VAC Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) and associated - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

VAC Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) and associated entities (collectively, the VAC Group)

First Meetings of Creditors

28 November 2019

Opening

• Meeting formalities
• Purpose of meetings
• Declaration of Independence, Relevant Relationships and Indemnities (DIRRI)
• Role of the Voluntary Administrators
• Voluntary Administration timeline

Vac Group

• Background
• Corporate structure
• Creditor claims

Agenda

Update of Voluntary Administration

• Administrators’ actions since appointment
• Sale and recapitalisation strategy
• Creditors
• Employees
• Strategy going forward

Questions Resolutions

• Replacement of Voluntary Administrators (if required)
• Committee of Inspection

Agenda (cont.)

1. Vac Group Holdings Pty Ltd 2. Beacos Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of the Beacos Trust 3. Rebirthed Earth Pty Ltd 4. Soil Transfer Pty Ltd 5. Staking U Asia Pacific Campus Pty Ltd 6. Vac Group Employees Pty Ltd 7. Vac Group Operations Pty Ltd 8. Vac-U-Dig Pty Ltd 9. Vac-U-Digga Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of Vac-U-Digga Trust

• 10. Vac-U-Digga R & D Pty Ltd
• 11. VHS IP Pty Ltd
• 12. Earth Radar Group Pty Ltd
• 13. Earth Radar Pty Ltd
• 14. Cosbea Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of Cosbea Unit Trust

Meetings being held

• The Administrators applied to the Supreme Court of Queensland for certain orders to allow for the orderly and efficient

conduct of the Vac Group Administration.

• On 22 November 2019, the Supreme Court of Queensland ordered that:

– The Voluntary Administrators: ＞ may hold the first meetings of creditors for the Vac Group concurrently; and ＞ may admit all proofs of debt received by any creditor of the Vac Group for purposes of voting so that creditors are

• nly required to vote once in respect of any resolution put to the meeting.

– Any advances made under the loan facility provided to the Voluntary Administrators and any other liabilities incurred or accrued under or in support of the loan facility – including fees, guarantees, indemnities, security, borrowing costs and interest – are liabilities incurred by the Voluntary Administrators in the performance and exercise of their functions and powers as voluntary administrators of the Vac Group (Liabilities); – if the indemnity in respect of the Liabilities is insufficient to meet such liabilities, the Voluntary Administrators will not be personally liable to repay the liabilities to the extent of insufficiency.

• A copy of the Order is tabled at this meeting.
• A copy of the Order will be sent to creditors following this meeting by post or email.

Order of the Supreme Court of Queensland

1. Vac Group Holdings Pty Ltd 2. Beacos Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of the Beacos Trust 3. Rebirthed Earth Pty Ltd 4. Soil Transfer Pty Ltd 5. Staking U Asia Pacific Campus Pty Ltd 6. Vac Group Employees Pty Ltd 7. Vac Group Operations Pty Ltd 8. Vac-U-Dig Pty Ltd 9. Vac-U-Digga Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of Vac-U-Digga Trust

• 10. Vac-U-Digga R & D Pty Ltd
• 11. VHS IP Pty Ltd
• 12. Earth Radar Group Pty Ltd
• 13. Earth Radar Pty Ltd
• 14. Cosbea Pty Ltd in its own capacity and as trustee of Cosbea Unit Trust

Meetings being held concurrently

• Quorum: Insolvency Practice Rules 75-105
• Attendance register
• Voting (on the voices and using voting slips)
• Time and place convenient: Insolvency Practice Rules 75-30
• Proofs of debt and proxies

Meeting formalities

First meeting of creditors

• Convened under Section 436E of the Corporations Act to:

– determine whether to appoint a Committee of Inspection and, if so, who are to be the Committee members; and – consider the removal of the Administrators and appoint an alternative Administrator who has consented to act

• These meetings have no authority to consider any other business

Second meeting of creditors

• To be convened on or around 19 December 2019
• Creditors will vote on the future course of action for Vac Group

Purpose of meetings

DIRRI

• DIRRI dated 21 November 2018 – a copy was distributed with the initial information to creditors
• DIRRI is tabled and is available for inspection at this meeting
• Our assessment identified no real or potential risks to our independence

Remuneration

• Schedule of rates provided with meeting information
• Comprehensive remuneration report will be prepared prior to seeking approval of fees

Declaration of Independence, Relevant Relationships and Indemnities (DIRRI) and remuneration

Voluntary Administrators:

• Appointed by directors of Vac Group and represent the interests of all stakeholders
• The directors’ powers are immediately suspended and the Voluntary Administrators are in control of the assets
• The Administrators are responsible for the ongoing trading of the business

Our responsibilities include:

• Holding meetings of creditors;
• Investigating the reasons for failure of the business;
• Preparing a comprehensive report to creditors; and
• Making recommendations to the creditors about the future of the companies.

Role of the Voluntary Administrators

Voluntary Administration timeline

• f a Committee of

• DOCA
• Liquidation
• Return to directors

THE VAC GROUP

• The Vac Group commenced in 2000
• The services provided by Vac Group include excavation of materials using non-destructive vacuum hydro-excavation services,

associated waste recovery, transportation, treatment, disposal and/or recycling services. Vacuum excavation services include: – Excavation of existing pits; – Excavation of new ground for pits; – Trenching and potholing for services; – Pump out of waste materials; and – Waste transport and disposal.

• Vac Group has also developed a range of technologies to allow Vac Group to locate and map underground services, such as

water, telephone, fibre-optic and other services, utilising electro-magnetic induction and high resolution ground penetrating radar.

• Vac Group has a range of mobile plant and equipment in operation throughout Australia. This includes:

– Truck-mounted vacuum excavation units; – Hook lift vacuum excavation unit and skip bin units; – Tipper trucks and trailers; – Various light vehicles; – Road profile (surveying units); and – Other specialised equipment

Background

Corporate structure

• Creditors are entitled to lodge claims with the Administrators for monies owed
• It is too early to form conclusive views on the potential return to unsecured creditors
• The order in which different classes of creditors are paid is determined by the Corporations Act 2001
• Generally, the order of priority is as follows:

– Employees (priority from certain categories of assets) – Secured creditors – Unsecured creditors

Creditor claims

Category Estimated number Estimated value ($’000) Employees 245 4,417 Secured & PPSR creditors 56 22,342 Unsecured creditors 276 4,248 Total 577 31,007

UPDATE OF VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION

• Worked to stabilise the operations
• Briefed employees across all major locations
• Paid wages to employees
• Opened accounts with key suppliers
• Commenced a sale and recapitalisation campaign
• Engaged in discussions with secured creditors for continued support
• Arranged for new working capital facility
• Engaged valuers to prepare valuations of:

– Plant and equipment – Real properties

• Commenced investigations into Vac Group’s affairs
• Assessed Workplace Health and Safety
• Prepared a trading forecast for the voluntary administration period
• Attended to statutory notification obligations
• Convened for the first meetings of creditors

Key actions taken since appointment

• Administrators are seeking expressions of interest in Vac Group
• Expressions may include recapitalisation or acquisition of Vac Group
• Advertisements featured in national newspapers on 19 November 2019
• Non-binding expressions of interest close on 2 December 2019
• A number of parties have expressed initial interest
• A range of information has been made available to interested parties
• Further information will be provided in the Report to Creditors

Sale strategy

• The Vac Group has approximately 262 employees
• The Administrators are responsible for all wages and entitlements during administration
• Pre-administration Employee entitlements:

– Employees are entitled to register claims – Claims are afforded a priority under s556 of the Corporations Act

Employees

• The Voluntary Administrators will:

– continue to assess ongoing operations; – continue the sale and recapitalisation process; – complete our investigations into Vac Group’s affairs; – prepare and issue the Report to Creditors by 12 December 2019 (including recommendation on Vac Group’s future); and – convene a second meeting of creditors for 19 December 2019.

Next steps

Q & A

FIRST MEETING RESOLUTIONS

• Section 436E(4) of the Corporations Act 2001 allows creditors to appoint alternative Voluntary Administrators if they so choose
• Prior to the meetings today, I have not been made aware of any alternative Voluntary Administrators having been nominated
• r consenting to act
• If there are no alternative Voluntary Administrators nominated to replace Rob Kirman and myself, there will be no resolution

put to creditors on this matter

Replacement of the Voluntary Administrators

• Role is to represent creditors
• Has capacity to grant the Voluntary Administrators permission to undertake certain actions
• Creditors may determine whether there is to be a committee of inspection
• The purpose and powers of a committee of inspection are to:

– advise and assist the Voluntary Administrators; – give directions to the Voluntary Administrators; and – monitor the conduct of the Voluntary Administration.

• Pursuant to the Order of the Supreme Court of Queensland dated 22 November 2019, if a Committee of Inspection is formed:

– a single Committee of Inspection will represent creditors of all entities within Vac Group; and – will be limited to a maximum of 10 members.

Committee of Inspection

The Administrators do not recommend a Committee of Inspection be formed for the Vac Group

• f Companies for reasons disclosed in our initial notification to creditors

dated 21 November 2019