EDMONTON, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - The Cash Store Financial Services Inc.
("Cash Store Financial" or the "Company") (TSX: CSF) announced today
that, further to its news release of April 14, 2014, the Ontario
Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) ("Court") has granted an
amended Order with respect to the Company's application for creditor
protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA").
The Court and the Cash Store Financial board of directors have also
authorized the Company and its subsidiaries to enter into a
debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing agreement pursuant to which $8.5
million will be available to the Company to enable the Company and its
affiliates to continue operations during the CCAA proceedings, with an
option, subject to Court approval, to increase the amount of such DIP
financing up to a total of $20.5 million. The Company has entered into
a DIP financing agreement on the approved terms.
Cash Store Financial further announced today that the special committee
of the Company's board of directors has appointed Mr. William Aziz,
President of Blue Tree Advisors Inc., as Chief Restructuring Officer of
the Company ("CRO") and the Court authorized the appointment and
established the authority of the CRO. The CRO will assume the
responsibilities that would otherwise be carried out by the board of
directors, subject to the oversight of FTI Canada Consulting Inc., the
court-appointed Monitor, and the Court.
Cash Store Financial announced today that its independent directors,
Eugene Davis, Timothy Bernlohr, Donald Campion and Thomas Fairfield,
have resigned from the Company's board of directors effective as of the
close of business yesterday. The independent directors were also the
members of the special committee of independent directors appointed by
the board of directors of the Company with the mandate of evaluating
strategic alternatives available to the Company with a view to
maximizing value for all its stakeholders. The Special Committee has
fulfilled its mandate by providing a recommendation to the board of
directors that led to the Company commencing proceedings under the
CCAA, obtaining DIP financing and obtaining the appointment of the CRO.
Accordingly, the Special Committee has been disbanded and the members
of the Special Committee have resigned from the board.
Protection under the CCAA and the financing available under the DIP
financing agreement will provide Cash Store Financial with the time and
stability to attempt to restructure its affairs under the CCAA, under
the supervision of the CRO, the Monitor and the Court.
Cash Store Financial is committed to completing the restructuring
process quickly and efficiently. The Company remains open for business
and its branches continue to operate. Daily lending is continuing in
all jurisdictions outside of Ontario.
About Cash Store Financial
Cash Store Financial is the only lender and broker of short-term
advances and provider of other financial services in Canada that is
listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CSF). Cash Store Financial
operates 510 branches across Canada under the banners "Cash Store
Financial" and "Instaloans". Cash Store Financial also operates 27
branches in the United Kingdom.
Cash Store Financial and Instaloans primarily act as lenders and brokers
to facilitate short-term advances and provide other financial services
to income-earning consumers who may not be able to obtain them from
traditional banks. Cash Store Financial also provides a private-label
debit card (the "Freedom" card) and a prepaid credit card (the "Freedom
MasterCard") as well as other financial services, including bank
accounts.
Cash Store Financial is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta.
Cash Store Financial is a Canadian corporation that is not affiliated
with Cottonwood Financial Ltd. or the outlets Cottonwood Financial Ltd.
operates in the United States under the name "Cash Store". Cash Store
Financial does not do business under the name "Cash Store" in the
United States and does not own or provide any consumer lending services
in the United States.
Forward Looking Statements:
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements about the
objectives, strategies, financial conditions, results of operations and
businesses of Cash Store Financial. Statements that are not historical
facts are forward-looking and are subject to important risks,
uncertainties and assumptions. These statements are based on our
current expectations about our business, and upon various estimates and
assumptions. The results or events predicted in these forward-looking
statements may differ materially from actual results or events if known
or unknown risks, trends or uncertainties affect our business, or if
our estimates or assumptions turn out to be inaccurate. As a result,
there is no assurance that the circumstances described in any
forward-looking statement will materialize. Significant and reasonably
foreseeable factors that could cause our results to differ materially
from our current expectations, include, but are not limited to, any
decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in the CCAA
proceedings that is adverse to Cash Store Financial, the inability of
Cash Store Financial to fulfill the conditions to funding under any DIP
financing agreement to be entered into by Cash Store, and other factors
that could affect Cash Store Financial's ability to continue its
operations during the CCAA proceeding, including the factors that are
discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained in our
Annual Information Form for the year ended September 30, 2013 dated
December 11, 2013 filed by The Cash Store Financial Services Inc. with
the Canadian securities commissions (available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com ), as updated in our most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis
for the three months ended December 31, 2013. Unless required by law,
we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking
statement even if new information becomes available, as a result of
future events or for any other reason.
SOURCE The Cash Store Financial Services Inc.