Chapter 11 no finale for Silicon Graphics
Restructured company emerges from bankruptcy
Benjamin Pimentel, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Silicon Graphics of Mountain View has emerged from bankru...
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Silicon Graphics Inc., the pioneering computing company that helped create the special effects on blockbusters such as "Jurassic Park" and "The Matrix," has emerged from bankruptcy, the company said Tuesday.
The development comes six months after the Mountain View company, which became famous for sophisticated 3-D visualization technology, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid mounting debt and an uncertain future.
"We still have considerable work ahead in implementing our growth initiatives, but we are focused on innovation for results," Chief Executive Officer Dennis McKenna said in a statement. "Without a doubt, this is a new day for SGI."
To come out of bankruptcy, the company had to take $115 million in financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding and General Electric Capital Corp. The money will be used to pay off debts and run the corporation.
A reorganization plan approved by a Bankruptcy Court also required the company to meet minimum levels of earnings, cash and limits on capital expenditures. SGI also issued more than 11 million shares of stock to its creditors.
Analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group said he is amazed that SGI has re-emerged from bankruptcy.
"They've been in trouble for a long while, really struggling," he said.
SGI made its name by creating powerful computers used for sophisticated visualization systems.
The company's supercomputing systems and high-end software have been used by the military for battle operations, by researchers to perform virtual autopsies on crime victims and Egyptian mummies, and by car manufacturers for designing safer vehicles.
But while SGI offered highly sophisticated technology, it has struggled against rivals with comparable but lower-priced products.
Enderle said SGI can eventually survive if it can keep its costs down. SGI said it has taken steps in this direction and has cut annual costs by $150 million.
The company has named a new board of directors, which includes Eugene Davis, chairman and CEO of Pirinate Consulting Group; Anthony Grillo, founder and CEO of American Securities Advisors; and Kevin Katari, managing member of Watershed Asset Management.
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