Mon, Aug 10, 2009
Facility Locked, Assets Seized, CEO AWOL
High-performance kitplane manufacturer Epic Air is apparently
out of business, after laying off most of its 160 person workforce
over the first half of this year. According to "The Bulletin" of
Bend, Oregon, where Epic is based, the landlord, ER1 LLC of
Delaware, has seized Epic's building and it's contents, due to Epic
being 20 days in default on its lease.
In addition, the paper reports that a lawsuit has been filed in
Deschutes County Circuit Court against Epic's CEO, Rick Schramek,
and others. Attempts to reach Schramek, General Manager Dave Hice,
or their attorneys have been unsuccessful.
In a previous lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland
in June, Blue Sky Avgroup LLC owner Rich Lucibella sought emergency
receivership on behalf of several Epic buyers whose planes were in
various states of assembly in Oregon. Lucibella, who is based in
Florida, told the paper he would like to take ownership of the
company.
“Amongst us, our first efforts are going to be conserve
the assets of this company because we believe the (Epic LT) is
still a wonderful design, anyone in the general aviation community
knows that, and after that, a way we can simultaneously keep this
company going in Central Oregon and finish the planes,”
Lucibella said.
Rick Schramek File Photo
Epic Air had received incentives totalling $1.3 million from the
state and the county to locate in Bend.
FAA officials said they are interested in the matter, but have
not opened an official investigation.
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