WARREN, N.J.--Formica Corp. recently announced that it has reached agreement with its secured lender bank group on a credit facility to support its ongoing business operations.

Under the terms of the agreement, the secured lender bank group will provide a debtor-in-possession (DIP), senior secured super priority credit facility for $77,850,000 in the form of a revolving credit loan and letters of credit to provide for the capital and business needs of the company. This credit facility augments the company's cash on hand of approximately $22,000,000 for working capital, capital improvements and restructuring expenses of the company and its international affiliates.

To facilitate the restructuring, the company and its U.S. subsidiaries and parent companies have filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Formica's subsidiaries outside of the United States are not part of the filing and it is not anticipated that they will be affected by the filing.

Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity, the majority shareholder of Formica Corp.¿s parent company Laminates Acquisition Co., has proposed a restructuring plan to the secured lender bank group under which it would invest an additional $51,000,000 as part of a proposed $100,000,000 investment proposal to pay down the senior secured credit facility. Under the terms of this proposal, secured debt and trade claims would be substantially unimpaired. However, no provision will be made for distribution to senior subordinated notes, preferred stock or common stock holders under the restructuring. The secured lender bank group is considering the proposed restructuring plan.

Frank A. Riddick, III, Formica¿s president and CEO, noted that the company's operations will continue as usual, without interruption, during the restructuring process.

Riddick emphasized that the company's operations outside the United States have been excluded from the filing. There will be no impact on their ability to continue to manufacture product and meet the needs of customers, employees and suppliers.

During the restructuring period, no principal will be paid on its prepetition credit facility and no interest will be paid on its 10.875% Senior Subordinated Notes until its reorganization plan defining the payment terms has been approved by the Bankruptcy Court.

The entities included in the filing are: Laminates Acquisition Co., FM Holdings, Inc., Formica Corporation, STEL Industries, Inc., Wildon Corporation, Wildon Industries, Inc., Design Communications International, Inc., The Diller Corporation, Formica International Corporation (U.S.A.), and Unidur, Inc. (U.S.A.).

Excluded entities are all foreign operating and holding companies in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe and Asia.