Corporate Governance

Morrisville, N.C. - Charles & Colvard Ltd. has closed a new three-year $10 million asset-backed credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank. The company’s previous credit facility with PNC Bank was terminated.

The new credit facility provides Charles & Colvard working capital for general corporate purposes and to pursue continued growth opportunities and is secured by Charles & Colvard assets. The company currently does not have any other long-term debt and the new credit facility is undrawn.

Brisbane, Calif. – Bebe Stores Inc. will exit its 2b business by July 5, which is the end of the company’s fiscal 2014. The retailer says this will allow it to increase its focus on the core Bebe brand’s retail and outlet stores, e-commerce and international licensing business.

Betamax. Zune. Google Plus. These are just a few consumer technology applications that hit the market with a lot of hype and all failed to catch on for the same basic reason. It seems clear that the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader tablet can now be considered part of this list, although Barnes & Noble has not yet accepted it.

Online retailer Gilt has added Adrianne Shapira to the company's board of directors.

Shapira has served as the CFO of David Yurman, a fine jewelry luxury brand, since 2012. She is a member of the executive committee that looks to build upon David Yurman's successes by capitalizing on future channel, category and geographic growth.  

TreeHouse Foods plans to acquire Flagstone Foods, a leading provider of private-label healthy snacks, one of the fastest growing on-trend categories in the food industry.

TreeHouse has agreed to pay Gryphon Investors and other shareholders $860 million in cash for the business, subject to an adjustment for working capital.

The Walmart Foundation has kicked off a summer-long initiative to help children and families gain access to nutritious meals and learn healthy-eating habits. Walmart is also collaborating with Chef Lorena Garcia, chef and author with TV appearances on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and NBC’s “Biggest Loser,” to launch the Eat Healthy Together Challenge on Twitter.

Richard Sharp, 67, the long-time CEO of Circuit City who founded used car retailer CarMax has died of Alzheimer’s disease at his home near Richmond, Virginia.

Sharp joined Circuit City in 1982 and served as CEO of the company from 1986 to 2000. Under his leadership, Circuit City enjoyed meteoric growth with sales that increased from $175 million in 1986 to more than $10 billion by 2000. Eight years after he had left the company, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and the following year was liquidated.

Nearly one year ago, as lawyers faced off in the first battle over Detroit’s bankruptcy bid, Meijer opened its first store at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center on 8 Mile Road and Woodward Ave. The retailer is not giving up on the economically depressed city, either, as it prepares to open a second location.

Bob McDonald ran the world’s largest CPG company as CEO of Procter & Gamble and now he is returning to public service as head of the embattled Veteran’s Administration.

The Arts and Crafts retailer went to the mat over its religious convictions, and on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the privately held company in a rebuke of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
 
Hobby Lobby co-founder Barbara Green said her family was overjoyed by the Supreme Court’s decision.