Long-Term Debt and Commitments Related to Letters of Credit

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2020

Long-term debt and commitments related to letters of credit [Text Block]

Long-Term Debt and Commitments Related to Letters of Credit

Our long-term debt consisted of the following:



	March 28, 2020		December 31, 2019
Revolving credit facility:
Swing-line borrowings	$	20,000	$	10,000
LIBOR borrowings	123,000		52,000
	143,000		62,000
Senior unsecured notes:
5.09% Senior unsecured notes	6,000		6,000
3.99% Senior unsecured notes	50,000		50,000
4.00% Senior unsecured notes	25,000		25,000
	81,000		81,000
Term loans	17,232		24,076
	241,232		167,076
Less debt issuance costs	373		420
Less current portion	20,775		23,302
	$	220,084	$	143,354

Revolving Credit Facility --As of March 28, 2020, we had a $250,000 revolving credit facility with a group of banks, which expires in October 2022 and permits borrowings, as defined, up to $250,000, including a letter of credit sublimit of $100,000 and a swing-line commitment of $25,000. Under certain circumstances, the amount available under the revolving credit facility may be increased to $325,000. The revolving credit facility contains certain affirmative and negative covenants customary for this type of facility and includes financial covenant ratios with respect to a maximum leverage ratio (not to exceed 3.00 to 1.00 with exceptions in case of material acquisitions) and a minimum interest coverage ratio (not less than 3.00 to 1.00), in each case subject to certain further restrictions as described in the credit agreement. As of

March 28, 2020, we had unused commitments under the facility approximating $104,123, with $145,877 committed, consisting of borrowings of $143,000 and issued letters of credit of $2,877.

Borrowings outstanding bear interest, at Davey Tree’s option, of either (a) a base rate or (b) LIBOR plus a margin adjustment ranging from .875% to 1.50%--with the margin adjustments in both instances based on the Company's leverage ratio at the time of borrowing. The base rate is the greater of (i) the agent bank’s prime rate, (ii) LIBOR plus 1.50%, or (iii) the federal funds rate plus .50%. A commitment fee ranging from .10% to .225% is also required based on the average daily unborrowed commitment.

5.09% Senior Unsecured Notes--During July 2010, we issued 5.09% Senior Unsecured Notes, Series A (the "5.09% Senior Notes"), in the aggregate principal amount of $30,000 pursuant to a Master Note Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) between the Company and the purchasers of the 5.09% Senior Notes. The 5.09% Senior Notes are due July 22, 2020.

The 5.09% Senior Notes are equal in right of payment with our revolving credit facility and all other senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest is payable semiannually and five equal, annual principal payments commenced on July 22, 2016 (the sixth anniversary of issuance). The Purchase Agreement contains customary events of default and covenants related to limitations on indebtedness and transactions with affiliates and the maintenance of certain financial ratios.

3.99% Senior Unsecured Notes--On September 21, 2018, we issued 3.99% Senior Notes, Series A (the "3.99% Senior Notes"), in the aggregate principal amount of $50,000. The 3.99% Senior Notes are due September 21, 2028.

The 3.99% Senior Notes were issued pursuant to a Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement (the “Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement”) between the Company, PGIM, Inc. and the purchasers of the 3.99% Senior Notes. Subsequent series of promissory notes may be issued pursuant to the Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement (the "Shelf Notes") in an aggregate additional principal amount not to exceed $50,000 ($25,000 of which was issued on February 5, 2019).

The 3.99% Senior Notes are equal in right of payment with our revolving credit facility and all other senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest is payable semiannually and five equal, annual principal payments commence on September 21, 2024 (the sixth anniversary of issuance). The Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement contains customary events of default and covenants related to limitations on indebtedness and transactions with affiliates and the maintenance of certain financial ratios. The Company may prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the outstanding principal amount of the 3.99% Senior Notes, subject to the payment of a make-whole amount.

In conjunction with the issuance of the 3.99% Senior Notes, on September 21, 2018, the Company entered into an amendment to its revolving credit facility. The amendment amended certain provisions and covenants in the credit agreement to generally conform them to the corresponding provisions and covenants in the Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement. The amendment also permitted the Company to incur indebtedness arising under the Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $75,000, which included the $50,000 of 3.99% Senior Notes, plus an additional $25,000 in Shelf Notes (which were issued on February 5, 2019).

4.00% Senior Unsecured Notes--On February 5, 2019, we issued 4.00% Senior Notes, Series B (the "4.00% Senior Notes") pursuant to the Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement in the aggregate principal amount of $25,000. The notes are due September 21, 2028. Subsequent series of Shelf Notes may be issued pursuant to the Note Purchase and Shelf Agreement in an aggregate additional principal amount not to exceed

$25,000. A further amendment to the revolving credit facility would be required for such a transaction to be permissible under the revolving credit facility. The 4.00% Senior Notes are equal in right of payment with our revolving credit facility and all other senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest is payable semiannually and five equal, annual principal payments commence on September 21, 2024.

The net proceeds of all senior notes were used to pay down borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

Term loans--Periodically, the Company will enter into term loans for the procurement of insurance or to finance acquisitions.

Aggregate Maturities of Long-Term Debt--Aggregate maturities of long-term debt based on the principal amounts outstanding at March 28, 2020 were as follows: 2020--$15,932; 2021--$6,170; 2022--$143,939; $2023--$191; 2024--$15,000; and thereafter $60,000.

Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility--In May 2019, the Company amended its Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility (the "AR Securitization program") to extend the scheduled termination date for an additional one year period, to May 19, 2020.

The AR Securitization program has a limit of $100,000, of which $76,732 were issued for letters of credit ("LCs") as of both March 28, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

Under the AR Securitization program, Davey Tree transfers by selling or contributing current and future trade receivables to a wholly-owned, bankruptcy-remote financing subsidiary which pledges a perfected first priority security interest in the trade receivables--equal to the issued LCs as of March 28, 2020--to the bank in exchange for the bank issuing LCs.

Pre-petition receivables from PG&E Corporation and its regulated utility subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (collectively, "PG&E"), which filed voluntary bankruptcy petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, while remaining in the securitized pool, are considered ineligible and are excluded from performance ratios and reserves.

Fees payable to the bank include: (a) an LC issuance fee, payable on each settlement date, in the amount of .90% per annum on the aggregate amount of all LCs outstanding plus outstanding reimbursement obligations (e.g., arising from drawn LCs), if any, and (b) an unused LC fee, payable monthly, equal to (i) .35% per annum for each day on which the sum of the total LCs outstanding plus any outstanding reimbursement obligations is greater than or equal to 50% of the facility limit and (ii) .45% per annum for each day on which the sum of the total LCs outstanding plus any outstanding reimbursement obligations is less than 50% of the facility limit. If an LC is drawn and the bank is not immediately reimbursed in full for the drawn amount, any outstanding reimbursement obligation will accrue interest at a per annum rate equal to a reserve-adjusted LIBOR or, in certain circumstances, a base rate equal to the higher of (i) the bank’s prime rate and (ii) the federal funds rate plus .50% and, following any default, 2.00% plus the greater of (a) adjusted LIBOR and (b) a base rate equal to the higher of (i) the bank’s prime rate and (ii) the federal funds rate plus .50%.

The agreements underlying the AR Securitization program contain various customary representations and warranties, covenants, and default provisions which provide for the termination and acceleration of the commitments under the AR Securitization program in circumstances including, but not limited to, failure to make payments when due, breach of a representation, warranty or covenant, certain insolvency events or failure to maintain the security interest in the trade receivables, and defaults under other material indebtedness.

Total Commitments Related to Issued Letters of Credit--As of March 28, 2020, total commitments related to issued LCs were $81,618, of which $2,877 were issued under the revolving credit facility, $76,732 were issued under the AR Securitization program, and $2,009 were issued under short-term lines of credit. As of December 31, 2019, total commitments related to issued LCs were $81,619, of which $2,877 were issued under the revolving credit facility, $76,732 were issued under the AR Securitization program, and $2,010 were issued under short-term lines of credit.

As of March 28, 2020, we were in compliance with all debt covenants.