Case 04-45814-Jwv11 Doc 11487 Filed 10/31/08 Entered 10/31/08 16:57:49 Desc Main Document Page 1 of 459
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Case 04-45814-jwv11 Doc 11487 Filed 10/31/08 Entered 10/31/08 16:57:49 Desc Main Document Page 1 of 459 IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY DIVISION In re: ) ) Chapter 11 INTERSTATE BAKERIES ) Case No. 04-45814 (JWV) CORPORATION, et al., ) ) Jointly Administered Debtors. ) DISCLOSURE STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO AMENDED JOINT PLAN OF REORGANIZATION OF INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATED DEBTORS AND DEBTORS-IN-POSSESSION DATED OCTOBER 31, 2008 J. Eric Ivester (ARDC No. 06215581) Paul M. Hoffmann (Missouri Bar No. 31922) Samuel S. Ory (Missouri Bar No. 43293) STINSON MORRISON HECKER LLP SKADDEN ARPS SLATE MEAGHER 1201 Walnut, Suite 2900 & FLOM LLP Kansas City, Missouri 64106-2150 333 West Wacker Drive, Suite 2100 Telephone: (816) 691-2746 Chicago, Illinois 60606-1285 Facsimile: (888) 691-1191 Telephone: (312) 407-0700 e-mail: [email protected] Facsimile: (312) 407-0411 e-mail: [email protected] -and- J. Gregory Milmoe (JM 0919) SKADDEN ARPS SLATE MEAGHER & FLOM LLP Four Times Square New York, New York 10036-6522 Telephone: (212) 735-3000 Facsimile: (212) 735-2000 Attorneys for Debtors and Debtors-in-Possession Dated: October 31, 2008 Case 04-45814-jwv11 Doc 11487 Filed 10/31/08 Entered 10/31/08 16:57:49 Desc Main Document Page 2 of 459 DISCLAIMER THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT (THIS “DISCLOSURE STATEMENT”) IS INCLUDED HEREIN FOR PURPOSES OF SOLICITING ACCEPTANCES OF THE AMENDED JOINT PLAN OF REORGANIZATION OF INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATED DEBTORS AND DEBTORS-IN-POSSESSION DATED OCTOBER 31, 2008 (THE “PLAN”) AND MAY NOT BE RELIED UPON FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO DETERMINE HOW TO VOTE ON THE PLAN. NO PERSON MAY GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS, OTHER THAN THE INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS CONTAINED IN THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT, REGARDING THE PLAN OR THE SOLICITATION OF ACCEPTANCES OF THE PLAN. ALL CREDITORS ARE ADVISED AND ENCOURAGED TO READ THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND THE PLAN IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE VOTING TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE PLAN. PLAN SUMMARIES AND STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ARE QUALIFIED IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO THE PLAN AND THE EXHIBITS ANNEXED TO THE PLAN AND THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ARE MADE ONLY AS OF THE DATE HEREOF, AND THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN WILL BE CORRECT AT ANY TIME AFTER THE DATE HEREOF. IN THE EVENT OF ANY CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DESCRIPTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND THE TERMS OF THE PLAN, THE TERMS OF THE PLAN SHALL GOVERN. THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1125 OF THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY CODE AND RULE 3016(b) OF THE FEDERAL RULES OF BANKRUPTCY PROCEDURE AND NOT NECESSARILY IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR OTHER NON- BANKRUPTCY LAW. THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT HAS BEEN NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (THE “SEC”), NOR HAS THE SEC PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN. PERSONS OR ENTITIES TRADING IN OR OTHERWISE PURCHASING, SELLING OR TRANSFERRING SECURITIES OR CLAIMS OF INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATION OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES SHOULD EVALUATE THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND THE PLAN IN LIGHT OF THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THEY WERE PREPARED. AS TO CONTESTED MATTERS, ADVERSARY PROCEEDINGS AND OTHER ACTIONS OR THREATENED ACTIONS, THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE OR BE CONSTRUED AS AN ADMISSION OF ANY FACT OR LIABILITY, STIPULATION OR WAIVER, BUT RATHER AS A STATEMENT MADE IN SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS. THIS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT SHALL NOT BE ADMISSIBLE IN ANY NON-BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING NOR SHALL IT BE CONSTRUED TO BE CONCLUSIVE ADVICE ON THE TAX, SECURITIES, OR OTHER LEGAL EFFECTS OF THE PLAN AS TO HOLDERS OF CLAIMS AGAINST, OR EQUITY INTERESTS IN, INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATION OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, DEBTORS AND DEBTORS-IN-POSSESSION IN THESE CASES. ii Case 04-45814-jwv11 Doc 11487 Filed 10/31/08 Entered 10/31/08 16:57:49 Desc Main Document Page 3 of 459 SUMMARY OF PLAN The following introduction and summary is a general overview only and is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed discussions, information, and financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Disclosure Statement with respect to the Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Interstate Bakeries Corporation and its Affiliated Debtors and Debtors-in-Possession Dated October 31, 2008 (the “Plan”) being proposed by Interstate Bakeries Corporation and eight of its subsidiaries and affiliates, debtors and debtors in possession (collectively, the “Debtors,” “IBC” or the “Company”) in their jointly-administered chapter 11 bankruptcy cases pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri, Kansas City Division (the “Bankruptcy Court”). All capitalized terms not defined in this Disclosure Statement have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan. A copy of the Plan is annexed hereto as Appendix A. This Disclosure Statement contains, among other things, descriptions and summaries of provisions of the Plan. Certain provisions of the Plan, and thus the descriptions and summaries contained herein, may be the subject of continuing negotiations among the Debtors and various parties, have not been finally agreed upon, and may be modified. A. Business Overview and Events Leading to Commitment Letter Collectively, the Debtors are one of the largest wholesale bakers and distributors of fresh baked bread and sweet goods in the United States. The Debtors produce, market and distribute a wide range of breads, rolls, croutons, snack cakes, donuts, sweet rolls and related products under national brand names such as “Wonder®,” “Hostess®,” “Baker’s Inn®,” “Home Pride®”, and “Mrs. Cubbison’s®” as well as regional brand names such as “Butternut®,” “Dolly Madison®,” “Drake’s®” and “Merita®.” The Debtors currently operate 41 bakeries and approximately 740 bakery outlets (known as “thrift stores”) located in strategic markets throughout the United States. The Company’s sale force delivers baked goods from approximately 600 distribution centers on approximately 6,000 delivery routes. Net sales for the Company’s 2008 fiscal year were approximately $2,798,337,000. IBC’s need to restructure its business through a chapter 11 reorganization proceeding arose due to the combined effects of several challenges that hindered its ability to successfully compete in the markets in which it operates. Without limitation, these challenges include declining sales, high fixed- cost structure, excess industry capacity, rising employee healthcare and pension costs and higher costs for ingredients and energy. Notwithstanding the Company’s efforts to address the competitive challenges they faced, the Debtors experienced certain specific and compounding events in the summer of 2004, including the need to increase their reserve for workers’ compensation and taking a charge to pretax income of approximately $40 million, which contributed to the Debtors’ liquidity and operational challenges. In light of these business issues and the limited sources of liquidity available to the Company, IBC determined that chapter 11 would afford it the best opportunity for restructuring its affairs and for developing and implementing a long-term, go-forward, business strategy. In the initial stage of the chapter 11 restructuring, the Debtors focused on quickly identifying opportunities for cost reductions that did not require fundamental operational changes. These efforts decreased the Company’s operating costs, but they did not directly address or sufficiently offset the continuing decline in sales revenue, its high fixed-cost structure or the other factors that led to its chapter 11 filing. iii Case 04-45814-jwv11 Doc 11487 Filed 10/31/08 Entered 10/31/08 16:57:49 Desc Main Document Page 4 of 459 In the second stage of its restructuring, the Company undertook an extensive review of each of its 10 profit centers (“PCs”), identifying areas for improvement in efficiency and profitability. The PCs were created on June 1, 2004, not long before the bankruptcy filings, when the Company transformed its organizational structure from 54 decentralized bakeries into 10 geographically structured groupings of bakeries, depots, routes and bakery outlets. The PC restructuring was intended to eliminate unprofitable products and routes, streamline distribution, rationalize the number of brands and stock- keeping units and eliminate excess capacity. The Company implemented its restructuring plans in each of its 10 PCs, closed a total of 9 bakeries, approximately 200 distribution centers and 300 bakery outlets, and reduced its overall workforce by approximately 7,000. The PC review and restructuring process also resulted in the rationalization of IBC’s delivery route network, reducing the number of routes by approximately 30 percent, from approximately 9,100 delivery routes to approximately 6,400, while serving roughly the same number of customers nationwide. In this phase of the restructuring, the Company also addressed inflationary pressures related to employee costs, commencing negotiations of long-term extensions with respect to most of its over 400 collective bargaining agreements with union-represented employees. The negotiations resulted in ratification by employees or agreements reached in principle, subject to