UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act
of 1934
Date of Report (Date
of earliest event reported)
March 29, 2007 (March 26, 2007)
STERLING
CHEMICALS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified
in its charter)
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Delaware (State or other
jurisdiction of incorporation) |
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000-50132 (Commission File No.) |
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76-0502785 (IRS
Employer Identification
No.) |
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333 Clay Street,
Suite 3600 Houston, Texas (Address of principal execute
offices) |
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77002-4109 (Zip Code) |
(713) 650-3700
(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)
Not
Applicable
(Former names or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the
Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of
the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o Written communications
pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material
pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
Item 1.01.
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
A. Purchase
Agreement
On March 26, 2007, Sterling
Chemicals, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a purchase agreement
(the “Purchase Agreement”) with respect to the sale of
$150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 101/4% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 (the
“Notes”) to Jefferies & Company, Inc. and CIBC World Markets
Corp., as initial purchasers (the “Initial Purchasers”). Sterling
Chemicals Energy, Inc. (the “Guarantor”) is also a party to the
Purchase Agreement as a guarantor.
The Purchase Agreement contains
customary representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the
Guarantor. The Company and the Guarantor have agreed to indemnify the Initial
Purchasers against certain liabilities, including under the securities laws, or
to contribute to payments that the Initial Purchasers may be required to make in
that respect.
B. Indenture
Today, March 29, 2007, the Company
completed the private offering of the Notes pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
In connection with the offering, the Company entered into an indenture (the
"Indenture”) dated March 29, 2007 among the Company, the
Guarantor and U. S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the
“Trustee”).
The Indenture contains affirmative and
negative covenants and customary events of default, including payment defaults,
breaches of covenants and certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency and
reorganization. If an event of default, other than an event of default triggered
upon certain bankruptcy events, occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the
holders of at least 25% in principal amount of outstanding Notes may declare the
Notes to be due and payable immediately. Additionally, the Trustee may take such
actions to foreclose on the collateral securing the Notes in accordance with the
Intercreditor Agreement (as defined below).
The Company will pay interest on the
Notes on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on October 1, 2007.
The Notes, which mature on April 1, 2015, are the Company’s senior secured
obligations and rank equal in right of payment with all existing and future
senior indebtedness. Subject to specified permitted liens, the Notes will be
secured (i) on a first priority basis by security interests in all the
Company’s and the Guarantor’s fixed assets and certain related assets,
including, without limitation, all property, plant and equipment (the
“Primary Collateral”) and (ii) on a second priority basis by
security interests in the Company’s and the Guarantor’s other assets, including,
without limitation, accounts receivable, inventory, capital stock of the Company
and of the Guarantor, certain intellectual property, deposit accounts and
investment property (the “Secondary Collateral”).
The Notes are being offered by the
Initial Purchasers only to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with
Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S
under the Securities Act and to certain institutional investors within the
meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of the Securities Act.
The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities
laws of any other jurisdiction. Unless they are so registered, the Notes may be
offered and sold only in
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transactions that are
exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the applicable securities
laws of other jurisdictions.
Pursuant to the Indenture, the Company
entered into a Security Agreement (the “Security Agreement”),
dated as of March 29, 2007, among the Company, the Guarantor and U. S. Bank
National Association, as collateral agent on behalf of the holder of the Notes,
and a Pledge Agreement (the "Pledge Agreement”), dated as of
March 29, 2007, among the Company, the Guarantor and U. S. Bank National
Association, as collateral agent on behalf of the holder of the Notes, under
which the Company and the Guarantor granted a security interest in the Primary
Collateral and the Secondary Collateral to secure their obligations under the
Indenture.
C. Registration
Rights Agreement
Holders of the Notes are entitled to
the benefits of a Registration Rights Agreement (the "Registration Rights
Agreement”), dated as of March 29, 2007, by and among the Company,
the Guarantor and the Initial Purchasers. Under the Registration Rights
Agreement, the Company is required to use its commercially reasonable efforts to
file an exchange offer registration statement with the Securities and Exchange
Commission within 180 days after the issue date of the Notes, enabling
holders of the Notes to exchange the privately placed Notes for substantially
identical publicly registered notes. The Company must also use its commercially
reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement to become effective
within 270 days after the issue date of the Notes and to complete the
exchange offer within 50 days after the effective date of the registration
statement. Failure by the Company to comply with the obligations under the
Registration Rights Agreement will result in an increase of the interest rates
on the Notes.
D. Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement
On March 29, 2007, the Company
entered into an Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement (the
“Credit Agreement”), dated as of March 29, 2007, among the
Company and the Guarantor, as borrowers, the various financial institutions
parties thereto from time to time, as lenders, and The CIT Group/Business
Credit, Inc., as a lender and administrative agent (“CIT”). The
Credit Agreement amends and restates the Revolving Credit Agreement dated
December 19, 2002. Under the Credit Agreement, which has an initial term
ending in 2012, the Company will have a borrowing capacity of $50 million.
The Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement will be secured by first
priority liens on the Secondary Collateral.
The Credit Agreement contains numerous
covenants and conditions, including, but not limited to, restrictions on the
Company’s ability to incur indebtedness, create liens, sell assets, make
investments, make capital expenditures, engage in mergers and acquisitions and
pay dividends. Additionally, the Credit Agreement contains customary events of
default.
In connection with the Credit
Agreement, the Company and the Guarantor entered into an Amended and Restated
Security Agreement (the “Credit Security Agreement”), dated as of
March 29, 2007, among the Company, the Guarantor and CIT, as administrative
agent on behalf of the lenders, and an Amended and Restated Pledge Agreement
(the “Credit Pledge Agreement”), dated as of March 29, 2007,
among the Company, the Guarantor and CIT, as administrative agent on behalf of
the lenders, under which the Company and the Guarantor
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granted a security
interest in the Secondary Collateral to secure their obligations under the
Credit Agreement.
Item 2.03
Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation Under an Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
See Item 1.01(B), which is
incorporated herein by reference, with respect to the completion of the private
offering by the Company of the Notes.
See Item 1.01(D), which is
incorporated herein by reference, with respect to the Company’s incurrence of
indebtedness.
Item 8.01.
Other Events.
The Company is announcing that the
offer to purchase and consent solicitation (the “Tender Offer”)
relating to its 10% Senior Secured Notes due 2007 (the “10%
Notes”) expired at 12:00 midnight New York City time on March 28,
2007 (the “Expiration Time”). In connection with the Tender Offer,
the Company has accepted for repurchase $57,994,467 in aggregate principal
amount of 10% Notes for were validly tendered prior to Expiration Time, and will
repurchase such notes and pay the accrued interest thereon, on Friday,
March 30, 2007. In connection with the Tender Offer, the Company will also
pay an aggregate of approximately $144,986 in fees to holders of the 10% Notes
who validly delivered their consents to certain amendments to the indenture
governing the 10% Notes.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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| Date: March 29, 2007 |
STERLING CHEMICALS, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Paul
G. Vanderhoven |
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Paul G. Vanderhoven |
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Senior Vice President -- Finance and Chief
Financial Officer |
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