We Are Improving!

We hope that you'll find our new look appealing and the site easier to navigate than before. Please pardon any 404's that you may see, we're trying to tidy those up!  Should you find yourself on a 404 page please use the search feature in the navigation bar.  

User Rating: 5 / 5

Star ActiveStar ActiveStar ActiveStar ActiveStar Active
 

Klausner II, a sawmill operation which never began production, left a string of creditors totalling between 100 to 199, documents filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Delaware show.

In addition to a long list of creditors, several of them being Halifax County companies, Klausner in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing listed assets between $10 million to $50 million and liabilities between $100 million to $500 million.

A court hearing scheduled in Wilmington, Delaware on August 20 will center on a settlement reached between Halifax County and the company. The hearing was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. It is now scheduled for 10 a.m., court documents show.

Today is also the day objections are to be filed in the case.

The list of creditors who have the 29 largest unsecured claims located in Halifax County are Harry House Security in Roanoke Rapids — $106,580 — and Halifax Electric Membership Cooperative in Enfield — $103,464.59.

Other local creditors are: Eastern Petroleum of Enfield; Garner Landscaping in Roanoke Rapids; Halifax County; Halifax County Tax Collector; Halifax County Public Utilities; Halifax Works in Roanoke Rapids; New Dixie Oil in Roanoke Rapids; Rivertown Tire in Weldon; Roanoke Porta-Johns in Garysburg; and Sherwin-Williams in Roanoke Rapids. 

In the gallery: The creditors who have the 29 largest unsecured claims. Two of the creditors have had phone numbers intentionally blurred upon discretion of the editor

According to terms of the settlement reported last month, Klausner and the county have agreed to sell the property located off Highway 301 just outside Enfield for a minimum price of $11 million. 

Upon the closing of the sale, the proceeds will be distributed as follows: 

The first $1,500,000 to repayment of the debtor-in-possession loan or the debtor

The next $4,500,000 to the county 

The Chapter 11 filing notes the Klausner board reviewed the financial records of the company, its business and financial condition, its assets, liabilities, potential liabilities and its liquidity.

“As a result of the company's current financial situation, it appears that it is necessary to file for reorganization of the company under Chapter 11 … of the United States Code … in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware …”

The resolution says the Klausner board “determined in its judgment that it is desirable and in the best interests of the company, its creditors, and other interested parties to commence the bankruptcy …”

Halifax County Attorney Glynn Rollins said last month the goal of the settlement is to have a new owner purchase the property through the bankruptcy proceedings and bring the facility online.

Klausner was announced by former Governor Beverly Perdue in 2012 as an economic development project which would bring 350 jobs to Halifax County and represented what was to be a $130 million investment.

The motion by Klausner seeking approval of the settlement said the company was to be one of the first new sawmills built in the United States for some time. 

It was to use European technology “that would result in efficiencies of operations and production, and far greater utilization and less waste of raw materials,” and if successful would have brought a competitive advantage over domestic lumber mills. 

Construction of the sawmill began in 2014. 

Several setbacks and delays occurred during construction over the next several years, and the debtor’s sawmill never became fully operational, which caused a drain on liquidity, previous documents reviewed in the case show.