Humboldt Creamery’s top unsecured creditors

Originally published in the "4-23-09" issue.

Humboldt Creamery in total could possible owe more than $80 million to asmany as 3,000 creditors.

CEO Len Mayer said the biggest debt is $54million owed to its banks, which now want the creamery to sell.

In papers filed in federal bankruptcy court on Tuesday, the creamery listed the 20 largest unsecured claims. They include $370,000 owed to former CEO Rich Ghilarducci. Mayer said the debt is related to notes Ghilarducci holds and possibly retirement savings. The amount owed to the former CEO is listed as “disputed” in the filings.

The nature of the claims are also listed and follow below after the name of the creditors. Amounts owed have been rounded off.

CA Dairies (trade) $1.246 million; Rumiano Cheese Co. (trade) $1.18 million; CA State Dept. of Food & Agriculture (government) $646,000; Organic Valley Family of Famers (trade) $544,000; Rich Ghilarducci (disputed) $367,000; Pacific Gas & Electric (Utilities) $330,000; Bingham McCutchen LLP (legal fees) $317,000; Occidental EnergyMkt Inc (trade) $309,000; Sweetener Products Inc (trade) $251,000; Westfarm Foods (trade) $200,000; Huhtamaki Packaging (trade) $173,000; Dreisbach Enterprises (trade) $169,000;MassMarketing Services (trade) $139,000; Western Conf. of Teamsters (labor) $130,000; SteveWills Trucking LLC (trade) $117,000; Varesources, Inc. (trade) $112,000; Berry Plastics Corp. (trade) $103,000; Certified Freight Logistics (trade) $97,000; International Paper Co. (trade) $92,000;NorseDairy Systems (trade) $84,000.