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| {{Short description|Defunct American supermarket chain}} | |||
| {{Infobox |
{{Infobox company | ||
| company_name = Belle Foods | | |||
| |
| name = Belle Foods, LLC | ||
| | logo = Belle Foods logo2.png | |||
| company_type = | | |||
| | logo_size = 225px | |||
| company_slogan = Refreshingly Simple | | |||
| |
| logo_alt = | ||
| | logo_caption = | |||
| ⚫ | |
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| | image = Belle Foods location 1.JPG | |||
| industry = Retail| | |||
| | image_size = 250px | |||
| products = Dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, produce, general merchandise, health and beauty care| | |||
| | image_alt = | |||
| homepage = | | |||
| ⚫ | | image_caption = A former ] location in ], rebranded to Belle in 2012. | ||
| | trade_name = Belle Foods | |||
| | former_name = | |||
| | type = {{flat list| | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| | traded_as = | |||
| | ISIN = | |||
| | industry = ] | |||
| | fate = ]<br />] | |||
| | predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = --> | |||
| | successor = <!-- or: | successors = --> | |||
| | founded = {{Start date and age|2012|07|01}} in ], ], ] | |||
| <!-- if known: ], ], ] --> | |||
| | founders = ]<br />] | |||
| | defunct = {{End date and age|2013|10|18}} | |||
| | hq_location_city = ], ], ] | |||
| | hq_location_country = US | |||
| | num_locations = 57 | |||
| | num_locations_year = 2013 | |||
| ⚫ | | areas_served = Alabama, Georgia, Florida & Mississippi | ||
| | num_employees = 3,000 | |||
| | num_employees_year = 2013 | |||
| | divisions = | |||
| | subsid = | |||
| | module = <!-- Used to embed other templates --> | |||
| | footnotes = }} | |||
| '''Belle Foods, LLC''' was a family-owned ] of ] ]s headquartered in ], ].<ref>"." Belle Foods. Retrieved on October 5, 2012. "800 Lakeshore Pkwy Birmingham Alabama 35211"</ref> The company had a relatively short lifespan. It began operating its rebranded ] and Food World and ] Stores on July 1, 2012, but filed for bankruptcy just one year later.<ref name="44StoresClose">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods to sell remaining 44 stores|date=24 July 2013 |url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/07/belle_foods_to_sell_remaining.html|publisher=AL.com|access-date=24 July 2013}}</ref> Before owners Bill White and Jeff White purchased the stores from ] in mid-2012, the 57-store grocery chain employed approximately 3,000 people.<ref name="FatherSonBuy">{{cite web|title=Father, son pursue dream with purchase of Southern Family's 57 grocery stores in 4 states|date=19 February 2012 |url=http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2012/02/father_son_team_buy_southern_f.html|publisher=AL.com|access-date=24 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Belle Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1, 2013, exactly one year after its founding. The company cited increased competition and higher payroll taxes as factors in its bankruptcy filing.<ref name="BankruptcyJuly1st">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods files bankruptcy|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2013/07/01/belle-foods-files-bankruptcy.html|publisher=Birmingham Business Journal|access-date=4 July 2013}}</ref> In September 2013, ] was the only bidder (in a ]) for Belle Foods stores being auctioned and offered $16.1 million.<ref></ref> | ||
| '''Belle Foods, LLC''' is a family-owned ] of ] ]s headquartered in ], ].<ref>"." Belle Foods. Retrieved on October 5, 2012. "800 Lakeshore Pkwy Birmingham Alabama 35211"</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | Belle Foods was named "Retailer of the Year" in late 2012 by the ].<ref name="ReatileroftheYear">{{cite web|title=Birmingham-based Belle Foods named Southeast Retailer of the Year|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/morning_call/2012/11/birmingham-based-belle-foods-named.html|publisher=Birmingham Business Journal|access-date=4 July 2013}}</ref> Its CEO, Bill White, was elected to the National Grocers Association's Board of Directors in February 2013.<ref name="BoardofDirectors">{{cite web|title=NGA Elects Belle Foods' Bill White To Board|url=http://www.theshelbyreport.com/2013/02/28/nga-elects-belle-foods-bill-white-to-board/#.UdX0n_k3tqg|publisher=The Shelby Report|access-date=4 July 2013}}</ref> | ||
| ==Information== | |||
| Belle Foods is owned by father-and-son team Bill and Jeff White. The chain assumed operation of 57 stores, acquired from ], on July 1, 2012. Store nameplates currently include ], ], and ], but all stores were originally planned to be rebranded to Belle Foods. The chain's stores are located in ], ], ], and ]. Belle Foods uses ], former owner of Southern Family Markets, as its supplier.<ref>, theshelbyreport.com, July 2, 2012</ref> Belle Foods had approximately 2,850 employees, as of July 1, 2013. <ref name="BankruptcyJuly1st">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods files bankruptcy|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2013/07/01/belle-foods-files-bankruptcy.html Belle Foods files bankruptcy|publisher=Birmingham Business Journal|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| ==Bankruptcy== | |||
| ⚫ | Belle Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1, 2013, exactly one year after its founding. <ref name="BankruptcyJuly1st">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods files bankruptcy|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2013/07/01/belle-foods-files-bankruptcy.html |
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| The company plans to close 13 of its 57 stores by August 3, 2013. This includes five Food World locations in ], ], ], ] and ] in Alabama. Also, Food World stores in ], ] and ] in Florida will shut down. Also set to close is a Piggly Wiggly store in ]. They also must sell off assets to try reconciling a $42 million dollar debt. <ref name="Bankruptcy13stores">{{cite web|title=Ala.-based grocer looking to close 13 stores|url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AL_BELLE_FOODS_BANKRUPTCY_FLOL-|publisher=Daytona Beach News Journal|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| =====Firing of ~300 Full-Time Workers===== | |||
| Leading up to the bankruptcy, Belle Foods announced in April 2013 that it would be "hiring" approx. 300 part-time employees, but what that actually meant was that approx. 300 full-time employees were being let go and some of the laid off workers would be offered part-time positions instead. Bill White at the time said, "I could see that if I didn't move forward with these reductions, even more teammates could be negatively affected." <ref name="Hiring300">{{cite web|title=Birmingham-based Belle Foods to hire 300 part-time employees and reduce its full-time workforce|url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/04/birmingham-based_belle_foods_t.html|publisher=AL.com|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| =====Cullman, AL Grievance & Subsequent Local Concert/Donations===== | |||
| Later in April, The Cullman Times reported that the affected workers had filed a grievance and were trying to stop the change, which affected the Cullman Food World: "We’ve filed our grievance, so we’ll hopefully have a hearing within a week or so, then the employer has 10 days to respond. After that, if they’ve not responded in favor of membership, the next step would be arbitration." <ref name="Grievance">{{cite web|title=Food World union filing grievance over layoffs, part-time transition|url=http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/x2094912835/Food-World-union-filing-grievance-over-layoffs-part-time-transition|publisher=Cullman Times|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> A few short months later in June 2013, Belle Foods was in Cullman, Alabama, spending $50,000 by sponsoring a "Rock the South" music concert and donating to organizations such as The Link of Cullman County (Religious Non-Profit), Brooks' Place (Child Advocacy Center in Cullman) and Cullman Christian School. <ref name="50000dollars">{{cite web|title=Giving Back - Rock the South|url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/File:Belle_Foods_Rock_The_South_2013_Charity_Details.jpg|publisher=Belle Foods|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> Rock The South occurred just a week before the company declared bankruptcy. | |||
| =====Additional Stores Being Sold Off/Potentially Closed===== | |||
| In mid-July 2013, Belle Foods filed court paperwork indicating its intention to sell off 12 more stores (9 in Mobile, AL area, 1 in Athens, AL and 2 in Mississippi). This would take Belle Foods completely out of the Mobile area. Combined with the 13 stores closing by August, this will reduce Belle Foods store numbers from 57 to just 32 - a 44% size reduction. <ref name="12 More Stores">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods wants to sell a dozen stores, mostly in Mobile|url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/07/belle_foods_wants_to_sell_a_do.html|publisher=Birmingham Business Journal|accessdate=18 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| =====Unsecured Creditors Committee Formed===== | |||
| On July 17th 2013, it was announced that an unsecured creditors committee was formed to represent the interest of the companies Belle Foods hasn't been able to pay. Currently the committee is planned to have 11 members selected from a list of the 20 largest unsecured creditors, comprised of businesses like Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., Buffalo Rock Co. and Nestle USA. <ref name="Bad Checks">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods faces bounced check claims, new creditors' committee|url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/07/belle_foods_faces_bounced_chec.html|publisher=AL.com|accessdate=18 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| =====Belle Foods Faces $191k Bad Check Claims From Creditors, Preemptively Switches Banks===== | |||
| Also, on the same day (July 17), creditors from Barber’s Dairy, Purity Dairies, Brown’s Dairy, Mrs. Stratton’s Salads and Mayfield Dairy Farms filed new claims stating that Belle Foods had written $191,005.18 worth of bad checks to them - because the checks were not honored by SunTrust. Just one day before these bad check claims were filed, Belle Foods announced they are switching from SunTrust to Cadence Bank. <ref name="Bad Checks">{{cite web|title=Belle Foods faces bounced check claims, new creditors' committee|url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/07/belle_foods_faces_bounced_chec.html|publisher=AL.com|accessdate=18 July 2013}}</ref> | |||
| =====Belle Foods Awards/Recognition, Pre-Bankruptcy===== | |||
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| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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Latest revision as of 02:45, 18 July 2023
Defunct American supermarket chain | |
 A former Bruno's location in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, rebranded to Belle in 2012. | |
| Trade name | Belle Foods |
|---|---|
| Company type | |
| Industry | Retail (Grocery) |
| Founded | July 1, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-07-01) in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Founders | George Gilman George Huntington Hartford |
| Defunct | October 18, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-10-18) |
| Fate | Chapter 11 bankruptcy Liquidation |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., US |
| Number of locations | 57 (2013) |
| Areas served | Alabama, Georgia, Florida & Mississippi |
| Number of employees | 3,000 (2013) |
Belle Foods, LLC was a family-owned chain of American supermarkets headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company had a relatively short lifespan. It began operating its rebranded Bruno's and Food World and Piggly Wiggly Stores on July 1, 2012, but filed for bankruptcy just one year later. Before owners Bill White and Jeff White purchased the stores from Southern Family Markets in mid-2012, the 57-store grocery chain employed approximately 3,000 people.
Belle Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1, 2013, exactly one year after its founding. The company cited increased competition and higher payroll taxes as factors in its bankruptcy filing. In September 2013, Associated Wholesale Grocers was the only bidder (in a stalking horse bid) for Belle Foods stores being auctioned and offered $16.1 million.
Belle Foods was named "Retailer of the Year" in late 2012 by the Birmingham Business Journal. Its CEO, Bill White, was elected to the National Grocers Association's Board of Directors in February 2013.
References
- "Contact." Belle Foods. Retrieved on October 5, 2012. "800 Lakeshore Pkwy Birmingham Alabama 35211"
- "Belle Foods to sell remaining 44 stores". AL.com. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- "Father, son pursue dream with purchase of Southern Family's 57 grocery stores in 4 states". AL.com. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- "Belle Foods files bankruptcy". Birmingham Business Journal. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- AWG is a Lone Bidder for Belle Foods; The Associated Grocers could have several new stores
- "Birmingham-based Belle Foods named Southeast Retailer of the Year". Birmingham Business Journal. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- "NGA Elects Belle Foods' Bill White To Board". The Shelby Report. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
