v3.25.2
Long-Term Borrowings
9 Months Ended
Jun. 28, 2025
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Long Term Borrowings
10.
Long-Term Borrowings

Long-term borrowings consist of the following:

 

 

As of

 

 

 

June 28,

 

 

September 28,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

5.875% Senior Notes due March 1, 2027

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

350,000

 

5.00% Senior Notes due June 1, 2031

 

 

650,000

 

 

 

650,000

 

5.50% Green Bonds due October 1, 2028 through October 1, 2033, net of unaccreted fair value adjustment of $11,347 and $12,478

 

 

69,298

 

 

 

68,167

 

Revolving Credit Facility, due March 15, 2029

 

 

163,600

 

 

 

151,000

 

Subtotal

 

 

1,232,898

 

 

 

1,219,167

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: unamortized debt issuance costs

 

 

(7,555

)

 

 

(8,841

)

 

 

$

1,225,343

 

 

$

1,210,326

 

Senior Notes

2027 Senior Notes. On February 14, 2017, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a public offering of $350,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due March 1, 2027 (the “2027 Senior Notes”). The 2027 Senior Notes were issued at 100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in March and September. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes, along with borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the Partnership’s then-outstanding 7.375% senior notes due in 2021.

2031 Senior Notes. On May 24, 2021, the Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiary, Suburban Energy Finance Corp., completed a private offering of $650,000 in aggregate principal amount of 5.0% senior notes due June 1, 2031 (the “2031 Senior Notes”) to “qualified institutional buyers,” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act. The 2031 Senior Notes were issued at 100% of the principal amount and require semi-annual interest payments in June and December. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2031 Senior Notes, along with borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, were used to repurchase, satisfy and discharge all of the Partnership’s then-outstanding 5.5% senior notes due in 2024 and 5.75% senior notes due in 2025.

The Partnership’s obligations under the 2027 Senior Notes and 2031 Senior Notes (collectively, the “Senior Notes”) are unsecured and rank senior in right of payment to any future subordinated indebtedness and equally in right of payment with any future senior indebtedness. The Senior Notes are structurally subordinated to, which means they rank effectively behind, any debt and other liabilities of the Operating Partnership. The Partnership is permitted to redeem some or all of the Senior Notes at redemption prices and times as specified in the indentures governing the Senior Notes. The Senior Notes each have a change of control provision that would require the Partnership to offer to repurchase the notes at 101% of the principal amount repurchased, if a change of control, as defined in the indentures governing the terms of the Senior Notes, occurs and is followed by a rating decline (a decrease in the rating of the notes by either Moody’s Investors Service or Standard and Poor’s Rating Group by one or more gradations) within 90 days of the consummation of the change of control.

Green Bonds. On December 28, 2022, the Partnership assumed the loan agreement under the Indentures of Trust, issued by The Industrial Development Authority of the County of Pinal (“Green Bonds”), from Equilibrium in connection with the RNG Acquisition. The proceeds of the Green Bonds, which bear interest at 5.5%, were loaned to and used by Equilibrium to construct the RNG production facility in Stanfield, Arizona (“SuburbanRNG–Stanfield”) and are secured by all of the assets at that location. The Green Bonds have a par value of $80,645 and require semi-annual interest payments in April and October. Principal payments begin on October 1, 2028 and continue annually through October 1, 2033. The Green Bonds were initially recorded at fair value at the time of the RNG Acquisition and are being accreted to par value over the term of the bonds using the effective interest method.

The Green Bonds contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants, and previously included a financial covenant requiring SuburbanRNG–Stanfield’s debt service coverage ratio, as defined therein, to be not less than 1.00 to 1.00 for three consecutive fiscal quarters. SuburbanRNG–Stanfield did not comply with this ratio for March 29, 2025, December 28, 2024, September 28, 2024 and the interim periods during fiscal 2024 which, if not waived, would have constituted an event of default under the terms of the Green Bonds. SuburbanRNG–Stanfield and the Partnership obtained waivers for this non-compliance from the holders of a majority of the outstanding Green Bonds, which cured the impact of any events of default for all periods listed. Effective May 2, 2025, the Operating Partnership entered into a guaranty agreement with the trustee under the Indentures of Trust whereby it guarantees all payments due under the Green Bonds, and amended the indenture governing the Green Bonds to eliminate the debt service coverage ratio covenant.

Credit Agreement. On March 15, 2024, the Partnership and the Operating Partnership entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for a $500,000 revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), of which $163,600 and $151,000 was outstanding as of June 28, 2025 and September 28, 2024, respectively. The Revolving Credit Facility matures on the earlier of (i) the date that is ninety-one (91) days prior to maturity of the 2027 Senior Notes (unless the notes have been refinanced prior to such date) and (ii) March 15, 2029. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility may be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions. The Operating Partnership has the right to prepay any borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, in whole or in part, without penalty at any time prior to maturity.

The Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to the Operating Partnership, its subsidiaries and the Partnership, as well as certain financial covenants, including (a) requiring the Partnership’s Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, to be not less than 2.5 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter, (b) prohibiting the Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, of the Partnership from being greater than 5.75 to 1.0, and (c) prohibiting the Senior Secured Consolidated Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, of the Operating Partnership from being greater than 3.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter.

The Partnership and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership act as guarantors with respect to the obligations of the Operating Partnership under the Credit Agreement pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth therein. The obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by liens on substantially all of the personal property of the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries, as well as mortgages on certain real property.

As of June 28, 2025, borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at prevailing interest rates based upon, at the Operating Partnership’s option, SOFR plus the Applicable Rate, or the base rate, defined as the higher of the Federal Funds Rate plus ½ of 1%, the administrative agent bank’s prime rate, or SOFR plus 1%, plus in each case the Applicable Rate. The Applicable Rate is dependent upon the Partnership’s Total Consolidated Leverage Ratio. As of June 28, 2025, the weighted average interest rate for borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility was approximately 6.97%. The interest rate and the Applicable Rate will be reset following the end of each calendar quarter.

As of June 28, 2025, the Partnership had standby letters of credit issued under the Revolving Credit Facility of $26,386 which expire periodically through April 30, 2026.

The Credit Agreement and the Senior Notes both contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to the Operating Partnership, its subsidiaries and the Partnership, respectively, including (i) restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, and (ii) restrictions on certain liens, investments, guarantees, loans, advances, payments, mergers, consolidations, distributions, sales of assets and other transactions. Under the Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Senior Notes, the Operating Partnership and the Partnership are generally permitted to make cash distributions equal to available cash, as defined, as of the end of the immediately preceding quarter, if no event of default exists or would exist upon making such distributions, and with respect to the indentures governing the Senior Notes, the Partnership’s Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, as defined, is greater than 1.75 to 1. The Partnership and the Operating Partnership were in compliance with all covenants and terms of the Senior Notes and the Credit Agreement as of June 28, 2025.

Under the terms of the Credit Agreement, certain events of default under the terms of the Green Bonds constitute an event of default under the Credit Agreement. In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, the Partnership obtained a waiver from the lenders and the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement for the corresponding event of default under the Credit Agreement resulting from the event of default under the Green Bonds; this was not required for the second or third quarters of fiscal 2025.

The aggregate amounts of long-term debt maturities subsequent to June 28, 2025 are as follows: fiscal 2025: $-0-; fiscal 2026: $-0-; fiscal 2027: $513,600; fiscal 2028: $-0-; fiscal 2029: $11,707; and thereafter: $718,938.