china_s3-061208.htm
As filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2008
Registration
No. 333-________
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
S-3
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CHINA
DIRECT, INC.
(Exact
name of the registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida
(State or
other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
13-3876100
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification Number)
431
Fairway Drive
Deerfield
Beach, Florida 33441
(954)
363-7333
(Address,
including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's
principal executive offices)
Lazarus
Rothstein, Esq.
Vice
President, General Counsel and
Secretary
China
Direct, Inc.
431
Fairway Drive
Deerfield
Beach, Florida 33441
(954)
363-7333
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent
for service)
with a
copy to:
James
M. Schneider, Esq.
Schneider
Weinberger & Beilly, LLP
2200
Corporate Boulevard N.W.
Suite
210
Boca
Raton, Florida 33431
telephone
(561) 362-9595
telecopier
(561) 362-9612
Approximate date of commencement of
proposed sale to the public: From time to time after effectiveness of
this registration stat3ement as determined by market conditions.
If the
only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to a
dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: £
If any of
the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other
than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, check the following box: R
If this
Form is to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the
Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective
registration statement for the same offering. £
If this
Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering: £
If this
Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a
post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the
following box: £
If this
Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to
General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional
classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check
the following box: £
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See definition of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated
filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Large
accelerated filer
|
£
|
Accelerated
filer
|
£
|
Non-accelerated
filer
(Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
£
|
Smaller
reporting company
|
R
|
CALCULATION
OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title
of each
class
of securities
to
be registered
|
Amount
to be
registered
|
Proposed
maximum
offering
price per unit
|
Proposed
maximum
aggregate
offering price
|
Amount
of
registration
fee
|
Common
stock, par value $0.0001
|
$70,000,000(1)(2)
|
(1)
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$70,000,000
|
|
$2,751
(3)
|
Preferred
stock, par value $0.0001
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
|
(1)(2)
|
Warrants
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
|
(1)(2)
|
Senior
Debt Securities
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
|
(1)(2)
|
Subordinated
Debt Securities
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
(1)(2)
|
|
(1)(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2,751
|
(1) Omitted
pursuant to General Instruction II(D) of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of
1933.
(2) This
registration statement covers such indeterminate principal amount or number of
shares of common stock and preferred stock, senior and subordinated debt
securities and number of warrants of the registrant with an aggregate initial
offering price not to exceed $70,000,000. Certain selling shareholders may sell
up to 1,000,000 shares of common stock under this registration statement
issuable upon the exercise of options held by shareholders with an exercise
price of $.01 per share. The securities registered hereunder are to be issued
from time to time and at prices to be determined. Any securities registered
under this registration statement may be sold separately or as units with other
securities registered under this registration statement. The securities
registered hereunder also include (i) an indeterminate number of shares of
common stock or preferred stock, number of warrants and principal amount of
senior and subordinated debt securities as may from time to time be issued upon
conversion or exchange of any preferred stock, warrants or senior or
subordinated debt securities registered hereunder, for which no separate
consideration will be payable, and (ii) securities that may be purchased by
underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(3) Estimated
solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee. Calculated pursuant to
Rule 457(o) of the rules and regulations under the Securities Act. Rule 457(o)
permits the registration statement fee to be calculated on the basis of the
maximum offering price of all of the securities listed above, and, therefore,
the table does not specify by each class of security information as to the
amount to be registered or the proposed maximum offering price per
security.
The
registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as
may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a
further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement
shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall
become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section
8(a), may determine.
The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not
sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell
these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any
state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 13, 2008
PROSPECTUS
$70,000,000
China
Direct, Inc.
COMMON
STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK, WARRANTS,
SENIOR
DEBT SECURITIES AND SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES
We may offer common stock, preferred
stock, warrants, senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities
consisting of a combination of any of these securities at an aggregate initial
offering price not to exceed $70,000,000 and certain selling shareholders
referred to in this prospectus and identified in supplements to this prospectus
may sell up to 1,000,000 shares of our common stock under this prospectus
issuable upon the exercise of options held by such shareholders with an exercise
price of $.01 per share. The debt
securities that we may offer may consist of senior debt securities or
subordinated debt securities, in each case consisting of notes or other evidence
of indebtedness in one or more series. The warrants that we may offer
will consist of warrants to purchase any of the other securities that may be
sold under this prospectus. The securities offered under this
prospectus may be offered separately, together, or in separate series, and in
amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of
sale. A prospectus supplement that will set forth the terms of the
offering of any securities will accompany this prospectus. You should
read this prospectus and any supplement carefully before you
invest.
Our common stock is listed on the
NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "CDS". On June 12, 2008, the
closing price of our common stock was $7.56 per share. As of the date
of this prospectus, none of the other securities that we may offer by this
prospectus are listed on any national securities exchange nor are they quoted on
any automated quotation system.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A
HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. SEE "RISK FACTORS" BEGINNING ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS
FOR A DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN MATTERS THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN
OUR SECURITIES.
Neither the Securities and Exchange
Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of
these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This prospectus may not be used to
consummate the sale of any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus
supplement relating to the securities offered.
The date
of this prospectus is ________, 2008
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a
registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission utilizing a "shelf" registration, or continuous offering,
process. Under the shelf registration process, we may issue and sell
any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more
offerings with a maximum offering price of up to $70,000,000 and certain selling
shareholders referred to in this prospectus and identified in supplements to
this prospectus may sell up to 1,000,000 shares of our common stock under this
prospectus upon the exercise of options held by such shareholders with an
exercise price of $.01 per share. We will not receive any of the
proceeds from any sale of shares by the selling shareholders.
This prospectus provides you with a
general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell
securities under this shelf registration, we will provide a prospectus
supplement that will contain certain specific information about the terms of
that offering, including a description of any risks related to the offering, if
those terms and risks are not described in this prospectus. In addition, these
shares of common stock were registered to permit the selling shareholders to
sell the shares from time to time, in amounts and at prices and on terms
determined at the time of the offering. The selling shareholders may
sell the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus in a number of
different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information
about how the selling shareholders may sell the shares in the section entitled
"Plan of Distribution" beginning on page 26 of this prospectus. A
prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in
this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the
information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you
should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. The
registration statement we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
includes exhibits that provide more details on the matters discussed in this
prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the related exhibits
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the accompanying
prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the
headings "Available Information" and "Information Incorporated by Reference"
before investing in any of the securities offered.
We may sell securities to or through
underwriters or dealers, and also may sell securities directly to other
purchasers or through agents. To the extent not described in this
prospectus, the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents employed by us in
the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus, the principal amounts or
number of shares or other securities, if any, to be purchased by such
underwriters or dealers and the compensation, if any, of such underwriters,
dealers or agents will be set forth in the accompanying prospectus
supplement.
The information in this prospectus is
accurate as of the date on the front cover. Information incorporated
by reference into this prospectus is accurate as of the date of the document
from which the information is incorporated. You should not assume
that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any other
date.
When used
herein, "China Direct", "we", "us" or "our" refers to China Direct, Inc., a
Florida corporation, and our subsidiaries.
AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
We file
annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any
materials that we file at the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public
Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may
obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the
Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Securities
and Exchange Commission also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains
reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding
issuers such as our company that file electronically with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. In addition, because our stock is listed for
trading on the NASDAQ Global Market, you can read and copy reports and other
information concerning us at the offices of the NASDAQ Stock Market located at
One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway, New York, New York 10006.
We have
filed a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the securities to be sold by
pursuant to this prospectus. This prospectus has been filed as part of the
registration statement. This prospectus does not contain all of the
information set forth in the registration statement because certain parts of the
registration statement are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should refer to the
registration statement, including the exhibits, for further information about us
and the securities being offered pursuant to this
prospectus. Statements in this prospectus regarding the provisions of
certain documents filed with, or incorporated by reference in, the registration
statement are not necessarily complete and each statement is qualified in all
respects by that reference. You may:
• inspect
a copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules,
without charge at the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference
Room;
• obtain
a copy from the Securities and Exchange Commission upon payment of the fees
prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission; or
• obtain
a copy from the Securities and Exchange Commissions' website.
Our
Internet address is www.chinadirectinc.com. We make available free of charge,
through the investor relations section of our website, annual reports on Form
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we
electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The information which appears on this web site is not part
of this prospectus. Our principal executive offices are located at 431 Fairway
Drive, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441. Our telephone
number at this location is (954) 363-7333.
THE
COMPANY
We are a
management and advisory services organization which owns and consults with
business entities operating in the People's Republic of China
(PRC). Our company was created in recognition of the market need for
both investment capital and management acumen for small to medium size business
entities in the PRC with annual revenues under $100 million. Our
mission is to provide a platform to support, develop and nurture these
businesses which we believe play a vital role in the ongoing expansion of the
Chinese economy.
We
operate in two primary divisions:
• Management
Services, and
• Advisory
Services.
Our
Management Services division includes our wholly and majority owned subsidiaries
operating in China. Our Management Services division acquires
controlling interests of Chinese business entities which we consolidate as
either our wholly or majority owned subsidiaries. We refer to these
subsidiaries as our “portfolio” companies. Through this ownership
control, we provide management advice as well as investment capital, and our
goal is to enable these portfolio companies to successfully expand their
operations. We are committed to improving the quality and performance
of each portfolio company by providing an array of resources to augment their
efficiency and growth. We provide these services through management
teams in both the United States and China. As of the date hereof, our
Management Services division has over 1,200 employees in the PRC.
Within
our Management Services division, we maintain and report three business
segments, including:
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Magnesium. Revenues
from this segment were approximately $100.9 million in 2007, including
revenues of approximately $2.8 million from related parties, and
represented approximately 57.9% of our total consolidated
revenues. Revenues from this segment were approximately $44.7
million in the first quarter of 2008, including revenues of approximately
$734,000 from related parties, and represented approximately 74.5% of our
total consolidated revenues;
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Basic
Materials. Revenues from this segment were approximately
$55.3 million in 2007, representing approximately 31.7% of our total
consolidated revenues. Revenues from this segment were
approximately $12.9 million in the first quarter of 2008, representing
approximately 21.4% of our total consolidated revenues;
and
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Clean
Technology. Revenues from this segment were
approximately $6.7 million and represented approximately 3.8% of our total
consolidated revenues. Revenues from this segment were
approximately $117,000 in the first quarter of 2008 and represented less
than 1% of our total consolidated
revenues.
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Our
Advisory Services division provides consulting services to both Chinese entities
seeking access to the U.S. capital markets and North American entities seeking
business opportunities in the PRC. Our Advisory Services division
offers a suite of consulting services tailored to meet the needs of each
individual client. We currently have service contracts with various
clients who conduct business within China or seek to conduct business with
companies based in China. Our Advisory Services division generated
revenues of approximately $11.3 million in 2007, including approximately $1.8
million from related parties, and represented approximately 6.6% of our total
consolidated revenues. For the first quarter of 2008, our Advisory
Services division generated revenues of approximately $2.3 million and
represented approximately 3.9% of our total consolidated revenues.
We were incorporated in Delaware in
July 1999. In June 2007 we domesticated the company in the State of
Florida.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This prospectus contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements other than
historical information or statements of current condition and are based upon our
current expectations and projections about future events. When used in this
prospectus, the words ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘estimate’’,
‘‘expect’’, ‘‘will’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘may’’ and similar expressions, or the
negative of such words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words or
expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results,
performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements were based on various
factors and were derived utilizing numerous assumptions and other factors that
could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not
limited to: our ability to acquire operating companies in China in a cost
effective manner that enhance our financial condition; our need for additional
financing which we may not be able to obtain on acceptable terms, the dilutive
effect additional capital raising efforts in future periods may have on our
current shareholders and the increased interest expense in future periods
related to additional debt financing; our ability to effectively integrate our
acquisitions and to manage our growth and our inability to fully realize any
anticipated benefits of acquired business; the value of the equity securities we
accept as compensation is subject to adjustment which could result in losses to
us in future periods; the Investment Company Act of 1940 which limits the value
of securities we can accept as payment for our business consulting services
which may limit
our
future revenues; our dependence on certain key personnel; the lack various legal
protections in certain agreements to which we are a party and which are material
to our operations which are customarily contained in similar contracts prepared
in the United States; our ability to assure that related party transactions are
fair to our company; Yuwei Huang an executive officer of several of our
magnesium subsidiaries is also an owner and executive officer of several
companies which directly compete with our magnesium business; the risks and
hazards inherent in the mining industry on the operations of our basic materials
segment; the effect of changes resulting from the political and economic
policies of the Chinese government on our assets and operations located in the
PRC; the influence of the Chinese government over the manner in which our
Chinese subsidiaries must conduct our business activities; the impact on future
inflation in China on economic activity in China; the impact of any recurrence
of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SAR’s, or another widespread public
health problem; the limitation on our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively as a result of restrictions on currency exchange in China; our
ability to enforce our rights due to policies regarding the regulation of
foreign investments in China; our ability to comply with the United States
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which could subject us to penalties and other
adverse consequences; and our ability to establish adequate management, legal
and financial controls in the PRC. Most of these factors are
difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond our
control. You should consider the areas of risk described in
connection with any forward-looking statements that may be made
herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements and readers should carefully review this report in
its entirety, including the risks described in "Risk Factors." Except
for our ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the Federal
securities laws, we undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to
any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of
unanticipated events. These forward-looking statements speak only as
of the date of this prospectus, and you should not rely on these statements
without also considering the risks and uncertainties associated with these
statements and our business.
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our securities
involves a significant degree of risk. You should not invest in our
securities unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. You
should consider carefully the following risk factors and other information in
this prospectus before deciding to invest in our securities. If any
of the following risks and uncertainties develops into actual events, our
business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially
adversely affected and you could lose your entire investment in our
company.
RISKS
RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
THE
SUCCESS OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS DEPENDENT UPON OUR ABILITY TO ACQUIRE OPERATING
COMPANIES IN CHINA. THE ACQUISITION OF NEW BUSINESSES IS COSTLY AND SUCH
ACQUISITIONS MAY NOT ENHANCE OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Our
primary business and operational focus is on our Management Services
division. Our growth strategy is to acquire companies or controlling
interests in companies that operate in China and that have services, products,
technologies, industry specializations or geographic coverage that extend or
complement our existing business. The process to undertake a
potential acquisition is time-consuming and costly. We expect to
expend significant resources to undertake business, financial and legal due
diligence on our potential acquisition targets and there is no guarantee that we
will acquire the company after completing due diligence. The process
of identifying and consummating an acquisition could result in the use of
substantial amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities
and exposure to undisclosed or potential liabilities of acquired
companies. In addition, even if we are successful in acquiring
additional companies, there are no assurances that the operations of these
business will enhance our future financial condition. To the extent that a
business we acquire does not meet the performance criteria used to establish a
purchase price, some or all of the goodwill related to that acquisition could be
charged against our future earnings, if any.
WE
MAY NEED ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO FUND ACQUISITIONS AND OUR OPERATIONS WHICH WE
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ON ACCEPTABLE TERMS. ADDITIONAL CAPITAL RAISING
EFFORTS IN FUTURE PERIODS MAY BE DILUTIVE TO OUR THEN CURRENT SHAREHOLDERS OR
RESULT IN INCREASED INTEREST EXPENSE IN FUTURE PERIODS.
We may
need to raise additional working capital to continue to make acquisitions and
fund our operations. Our future capital requirements depend, however,
on a number of factors, including our operations, the financial condition of an
acquisition target and its needs for capital, our ability to grow revenues from
other sources, our ability to manage the growth of our business and our ability
to control our expenses. If we raise additional capital through the
issuance of debt, this will result in increased interest expense. If
we raise additional capital through the issuance of equity or convertible debt
securities, the percentage ownership of our company held by existing
shareholders will be reduced and those shareholders may experience significant
dilution. As we will generally not be required to obtain the consent of our
shareholders before entering into acquisition transactions, shareholders are
dependent upon the judgment of our management in determining the number of, and
characteristics of stock issued as consideration in an
acquisition. In addition, new securities may contain certain rights,
preferences or privileges that are senior to those of our common stock. We
cannot assure you that we will be able to raise the working capital as needed in
the future on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we do not raise capital as
needed, we will be unable to fully implement our business model, fund our
ongoing operations or grow our company.
OUR
MANAGEMENT MAY BE UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATE OUR ACQUISITIONS AND TO MANAGE
OUR GROWTH AND WE MAY BE UNABLE TO FULLY REALIZE ANY ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF
THESE ACQUISITIONS.
We are
subject to various risks associated with our growth strategy, including the risk
that we will be unable to identify and recruit suitable acquisition candidates
in the future or to integrate and manage the acquired companies. We
face particular challenges in that our acquisition strategy is based on
companies located in and operating within China. Acquired companies'
histories, the geographical location, business models and business cultures will
be different from ours in many respects. Even if we are successful in
identifying and closing acquisitions of companies, our directors and executive
management will face significant challenges in their efforts to integrate the
business of the acquired companies or assets and to effectively manage our
continued growth. Any future acquisitions will be subject to a number of
challenges, including:
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the
diversion of management time and resources and the potential disruption of
our ongoing business;
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difficulties
in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and
policies;
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unexpected
costs and time associated with upgrading both the internal accounting
systems as well as educating each of their staffs as to the proper methods
of collecting and recording financial
data;
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potential
unknown liabilities associated with acquired
businesses;
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the
difficulty of retaining key alliances on attractive terms with partners
and suppliers; and
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the
difficulty of retaining and recruiting key personnel and maintaining
employee morale.
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There can
be no assurance that our efforts to integrate the operations of any acquired
assets or companies will be successful, that we can manage our growth or that
the anticipated benefits of these proposed acquisitions will be fully
realized.
THE
VALUE OF THE EQUITY SECURITIES WE ACCEPT AS COMPENSATION IS SUBJECT TO
ADJUSTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSSES TO US IN FUTURE PERIODS.
Historically
we have accepted equity securities of our consulting clients as compensation for
services. These securities are reflected on our balance sheet as
"investment in marketable securities held for sale" and "investment in
marketable securities held for sale - related party". We evaluate quarterly the
carrying value of each investment for a possible increase or decrease in
value. Because we do not want to be considered an investment company,
it is to our benefit to keep the carrying values of these securities as low as
possible. This quarterly evaluation may result in an adjustment to
the carrying value of our investment in marketable securities which could
adversely affect our operating results for the corresponding quarters in that we
might be required to reduce the carrying value of these
investments. In addition, if we are unable to liquidate these
securities, we will be required to write off the investments which would
adversely affect our financial position.
THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 WILL LIMIT THE VALUE OF SECURITIES WE CAN ACCEPT
AS PAYMENT FOR OUR BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES WHICH MAY LIMIT OUR FUTURE
REVENUES.
We have
historically accepted stock as payment for our services and will likely continue
to do so in the future, but only to the extent that it does not cause us to
become classified as an investment company under the Investment Company Act
1940. To the extent that we are required to reduce the amount of
stock we accept as payment for our business consulting services to avoid
becoming an investment company, our future revenues from our business consulting
services may substantially decline if our client companies cannot pay our fees
in cash. A reduction in the amount of our consulting fees will
materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations in
future periods. Any future change in our fee structure for our
business consulting services could also severely limit our ability to attract
business consulting clients in the future.
WE
ARE DEPENDENT ON CERTAIN KEY PERSONNEL AND THE LOSS OF THESE KEY PERSONNEL COULD
HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS.
Our
success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and
marketing, and operational expertise of key personnel of our subsidiaries in
China who perform key functions in the operation of our business as well as our
U.S. based management team. We do not exercise any substantive day to
day supervision over the activities of key members of our China based management
team which includes Messrs. Wuliang Zhang, Yuwei Huang and Jingdong
Chen. The loss of one or more of these key employees or our senior
management, including our chief executive officer and president could have a
material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, and results of
operations and the results of operations.
CERTAIN
AGREEMENTS TO WHICH WE ARE A PARTY AND WHICH ARE MATERIAL TO OUR OPERATIONS LACK
VARIOUS LEGAL PROTECTIONS WHICH ARE CUSTOMARILY CONTAINED IN SIMILAR CONTRACTS
PREPARED IN THE UNITED STATES.
Our
subsidiaries include companies organized under the laws of the PRC and all of
their business and operations are conducted in China. We are a party to certain
contracts related to our operations in China. While these
contracts contain the basic business terms of the agreements between the
parties, these contracts do not contain certain clauses which are customarily
contained in similar contracts prepared in the U.S., such as representations and
warranties of the parties, confidentiality and non-compete clauses, provisions
outlining events of defaults, and termination and jurisdictional
clauses. Because our contracts in China omit these customary clauses,
notwithstanding the differences in Chinese and U.S. laws, we may not have the
same legal protections as we would if the contracts contained these additional
clauses. We anticipate that our Chinese subsidiaries will likely
enter into contracts in the future which will likewise omit these customary
legal protections. While we have not been subject to any adverse
consequences as a result of the omission of these customary clauses, and we
consider the contracts to which we are a party to contain all the material terms
of our business arrangements with the other party, future events may occur which
lead to a dispute which could have been avoided if the contracts included
customary clauses in conformity with U.S. standards. Contractual
disputes which may arise from this lack of legal protection could divert
management's time from the operation of our business, require us to expend funds
attempting to settle a possible dispute, limit the time our management would
otherwise devote to the operation of our business, and have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
FROM
TIME TO TIME WE ENGAGE IN RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS. THERE ARE NO ASSURANCES
THAT THESE TRANSACTIONS ARE FAIR TO OUR COMPANY.
From time to time our subsidiaries
enter into transactions with related parties which include the payment of fees
for consulting services, purchases from or sales to a related party, and
advancing related parties significant sums as prepayments for future goods or
services and working capital, among other transactions. We have
policies and procedures in place which require the pre-approval of loans between
related parties. Notwithstanding these policies, we cannot assure you
that in every instance the terms of the transactions with related parties are on
terms as fair as we might receive from or extend to third parties.
YUWEI
HUANG AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SEVERAL OF OUR MAGNESIUM SUBSIDIARIES IS ALSO AN
OWNER AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SEVERAL COMPANIES WHICH DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH OUR
MAGNESIUM BUSINESS.
Mr. Yuwei
Huang who serves as an executive officer of several of our Magnesium segment
subsidiaries is also the Chairman of a competitor of ours, Taiyuan YiWei
Magnesium Industry Co., Ltd. (“YiWei Magnesium”). YiWei Magnesium, a
minority owner of two of our Magnesium segment subsidiaries, owns interests in
several other magnesium factories, a magnesium alloy factory and a magnesium
powder desulphurization reagent factory, all located in China. Due to
Mr. Huang’s interest in our competitors, he is subject to certain inherent
conflicts of interest and there can be no assurances that our business and
operations will not be adversely impacted as a result of these
conflicts.
THE OPERATIONS OF
OUR BASIC MATERIALS SEGMENT ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND HAZARDS INHERENT IN THE
MINING INDUSTRY.
Our Basic
Materials segment is engaged in the mining and processing of zinc. These
operations are subject to risks and hazards inherent in the mining industry,
including, but not limited to, ground fall, flooding, environmental hazards and
the discharge of toxic chemicals, explosions and other accidents, unanticipated
variations in grade and other geological problems, water conditions, surface or
underground conditions, metallurgical and other processing problems, mechanical
equipment performance problems, the lack of availability of materials and
equipment, the occurrence of accidents, labor force disruptions, force majeure
factors, unanticipated transportation costs, and weather
conditions. Any of these risks could result in work stoppages, delays
in production, the development of properties, production commencement dates and
production quantities, increased production costs and rates, damage to or
destruction of mines and other production facilities, injury or loss of life,
damage to property, environmental damage, and possible legal liability for such
damages.
A
SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR ASSETS AND OPERATIONS ARE LOCATED IN THE PRC AND ARE
SUBJECT TO CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES OF THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
Our
business operations could be restricted by the political environment in the
PRC. The PRC has operated as a socialist state since 1949 and is
controlled by the Communist Party of China. In recent years, however,
the government has introduced reforms aimed at creating a "socialist market
economy" and policies have been implemented to allow business enterprises
greater autonomy in their operations. Changes in the political
leadership of the PRC may have a significant effect on laws and policies related
to the current economic reform programs, other policies affecting business and
the general political, economic and social environment in the PRC, including the
introduction of measures to control inflation, changes in the rate or method of
taxation, the imposition of additional restrictions on currency conversion and
remittances abroad, and foreign investment. Moreover, economic
reforms and growth in the PRC have been more successful in certain provinces
than in others, and the continuation or increases of such disparities could
affect the political or social stability of the PRC.
Although
we believe that the economic reform and the macroeconomic measures adopted by
the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the economic development of
China, the future direction of these economic reforms is uncertain and the
uncertainty may decrease the attractiveness of our company as an investment,
which may in turn result in a decline in the trading price of our common
stock.
WE
CANNOT ASSURE YOU THAT THE CURRENT CHINESE POLICIES OF ECONOMIC REFORM WILL
CONTINUE. BECAUSE OF THIS UNCERTAINTY, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC RISKS
ASSOCIATED WITH DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA.
Although
the majority of productive assets in China are owned by the Chinese government,
in the past several years the government has implemented economic reform
measures that emphasize decentralization and encourages private economic
activity. In keeping with these economic reform policies, the PRC has
been openly promoting business development in order to bring more business into
the PRC. Because these economic reform measures may be inconsistent
or ineffective, there are no assurances that:
• the
Chinese government will continue its pursuit of economic reform
policies;
• the
economic policies, even if pursued, will be successful;
• economic
policies will not be significantly altered from time to time; or
• business
operations in China will not become subject to the risk of
nationalization.
We cannot
assure you that we will be able to capitalize on these economic reforms,
assuming the reforms continue. Because our business model is
dependent upon the continued economic reform and growth in China, any change in
Chinese government policy could materially adversely affect our ability to
continue to implement our business model. China's economy has experienced
significant growth in the past decade, but such growth has been uneven across
geographic and economic sectors and has recently been slowing. Even
if the Chinese government continues its policies of economic reform, there are
no assurances that economic growth in that country will continue or that we will
be able to take advantage of these opportunities in a fashion that will provide
financial benefit to us.
THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT EXERTS SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE OVER THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR
CHINESE SUBSIDIARIES MUST CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES.
The PRC
only recently has permitted provincial and local economic autonomy and private
economic activities. The government of the PRC has exercised and
continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the
Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Accordingly,
government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to
support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned
economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic
policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in the PRC or
particular regions of the PRC, and could require us to divest ourselves of any
interest we then hold in our Chinese subsidiaries.
FUTURE
INFLATION IN CHINA MAY INHIBIT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN CHINA.
In recent
years, the Chinese economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion and high
rates of inflation. During the past 10 years, the rate of inflation
in China has been as high as 20.7% and as low as -2.2%. These factors
have led to the adoption by the PRC government, from time to time, of various
corrective measures designed to restrict the availability of credit or regulate
growth and contain inflation. While inflation has been more moderate
since 1995, high inflation in the future could cause the PRC government to
impose controls on credit and/or prices, or to take other action, which could
inhibit economic activity in China. Any actions by the PRC government
to regulate growth and contain inflation could have the effect of limiting our
ability to grow our revenues in future periods.
ANY
RECURRENCE OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME, OR SARS, OR ANOTHER WIDESPREAD
PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM, COULD INTERRUPT OUR OPERATIONS.
A renewed
outbreak of SARS or another widespread public health problem in China could have
a negative effect on our operations. Our operations may be impacted by a number
of health-related factors, including the following:
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quarantines
or closures of some of our offices which would severely disrupt our
operations;
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the
sickness or death of our key management and employees;
or
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a
general slowdown in the Chinese
economy.
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An
occurrence of any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen consequences of
public health problems could result in a loss of revenues in future periods and
could impact our ability to conduct the operations of our Chinese subsidiaries
as they are presently conducted. If we were unable to continue the
operations of our Chinese subsidiaries as they are now conducted, our revenues
in future periods would decline and our ability to continue as a going concern
could be in jeopardy. If we were unable to continue as a going
concern, you could lose your entire investment in our company.
RESTRICTIONS
ON CURRENCY EXCHANGE MAY LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND USE OUR REVENUES
EFFECTIVELY. WE MAY NOT HAVE READY ACCESS TO CASH ON DEPOSIT IN BANKS IN THE
PRC.
Because a
substantial portion of our revenues are in the form of Renminbi (RMB), the main
currency used in China, any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit
our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business
activities outside China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S.
Dollars. Although the Chinese government introduced regulations in
1996 to allow greater convertibility of the RMB for current account
transactions, significant restrictions still remain, including primarily the
restriction that foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell or remit
foreign currencies, after providing valid commercial documents, at those banks
authorized to conduct foreign exchange business. In addition,
conversion of RMB for capital account items, including direct investment and
loans, is subject to government approval in China, and companies are required to
open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for capital account
items. At March 31, 2008 our PRC subsidiaries had approximately $14.4
million on deposit in banks in China, which represented approximately 54% of our
cash. We cannot be certain that we could have ready access to that
cash should we wish to transfer it to bank accounts outside the PRC nor can we
be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities will not impose more
stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB, especially with respect
to foreign exchange transactions.
WE
MAY BE UNABLE TO ENFORCE OUR RIGHTS DUE TO POLICIES REGARDING THE REGULATION OF
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN CHINA.
The PRC's
legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes in which decided
legal cases have little value as precedent, unlike the common law system
prevalent in the United States. The PRC does not have a
well-developed, consolidated body of laws governing foreign investment
enterprises. As a result, the administration of laws and regulations
by government agencies may be subject to considerable discretion and variation,
and may be subject to influence by external forces unrelated to the legal merits
of a particular matter. China's regulations and policies with respect
to foreign investments are evolving. Definitive regulations and
policies with respect to such matters as the permissible percentage of foreign
investment and permissible rates of equity returns have not yet been
published. Statements regarding these evolving policies have been
conflicting and any such policies, as administered, are likely to be subject to
broad interpretation and discretion and to be modified, perhaps on a
case-by-case basis. The uncertainties regarding such regulations and
policies present risks which may affect our ability to achieve our stated
business objectives. If we are unable to enforce any legal rights we
may have under our contracts or otherwise, our ability to compete with other
companies in our industry could be limited which could result in a loss of
revenue in future periods which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
FAILURE
TO COMPLY WITH THE UNITED STATES FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT COULD SUBJECT US
TO PENALTIES AND OTHER ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.
We are
subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which generally
prohibits United States companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited
payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining
business. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other
fraudulent practices occur from time-to-time in the PRC. We can make
no assurance, however, that our employees or other agents will not engage in
such conduct for which we might be held responsible. If our employees
or other agents are found to have engaged in such practices, we could suffer
severe penalties and other consequences that may have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
WE
MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT, LEGAL AND FINANCIAL
CONTROLS IN THE PRC.
PRC
companies have in some cases, been resistant to the adoption of Western styles
of management and financial reporting concepts and practices, which include
sufficient corporate governance, internal controls and, computer, financial and
other control systems. In addition, we may have difficulty in hiring
and retaining a sufficient number of qualified employees to work in the
PRC. As a result of these factors, we may experience difficulties in
establishing management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data
and preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records and
instituting business practices that meet Western standards with future
acquisitions. Therefore, we may, in turn, experience difficulties in
implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls. Any such deficiencies,
weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
RISKS
RELATED TO OUR SECURITIES
Investing
in the securities to be offered pursuant to this prospectus may involve certain
risks. In addition to the below risks regarding our common stock, we will
include a description of the material risks relating to particular securities in
the prospectus supplement for those securities. You should carefully consider
the important factors set forth herein and under the heading ‘‘Risk Factors’’ in
the applicable supplement to this prospectus before investing in any securities
that may be offered.
OUR
CONTROLLING STOCKHOLDERS MAY TAKE ACTIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH YOUR
INTERESTS.
All of
our officers and directors beneficially own approximately 56.9% of our common
stock and will be able to exercise control over all matters requiring
stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our
certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions,
and they will have significant control over our management and policies. The
directors elected by these stockholders will be able to significantly influence
decisions affecting our capital structure. This control may have the effect of
delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in management, or limiting
the ability of our other stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem
to be in their best interest. For example, our controlling stockholders will be
able to control the sale or other disposition of our operating businesses and
subsidiaries to another entity.
THE
PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK MAY FLUCTUATE SUBSTANTIALLY AND YOUR INVESTMENT MAY
DECLINE IN VALUE.
The
market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and may
fluctuate substantially due to many factors, including:
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actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to
quarter;
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variance
in our financial performance from the expectations of market
analysts;
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conditions
and trends in the end markets we serve and changes in the estimation of
the size and growth rate of these
markets;
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announcements
of significant acquisitions or contracts by us or our
competitors;
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loss
of one or more of our significant
customers;
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changes
in market valuation or earnings of our
competitors;
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the
trading volume of our common stock;
and
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general
economic conditions.
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In
addition, the stock market in general, and the Nasdaq and the market for
companies with China based operations in particular, have experienced extreme
price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate
to the operating performance of the affected companies. These broad market and
industry factors may materially harm the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of
volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities
class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such
litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a
diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
FUTURE
SALES OF COMMON STOCK BY SOME OF OUR EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS OR HOLDERS OF OUR
WARRANTS AND STOCK OPTIONS COULD CAUSE OUR STOCK PRICE TO DECLINE.
As of the
date of this prospectus, our Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief
Operating Officer beneficially own approximately 49.7% of our outstanding common
stock or options to purchase our common stock. In addition, holders
of our warrants have the right to purchase 4,547,312 shares of our common stock
as follows: 50,000 shares at $ 2.50 per share; 523,750 shares at $4.00 per
share; 60,000 shares at $7.50 per share; 2,050,000 shares at $8.00 per share;
1,869,562 shares at $10.00 per share; 12,500 shares at $11.00 per share and
90,000 shares at $15.00 per share. Holders of options to purchase
shares of our common stock, including the selling shareholders, have the right
to purchase 6,513,920 shares of our common stock as follows: 1,050,000 shares at
$0.01 per share; 400 shares at $2.25 per share; 579,690 shares at $2.50 per
share; 50,000 shares at $3.00 per share; 1,352,000 shares at $5.00 per share;
1,477,000 shares at $7.50 per share; 1,375,000 shares at $10.00 per share; 500
shares at $15.00 per share; 760,000 shares at $30.00 per share and 80 shares at
$56.25 per share. Sales of such shares in the public market, as well
as shares we may issue upon the exercise of outstanding options, could cause the
market price of our common stock to decline significantly. The perception among
investors that these sales may occur could produce the same effect.
PROVISIONS
OF OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS MAY DELAY OR PREVENT A TAKEOVER
WHICH MAY NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR SHAREHOLDERS.
Provisions
of our articles of incorporation and bylaws may be deemed to have anti-takeover
effects, which include when and by whom special meetings of our shareholders may
be called, and may delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt. In addition,
certain provisions of Florida law also may be deemed to have certain
anti-takeover effects which include that control of shares acquired in excess of
certain specified thresholds will not possess any voting rights unless these
voting rights are approved by a majority of a corporation’s disinterested
shareholders. In addition, our articles of incorporation authorizes
the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such rights and
preferences as may be determined by our Board of Director, of which 12,950
shares have been designated as our series A convertible preferred stock and the
remaining 9,987,050 shares remain without designation. Our board of
directors may, without shareholder approval, issue preferred stock with
dividends, liquidation, conversion or voting rights that could adversely affect
the voting power or other rights of our common shareholders.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Unless
otherwise indicated in an accompanying prospectus supplement, the net proceeds
from the sale of the securities offered hereby will be used for general
corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures,
development costs, strategic investments and possible
acquisitions. We have not allocated any portion of the net proceeds
for any particular use at this time. The net proceeds may be invested
temporarily until they are used for their stated purpose. Specific
information concerning the use of proceeds from the sale of any securities will
be included in the prospectus supplement relating to such
securities.
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK
Our
authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par
value $.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.0001
per share, of which 12,950 shares have been designated as Series A convertible
preferred stock. The following description of our common stock and
our preferred stock is a summary. You should refer to our articles of
incorporation and our bylaws for the actual terms of our capital
stock.
Common
Stock
As of June 12, 2008 there were
23,501,056 outstanding shares of our common stock. Holders of shares
of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters to be
voted on by the shareholders. Holders of common stock do not have
cumulative voting rights. Holders of common stock are entitled to
share ratably in dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the
board of directors in its discretion from funds legally available
therefor. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
our company, the holders of common stock are entitled to share pro rata all
assets remaining after payment in full of all liabilities. All of the
outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and
non-assessable. Holders of common stock have no preemptive rights to
purchase our common stock. There are no conversion or redemption
rights or sinking fund provisions with respect to the common stock.
Preferred
Stock
The board
of directors is authorized to provide for the issuance of shares of preferred
stock in series and, by filing an amendment pursuant to the applicable law of
Florida, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in
each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of
the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions thereof without any further vote or action by the
shareholders. Any shares of preferred stock so issued would have
priority over the common stock with respect to dividend or liquidation
rights. Any future issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of
delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company without
further action by the shareholders and may adversely affect the voting and other
rights of the holders of common stock. At present, we have no plans
to issue any preferred stock nor adopt any series, preferences or other
classification of preferred stock.
The issuance of shares of preferred
stock, or the issuance of rights to purchase such shares, could be used to
discourage an unsolicited acquisition proposal. For instance, the
issuance of a series of preferred stock might impede a business combination by
including class voting rights that would enable the holder to block such a
transaction, or facilitate a business combination by including voting rights
that would provide a required percentage vote of the shareholders. In
addition, under certain circumstances, the issuance of preferred stock could
adversely affect the voting power of the holders of the common
stock. Although the board of directors is required to make any
determination to issue such stock based on its judgment as to the best interests
of our shareholders, the board of directors could act in a manner that would
discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority,
of the shareholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which
shareholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then market price
of such stock. The board of directors does not at present intend to
seek shareholder approval prior to any issuance of currently authorized stock,
unless otherwise required by law or stock exchange rules. We have no
present plans to issue any preferred stock.
Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock
As of
June 12, 2008 there were 1,006.25 shares of our Series A convertible preferred
stock outstanding. The designations, rights and preferences of the
Series A convertible preferred stock include:
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the
stated value of each share is
$1,000;
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the
shares have no voting rights;
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the
shares pay quarterly dividends in arrears at the rate of 8% per annum
beginning on April 1, 2008 and on each conversion date. Subject
to certain conditions, the dividends are payable at our option in cash or
shares of our common stock valued at the lower of the conversion price or
the average of the weighted average price of our common stock on the 10
consecutive trading days immediately preceding the dividend
date;
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each
share is convertible into shares of our common stock at a conversion price
of $7.00 per share, subject to adjustment in the event of default as
specified in the Series A convertible preferred stock. In the
event of a default, the conversion price will be 90% of the lower of the
conversion price or $7.45 until the default has been
cured;
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the
conversion price of the Series A convertible preferred stock is subject to
proportional adjustment in the event of stock splits, stock dividends and
similar corporate events. In addition, the conversion price is
subject to adjustment if we issue or sell shares of our common stock for a
consideration per share less than the conversion price then in effect, or
issue options, warrants or other securities convertible or exchange for
shares of our common stock at a conversion or exercise price less than the
conversion price of the Series A convertible preferred stock then in
effect. If either of these events should occur, the conversion
price is reduced to the lowest price at which these securities were issued
or are exercisable;
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the
Series A convertible preferred stock are not convertible to the extent
that (a) the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by
the holder and (b) the number of shares of our common stock issuable upon
the conversion of the Series A convertible preferred stock or otherwise
would result in the beneficial ownership by the holder of more than 4.99%
of our then outstanding common stock. This ownership limitation
can be increased to 9.99% by the holder upon 61 days notice to
us;
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whenever
a holder converts all or any portion of the Series A convertible preferred
stock, if we should redeem the shares, or if the holder requests
redemption, we are required to issue the holder a number of shares a
number of shares (the "Make Whole Amount”) equal to the product of the
dividend rate and the stated value of the shares, subject to certain
instances in which we are required to pay that amount in cash;
and
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the
shares are redeemable by us under certain conditions, and the holders may
also require us to redeem the shares upon the occurrence of certain
events.
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Transfer
agent
Computer Share Trust Co., Inc. is the
transfer agent for our common stock.
DESCRIPTION
OF WARRANTS
We may
issue warrants for the purchase of debt securities, preferred stock or common
stock, or any combination of these securities. Warrants may be issued
independently or together with other securities and may be attached to or
separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be
issued under a separate warrant agreement. The following outlines
some of the general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may issue from
time to time. Additional terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant
agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
The
following descriptions, and any description of the warrants included in a
prospectus supplement, may not be complete and is subject to and qualified in
its entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the applicable warrant
agreement, which we will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in
connection with any offering of warrants.
Stock
Warrants
The
prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants exercisable for
common stock or preferred stock will describe the terms of the common stock
warrants and preferred stock warrants, including the following:
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the
title of the warrants;
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the
offering price for the warrants, if
any;
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the
aggregate number of the warrants;
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the
terms of the common stock that may be purchased upon exercise of the
warrants;
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if
applicable, the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants
are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each
security;
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if
applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any securities
issued with the warrants will be separately
transferable;
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the
number of shares and price of common stock and/or preferred stock that may
be purchased upon exercise of a
warrant;
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the
dates on which the right to exercise the warrants commence and
expire;
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if
applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be
exercised at any one time;
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if
applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax
considerations;
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anti-dilution
provisions of the warrants, if any;
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redemption
or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants;
and
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any
additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and
limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the
warrants.
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Debt Warrants
The
prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants exercisable for
debt securities will describe the terms of those warrants, including the
following:
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the
title of the warrants;
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the
offering price for the warrants, if
any;
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the
aggregate number of the warrants;
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the
designation and terms of the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of
the warrants;
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if
applicable, the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants
are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each
security;
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if
applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any securities
issued with the warrants will be separately
transferable;
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the
principal amount and price of debt securities that may be purchased upon
exercise of a warrant;
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the
dates on which the right to exercise the warrants commence and
expire;
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if
applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be
exercised at any one time;
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whether
the warrants represented by the warrant certificates or debt securities
that may be issued upon exercise of the warrants will be issued in
registered or bearer form;
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information
relating to book-entry procedures, if
any;
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if
applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax
considerations;
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anti-dilution
provisions of the warrants, if any;
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redemption
or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants;
and
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any
additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and
limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the
warrants.
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Exercise
of Warrants
Each
warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase at the exercise price
set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the principal amount of debt
securities or shares of common stock or preferred stock being
offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of
business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus
supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date,
unexercised warrants will be void. Holders may exercise warrants as
set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being
offered.
Until a
holder exercises the warrants to purchase any securities underlying the
warrants, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of the underlying
securities by virtue of ownership of warrants.
DESCRIPTION
OF DEBT SECURITIES
This
section describes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities that
we may issue separately, upon conversion or exchange of preferred stock or upon
exercise of a debt warrant, any of which may be issued as convertible or
exchangeable debt securities. We will set forth the particular terms
of the debt securities we offer in a prospectus supplement. The
extent, if any, to which the following general provisions apply to particular
debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement. The following description of general terms relating to
the debt securities and the indenture under which the debt securities will be
issued are summaries only and therefore are not complete. You should
read the indenture and the prospectus supplement regarding any particular
issuance of debt securities. The debt securities will represent our
unsecured general obligations, unless otherwise provided in the prospectus
supplement.
The debt
securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee that will
be named in the applicable prospectus supplement, and may be supplemented or
amended from time to time following its execution. The indenture, and
any supplemental indentures thereto, will be subject to, and governed by, the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
The form
of indenture will give us broad authority to set the particular terms of each
series of debt securities issued thereunder, including, without limitation, the
right to modify certain of the terms contained in the indenture.
Except to
the extent set forth in a prospectus supplement, the indenture does not contain
any covenants or restrictions that afford holders of the debt securities special
protection in the event of a change of control or highly leveraged
transaction.
General
The
indenture will not limit the aggregate principal amount of debt securities that
may be issued under it and will provide that debt securities may be issued in
one or more series, in such form or forms, with such terms and up to the
aggregate principal amount, that we may authorize from time to
time. Our board of directors will establish the terms of each series
of debt securities, and such terms will be set forth or determined in the manner
provided in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental
indenture. The particular terms of the debt securities offered
pursuant to any prospectus supplement will be described in the prospectus
supplement. All debt securities of one series need not be issued at
the same time and, unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened, without
the consent of any holder, for issuances of additional debt securities of that
series.
The
applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms of any series
of debt securities that we may offer (to the extent applicable to the debt
securities):
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the
title and designation of the debt securities (which shall distinguish debt
securities of one series from debt securities of any other series),
including whether the debt securities shall be issued as senior debt
securities, senior subordinated debt securities or subordinated debt
securities, any subordination provisions particular to such series of debt
securities and whether such debt securities are convertible and/or
exchangeable for other securities;
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the
aggregate principal amount of the debt securities and any limit upon the
aggregate principal amount of the debt
securities;
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the
date or dates (whether fixed or extendable) on which the principal of the
debt securities is payable or the method of determination
thereof;
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the
rate or rates (which may be fixed, floating or adjustable) at which the
debt securities shall bear interest, if any, the method of calculating the
rates, the date or dates from which interest shall accrue or the manner of
determining those dates, the interest payment dates on which interest
shall be payable, the record dates for the determination of holders to
whom interest is payable, and the basis upon which interest shall be
calculated if other than that of a 360-day year consisting of 12, 30-day
months;
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the
place or places where the principal and premium, if any, make-whole
amount, if any, and interest on the debt securities, if any, shall be
payable, where the holders may surrender debt securities for conversion,
transfer or exchange and where notices or demands to or upon us may be
served;
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any
provisions relating to the issuance of the debt securities at an original
issue discount;
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the
price or prices at which, the period or periods within which and the terms
and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or
in part, pursuant to any sinking fund or otherwise (including, without
limitation, the form or method of payment if other than in
cash);
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our
obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities
pursuant to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or analogous provisions
or at the option of a holder, the price at which, the period within which
and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities shall be
redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such
obligation (including, without limitation, the form or method of payment
thereof if other than in cash) and any provisions for the remarketing of
the debt securities;
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if
other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the
denominations in which the debt securities of the series shall be
issuable;
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if
other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal
amount of the debt securities which shall be payable upon declaration of
acceleration of the maturity or provable in bankruptcy, or, if applicable,
the portion of the principal amount which is convertible or exchangeable
in accordance with the provisions of the debt securities or the resolution
of our board of directors or any supplemental indenture pursuant to which
such debt securities are issued;
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any
events of default with respect to the debt securities, in lieu of or in
addition to those set forth in the indenture and the remedies
therefor;
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our
obligation, if any, to permit the conversion or exchange of the debt
securities of such series into common shares or other capital stock or
property, or combination thereof, and the terms and conditions upon which
such conversion shall be effected (including, without limitation, the
initial conversion or exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange
period, the provisions for conversion or exchange price or rate
adjustments and any other provision relative to such obligation) and any
limitations on the ownership or transferability of the securities or
property into which holders may convert or exchange the debt
securities;
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any
trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars
or any other agents with respect to the debt
securities;
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the
currency or currency units, including composite currencies, in which the
debt securities shall be denominated if other than the currency of the
United States of America;
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if
other than the currency or currency units in which the debt securities are
denominated, the currency or currency units in which payment of the
principal of, premium, if any, make-whole amount, if any or interest on
the debt securities shall be payable (and the manner in which the
equivalent of the principal amount thereof in the currency of the United
States of America is to be determined for any purpose, including for the
determination of the principal amount
outstanding);
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if
the principal of, premium, if any, make-whole amount, if any, or interest
on the debt securities is to be payable, at our election or the election
of a holder, in currency or currency units other than that in which the
debt securities are denominated or stated, the period within which, and
the terms and conditions upon which such election may be made and the time
and manner of and identity of the exchange rate agent with responsibility
for determining the exchange rate between the currency or currency units
in which the debt securities are denominated or stated to be payable and
the currency or currency units in which the debt securities will be
payable;
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if
the amount of the payments of principal of, premium, if any, make-whole
amount, if any, and interest on the debt securities may be determined with
reference to an index, the manner in which the amount shall be determined
from that index;
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whether
and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts on the debt
securities held by foreign holders in respect of any tax, assessment or
governmental charge withheld or deducted and, if so, whether we will have
the option to redeem the debt securities rather than pay such additional
amounts;
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if
receipt of certain certificates or other documents or satisfaction of
other conditions will be necessary for any purpose, including, without
limitation, as a condition to the issuance of the debt securities in
definitive form (whether upon original issue or upon exchange of a
temporary debt security), the form and terms of such certificates,
documents or conditions;
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any
other affirmative or negative covenants with respect to the debt
securities, including certain financial
covenants;
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whether
the debt securities shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one
or more global securities and the depositary for the global securities or
debt securities, the circumstances under which any global security may be
exchanged for debt securities registered in the name of any person other
than the depositary or its nominee and any other provisions regarding the
global securities;
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whether
the debt securities are defeasible;
and
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any
other terms of a particular series.
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Unless
otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt
securities, the principal amount of and any premium or make-whole amount or
interest on the debt securities will be payable, and the debt securities will be
exchangeable and transfers thereof will be registrable, at the office of the
trustee. However, at our option, payment of interest may be made by
check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as it appears in the
debt security register. Any payment of principal and any premium or
make-whole amount or interest required to be made on an interest payment date,
redemption date or at maturity that is not a business day need not be made on
such date, but may be made on the next succeeding business day with the same
force and effect as if made on the applicable date, and no interest shall accrue
for the period from and after such date.
Unless
otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement relating to debt securities,
the debt securities will be issued only in fully registered form, without
coupons, in denominations of $1,000 or any integral multiple
thereof. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange
of the debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or
exchange.
Debt
securities may bear interest at fixed or floating rates. We may issue
our debt securities at an original issue discount, bearing no interest or
bearing interest at a rate that, at the time of issuance, is below market rate,
to be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal
amount. Generally speaking, if our debt securities are issued at an
original issue discount and there is an event of default or acceleration of
their maturity, holders will receive an amount less than their principal
amount. Tax and other special considerations applicable to any series
of debt securities, including original issue discount debt, will be described in
the prospectus supplement in which we offer those debt securities. In
addition, certain United States federal income tax or other considerations, if
any, applicable to any debt securities which are denominated in a currency or
currency unit other than United States dollars may be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
Global
Securities
The debt
securities of a series may be issued in the form of one or more global
securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominees identified
in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities. In such
a case, one or more global securities will be issued in a denomination or
aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal amount
of outstanding debt securities of the series to be represented by such global
security or securities.
Unless
and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities in definitive
registered form, a global security may not be registered for transfer or
exchange except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a
nominee of the depositary and except in the circumstances described in the
prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities. The specific
terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities
will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such
series.
Modification
of the Indenture
We and
the trustee may modify the indenture with respect to the debt securities of any
series, with or without the consent of the holders of debt securities, under
certain circumstances to be described in a prospectus supplement.
Defeasance;
Satisfaction and Discharge
The
prospectus supplement will outline the conditions under which we may elect to
have certain of our obligations under the indenture discharged and under which
the indenture obligations will be deemed to be satisfied.
Defaults
and Notice
The debt
securities of any series will contain events of default to be specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation:
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failure
to pay the principal of, or premium or make-whole amount, if any, on any
debt security of such series when due and payable (whether at maturity, by
call for redemption, through any mandatory sinking fund, by redemption at
the option of the holder, by declaration or acceleration or
otherwise);
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failure
to make a payment of any interest on any debt security of such series when
due;
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our
failure to perform or observe any other covenants or agreements in the
indenture with respect to the debt securities of such
series;
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certain
events relating to our bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization;
and
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certain
cross defaults.
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If an
event of default with respect to debt securities of any series shall occur and
be continuing, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal
amount of the then outstanding debt securities of such series may declare the
principal amount (or, if the debt securities of such series are issued at an
original issue discount, such portion of the principal amount as may be
specified in the terms of the debt securities of such series) of all debt
securities of such series or such other amount or amounts as the debt securities
or supplemental indenture with respect to such series may provide, to be due and
payable immediately.
The
trustee under the indenture shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a
default, give to holders of debt securities of any series notice of all uncured
defaults with respect to such series known to it. However, in the
case of a default that results from the failure to make any payment of the
principal of, premium or make-whole amount, if any, or interest on the debt
securities of any series, or in the payment of any mandatory sinking fund
installment with respect to debt securities of such series, the trustee may
withhold such notice if it in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interest of the holders of debt securities of such
series.
The
indenture will contain a provision entitling the trustee to be indemnified by
holders of debt securities before proceeding to exercise any trust or power
under the indenture at the request of such holders. The indenture
will provide that the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the
time, method and place of conducting any proceedings for any remedy available to
the trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon the trustee with
respect to the debt securities of such series. However, the trustee
may decline to follow any such direction if, among other reasons, the trustee
determines in good faith that the actions or proceedings as directed may not
lawfully be taken, would involve the trustee in personal liability or would be
unduly prejudicial to the holders of the debt securities of such series not
joining in such direction.
The right
of a holder to institute a proceeding with respect to the indenture is subject
to certain conditions including, that the holders of at least a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of such series then
outstanding make a written request upon the trustee to exercise its power under
the indenture, indemnify the trustee and afford the trustee reasonable
opportunity to act. Even so, the holder has an absolute right to
receipt of the principal of, premium or make-whole amount, if any, and interest
when due, to require conversion or exchange of debt securities if the indenture
provides for convertibility or exchangeability at the option of the holder and
to institute suit for the enforcement of such rights.
Conversion
or Exchange Rights
If debt
securities of any series are convertible or exchangeable, the applicable
prospectus supplement will specify:
• the
type of securities into which they may be converted or exchanged;
• the
conversion price or exchange ratio, or its method of calculation;
• whether
conversion or exchange is mandatory or at the holder’s election;
• how
and when the conversion price or exchange ratio may be adjusted;
and
• any
other important terms concerning the conversion or exchange rights.
Concerning
the Trustee
We will
provide the name of the trustee in any prospectus supplement related to the
issuance of debt securities and we will also provide certain other information
related to the trustee, including describing any relationship we have with the
trustee, in such prospectus supplement.
Subordination
of Subordinated Debt Securities
The
subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in priority of
payment to certain of our other indebtedness to the extent described in a
prospectus supplement. The indentures will not limit the amount
of indebtedness which we may incur, including senior indebtedness or
subordinated indebtedness, and will not limit us from issuing any other debt,
including secured debt or unsecured debt.
Governing
Law
The
indenture and the debt securities will be governed by the laws of the State of
Florida.
MATERIAL
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
A summary of any material United States
federal income tax consequences to persons investing in the securities offered
by this prospectus will be set forth in any applicable prospectus
supplement. The summary will be presented for informational purposes
only, however, and will not be intended as legal or tax advice to prospective
purchasers. Prospective purchasers of securities are urged to consult
their own tax advisors prior to any purchase of securities.
SELLING
SHAREHOLDERS
The
shares of common stock offered by the selling shareholders are issuable upon the
exercise of options held by the selling shareholders with an exercise price of
$.01 per share. These options were granted to each selling
shareholder under the terms of an employment agreement entered into in August
2006. We are registering the shares of common stock in order to
permit the selling shareholders to offer the shares for resale from time to
time. The selling shareholders may sell all, some or none of their
shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.”
The
selling shareholders are affiliates of our company. Dr. James Wang
and Mr. Marc Siegel are executive officers and members of our board of directors
and Mr. David Stein is an executive officer. None of the selling
shareholders are broker-dealers or affiliates of broker-dealers.
The table below lists the selling
shareholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership of the
shares of common stock by each of the selling shareholders. The first column
lists the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by each selling
shareholder as of June 12, 2008. The second column lists the shares
of common stock being offered by this prospectus by the selling
shareholders. The third and fourth columns assume the sale of all of
the shares offered by the selling shareholders pursuant to this
prospectus.
We have
agreed to pay full costs and expenses, incentives to the issuance, offer, sale
and delivery of the shares, including all fees and expenses in preparing, filing
and printing the registration statement and prospectus and related exhibits,
amendments and supplements thereto and mailing of those items. We
will not pay selling commissions and expenses associated with any sale by the
selling shareholders.
Name
of Selling Shareholder
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Number
of Shares
of
Common Stock
Owned
Prior to
Offering
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Maximum
Number
of
Shares of Common
Stock
to be Sold
Pursuant
to this
Prospectus
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Number
of
Shares
of
Common
Stock
Owned
After
Offering
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Percentage
to
be owned
after
offering
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Dr.
James Wang
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5,327,400(1)
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400,000(2)
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4,927,400
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18.34%
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Marc
Siegel
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5,300,000(3)
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400,000(4)
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4,900,000
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18.24%
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David
Stein
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2,733,115(5)
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200,000(6)
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2,533,115
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9.4%
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(1) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Dr. Wang includes:
• 4,000,000
shares of common stock held by Dragon Fund Management LLC, an entity in which
Dr. Wang owns 1% of the membership interests and holds 50% of the voting
control;
• 400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with at an exercise price of $.01
expiring on February 1, 2010;
• 27,400
shares of common stock underling options with an exercise price of $2.50
expiring on January 1, 2011;
• 400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
• 500,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1, 2013, which vested on January 1, 2008.
The
number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by Dr. Wang excludes 500,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $10.00
expiring on January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(2) The
number of shares offered by Dr. Wang includes 400,000 shares of our common stock
underlying options held by Dr. Wang with an exercise price of $0.01 per
share.
(3) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Siegel includes:
• 4,000,000
shares of common stock;
• 400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $.01
expiring on February 1, 2010;
• 400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
• 500,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1, 2013.
The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Siegel excludes 500,000 shares of
common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $10.00 expiring on
January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(4) The
number of shares offered by Mr. Siegel includes 400,000 shares of our common
stock underlying options held by Mr. Siegel with an exercise price of $0.01 per
share.
(5) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Stein includes:
• 2,000,000
shares of common stock;
• 83,115
shares of common stock in the name of Jeda Services Corp. over which Mr. Stein
holds voting and dispositive control;
• 200,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $.01
expiring on February 1, 2010;
• 200,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
• 250,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1, 2013, which vested on January 1, 2008.
The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Stein excludes 250,000 shares of
common stock underlying options held by Mr. Stein with an exercise price of
$10.00 expiring on January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(6) The
number of shares offered by Mr. Stein includes 200,000 shares of our common
stock underlying options with an exercise price of $0.01 per share.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We may
sell the securities in one or more of the following ways from time to
time:
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through
underwriters or dealers for resale to the public or to institutional
investors;
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directly
to a limited number of institutional purchasers or to a single
purchaser;
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if
indicated in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery
contracts, by remarketing firms or by other
means.
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Any
dealer or agent, in addition to any underwriter, may be deemed to be an
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts
or commissions they receive from us and any profit on the resale of the offered
securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions
under the Securities Act of 1933. The terms of the offering of the
securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered will be set
forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and will include:
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the
name or names of any underwriters, dealers or
agents;
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the
purchase price of such securities and the proceeds to us from such
sale;
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any
underwriting discounts, agency fees and other items constituting
underwriters’ or agents’
compensation;
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the
public offering price;
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any
discounts or concessions that may be allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers and any securities exchanges on which the securities may be
listed; and
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the
securities exchange on which the securities may be listed, if
any.
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If
underwriters are used in the sale of securities, such securities will be
acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time
to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a
fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of
sale. The securities may be offered to the public either through
underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one
or more underwriters acting alone. Unless otherwise set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to
purchase the securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement will
be subject to certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be
obligated to purchase all such securities if any are so purchased by
them. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions
allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to
time.
The
securities may be sold directly by us or through agents designated by us from
time to time. Any agents involved in the offer or sale of the
securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, and any
commissions payable by us to such agents, will be set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable
prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for
the period of its appointment.
If
dealers are utilized in the sale of any securities, we will sell the securities
to the dealers, as principals. Any dealer may resell the securities
to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of
resale. The name of any dealer and the terms of the transaction will
be set forth in the prospectus supplement with respect to the securities being
offered.
If we
grant warrants as compensation to a dealer, agent or underwriter in connection
with any particular offering, the warrants issued as compensation
will be substantially on the same terms as the warrants offered to investors in
such offering, except that the warrants issued as compensation will comply with
FINRA Rule 2710(g)(1) in that for a period of six months after the issuance date
of those warrants (which shall not be earlier than the closing date of the
offering pursuant to which the warrants issued as compensation are being
issued), neither the warrants issued as compensation nor any warrant shares
issued upon exercise of those warrants shall be sold, transferred, assigned,
pledged, or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale,
derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic
disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately
following the date of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the offering
pursuant to which the warrants issued as compensation are being issued, except
the transfer of any security:
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by
operation of law or by reason of our
reorganization;
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to
any FINRA member firm participating in this offering and the officers or
partners thereof, if all securities so transferred remain subject to the
lock-up restriction described above for the remainder of the time
period;
|
|
·
|
if
the aggregate amount of our securities held by such agent or related
person do not exceed 1% of the securities being
offered;
|
|
·
|
that
is beneficially owned on a pro-rata basis by all equity owners of an
investment fund, provided that no participating member manages or
otherwise directs investments by the fund, and participating members in
the aggregate do not own more than 10% of the equity in the fund;
or
|
|
·
|
the
exercise or conversion of any security, if all securities received remain
subject to the lock-up restriction set forth above for the remainder of
the time period.
|
Under no
circumstances will the fee, commission or discount received by dealer, agent or underwriter or
any other FINRA member firm or independent broker-dealer exceed eight percent of
the gross proceeds to us in this offering or any other offering in the United
States pursuant this prospectus.
Securities
may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus
supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance
with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or
more firms, which we refer to herein as the “remarketing firms,” acting as
principals for their own accounts or as our agents, as
applicable. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of
its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
Remarketing
firms may be deemed to be underwriters, as that term is defined in the
Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the securities remarketed
thereby.
If so
indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents,
underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain specified institutions to
purchase the securities to which this prospectus and the applicable prospectus
supplement relates from us at the public offering price set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement, plus, if applicable, accrued interest pursuant
to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified
date in the future. Such contracts will be subject only to those
conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the applicable
prospectus supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of
such contracts.
Underwriters
will not be obligated to make a market in any securities. We can give
no assurance regarding the activity of trading in, or liquidity of, any
securities.
Agents,
dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be entitled, under agreements
entered into with us, to indemnification by us, as applicable, against certain
civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to
contribution to payments they may be required to make in respect
thereof. Agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be
customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the
ordinary course of business.
Each
series of securities will be a new issue and, other than the common stock, which
is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market, will have no established trading
market. We may elect to list any series of securities on an exchange,
and in the case of the common stock, on any additional exchange, but, unless
otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we shall not be
obligated to do so. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold for
public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but the
underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market
making at any time without notice. The securities may or may not be
listed on a national securities exchange or a foreign securities
exchange. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the
trading market for any of the securities.
The
place, time of delivery and other terms of the offered securities will be
described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered
by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Schneider Weinberger &
Beilly LLP.
EXPERTS
Our audited consolidated balance
sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements
of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows for the years ended December
31, 2007 and 2006 incorporated by reference in the registration statement of
which this prospectus is a part have been audited by Sherb & Co., LLP,
independent registered public accounting firm, as indicated in their report with
respect thereto, and have been so included in reliance upon the report of such
firm given on their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
INFORMATION
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The
Securities and Exchange Commission allows us to "incorporate by reference" the
information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important
information to you by referring you to those documents. The information
incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later
information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission will update and
supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents
listed below, any of such documents filed since the date this registration
statement was filed and any future filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 until the termination of the offering of securities covered by this
prospectus:
|
•
|
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2007;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on March 31,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
second Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on March 31,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on April 2,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 1,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 8,
2008;
|
|
•
|
our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 12,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
second Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 12,
2008;
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 20, 2008;
and
|
|
•
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on June 3,
2008.
|
We will
provide without charge to any person to whom this prospectus is delivered, on
the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the
foregoing documents incorporated by reference, excluding exhibits, unless we
have specifically incorporated an exhibit in the incorporated
document. Written requests should be directed to: Corporate
Secretary, China Direct, Inc., 431 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, Florida
33441.
Each
document or report subsequently filed by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after the date hereof and prior
to the termination of the offering of the securities shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part of this
prospectus from the date of filing of such document, unless otherwise provided
in the relevant document. Any statement contained herein, or in a
document all or a portion of which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated
by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes
of the registration statement and this prospectus to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be
deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of the
registration statement or this prospectus.
The
information relating to our company contained in this prospectus and the
accompanying prospectus supplement is not comprehensive, and you should read it
together with the information contained in the incorporated
documents.
LIMITATIONS
ON DIRECTORS’ AND OFFICERS’ LIABILITY AND COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION
FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES
Under our articles of incorporation,
our directors are not liable for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty,
except in connection with:
|
•
|
a
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to us or our
shareholders;
|
|
•
|
acts
or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct,
fraud or a knowing violation of
law;
|
|
•
|
a
transaction from which our director received an improper benefit;
or
|
|
•
|
an
act or omission for which the liability of a director is expressly
provided under Florida law.
|
In addition, our bylaws provides that
we must indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by
Florida law for all expenses incurred in the settlement of any actions against
such persons in connection with their having served as officers or
directors. We also maintain an insurance policy under which coverage
is provided to our directors and officers to insure against certain liabilities
that such persons may incur in their capacities as directors and officers of the
company.
Insofar
as the limitation of, or indemnification for, liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, or persons
controlling us pursuant to the foregoing, or otherwise, we have been advised
that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such limitation
or indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
|
Page
|
|
|
|
|
About
this Prospectus
|
2
|
|
Available
Information
|
2
|
$70,000,000
|
The
Company
|
3
|
|
Cautionary
Statements Regarding Forward-Looking
Information
|
4
|
|
Risks
Factors
|
5
|
CHINA
DIRECT, INC.
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
14
|
|
Description
of Capital Stock
|
14
|
|
Description
of Warrants
|
16
|
COMMON
STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK,
|
Description
of Debt Securities
|
18
|
WARRANTS,
SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES
|
Material
Federal Income Tax Consequences
|
23
|
AND
SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES
|
Selling
Shareholders
|
24
|
|
Plan
of Distribution
|
26
|
PROSPECTUS
|
Legal
Matters
|
28
|
|
Experts
|
28
|
|
Information
Incorporated by Reference
|
28
|
________,
2008
|
Limitation
on Directors’ and Officers’ Liability and Commission Position on
Indemnification for Securities Act Liabilities
|
29
|
|
PART
II
INFORMATION
NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item
14. Other Expenses of
Issuance and Distribution*.
The
estimated expenses payable by China Direct, Inc. in connection with the
distribution of the securities being registered are as follows:
SEC
Registration and Filing Fee
|
$2,751
|
Legal
Fees and Expenses
|
50,000
|
Accounting
Fees and Expenses
|
25,000
|
Financial
Printing
|
1,000
|
Transfer
Agent Fees
|
2,500
|
Blue
Sky Fees and Expenses
|
500
|
Miscellaneous
|
$1,200
|
TOTAL
|
$82,951
|
* All
fees and expenses other than the SEC registration and filing fee are
estimated
Item
15. Indemnification
of Directors and Officers.
Under our
articles of incorporation, our directors are not liable for monetary damages for
breach of fiduciary duty, except in connection with:
|
•
|
a
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to us or our
shareholders;
|
|
•
|
acts
or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct,
fraud or a knowing violation of
law;
|
|
•
|
a
transaction from which our director received an improper benefit;
or
|
|
•
|
an
act or omission for which the liability of a director is expressly
provided under Florida law.
|
In addition, our bylaws provides that
we must indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by
Florida law for all expenses incurred in the settlement of any actions against
such persons in connection with their having served as officers or
directors. We also maintain an insurance policy under which coverage
is provided to our directors and officers to insure against certain liabilities
that such persons may incur in their capacities as directors and officers of the
company.
Item
16. Exhibits.
Exhibit
No.
|
Exhibit
|
3.1
|
Articles
of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Current
Report on Form 8-K as filed on June 27,
2007).
|
3.2
|
By
laws (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to the Form 10-SB as filed on
June 17, 1999).
|
3.5
|
Articles
of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 3.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on February
15, 2008).
|
4.1
|
Form
of Common Stock Certificate*
|
5.1
|
Opinion
of Schneider Weinberger & Beilly LLP *
|
23.1
|
Consent
of Sherb & Co., LLP*
|
23.2
|
Consent
of Schneider Weinberger & Beilly LLP (included in Exhibit
5.1)*
|
24
|
Power
of Attorney (included on signature page of Part II of this Registration
Statement).
|
* filed
herewith.
Item
17. Undertakings.
(a) The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities
Act;
(ii) To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date
of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
in the information set forth in the registration
statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered
would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or
high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act
if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a
20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation
of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
and
(iii) To
include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to
such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that
paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if
the registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be
included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section
13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in
the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such
post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.
(3) To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the
securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.
(4) That,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any
purchaser:
(i) Each
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to
be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was
deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each
prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as
part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an
offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of
providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall
be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the
earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or
the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described
in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes
of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date
shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement
relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that
prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided,
however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that
is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or
deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus
that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time
of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any
statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was
part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately
prior to such effective date.
(5) That,
for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities
Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the
undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of
the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless
of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the
securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the
following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the
purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such
purchaser:
(i) Any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to
the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any
free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the
undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned
registrant;
(iii) The
portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing
material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided
by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any
other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned
registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference
in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.
(c) Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In
the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
(d) The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information
omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement
in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the
registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act
shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was
declared effective.
(2) For
the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each
post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.
(e) The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose
of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of
Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and
regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that
it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements of
filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of
Deerfield Beach, State of Florida on June 13, 2008.
China
Direct, Inc.
By: /s/ Yuejian (James)
Wang
Yuejian
(James) Wang, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the
board of
directors, principal
executive officer
KNOW ALL
MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby
constitutes and appoints Yuejian (James) Wang true and lawful attorney-in-fact
and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in
his name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments to the registration statement, including post-effective amendments,
and registration statements filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities
Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits hereto, and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and does
hereby grant unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement
has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
|
|
/s/ Yuejian (James)
Wang
Yuejian
(James) Wang
|
Chief
Executive Officer, chairman of the board of directors,
principal
executive officer
|
June
13, 2008
|
|
|
|
/s/ Marc
Siegel
Marc
Siegel
|
President
and director
|
June
13, 2008
|
|
|
|
/s/ Yi (Jenny) Liu
Yi
(Jenny) Liu
|
Vice
President, Finance, principal accounting and financial
officer
|
June
13, 2008
|
|
|
|
/s/ George Leibowitz
George
Leibowitz
|
Director
|
June
13, 2008
|
|
|
|
/s/ David
Barnes
David
Barnes
|
Director
|
June
13, 2008
|
|
|
|
/s/ Sheldon Steiner
Sheldon
Steiner
|
Director
|
June
13, 2008
|
II-5