FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) are “forward-looking statements” regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of ours to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are based on current expectations that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Our plans and objectives are based, in part, on assumptions involving judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the factors set forth in this Annual Report under the headings “Business”, “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the following:
| ● | general economic, political and financial conditions, both in the United States and internationally; |
| ● | our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all, or to obtain additional capital in other ways; |
| ● | our ability to increase sales, generate income, effectively manage our growth and realize our backlog; |
| ● | competition in the markets in which we operate, including the consolidation of our industry, our ability to expand into and compete in new geographic markets and our ability to compete by protecting our proprietary manufacturing process; |
| ● | a disruption or cybersecurity breach in our or third-party suppliers’ information technology systems; |
| ● | our ability to adapt our products and services to industry standards and consumer preferences and obtain general market acceptance of our products; |
| ● | product shortages and the availability of raw materials, and potential loss of relationships with key vendors, suppliers or subcontractors; |
| ● | the seasonality of the construction industry in general, and the commercial and residential construction markets in particular; |
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| ● | a disruption or limited availability with our third-party transportation vendors; |
| ● | the loss or potential loss of any significant customers; |
| ● | exposure to product liability, including the possibility our liability for estimated warranties may be inadequate, and various other claims and litigation; |
| ● | our ability to attract and retain key employees; |
| ● | our ability to attract private investment for sales of product, the credit risk from our customers and our customers’ ability to obtaining third-party financing if and as needed; |
| ● | an impairment of goodwill; |
| ● | the impact of federal, state and local regulations, including changes to international trade and tariff policies, and the impact of any failure of any person acting on our behalf to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines; |
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| ● | costs incurred relating to current and future legal proceedings or investigations; |
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| ● | the cost of compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and other local building regulations; |
| ● | our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and the impact of changes in the United States’ tax rules and regulations; |
| ● | dangers inherent in our operations, such as natural or man-made disruptions to our facilities and project sites, and the adequacy of our insurance coverage; |
| ● | our ability to comply with the requirements of being a public company, including Nasdaq Capital Market listing requirements; |
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| ● | fluctuations in the price of our common stock, including decreases in price due to sales of significant amounts of stock; |
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| ● | potential dilution of the ownership of our current stockholders due to, among other things, public offerings or private placements by the Company or issuances upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants and the vesting of restricted stock units; |
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| ● | the ability of our principal stockholders, management and directors to potentially exert control due to their ownership interest; |
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| ● | any ability to pay dividends in the future; |
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| ● | potential negative reports by securities or industry analysts regarding our business or the construction industry in general; |
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| ● | Delaware law provisions discouraging, delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition at a premium price; |
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| ● | our ability to remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the possibility that our stock will be subject to penny stock rules; |
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| other events or factors, including those resulting from such events, or the prospect of such events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues including health epidemics or pandemics, such as the recent outbreak of the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or elsewhere, could disrupt our operations, disrupt the operations of our suppliers or result in political or economic instability; and |
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| ● | our classification as a smaller reporting company resulting in, among other things, a potential reduction in active trading of our common stock or increased volatility in our stock price. |
Although we believe that our assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this report will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans of ours will be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. Any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time on our behalf.
As used in this Annual Report, unless the context requires otherwise, references to “SGB”, “the Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to SG Blocks, Inc. and its subsidiaries, as the context requires.
“SG BlocksTM”, GreenSteel™ and the SG logo are our trademarks. All other trademarks and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
Unless otherwise stated all shares and per share amounts for all periods presented in this Annual Report have been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 reverse stock split we effected on February 5, 2020
History and Company Overview
Using our proprietary technology and design and engineering expertise, we modify code-engineered cargo shipping containers and purpose-built modules for use for safe and sustainable commercial, industrial and residential building construction. Rather than consuming new steel and lumber, our proprietary technology and design and engineering expertise allows for the redesign, repurpose and conversion of heavy-gauge steel cargo shipping containers into SGBlocks™, which are safe green building blocks for commercial, industrial, and residential building construction. Our technology and expertise is also used to purpose-build modules, or prefabricated steel modular units customized for use in modular construction (“SGPBMs” and, together with SGBlocks™, “Modules”), primarily to augment or complement an SGBlocks™ structure. Our core customer base is comprised of architects, landowners, builders and developers who use our Modules in commercial and residential structures. Our operating model combines product design and outsourcing of the modifications and finish out of Modules using proprietary algorithms developed by the Company to produce and deliver Modules across the country. We believe this combination enables us to generate economies of scale while maintaining high customer service levels in the environmentally-friendly construction space.
Prior to October 2019, our business model was solely a project-based construction model pursuant to which we were responsible for the design and construction of finished products that incorporated our technology primarily to customers in the multi-family housing, restaurant, military and education industries throughout the United States. In October 2019, we changed our business model for our residential building construction to a royalty fee model when we entered into a five year exclusive license with CPF GP 2019-1 LLC (“CPF”) pursuant to which CPF licensed on an exclusive basis our proprietary technology, intellectual property, any improvements thereto, and any related permits, with the right to develop and commercialize products in the United States and its territories within the field of design and project management platforms for residential use, including, without limitation, single-family residences and multi-family residences, but specifically excluding military housing. CPF, at the time the License Agreement was entered into, was already a significant customer for our Modules and had completed a $5.0 million equity financing to develop a 302-unit multifamily project in Sullivan County, New York. Now, in the United States with respect to residential construction (other than residential construction for the military) we are no longer responsible for constructing the Modules that are based on our technology or the related costs and instead that service is performed by CPF and its subcontractors and our revenue for such residential construction is no longer generated from sales of products direct to the end customer but instead is generated from royalties received from CPF based on the gross revenue that CPF receives from sales of products that are based upon our technology.
License Agreement with CPF GP 2019-1 LLC
On October 3, 2019, we entered into an Exclusive License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with CPF, which at the time was one of our customers, pursuant to which we granted CPF an exclusive license (the “License”) solely within the United States and its legal territories to commercialize our proprietary technology, intellectual property, any improvements thereto, and any related permits, in order to develop and commercialize products within the field of design and project management platforms for residential use, including, without limitation, single-family residences and multi-family residences, but specifically excluding military housing. The Ridge Avenue Project described below has also been excluded from the License. The License Agreement has an initial term of five (5) years and will automatically renew for subsequent five (5) year periods. The License Agreement provides for customary termination provisions, including the right by us to terminate if CPF fails to make minimum royalty payments (as described below).
In consideration for the License, during the initial term, CPF agreed to pay us a royalty of (i) five percent (5%) on the first $20,000,000 of gross revenues derived from CPF’s commercialization of the License (net of customary discounts, sales taxes, delivery charges, and amounts for returns) (the “Gross Revenues”), (ii) four and one-half percent (4.5%) on the next $30,000,000 of Gross Revenues, and (iii) five percent (5%) on all Gross Revenues thereafter (collectively, the “Royalty”), subject to the following minimum royalty payments determined on a cumulative basis during the initial term: $500,000 in year 1, $750,000 in year 2, $1,500,000 in year 3, $2,000,000 in year 4, and $2,500,000 in year 5. If the License Agreement is extended beyond the initial term, then the parties will negotiate in good faith the royalty rate and the minimum royalty payments for the renewal term(s). In addition, to the extent CPF sublicenses any aspect of the License to a sublicensee, CPF will pay to us fifty percent (50%) of all payments received by CPF from such sublicensee. We may also provide CPF with professional services with respect to the License, and CPF will reimburse us for employees’ time, materials, and expenses incurred in providing such professional services. CPF also separately agreed to reimburse us for any third-party expenses incurred by us in developing our remaining and future residential projects.
The License Agreement provides for customary indemnification obligations between the parties and further provides that CPF will indemnify us for any claims arising out of the commercialization of the License by CPF or any of its subsidiaries, contractors, or sublicensees. In addition, the License Agreement provides that we will provide CPF with cost estimates for the fabrication and manufacturing of residential projects in our existing pipeline as of the date of the License Agreement, and if such projects cannot be reasonably constructed and installed at or below such estimates, then CPF may withhold payment of any royalty due to us under the License Agreement on a dollar-for-dollar basis to offset the costs above the originally estimated amounts.
On October 3, 2019, we entered into a Loan Agreement and Promissory Note (the “Loan Agreement”) with CPF GP, which was amended on October 15, 2019 and further amended on November 7, 2019 pursuant to which we agreed to loan CPF GP $750,000 at an annual interest rate of five percent (5%), with a maturity date of July 31, 2023. Under the Loan Agreement, as amended agreed to advance to CPF GP the first installment of the principal amount, equal to $500,000, no later than January 31, 2020 and the second installment of the principal amount, equal to $250,000, no later than April 15, 2020. As security for this loan, we will receive a security interest in all of CPF GP’s membership interests in the Licensee. If we fail to fund either principal installment, such failure will constitute a default under the Loan Agreement and a cross default under the License Agreement. On January 21, 2020, pursuant to the Loan Agreement, CPF GP issued to us a promissory note in the principal amount of $400,000 (the “Company Note”) and issued to Paul Galvin, our Chairman and CEO, a promissory note in the principal amount of $100,000 (the “Galvin Note”). The transaction closed on January 22, 2020, on which date we loaned CPF GP $400,000 and Mr. Galvin personally loaned CPF GP $100,000 on behalf of us. The Company Note and Galvin Note bear interest at five percent (5%) per annum, payable, together with the unpaid principal amount of the promissory notes, on the earlier of the July 31, 2023 maturity date or upon the liquidation, redemption sale or issuance of a dividend upon the LLC interests in CPF MF 2019-1 LLC, a Texas limited liability company of which CPF GP is the general partner; provided, that the terms of the Galvin Note provide that all interest payments due to Mr. Galvin under the Galvin Note shall be paid directly to, and for the benefit of, our Company.
The Products Produced with Our Technology
The building products developed with our proprietary technology and design and engineering expertise are generally stronger, more durable, environmentally sensitive, and erected in less time than traditional construction methods. The use of the SGBlocks building structure typically provides between four to six points towards the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) certification levels, including reduced site disturbance, resource reuse, recycled content, innovation in design and use of local and regional materials. Due to the ability of SGBlocks to satisfy such requirements, we believe the products produced utilizing our technology and expertise is a leader in environmentally sustainable construction.
There are three core product offerings that utilize our technology and engineering expertise. The first product offering involves GreenSteel™ modules, which are the structural core and shell of an SGBlocks building. We procure the containers, engineer required openings with structural steel enforcements, paint the SGBlocks and then delivers them on-site, where the customer or a customer’s general contractor will complete the entire finish out and installation. The second product offering involves replicating the process to create the GreenSteel product and, in addition, installing selected materials, finishes and systems (including, but not limited to floors, windows, doors, interior painting, electrical wiring and fixtures, plumbing outlets and bathrooms, roofing system) and delivering SGBlocks pre-fabricated containers to the site for a third party licensed general contractor to complete the final finish out and installation. Finally, the third product offering is the completely fabricated and finished SGBlocks building (including but not limited to floors, windows, doors, interior painting, electrical wiring and fixtures, plumbing outlets and bathrooms, roofing systems), including erecting the final unit on site and completing any other final steps. The building is ready for occupancy and/or use as soon as installation is completed. Construction administration and/or project management services are typically included in our product offerings.
ESR Approval
In April 2017, the ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (“ICC-ES”) granted us an Evaluation Service Report (“ESR”) for the SGBlocks structural building materials. We believe we are the first modular building company to receive such certification. Our ESR indicates that the ICC-ES recognizes the suitability and technical capabilities of the SGBlocks structural building materials for use in compliance with the International Building Code and Residential Code, the California Building Code and Residential Code, and the Florida Building Code—Building and Residential. We believe our ESR has expedited reviews and approvals by state and local building departments, helped the SGBlocks concept gain wider acceptance in the construction industry and opened up licensing opportunities internationally We also believe the ESR will make it more difficult for other companies in the industry to compete with us because the quality control and design acceptance criteria are specific to us and our associated facilities.
Our ESR is site-specific; therefore, only the inspected and approved facilities can place the ICC-ES mark on the containers. We currently source or fabricate our SGBlocks from 18 facilities located throughout the continental United States. The ICC-ES has currently approved six of these facilities to place the ICC-ES medallion and we will seek ICC-ES approval for additional facilities on an as needed basis. Each of these facilities undergo an annual inspection by ICC-ES. Currently, each of these facilities has been re-certified by ICC-ES and is current with their recertifications. All SGBlocks manufactured at these facilities have an ESR medallion that validates the quality control process.
Because our ESR does not cover SGPBMs, this certification does not extend to buildings constructed using SGPBMs.
Target Markets
To date, the target markets for the products that utilize our technology and expertise have been the new construction market in the United States. The Modules that utilize our technology and expertise have a particular application in a number of segments, including:
| ● | Single-Family and Multi-Family Housing |
| ● | Restaurants and Quick Service Restaurants |
| ● | Education/Student Housing |
| ● | Equipment Enclosures and Stacking Solutions |
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| ● | Office and Commercial |
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| ● | Hospitality and Entertainment |
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| ● | Athletic facilities and support structures |
In addition, future target markets for expansion of such products and services include data centers, warehouse/public storage, reclamation/drop off centers and medical.
Our Competitive Strengths
Although the construction industry is highly competitive, we are committed to educating the real estate community on the benefits of our technology and expertise and positioning the products that utilize our technology and expertise as complementary to the strategy of developers, rather than as competition. We and CPF may compete for building opportunities with regional, national and international builders that possess greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do, and competition within the general construction industry may increase if there is future consolidation in the land development and construction industry or from new building technologies that could arise. Within the modular building space, we compete against a small number of companies providing modular-building services. The principal competitive factors in our business include, but are not limited to, the availability of building materials; technical product knowledge and expertise; previous experience in modular construction; consulting or other service capabilities; pricing of products; and the marketability of our ESR within the structural building space.
We believe we can distinguish ourselves from our competitors on the basis of our ESR, quality, cost and construction time savings when utilizing our technology and expertise. Our proprietary construction method is typically less expensive than traditional construction methods, particularly in urban locations and multi-story projects, and construction time is also generally reduced by using our construction method, reducing both construction and soft costs substantially. SGBlocks are designed to be hurricane-, tornado- and earthquake-resistant and able to withstand harsh climate conditions. The flexibility and the stack-ability of the Modules allows architects, developers and owners to design Modules to meet their specific needs. In addition, our management team has a breadth of knowledge in the modular building industry with a combined 130 years of experience. Our experience in a wide range of construction applications, including office, enclosures, residential, commercial, quick service restaurants, experiential and restaurant applications, gives us an advantage over our competition through the use of market-based prototypes.
Our Customers
We and CPF market to a broad customer base, comprised primarily of contractors, home builders, building owners and other resellers across the continental United States and we also market our services and technology to customers in Canada. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, 92% and 76%, respectively, of the Company’s gross accounts receivable were due from one and two customers. Revenue relating to two and three customers represented approximately 78% and 66% of the Company’s total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Our Suppliers and Partners
Although the primary use of shipping containers is for transportation, when constructing SGBlocks we use standard materials to modify the container shell structure and finish out the modules. We utilize the same suppliers and materials used by conventional construction. Materials such as windows, doors, insulation mechanical systems, electrical systems and other such supplies are all off-the-shelf materials and equipment commonly available and used in the industry.
One of the main suppliers for the procurement of our containers is ConGlobal Industries, Inc. (“ConGlobal”), an independent third party, with whom we have an exclusive 10-year Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the “ConGlobal Agreement”) through May 14, 2024. ConGlobal is one of the largest depot operators in the United States. This arrangement provides us with a reliable source of supply of certified shipping containers. The ConGlobal Agreement provides that ConGlobal will be our exclusive supplier of SGBlocks for housing, office and retail uses generally constructed as permanent structures within the continental United States within a 50 mile radius of an existing ConGlobal site and ConGlobal will not supply shipping containers modified for building purposes to any entity competing with us during the term of the agreement. The Company believes it has access to alternative suppliers, with limited disruption to the business, should circumstances change with its existing suppliers.
Intellectual Property
We operate under our United States registered trademarks “SGBlocks” and “GreenSteel” and our trademarked “SG” logo.
Government Regulation and Approval
The design and construction of buildings is controlled at the project level, with local and state municipalities having jurisdiction in most cases. All buildings, conventionally built or modularly built, are subject to published building codes and criteria that must be achieved during the architectural and engineering phase in order to be approved for construction. There are no specific regulations that impact our technology. While much of the regulation in our industry occurs at the project level, we are subject to various federal, state and local government regulations applicable to the business in the jurisdictions in which we operate, including laws and regulations relating to our relationships with our employees, public health and safety, workplace safety, transportation, zoning and fire codes. We strive to operate in accordance with applicable laws, codes and regulations. We believe we are in compliance in all material respects with existing applicable environmental laws and regulations and, in addition, that our employment, workplace health and workplace safety practices comply with related regulations.
General Corporate Information
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on December 29, 1993 under the name CDSI Holdings, Inc. On November 4, 2011, CDSI Merger Sub, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, completed a reverse merger with and into SG Building Blocks, Inc. (“SG Building”), with SG Building surviving the reverse merger as our wholly owned subsidiary. We primarily conduct our current operations through SG Building. Prior to our emergence from bankruptcy in June 2016, our common stock was quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board. In June 2017 and December 2019, we completed public offerings of our common stock, which currently trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SGBX.”
Our Emergence from Bankruptcy
On October 15, 2015, SGB and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Debtors”), filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”) under the caption In re SG Blocks, Inc. et al., Case No. 15-12790. On February 29, 2016, the Debtors filed a Disclosure Statement (the “Disclosure Statement”), attaching a Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”), along with a motion seeking approval of the Disclosure Statement by the Bankruptcy Court. On June 30, 2016 (the “Effective Date”), the Plan became effective and the Debtors emerged from bankruptcy.
Prior to the Effective Date, SGB was authorized to issue: (i) 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 (the “Former Common Stock”) of which 42,918,927 shares were issued and outstanding as of June 29, 2016; and (ii) 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 (the “Former Preferred Stock”), none of which were issued and outstanding prior to the Effective Date.
On the Effective Date, and pursuant to the terms of the Plan, SGB entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement, dated June 30, 2016, pursuant to which SGB sold for a subscription price of $2.0 million a 12% Original Issue Discount Senior Secured Convertible Debenture to Hillair Capital Investments L.P. (“HCI”) in the principal amount of $2.5 million, with a maturity date of June 30, 2018 (the “Exit Facility”).
On the Effective Date, all previously issued and outstanding shares of the Former Common Stock were deemed discharged, cancelled and extinguished, and, pursuant to the Plan, SGB issued, in the aggregate, 8,195 shares (as adjusted to effect a 1-for-20 reverse stock split) of common stock, par value $0.01 (the “New Common Stock”), to the holders of Former Common Stock. Further, under the Plan, upon the Effective Date, certain members of SGB’s management were entitled to receive options (the “Management Options”) to acquire approximately 10,919 shares (as adjusted to effect a 1-for-20 reverse stock split), of SGB’s New Common Stock, on a fully diluted basis.
On the Effective Date, pursuant to the terms of the Plan and SGB’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, SGB filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a Certificate of Designations of Convertible Preferred Stock, designating 1,801,670 shares (as adjusted to effect a 1-for-3 reverse stock split) of preferred stock, par value $1.00, all of which were issued upon our emergence from bankruptcy. Prior to the our public offering that we consummated in June 2017, all outstanding shares of the our preferred stock, were converted into 90,084 shares of common stock. No preferred stock currently remains outstanding.
Reverse Stock Split
On February 28, 2017, we effected a 1-for-3 reverse stock split of its New Common Stock and preferred stock, which has since been converted into common stock. On February 5, 2020, we effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our common stock. All share and per share amounts set forth in the consolidated financial statements have been retroactively restated to reflect the split effected in February 2020 as if it had occurred as of the earliest period presented and unless otherwise stated, all other share and per share amounts for all periods presented in this Annual Report have been adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split effected in February 2020.
Recent Financing Developments
On December 13, 2019, we completed an underwritten public offering of our common stock (the “Public Offering”). In connection with the Public Offering, we sold 857,500 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $3.00 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $2,117,948 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other expenses related to the Public Offering. The Company incurred a total of $454,552 in issuance costs in connection with the Public Offering and no warrants to purchase were issued to the underwriters. The proceeds of the Public Offering were used as follows: (i) $480,770 to repay the outstanding principal amount of an outstanding debenture (the “Debenture”); (ii) a portion to fund our obligation to our licensee under the terms of the Loan Agreement with CPF pursuant to which we agree to loan CPF GP a principal amount of $750,000 at an annual interest rate of five percent (5%), with a maturity date of July 31, 2023; and (iii) the remaining net proceeds for general working capital purposes.
The Debenture was issued on November 12, 2019. The Debenture is a senior secured convertible debenture in the principal amount of $480,770 for which we received proceeds of $375,000 (representing an original issue discount of 22%). The Debenture was due 110 days after issuance and was secured under a Security Agreement, dated November 12, 2019, entered into with the investor (the “Security Agreement”) by a security interest in all of our existing and future assets, subject to existing security interests and exceptions. The Debenture was convertible into shares of our common stock only upon (i) the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the Debenture) or (ii) at maturity in the event any principal remained outstanding, at a conversion price equal to the lower of (x) 67.5% of the lowest daily VWAPs of the common stock during the five consecutive trading days immediately preceding the Event of Default or date of maturity or (y) if the Debenture was not fully paid as of the Maturity, the lowest daily VWAP during the ten (10) consecutive trading days immediately preceding the date of the applicable Conversion, and based on a conversion amount determined by the product of (x) the portion of the principal and accrued interest to be converted and (y) 120% or (y) if the Debenture was not fully paid as of the Maturity Date and no conversions have been effected under the Debenture, the lowest daily VWAP during the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding the date of the applicable Conversion; provided, however, that we agreed not to issue any shares of common stock upon conversion of the Debenture if the investor would exceed certain limitations.
Employees
As of December 31, 2019, SGB directly employed seven full-time employees and engaged outside professional firms and subcontractors to deliver projects to customers.
Available Information
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and in accordance therewith, we file reports, proxy and information statements and other information with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available through the investor relations section of our website at www.sgblocks.com. Reports are available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Relating to the Company
Our auditor’s report on our consolidated financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2019 have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm has issued a report that includes an explanatory paragraph referring to our recurring losses from operations and negative operating cash flows that raise substantial doubt in our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2019 did not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
If we are not successful in our efforts to increase sales or raise capital, we could experience a shortfall in cash over the next twelve months, and our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all, may be limited.
On December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents and a short-term investment, collectively, of $1,625,671 and $1,368,395, respectively. However, during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we reported a net loss of $6,920,540 and $4,844,021, respectively, and used $2,815,621 and $3,452,234 of cash for operations, respectively. If we are not successful with our efforts to increase revenue, we could experience a shortfall in cash over the next twelve months. If there is a shortfall, we may be forced to reduce operating expenses, among other steps, all of which would have a material adverse effect on our operations going forward.
We may also seek to obtain debt or additional equity financing to meet any cash shortfalls. The type, timing and terms of any financing we may select will depend on, among other things, our cash needs, the availability of other financing sources and prevailing conditions in the financial markets. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to secure additional funds if needed and that, if such funds are available, the terms or conditions would be acceptable to us. If we are unable to secure additional financing, further reduction in operating expenses might need to be substantial in order for us to ensure enough liquidity to sustain our operations. Any equity financing would be dilutive to our stockholders. If we incur debt, we will likely be subject to restrictive covenants that significantly limit our operating flexibility and require us to encumber our assets. If we fail to raise sufficient funds and continue to incur losses, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of strategic opportunities, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures will be significantly limited. Any of the above limitations could force us to significantly curtail or cease our operations, and you could lose all of your investment in our common stock. These circumstances have raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and continued cash losses may risk our status as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
We have incurred net losses in prior periods, and there can be no assurance that we will generate income in the future, or that we will be able to successfully achieve or maintain our growth strategy.
Our ability to achieve profitability will depend upon our ability to generate and sustain substantially increased revenues. We may continue to incur operating losses in the future as we execute our growth strategy. Although we expect that our expenses will decline due to our new business model, there can be no assurance that our revenue from royalties will exceed our expenses, especially since we anticipate that most of our expenses will be fixed expenses that will not be dependent upon revenue generated. The likelihood that we will generate net income in the future must be considered in light of the difficulties facing the construction industry as a whole, economic conditions and the competitive environment in which we operate. Our operating results for future periods are subject to numerous uncertainties, and we may not achieve sufficient revenues to sustain or increase profitability. In addition, we may be unable to successfully achieve or maintain our growth strategy, including our ability to expand into new geographic markets.
Our residential construction business model depends upon a third-party licensee who is outside our control.
We entered into an exclusive license agreement with CPF, pursuant to which we granted CPF an exclusive license solely within the United States and its legal territories to commercialize our technology, intellectual property, any improvements thereto, and any related permits, in order to develop and commercialize products within the field of design and project management platforms for residential use, including, without limitation, single-family residences and multi-family residences, but specifically excluding military housing. Under the terms of the License Agreement, CPF is to provide us with royalties based upon its sale of products that utilize the licensed technology. Inasmuch as CPF has an exclusive license in the United States, which is the only territory to date where we have been retained to construct products for use for residences, unless we were to either expand residential construction product sales to territories outside of the United States or enter into licensing arrangements similar to that with CPF for sales of products that utilize our technology outside of the United States for residential use or in the United States for business not cover by the License, such as military residences and commercial and industrial construction, we will be totally dependent upon CPF for our revenue for residential construction. CPF is an independent entity and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that it devotes to such commercialization efforts. CPF may not assign as great a priority to such commercialization efforts or pursue them as diligently as we would if we were undertaking such commercialization ourselves. If CPF or any other licensee fails to devote sufficient time and resources to such commercialization efforts, or if its performance is substandard our ability to generate revenue may be adversely affected. CPF may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of whom may compete with us. If CPF assists our competitors at our expense, our competitive position would be harmed. In addition, upon certain extraordinary events, CPF is entitled to terminate the license agreement in which case we would be forced to incur the costs to commercialize products for residential construction unless another licensee were found.
Our residential construction business is difficult to evaluate because we are currently focused on a new business model and have very limited operating history and limited information.
We recently engaged in a new licensing business model for our residential construction business in the United States. We have entered into one license agreement for use of our technology for construction of residences in the United States and if successful, we intend to expand our model and enter into additional similar agreements. There is a risk that we will be unable to successfully generate revenue from this new business model and that we will be unable to enter into additional licensing agreements or that any additional agreements that we enter into will be on favorable terms. Although we believe that we will experience cost savings from this new business model resulting in greater net income since we will no longer require the same level of capital, personnel and equipment as was required from our prior residential construction business model, there can be no assurance that we will experience the level of cost savings that we anticipate or generate the income that we anticipate. We are subject to many risks associated with this new business model such as our dependence upon licensees to commercialize products that utilize our technology. There is no assurance that the licensees activities will be successful or will result in any revenues or profit. Even if we generate revenue, there can be no assurance that we will be profitable. We are subject to the risks inherent to the operation of a new business enterprise, and cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully address these risks.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, the COVID-19 coronavirus has spread to multiple countries, including the United States. The impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, or similar global health concerns, could negatively impact our ability to source certain products, impact product pricing, impact our customers’ ability or that of our licensee to obtain financing or have a negative impact on our business.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious disease outbreak, which has continued to spread, and the related adverse public health developments, have adversely affected work forces, economies and financial markets globally. Our use of third-party suppliers for production and shipping of certain products could be negatively impacted by the regional or global outbreak of illnesses, including the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. To date, we have experienced some delays in projects due to COVID-19. Any quarantines, the timing and length of containment and eradication solutions, travel restrictions, absenteeism by infected workers, labor shortages or other disruptions to our suppliers and their contract manufacturers or our customers or our licensee, CPF, would likely adversely impact our sales and operating results and result in further project delays. In addition, the pandemic could result in an economic downturn that could affect the ability of our customers and licensees to obtain financing and therefore impact demand for our products. Order lead times could be extended or delayed and pricing could increase. Some products or services may become unavailable if the regional or global spread were significant enough to prevent alternative sourcing. Accordingly, we are considering alternative product sourcing in the event that product supply becomes problematic. We expect this global pandemic to have an impact on our revenue and our results of operations, the size and duration of which we are currently unable to predict.
In addition, the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus could disrupt our operations due to absenteeism by infected or ill members of management or other employees, or absenteeism by members of management and other employees who elect not to come to work due to the illness affecting others in our office or other workplace, or due to quarantines. COVID-19 illness could also impact members of our Board of Directors resulting in absenteeism from meetings of the directors or committees of directors, and making it more difficult to convene the quorums of the full Board of Directors or its committees needed to conduct meetings for the management of our affairs.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to rapidly evolve. The extent to which the COVID-19 coronavirus may impact our business and clinical trials will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions and social distancing in the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
We are subject to the reporting and corporate governance requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. Among other things, the Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to continue to maintain our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We also may need to further expand our legal and finance departments in the future, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expense and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business and prospects may be harmed. As a result of disclosure of information in the filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition are more visible, which may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The issuance of shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding options, warrants and restricted stock units may dilute the percentage ownership of the then-existing stockholders and may make it more difficult to raise additional equity capital.
As of December 31, 2019, there are outstanding options and warrants to purchase 53,170 and 53,189 shares of common stock, respectively, in addition to 8,939 unvested restricted stock units. The exercise of such options and warrants and the vesting of restricted stock units would dilute the then-existing stockholders’ percentage ownership of our stock, and any sales in the public market of common stock underlying such securities could adversely affect prevailing market prices for the common stock. Moreover, the terms upon which we would be able to obtain additional equity capital could be adversely affected because the holders of our options and warrants can be expected to exercise them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital on terms more favorable to us than those provided by such securities.
We are dependent on the services of key personnel, and the unexpected loss of their services may adversely affect our operations.
Our success depends highly upon the personal efforts and abilities of our senior management team, specifically the efforts of Paul M. Galvin, our Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Sheeran, our Acting Chief Financial Officer, Stevan Armstrong, our Chief Technology Officer, and Rockey Butler, our Vice President of Operations. The Company has entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Galvin and Armstrong. The employment agreements with Messrs. Galvin and Armstrong each provide for two-year terms, with automatic renewal after the end of such term. The loss of the services of one or more of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business. Our ability to achieve profitability and generate increased revenue will depend upon our ability to retain, and, if necessary, attract experienced management personnel.
The loss of one or a few customers could have a material adverse effect on us.
A few customers have in the past, and may in the future, account for a significant portion of our revenues in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2019, approximately 78% of our revenue was generated from two customers. Although we have contractual relationships with many of our significant customers, our customers may unilaterally reduce or discontinue their contracts with us at any time. The loss of business from a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We rely on certain vendors to supply us with materials and products that, if we were unable to obtain, could adversely affect our business.
We have relationships with key materials vendors, and we rely on suppliers for our purchases of products from them. Any inability to obtain materials or services in the volumes required and at competitive prices from our major trading partners, the loss of any major trading partner or the discontinuation of vendor financing (if any) may seriously harm our business because we may not be able to meet the demands of our customers on a timely basis in sufficient quantities or at all. Other factors, including reduced access to credit by our vendors resulting from economic conditions, may impair our vendors’ ability to provide products in a timely manner or at competitive prices. We also rely on other vendors for critical services such as transportation, supply chain and professional services. Any negative impacts to our business or liquidity could adversely impact our ability to establish or maintain these relationships. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, 74% and 55%, respectively of our cost of revenue related to three and two vendors.
An impairment of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
As December 31, 2019, we had $1,223,520 of goodwill. We perform an impairment test of our goodwill annually during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year or when events occur or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not indicate that goodwill might be impaired. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances, indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill may not be recoverable, include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future cash flow estimates and slower growth rates in our industry. Our annual impairment tests resulted in an impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2019 in the amount of $2,938,653. The annual impairment test during fiscal 2018 resulted in no impairment being recorded. Deterioration in estimated future cash flows in our reporting unit could result in further future goodwill impairment. Changes to our business strategy, changes in industry or market conditions, changes in operating performance or other indicators of impairment could cause us to record a significant impairment charge during the period in which the impairment is determined, negatively impacting our results of operations and financial position.
We currently are, and may in the future be, subject to legal proceedings or investigations, the resolution of which could negatively affect our profitability and cash flows in a particular period.
The nature of our operations exposes us to possible litigation claims, including disputes relating to our operations and commercial and contractual arrangements. Although we make every effort to avoid litigation, these matters are not totally within our control. We will contest these matters vigorously and will make insurance claims where appropriate, but because of the uncertain nature of litigation and coverage decisions, we cannot predict the outcome of these matters. The costs associated with litigation matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and profitability. In addition, our profitability or cash flow in a particular period could be affected by an adverse ruling in any litigation currently pending in the courts or by litigation that may be filed against us in the future. We are also subject to environmental and other government regulation, which could result in administrative proceedings in the future. For additional information, see “Item 3. Legal Proceedings.”
Risks Relating to our Business and Industry
We and CPF are dependent on the availability and skill of subcontractors, their willingness to work with us, and their selection of, and ability to obtain, suitable and quality building materials.
We and CPF will rely on subcontractors to perform the actual construction of our building projects and, in many cases, to select and obtain raw materials. Despite detailed specifications and quality control procedures, in some cases, improper construction processes or defective materials may be used to finish construction of our building projects. We and CPF may need to spend money to remediate such problems when they are discovered. Defective products can result in the need to perform extensive repairs to large numbers of buildings. Though subcontracts are written to protect from substandard performance or materials, pervasive problems could adversely affect CPF’s business and therefore our ability to generate royalty income. Our revenue from our CPF is based upon the gross revenue it receives from product sales which is exclusive of amounts repaid or credited by reason of rejection or returns. The inability to contract with skilled subcontractors or general contractors at reasonable costs and on a timely basis could limit our or CPF’s ability to construct and deliver buildings and could erode our profit margins and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
We depend on third parties for transportation services, and limited availability or increases in costs of transportation could adversely affect our business and operations.
Our business depends on the transportation of a large number of products, via railroad or truck. We rely primarily on third parties for transportation of the products we manufacture or distribute and for the delivery of our raw materials. We are also subject to seasonal capacity constraints, which may be severely reduced due to COVID-19 coronavirus, and weather-related delays for both rail and truck transportation. If any of our third-party transportation providers were to fail to deliver raw materials to us or our Modules to our customers in a timely manner, we may be unable to complete projects in a timely manner and may, among other things, incur penalties for late delivery or be unable to use the Modules as intended. In addition, if any of these third parties were to cease operations or cease doing business with us, we may be unable to replace them at reasonable cost. Any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials to us or finished Modules to our customers in a timely manner could harm our reputation, negatively affect our customer relationships, and have a material adverse effect on our operating results, cash flows, and financial condition. Additionally, an increase in transportation rates or fuel surcharges could adversely affect our sales, profitability, and cash flows.
We may have difficulty protecting our proprietary manufacturing processes, which could adversely affect our ability to compete.
We use a proprietary manufacturing process that allows us to be code-compliant in our SGBlocks™ product. Such manufacturing process is unique to the construction industry and is important to ensure our continued success, and we cannot assure you that our efforts to protect our proprietary rights will be sufficient or effective. If other companies replicate our methodology, we could lose our competitive advantage. Any future patent or trademark applications may not lead to issued patents and registered trademarks in all instances. We also cannot be assured that the scope of any patents issued in the future will be sufficiently broad to offer meaningful protection. Others may develop or patent similar or superior technologies, products or services, and our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, misappropriated or infringed by others. If we are unable to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights, or if there are any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us, our business and revenue could be materially and adversely affected.
Expansion of our operations may strain resources, and our failure to manage growth effectively could adversely impact our operating results and harm our ability to attract and retain key personnel.
Increased orders for our Modules have placed, and may continue to place, a strain on our operational, financial, and managerial resources and personnel. In addition, execution of our growth strategy will require further substantial capital and effective planning. Significant rapid growth on top of our current operations could greatly strain our internal resources, leading to a lower quality of customer service, reporting problems, and delays, resulting in a loss of market share and other problems that could adversely affect our financial performance. Our efforts to grow could place an additional strain on our personnel, management systems, liquidity, and other resources. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our operations could be adversely affected, resulting in slower, no or negative growth, critical shortages of cash and a failure to achieve or sustain profitability.
Our clients may adjust, cancel or suspend the contracts in our backlog; as such, our backlog is not necessarily indicative of our future revenues or earnings. In addition, even if fully performed, our backlog is not a good indicator of our future gross margins.
Backlog represents the total dollar amount of revenues we expect to record in the future as a result of performing work under contracts we have been awarded. Backlog may fluctuate significantly due to the timing of orders or awards for large projects and is not necessarily indicative of future backlog levels or the rate at which backlog will be recognized as revenue. We include in backlog only those contracts for which we have reasonable assurance that the customer can obtain the permits for construction and can fund the construction. As of December 31, 2018, our backlog totaled approximately $97.7 million and as of December 31, 2019, our backlog totaled approximately $17.6 million. The decrease in backlog at December 31, 2019 from December 31, 2018 is primarily attributable to us moving a contract of approximately $25 million out of backlog after receiving a cancellation notice from the customer and moving two contracts of approximately $70 million out of backlog due to the exclusive License Agreement. Our backlog includes one large contract entered into by us during the third quarter of 2019 in the amount of approximately $17 million as described in more detail in “Note 10—Construction Backlog” of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. We cannot provide assurance that our backlog will be realized as revenues in the amounts reported or, if realized, will result in profits. In accordance with industry practice, substantially all of our contracts are subject to cancellation, termination or suspension at our customer’s discretion. In the event of a project cancellation, we generally would not have a contractual right to the total revenue reflected in our backlog. Projects can remain in backlog for extended periods of time because of the nature of the project and the timing of the particular services required by the project. In addition, the risk of contracts in backlog being cancelled or suspended generally increases during periods of widespread economic slowdowns or in response to changes in commodity prices.
The contracts in our backlog are subject to changes in the scope of services to be provided and adjustments to the costs relating to the contracts. The revenue for certain contracts included in backlog is based on estimates. Additionally, our performance of our individual contracts can affect greatly our gross margins and, therefore, our future profitability. We can provide no assurance that the contracts in backlog, assuming they produce revenues in the amounts currently estimated, will generate gross margins at the rates we have realized in the past.
Our liability for estimated warranties may be inadequate, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to construction defect and warranty claims arising in the ordinary course of business. These claims are common in the construction industry and can be costly. At this time, our third-party providers offer guarantees and warranties in accordance with industry standards that flow through to our clients. A large number of warranty claims could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We can be adversely affected by failures of persons who act on our behalf to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines.
Although we expect all of our associates (i.e., employees), officers and directors to comply at all times with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, there are instances in which subcontractors or others through whom we do business may engage in practices that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines. It is possible that our associates may become aware of these practices but do not take steps to prevent them. If we learn of practices relating to buildings constructed on our behalf that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines, we will move actively to stop the non-complying practices as soon as possible, and we will take disciplinary action with regard to our associates who were aware of the practices, including in some instances terminating their employment. However, regardless of the steps we take, we may be subject to fines or other governmental penalties, and our reputation may be negatively affected.
The cyclical and seasonal nature of the construction industry causes our revenues and operating results to fluctuate, and we expect this cyclicality and seasonality to continue in the future.
The construction industry is highly cyclical and seasonal and is influenced by many international, national and regional economic factors, including the availability of consumer and wholesale financing, which may be severely reduced due to COVID-19 coronavirus, seasonality of demand, consumer confidence, interest rates, income levels and general economic conditions, including inflation and recessions. As a result of the foregoing factors, the revenues and operating results we derive from customers and CPF will fluctuate and we currently expect them to continue to fluctuate in the future. Moreover, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, operating losses during cyclical downturns in the construction market. These and other economic factors could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and our financial condition and operating results.
Our business depends on the construction industry and general business, financial market and economic conditions.
The construction industry is cyclical and significantly affected by changes in general and local economic and real estate conditions, such as employment levels, consumer confidence, demographic trends, housing demand, inflation, deflation, interest rates and credit availability. Changes in these general and local economic conditions or deterioration in the broader economy could negatively impact the level of purchases, capital expenditures and creditworthiness of our indirect customers and suppliers to CPF s, and, therefore, our royalty income and financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Changes in these economic conditions may affect some of our regions or markets more than others. If adverse conditions affect our larger markets, they could have a proportionately greater impact on us than on some other companies. In addition, any uncertainty regarding global economic conditions may have an adverse effect on the results of operations and financial condition of us or our customers, distributors and suppliers, such as negative effects of currency exchange fluctuations. A shortage of labor in the construction industry could also have an impact on our financial results.
Our business relies on private investment and a slower than expected economy may adversely affect our results.
A significant portion of our sales and those of CPF are for projects with non-public owners, such as non-residential builders and home builders who make investments with private funds into their projects. Construction spending is affected by their customers’ ability to finance projects, which may be severely reduced due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Residential and nonresidential construction could decline if companies and consumers are unable to finance construction projects or if the economy slows or is stalled, which could result in delays or cancellations of capital projects. If the economy slows, or if housing starts and nonresidential projects do not increase, sales of our products directly by us to consumers or by CPF and related services may decline, and our financial position, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.
A material disruption at one of our suppliers’ facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales and negatively affect our overall financial results.
Any of the following events could cease or limit operations unexpectedly: fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, on-site or off-site environmental incidents or other catastrophes; global pandemic; utility and transportation infrastructure disruptions; labor difficulties; other operational problems; or war, acts of terrorism or other unexpected events. Any downtime or damage at our suppliers’ facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products or require us to make more expensive purchases from a competing supplier. If our suppliers were to incur significant downtime, our ability to satisfy customer requirements could be impaired, resulting in customers seeking products from other distributors, as well as decreased customer satisfaction and lower sales and operating income.
Environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and any changes to, or liabilities arising under, such laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things: the release or discharge of materials into the environment; the management, use, generation, treatment, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and materials; and the protection of public and employee health and safety and the environment. These laws and regulations may expose us to liability for the conduct of others or for our actions, even if such actions complied with all applicable laws at the time these actions were taken. These laws and regulations may also expose us to liability for claims of personal injury or property or natural resource damage related to alleged exposure to, or releases of, regulated or hazardous materials. The existence of contamination at properties we own, lease or operate could also result in increased operational costs or restrictions on our ability to use those properties as intended, including for purposes of construction materials distribution. In addition, because our properties are generally situated adjacent to or near industrial companies, our properties may be at an increased risk of having environmental contaminants from other properties spill or migrate onto or otherwise affect our properties.
Despite our compliance efforts, there is an inherent risk of liability in the operation of our business, especially from an environmental standpoint, and, from time to time, we may be in noncompliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These potential liabilities or non-compliances could have an adverse effect on our operations and profitability. In some instances, we must have government approvals, certificates, permits or licenses in order to conduct our business, which may require us to make significant capital, operating and maintenance expenditures to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Our failure to obtain and maintain required approvals, certificates, permits or licenses or to comply with applicable governmental requirements could result in sanctions, including substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some or all of our operations. The cost of complying with such laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Our business may be subject to economic and political risks of operating and obtaining supplies from foreign countries, including adverse impact of changes in international trade and tariff policies.
We operate in and source some of our products from outside of the United States, and our suppliers may also rely upon non-domestic products. As such, any significant changes to, among other things, the general political and social conditions in foreign counties in which we maintain operations or sourcing relationships, unfavorable changes in U.S. trade legislation and regulation, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the imposition of governmental economic sanctions on countries in which we do business or other trade barriers, threats of war, terrorism or governmental instability, labor disruptions, currency controls, fluctuating exchange rates with respect to contracts not denominated in U.S. dollars and unanticipated or unfavorable changes in government policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflation measures and method of taxation. If we are unable to navigate foreign regulatory environments, or if we are unable to enforce our contract rights in foreign countries, our business could be adversely impacted. Any of these events could interrupt our business and cause operational disruptions, increase our costs of operations, reduce our sales or otherwise have an adverse effect on our operating performance.
The U.S. government has indicated its intent to alter its approach to trade policy, including, in some instances, to revise, renegotiate or terminate certain multilateral trade agreements. It has also imposed new tariffs on certain foreign goods and raised the possibility of imposing additional increases or new tariffs on other goods. Such actions have, in some cases, led to retaliatory trade measures by certain foreign governments. Such policies could make it more difficult or costly for us to do business in or procure products from those countries. In turn, we may need to raise prices or make changes to our operations, which could negatively impact our revenue or operating results. At this time, it remains unclear what additional actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S. government or foreign governments with respect to tariff and international trade agreements and policies, and we cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any revised trade agreements or any impact on our business.
Our operating results will be subject to fluctuations and are inherently unpredictable.
In order to return to profitability, we will need to generate and sustain higher revenue while maintaining reasonable cost and expense levels. In our most recent quarter, we experienced a loss. We do not know if our revenue will grow, or if it will grow sufficiently to outpace our expenses, which we expect to increase as we expand our operational capacity. We may not be able to become profitable on a quarterly or an annual basis. Our quarterly revenue and operating results will be difficult to predict and have in the past fluctuated from quarter to quarter. The amount, timing and mix of project sales, often for a single medium or large-scale project, may cause large fluctuations in our revenue and other financial results. Further, our revenue mix of high margin materials sales versus lower margin projects can fluctuate dramatically quarter to quarter, which may adversely affect our revenue and financial results in any given period. Finally, our ability to meet project completion schedules for an individual project and the corresponding revenue impact under the percentage-of-completion method of recognizing revenue, may similarly cause large fluctuations in our revenue and other financial results. This may cause us to miss any future guidance announced by us.
We base our planned operating expenses in part on our expectations of future revenue, and a significant portion of our expenses are fixed in the short-term. If revenue for a particular quarter is lower than we expect, we likely will be unable to proportionately reduce our operating expenses for that quarter, which would harm our operating results for that quarter. This may cause us to miss any guidance announced by us.
Cybersecurity risks related to the technology used in our operations and other business processes, as well as security breaches of company, customer, employee and vendor information, could adversely affect our business.
We rely on various information technology systems to capture, process, store and report data and interact with customers, vendors and employees. Despite careful security and controls design, as the prevalence of cyber-attacks continues to increase, our information technology systems, and those of our third-party providers, could become subject to increased security threats, such as phishing and malware incidents. Our security measures may be unable to prevent certain security breaches, and any such network, system, data or other breaches could result in misappropriation of sensitive data, transactional errors, theft of funds, business disruptions, loss of or damage to intellectual property, loss of customers and business opportunities, unauthorized access to or disclosure of confidential or personal information (which could cause a breach of applicable data protection legislation), regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs and additional compliance costs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or disable, degrade or sabotage, information technologies systems change frequently, and may not be recognized until after they have been launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques, implement adequate preventative measures or remediate any breach in a timely or effective manner. In addition, the development and maintenance of preventative or detective measures is costly, and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to circumvent security measures become more sophisticated. As well as incurring additional costs, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the systems, or we may be unable to successfully integrate and launch new systems as planned without disruptions to our operations. Misuse of internal applications, theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, funds or other corporate assets and inappropriate disclosure of confidential information could stem from such incidents.
Despite our efforts, we remain potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks and security breaches, and any such attack or breach could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.
We could suffer adverse tax and other financial consequences if we are unable to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards.
At December 31, 2019, we had tax net operating loss carryforwards totaling approximately $12.9 million. The net operating loss expires beginning 2030 through 2037 for those losses generated in 2017 and prior years. Approximately $5.5 million of such net operating losses will carryforward indefinitely and be available to offset up to 80% of future taxable income each year. Subsequent to December 31, 2019, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was passed, which temporarily removes such 80% limitation for years 2019 and 2020. At December 31, 2019, we had a valuation allowance of $3.1 million, primarily related to net operating loss carryforwards that are not more likely than not to be utilized due to an inability to carry back these losses in most states and short carryforward periods that exist in certain states. If we are unable to use our net operating losses, we may be required to record charges or reduce our deferred tax assets, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Risks Relating to the Construction Sector
We and CPF may be dependent upon third-party financing, and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if additional third-party financing for our customers does not become available
Our business and earnings depend substantially on our ability and the ability of CPF to obtain financing for the development of their construction projects, which may be adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The availability and cost of such financing is further dependent on the number of financial institutions participating in the industry, the departure of financial institutions from the industry, the financial institutions’ lending practices, the strength of the domestic and international credit markets generally, governmental policies and other conditions, all of which are beyond our control. In light of the current economic climate, some of our projects and those of CPF may not be successful in obtaining additional funds in a timely manner, on favorable terms or at all. The availability of borrowed funds, especially for construction financing, has been greatly reduced, and lenders may require project developers to invest increased amounts of equity in a project in connection with both new loans and the extension of existing loans. Unfavorable changes in the availability and terms of financing in the industry will have a material adverse effect on certain privately financed projects.
Our results of operations also depend on the ability of any potential privately financed licensees to obtain loans for the purchase of new buildings. Over the past few years, lenders have tightened the credit underwriting standards, which have reduced lending volumes. If this trend continues, it would negatively impact CPF’s sales and our royalty income, which depend in large part on the availability and cost of financing. In addition, where our potential customers must sell their existing buildings or real estate in order to develop new buildings, increases in mortgage costs and/or lack of availability of mortgages could prevent buyers of potential customers’ existing buildings from obtaining the mortgages they need to complete their purchases, which would result in our potential customers’ inability to make purchases from us. If our potential customers cannot obtain suitable financing, our sales and results of operations would be adversely affected.
The construction industry is highly competitive, and such competition may increase the adverse effects of industry conditions, including the consolidation of the industry.
We operate in a very competitive environment characterized by competition from numerous local, regional and national builders. We may compete for financing, raw materials and skilled management and labor resources. A decline in construction starts could adversely affect demand for our buildings and our results of operations. Increased competition could require us to further increase our selling incentives and/or reduce our prices, which could negatively affect our profits. We may be unable to successfully expand into or compete in the markets in new geographic areas. In addition, while we believe our ESR may improve our competitive position by potentially expediting reviews and approvals by state and local building departments and certifying our specific quality control and design acceptance criteria, there is no assurance that it will have the desired impact.
There can be no assurance that Modules or modular construction techniques that utilize our technology and expertise will achieve market acceptance and grow; thus, the future of our business and the modular construction industry as a whole is uncertain.
There can be no assurance that we will achieve market acceptance for our technology and expertise or that the modular construction market will grow. Our business may be disrupted by the introduction of new products and services and is subject to changing consumer preferences and industry trends, which may adversely affect our ability to plan for the future development and marketing of our products. Although Modules have particular applications in a wide variety of market segments, there is no assurance that we will be able to expand our relationship within such market segments or, even if we do, that general market acceptance for our technology and expertise or Modules will continue to increase.
Government regulations and legal challenges may delay the start or completion of our projects, increase our expenses or limit our building activities, which could have a negative impact on our operations.
Various domestic and international rules and regulations concerning building, zoning, sales and similar matters apply to and/or affect the construction industry. Governmental regulation affects construction activities, as well as sales activities, mortgage lending activities and other dealings with consumers. These industries also have experienced an increase in state and local legislation in the United States and regulations that limit the availability or use of land. Municipalities may also restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer taps. In some areas, municipalities may enact growth control initiatives, which restrict the number of building permits available in a given year. In addition, we may be required to apply for additional approvals or modify our existing approvals because of changes in local circumstances or applicable law. If governments in locations in which we operate take actions like the ones described, they could adversely affect our business by causing delays, increasing our costs or limiting our ability to operate in those areas. Further, we may experience delays and increased expenses as a result of legal challenges to our proposed projects, whether brought by governmental authorities or private parties. Failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to or affecting us, or the passage in the future of new and more stringent laws affecting us, may adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
The dangers inherent in our operations, such as disruptions to our facilities and project sites, and the limits on insurance coverage could expose us to potentially significant liability costs and materially interfere with the performance of our operations.
While we believe our insurance coverage is adequate and in line with our industry’s standards, all construction, including modular construction, involves operating hazards that can cause personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and suspension of operations, including, but not limited to, natural or man-made disruptions to our facilities and project sites. The failure of such structures during and after installation can result in similar injuries and damages. Although we believe that our insurance coverage is adequate, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates we consider reasonable, or that our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover future claims that may arise. Claims for which we are not fully insured may adversely affect our working capital and profitability. In addition, changes in the insurance industry have generally led to higher insurance costs and decreased availability of coverage. The availability of insurance that covers risks we and our competitors typically insure against may decrease, and the insurance that we are able to obtain may have higher deductibles, higher premiums and more restrictive policy terms.
Risks Relating to our Common Stock
Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market could result in a delisting of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq” or the “Nasdaq Capital Market”), which imposes, among other requirements, a minimum bid requirement. On July 1, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq that, because the closing bid price for our common stock was below $1.00 for 30 consecutive business days, we no longer met the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. On February 21, 2020, we received written notice from the Listing Qualifications department of the Nasdaq notifying us that we had regained compliance with the minimum bid price and stockholder’s equity rules.
The delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq may make it more difficult for us to raise capital on favorable terms in the future, or at all. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. Further, if our common stock were to be delisted from Nasdaq, our common stock would cease to be recognized as a covered security, and we would be subject to additional regulation in each state in which we offer our securities. Moreover, there is no assurance that any actions that we take to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq minimum bid requirement would stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from falling below the Nasdaq minimum bid price required for continued listing again or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.
There can be no assurance that we will continue to meet the minimum bid price requirement, or any other requirement in the future. If we fail to meet the minimum bid price requirement, or other applicable Nasdaq listing requirements, including maintaining minimum levels of stockholders’ equity or market values of our common stock, our common stock could be delisted. Delisting from Nasdaq would cause us to pursue eligibility for trading of our common stock on other markets or exchanges, or on an over-the-counter market. In such case, our stockholders’ ability to trade or obtain quotations of the market value of our common stock would be severely limited because of lower trading volumes and transaction delays. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices of these securities. There can be no assurance that our common stock, if delisted from the Nasdaq, would be listed on a national securities exchange, a national quotation service or the over-the-counter markets. Delisting from the Nasdaq could also result in negative publicity, make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital, adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, decrease securities analysts’ coverage of us or diminish investor, supplier and employee confidence. In addition, our stock could become a “penny stock,” which would make trading of our common stock more difficult.
Our stock price has been subject to fluctuations in the past, has recently been volatile, and will likely continue to be subject to fluctuations and decline, due to factors beyond our control, and investors in our common stock may lose all or part of their investment in our company.
Prior to the public offering of our stock in June 2017, there was no market for shares of our common stock. Shares of our common stock were sold in our June 2017 public offering at a price of $100.00 per share and in our December 2019 public offering at a price of $3.00 per share. Although our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, the market price of our common stock may be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:
| ● | economic and market conditions or trends in our industry or the economy as a whole and, in particular, in the construction industry; |
| ● | additions or departures of key personnel; |
| ● | operating results that fall below expectations; |
| ● | new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business; |
| ● | material litigation or government disputes; |
| ● | the public’s response to press releases or other public announcements by us or third parties, including our filings with the SEC; |
| ● | changes in financial estimates or recommendations by any securities analysts who follow our common stock; |
| ● | the size of our market float and potential dilution due to the exercise of outstanding options and warrants; |
| ● | future sales of our common stock by our officers, directors and significant stockholders, including sales pursuant to a registration statement filed to permit a significant stockholder to sell shares of our common stock, pursuant to certain registration rights granted to such stockholder; |
| ●
| other events or factors, including those resulting from such events, or the prospect of such events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues including health epidemics or pandemics, such as the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, and natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or elsewhere, could disrupt our operations, disrupt the operations of our suppliers or result in political or economic instability; and |
| ● | period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results. |
In addition, the securities markets have, from time to time, experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Since the stock price of our common stock has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile and will likely be volatile in the future, investors in our common stock may lose all or part of their investment in our company. In the past, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, we could incur substantial costs and our resources and the attention of management could be diverted from our business.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that they might occur, could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
The price of our common stock could decline if there are substantial sales of our common stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders. If our existing stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or if the public perceives that such sales could occur, this could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock, even if there is no relationship between such sales and the performance of our business.
Pursuant to certain registration rights, we filed a registration statement in 2018 to permit a significant stockholder to sell its shares of our common stock; we expect that, because there were a large number of shares registered pursuant to such registration statement, the selling stockholder will continue to offer shares covered by such registration statement for a significant period of time, the precise duration of which cannot be predicted, Accordingly, any adverse market or price pressures resulting from sales by the significant stockholder may continue for an extended period of time and cause continued negative pressure on the market price of our common stock, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise additional equity capital.
In addition, shares subject to outstanding options under our SG Blocks, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”) will become eligible for sale in the public market in the future, subject to certain legal and contractual limitations. Substantial sales of such shares, at that time, could depress the sale price of our common stock.
Significant sales of our common stock, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. In addition, we may issue shares of our common stock in connection with investments or acquisitions in the future. The amount of shares of our common stock issued in connection with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then-outstanding shares of common stock.
Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
As of March 23, 2020, our directors and executive officers beneficially own approximately 1.5% of our outstanding common stock (not including exercisable options or unvested restricted stock units) and one of our stockholders beneficially owns approximately 12.2% of our outstanding common stock. Accordingly, these stockholders will continue to have significant influence over the outcome of corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, merger, consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or any other significant corporate transaction. The interests of these stockholders may not be the same as, or may even conflict with, investors’ interests. For example, these stockholders could delay or prevent a change in control of us, even if such a change in control would benefit our other stockholders, which could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of us or our assets and might affect the prevailing price of our common stock. The significant concentration of stock ownership may negatively impact the price of our common stock due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise.
The issuance of additional securities by our Board of Directors (the “Board” or “Board of Directors”) will dilute the ownership interests of our current stockholders and could discourage the acquisition of us.
Our Board, without any action by our stockholders, is authorized to designate and issue additional classes or series of capital stock (including classes or series of preferred stock) as it deems appropriate and to establish the rights, preferences and privileges of such classes or series, and we currently have an effective universal shelf registration statement on file with the SEC, providing for the potential issuance of shares of our common stock and other securities. The issuance of any new class or series of capital stock would not only dilute the ownership interest of our current stockholders but may also adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of common stock. The rights of holders of preferred stock and other classes of common stock that may be issued may be superior to the rights of the holders of the existing class of common stock in terms of the payment of ordinary and liquidating dividends and voting rights.
In addition, the ability of the Board to designate and issue such shares could impede or deter an unsolicited tender offer or takeover proposal regarding us and the issuance of additional shares having preferential rights could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of common stock and render more difficult the removal of current management, even if such removal may be in the stockholders’ best interests.
We do not expect to pay dividends in the future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
For the foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deem relevant. Accordingly, if you purchase shares of our common stock, realization of a gain on your investment will depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends in the foreseeable future should not purchase our common stock.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or our industry, or publish negative reports about our business or our industry, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business, our industry or our competitors. If one or more of the analysts who cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, change their opinion of the prospects for our company in a negative manner or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Certain provisions of Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition at a premium price.
Certain provisions of Delaware law could discourage potential acquisition proposals, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, or limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. Because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Such provisions may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition of the Company, including a transaction in which the acquirer may offer a premium price for our stock.
If our shares become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and if the price of our shares of common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock (meaning that our shares may be considered highly speculative and may trade infrequently, which can make them difficult to accurately price or sell). The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive: (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
As a “smaller reporting company,” we may avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements, which may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller reporting company” under applicable SEC rules and regulations, and, as a result of the SEC’s recent amendment to the definition of “smaller reporting company,” we will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” for so long as either (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates as of the end of our most recently completed second quarter (“public float”) is less than $250 million or (ii) annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and (A) no public float or (B) a public float of less than $700 million. As a “smaller reporting company,” we have relied on exemptions from certain SEC disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies. These exemptions include reduced financial disclosure and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation. Until such time as we cease to be a “smaller reporting company,” such reduced disclosure in our SEC filings may make it harder for investors to analyze our operating results and financial prospects. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reduced disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Our shares of common stock are from time to time thinly traded, so stockholders may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if they need to sell shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate their shares.
Our common stock has from time to time been “thinly-traded,” meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near ask prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company that is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer that has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give stockholders any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained.
The trading in our stock has in the past and may continue to be very volatile.
Our stock price and the trading volume of our stock continue to be very volatile. As such, investors may find it difficult to obtain accurate stock price quotations and holders of our stock may be unable to resell their stock at desirable prices. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock and our stock price may decline substantially in a short period of time. As a result, our stockholders could suffer losses or be unable to liquidate holdings.
None.
We lease office space in Brooklyn, NY for our headquarters.
The information included in “Note 14 – Commitments and Contingencies” of the Company’s consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report is incorporated by reference into this Item.
Not applicable.
Market Information
Our common stock is listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SGBX.”
Holders
As of the close of business on March 23, 2020, there were approximately 85 holders of record of our common stock, which does not reflect those shares held beneficially or those shares held in “street” name. Accordingly, the number of beneficial owners of our common stock exceeds this number. On March 18, 2020, the closing sales price of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.83.
Dividend Policy
We have never paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends by us will depend on our future earnings, financial condition and such other business and economic factors as our management may consider relevant.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
We did not sell any unregistered securities from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 that were not previously disclosed in our filings with the SEC.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
We did not repurchase any of our outstanding shares during 2019.
Performance Graph and Purchases of Equity Securities
The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this item.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent’s principal business address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, and its telephone number is (800) 937-5449.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The information required by this section will be contained in the “Equity Compensation Plan” section of our proxy statement for our 2020 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2019, and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this item.
Introduction and Certain Cautionary Statements
The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of our operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and schedules included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, intensified competition and operating problems in our operating business projects and their impact on revenues and profit margins or additional factors, and those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. In addition, certain information presented below is based on unaudited financial information.
Background
Using our proprietary technology and design and engineering expertise, we modify code-engineered cargo shipping containers and purpose-built modules for use for safe and sustainable commercial, industrial and residential building construction. Rather than consuming new steel and lumber, our proprietary technology and design and engineering expertise allows for the redesign, repurpose and conversion of heavy-gauge steel cargo shipping containers into SGBlocks™, which are safe green building blocks for commercial, industrial, and residential building construction.
Prior to October 2019, our business model was solely a project-based construction model pursuant to which we were responsible for the design and construction of finished products that incorporated our technology primarily to customers in the multi-family housing, restaurant, military and education industries throughout the United States. In October 2019, we changed our business model for our residential building construction to a royalty fee model when we entered into a five year exclusive license with CPF pursuant to which CPF licensed on an exclusive basis our proprietary technology, intellectual property, any improvements thereto, and any related permits, with the right to develop and commercialize products in the United States and its territories within the field of design and project management platforms for residential use, including, without limitation, single-family residences and multi-family residences, but specifically excluding military housing. The Ridge Avenue Project, a residential housing project in Atlanta has also been excluded from the CPF license. Now, in the United States with respect to residential construction (other than the excluded residential structures) we are not permitted to and are no longer responsible for constructing the Modules that are based on our technology or the related costs and instead that service (including with respect to agreement that were in existence as of the effective date of the license with CPF) is performed by CPF and its subcontractors and any revenue for such residential construction will no longer generated from sales of products directly to the end customer but instead will be generated from royalties received from CPF based on the gross revenue that CPF receives from sales of products that are based upon our technology. Depending upon the success of this new business model, we may expand the licensing business model to commercial and industrial construction. We also are continuing to seek opportunities and potential projects in other target markets, which may develop into licensing opportunities in the future.
On October 3, 2019, we entered into a Loan Agreement and Promissory Note (the “Loan Agreement”) with CPF GP, pursuant to which we agreed to loan CPF GP a principal amount of $750,000 at an annual interest rate of five percent (5%), with a maturity date of July 31, 2023. Under the Loan Agreement, as amended agreed to advance to CPF GP the first installment of the principal amount, equal to $500,000, no later than January 31, 2020 and the second installment of the principal amount, equal to $250,000, no later than April 15, 2020. As security for this loan, we will receive a security interest in all of CPF GP’s membership interests in the Licensee. If we fail to fund either principal installment, such failure will constitute a default under the Loan Agreement and a cross default under the License Agreement. On January 21, 2020, pursuant to the Loan Agreement, CPF GP issued to us a promissory note in the principal amount of $400,000 (the “Company Note”) and issued to Paul Galvin, our Chairman and CEO, a promissory note in the principal amount of $100,000 (the “Galvin Note”). The transaction closed on January 22, 2020, on which date we loaned CPF GP $400,000 and Mr. Galvin personally loaned CPF GP $100,000 on behalf of us. The Company Note and Galvin Note bear interest at five percent (5%) per annum, payable, together with the unpaid principal amount of the promissory notes, on the earlier of the July 31, 2023 maturity date or upon the liquidation, redemption sale or issuance of a dividend upon the LLC interests in CPF MF 2019-1 LLC, a Texas limited liability company of which CPF GP is the general partner; provided, that the terms of the Galvin Note provide that all interest payments due to Mr. Galvin under the Galvin Note shall be paid directly to, and for the benefit of, the Company.
On February 4, 2020, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with an accredited investor, pursuant to which we issued to the investor a secured note in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000 (the “Note”). The Note is one of a series of up to $400,000 of notes that may be issued by us, bears interest at a rate of nine percent (9%) per annum, is due on July 31, 2023, and is secured under a Pledge Agreement, dated February 4, 2020, entered into with the investor (the “Pledge Agreement”) by a security interest in the royalty payable to us under that certain Exclusive License Agreement, dated October 3, 2019, with CPF GP 2019-1 LLC. We have the right to prepay the Note, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, without premium or penalty.
Results of Operations
As a result of our new licensing model that commenced in October 2019, our operations for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 may not be indicative of our future operations.
Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:
| | For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 | | | For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 | |
Total Revenue | | $ | 2,984,835 | | | $ | 8,190,712 | |
Total Cost of revenue | | | (2,307,488 | ) | | | (7,647,979 | ) |
Total Operating expenses | | | (7,381,359 | ) | | | (5,388,896 | ) |
Total Operating loss | | | (6,704,012 | ) | | | (4,846,163 | ) |
Total Other income (expense) | | | (216,528 | ) | | | 2,142 |
|
Net loss | | $ | (6,920,540 | ) | | $ | (4,844,021 | ) |
Revenue
Total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $2,984,835 compared to $8,190,712 for the year ended December 31, 2018. This decrease of $5,205,877 or 64% was mainly driven by a decline in revenue resulting from our school, retail, office and special use contracts that were in progress for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to December 31, 2018.
In addition, we recognized no revenue during the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to approximately $2,700,000 during the year ended December 31, 2018 on a legacy contract in the amount of approximately $6,100,000. We recognized no royalty revenue from our licensee during the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Profit
Cost of revenue was $2,307,488 for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $7,647,979 for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease of $5,340,491 or a decrease of approximately 70%, is primarily related to lower revenues and the lower procurement and manufacturing costs of modifying containers.
The $5,340,491 decrease in cost of revenue includes decreased costs of approximately $3,650,000 on a legacy contract in the amount of approximately $6,100,000.
Gross profit was $677,347 and $542,733 for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Gross profit percentage increased to 23% for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 7% for the year ended December 31, 2018 primarily due to lower margins on revenue realized from a legacy contract of approximately $6,100,000 during 2018.
Payroll and Related Expenses
Payroll and related expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $2,392,587 compared to $2,166,212 for the year ended December 31, 2018. This increase was primarily caused by an increase of $319,690 in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by a decrease in salaries and additional head count of $140,090 recognized during the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018. We recognized $715,904 in stock-based compensation expense related to payroll and related expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $396,214 for December 31, 2018.
Other Operating Expenses (General and administrative expenses, Marketing and business development expense, Pre-project expenses and Goodwill impairment)
Other operating expenses (general and administrative expenses, marketing and business development expenses, pre-project expenses and goodwill impairment) for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $4,988,772 compared to $3,222,684 for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase resulted primarily from an impairment loss of approximately $2,938,653 offset by decrease in marketing and business development costs of approximately $146,842, a decrease in pre-project expenses of approximately $53,342, a decrease of approximately $864,580 in bad debt expense from two legacy contract and a decrease of approximately $444,493 in amortization expense caused by customer contracts being fully amortized at the end of 2018‚ offset by an increase of approximately $205,052 in legal fees, an increase of approximately $32,259 in professional fees and an increase of approximately $26,569 in contract labor.
Interest Expense
Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $178,995 and related to the RedDiamond Partners LLC Securities Purchase Agreement that was executed in November 2019. There was no interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Other Income (Expense)
For the year ended December 31, 2019, we recognized $14,506 in other income compared to $5,768 during the year ended December 31, 2018. For the year ended December 31, 2019, there was a loss on asset disposal of $52,039 compared to $3,626 for a loss from equity affiliates during the year ended December 31, 2018.
Income Tax Provision
A 100% valuation allowance was provided against the deferred tax asset consisting of available net operating loss carryforwards and, accordingly, no income tax benefit was provided.
Impact of Inflation
The impact of inflation upon the Company’s revenue and income (loss) from continuing operations during each of the past two fiscal years has not been material to its financial position or results of operations for those years because the Company does not maintain any inventories whose costs are affected by inflation.
Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 virus is expected to result in a global slowdown of economic activity which is likely to decrease demand for a broad variety of goods and services, including from our customers, while also resulting in delays in projects due to labor shortages and supplier disruptions for an unknown period of time until the disease is contained. To date, we have experienced some delays in projects due to COVID-19 which we expect to have an impact on our revenue and our results of operations, the size and duration of which we are currently unable to predict.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we had an aggregate of $1,625,671 and $1,368,395, respectively, of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Historically, our operations have primarily been funded through proceeds from equity and debt financings, as well as revenue from operations.
In June 2017, we completed a public offering, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $6,800,000 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other expenses. In July 2017, in connection with a public offering, the underwriters exercised their option to purchase 11,250 additional shares of common stock from us in full at a price to the public of $100.00 per share. As a result of the exercise and closing of the option to purchase additional shares, total net proceeds from the public offering were approximately $7,900,000 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and related expenses. We incurred a total of $1,565,386 in issuance costs in connection with the Public Offering.
In April 2019, we issued 42,388 shares of our common stock at a price of $22.00 per share through a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors and accredited investors. Concurrently with the sale of the common stock, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we also sold common stock purchase warrants to such investors to purchase up to an aggregate of 42,388 shares of common stock. We incurred $379,816 in issuance costs from the offering and issued 4,239 warrants to the underwriters.
In August 2019, we issued 45,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $17.00 per share pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to the public. We incurred $181,695 in issuance costs from the offering and issued warrants to purchase 2,250 shares of common stock to the underwriter.
In December 2019, we completed the Public Offering where we issued 857,500 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $3.00 per share resulting in net proceeds of approximately $2,117,948 after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other expenses. We incurred a total of $454,552 in issuance costs in connection with the Public Offering. In our November 2019 debt financing, we received a cash payment in the aggregate amount of $375,000 pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement that we entered into with RedDiamond Partners LLC (the “Lender”), and we issued to the Lender the Debenture in the aggregate principal amount of $480,770 (representing an original issue discount of 22%), which Debenture was secured by a security interest in all of our existing and future assets, subject to existing security interests and exceptions. We received net proceeds of approximately $326,250 after deducting certain fees due to the placement agent and certain transaction expenses. The Debenture was repaid in full out of the proceeds of our December 2019 public offering.
On February 4, 2020, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with an accredited investor, pursuant to which we issued to the investor a secured note in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000 (the “Note”). The Note is one of a series of up to $400,000 of notes that may be issued by us, bears interest at a rate of nine percent (9%) per annum, is due on July 31, 2023, and is secured under a Pledge Agreement, dated February 4, 2020, entered into with the investor (the “Pledge Agreement”) by a security interest in the royalty payable to us under that certain Exclusive License Agreement, dated October 3, 2019, with CPF GP 2019-1 LLC. We have the right to prepay the Note, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, without premium or penalty.
We anticipate that we will continue to generate losses from operations for the foreseeable future. At December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we had a cash balance and short-term investment of $1,625,671 and $1,368,395, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, our stockholders’ equity was $4,360,149, compared to $7,080,067 as of December 31, 2018. Our net loss from operations for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $6,920,540 and $4,844,021, respectively. This increase was primarily due to an increase in operating expenses of $1,992,463 and an increase in interest expense of $178,995 related to the Securities Purchase Agreement in 2019. Net cash used in operating activities was $2,815,621 and $3,452,234 for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The decrease resulted mainly from a decrease in bad debt expense of $864,580, decrease of non-cash amortization expense of $434,299, increase of non-cash goodwill impairment loss of $2,938,653 and interest expense of $178,995 in 2019, increase of $333,190 in non-cash stock compensation expense, an increase of $736,668 in net loss and an increase of $509,899 in working capital in the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to year ended December 31, 2018.
We may need to generate additional revenues or secure additional financing sources, such as debt or equity capital, to fund future growth, which financing may not be available on favorable terms or at all. We do not have any additional sources secured for future funding, and if we are unable to raise the necessary capital at the times we require such funding, we may need to materially change our business plan, including delaying implementation of aspects of such business plan or curtailing or abandoning such business plan altogether.
We provide services to our customers in three separate phases: the design phase, the architectural and engineering phase and the construction phase. Each phase is independent of the other, but builds through a progression of concept through delivery of a completed structure. These phases may be embodied in a single contract or in separate contracts, which is typical of a design build process model. As of December 31, 2019, we had 10 projects totaling $17,634,261 under contract, which, if they all proceed to construction, will result in our constructing approximately 123,450 square feet of container space. Of these contracts, all ten projects combine all three phases or parts thereof and including construction. We expect that all of this revenue will be realized by September 30, 2022.
Backlog may fluctuate significantly due to the timing of orders or awards for large projects and is not necessarily indicative of future backlog levels or the rate at which backlog will be recognized as revenue. The decrease in backlog at December 31, 2019 from the prior year is primarily attributable to us moving a contract of approximately $25,000,000 out of backlog after receiving a cancellation notice from the customer and moving two contracts of approximately $70,000,000 out of backlog due to the exclusive license agreement. We had work in progress or completed contracts during the year ended 2019 for approximately $2,984,000.
.
There can be no assurance that our customers will decide to and/or be able to proceed with these construction projects, or that we will ultimately recognize revenue from these projects in a timely manner or at all.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had no material off-balance sheet arrangements to which we are a party.
In the ordinary course of business, we enter into agreements with third parties that include indemnification provisions which, in our judgment, are normal and customary for companies in our industry sector. These agreements are typically with consultants and certain vendors. Pursuant to these agreements, we generally agree to indemnify, hold harmless, and reimburse indemnified parties for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified parties with respect to actions taken or omitted by us. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. We have not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification provisions. As a result, the estimated fair value of liabilities relating to these provisions is minimal. Accordingly, we have no liabilities recorded for these provisions as of December 31, 2019.
Critical Accounting Policies and New Accounting Pronouncements
Critical Accounting Policies
Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). In connection with the preparation of the financial statements, we are required to make assumptions and estimates and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses, and the related disclosures. We base our assumptions, estimates, and judgments on historical experience, current trends, and other factors that we believe to be relevant at the time the consolidated financial statements are prepared. On a regular basis, we review the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates, and judgments to ensure that our financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.
Our significant accounting policies are discussed in “Note 3—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. We believe that the following accounting policies are the most critical in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.
Share-based payments. We measure the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. For employees and directors, including non-employee directors, the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date. For non-employees, the fair value of the award is generally re-measured on interim financial reporting dates and vesting dates until the service period is complete. The fair value amount is then recognized over the period services are required to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. We recognize stock-based compensation expense on a graded-vesting basis over the requisite service period for each separately vesting tranche of each award. Stock-based compensation expense to employees and all directors is reported within payroll and related expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Stock-based compensation expense to non-employees is reported within marketing and business development expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
Other derivative financial instruments. SGB classifies as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) provide a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in SGB’s own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement), provided that such contracts are indexed to SGB’s own stock. SGB classifies as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net-cash settle the contract if any event occurs and if that event is outside SGB’s control) or (ii) give the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement shares (physical settlement or net-cash settlement). SGB assesses classification of common stock purchase warrants and other free-standing derivatives at each reporting date to determine whether a change in classification between assets and liabilities or equity is required.
Convertible instruments. SGB bifurcates conversion options from their host instruments and accounts for them as free-standing derivative financial instruments according to certain criteria. The criteria include circumstances in which (i) the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative instrument are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract; (ii) the hybrid instrument that embodies both the embedded derivative instrument and the host contract is not re-measured at fair value under otherwise applicable GAAP measures with changes in fair value reported in earnings as they occur; and (iii) a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative instrument would be considered a derivative instrument.
SGB determined that the embedded conversion options that were included in the previously outstanding convertible debentures should be bifurcated from their host and a portion of the proceeds received upon the issuance of the hybrid contract has been allocated to the fair value of the derivative. The derivative was subsequently marked to market at each reporting date based on current fair value, with the changes in fair value reported in results of operations.
Revenue recognition. We apply recognition of revenue over time, which is similar to the method we applied under previous guidance (i.e., percentage of completion). We determine, at contract inception, whether we will transfer control of a promised good or service over time or at a point in time—regardless of the length of contract or other factors. The recognition of revenue aligns with the timing of when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, we apply the following five steps in accordance with our revenue policy:
(1) Identify the contract with a customer
(2) Identify the performance obligations in the contract
(3) Determine the transaction price
(4) Allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract
(5) Recognize revenue as performance obligations are satisfied
Due to uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is possible that estimates of costs to complete a performance obligation will be revised in the near-term. For those performance obligations for which revenue is recognized using a cost-to-cost input method, changes in total estimated costs, and related progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation, are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis in the period in which the revisions to the estimates are made. When the current estimate of total costs for a performance obligation indicate a loss, a provision for the entire estimated loss on the unsatisfied performance obligation is made in the period in which the loss becomes evident.
On October 3, 2019, we entered into an Exclusive License Agreement (“ELA” ) pursuant to which we granted an exclusive license for our technology as outlined in the ELA. See Note 3 for a discussion on the ELA. Under the ELA, we will receive royalty payments based upon gross revenues earned by the licensee for commercialize products within the field of design and project management platforms for residential use, including single-family residences and multi-family residences, but excluding military housing. We determined that the ELA grants the licensee a right to access our intellectual property throughout the license period (or its remaining economic life, if shorter), and thus recognizes revenue over time as the licensee recognizes revenue and we have the right to payment of royalties.
Prior to entering into the ELA, we were subject to an agreement to construct and develop a certain property (“Original Agreement”), which now is subject to the ELA. Because of this, we are no longer obliged to perform under the Original Agreement. Upon entering the ELA, we had an outstanding accounts receivable balance of $306,143 which was forfeited and we recognized this amount as deferred contract costs. This amount was offset by $102,217, which was a reimbursement from the licensee for project costs on this project. We incurred total deferred contract costs of $203,926. We considered this amount an incremental cost of obtaining that ELA, because we expect to recover these costs through future royalty payments. We plan to amortize the asset over sixty months, which is the initial term of the ELA because the asset relates to the services transferred to the customer during the contract term.
On October 9, 2019, we entered into a Right of First Refusal Agreement (the “Agreement”) with CMC Development LLC (“CMC”). See Note 3 for a discussion on the Right of First Refusal Agreement. Under the agreement, we have a right of first refusal with respect to being engaged as a designer and builder of any real estate projects for which CMC has secured the rights to develop and in which CMC has a greater than fifty percent (50%) interest in the owner or developer entity and has the right to select the builder for such real estate project (the “ROFR Rights”). In exchange for such ROFR Rights, we agreed to issue to CMC 2,500 shares of restricted stock of our common stock, of which 1,250 shares will vest and be issued on September 30, 2020 and the remaining 1,250 shares will vest and be issued on September 30, 2021, unless the Agreement is earlier terminated. In the event that the Agreement is earlier terminated, CMC will still be entitled to receive the entire amount of such restricted stock that has vested as of such earlier termination date, but in no event less than 1,250 shares of such restricted stock. The Agreement also provides for customary indemnification and confidentiality obligations between the parties. The 2,500 shares of restricted stock of our common stock has yet to be issued to CMC.
The Agreement also provides that CMC has engaged us to build and design, in the aggregate, approximately 100 residential and commercial units at 1100 Ridge Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia, which is known as the “Ridge Avenue, Atlanta Project.” The total cost of the project is $16,900,000. The project is a residential project but not subject to the ELA.
Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess of reorganization value over the fair value of identified net assets upon emergence from bankruptcy. In accordance with the accounting guidance on goodwill, SGB performs its impairment test of goodwill at the reporting unit level each fiscal year, or more frequently if events or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of its reporting unit below its carrying value. Our evaluation of goodwill completed during the year ended December 31, 2019, resulted in an impairment loss of $2,938,653.
Intangible assets – Intangible assets consist of $2,766,000 of proprietary knowledge and technology which is being amortized over 20 years, $1,113,000 of customer contracts which is being amortized over 2.5 years, $28,820 of trademarks which is being amortized over 5 years and $5,300 of website fees which is being amortized over 5 years. Our evaluation of intangible assets for impairment during the year ended December 31, 2019, and determined that there were no impairment losses.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for all recently adopted and new accounting pronouncements.
Non-GAAP Financial Information
In addition to our results under GAAP, we also present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for historical periods. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures and have been presented as supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We calculate EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, income tax benefit (expense), depreciation and amortization. We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA before certain non-recurring adjustments such as loss on conversion of convertible debentures, change in fair value of financial instruments and stock compensation expense.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are presented because they are important metrics used by management as one of the means by which it assesses our financial performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. These measures, when used in conjunction with related GAAP financial measures, provide investors with an additional financial analytical framework that may be useful in assessing us and our results of operations.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have certain limitations. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), or any other measures of financial performance derived in accordance with GAAP. These measures also should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items for which these non-GAAP measures make adjustments. Additionally, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended to be liquidity measures because of certain limitations, including, but not limited to:
| ● | They do not reflect our cash outlays for capital expenditures; |
| ● | They do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital; and |
| ● | Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets are being depreciated and amortized and may have to be replaced in the future, and these non-GAAP measures do not reflect cash requirements for such replacements. |
Other companies, including other companies in our industry, may not use such measures or may calculate one or more of the measures differently than as presented in this Annual Report, limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure.
In evaluating EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we will incur expenses that are the same or similar to some of the adjustments made in our calculations, and our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed to mean that our future results will be unaffected by such adjustment. Management compensates for these limitations by using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental financial metrics and in conjunction with our results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP information should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes.
The following is a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to the nearest GAAP measure, net loss:
| | For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 | | | For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 | |
Net loss | | $ | (6,920,540 | ) | | $ | (4,844,021 | ) |
Addback interest expense | | | 178,995 | | | | — | |
Addback depreciation and amortization | | | 164,941 | | | | 596,383 | |
EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | | (6,576,604 | ) | | | (4,247,638 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Addback goodwill impairment | | | 2,938,653 | | | | — | |
Addback loss on asset disposal | | | 52,039 | | | | — | |
Addback stock-based compensation expense | | | 729,404 | | | | 396,214 | |
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $ | (2,856,508 | ) | | $ | (3,851,424 | ) |
Not applicable.
Our financial statements and the notes thereto, together with the report thereon of Whitley Penn LLP dated March 30, 2020, appear beginning on page F-1 of this report.
None.
(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report (the “Evaluation Date”). Based upon that evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that, as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
The Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial Officer believe that the consolidated financial statements and other information contained in this Annual Report present fairly, in all material respects, our business, financial condition and results of operations.
(b) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is also responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of the inherent limitations of internal control systems, our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessment, we concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to the exemption provided to issuers that are neither “large accelerated filers” nor “accelerated filers” under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2019 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
None.
The information required by this item will be contained in the “Proposal 1 – Election of Directors,” “Information About Our Executive Officers,” “The Board and its Committees – Director Independence,” “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” “Code of Ethics,” and “The Board and its Committees – Board and Committee Responsibilities – Audit Committee” sections of our definitive proxy statement for our 2020 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2020 Proxy Statement”) that we expect to file with the SEC no later than April 29, 2020 (120 days after December 31, 2019), and is incorporated herein by reference in response to this Item 10.
The information required by this item will be contained in the “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” sections of our 2020 Proxy Statement for that we expect to file with the SEC no later than April 29, 2020 (120 days after December 31, 2019), and is incorporated herein by reference in response to Item 11.
The information required by this item will be contained in the “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Equity Compensation Plan” sections of our 2020 Proxy Statement that we expect to file with the SEC no later than April 29, 2020 (120 days after December 31, 2019), and is incorporated herein by reference in response to Item 12.
The information required by this item will be contained in the “The Board and its Committees – Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” and “The Board and its Committees – Director Independence” sections of our 2020 Proxy Statement that we expect to file with the SEC no later than April 29, 2020 (120 days after December 31, 2019), and is incorporated herein by reference in response to Item 13.
The information required by this item will be contained in the “Proposal 2 – Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “The Board and its Committees – Board and Committee Responsibilities – Audit Committee” sections of our 2020 Proxy Statement that we expect to file with the SEC no later than April 29, 2020 (120 days after December 31, 2019), and is incorporated herein by reference in response to Item 14.
(a)(1) INDEX TO 2019 CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:
Our financial statements and the notes thereto, together with the report thereon of Whitley Penn LLP dated March 30, 2020, appear beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report. See Table of Contents of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.
(a)(2) FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable, not material or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
