Sponsored By

A&P Agrees to Deal to Emerge From Bankruptcy

MONTVALE, N.J. — A&P has reached an agreement with Yucaipa Cos., Mount Kellett Capital Management and Goldman Sachs on a $490 million investment that would allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy as a privately held company early next year.

Jon Springer, Executive Editor

November 3, 2011

1 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

JON SPRINGER

MONTVALE, N.J. — A&P has reached an agreement with Yucaipa Cos., Mount Kellett Capital Management and Goldman Sachs on a $490 million investment that would allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy as a privately held company early next year.

The deal — which requires approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Court — was to be filed in court papers Thursday, according contents of an internal memo obtained by SN.

"This agreement is good news for our company. By making this commitment, these sophisticated investors who know our company and industry well, are demonstrating confidence in our management team and our associates' ability both to complete the turnaround, and position the company for success going forward."

The United Food and Commercial Workers union Thursday said it was reviewing the proposal. "It is very important to realize that the financial arrangement to bring the company out of bankruptcy is contingent upon labor agreements that are modified from their present form. Our labor agreements will be different than those we are presently working under,"said the statement from the UFCW A&P negotiating committee said.

A&P, with 336 stores in seven states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, has been in bankruptcy since December of last year.

Yucaipa has been an investor in A&P for several years. Mount Kellett, with offices in New York, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong, focuses on "global distressed, special situations and opportunistic investing," according to its website.

About the Author

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News