective May 21, 1998 for the
purpose of increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan
from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000. The amendment to the Plan was approved by the Board
of Directors of the Company on March 16, 1998, and by the holders of a majority
of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company on May 18,
1998. For purposes of ease of administration and clarity of reference, the Plan
was amended and restated to incorporate the 1996 and the 1998 amendments.
(d) The Plan was again amended on September 14, 1998 for the
purpose of increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan
from 3,000,000 to 4,500,000. The amendment to the Plan was approved by the Board
of Directors of the Company on September 14, 1998. For purposes of ease of
administration and clarity of reference, the Plan was amended and restated to
incorporate all amendments.
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
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<PAGE> 69
RENTERS CHOICE, INC.
13800 MONTFORT DRIVE, SUITE 300
P DALLAS, TEXAS 75240
R
O THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
X THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY
Y
The undersigned, hereby revoking all prior proxies, hereby
appoints Danny Z. Wilbanks and David M. Glasgow jointly and severally,
with full power to act alone, as my true and lawful attorneys-in-fact,
agents and proxies, with full and several power of substitution to
each, to vote all the shares of Common Stock of Renters Choice, Inc.
(the "Company") which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if
personally present at the Special Meeting of Stockholders of Renters
Choice, Inc. to be held on October 20, 1998 and at any adjournments
and postponements thereof. The above-named proxies are hereby
instructed to vote as shown on the reverse side of this card.
THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED AS SPECIFIED
HEREIN, BUT WHERE NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN IT WILL BE VOTED "FOR"
PROPOSALS 1 AND 2 AND IN THE DISCRETION OF THE ABOVE-NAMED PERSONS
ACTING AS PROXIES ON SUCH OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE
THE MEETING.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS/ADDRESS CHANGE: PLEASE MARK COMMENT/ADDRESS CHANGE ON
REVERSE SIDE
(Continued and to be signed on other side)
o FOLD AND DETACH HERE o
<PAGE> 70
1. APPROVE (i) the conversion of 120,209 shares of the Company's Series B
Convertible Preferred Stock that have been issued to Apollo Management, IV
L.P., together with certain of its affiliates and to RC Acquisition Corp.
into 120,209 shares of the Company's Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
that, upon conversion (along with the other shares of Series A Preferred
Stock previously issued), will represent more than 20% of the voting power
outstanding prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, and (ii)
the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock.
FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
2. AMEND the Amended and Restated Renters Choice, Inc. 1994 Long-Term Incentive
Plan to increase the number of shares of the Company's common stock par value
$.01 per share, reserved for issuance from 3,000,000 to 4,500,000.
FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
3. In their discretion, upon such other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
The undersigned(s) acknowledges receipt of the proxy statement, dated September
18, 1998.
Please date this proxy and sign your name exactly as it appears hereon. If there
is more than one owner, each should sign. When signing as an agent, attorney,
administrator, guardian or trustee, please indicate your title as such. If
executed by a corporation, this proxy should be signed in the corporate name by
a duly authorized officer who should so indicate his or her title.
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THIS PROXY
PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
- --------------------------------
Date
- --------------------------------
Signature
- --------------------------------
Signature if held jointly
o FOLD AND DETACH HERE o
