FiberCore Files for Chapter 11 Protection
18 November 2003 - 7:35AM
PR Newswire (US)
FiberCore Files for Chapter 11 Protection CHARLTON, Mass., Nov. 17
/PRNewswire/ -- FiberCore, Inc. (Pink Sheets: FBCE), a leading
manufacturer and global supplier of optical fiber and preform for
the telecommunication and data communications markets, today
announced it has voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11
of the U. S. Bankruptcy Code with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the
District of Massachusetts, Western Division, late Friday afternoon,
November 14th, as well as various motions, including a motion for
initial DIP financing, today. The Company's foreign and domestic
operating fiber subsidiaries are not involved in the filing, and
the Company, which serves primarily as a holding company, intends
to utilize the Chapter 11 process to restructure its balance sheet,
while continuing to operate its subsidiaries in Germany and Brazil.
The Company trusts that the filing will not impact day-to-day
operations of its fiber subsidiaries. In support of the
restructuring effort, the Company is pursuing breach of contract
claims and other potential recovery situations. Accordingly, the
Company has instituted an adversarial proceeding in excess of
$6,000,000 against CommScope Inc. in bankruptcy court, which we
expect will provide an expedited process. Mohd Aslami, chairman and
chief executive officer of the Company said, "Unfortunately, the
decision to file was unavoidable, given the inability to raise
working capital in the U.S. following the $5.3 million
(yen-denominated) Shin-Etsu arbitration award in late July. Moving
forward, we will work with our lenders, trade creditors, employees,
and prospective buyers/investors, which we believe is in the best
interests of all, as we seek to maximize the value of the
business." FiberCore, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets
single-mode and multimode optical fiber preforms and optical fiber
for the telecommunications and data communications markets. In
addition to its standard multimode and single-mode fiber, FiberCore
also offers various grades of fiber for use in laser-based systems,
to help guarantee high bandwidths and to suit the needs of Feeder
Loop (also known as Metropolitan Area Network), Fiber-to-the Curb,
Fiber-to-the-Home, and Fiber-to-the Desk applications.
Manufacturing facilities are presently located in Jena, Germany and
Campinas, Brazil. For more information about the company, its
products, or shareholder information please visit our Website at:
http://www.fibercoreusa.com/ or contact us at: Phone - 508-248-3900
or by FAX - 508-248-5588 or E-Mail: ; Except for the historical
matters discussed above, the statements in this press release are
forward looking and are made pursuant to the "safe harbor"
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
They are based on the Company's current expectations and are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may
differ materially from those projected as a result of certain
general economic and business conditions; loss of market share
through competition; introduction of competing products by other
companies; changes in industry capacity; pressure on prices from
competition or from purchasers of the Company's products;
availability of qualified personnel; the delivery of an ability to
commission new equipment as scheduled; ability to obtain required
financing; dependence on a limited number of raw material
suppliers; the loss or reduced creditworthiness of any significant
customers; the ability of the Company to maintain sufficient
debtor-in-possession financing to fund its expenses during the
Chapter XI process; the Company's ability to obtain court approval
with respect to motions in the Chapter XI proceeding; the ability
of the Company to develop, prosecute, confirm, and consummate a
plan of reorganization with respect to the Chapter XI proceeding;
risks associated with third parties seeking and obtaining court
approval to terminate or shorten the exclusivity period for the
Company to propose and confirm a plan of reorganization to appoint
a Chapter XI trustee or to convert the case to a Chapter VII
proceeding and other factors detailed from time to time in the
Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DATASOURCE: FiberCore, Inc. CONTACT: Dr. Mohd A. Aslami,
President-CEO, or John D. Ronnquist, Interim CFO, both of
FiberCore, Inc., +1-508-248-3900 Web site:
http://www.fibercoreusa.com/
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