LL Flooring and certain of its subsidiaries have commenced voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. LL Flooring intends to use these proceedings to pursue a going-concern sale of its business.
LL Flooring is generally operating in the normal course through this process and remains focused on providing customers with a broad range of hard and soft surface flooring and an exceptional shopping experience. The company has more than 300 continuing stores across the U.S. that, along with its online platform, are open and continuing to serve customers with few changes to store operations and policies. In addition, LL Flooring entered into an agreement with Hilco Merchant Resources to assist the company in its recently initiated store closing sales at 94 of its locations. Those 94 stores will remain open and serving customers through this closing process.
Prior to filing for Chapter 11, the company conducted extensive marketing processes with respect to its business and certain of its assets, including its distribution center in Sandston, Virginia. The marketing process garnered significant interest, and the company intends to use these Chapter 11 proceedings to continue pursuing a going-concern sale of its business under the Bankruptcy Code. The company remains in active negotiations with multiple bidders and hopes to seek Bankruptcy Court approval of a sale of its business in the first few weeks of the Chapter 11 proceedings.
LL Flooring has received a commitment for debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of up to $130 million from its existing bank group led by Bank of America. Following court approval, the incremental liquidity provided by the DIP financing, combined with cash generated from the Company’s ongoing operations is expected to support the business during these proceedings.
“After comprehensive efforts to enhance our liquidity position in a challenging macro environment, a determination was made that initiating this Chapter 11 process is the best path forward for the company,” Charles Tyson, president and CEO of LL Flooring, said. “Today’s step is intended to provide LL Flooring with additional time and financial flexibility as we reduce our physical footprint and close certain stores while pursuing a going-concern sale of the rest of our business. As we move through this process, we are committed to continuing to serve our valued customers, and to working seamlessly with our vendors and partners. I am appreciative of our associates for their ongoing hard work in providing the best experience for our customers.”
LL Flooring has filed a number of customary motions in connection with the Chapter 11 proceedings. Once approved by the court, those motions will allow the company to smoothly transition its business into Chapter 11, including by, among other things, granting authority to continue payment of wages and maintain healthcare and other benefits as well as certain other relief customary in these circumstances. The company has sought authorization to continue honoring customer commitments subject to certain modifications of store operations or policies relating to its acceptance of customer deposits and gift cards. Any updates to store operations or policies will be posted on the company’s website, where customers can also find a list of locations conducting store closing sales. The company intends to pay vendors and suppliers in full under normal terms for goods and services provided on or after the Chapter 11 filing date and has requested court approval to do so.
Additional information about the Company’s Chapter 11 process is available at www.LLFlooringRestructuring.com.
