Visteon Chapter 11?

[Keith Browning]

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UPDATE 2-Visteon gets bankruptcy court OK to pay wages
WILMINGTON, Del., May 29 (Reuters) -


U.S. auto parts maker Visteon Corp (VSTN.PK) received interim court approval on Friday to pay employees, parts suppliers and vendors, but it still lacks debtor-in-possession financing to keep it afloat during its restructuring.

Visteon filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, becoming the latest casualties of the global auto industry crisis and adding to the pressure on cash-strapped automakers.

The interim approval to use its cash to operate in bankruptcy and to pay critical suppliers so it continues to get necessary parts to remain in business came during a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. Visteon will have a hearing on June 19 to seek final approval.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Sontchi said Visteon may spend up to $43.5 million for parts, warranty guarantees and payments to shippers or vendors.

Visteon, the former parts unit of Ford Motor Co (F.N), has an intertwined relationship with its vendors and customers. It relies on getting parts in a timely manner to make components for the large automakers. Meanwhile, its various vendors, many of which are small companies, rely on Visteon's business to stay in operation.

Visteon said its failure would have a ripple affect, putting financial strain on many of its suppliers and disrupting manufacturing operations at its large customers such as Ford.

"If Visteon failed, I believe it would provide significant disruption to Ford in the near-term," Visteon's Chief Financial Officer William Quigley said in court testimony on Friday.

At the same time, Visteon depends on Ford, its largest customer, for its survival.

"I don't think Visteon could survive" without Ford, Quigley said.

Ford plays a dual-role in the Visteon bankruptcy, serving both as a customer and a lender.

Ford, the No. 2 U.S. automaker had made a commitment to support bankruptcy financing for Visteon's restructuring efforts, but the details have not been disclosed.

"Ford has made it clear it's not interested in bearing the entire burden" of financing Visteon through its bankruptcy restructuring, Visteon attorney Marc Kieselstein of Kirkland & Ellis said on Friday.

"All of our customers are concerned that their support doesn't subsidize production (of parts) for other customers," Kieselstein said.

Many details are unresolved on a financing package.

"Our thoughts on this are advanced, but out discussions with term lenders and customers are not advanced," Kieselstein added. (Reporting by Jessica Hall; writing by Martha Graybow, editing by Dave Zimmerman and Andre Grenon)

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Visteon makes interest payment, avoids declaring bankruptcy
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Mar 13th 2009 at 7:58AM
Detroit Free Press

Somehow, against all odds and analyst projections, auto parts supplier Visteon managed to make a $16 million interest payment on $450 million in bonds that mature in 2014. Just last week, Visteon shares hit 2 cents, forcing the New York Stock Exchange to delist the company. If the ailing supplier had failed to make the payment, it would have surely sent it spiraling into bankruptcy.

Visteon spokesman Jim Fisher says, "We continue to focus on managing through the current challenging operating environment." Reading between the lines, it seems that the company may be hoping that the Obama administration decides to offer bailout funds to the supplier industry.

Without some sort of bailout or financial assistance, it still seems likely that Visteon is headed for Chapter 11, so this will surely not be the last we hear about the troubled company over the next few months.