EX-2 4 dex2.htm CEDAR FAIR/KNOTT FAMILY LETTER AGREEMENT, EFFECTIVE AS OF MARCH 8, 2004 Cedar Fair/Knott Family Letter Agreement, effective as of March 8, 2004

EXHIBIT 2

 

Cedar Fair Management Company

One Cedar Point Drive

Sandusky, Ohio 44870-5259

 

February 27, 2004

 

Knott Family

c/o Darrel Anderson

1 Rue St. Cloud

Newport Beach, CA 92660

 

Re: Cedar Fair/Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

Dear Darrel:

 

The Board of Directors of Cedar Fair Management Company (“CFMC”) has been working to implement certain changes that will modify the governance structure of Cedar Fair, L.P. (“Cedar Fair”). Recently, the Board approved a plan by which the unitholders of Cedar Fair will elect the Board of CFMC. If this plan is approved by the unitholders, the first unitholder election of directors will be held during the first half of 2004 and then elections will be held annually thereafter.

 

In anticipation of these expected changes, we are writing to reflect certain agreements between Cedar Fair, CFMC and the Knott Family. For purposes of this agreement, the “Knott Family” shall mean all of the persons and entities, individually and in the aggregate, listed on Schedule A attached hereto as updated from time to time.

 

In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, CFMC, Cedar Fair and the Knott Family agree as follows:

 

1. Until the occurrence of a Termination Event (as defined below), CFMC agrees to use reasonable best efforts to ensure that a designee of the Knott Family (the “Knott Family Designee”), identified by the Knott Family and reasonably acceptable to CFMC, shall be included in the slate of directors proposed for election by the unitholders from time to time by the nominating committee of CFMC; provided, that, (i) the Knott Family, in the aggregate, continues be the “Beneficial Owner” (as such term is defined by Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of an amount (the “Ownership Threshold”) equal to the lesser of (x) eight percent (8%) of the issued and outstanding units of Cedar Fair or (y) four million fifty three thousand eight hundred seventy-six (4,053,876) units, and (ii) the Knott Family does not breach any other provision of this agreement.

 

2. Until the occurrence of a Termination Event (as defined below), the Knott Family agrees to vote all of the Cedar Fair units beneficially owned by the Knott Family from time to time (the “Knott Family Units”) in accordance with the recommendations of the CFMC Board,


with respect to nominees for the CFMC Board and any other issues presented to the Cedar Fair unitholders for approval.

 

3. Until the occurrence of a Termination Event (as defined below), the Knott Family agrees that, except as provided herein, it shall not:

 

a. make or in any way participate in any “solicitation” of “proxies” (as such terms are used in the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission) to vote, or seek to advise or influence any person with respect to the voting of, any voting securities of Cedar Fair or any of its subsidiaries;

 

b. form, join, or in any way participate in a Group (as such term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Act of 1934);

 

c. seek or offer, alone or in concert with any person, to control or influence the management of CFMC or Cedar Fair, the Board of Directors of CFMC, or the policies of Cedar Fair or any of its subsidiaries except through the process for designating the Knott Family Designee to the CFMC Board as outlined in this Agreement or through service of the Knott Family Designee on the Board, if elected; or

 

d. request that any of the provisions of this Agreement be waived, amended or modified in any material respect.

 

4. The Knott Family agrees that, immediately prior to any vote of the Cedar Fair unitholders, or at any other time that the CFMC Board shall request the Knott Family Designee to certify compliance with this Letter Agreement, the Knott Family Designee shall execute and deliver to the CFMC Board of Directors a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, confirming the Knott Family’s compliance with the terms of this Letter Agreement.

 

5. In the event that (i) the amount of Knott Family Units shall fall below the Ownership Threshold, or (ii) the Knott Family Designee shall be unable to provide the certification described in Section 4 above, then the Knott Family Designee shall immediately provide written notification to the CFMC Board. Such notification shall be accompanied by a letter from the Knott Family Designee to the CFMC Board of Directors offering to resign his or her position as a member of the CFMC Board of Directors. The remaining members of the Board of Directors shall determine whether or not to accept such resignation.

 

6. CFMC acknowledges that the Knott Family has identified Darrel Anderson as its initial Knott Family Designee and that such Designee is acceptable to CFMC.

 

7. Except in the case of a resignation described in Section 5 above which is accepted by the remaining members of the CFMC Board, upon the death of, or a resignation from the CFMC Board by, the Knott Family Designee then serving as a member of the CFMC Board (a “Terminating Designee”), CFMC agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that a replacement designee of the Knott Family (a “Replacement Designee”), identified by the Knott Family within 30 days following the effective date of the termination of the Terminating Designee and reasonably acceptable to CFMC, is elected to the CFMC Board to finish the Board

 

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term of the Terminating Designee, with such election to be effective within 30 days following the Knott Family’s specification of a proposed Replacement Designee to CFMC.

 

8. The Knott Family shall be permitted to add any Qualified Knott Family Recipient (as defined below) as a party to this Letter Agreement by having him, her or it execute an Additional Knott Family Unitholder Signature Page. A “Qualified Knott Family Recipient” shall be (i) any spouse or lineal descendent of any member of the Knott Family, (ii) any spouse of any lineal descendent of any member of the Knott Family, or (iii) any entity established or used by a member of the Knott Family for estate or financial planning purposes, provided that a member of the Knott Family continues to be the Beneficial Owner of the Cedar Fair Units transferred to such entity.

 

9. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date as of which the last Knott Family unitholder executes this Agreement. This Agreement shall remain in effect until the occurrence of any Termination Event, and upon the occurrence of a Termination Event the rights and obligations of Cedar Fair and CFMC, on the one hand, and the Knott Family and the Knott Designee, on the other hand, shall immediately terminate and this Agreement shall thereafter have no effect whatsoever. As used herein, the term “Termination Event” shall mean any of the following: (a) the failure to include a Knott Family Designee in the slate of directors proposed for election by the unitholders from time to time by the nominating committee of CFMC; (b) the resignation or removal from the CFMC Board of Directors of the Knott Family Designee, including a resignation described in the following clause (c) hereof; and (c) upon the death of, or a resignation by, the Knott Family Designee then serving on the CFC Board, other than a resignation described in Section 5 which is accepted by the remaining CFMC Board members, the failure of the Knott Family to identify a proposed Replacement Designee in accordance with Section 7 above or, if such a proposed Replacement Designee is so identified by the Knott Family, the failure of the CFMC Board to elect such proposed Replacement Designee to the CFMC Board within the time period specified in Section 7 above.

 

10. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to principles of conflicts of laws. This agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signature.

 

11. The parties hereby agree that CFMC shall be permitted to assign this Letter Agreement to a successor general partner of Cedar Fair, without the consent of the other parties to this Letter Agreement.

 

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Please acknowledge your agreement to the foregoing by countersigning this letter in the place below and return the original copy to me.

 

Sincerely,

 

CEDAR FAIR, L.P.

CEDAR FAIR MANAGEMENT COMPANY

/s/    RICHARD L. KINZEL        


Richard L. Kinzel

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED this

27th day of February, 2004.

 

KNOTT FAMILY DESIGNEE

By:  

/s/    DARREL ANDERSON        

   

Name:

  Darrel Anderson

 

KNOTT FAMILY UNITHOLDERS

 

Date: March 8, 2004      

VMK Enterprises

           

By:

 

/s/    SHARON SHERIDAN        

               
           

Name:

  Sharon Sheridan
           

Title:

  Pres.
Date: March 8, 2004      

The M. Knott Company

           

By:

 

/s/    MARION KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Marion Knott
           

Title:

  President
Date: March 8, 2004      

M. Knott Enterprises

           

By:

 

/s/    MARION KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Marion Knott
           

Title:

  President
Date: February 27, 2004      

Darrel D. Anderson & Associates, Inc.

           

By:

 

/s/    DARREL D. ANDERSON        

               
           

Name:

  Darrel D. Anderson
           

Title:

  President

 

4


Additional Signature Pages

Cedar Fair-Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

Date: March 8, 2004

     

D.W.O. Enterprises, Inc

           

By:

 

/s/    DON W. OLIPHANT        

               
           

Name:

  Don W. Oliphant
           

Title:

  President

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Jana O. Hackett, Inc.

           

By:

 

/s/    JANA HACKETT        

               
           

Name:

  Jana Hackett
           

Title:

  President

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Kenneth Knott, Inc.

           

By:

 

/s/    KENNETH KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Kenneth Knott
           

Title:

  President

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Stephen Knott, Inc.

           

By:

 

/s/    STEPHEN KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Stephen Knott
           

Title:

  President

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Trust established under the Will of Cordelia Knott for the benefit of Marion Knott

           

By:

 

/s/    MARION KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Marion Knott
           

Title:

  Trustee


Additional Signature Pages

Cedar Fair-Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Knott Survivor’s Trust

           

By:

 

/s/    MILDRED N. KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Mildred N. Knott
           

Title:

  Trustee

Date: March 8, 2004

     

Knott Marital Trust

           

By:

 

/s/    MILDRED N. KNOTT        

               
           

Name:

  Mildred N. Knott
           

Title:

  Trustee

Date: 3-01-04, 2004

     

Laura Anderson Trust No. 1

           

By:

 

/s/    LAURA L. ANDERSON OTTO        

               
           

Name:

  Laura L. Anderson Otto
           

Title:

  Trustee


Additional Signature Pages

Cedar Fair-Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

       

Virginia Knott Bender Trust

Date: March 8, 2004

     

By:

 

/s/    JOHN C. FOSSUM        

             
           

Name:

  John C. Fossum
           

Title:

  Trustee

Date: March 1, 2004

     

By:

 

/s/    TERRY HACKETT        

             
           

Name:

  Terry Hackett
           

Title:

  Trustee
       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Cynthia von Hoffman

Date: March 8, 2004

     

By:

 

/s/    JOHN C. FOSSUM      

             
           

Name:

  John C. Fossum
           

Title:

  Trustee

Date: March 8, 2004

     

By:

 

/s/    MAUREEN SLOAN, TRUSTEE        

             
           

Name:

  Maureen Sloan
           

Title:

  Trustee


Additional Signature Pages

Cedar Fair-Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Michael K. Reafsnyder

 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Monica Furmanski

 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Joseph Reafsnyder

Date: March 8, 2004

      By:  

/s/    JOHN C. FOSSUM        

             
           

Name:

  John C. Fossum
           

Title:

  Trustee

Date: March 8, 2004

      By:  

/s/    MICHAEL REAFSNYDER        

             
           

Name:

  Michael Reafsnyder
           

Title:

  Trustee


Additional Signature Pages

Cedar Fair-Knott Family Letter Agreement

 

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Nicholas Sheridan

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Daniel Sheridan

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Jeffrey Sheridan

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo David Sheridan

       

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Luke Sheridan

Date: March 8, 2004

      By:   /s/    JOHN C. FOSSUM        
             
            Name:   John C. Fossum
            Title:   Trustee

Date: March 8, 2004

      By:   /s/    SHARON SHERIDAN        
             
            Name:   Sharon Sheridan
            Title:   Trustee


ADDITIONAL KNOTT FAMILY UNITHOLDER

 

SIGNATURE PAGE

 

The undersigned hereby agrees to the terms of the Letter Agreement, dated as of February 27, 2004 between Cedar Fair, L.P., Cedar Fair Management Company and members of the Knott Family who hold units of Cedar Fair, L.P. (the “Agreement”), and agrees to be bound by the terms and provisions thereof.

 

Executed by the undersigned as a member of the Knott Family pursuant to the Agreement.

 

KNOTT FAMILY MEMBER

By:    
   
Name:    
   
Date:    
   


Schedule A

 

Knott Family Unitholders

 

Name


 

Number of Cedar Fair Units Held


VMK Enterprises, Inc.   1,275,646                                                 
The M. Knott Company   217,195                                                 
M. Knott Enterprises   586,420                                                 
Darrel D. Anderson & Associates, Inc.   318,912                                                 
D.W.O. Enterprises, Inc.   473,367                                                 
Jana O. Hackett, Inc.   474,752                                                 
Kenneth Knott, Inc.   440,367                                                 
Stephen Knott, Inc.   478,367                                                 
Trust established under the Will of Cordelia Knott f/b/o Marion Knott   24,172                                                 
Knott Survivor’s Trust   318,912                                                 
Knott Marital Trust   318,911                                                 
Laura L. Anderson Trust No. 1   158,636                                                 

 

(Continued on Next Page)


Schedule A

 

Knott Family Unitholders

 

(Continued from Previous Page)

 

Virginia Knott Bender Trust   2,200                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Cynthia von Hoffman

  8,314                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Michael K. Reafsnyder

  16,630                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Monica Furmanski

  16,631                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Joseph Reafsnyder

  17,717                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Nicholas Sheridan

  17,717                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Daniel Sheridan

  17,717                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Jeffrey Sheridan

  17,717                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo David Sheridan

  17,718                                                 

1995 Grandchildren’s Trust

fbo Luke Sheridan

  17,718                                                 

Aggregate Knott Family Beneficial

Ownership

  5,235,736 Units                                        


Schedule A (continued)

 

The following individuals, consisting of lineal descendants (by birth or adoption) of Walter and Cordelia Knott or a spouse or former spouse of such a lineal descendant, are beneficial owners of interests in one or more of the entities identified above as a Cedar Fair unitholder and shall be considered as included within the term “Knott Family” for purposes of the letter agreement to which the Schedule A is attached.

 

Marion Knott

  Mildred Knott

Anthony Montapert

  Kenneth Knott

Darrel Anderson

  Jeanette Knott

Marsha Anderson

  Stephen Knott

Diane Anderson

  Frances Knott

Desiré Anderson

  Michael Reafsnyder

Dwight P. Anderson

  Mary Reafsnyder

Roxanne Anderson

  Michael K. Reafsnyder

Alexandra Anderson

  Diane Reafsnyder

Morgan Anderson

  Ian Reafsnyder

Daniel J. Anderson

  Isabel Reafsnyder

Robin Anderson

  Monica Furmanski

Michael M. Anderson

  Matthew Furmanski

Don W. Oliphant

  Roan Furmanski

Judy Oliphant

  Samuel Furmanski

Stacy Oliphant Williams

  Joseph Reafsnyder

Timothy Williams

  Tanya Reafsnyder

Tiffany Lynn Silverman

  Maureen Sloan

Mark Silverman

  Cynthia von Hoffman

Jana Hackett

  Sharon Sheridan

Terry Hackett

  Douglas Sheridan

Travis Hackett

  Nicholas Sheridan

Tanner Hackett

  Daniel Sheridan

Colby Hackett

  Jeffrey Sheridan
    David Sheridan
    Mele Sheridan
    Ezra Sheridan
    Ezekiel Sheridan
    Luke Sheridan


EXHIBIT A

 

CERTIFICATE

 

This Certificate is being provided pursuant to Section 4 of the Letter Agreement by and among Cedar Fair, L.P., Cedar Fair Management Company and members of the Knott Family (the “Letter Agreement”). Any defined terms used in this Certificate that are not defined herein shall have the same definitions as in the Letter Agreement. The undersigned being the Knott Family Designee hereby certifies, on behalf of himself and the Knott Family, as follows:

 

1. The Knott Family is the beneficial owner (as such term is defined by Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of                                      Cedar Fair units. Attached is a schedule which shows all of the Knott Family Units and by whom they are held.

 

2. Each member of the Knott Family has voted its Cedar Fair units in accordance with the recommendations of the CFMC Board.

 

3. Each unitholder of the Knott Family has executed the Additional Knott Family Unitholder Signature Page and is in compliance with all of the terms and conditions of the Letter Agreement.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed by name this          day of             , 200_.