Wattles
Capital Management Submits Business Proposals for Consideration by Shareholders
at Circuit City's 2008 Annual Meeting
LAS
VEGAS, February 29, 2008 -- Wattles Capital Management, LLC ("WCM") announced
today that it has delivered a letter to Circuit City Stores, Inc. ("Circuit
City") (NYSE: CC - News) submitting two
business proposals for consideration by shareholders at the 2008 Annual Meeting,
currently scheduled to be held on June 24, 2008. WCM, which beneficially owns
11,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company as of February 28, 2008,
constituting approximately 6.5% of the Shares outstanding, detailed its
intention in a written notice to the Corporate Secretary of Circuit City.
According to Circuit City's bylaws, today is the last day that a shareholder may
submit notice of such business proposals for the 2008 Annual
Meeting.
In the
notice letter, WCM submitted a proposal to remove each member of the Circuit
City Board at the Annual Meeting other than the five directors nominated by WCM,
and a proposal to repeal any bylaw amendments or new bylaws that the Circuit
City Board may adopt without first seeking shareholder approval.
About
Wattles Capital Management, LLC
Wattles
Capital Management, LLC ("WCM") makes public and private investments primarily
in retail, entertainment and consumer products companies where it sees the
potential to increase value through growth or an operating turnaround. WCM was
founded and is managed by Mark Wattles, the founder, Chairman and CEO
responsible for building more than 2,000 Hollywood Videos and 700 Game Crazy
stores before selling the Company for approximately $1.25 billion in April 2005.
WCM has an operating group that has significant expertise in managing rapid
growth and turnaround situations. As such, WCM is well-positioned to invest in
companies that it believes require more active involvement in order to realize
value. In addition to its significant position in Circuit City Stores, Inc.,
WCM, through its affiliate, Ultimate Acquisition Partners, LP, owns and operates
a chain of consumer electronics superstores operating under the name Ultimate
Electronics.
CERTAIN
INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS
Wattles
Capital Management, LLC ("WCM"), together with the other Participants (as
defined below), intends to make a preliminary filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC") of a proxy statement and accompanying proxy card to
be used to solicit votes for the election of its slate of director nominees at
the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders of Circuit City Stores, Inc., a Virginia
corporation (the "Company").
WCM
STRONGLY ADVISES ALL SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT
WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY
STATEMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT
WITHOUT CHARGE UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE
PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR.
The
participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be WCM, HKW Trust,
Mark J. Wattles, James A. Marcum, Elliott Wahle, Don R. Kornstein, Anthony
Bergamo and Alexander M. Bond (collectively, the "Participants"). As of February
28, 2008, WCM beneficially owned 11,000,000 shares of common stock of the
Company (the "Shares"), consisting of 1,000,000 Shares owned by HKW Trust. The
11,000,000 Shares beneficially owned by WCM constitutes approximately 6.5% of
the Shares outstanding. Because Mr. Wattles owns all of the membership interests
of WCM and serves as sole trustee of HKW Trust, he may be deemed to beneficially
own the 11,000,000 Shares beneficially owned by WCM and HKW Trust. Mr. Bond
directly owns 10,000 Shares. Mr. Bergamo directly owns 15,000 Shares. Mr.
Kornstein directly owns 5,500 Shares. Currently, Messrs. Marcum and Wahle do not
directly own any Shares of the Company. As members of a "group" for the purposes
of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, each of
Messrs. Marcum, Wahle, Kornstein, Bergamo and Bond is deemed to beneficially own
the 11,000,000 Shares owned by WCM, constituting approximately 6.5% of the
Shares outstanding.
Contact:
Wattles
Capital Management, LLC
Mark
J. Wattles: (303) 801-4003
Alex
Bond: (503) 348-0933