Rock Tops: Customers Contacted

   Clients holding open orders with the multi-state fabricator received notice this week from a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., law firm that confirmed what most suspected; paid-for products won’t be delivered.
   “Unfortunately, because of its sudden cessation of business operations, Rock Tops has been unable to complete all customer orders,” noted a letter from McDonald Hopkins PC, identified as the fabricator’s “insolvency counsel.”
   Rock Tops, with 15 outlets in seven states, closed all of its operations on Dec. 19 with no prior notice to customers, employees or suppliers.
   The letter to customers noted that the company “began to experience cash flow difficulties in November 2008,” and closed its doors the next month when the company couldn’t access its line of credit with an unidentified bank.
   That bank is a secured creditor and holds liens on all of the company’s assets, according to the letter.
   “Rock Tops has no funds to return customer deposits despite its sincere desire to do so,” the letter continued, “and no funds will be available for distribution to customers or suppliers until all of its assets have been sold and the bank paid in full. In that event you will receive a further communication concerning the filing of a claim.”
   The letter also counseled customers paying by credit card to contact card issuers to possibly reverse any charges for products not received.
   Meanwhile, Rock Tops faces at least two lawsuits in Macomb County Circuit Court, according to the Macomb Daily. GranQuartz LLC filed against the company this week, claiming an unpaid balance of $323,998. Earlier in the month, Dwyer Marble and Stone of Farmington Hills, Mich., sued Rock Tops, claiming $890,395 for unpaid stone deliveries.
   As of Jan. 13, neither Rock Tops Inc. nor its owners, Charlie Thiede and Robert Gasiorowski, had filed for bankruptcy protection in Detroit with the federal bankruptcy court for eastern Michigan.