RICHMOND, VA. — LL Flooring (NYSE: LL), a specialty retailer of hard- and soft-surface flooring, has commenced voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The Richmond-based company, which operates more than 300 stores and a distribution center in Sandston, Va., will also be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.
The retailer plans to use the Chapter 11 proceedings to pursue a “going concern sale” of its business, meaning that LL Flooring’s future buyer could continue the business as usual post-transaction. LL Flooring says it “remains in active negotiations with multiple bidders” and hopes to seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware of a sale of its business in the first few weeks of the proceedings.
Concurrent with the filing, LL Flooring announced it has reached an agreement with Hilco Merchant Resources LLC to assist the company in store closing sales at 94 locations. AlixPartners LLP is serving as restructuring advisor to LL Flooring, which has received $130 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from its existing bank group led by Bank of America.
LL Flooring’s stock price closed on Friday, Aug. 9 at $0.84 per share, down from $3.75 a year ago, a 77.6 percent decline.