EXHIBIT 99.1
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:
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March
5, 2009
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CONTACT:
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Craig
Wanichek
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Director
of Investor Relations
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Monaco
Coach Corporation
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(541)
681-8029
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craig.wanichek@monacocoach.com
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Monaco
Coach Corporation to Reorganize Under Chapter 11 -
Investment
Bank Continues Work Toward Potential Transaction
Coburg,
OR March 5, 2009-- Monaco Coach Corporation (OTC: MCOA) today announced that it
has filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of
Delaware. The Company plans to continue operating the business as a
debtor-in-possession in preparation for one or more sale transactions involving
parts or all of the business. Imperial Capital, LLC, the Company’s lead
investment bank, is actively assisting the Company in working toward a
transaction that will allow operations to resume.
In
conjunction with the filing, Monaco is seeking customary authority from the
bankruptcy court that will enable it to continue operating its business and
serving its customers in the ordinary course. This includes the authority to
make wage and salary payments, continue various benefits for employees and pay
post-petition providers of materials and services in the normal course of
business. Monaco is negotiating with its lenders for two
debtor-in-possession (DIP) financings to supplement its working
capital. The Company expects continuation of the line of credit on a
cash collateral basis prior to the execution of the DIP financing.
Monaco
announced on March 2, 2009 that it was terminating the majority of its remaining
workforce and continuing to seek additional financing or capital, or a corporate
transaction. Over the past 20 months, the Company has taken
aggressive steps to improve the absorption of indirect expenses and to reduce
material and labor costs. Despite these drastic efforts, a variety of
factors has combined to prevent the Company from generating the necessary
liquidity or obtaining the additional financing to operate outside bankruptcy
protection. The economic climate has deteriorated considerably since
the Company entered into its current financing arrangements announced on
November 6, 2008, and the national and global credit markets have continued to
tighten.
Kay
Toolson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Monaco Coach Corporation said,
"We have taken intensive measures to overcome our weakened liquidity
position. The decision to restructure the business through a Chapter
11 filing should provide us with the opportunity to strengthen our balance
sheet, create a more efficient expense structure and move expeditiously toward a
sale of parts or all of the Company. In the meantime, we are
committed to maintaining our dealer and customer relationships which should
benefit all parties in the long run.”
"We
appreciate the support we have received from our dealers and customers through
this extremely difficult period and are hopeful their patience will be
rewarded. With this support, we believe the opportunity exists to
leverage our market position, preserve the strength of our brands for our
dealers and assure the continuation of the Monaco lifestyle for our customers,"
continued Toolson.
"We
understand how difficult the events of the past several months have been on
everyone at the Company, and we recognize the changes personally affect many
people. Further, we understand and deeply regret the effect of the
action taken today on vendors and others with whom we have business
relationships," concluded Toolson.
Additional
Information
Today’s
Chapter 11 filing affects all of Monaco’s wholly owned
subsidiaries.
Custom
Chassis Products, LLC, the Company’s chassis manufacturing joint venture with
Navistar, Inc., is not a party to the bankruptcy proceeding.
About
Monaco Coach Corporation
Monaco
Coach Corporation, a leading national manufacturer of motorized and towable
recreational vehicles, is ranked as the number one producer of diesel-powered
motorhomes. Dedicated to quality and service, Monaco Coach is a leader in
innovative RVs designed to meet the needs of a broad range of customers with
varied interests and offers products that appeal to RVers across
generations.
Headquartered
in Coburg, Oregon, with manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Indiana, the
Company offers a variety of RVs, from entry-level priced towables to custom-made
luxury models under the Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Safari, Beaver, McKenzie, and
R-Vision brand names. The Company operates motorhome-only resorts in California,
Florida, Nevada and Michigan.
Forward-Looking
Statements
Certain
statements above are forward-looking statements subject to various risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these
statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation,
statements regarding the Company's expectations concerning the bankruptcy
process, the continuation of day-to-day operations and payments to vendors and
employees in the ordinary course, the ability to arrange DIP financings and the
ability to ultimately sell part or all of the Company’s assets or
operations. Actual results may differ materially from those included
in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, without
limitation, the following: (1) the impact of today's announcement on the
Company's operations; (2) the ability of the Company to continue as a going
concern and execute a sale of all or a portion of the Company; (3) the ability
of the Company to obtain approval of and operate pursuant to the terms of the
cash collateral agreement, and operate pursuant to the terms of the DIP
facility; (4) the ability of the Company to obtain court approval of its first
day papers and other motions in the Chapter 11 proceeding pursued by it from
time to time; (5) the ability of the Company to develop, pursue, confirm and
consummate one or more plans of reorganization with respect to the Chapter 11
cases; (6) risks associated with third parties seeking and obtaining court
approval to terminate or shorten the exclusivity period for the Company to
propose and confirm one or more plans of reorganization, for the appointment of
a Chapter 11 trustee or to convert the cases to Chapter 7 cases; (7) the ability
of the Company to obtain and maintain normal terms with vendors and service
providers; (8) the ability of the Company to maintain contracts that are
critical to its operations; (9) potential adverse developments with respect to
the Company's liquidity or results of operations; (10) the ability of the
Company to fund and execute its business plan; (11) the ability of the Company
to attract, retain and compensate key executives and associates; (12) the
ability of the Company to attract and retain dealers and retail customers; (13)
any further deterioration in the macroeconomic environment, or consumer
confidence and; (14) the ability of dealers to purchase inventory. Please refer
to the Company’s SEC reports for additional risks and uncertainties, including
but not limited to the most recent 10-Q, the annual report on form 10-K for 2007
and the 2007 Annual Report to shareholders. The filings can be
accessed over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov or
http://monaco-online.com.
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