Long-term Debt. We entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated December 19, 2012, with the lenders who are or may become party thereto (collectively, the "Lenders") and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"), as administrative agent for the Lenders, which was amended on October 4, 2013 by a First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Merit, certain subsidiaries of Merit, the Lenders and Wells Fargo as administrative agent for the Lenders (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have agreed to make revolving credit loans up to an aggregate amount of $215 million. The Lenders also made a term loan in the amount of $100 million, repayable in quarterly installments in the amounts provided in the Credit Agreement until the maturity date of December 19, 2017, at which time the term and revolving credit loans, together with accrued interest thereon, will be due and payable. In addition, certain mandatory prepayments are required to be made upon the occurrence of certain events described in the Credit Agreement. Wells Fargo has agreed, upon satisfaction of certain conditions, to make swingline loans from time to time through the maturity date in amounts equal to the difference between the amounts actually loaned by the Lenders and the aggregate revolving credit commitment. The Credit Agreement is collateralized by substantially all of our assets. At any time prior to the maturity date, we may repay any amounts owing under our term loan, all revolving credit loans, and all swingline loans in whole or in part, subject to certain minimum thresholds, without premium or penalty, other than breakage costs. As of September 30, 2014, Wells Fargo was the sole Lender under the Credit Agreement.

The term loan and any revolving credit loans made under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at our election, at either (i) the base rate (described below) plus 0.25% (subject to adjustment if the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, is at or greater than 2.25 to 1), (ii) the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) Market Index Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus 1.25% (subject to adjustment if the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, is at or greater than 2.25 to 1), or (iii) the LIBOR Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus 1.25% (subject to adjustment if the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, is at or greater than 2.25 to 1). Initially, the term loan and revolving credit loans under the Credit Agreement bore interest, at our election, at either (x) the base rate plus 1.00%, (y) the LIBOR Market Index Rate, plus 2.00%, or (z) the LIBOR Rate plus 2.00%. Swingline loans bear interest at the LIBOR Market Index Rate plus 1.25% (subject to adjustment if the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, is at or greater than 2.25 to 1). Initially, swingline loans bore interest at the LIBOR Market Index Rate plus 2.00%. Interest on each loan featuring the base rate or the LIBOR Market Index Rate is due and payable on the last business day of each calendar month; interest on each loan featuring the LIBOR Rate is due and payable on the last day of each interest period selected by us when selecting the LIBOR Rate as the benchmark for interest calculation. For purposes of the Credit Agreement, the base rate means the highest of (i) the prime rate (as announced by Wells Fargo), (ii) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) LIBOR for an interest period of one month plus 1.00%. Our obligations under the Credit Agreement and all loans made thereunder are fully secured by a security interest in our assets pursuant to a separate collateral agreement entered into in conjunction with the Credit Agreement.

The Credit Agreement contains covenants, representations and warranties and other terms customary for revolving credit loans of this nature. In this regard, the Credit Agreement requires us to not, among other things, (a) permit the Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) to be greater than 4.75 to 1 through the end of 2013, no more than 4.00 to 1 as of the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2014, no more than 3.75 to 1 as of the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2014, no more than 3.50 to 1 as of the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2014, no more than 3.25 to 1 as of the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2014, no more than 3.00 to 1 as of any fiscal quarter ending during 2015, no more than 2.75 to 1 as of any fiscal quarter ending during 2016, and no more than 2.50 to 1 as of any fiscal quarter ending thereafter; (b) for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters, permit the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement and subject to certain adjustments) to Consolidated Fixed Charges (as defined in the Credit Agreement) to be less than 1.75 to 1; (c) subject to certain adjustments, permit Consolidated Net Income (as defined in the Credit Agreement) for certain periods to be less than $0; or (d) subject to certain conditions and adjustments, permit the aggregate amount of all Facility Capital Expenditures (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in any fiscal year beginning in 2013 to exceed $30 million. Additionally, the Credit Agreement contains various negative covenants with which we must comply, including, but not limited to, limitations respecting: the incurrence of indebtedness, the creation of liens or pledges on our assets, mergers or similar combinations or liquidations, asset dispositions, the repurchase or redemption of equity interests or debt, the issuance of equity, the payment of dividends and certain distributions, the entry into related party transactions and other provisions customary in similar types of agreements. As of September 30, 2014, we were in compliance with all covenants set forth in the Credit Agreement.

We had originally entered into an unsecured credit agreement, dated September 30, 2010, with certain lenders who were or became party thereto and Wells Fargo, as administrative agent for the lenders. Pursuant to the terms of that credit agreement, the lenders agreed to make revolving credit loans up to an aggregate amount of $125 million. Wells Fargo also agreed to make swingline loans from time to time through the maturity date of September 10, 2015 in amounts equal to the difference between the amount actually loaned by the Lenders and the aggregate credit agreement. The unsecured credit agreement was amended and restated as of December 19, 2012, as the Credit Agreement.

In summary, principal balances under our long-term debt as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, consisted of the following (in thousands):



	September 30, 2014		December 31, 2013
Term loan	$	85,000	$	92,500
Revolving credit loans	155,484		156,354
Total long-term debt	240,484		248,854
Less current portion	10,000		10,000
Long-term portion	$	230,484	$	238,854

Future minimum principal payments on our long-term debt as of September 30, 2014, were as follows (in thousands):



Years Ending	Future Minimum
December 31	Principal Payments
2014	$	2,500
2015	10,000
2016	10,000
2017	217,984
Total future minimum principal payments	$	240,484

As of September 30, 2014, we had outstanding borrowings of approximately $240.5 million under the Credit Agreement, with available borrowings of approximately $19.1 million, based on the leverage ratio in the terms of the Credit Agreement. Our interest rate as of September 30, 2014 was a fixed rate of 3.23% on $141.3 million as a result of an interest rate swap (see Note 10), a variable floating rate of 2.41% on $39.7 million and a variable floating rate of 2.49% on approximately $59.5 million. Our interest rate as of December 31, 2013 was a fixed rate of 4.23% on $145.0 million as a result of an interest rate swap, variable floating rate of 3.42% on $101.5 million and a variable floating rate of 3.50% on approximately $2.4 million.