Remington filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in July. That was after a failed attempt to sell the company to the Navajo Nation and despite the biggest gun-buying boom in the history of the world. Since then, the company has been trying to sell off its various brands and operating units.
Today, the Wall Street Journal reports that . . .
Firearms maker Remington Outdoor Co. has agreed to sell its ammunition business out of bankruptcy to South Carolina-based investment firm JJE Capital Holdings LLC for $65 million plus the assumption of liabilities, subject to better offers.
The JJE offer came in the form of a stalking-horse bid, setting a floor on the sale price for Remington’s ammunition business, which the company has been marketing while in chapter 11. Remington filed for bankruptcy protection in July and has been open to selling its ammunition and firearms operations to pay off its debt.
The proposed deal outlined in papers filed Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Decatur, Ala., covers the design and manufacturing of ammunition sold under the Remington and Barnes Bullets brands and includes production facilities in Arkansas and Utah.
The sale still has to be approved by the bankruptcy court. The company’s creditors could oppose the sale in hopes of a better offer.
Another group that will surely have something to say is the Sandy Hook plaintiffs who’ve already expressed concern that the bankruptcy will let Remington off the hook in their lawsuit’s attempt to claim the company somehow illegally marketed the rifle used by Adam Lanza. Don’t look for the court to give much weight to that argument.
UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal report on which this post was based was premature. JJE Capital Holdings has put in a bid for Remington’s ammunition business. However we’ve spoken to Remington and the JJE bid is one of a number that have been received, both for Remington as a whole and for individual business lines. Most haven’t been made public yet. The bankruptcy court has until September 17th to accumulate all bids and then will finalize the sale(s) on September 24th.