June 15, 2006 -- The bankruptcy of J.L. French Automotive Castings Inc. may end soon. The Sheboygan, WI-based company announced that each of five voting creditor classes have accepted the reorganization plan, and the federal bankruptcy court overseeing the Chapter 11 case is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on the plan June 21.
If the reorganization plan is approved at the hearing, J.L. French states it expects to emerge from bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
J.L. French supplies high-pressure aluminum diecastings as components and assemblies to automakers and their suppliers. Its products include oil pans, engine front covers, engine blocks, and transmission cases.
The company filed for creditor protection in February, having pre-arranged many of the conditions of its reorganization with its debt-holders.
In March the court approved payments to creditors as anticipated in the pre-filing agreements. The reorganization plan was filed and amended in April.
The amended plan incorporates terms of a settlement between J.L. French, its unsecured creditors, and the second-lien agent, and provides, among other things, for a distribution of warrants to noteholders, and a distribution of certain potential litigation recoveries to general unsecured claims holders and noteholders.
The second-lien noteholders voted unanimously to accept the reorganization plan, as did over 95% of the unsecured creditors. Senior subordinated noteholders approved the plan unanimously. The committee of unsecured creditors filed a statement supporting plan confirmation, and no objections to confirmation have been filed prior to the objection deadline.