⛽️New Chapter 11 Filing - HDR Holding Inc. (Schramm Inc.)⛽️

Jim Carrey Drill.gif

June 24, 2019

It stands to reason that businesses centered upon servicing mining and oil and gas drilling rigs may be suffering a bit in the current — and by “current,” we mean the last five-or-so years — macroeconomic environment. HDR Holding Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company started in 1900(!), along with certain debtor affiliates, produces “a variety of mobile, top-head hydraulic rotary drilling rigs that are mounted on trucks, tracks and trailers.” The company makes money by (i) manufacturing and selling their various rig models to drillers, (ii) selling consumable drill parts that naturally deteriorate over time, and (iii) servicing their equipment. For reasons that are, by now, blatantly obvious to anyone following the distressed world, oil and gas drilling hasn’t exactly been an obscenely profitable endeavor these last few years (or, in the case of certain drilling regions, EVER, really).

And so demand for the debtors’ wares is down. Per the debtors:

Given its strong connections to the oil and gas industry, the Company has faced significant challenges pervasive in the industry over the past three to five years. Numerous oil and gas producers have significantly curtailed, if not entirely ceased, drilling new wells in response to declines in commodity prices that make such projects uneconomical. The result of this trend for the Company has been a reduced demand for both new rigs and for the related consumable drill parts as existing rig assemblies are idled, which has led to the Debtors failing to meet revenue projections and maintain compliance with the covenants under their prepetition credit facilities.

Ah, yes, the debt. The debtors have approximately $20mm in debt spread out across three different term loan facilities. In an attempt to better service this debt, the debtors have pivoted their sales efforts “to a steadier mining sector” (Bitcoin, maybe? We kid, we kid), now sell aftermarket equipment, and have “managed” their workforce and expenses to preserve cash with the hope that oil and gas might cover. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t. Nevertheless, the debtors purport to have increased performance over the last few years. Just not enough to service their capital structure.

Accordingly, over the last eight months, the debtors and their advisors have pursued a sale process with the hope of selling the business as a going concern. No third-party purchaser came forward pre-petition, unfortunately, and so the debtors seek to pursue a sale to their largest pre-petition equityholder…which also happens to be their largest pre-petition lender…AND which also happens to be their proposed DIP lender (GenNx360 Capital Parters LP). The committed DIP is $6mm at 12% and the proposed purchase price is $10.3mm plus a credit bid of the $6mm DIP amount. Pursuant to the terms of the DIP, the debtors seek to have a sale hearing on or about August 19 to have some cushion in advance of the August 28 sale order milestone under the proposed DIP.

We’ll, therefore, have at least one data point by the end of summer to show us how bullish folks are vis-a-vis a recovery in the oil and gas market.

  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Judge Walrath)

  • Capital Structure: $5.3mm Term Loan A (Hark Capital I LP), $6.5mm Term Loan B (GenNx360), $6mm Term Loan C (Citizens Bank NA)

  • Professionals:

    • Legal: Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP (Sean Greecher, Pauline Morgan,

    • Investment Banker: FocalPoint Partners LLC (Michael Fixler)

    • Claims Agent: Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions LLC (*click on the link above for free docket access)

  • Other Parties in Interest:

    • Largest EquityHolder & Stalking Horse Purchaser: GenNx360 Capital Partners L.P.

    • DIP Lender ($6mm at 12%): Schramm II Inc. (an acquisition vehicle created by GenNx360)

      • Legal: Winston & Strawn LLP (Carey Schreiber) & (local) Robinson+Cole LLP (Jamie Edmonson)

    • Term Loan A Lender: Hark Capital I LP

      • Legal: Perkins Coie LLP (Jordan Kroop) & (local) The Rosner Law Group LLC (Frederick Rosner)

Updated 7/7 #65

New Chapter 11 Filing - True Religion Apparel Inc.

True Religion Apparel Inc.

  • 7/5/17 Recap: Another private equity backed retailer files for bankruptcy. Here, the "brand that is globally recognized for innovative, trendsetting denim jeans and apparel" has a fast-tracked prepackaged deal with its lenders and private equity sponsor to shed approximately 72% of its debt and continue its operational restructuring (read: more store closures). The Manhattan Beach California 128-store retailer (down after closing 30 stores worldwide) blamed a (i) "a macro consumer shift away from brick-and-mortar to online retail channels," (ii) a decline in the premium denim market segment in the fashion industry and corresponding rise of athleisure, (iii) fast fashion, (iv) the rise in competitive discounting to make up for lost foot traffic and sales, and (v) an over-levered balance sheet. We believe that the decline is primarily attributable to cheesy AF bedazzled and bejeweled jeans with heinous a$$-designs and stitching that no one other than the cast of the Jersey Shore would want to be caught dead in. Its initial claim-to-fame is its "iconic and trademarked" horsesh*t symbol...we mean, "iconic and trademarked horseshoe symbol." Seriously, how is True Religion ONLY #15 on this list of "50 Men's Fashion Trends That Never Should Have Happened"? We're truly asking. Anyway, the de-levered and operationally stream-lined company hopes to restructure around a business plan predicated upon a global e-commerce expansion, increased licensing, deployment of pop-up outlet stores, an expansion of its "Last Stitch" line, and other shenanigans in an attempt to keep this ugly brand from filing for Chapter 22 after the holiday season. On an aside, the pop-up strategy is interesting: the company notes that the outlet concept has been profitable, primarily because they are based on short-term 18-month-or-less leases with "little downside" for the company. Yikes, landlords. The company further noted that the conversion of True Religion locations to "Last Stitch" branded locations has been successful. Curious. Doesn't this signal that the True Religion brand is, uh, kinda worth f*ck all and the company's success is dependent upon shying away from it? Hmmm. 
  • Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware (Sontchi)
  • Capital Structure: $60mm ABL (Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch), $400mm first lien TL (Delaware Trust Company, as successor to Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch), $85mm second lien TL (Wilmington Trust National Association, as successor to Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch)
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Laura Davis Jones, David Bertenthal, James O'Neill)
    • Financial Advisor: Maeva Group LLC (Harry Wilson)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Sponsor: Towerbrook Capital Partners LP
      • Legal: Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz LLP (Joshua Feltman, Emil Kleinhaus) & (local) Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP (Derek Abbott, Daniel Butz)
    • Ad Hoc Group of Lenders (Apex Credit Partners LLC, Farmstead Capital Management LLC, Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP, Investcorp Credit Management US LLP, Palmer Square Capital Management LLC, Southpaw Asset Management LP, Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company and Ivy Investment Management Company, 
      • Legal: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (Arik Preis, Allison Miller, Jason Rubin, Yochun Katie Lee) & (local) Ashby & Geddes PA (Karen Skomorucha Owens, Stacy Newman)
      • Financial Advisor: Moelis & Company LLP
      • DIP Lender: Citizens Bank NA 
        • Legal: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Robert A.J. Barry, Julia Frost-Davies, Christopher Carter) & (local) Reed Smith LLP (Kurt Gwynne, Emily Devan)
      • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
        • Legal: Cooley LLP (Jay Indyke, Cathy Hershcopf, Seth Van Aalten, Max Schlan, Lauren Reichardt) & (local) Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP (Michael Yurkewicz, Sally Veghte)
        • Financial Advisor: Province Inc. (Peter Kravitz)

Updated 8/8/17