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Company type | Private company |
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Founded | 1987 |
Founder | Jeff Hecktman |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | International |
Key people | Jeff Hecktman, Chairman & CEO John Chen, President & COO Eric Kaup, Executive VP & General Counsel Ernest Fiorante, Executive VP & CFO Gary Epstein, Executive VP & CMO Jill Zimmerman, Executive VP & CPO |
Services | Asset Valuation Business Advisory Asset Monetization Asset Disposition (Liquidation) |
Subsidiaries | Hilco Merchant Resources ReStore Capital Hilco Real Estate Hilco Capital Hilco Valuation Services Hilco Receivables Hilco Retail Consulting Hilco Consumer Capital Hilco Streambank Hilco Industrial Hilco Redevelopment Partners |
Hilco Global is a multinational financial services holding company. It operates over twenty businesses in five continents and specializes in asset valuation, advisory, monetization capital, and disposition services. Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, it has offices throughout the world and provides services to companies, their lenders and professional services advisers across a broad spectrum of business categories including retail, commercial, industrial and financial. Hilco Global delivers services focused on maximizing the value of under-performing and excess retail, consumer products and industrial inventory, real estate, intellectual property, including consumer brands, patents, and accounts receivable. Hilco Global is also considered one of the largest distressed investment and advisory companies in the world. [1]
Hilco Global was founded in 1987 by Jeff Hecktman. [2] Hecktman founded Hilco Trading Company after restructuring his family's industrial supply firm and selling off many of the business' under performing assets. [3] Hilco Global was renamed in 2013, eliminating the use of the name Hilco Trading Company as well as introducing a new logo and website for the company. [2]
Hilco Global began drawing attention from major investors in 2006 when it was announced that Goldman Sachs Group and Cerberus Capital Management were in talks to purchase a significant stake in the company. [3] Hecktman sold part of the company to both investment companies to help finance other ventures, including private equity style buyouts of faded consumer brands. [1] In 2019, Hilco Global sold 27% of itself to La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a company which manages public Canadian pension and insurance funds. [4] In May 2019, Hilco subsidiary H19 Capital acquired the assets of 19th Capital Group, an Indianapolis transportation and truck leasing company. [5]
In 2000, Hilco Global founded a business division named Hilco Merchant Resources LLC, a subsidiary of the company that specializes in retail inventory valuation, retail store closings, retail inventory disposition, fixture, furniture, and equipment disposition, and asset protection. Michael Keefe and Cory Lipoff, formerly of Gordon Brothers, joined HMR the same year with Keefe becoming the CEO. [6] In 2001, the division became known as one of the top five liquidation firms in the United States, having been involved in the $1.8 billion liquidation of Montgomery Ward following that company's bankruptcy. [7] Some of its most notable disposition and liquidation deals included work for Sears, Sears Canada, CompUSA, Sportmart, PharMor Rx, Coldwater Creek, Charming Charlie, and Target Canada. [8] [9] [10] In 2016, the division helped save Aéropostale from final liquidation, eventually allowing the retailer to restructure and reopen over 500 stores. [11] As Toys "R" Us stores closed in 2018, Hilco Merchant Resources oversaw the nearly $2 billion liquidation of their inventory and assets. [12] Hilco Merchant Resources also expanded its operations by opening an office in Australia, taking on retail inventory liquidations of stores that include Fletcher Jones, [13] Dubbo Everyday Living [14] and Dick Smith. [15]
ReStore for Retail, a Hilco Global company, introduced a mobile visual merchandising and operations software service to aid the woking of the frontline store associates and managers and update the in-store shopping experience. [16]
In 2019, Hilco Global launched ReStore Capital which resolves shipping and stocking problems between vendors and retailers. ReStore Capital buys shipments from vendors and then consigns the goods to retailers. [17]
Hilco Global founded its real estate business division in 2000 with the formation of Hilco Real Estate, LLC, to be a national provider of accelerated real estate disposition and advisory services. [18] It has acted as agent or principal for numerous real estate acquisitions and sales. It was co-founded by Mitchell Kahn who served as the company's CEO until 2008. [18] Kahn was replaced by Neil Aaronson as CEO and Gregory Apter was promoted to President of the company. [19] Hilco Real Estate was responsible for numerous large transactions in real estate including 1,200 leases for MCI Worldcom that the company either sold or renegotiated. [20] It also closed hundreds of Blockbuster stores following the company's 2010 bankruptcy as well as approximately 200 Borders following that company's 2011 bankruptcy. [21] Hilco Real Estate was also involved with the selling of over 165 unused properties owned by Hostess after that company filed for bankruptcy in 2013. [22]
Hilco Global expanded its real estate business in 2012 with the formation of Hilco Real Estate Finance LLC, a lending division of Hilco Real Estate. [23] Hilco Real Estate Finance operated as a private real estate mortgage lending company and in a year and a half had originated loans in approximately 20 states. Hilco Real Estate Finance was sold to the private equity firm Garrison Investment Group in 2014. [24]
In August 2023, WeWork hired Hilco Global and Hilco Real Estate as an adviser for restructuring advice to avoid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and restructuring the company's debts out of court. [25]
Hilco Global launched Hilco Capital in 2000. [26] Based in the United Kingdom, Hilco Capital is involved in retail restructuring and distressed investments. It has expanded internationally with the opening of offices in Ireland, Spain, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
In 2001 Hilco Global formed a business unit called Hilco Appraisal Services LLC, bundling all of the industrial, retail and real estate appraisal services of the holding company into a single unit. Later renamed Hilco Valuation Services, the company is based in the U.S. and has global offices in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Mexico, South American and Asia. One of this units most notable deals was completed in 2005 with the valuation of 29 locations of over 40 million square feet owned by Delphi Automotive. [27]
2001 was also the year Hilco Global expanded its holdings with the formation of Hilco Receivables LLC, a division that purchases bad debt and services accounts receivable. [28] By 2004, Hilco Receivables had acquired more than $2 billion in receivables and in 2006 it opened a 200-person collection center that operated under the name Apex Financial, LLC. [28] The company also provides receivable appraisals to lenders as well as financing to companies who acquire receivables portfolios. One of the most notable transactions involving Hilco Receivables was the purchase of $25 million in account receivables from National Envelope Corporation after its bankruptcy in 2013. [29] [30]
In 2004, Hilco Global acquired a retail strategic consulting practice from Arthur Andersen called Senn Delaney – SD Consulting. In 2013, the consulting practice was rebranded as Hilco Retail Consulting or HRC Advisory, [31] and in 2021, it was sold to Accenture with the team in North America joining Accenture's Retail Strategy group. [32]
Hilco Brands was formed from the initial investment as an extension of Hilco Consumer Capital, another company held by Hilco Global. One of the first brands purchased was Halston, a notable fashion line that became popular in the 1970s. Additional brands purchased by Hilco include the Ram and Tommy Armour golf club lines, both companies that were previously based in Chicago, [1] as well as Le Tigre, Haute Hippie, Portico, Under the Canopy, Linens 'n Things, and Polaroid. [33] Hilco then sold the Polaroid brand and its related intellectual property in 2017 to the Smolokowski family, a Polish group of investors. [34] In 2017, Hilco Brands invested in the startup company StreetTrend LLC, a luxury sneaker producer. [35]
Hilco Streambank is an additional subsidiary added to the Hilco Global family in 2011. The company was formed to provide services for intellectual property brands such as Borders, Posh, Tots, [36] Linens N’ Things and Circuit City. [37] Hilco Streambank is also known for its IPv4 auction marketplace used for the purchase and sale of IPv4 assets. [38] In 2019, Hilco Streambank helped Johnson Publishing organize an auction for their Ebony and Jet magazine photograph archive after Johnson went bankrupt. [39] Hilco Streambank also managed the intellectual property sale for Charming Charlie in 2019 after they went bankrupt including their trademarks, domain names, customer data, and social media assets. [40] In 2020, Hilco Streambank managed the marketing and selling of all Earth Fare stores, leases, and intellectual property after they filed for bankruptcy. [41]
In 2023, IPv4.Global, a Hilco Global company and an IPv4 marketplace, brokered $1 billion in IPv4 address sales. [42]
Hilco Global's Industrial unit, Hilco Industrial LLC, made national news in 2014 with its involvement in the disposition of excess municipal transportation assets for the City of Detroit following the city's bankruptcy, [43] the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in the history of the United States. [44] Prior to its involvement with the City of Detroit, Hilco Industrial played a role in the sale of Chrysler and GM plants in 2010. [45] In Australia, Hilco Industrial liquidated the last remaining automotive manufacturing plant on the continent, Toyota Altona. [46]
In 2012, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) bought the Sparrows Point Steel Mill in Maryland to demolish and rebuild as a warehouse distribution hub, renamed Tradepoint Atlantic. The deal has operated in partnership with Baltimore-based investment firm Redwood Capital Partners. [47] [4] In 2017, HRP bought the Crawford Generating Station in Little Village, Chicago, to transform the space into an updated distribution center called Exchange 55. [48] [49] After the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery burned down and went bankrupt in 2019, HRP bought the plant for $225.5 million. [4] Hilco will carry out the dismantling of the plant and an extensive remediation effort before beginning projects on the site. [50]
In 2023, HRP began the construction of the first phase of The Bellwether District's South Philadelphia site to convert the industrial site into an e-commerce and logistics campus. [51]
HRP appointed four people to the company's corporate advisory board namely Dr. Judith Rodin, Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick (Ret.), Ron DeGregorio and Michael K. Ohm. [52]
Old HB, Inc., known as Hostess Brands from 2009 to 2013 and established in 1930 as Interstate Bakeries Corporation, was a wholesale baker and distributor of bakery products in the United States. Before its 2012 closure and liquidation, it owned the Hostess, Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Butternut Breads, and Drake's brands.
Payless ShoeSource Worldwide, LLC, is an American multinational discount footwear chain. Established in 1956 by cousins Louis and Shaol Pozez, Payless was a privately held company owned by Blum Capital, and Golden Gate Capital. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation, which merged with The May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the U.S. for its Pro Wings line of discount sneakers, which often had Velcro straps instead of laces. In 1996, Payless became an independent publicly held company. In 2004, Payless announced it would exit the Parade chain and would close 100 Payless Shoe outlets. On August 17, 2007, the company acquired the Stride Rite Corporation and changed its name to Collective Brands, Inc. As of 2020, Payless is owned by a group of investors led by Alden Global Capital and Axar Capital Management.
Sports Authority, Inc. was an American sports retailer based in Englewood, Colorado. At its peak, Sports Authority operated 463 stores in 45 States and Puerto Rico. The company's website was on the GSI Commerce platform and supported the retail stores as well as other multi-channel programs. A joint venture with ÆON Co., Ltd., operates "Sports Authority" stores in Japan under a licensing agreement.
Bonton Holdings Inc. operating as Bonton was an American department store chain and group founded in 1898. It operated in Western New York, Pennsylvania, and throughout the Midwestern United States. The former York, Pennsylvania-based company BonTon filed for bankruptcy in February 2018 and sold the name to CSC Generation, which sold it to BrandX.com in 2021, operating an e-commerce site under the brand name. Along with Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, and Younkers, the names of most of the defunct retail group's department store chains are owned by BrandX.
Vornado Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust formed in Maryland in 1982, with its primary office in New York City. The company invests in office buildings and street retail in Manhattan.
Stage Stores was a department store company specializing in retailing off-price brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares throughout the United States. Stores were usually located in shopping malls and centers or in standalone locations. The corporate office was located in Houston, Texas.
New rue21, LLC (rue21) is an American specialty retailer of women's & men's casual apparel and accessories headquartered in the Pittsburgh suburb of Warrendale, Pennsylvania. Their clothes are designed to appeal to people who desire, wish, or feel to be 21. In 2013, Apax Partners, a global private-equity firm, acquired the company by funds advised for $42.00 per share in cash. rue21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 16, 2017, and emerged on September 22, 2017, after the company's reorganization plan was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. New owners include hedge funds BlueMountain Capital Management, Southpaw Asset Management and Pentwater Capital Management. In May 2024, rue21 declared bankruptcy again, and their website became unsupportive. As of June 28th, 2024, 7 stores have resigned leases, as part of a stalking horse buyout from YM Inc. Fashion House, a Canadian retailer, while the public assets were up for auction. The company has plans to reopen up to 120 stores within the coming months.
Ritz Camera & Image is a photographic retail and photofinishing specialty store, headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. The company owns and used to operate a chain throughout the United States under the names Wolf Camera, Inkley’s and Ritz Camera. In 2012, Ritz Camera was acquired by C&A Marketing.
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market was a chain of grocery stores in the Western United States, headquartered in El Segundo, California. It was a subsidiary of Tesco, the world's third largest retailer, based in the United Kingdom, until November 2013 when it was purchased by Yucaipa Companies. It had plans for rapid growth – the first stores opened in November 2007 and, after a pause in the second quarter of 2008, the opening program recommenced. While there were over 200 stores in Arizona, California, and Nevada by December 2012, Tesco confirmed in April 2013 that it was pulling out of the US market, at a reported cost of £1.2 billion. On September 10, 2013, Tesco announced they were transferring ownership and operations of more than 150 stores to supermarket-owner Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies group. At the beginning of October 2013, Fresh & Easy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. bankruptcy court. The sale cost Tesco £150m, taking the total cost of its failed US venture to nearly £2bn. On October 23, 2015, Yucaipa announced that it would close all Fresh & Easy stores.
Express, Inc. is an American fashion retailer whose portfolio includes Express, Bonobos and UpWest. The Company operates an omnichannel platform as well as physical and online stores. The company consists of the brands Express, Bonobos, and UpWest, and is traded on the OTC Pink under the symbol EXPR.
Gordon Brothers Group is a retail focused investment firm that was founded in 1903 by Jacob Gordon. The firm has made headlines with its acquisition of Polaroid from bankruptcy in 2009 and its subsequent sale to Polish businessman Wiaczeslaw Smolokowski in 2017. Its headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Levitz Furniture was a nationwide chain of American furniture stores that helped create the "furniture warehouse" genre of retail furniture sales. It was in business for nearly 100 years before liquidating in bankruptcy in early 2008.
Hilco Capital is a British financial investment and restructuring advisory company, operating in the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
Linens 'n Things was a big-box retailer specializing in home textiles, housewares, and decorative home accessories. Based in Clifton, New Jersey, the chain operated 571 stores in 47 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces, and had 7,300 employees as of December 2006. The company's business strategy was "to offer a broad selection of high quality, brand name home furnishings merchandise at exceptional everyday values, provide superior guest service, and maintain low operating costs."
The Lightstone Group is a privately held real estate investment company which owns and operates a diversified portfolio of multifamily, office, industrial, hotel, and retail properties. Lightstone has invested directly in individual real estate assets and in real estate operating companies. The company was founded by David Lichtenstein in 1988.
National Stores Inc., was a family-owned company headquartered in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles, California that had as many as 88 locations in 5 states including Puerto Rico, and employed 2200 people nationwide in January 2022. As of 2023 National Stores Inc. no longer has any operating stores within the continental U.S.
Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. was an American golf specialty retailer based in Austin, Texas. Each store, along with golfsmith.com, housed a wide selection of golf clubs, shoes, apparel, gadgets and gear from all the major brands as well as proprietary offerings. They also offered custom club fitting, lessons and services for golfers.
Sears Holdings Corporation was an American holding company headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the parent company of the chain stores Kmart and Sears and was founded after the former purchased the latter in 2005. It was the 20th-largest retailing company in the United States in 2015. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2018, and sold its assets to ESL Investments in 2019. The new owner moved Sears assets to its newly formed subsidiary Transformco.
National Envelope Corporation was an American manufacturer of envelopes.
Transform SR Brands LLC is an American privately held company formed on February 11, 2019, to acquire some of the assets of Sears Holdings Corporation. The new company is owned by ESL Investments. Following the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Sears Holdings on October 15, 2018, Transformco purchased the surviving assets owned by Sears Holdings for $5.2 billion.