View:
============================================================================= SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 ________________ FORM 8-A FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) MICHIGAN 38-2078923 (State of Incorporation or Organization) (IRS Employer Identification Number) 1000 REYNOLDS ROAD CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN 48813 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: NONE Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Rights (Title of Class) ============================================================================= Item 1. DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT'S SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED. On February 27, 1997, the Board of Directors of Spartan Motors, Inc. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Right (the "Rights") on each outstanding share of common stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock"), of the Company to shareholders of record on July 7, 1997. Each Right will entitle the holder thereof until July 6, 2007 (or, if earlier, until the redemption of the Rights), to buy one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, $.01 par value (the "Preferred Stock"), at an exercise price of $50, subject to certain antidilution adjustments. The Rights will be represented by certificates for Common Stock and will not be exercisable or transferable apart from the Common Stock until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the public announcement that a person or group has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (such a person being referred to herein as an "Acquiring Person" and the date that 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock is acquired being referred to herein as the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) the tenth day after a person or group commences, or announces an intention to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would give such person or group beneficial ownership of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being referred to herein as the "Distribution Date"). A person beneficially owning 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock on July 7, 1997, shall not be deemed an Acquiring Person, nor shall the existence of such a shareholder trigger the distribution of Rights Certificates or make the Rights exercisable. Separate certificates representing the Rights will be mailed to record holders of Common Stock as of the Distribution Date. The Rights will first become exercisable on the Distribution Date, unless earlier redeemed, and could then begin trading separately from the Common Stock. Until a right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote or to receive dividends. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"). Each share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will have a minimum preferential quarterly dividend rate of $5 per share but will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared on the shares of Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, the holders of Preferred Stock will receive a minimum preferred liquidation payment of $75 per share but will be entitled to receive an aggregate liquidation payment equal to 100 times the payment made per share of Common Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock will have 100 votes, voting together with the Common Stock. In the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of Common Stock are exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per share of Common Stock. The rights of the holders of Preferred Stock as to dividends, liquidation and voting, and in -2- the event of mergers and consolidations, are protected by customary antidilution provisions. Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock's dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of the interest in a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock. In the event that, after the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company is a party to a merger or other business combination transaction or in the event 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the then exercise price of the Rights, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction would have a market value of two times the then exercise price of the Rights. Alternatively, in the event that, anytime following the Distribution Date, an Acquiring Person were to acquire the Company by means of a reverse merger in which the Company and its stock survive, or were to engage in certain "self-dealing" transactions, or were to acquire 30% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (except pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock deemed fair by the Company's Board of Directors as provided in the Rights Agreement), each Right not owned by such Acquiring Person (whose Rights would thereafter be void) would become exercisable for the number of shares of Common Stock which, at that time, would have a market value of two times the then exercise price of the Right. The Rights are redeemable, in whole but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right at any time prior to the thirtieth day after the Stock Acquisition Date. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, the decision to redeem shall require the concurrence of a majority of the Disinterested Directors. The term "Disinterested Directors" means any member of the Board of Directors who was a member of the Board prior to the date of the Rights Agreement, and any person who is subsequently elected to the Board if such person is recommended or approved by a majority of the Disinterested Directors. Disinterested Directors do not include an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), or any representative of the foregoing entities. After the redemption period has expired, the right to redeem may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his ownership of Common Stock to 10% or less of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock in one or more transactions not involving the Company. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, with, if required, the concurrence of a majority of the Disinterested Directors, the Rights will terminate and thereafter, unless the right to redeem is reinstated, the only right of holders of the Rights will be to receive the redemption price. The Rights will expire on July 6, 2007 (unless earlier redeemed). The purchase price payable, and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights is subject to adjustment from time to time to -3- prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) as a result of the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) as a result of the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends at a rate not in excess of 125% of the last cash dividend theretofore paid or dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the purchase price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such purchase price. Other than those provisions relating to the principal economic terms of the Rights, any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board (in certain circumstances, with the concurrence of the Disinterested Directors) in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement, so long as no amendment to adjust the time period governing redemption shall be made at a time when the Rights are not redeemable. As of June 4, 1997, there were 12,364,472 shares of Common Stock outstanding and 11,535,528 shares reserved for issuance. One Right will be distributed to shareholders of the Company for each share of Common Stock owned of record by them on July 7, 1997. As long as the Rights are attached to the Common Stock, the Company will issue one Right with each new share of Common Stock issued so that all such shares will have Rights attached. The Company's Board of Directors has reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Rights 130,000 shares of Preferred Stock. The Rights have certain antitakeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company on terms not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, except pursuant to an offer conditioned on the Rights being redeemed. The Rights should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by the Board of Directors prior to the thirtieth day after the Stock Acquisition Date since the Rights may be redeemed by the Company at $.01 per Right prior to such time. The Rights Agreement, dated as of June 4, 1997, between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co. as Rights Agent, specifying the terms of the Rights (which includes as Exhibit B the form of Rights Certificate and as Exhibit C the Summary of Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock), and a letter to the holders of the Company's Common Stock explaining the Rights, dated on or about July 10, 1997, are attached hereto -4- as exhibits and are incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Rights is qualified by reference to such exhibits. Item 2. EXHIBITS. 99(a). Rights Agreement, dated as of June 4, 1997, between Spartan Motors, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., which includes the form of Rights Certificate as Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock as Exhibit C. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, printed Rights Certificates will not be mailed until as soon as practicable after the earlier of the tenth day after public announcement that a person or group, other than a person beneficially owning 15% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock on July 7, 1997 (or Affiliates or Associates thereof), has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the tenth day after a person or group commences or announces an intention to commence a tender or exchange offer for 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. 99(b). Form of letter to holders of Common Stock of Spartan Motors, Inc., dated on or about July 10, 1997. -5- SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. (Registrant) Dated: June 4, 1997 By /s/Richard J. Schalter Richard J. Schalter Secretary -6- EXHIBIT INDEX EXHIBIT DOCUMENT 99(a) Rights Agreement, dated as of June 4, 1997, between Spartan Motors, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., which includes the form of Rights Certificate as Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock as Exhibit C. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, printed Rights Certificates will not be mailed until as soon as practicable after the earlier of the tenth day after public announcement that a person or group, other than a person beneficially owning 15% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock on July 6, 1997 (or Affiliates or Associates thereof), has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the tenth day after a person or group commences or announces an intention to commence a tender or exchange offer for 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. 99(b) Form of letter to holders of Common Stock of Spartan Motors, Inc., dated on or about July 10, 1997.
EXHIBIT 99(a) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO. Rights Agent Rights Agreement Dated as of June 4, 1997 - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Section 1. Certain Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. . . . . 10 Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock. . . . . . . . 10 Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. . . . . . . . . . . 25 Section 15. Rights of Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder . . . . . 27 Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 -i- PAGE Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Section 21. Change of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Section 23. Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Section 24. Notice of Certain Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Section 25. Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Section 26. Supplements and Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Section 27. Successors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Section 28. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Section 30. Severability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Section 31. Governing Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Section 32. Counterparts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Section 33. Descriptive Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 EXHIBIT A - FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF PREFERRED STOCK EXHIBIT B - FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE EXHIBIT C - SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK -ii- RIGHTS AGREEMENT Agreement, dated as of June 4, 1997, between SPARTAN MOTORS, INC., a Michigan corporation (the "Company"), and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO., a New York corporation (the "Rights Agent"). P R E A M B L E The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a dividend of one Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Right (the "Rights") on each share of common stock, $.01 par value, of the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding on July 7, 1997 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between July 7, 1997, and the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in Sections 3 and 7 hereof), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights of Series A Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock"), attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth. ACCORDINGLY, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, THE PARTIES HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated: (a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any wholly owned subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or an entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan, nor shall the term Acquiring Person include any Person that is the Beneficial Owner of 5% or more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the date of this Agreement, or any Affiliates or Associates of such Person. (b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect on June 20, 1997. (c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities: (i) Which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights that are subject to this Agreement), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; (ii) Which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or "beneficial ownership" (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) of (including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (the "Rules"), or (B) is made in connection with, or is to otherwise participate in, a proxy or consent solicitation made, or to be made, pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the Rules, in either case described in clause (A) or (B) above, whether or not such agreement, arrangement or understanding is also then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or (iii) Which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except as set forth in clauses (A) or (B) as described in the proviso to -2- subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), or any communications or discussions, among two or more Persons with respect to any matter relating to the management, operation or conduct of the business of the Company, and including discussing or agreeing on, or communicating with respect to, a position with respect to any such matter and communicating such discussion, communication, agreement or position to other Persons including shareholders of the Company or to the Company shall not constitute an "agreement, arrangement or understanding" for purpose of this Section 1(c). (d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the state of the principal office of the Rights Agent are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close. (e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., local time in the city of the principal office of the Rights Agent, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 p.m., local time in such city, on the next succeeding Business Day. (f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the Common Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company. "Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person. (g) "Disinterested Director" shall mean (i) any member of the Board of Directors of the Company, while such Person is a member of the Board, who is not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any Affiliate or Associate thereof, and was a member of the Board prior to the date of this Agreement, or (ii) any Person who subsequently becomes a member of the Board, while such Person is a member of the Board, who is not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any Affiliate or Associate thereof, if such Person's nomination for election or election to the Board is recommended or approved by a majority of the Disinterested Directors. -3- (h) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, joint-venture, trust or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity. (i) "Principal office" when referring to the office of the Rights Agent shall mean the office of the Rights Agent at which such Rights Agent conducts its corporate trust business. (j) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such (including, without limitation, the first date on which any filing with any governmental authority disclosing that an Acquiring Person has become such is made available to the public). SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. SECTION 3. ISSUE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. (a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth day after the date of the commencement of, or first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the Company, any wholly owned subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership by a Person of 30% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (including any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates for Common Stock shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate Rights Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send, by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the close of business on -4- the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates. (b) On July 10, 1997, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the close of business on July 7, 1997, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of July 7, 1997, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificates representing shares of Common Stock outstanding on July 7, 1997, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented thereby. (c) Certificates for Common Stock issued after July 7, 1997, but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in this Section 3 and Section 7 hereof) shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend: This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Spartan Motors, Inc. (the "Company") and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co. (the "Rights Agent") dated as of June 4, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void. -5- With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented thereby. SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. (a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one- hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the number and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein. (b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, -6- exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend: The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement. SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION. The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent, and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer. Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, each Rights Certificate's number, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates. SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business -7- on the earlier of the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date (as defined in Section 7(a) hereof), any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled to such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b) and Section 7(e) hereof, countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates. (b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security (which may include a surety bond) reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated. -8- SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS. (a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein, including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on June 19, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date"). (b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right shall initially be $50, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below. (c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax in cash, or by certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) certificates for the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14, (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be -9- designated by such holder, and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. (d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof. (e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii), any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and any holder of such Rights shall thereupon have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. (f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or -10- former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. SECTION 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company other than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company. SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK. (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock or other securities held in its treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, Common Stock or other securities) that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights. (b) If the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, Common Stock or other securities) issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise. (c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one- hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, Common Stock or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the -11- certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares. (d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or of any shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due. SECTION 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each person in whose name any certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding business day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein. -12- SECTION 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11. (a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or on the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii). (ii) In the event (A) Any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, (1) shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger or combination and the Common Stock of the Company shall remain outstanding and not changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or the Company or cash or any other property, (2) shall, in one or more transactions, other than in connection with the exercise of Rights or in connection with the -13- exercise or conversion of securities exchangeable or convertible into capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, transfer any assets to the Company or any of its subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or for securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or otherwise obtain from the Company or any of its subsidiaries, with or without consideration, any additional shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than as part of a pro rata distribution to all holders of such shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries), (3) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose (in one or more transactions), to, from or with, as the case may be, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, assets, including securities, on terms and conditions less favorable to the Company than the Company would be able to obtain in arm's-length negotiation with an unaffiliated third party, (4) shall receive any compensation from the Company or any of the Company's subsidiaries other than compensation for full-time employment as a regular employee at rates in accordance with the Company's (or its subsidiaries') past practices, or (5) shall receive the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a shareholder), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or any tax credits or other tax advantage provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (B) During such time as there is an Acquiring Person, there shall be any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split), or recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of the Company with any of its subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of transactions involving the Company or any subsidiaries of the Company (whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person) which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than 1% of the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities or of securities exercisable for or convertible into equity -14- securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is directly or indirectly owned by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, or (C) Any Acquiring Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the date of this Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner of 30% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding, unless the event causing the 30% threshold to be crossed is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or is an acquisition of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer made pursuant to Schedule 14D-1 (or any successor form) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for all outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than shares of Common Stock held by the Person making the offer, or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person) at a price and on terms determined in good faith by at least a majority of the Disinterested Directors who are not officers of the Company to be (a) at a price which is fair to shareholders (taking into account all factors which such members of the Board deem relevant including, without limitation, prices which could reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Rights Certificate (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof), shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then- current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Rights Certificate is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the current per share market price of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the fifth day (or if such day is not a business day, the first business day after the fifth day) after the earlier of the date of the occurrence or the date of the first public announcement of any one of the events listed above in this subparagraph (ii) (such number of shares being referred to as the "Adjustment Shares"), PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the adjustment is also subject to the provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions of Section 13 hereof shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to -15- this Section 11(a)(ii). Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of any of the events listed above in this paragraph (ii), any Rights that are or were on or after the earlier of the Distribution Date or Stock Acquisition Date beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of the Acquiring Person shall become void and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind listed in this subparagraph (ii) if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements in effect which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate thereof and any Rights Certificate issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or this Section 11 upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the legend set forth in Section 4(b) hereof. (iii) In lieu of issuing shares of Common Stock in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if two-thirds of the Disinterested Directors determine that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the interest of holders of Rights (and, in the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall): (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value"), over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread") and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock, "common stock equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, -16- (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a recognized expert selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of the first occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or the first date that the right to redeem the Rights pursuant to Section 23 hereof, as such date may be amended pursuant to Section 26 hereof, shall expire, then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender of exercise of a Rights Certificate and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, securities and/or assets that in the aggregate are equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days following the first occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be the current per share market price of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the later of the date of the first occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and the first date that the right to redeem the Rights pursuant to Section 23 hereof, as such date may be amended pursuant to Section 26 hereof, shall -17- expire and the value of any "common stock equivalents" shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Stock on such date. (b) In the event the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase shares of Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as shares of Preferred Stock ("equivalent preferred stock")), or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock), less than the current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed. (c) In the event the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or -18- surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular periodic cash dividend at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last regular periodic cash dividend theretofore paid or a dividend payable in Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)). Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed. (d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "current per share market price" of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "current per share market price" of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for ten (10) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately following such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the current per share market price of Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights which are the subject of this Agreement) or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of thirty (30) Trading Days or ten (10) Trading Days, as set forth above, after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, -19- and in each such case, the "current per share market price" shall be appropriately adjusted to take into account ex- dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the- counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday on which banking institutions in the State of Michigan are not authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. (ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share market price" of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the current market price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "current per share market price" of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an -20- amount equal to 100 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current per share market price of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, "current per share market price" of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the "current market price" of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the "current per share market price" of Preferred Stock divided by 100. (e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in such Purchase Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or the nearest one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date. (f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Section 11(a), (b), (c), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares. (g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock -21- purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein. (h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one- millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one- hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price. (i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one- hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates -22- evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement. (j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a share and the number of one one-hundredth of a share which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder. (k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price. (l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of one one- hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment. (m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable, which shall include, not by way of limitation, such reductions in the -23- Purchase Price in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current per share market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends, or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such shareholders. SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25 hereof. SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER. (a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, and, in connection with such consolidation or merger all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Rights Certificate, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, -24- fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of an event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of this Section 13(a) (a "Section 13 Event") (or, if an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) has occurred prior to the Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of such an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product (which, following the Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by (2) 50% of the current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event. (b) "Principal Party" shall mean (i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and (ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is -25- the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stock of two or more of which are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value. (c) After the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will (i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Exchange Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date; and (ii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Rights which have not -26- theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a). SECTION 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES. (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights that would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purpose of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used. (b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), -27- the current market value of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise. (c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any factional Rights or any fractional shares (other than fractions in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14. SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing of any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and will be entitled to injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement. SECTION 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of Rights by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of Rights that: (a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of shares of Common Stock; (b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accomplished by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed; (c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the -28- Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and (d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the Company must, subject to the good faith determination of its Board of Directors, use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned. SECTION 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 24 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof. SECTION 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT. (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement -29- and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises. (b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged by the proper person or persons. SECTION 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT. (a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. -30- (b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its proper name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement. SECTION 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall perform its duties and obligations upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound: (a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion. (b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate. (c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. (d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates (except as to its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only. -31- (e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 11 or 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable. (f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement. (g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the instructions of any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action by or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any such officer actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consent in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the -32- Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted. (h) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to extend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it. (i) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity. (j) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof. (k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting the Company. SECTION 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock and -33- Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be. SECTION 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights Certificate to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, the company may, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date. -34- SECTION 23. REDEMPTION. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to (i) the close of business on the earlier of the thirtieth day following the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if the Board of Directors of the Company authorizes redemption of the Rights in either of the circumstances set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) below, then there must be Disinterested Directors then in office and such authorization shall require the concurrence of two- thirds of such Disinterested Directors: (i) such authorization occurs on or after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person; or (ii) such authorization occurs on or after the date of a change (resulting from a proxy or consent solicitation) in a majority of the directors in office at the commencement of such solicitation if any Person who is a participant in such solicitation has stated (or, if upon the commencement of such solicitation, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company has determined in good faith) that such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) intends to take, or may consider taking, any action which would result in such Person becoming an Acquiring Person or which would cause the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof unless, concurrent with such solicitation, such Person (or one or more of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) is making a cash tender offer pursuant to a Schedule 14D-1 (or any successor form) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for all outstanding Common Stock not beneficially owned by such Person (or by such Person's Affiliates or Associates); PROVIDED FURTHER, however, that if, following the occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date and following the expiration of the right of redemption hereunder but prior to any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, (i) a Person who is an Acquiring Person shall have transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of shares of Common Stock in one transaction or a series of transactions not directly or indirectly involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which did not result in the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof such that such Person is thereafter a Beneficial Owner of 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, and (ii) there are no other Persons, immediately following the occurrence of the event described in clause (i) who are Acquiring Persons, then the right of redemption shall be reinstated and thereafter be subject to the provisions of this -35- Section 23. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable following an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) prior to the expiration of the Company's right of redemption hereunder. Neither the Board of Directors, the Disinterested Directors nor the Company shall have any liability to any Person as a result of the redemption of Rights pursuant to the terms hereof, other than the obligation of the Company to pay $.01 per Right upon redemption. (b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. Within 10 days after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the shares of Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. SECTION 24. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS. (a) In case the Company shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last regular periodic cash dividend theretofore paid), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a -36- notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Common Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier. (b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) of this Agreement shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities. (c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, prior to the Distribution Date a filing by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall constitute sufficient notice to the holders of securities of the Company, including the Rights, for purposes of this Agreement and no other notice need be given. SECTION 25. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows: Spartan Motors, Inc. 1000 Reynolds Road Charlotte, Michigan 48813 Attention: Secretary Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, -37- addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows: American Stock Transfer & Trust Co. 40 Wall Street, 46th Floor New York, New York 10005 Attention: Trust Administration Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company. SECTION 26. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Prior to the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 26, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 26, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder (which shortening or lengthening shall be effective only if there are Disinterested Directors and shall require the concurrence of two-thirds of such Disinterested Directors if (A) such supplement or amendment occurs on or after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, or (B) such supplement or amendment occurs on or after the date of a change (resulting from a proxy or consent solicitation) in a majority of the directors in office at the commencement of such solicitation if any Person who is a participant in such solicitation has stated (or, if upon the commencement of such solicitation, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company and determined in good faith) that such Person (or any of its Affiliates or Associates) intends to take, or may consider taking, any action which would result in such Person becoming an Acquiring Person or which would cause the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof unless, concurrent with such solicitation, such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) is making a cash tender offer pursuant to a Schedule 14D-1 (or any successor form) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for all outstanding shares of Common Stock not beneficially owned by such Person (or by its Affiliates or Associates)), or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring -38- Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment unless such supplement or amendment affects the duties or immunities of the Rights Agent, in which case it may but shall not be required to execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration Date, the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Stock. SECTION 27. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder. SECTION 28. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect as of the date hereof. The Board of Directors of the Company (and, where specifically provided for herein, the Disinterested Directors) shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board, or the Company (or, where specifically provided for herein, the Disinterested Directors), or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board (or, where specifically provided for herein, by the Disinterested Directors) in good faith (provided that the decision to redeem the rights -39- shall be in the sole discretion of the Board or where specifically provided for herein, by the Disinterested Directors), shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board or the Disinterested Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights Certificates. SECTION 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock). SECTION 30. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. SECTION 31. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Michigan and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State. SECTION 32. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. SECTION 33. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof. -40- IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written. Attest: SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. By ____________________________ By _____________________________________ Richard J. Schalter George W. Sztykiel Secretary Chief Executive Officer Attest: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO. By ____________________________ By _____________________________________ Title _______________________________ -41- EXHIBIT A FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF PREFERRED STOCK of SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. Pursuant to Section 302 of the Michigan Business Corporation Act I, Richard J. Schalter, Secretary of Spartan Motors, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Michigan (the "Corporation"), in accordance with the provisions of Section 302 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY: That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Directors on February 27, 1997, adopted the following resolution: RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of preferred stock, no par value, of the Corporation and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and voting power, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof as follows: SECTION 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be designated as "Series A Preferred Stock" (the "Preferred Stock") and the number of shares constituting such series shall be One Hundred Thirty Thousand (130,000). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors. SECTION 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS. (A) The holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for such purpose, cumulative preferential dividends in cash on the 15th day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date") commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $5.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all noncash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, $.01 par value, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, as the case may be, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. (B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); PROVIDED THAT, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $5.00 per share on the Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. (C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends -2- shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof. SECTION 3. LIQUIDATION RIGHTS. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, then, subject to the provisions of the Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, from the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to shareholders, an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment plus an amount equal to the greater of (a) $75 per share or (b) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock. All such preferential amounts shall be paid or set apart for payment before the payment or setting apart for payment of any amount for, or the distribution of any assets of the Corporation to, the holders of shares of any class of stock ranking junior to the Preferred Stock as to assets, or the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock ranking junior as to assets to shares of Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the next preceding sentence of this Section shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. SECTION 4. REDEMPTION. The shares of Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable. SECTION 5. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights: (A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation -3- shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. (B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation. (C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a "default period") which shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, the holders of Preferred Stock, voting as a class, shall have the right to elect two (2) Directors. (ii) During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 5(C) or at any annual meeting of shareholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of shareholders, provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as hereinafter provided to increase in certain cases the authorized number of Directors shall be exercised unless the holders of 25% in number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect Directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2) Directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) Directors. If the number which may be so elected at any special -4- meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number. After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect Directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of Directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided. (iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any shareholder or shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than 10% of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding may request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President, a Vice President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request; or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any shareholder or shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than 10% of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the shareholders. (iv) In any default period the holders of Common Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of Directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) Directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the Directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 5) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of stock which elected the Director whose office shall have become vacant. References in this paragraph (C) to Directors elected by the holders of a particular class of -5- stock shall include Directors elected by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence. (v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the Restated Articles of Incorporation or bylaws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 5 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the Restated Articles of Incorporation or bylaws). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors. (D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action. SECTION 6. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS. (A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not: (i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Preferred Stock; (ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; (iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to -6- dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Preferred Stock; PROVIDED THAT the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Preferred Stock; or (iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes. (B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 6, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner. SECTION 7. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein. SECTION 8. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the -7- numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event. SECTION 9. AMENDMENT. The Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that at any time that there are no outstanding shares of Preferred Stock and no outstanding rights, warrants or options to acquire shares of Preferred Stock, the Board of Directors may amend the powers, preferences and rights of Preferred Stock or convert such shares of Preferred Stock into authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock which may be reissued as part of a new series of preferred stock in accordance with the provisions of the Restated Articles of Incorporation. SECTION 10. FRACTIONAL SHARES. The Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and have the benefit of all other rights of holders of the Preferred Stock. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed and subscribed this Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury. Dated: ___________, 1997 ________________________________________ (Corporate Seal) Richard J. Schalter Secretary and Chief Financial Officer -8- EXHIBIT B [Form of Rights Certificate] Certificate No. R- _________ Rights NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JULY 6, 2007, OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]* RIGHTS CERTIFICATE SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. This certifies that _______________________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement dated as of June 4, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement") between SPARTAN MOTORS, INC., a Michigan corporation (the "Company"), and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO., a New York corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., local time in the city of office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, on July 6, 2007, at such office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or such office of any successor Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid, nonassessable share of Series A Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, _____________________ * The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable. at a purchase price of $50 per one one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of July 7, 1997, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events. This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the Rights, limitations of Rights, and the obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the office of the Rights Agent. This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised. Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at the redemption price of $.01 per Right. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, the decision to redeem shall require the concurrence of two-thirds of the Disinterested Directors. After the redemption period has expired, the Company's right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) reduces his beneficial ownership to 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the Company. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock), but -2- in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement. No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement. This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent. WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officer of the Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of _______________, 1997. Attest: SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. By __________________________ By _____________________________________ Richard J. Schalter George W. Sztykiel Secretary Chief Executive Officer Countersigned: Attest: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO. By __________________________ By _____________________________________ Title _______________________________ -3- [Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate] FORM OF ASSIGNMENT (To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.) FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto__________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ (Please print name and address of transferee) ___________________________________________________________________________ this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _______________ Attorney, to transfer the Rights Certificate on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution. Dated:______________________, _____ ___________________________________ Signature Signature Guaranteed: CERTIFICATE The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that: (1) this Rights Certificate ___ is ___ is not being sold, assigned or transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement); (2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it ___ did ___ did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or -4- subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person. Dated:________________, _____ ___________________________________ Signature Signature Guaranteed: NOTICE The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever. -5- FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE (To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate.) To Spartan Motors, Inc.: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ______________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase Preferred Stock (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person that may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of: Please insert social security or other tax identifying number: ___________________________________________________________________________ (Please print name and address) ___________________________________________________________________________ If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of remaining Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to: Please insert social security or other tax identifying number: ___________________________________________________________________________ (Please print name and address) ___________________________________________________________________________ Dated: ______________, _____ ________________________________________ Signature Signature Guaranteed: CERTIFICATE The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that: -6- (1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate ___ are ___ are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement); (2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it ___ did ___ did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person. Dated: _________________, ______ ___________________________________ Signature Signature Guaranteed: NOTICE The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever. -7- EXHIBIT C SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK The Board of Directors of Spartan Motors, Inc. (the "Company") has approved a Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Rights Plan. Under the plan, one Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Right will attach to each share of common stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock"), of the Company outstanding on July 7, 1997. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, no par value (the "Preferred Stock"), at a price of $50 per share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"). Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons, other than a person who beneficially owns 5% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock on July 7, 1997, or any affiliates or associates of such person, acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (such person being referred to as an "Acquiring Person" and the date upon which such person becomes an Acquiring Person being referred to as the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) 10 days following the commencement or announcement of an intention to commence a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership by a person of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates outstanding as of July 7, 1997, by such Common Stock certificates. The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates. New Common Stock certificates issued after July 7, 1997, but prior to the Distribution Date (or if earlier, the redemption or expiration of the Rights), will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (the "Rights Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Rights Certificates alone will evidence the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights. The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on July 6, 2007, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below. The Purchase Price payable, and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights is subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends out of earnings or retained earnings at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid or dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) will be issued and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise. In the event that, any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company were acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or in the event 50% or more of its assets or earning power were sold, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction would have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right. Alternatively, in the event that, any time following the Distribution Date, the Company were the surviving corporation in a merger with an Acquiring Person and its Common Stock was not changed or exchanged, or in the event that an Acquiring Person engages in one of a number of self-dealing transactions specified in the Rights Agreement, or in the event that an Acquiring Person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 30% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (except pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock), proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, other than the Acquiring Person (whose Rights will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right that number of shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times the exercise price of such Right. At any time prior to the close of business on the thirtieth day after the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price"). Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, the decision to redeem shall require the concurrence of a majority of the Disinterested Directors, which is defined to mean any member of the Board -2- of Directors who was a member of the Board prior to the date of the Rights Agreement, and any person who is subsequently elected to the Board if such person is recommended or approved by a majority of the Disinterested Directors. Disinterested Directors do not include an Acquiring Person, or an affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person, or any representative of the foregoing entities. After the redemption period has expired, the right to redeem may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his ownership of Common Stock to 10% or less of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock in one or more transactions not involving the Company. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company electing to redeem the Rights, the Company shall make announcement thereof, and upon such election, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price. Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to shareholders or to the Company, shareholders will recognize taxable income if the Rights are redeemed and may, depending on the circumstances, recognize taxable income when the Rights become exercisable or are exercised. Other than those provisions relating to the principal economic terms of the Rights, any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board (in certain circumstances, with the concurrence of the Disinterested Directors) in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement, so long as no amendment to adjust the time period governing redemption shall be made at a time when the Rights are not redeemable. A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. -3-
EXHIBIT 99(b) [SPARTAN MOTORS LOGO] [SPARTAN MOTORS LOGO] 1000 Reynolds Road Post Office Box 440 Charlotte, Michigan 48813 July 10, 1997 Dear Shareholder, We want to share with you news of an important new safeguard aimed at protecting the value of your ownership in Spartan Motors, Inc. ("SPARTAN MOTORS" or the "COMPANY"). Spartan Motors has implemented a PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS PLAN for all Company shareholders. Simply stated, the plan has been designed to deal with the problem of another company using abusive takeover tactics to gain control of Spartan Motors without your fully informed consent. Such tactics routinely pressure shareholders into making hasty decisions--decisions that could deprive you of the full value of your shares. Under the plan, you would receive "rights" to purchase a newly created series of preferred Spartan Motors stock in the event of coercive attempts to significantly shift Company ownership. The rights will be distributed to shareholders of record on July 7, 1997 and will be triggered--or made available to you--if any person or group acquires 15 percent or more of Spartan Motors common stock or announces a tender offer for 30 percent or more of Spartan Motors common stock. The plan does not apply to shareholders who already own 5 percent or more of the Company's common stock. The rights will not impact our reported earnings per share or the way in which you may currently trade your shares. Though the rights are not taxable, you may receive taxable income if the triggering conditions occur and you purchase the then-newly issued preferred shares. You also may recognize taxable income if, after triggering, you buy and then sell your preferred shares. A more detailed information sheet on the legal mechanics of the plan is enclosed, and we welcome any questions you may have. This change requires no action on your part and you will be notified in the event the plan is triggered. This plan was not created to prevent a takeover of our Company. The plan was implemented to preserve the value of Spartan Motors shares in the event of an acquisition effort. Your management team remains committed to maximizing our earnings potential and enhancing the value of your shares. July 10, 1997 Page 2 ________________ Be assured, we are not pursuing a sale of Spartan Motors, nor are there any current bidders for the Company. Our goal is to ensure that anyone who might seek to acquire Spartan Motors does so through open negotiations with our board and with the informed consent of our shareholders. Over 1,000 other companies, including many household names, have put similar safeguards in place for shareholders. We are making steady, measurable progress in our efforts to maximize your return on your investment in Spartan Motors and we are working hard to continue our spirit of teamwork and accountability. Like any growing company, however, we must be diligent in our pursuit of securing shareholder value over the long term. We believe the development of safeguards such as our preferred stock purchase rights plan ensures your voice will be heard as Spartan Motors continues to move forward. Thank you for your continued confidence in Spartan Motors. Sincerely, /s/George W. Sztykiel /s/John E. Sztykiel George W. Sztykiel John E. Sztykiel Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Chief Executive Officer Operating Officer