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DEBT
3 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements  
DEBT

NOTE 4 - DEBT

Lines of Credit

On April 10, 2010, the Company renewed the loan agreement (Loan Agreement) with BOA for three years under terms similar to the prior Loan Agreement, including the same customary covenants. The Loan Agreement provides for a revolving line of credit in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000, together with a letter of credit facility not to exceed $2,000,000. The Company and its subsidiaries also entered into security agreements with BOA, pursuant to which the Company granted a security interest to BOA in all of its domestic assets and 65% of the capital stock of the Australian Operations.  At July 31, 2011, outstanding borrowings were $5,560,977 under the Loan Agreement.
 
For the first quarter ended July 31, 2011, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants under the Loan Agreement compared to each of the fiscal quarters in fiscal 2011 when the Company was in default of the financial covenants under the Loan Agreement due to the operating losses incurred during the previous fiscal year.  In the first quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company obtained a waiver for this non-compliance from BOA.  However, as a result of the non-compliance with the financial covenants at the completion of our second fiscal quarter of 2011, on December 22, 2010 the Company executed the terms of a forbearance agreement with BOA (the Forbearance Agreement).  On March 28, 2011 but effective February 28, 2011, the Company entered into a first amendment (the Forbearance Amendment) of the Forbearance Agreement.  Under the terms of the Forbearance Amendment, BOA agreed not to exercise its rights or remedies against the Company as a result of these events of default until the earlier of (a) September 30, 2011 or (b) an event of termination under the Forbearance Agreement.

On June 28, 2011, the Company received a letter dated June 27, 2011 from counsel to BOA pursuant to which BOA alleged that certain events of default considered to be events of termination under the Forbearance Agreement have occurred under the Loan Agreement ( including the Forbearance Agreement), including failures to (i) provide a compliance certificate pursuant to section 8.2(f) of the Loan Agreement, (ii) maintain EBITDA on a quarterly basis of not less than $425,000 for the quarter ending April 30, 2011 pursuant to section 8.3 of the Loan Agreement, (iii) maintain, on a consolidated basis, a Funded Debt to Tangible Net Worth Ratio of not more than 1.00 to 1.00 as of April 30, 2011 pursuant to section 8.4 of the Loan Agreement, (iv) maintain, on a consolidated basis, an Interest Coverage Ratio, on a quarterly (and not a rolling four-quarter) basis, of at least 3.00 to 1.00 for the quarter ending April 30, 2011 pursuant to section 8.5 of the Loan Agreement, (v) maintain, on a consolidated basis, a Funded Debt to EBITDA Ratio on a quarterly basis of not more than 21.00 to 1.00 for the quarter ending April 30, 2011 pursuant to section 8.25 of the Loan Agreement, and (vi) maintain, on a consolidated basis, a Basic Fixed Charge Ratio of not less than 1.20 to 1.00 as of the April 30, 2011 quarter end pursuant to section 2(d)(iii) of the  Forbearance Amendment.

The Company is currently negotiating and expects to complete the terms of another forbearance amendment with BOA.  Under the expected terms of the new forbearance amendment, the maturity of the Loan Agreement will be November 30, 2011.  Upon execution of the new forbearance amendment, availability under the credit facility will be limited to a lesser of (a) $3,800,000 or (b) 60% of eligible accounts receivable plus 30% of eligible inventory.  Subsequent to October 21, 2011, availability under the credit facility will be limited to a lesser of (a) $3,500,000 or (b) 60% of eligible accounts receivable plus 30% of eligible inventory to November 30, 2011.  Borrowings on the line of credit will bear interest at BOA’s prime rate (currently 3.25%) plus three hundred basis points  at October 1, 2011, BOA’s prime rate plus four hundred basis points at November 1, 2011, and BOA’s prime rate plus five hundred basis points, if the outstanding balance is not paid at maturity.  In connection with the new forbearance amendment the Company expects to pay a fee of $50,000 plus related legal and documentation fees, and an additional fee of $75,000 will be paid only if the credit line is not paid at maturity.

As further described in Note 9, “Subsequent Event”, on September 1, 2011, the Company completed the sale of its St. Louis and Sarasota operations centers to Multiband Corporation (Multiband) for $2,000,000 in cash.  The $2,000,000 in cash proceeds was paid to BOA to reduce the outstanding borrowings under the Loan Agreement to $3,560,977 as of September 13, 2011.
 
While the Company and BOA have commenced discussions concerning the Loan Agreement and the events of default, there can be no assurance that the Company and BOA will come to any agreement regarding repayment, future forbearance terms, waiver and/or modification of the Loan Agreement and/or the default of the financial covenants.
 

Due to the short-term nature of the Forbearance Agreement and Forbearance Amendment, the line of credit borrowings under the Loan Agreement are classified as a current liability.

Loans Payable

The Company’s long-term debt also consists of notes issued by the Company or assumed in acquisitions related to working capital funding and the purchase of property and equipment in the ordinary course of business. At July 31, 2011, loans payable and capital lease obligations totaled $362,583 with interest rates ranging from 0% to 14.3%.

Due Joint Venture Partner

As of July 31, 2011, the China Operations had outstanding loans due the joint venture partner, Taian Gas Group (TGG), totaling $3,134,583, of which $2,875,973 matures on December 31, 2011, and bears interest at 5.81%.  The Company expects to renew the outstanding loans on or prior to maturity consistent with historical practice. The remaining balance of $258,610 is due on demand and represents interest accrued and working capital loans from TGG to the China Operations in the normal course of business.