XML 60 R8.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6
BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

NOTE 1 — BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

Signature Group Holdings, Inc. (“Signature”) is a diversified business enterprise with current principal holdings in cash, financial assets, and industrial supply through our wholly owned subsidiary, North American Breaker Co., LLC (“NABCO”).

Headquartered in Burbank, California, Industrial Supply is one of the largest independent suppliers of circuit breakers in the country. Industrial Supply’s niche is focused on the replacement market, particularly for commercial and industrial circuit breakers where replacement time is extremely important, but also supplies residential circuit breakers in order to provide its customers with a single source solution for their circuit breaker needs. Industrial Supply operates from five warehouse locations across the country, which facilitates next day ground shipping service to a broad section of its customer base.

Signature Special Situations selectively acquires sub-performing and nonperforming commercial and industrial loans, leases, and mortgages typically at a discount to unpaid principal balance. Signature Special Situations may also originate secured debt financings to middle market companies for a variety of situations, including supporting another transaction such as an acquisition, recapitalization or restructuring and may take positions in corporate bonds and other structured debt instruments, which may be performing, sub-performing or nonperforming, as well as other specialized financial assets.

Additionally, Signature’s operations include a discontinued operations segment, where it holds and manages certain assets and liabilities related to the former businesses of the Company, then known as Fremont General Corporation (“Fremont”) and its primary operating subsidiary, Fremont Investment & Loan (“FIL”), as well as Cosmed, Inc. (“Cosmed”), which owns the product formulations of a line of anti-aging skin care products and was designated as a discontinued operation in the fourth quarter of 2012. The assets and liabilities of discontinued operations are being managed to maximize their cash recoveries and limit costs and exposures.