Judge revokes LeNature, Giant Eagle deal

PITTSBURGH The LeNature bottling facility in Latrobe, Pa. will go to Cadbury Schweppes Bottling Group Inc. instead of Giant Eagle Inc., following a federal bankruptcy court decision that Giant Eagle acted in poor faith throughout the bidding process for the plant.

Bankruptcy court judge M. Bruce McCullough ruled that Giant Eagle behaved in bad taste during the process, by threatening not to carry 15 Cadbury Schweppes soft drinks, teas, and bottled waters at its stores.

Although the judge awarded the plant to Cadbury Schweppes for $19 million, the company said that it no longer wanted the plant, and according to reports, Giant Eagle plans to appeal the decision.

LeNature was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy (later Chapter 11) last November after a former ceo was found to have inflated sales figures for 2005.