Enka Successfully Completes Financial Restructuring; Debts Now Almost Zero
Medellin-based textiles and plastics-recycling specialist Enka de Colombia announced in a January 18 filing with Colombia’s Superfinanciera oversight agency that it has finally completed a financial restructuring that has satisfied its creditors and cut net debt to near-zero.
The company has “successfully completed the restructuring agreement under Law 550 of 1999, after fully complying with the commitments with our creditors, among which were financial entities, suppliers, bondholders and government entities,” according to the filing.
“We do so strengthened as a profitable and solid company, with a net debt level close to zero and ample financing capacity to continue undertaking our growth plans,” the company explained.
“Today the company is a leader in the recycling of post-consumer PET [polyethylene terephthalate] bottles in the country and has the largest PET recycling plant in South America.
“In addition, we are the main producer of ‘Nylon-6’ in America, a strategic ally of the world’s leading tire manufacturers, and the main producer of fibers and synthetic filaments in the Andean region with an export focus,” Enka added.
In 2002, Enka had suffered a financial crisis “due to an economic liability amounting to COP$320 billion [US$80 million], which led us to take advantage of Law 550 of 1999 through a 19-year restructuring agreement, seeking the best alternatives to transform the organization and protect our direct and indirect jobs,” according to the company.
“In 2007, following the debt capitalization plan, we entered the Colombian Stock Exchange, managing to capitalize, that year alone, COP$180 billion [US$45 million] and close to COP$226 billion [US$56.5 million] throughout the agreement, corresponding to 70% of the debts.”
Meanwhile, technological updates “played a relevant role in the growth of the company, enabling us to focus investment on the development of more specialized products and the opening of new high-value markets,” according to Enka.
As a result, in 2009, Enka entered the PET bottle recycling market for manufacture of synthetic fibers, and then in 2014 it launched “bottle-to-bottle PET recycling,” first in Colombia.
“Recycling has become one of the company’s most important and promising businesses. Currently more than 50% of our products are manufactured from recycled raw materials, with which we not only contribute to the environment, but also generate great benefits for the country’s recycling sector,” the company added.
