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Reorganization in the Pork Industry - The Coharie Hog Farm Story

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National Pork Board
National Pork Board

The document provides an overview of the bankruptcy of Coharie Hog Farm, Inc., a large pork producer located in Clinton, NC. It discusses the company's history and operations, financial difficulties due to poor market conditions, consideration of various alternatives, and the decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2009. The summary outlines a plan for an orderly liquidation of operations while planning a smaller restructured business. It also addresses challenges such as employee issues, claims from creditors, and the status of the bankruptcy proceedings as of June 2010.

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The Coharie Hog Farm Story
CoharieHog Farm, Inc. Clinton, NC D.R. Consulting
Prologue ? October 2, 2009 Friday night phone call ? Monday morning, Oct. 5th in Clinton, NC ? Initial Meeting with Ownership and Management ? Cash crisis amidst continuing poor markets ? Initial assignment – Evaluate operations and present alternatives for consideration ? “Sense of urgency” – other alternatives had been explored over the past year D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting Brief History of Coharie Hog Farms, Inc. ? 1972 – Founded by Lauch Faircloth (75%) and Nelson Waters (25%) as a partnership ? Primarily a farrow-to-finish operation, but also had grain merchandising, milling ? 1981 - Lauch and Nelson form a general partnership to own real estate; same percentage ownership interests ? 2002 – Incorporated Coharie Hog Farm, Inc.; same percentage ownership (75%/25%) ? In 2005, Anne Faircloth buys her father’s 75% ownership interest in the company ; partnership interests remained the same. ? Rated 22nd largest pork producer in the 2009 U.S. Pork Powerhouse rating
Overview of Operations ? 170 employees – very good continuity of management personnel ? 32,000 Sow Farrow-to Finish; all farrowing in NC ? 14,500 sows in Company-owned ? 17,500 sows in Contract Farrowing ? Boar stud and genetic multiplication ? 85,000 hd nursery space in N.C., primarily contract space ? 234,000 hd finishing capacity in N.C. ?19,000 hd in company-owned space ?215,000 hd in contract space D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting Overview of Operations (cont’d) ? 108,000 hd contract finishing in Indiana ? 2,000 hd/wk weaned pig procurement contract ? Six elevators in NC with 3.9M bushel storage capacity ? Feedmill (2007) with 520K ton annual capacity ? Internal feed and livestock transportation ? 80 contract growers in North Carolina ? 19 contract growers in Indiana ? Dozens of grain procurement and sales contracts ? Largest independent supplier to Smithfield’s Clinton processing plant ? 600,000+ market hogs per year
Overview of Financial Information ?Revenues - $110M in FY09 ?$90M in hog production ?$20M in grain merchandising ?Net losses of approximately $21M in FY09 and $13M in FY08 ? Total Debt - $43M to two primary secured creditors ?$6.3M – Feedmill (built in 2007 for $13M) ?$36.7M – Inventories, receivables, real estate, equipment ? Approximately 450 unsecured creditors (non-priority) ? Cash equity contribution of $8M in Aug and Sept. 2009 was gone D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting Developing the plan Get up to speed and understand company operations Evaluate current cash flow requirements amidst poor industry conditions Review historical financial records Develop a weekly cash flow forecast for next 12 months Evaluate various market scenarios and impact on cash requirements Discuss alternatives with ownership
D.R. Consulting Alternatives Considered 1. Sell parts of the business that might provide immediate liquidity 2. Sell all of the business (difficult with real estate issues – diverse ownership) 3. Reorganize to survive 4. Cash equity contribution to survive until better times – estimated $10M to May, 2010 when futures price would offset cash costs of production (memories of swine flu impact in April, 2009 on summer markets) 5. Conduct an orderly liquidation to down-size operations a. Outside of bankruptcy – difficulties with number and diversity of contractual agreements b. Inside of bankruptcy – Chapter 11 6. Combination of the above
D.R. Consulting Unforeseen Event October 30, 2009 – Three grain farmers file a petition for involuntary bankruptcy Result November 6, 2009 – Coharie files a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the Eastern District of North Carolina ?Eighth hog farm bankruptcy in NC in past two years ?At filing – roughly $50M assets/$50M liabilities
D.R. Consulting The Filing – Raleigh, NC First-Day Orders 1. Authorization to operate the business 2. Ability to pay critical vendors a. Employees, contract growers, utilities, transportation b. Everyone else considered non-critical 3. Authorization to use cash collateral 4. Argued to keep existing cash accounts 5. Arrange DIP financing (Debtor-in Possession) – “predicting how suppliers will react on the open of business on Monday morning” - $1.5M 6. Authorization for utility deposits
D.R. Consulting The Plan Orderly liquidation of operations while planning a restructured smaller operation 1. Close the boar stud and immediately halt breedings 2. Suspend grain merchandising and farrow bred sows over the following 20 weeks (mid-March, 2010) 3. Sell weaned pigs from farrowing operations 4. Feed existing weaners to feeder pig stage and market 5. Finish market hogs over the following 20 weeks in NC (three-stage production) 6. Finish market hogs over the following 28 weeks in Indiana (wean-to-finish) 7. Market elevators immediately (not strategic to finishing hogs) 8. Auction personal property and feed mill after production completed
How Do You Get People to Work Harder, Faster, and Longer Hours Knowing That Their Jobs Are Going to be Eliminated Sooner? D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting The Toughest Part – Employee Impact ? Shock phase (disbelief – “ I can’t believe this has happened”) ? Rally phase (loyalty – “we can do it, let’s give it our best”) ? Questioning phase (is the grass greener on the other side?) ? Running on fumes phase (more work for fewer remaining employees) ? The finish line
D.R. Consulting Employee Issues ?Devoted employees – 15-30 +yrs service not uncommon ?Hadn’t had raises in three years ?Planning the staged terminations (who goes first? who stays to the end?) ?Severance vs. non-severance ?Vacation pay/Sick pay/ Medical insurance ?Comp time ?Employees as contract growers ?Losing key employees ?Retention bonus plan – Bankruptcy Administrator objections
D.R. Consulting Other Issues Coharie-owned feed systems in grower buildings; many were management employees PRRS outbreak early in the period Claims for contract terminations Genetic company “bailment” claim for secured interest Challenges to validity of secured interest filings Sale of property to insiders (related parties); court approval needed
D.R. Consulting Challenges Ownership issues ?Partnership owned land, Company owned buildings ?Partnership wasn’t in bankruptcy, Company was in bankruptcy ?Differing commitments as borrowers or guarantors on loans Bankruptcy Administrator ?Objected to most everything ?Judge was reasonable/practical-granted most of what we requested; “split the baby” on the retention bonus issue No General Creditors Committee – (that’s a good thing)
D.R. Consulting Status – June 17, 2010 ?Original amount owed to Cape Fear Farm Credit - $36.7M ?Paid to date - $34.7M ($30.3M from orderly liquidation of hog inventories and $4.4M from sale of grain elevators) ?Remaining $2M of debt is being transferred to newly restructured entity that is acquiring sow farms ?Cape Fear Farm Credit to be paid in full ?Original amount owed to BB&T - $6.4M ?Sale of feedmill at auction satisfied BB&T debt ?Unsecured Creditors – original amount owed - $8.4M ?$4.2M paid personally by Anne Faircloth ?Approximately $2.5M of assets remaining to pay off the remaining general creditors ?“Non-related” general creditors s/b paid 100%
D.R. Consulting Outstanding Issues ?Company-owned feed systems offered to NC growers in exchange for contract claims ?Resolution with outstanding claim from Genetic Supplier – Two issues ?Liquidation of remaining assets for the benefit of unsecured creditors ?Approval of transfer of sow farms and miscellaneous assets to restructured entity ?Final conversion to a Chapter 7 filing
D.R. Consulting Sampson County, North Carolina Trivia Question
Who is this man? D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting Hints He was the 13th Vice President of the United States of America He was from Sampson County, NC He is the only Vice President in U.S. History to be administered the oath of office outside the U.S. He died of tuberculosis after 45 days in office. With the exceptions of John Tyler and Andrew Johnson, both of whom succeeded to the Presidency, he remains the shortest-serving Vice President.
D.R. Consulting
D.R. Consulting

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Reorganization in the Pork Industry - The Coharie Hog Farm Story

  • 1. The Coharie Hog Farm Story
  • 2. CoharieHog Farm, Inc. Clinton, NC D.R. Consulting
  • 3. Prologue ? October 2, 2009 Friday night phone call ? Monday morning, Oct. 5th in Clinton, NC ? Initial Meeting with Ownership and Management ? Cash crisis amidst continuing poor markets ? Initial assignment – Evaluate operations and present alternatives for consideration ? “Sense of urgency” – other alternatives had been explored over the past year D.R. Consulting
  • 4. D.R. Consulting Brief History of Coharie Hog Farms, Inc. ? 1972 – Founded by Lauch Faircloth (75%) and Nelson Waters (25%) as a partnership ? Primarily a farrow-to-finish operation, but also had grain merchandising, milling ? 1981 - Lauch and Nelson form a general partnership to own real estate; same percentage ownership interests ? 2002 – Incorporated Coharie Hog Farm, Inc.; same percentage ownership (75%/25%) ? In 2005, Anne Faircloth buys her father’s 75% ownership interest in the company ; partnership interests remained the same. ? Rated 22nd largest pork producer in the 2009 U.S. Pork Powerhouse rating
  • 5. Overview of Operations ? 170 employees – very good continuity of management personnel ? 32,000 Sow Farrow-to Finish; all farrowing in NC ? 14,500 sows in Company-owned ? 17,500 sows in Contract Farrowing ? Boar stud and genetic multiplication ? 85,000 hd nursery space in N.C., primarily contract space ? 234,000 hd finishing capacity in N.C. ?19,000 hd in company-owned space ?215,000 hd in contract space D.R. Consulting
  • 6. D.R. Consulting Overview of Operations (cont’d) ? 108,000 hd contract finishing in Indiana ? 2,000 hd/wk weaned pig procurement contract ? Six elevators in NC with 3.9M bushel storage capacity ? Feedmill (2007) with 520K ton annual capacity ? Internal feed and livestock transportation ? 80 contract growers in North Carolina ? 19 contract growers in Indiana ? Dozens of grain procurement and sales contracts ? Largest independent supplier to Smithfield’s Clinton processing plant ? 600,000+ market hogs per year
  • 7. Overview of Financial Information ?Revenues - $110M in FY09 ?$90M in hog production ?$20M in grain merchandising ?Net losses of approximately $21M in FY09 and $13M in FY08 ? Total Debt - $43M to two primary secured creditors ?$6.3M – Feedmill (built in 2007 for $13M) ?$36.7M – Inventories, receivables, real estate, equipment ? Approximately 450 unsecured creditors (non-priority) ? Cash equity contribution of $8M in Aug and Sept. 2009 was gone D.R. Consulting
  • 8. D.R. Consulting Developing the plan Get up to speed and understand company operations Evaluate current cash flow requirements amidst poor industry conditions Review historical financial records Develop a weekly cash flow forecast for next 12 months Evaluate various market scenarios and impact on cash requirements Discuss alternatives with ownership
  • 9. D.R. Consulting Alternatives Considered 1. Sell parts of the business that might provide immediate liquidity 2. Sell all of the business (difficult with real estate issues – diverse ownership) 3. Reorganize to survive 4. Cash equity contribution to survive until better times – estimated $10M to May, 2010 when futures price would offset cash costs of production (memories of swine flu impact in April, 2009 on summer markets) 5. Conduct an orderly liquidation to down-size operations a. Outside of bankruptcy – difficulties with number and diversity of contractual agreements b. Inside of bankruptcy – Chapter 11 6. Combination of the above
  • 10. D.R. Consulting Unforeseen Event October 30, 2009 – Three grain farmers file a petition for involuntary bankruptcy Result November 6, 2009 – Coharie files a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the Eastern District of North Carolina ?Eighth hog farm bankruptcy in NC in past two years ?At filing – roughly $50M assets/$50M liabilities
  • 11. D.R. Consulting The Filing – Raleigh, NC First-Day Orders 1. Authorization to operate the business 2. Ability to pay critical vendors a. Employees, contract growers, utilities, transportation b. Everyone else considered non-critical 3. Authorization to use cash collateral 4. Argued to keep existing cash accounts 5. Arrange DIP financing (Debtor-in Possession) – “predicting how suppliers will react on the open of business on Monday morning” - $1.5M 6. Authorization for utility deposits
  • 12. D.R. Consulting The Plan Orderly liquidation of operations while planning a restructured smaller operation 1. Close the boar stud and immediately halt breedings 2. Suspend grain merchandising and farrow bred sows over the following 20 weeks (mid-March, 2010) 3. Sell weaned pigs from farrowing operations 4. Feed existing weaners to feeder pig stage and market 5. Finish market hogs over the following 20 weeks in NC (three-stage production) 6. Finish market hogs over the following 28 weeks in Indiana (wean-to-finish) 7. Market elevators immediately (not strategic to finishing hogs) 8. Auction personal property and feed mill after production completed
  • 13. How Do You Get People to Work Harder, Faster, and Longer Hours Knowing That Their Jobs Are Going to be Eliminated Sooner? D.R. Consulting
  • 14. D.R. Consulting The Toughest Part – Employee Impact ? Shock phase (disbelief – “ I can’t believe this has happened”) ? Rally phase (loyalty – “we can do it, let’s give it our best”) ? Questioning phase (is the grass greener on the other side?) ? Running on fumes phase (more work for fewer remaining employees) ? The finish line
  • 15. D.R. Consulting Employee Issues ?Devoted employees – 15-30 +yrs service not uncommon ?Hadn’t had raises in three years ?Planning the staged terminations (who goes first? who stays to the end?) ?Severance vs. non-severance ?Vacation pay/Sick pay/ Medical insurance ?Comp time ?Employees as contract growers ?Losing key employees ?Retention bonus plan – Bankruptcy Administrator objections
  • 16. D.R. Consulting Other Issues Coharie-owned feed systems in grower buildings; many were management employees PRRS outbreak early in the period Claims for contract terminations Genetic company “bailment” claim for secured interest Challenges to validity of secured interest filings Sale of property to insiders (related parties); court approval needed
  • 17. D.R. Consulting Challenges Ownership issues ?Partnership owned land, Company owned buildings ?Partnership wasn’t in bankruptcy, Company was in bankruptcy ?Differing commitments as borrowers or guarantors on loans Bankruptcy Administrator ?Objected to most everything ?Judge was reasonable/practical-granted most of what we requested; “split the baby” on the retention bonus issue No General Creditors Committee – (that’s a good thing)
  • 18. D.R. Consulting Status – June 17, 2010 ?Original amount owed to Cape Fear Farm Credit - $36.7M ?Paid to date - $34.7M ($30.3M from orderly liquidation of hog inventories and $4.4M from sale of grain elevators) ?Remaining $2M of debt is being transferred to newly restructured entity that is acquiring sow farms ?Cape Fear Farm Credit to be paid in full ?Original amount owed to BB&T - $6.4M ?Sale of feedmill at auction satisfied BB&T debt ?Unsecured Creditors – original amount owed - $8.4M ?$4.2M paid personally by Anne Faircloth ?Approximately $2.5M of assets remaining to pay off the remaining general creditors ?“Non-related” general creditors s/b paid 100%
  • 19. D.R. Consulting Outstanding Issues ?Company-owned feed systems offered to NC growers in exchange for contract claims ?Resolution with outstanding claim from Genetic Supplier – Two issues ?Liquidation of remaining assets for the benefit of unsecured creditors ?Approval of transfer of sow farms and miscellaneous assets to restructured entity ?Final conversion to a Chapter 7 filing
  • 20. D.R. Consulting Sampson County, North Carolina Trivia Question
  • 21. Who is this man? D.R. Consulting
  • 22. D.R. Consulting Hints He was the 13th Vice President of the United States of America He was from Sampson County, NC He is the only Vice President in U.S. History to be administered the oath of office outside the U.S. He died of tuberculosis after 45 days in office. With the exceptions of John Tyler and Andrew Johnson, both of whom succeeded to the Presidency, he remains the shortest-serving Vice President.