The Rockport Company LLC

5/14/18

The Rockport Company LLC, a Massachusetts-based designer, distributor and retailer of comfort footwear has filed for bankruptcy — the latest in a string of footwear retailers that has found its way into chapter 11. Payless Shoesource, Sheikh Shoes, and Nine West Holdings are other recent filings. The current owners of the business — its prepetition lenders — purchased the business from Berkshire Partners LLC and New Balance Holding Inc. in 2017. 

The company operates in what it dubs a “highly competitive” business where “[a]t various times of the year, department store chains, specialty shops, and online retailers offer brand-name merchandise at substantial markdowns which further intensifies the competitive nature of the industry.” The company has (i) a robust wholesale business (57% of all its global sales), (ii) a direct retail business (eight (8) full-price and nineteen (19) outlet stores in the United States and fourteen (14) full-price and nineteen (19) outlet stores in Canada), (iii) e-commerce, and (iv) an international distribution segment. 

This business has suffered from (a) operational challenges (a costly and time consuming separation from the Adidas Networks, with which the company's operations were deeply integrated until late 2017), (b) other negative externalities (i.e., the closure of three supply factories, contract disputes with warehousemen, and (c) the burdens of its brick-and-mortar footprint. The company notes, "[o]ver the last several years the Debtors have faced a highly promotional and competitive retail environment, underscored by a shift in customer preference for online shopping." And it notes further, "[t]he unfavorable performance of the Acquired Stores in the current retail environment has made it difficult for the Debtors to maintain sufficient liquidity and to operate their business outside of Chapter 11."

In light of this, armed with a $20 million new-money DIP credit facility (exclusive of rollup amounts) extended by its prepetition ABL lenders, the company has filed for bankruptcy to consummate a stalking horse-backed asset purchase agreement with CB Marathon Opco, LLC an affiliate of Charlesbank Equity Fund IX, Limited Partnership for the sale of the company's assets - OTHER THAN its North American assets — for, among other things, $150 million in cash. The buyer has a 25-day option to continue considering whether to purchase the North American assets but the company does "not expect there to be any significant interest in the North American Retail Assets." Read: the stores. The company, therefore, also filed a "store closing motion" so that it can expeditiously move to shutter its brick-and-mortar footprint at the expiration of the option. Ah, retail. 

• Jurisdiction: D. of Delaware 
• Capital Structure: $57mm prepetition ABL Facility (Citizens Business Capital), $188.3 million '22 prepetition senior secured notes, $11mm prepetition subordinated notes.  
• Company Professionals:
  • Legal: Richards Layton & Finger PA (Mark Collins, Michael J. Merchant, Amanda R. Steele, Brendan J. Schlauch, Megan E. Kenney)
  • Financial Advisor: Alvarez & Marsal Private Equity Services Operations Group, LLC (Paul Kosturos)
  • Investment Banker: Houlihan Lokey Inc.
  • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
• Other Parties in Interest:
  • Prepetition Noteholders and DIP Note Purchasers
    • Legal: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (My Chi To, Daniel Stroik) & (local) Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Bradford Sandler, James O'Neill)
  • Collateral Agent and DIP Note Agent
    • Legal: Holland & Knight LLP (Joshua Spencer) & (local) Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (Bradford Sandler, James O'Neill)
  • ABL Administrative Agent and ABL DIP Agent: Citizens Business Capital
    • Legal: Riemer Braunstein LLP (Donald Rothman, Lon Singer, Jaime Rachel Koff, Jeremy Levesque) & (local) Ashby & Geddes PA (Gregory Taylor)
  • Stalking Horse Bidder: CB Marathon Opco, LLC an affiliate of Charlesbank Equity Fund IX, Limited Partnership
    • Legal: Goodwin Proctor LLP (Jon Herzog, Joseph Bernardi Jr.) & (local) Pepper Hamilton LLP (David Fournier, Evelyn Meltzer)

Updated 5/14/18 at 10:14 am