A Colorado Land & Water Rights Play, A Texas Towing Fleet, And A 300-Acre NY Wellness Resort

The Situation: This is the other shoe dropping. Last week we covered Arbor Valley Nursery. Edmundson Land LLC is their real estate holding company, controlling the valuable land and water rights that the nursery operates on.

They filed for Chapter 11 to halt a receivership action from their primary lender, American AgCredit, after defaulting on a $10M+ loan.

The Opportunity: This is a pure real estate and resource play. The assets include significant agricultural acreage across four Colorado counties and, most importantly, valuable water rights in the South Platte River Basin. For a buyer interested in the Arbor Valley nursery, this is the key to controlling the entire operation.

For a real estate or agricultural investor, this is a chance to acquire a portfolio of land and water rights at a potential discount, free and clear of the operational headaches of the nursery.

The Playbook: The strategy is to either a) acquire the debt from American AgCredit and control the foreclosure/credit bid, or b) make a direct offer to purchase the land and water rights portfolio through a 363 sale in the bankruptcy court.

This is a clean asset deal where the value is in the dirt and the water, not the business operations.

Due diligence should focus on a sample audit of the loan files to assess quality and recovery potential. An interested party should contact debtor's counsel, Law office of Robert S Altagen, APC, to express interest.

Full Filing Details →

The Situation: Sheffield Towing is a profitable, family-owned heavy-duty towing company with ~$4M in annual revenue serving the lucrative Permian Basin oil and gas industry.

Their distress isn't operational; it's legal. The company was involved in a 12-vehicle accident and is now facing multiple negligence lawsuits, forcing them into Chapter 11 to manage the claims.

The Opportunity: This is a classic distressed asset acquisition.

The underlying business is strong, with a fleet of 18 specialized heavy-duty trucks (rotators, wreckers), 17 drivers, and a solid customer base in a high-margin industry.

A buyer can acquire these valuable assets—the trucks, customer contracts, and trade name—free and clear of the litigation liabilities, which will be left behind in the bankruptcy estate.

The Playbook: The play is a straightforward 363 asset purchase. A buyer, likely a regional competitor or a PE firm in the transportation space, can offer to buy the entire operating business.

The purchase price would go to the bankruptcy estate to pay creditors (including the litigation claimants), while the buyer walks away with a turnkey, profitable towing operation.

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The Situation: Beaver Hollow Niagara is a 300-acre wellness resort that serves as the exclusive host for the "Biggest Loser Resort" brand. The property features 86 guest rooms, 13 meeting rooms, and a full fitness village with pools and gyms.

The company filed for Chapter 11 for unstated reasons, but it presents an opportunity to acquire a significant hospitality asset with a built-in, internationally recognized brand affiliation.

The Opportunity: The value is in the combination of the real estate and the brand. A buyer gets a 300-acre resort and the exclusive rights to operate the Biggest Loser program in that location.

This is a turnkey hospitality business with a unique, defensible market position. The distress likely provides an opportunity to acquire the property and the brand license for less than the $4M+ that was invested in the facility.

The Playbook: The strategy is to acquire the entire operation out of bankruptcy. A buyer in the hospitality or wellness space could recapitalize the business, potentially renegotiate the brand license, and leverage the unique marketing angle. The key is to assess the profitability of the Biggest Loser contract and the value of the underlying 300-acre property.

Full Filing Details →