Item 2.05. Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities
As part of its on-going efforts to enhance profitability, on December 12,
2008, LodgeNet Interactive Corporation (the "Company") announced that it would
be transitioning calls from hotel guests requiring assistance to connect to the
Internet to a call center operated by a third party specializing in providing
support to Internet customers. As part of this transition, the Company will be
closing its Atlanta, Georgia call center facility during the first quarter of
2009.
The closing of the Atlanta call center location will result in a decrease of
the Company's employees by approximately 110 full time positions, representing
approximately 9% of its total workforce. These reductions are in addition to the
reduction in force announced by the Company on November 24, 2008, and will be
completed by the end of the first quarter of 2009. The Company's existing call
center in Sioux Falls, SD, which currently handles calls from hotels related to
the Company's video systems, will handle calls from hotel customers, as well as
calls that require detailed technical knowledge or are escalated from the third
party call center. All customer service operations will continue to be based in
the United States.
As a result of the closing of the Atlanta customer service location, the
Company expects to incur a charge of approximately $550,000 in the fourth
quarter of 2008 for employee related expenses and $350,000 in the first quarter
of 2009 for other exit-related costs arising from contractual and other
obligations. The charges are not expected to affect the Company's compliance
with its financial covenants during the fourth quarter of 2008 or for the first
quarter of 2009 because related cash expenditures during the period will be
offset by cash savings on salaries and related expenses. It is anticipated that
the foregoing action will reduce the Company's expenses during the second
through fourth quarters of 2009 by a total of approximately $2 million.
The foregoing contains forward-looking statements regarding the timing of
reduction in force and amount of related charges and the Company's compliance
with financial covenants. Statements regarding future events are based on the
Company's current expectations and are necessarily subject to associated risks
related to the completion of the reduction in force in the manner anticipated by
the Company. Actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. For information regarding other factors that could
cause the Company's results to vary from expectations, please see the "Risk
Factors" section of the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The Company
undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking
statements.