Paragon Shipping Announces That It Has Signed Agreements With Several Of Its Lenders
ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Paragon Shipping Inc. (NYSE: PRGN) ("Paragon Shipping" or the "Company"), announced today that it has signed agreements with four of its lenders, subject to certain conditions, and agreed to amended terms in the following loan agreements: the loan agreement with Unicredit Bank AG dated November 19, 2007, the loan agreement with The Bank of Scotland Plc dated December 4, 2007, the loan agreement with Bank of Ireland dated March 30, 2009, and the loan agreement with HSBC Bank Plc dated July 2, 2010.
More specifically, the Company obtained waivers and agreed to the relaxation of several financial and security coverage ratio covenants, the deferral of a portion of its scheduled quarterly installments and, in the case of the loan agreement with Bank of Ireland and The Bank of Scotland Plc, the extension of the loan agreements to the second quarter of 2017 and to the third quarter of 2015, respectively. In addition, in respect to the loan agreement with The Bank of Scotland Plc, the Company agreed to a payment of $2.8 million for the full and final settlement of $4.7 million in debt, representing the portion of the loan of one of the syndicate members. This advance payment of $2.8 million was made on December 10, 2012.
The above-mentioned agreements are subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions. For additional details on these agreements please refer to the Company's report on Form 6-K, filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.
Commenting on the agreements, Michael Bodouroglou, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "We are pleased to have come to terms with the majority of our lenders, and appreciate the efforts and ongoing support of our banking group. These agreements will significantly improve the Company's liquidity, financial position and overall stability through these difficult market conditions."
About Paragon Shipping Inc.
Paragon Shipping is a Marshall Islands-based international shipping company with executive offices in Athens, Greece, specializing in the transportation of drybulk cargoes. The Company's current fleet consists of twelve drybulk vessels with a total carrying capacity of 779,270 dwt. In addition, the Company's current newbuilding program consists of two Handysize drybulk carriers that are scheduled to be delivered in 2013 and two 4,800 TEU containerships that are scheduled to be delivered in 2014. Paragon Shipping has granted Box Ships Inc., an affiliated company, the option to acquire its two containerships under construction. For more information, visit: www.paragonship.com. The information contained on the Company's website does not constitute part of this press release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risk factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for drybulk shipping capacity, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, charter counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors, as well as other risks that have been included in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available at www.sec.gov.
Contacts
Paragon Shipping Inc.
[email protected]
Allen & Caron Inc.
Rudy Barrio
[email protected]
(212) 691-8087
SOURCE Paragon Shipping Inc.
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