Brittenum Files Bankruptcy

Jon Brittenum Jr., owner of J.M. Hooker Construction Inc. of Fayetteville, on Oct. 31 filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, which usually leads to the liquidation of a business.

Brittenum also did business as Brittenum Construction Inc., Optimists LLC, Masonry Contractors Inc., Spring Fever LLC and Cabernet LLC.

In the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s list of commercial contractors, J.M. Hooker was listed with $8.7 million in 2001 revenue. Morgan Hooker was a partner with Brittenum in J.M. Hooker Construction.

The company lists $3.38 million in total liabilities against just $114,667 in assets.

Reportedly, it was the Masonry Contractors division that brought down the company. Among the creditors holding unsecured priority claims against Masonry Contractors is the Internal Revenue Service for $480,656.

Local creditors holding unsecured nonpriority claims of $50,000 or more against the company include: Rebecca Morgan of Fayetteville ($300,000); Mitchell Massey of Springdale ($125,000); Holmes Interior Finish Inc. of Gentry ($122,605); Campbell Electric of Fayetteville ($114,592); Custom Aire of Fayetteville ($113,393); Carlen Hooker of Fayetteville ($75,000); Webb’s Plumbing Co. of Fayetteville ($57,001); Mike Lamberth of Fayetteville ($50,000).

J.M. Hooker Construction was the general contractor on The Mill District project in south Fayetteville, First Care Family Doctors South in Fayetteville and the Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville’s Sunbridge Center.