Exhibit 99
Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and all other information contained in our public filings before making an investment decision about our common stock. While the risks described below are the ones we believe are most important for you to consider, these risks are not the only ones that we face. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, operating results or financial condition could suffer, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have limited experience manufacturing solar systems on a commercial basis and have a limited operating history on which to base our prospects and anticipated results of operations.
We commenced solar power-related operations in June 2006 and began manufacturing solar modules in April 2007. As a result, we have limited experience manufacturing solar systems on a commercial basis. Our IAS (Shenzhen) Electronics Co., Ltd. subsidiary completed its first mechanical assembly manufacturing line in May 2005 and began commercial shipment of its cable, wire and mechanical products in June 2005. Although we are continuing to develop our solar manufacturing capabilities and processes, we do not know whether the processes we have developed will be capable of supporting large-scale manufacturing, or whether we will be able to develop the other processes necessary for large-scale manufacturing of solar systems that meet the requirements for cost, schedule, quality, engineering, design, production standards and volume requirements. If we fail to develop or obtain the necessary manufacturing capabilities it will significantly alter our business plans and could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, due to our limited operating history, our historical operating results may not provide a meaningful basis for evaluating our business, financial performance and prospects. We have incurred net losses since our inception and, as of September 30, 2007, had an accumulated deficit of $6.7 million. We may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability in the future.
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly from period to period; if we fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, our stock price may decline significantly.
Several factors can contribute to significant quarterly and other periodic fluctuations in our results of operations. These factors may include but are not limited to the following:
• | the timing of orders; | ||
• | the volume of orders relative to our capacity; | ||
• | the availability and pricing of raw materials, such as solar cells and wafers; | ||
• | delays in delivery of components or raw materials by our suppliers, which could cause delays in our delivery of products to our customers; |
• | delays in our product sales, design and qualification processes, which vary widely in length based upon customer requirements; | ||
• | product introductions and market acceptance of new products or new generations of products; | ||
• | effectiveness in managing manufacturing processes; | ||
• | changes in cost and availability of labor and components; | ||
• | product mix; | ||
• | pricing and availability of competitive products and services; | ||
• | changes in government regulations; | ||
• | changes or anticipated changes in economic conditions; | ||
• | delays in installation of specific projects due to inclement weather; | ||
• | political uncertainties in China; | ||
• | changes in tax-based incentive programs; | ||
• | changes in currency translation rates affecting margins and pricing levels; and availability of financing for customers. |
We base our planned operating expenses in part on our expectations of future revenue, and we believe a significant portion of our expenses will be 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 analysts’ guidance or any guidance announced by us. If we fail to meet or exceed analyst or investor expectations or our own future guidance, even by a small amount, our stock price could decline, perhaps substantially.
Our business strategy depends on the widespread adoption of solar power technology, and if demand for solar power products fails to develop sufficiently, our revenues and ability to achieve or maintain profitability could be harmed.
The market for solar power products is emerging and rapidly evolving, and its future success is uncertain. If solar power technology proves unsuitable for widespread commercial deployment or if demand for solar power products fails to develop sufficiently, we may not be able to generate enough revenues to achieve and sustain profitability. The factors influencing the widespread adoption of solar power technology include but are not limited to:
• | cost-effectiveness of solar power technologies as compared with conventional and non-solar alternative energy technologies; | ||
• | performance and reliability of solar power products as compared with conventional and non-solar alternative energy products; |
• | success of other alternative distributed generation technologies such as fuel cells, wind power and micro turbines; | ||
• | fluctuations in economic and market conditions which impact the viability of conventional and non-solar alternative energy sources, such as increases or decreases in the prices of oil and other fossil fuels; and | ||
• | availability of government subsidies and incentives. |
If we do not obtain sufficient supply of solar cells and other components and materials to conduct our business, our revenues and operating results could suffer.
There are a limited number of solar cell suppliers. Our estimate regarding our supply needs may not be correct and our purchase orders may be cancelled by our suppliers. If our suppliers cancel our purchase orders or change the volume or pricing associated with these purchase orders, we may be unable to meet existing and future customer demand for our products, which could cause us to lose customers, market share and revenue.
Our component and materials suppliers may fail to meet our needs. We manufacture all of our solar power products using materials and components procured from a limited number of third-party suppliers. We do not currently have long-term supply contracts with our suppliers. This generally serves to reduce our commitment risk but does expose us to supply risk and to price increases that we may not be able to pass on to our customers. In some cases, supply shortages and delays in delivery may result in curtailed production or delays in production, which could contribute to a decrease in inventory levels and loss of profit. We expect that shortages and delays in deliveries of some components will occur from time to time. If we are unable to obtain sufficient components on a timely basis, we may experience manufacturing delays, which could harm our relationships with current or prospective customers and reduce our sales. We also depend on a select number of suppliers for certain supplies that we use in our business. If we are unable to continue to purchase components from these limited source suppliers or are unable to identify alternative suppliers, our business and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. In addition our competitors may be able to obtain better pricing.
Subsidies provided by foreign governments impact the supply and price of solar cells and could make it difficult for us to compete effectively.
Several foreign countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal, provide manufacturers of solar products with substantial subsidies to encourage their production of clean solar energy. In many instances, these subsidies are greater than the subsidies we are able to obtain in the U.S. for our operations, which increases the ability of solar product manufacturers in these countries to pay more than we can pay for solar cells while still remaining profitable. If worldwide demand for solar cells from companies located in countries with large solar subsidy programs increases, our suppliers may increase the price they charge to purchase solar cells and allocate available supplies of solar cells to manufacturers located in countries with higher solar subsidies than those provided in the U.S. This risk will increase if more countries implement policies to further subsidize solar technologies. These increased costs and supply constraints could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to compete effectively.
The solar power industry is currently experiencing an industry-wide shortage of polysilicon. This shortage poses several risks to our business, including possible constraints on revenue growth and possible decreases in our gross margins and profitability.
There is currently an industry-wide shortage of polysilicon, which has resulted in significant price increases in solar cells. Polysilicon is an essential raw material used in the production of solar cells. We expect that the average spot price of polysilicon will continue to increase in the near-term. Increases in polysilicon prices could increase the price we pay for solar cells, which could impact our manufacturing costs and our net income. Even with these price increases, demand for solar cells has increased, and many of our principal competitors have announced plans to add additional manufacturing capacity. As this manufacturing capacity becomes operational, it may increase the demand for polysilicon in the near-term and further exacerbate the current shortage. Polysilicon is also used in the semiconductor industry generally and any increase in demand from that sector will compound the shortage. The production of polysilicon is capital intensive and adding additional capacity requires significant lead time. While we are aware that several new facilities for the manufacture of polysilicon are under construction, we do not believe that the supply imbalance will be remedied in the near-term, which could lead to higher prices for, and reduced availability of, solar cells.
As polysilicon supply increases, the corresponding increase in the global supply of solar cells and panels may cause substantial downward pressure on the prices of our products, resulting in lower revenues and earnings.
The scarcity of polysilicon has resulted in the underutilization of solar panel manufacturing capacity at many of our competitors and potential competitors, particularly in China. As additional polysilicon becomes available, we expect solar panel production globally to increase. Decreases in polysilicon pricing and increases in solar panel production could each result in substantial downward pressure on the price of solar cells and panels, including our products. Such price reductions could have a negative impact on our revenue and earnings, and materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.
If we do not achieve satisfactory yields or quality in manufacturing our solar modules or if our suppliers furnish us with defective solar cells, our sales could decrease and our relationships with our customers and our reputation may be harmed.
The success of our business depends upon our ability to incorporate high quality and yield solar cells into our products. We test the quality and yield of our solar products and the solar cells that we incorporate into our solar products, and we source our solar cells from manufacturers we believe are reputable. Nonetheless, our solar modules may contain defects that are not detected until after they are shipped or are installed because we cannot test for all possible scenarios. These defects could cause us to incur significant re-engineering costs, divert the attention of our engineering personnel from product development efforts and significantly affect our customer relations and business reputation. In addition, we may not be able to fulfill our purchase orders if we purchase a large number of defective solar cells. The number of solar cells that we purchase at any time is based upon expected demand for our products and an assumed ratio of defective to non-defective solar cells. If this ratio is greater than expected, we may not have an adequate number of non-defective solar cells to allow us to fulfill our purchase orders on time. If we do not fulfill orders for our products because we have a shortage of non-defective solar cells or deliver modules with errors or defects, or if there is a perception that these solar cells or solar modules contain errors or defects, our credibility and the market acceptance and sales of our products could be harmed.
Potential strategic acquisitions or alliances may not achieve our objectives.
We are currently exploring additional strategic acquisitions or alliances designed to enhance or complement our technology or to work in conjunction with our technology, increase our manufacturing capacity, provide additional know-how, components or supplies and develop, introduce and distribute products and services utilizing our technology and know-how. If we make any acquisitions we may
assume unknown or contingent liabilities. Any future acquisitions by us also may result in significant write-offs or the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities, any of which could harm our operating results. We may not identify or complete these transactions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or at all. Any strategic acquisitions or alliances entered into may not achieve our strategic objectives, and parties to our strategic acquisitions or alliances may not perform as contemplated.
We may not be able to efficiently integrate the operations of our acquisitions, products or technologies.
From time to time, we may acquire new and complementary technology, assets and companies. We do not know if we will be able to complete any acquisitions or if we will be able to successfully integrate any acquired businesses, operate them profitably or retain key employees. Integrating any other newly acquired business, product or technology could be expensive and time-consuming, disrupt our ongoing business and distract our management. We may face competition for acquisition targets from larger and more established companies with greater financial resources. In addition, in order to finance any acquisitions, we might be forced to obtain equity or debt financing on terms that are not favorable to us and, in the case of equity financing our stockholders interests may be diluted. If we are unable to integrate effectively any newly acquired company, product or technology, our business, financial condition and operating results could suffer.
Failure to optimize our manufacturing potential and cost structure could materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
We have one manufacturing facility in China. We strive to fully utilize the manufacturing capacity of our facility but may not do so on a consistent basis. Our factory utilization will be dependent on predicting volatility, timing volume sales to our customers, balancing our productive resources with product mix, and planning manufacturing services for new or other products that we intend to produce. Demand for manufacturing of these products may not be as high as we expect, and we may fail to realize the expected benefit from our investment in our manufacturing facilities. Our profitability and operating results are also dependent upon a variety of other factors, including: utilization rates of our manufacturing lines, downtime due to product changeover, impurities in raw materials causing shutdowns, maintenance of operations and availability of power, water and labor resources.
The reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could cause our revenue to decline.
We believe that the growth of the market for “on-grid” applications, where solar power is used to supplement a customer’s electricity purchased from the utility network, depends in large part on the availability and size of government-generated economic incentives. At present, the cost producing solar energy generally exceeds the price of electricity in the U.S. from traditional sources. As a result, to encourage the adoption of solar technologies, the U.S. government and numerous state governments have provided subsidies in the form of cost reductions, tax write-offs and other incentives to end users, distributors, systems integrators and manufacturers of solar power products. Reduction, elimination and/or periodic interruption of these government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, fiscal tightening or other reasons may result in the diminished competitiveness of solar energy, and materially and adversely affect the growth of these markets and our revenues. Electric utility companies that have significant political lobbying powers may push for a change in the relevant legislation in our markets. The reduction or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for on-grid solar energy applications, especially those in our target markets, could cause our revenues to decline and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face intense competition, and many of our competitors have substantially greater resources than we do.
We operate in a competitive environment that is characterized by price fluctuation and technological change. We compete with major international and domestic companies. Our major system integrator competitors include SunPower/Powerlight, SPG Solar, Akeena Solar, Sun Edison, Global Solar plus numerous other regional players, and other similar companies primarily located in California and New Jersey. Manufacturing competitors include multinational corporations such as BP Solar, Kyocera Corporation, Mitsubishi, Solar World AG, Sharp Corporation, SunPower/Powerlight and Sanyo Corporation. More specifically, our solar power system integrator competitors who have manufacturing facilities in Asia include SunPower/Powerlight. Some of our current and potential competitors have greater market recognition and customer bases, longer operating histories and substantially greater financial, technical, marketing, distribution, purchasing, manufacturing, personnel and other resources than we do. In addition, many of our competitors are developing and are currently producing products based on new solar power technologies that may ultimately have costs similar to, or lower than, our projected costs. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to changing customer demands or to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sales of solar and solar-related products than we can.
Our business relies on sales of our solar power products and our competitors with more diversified product offerings may be better positioned to withstand a decline in the demand for solar power products. Some of our competitors own, partner with, have longer term or stronger relationships with solar cell providers which could result in them being able to obtain solar cells on a more favorable basis than us. It is possible that new competitors or alliances among existing competitors could emerge and rapidly acquire significant market share, which would harm our business. If we fail to compete successfully, our business would suffer and we may lose or be unable to gain market share.
Because our industry is highly competitive and has low barriers to entry, we may lose market share to larger companies that are better equipped to weather a deterioration in market conditions due to increased competition.
Our industry is highly competitive and fragmented, subject to rapid change and has low barriers to entry. We may in the future compete for potential customers with solar and HVAC systems installers and servicers, electricians, utilities and other providers of solar power equipment or electric power. Some of these competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources and greater name recognition than we have.
We believe that our ability to compete depends in part on a number of factors outside of our control, including:
• | the ability of our competitors to hire, retain and motivate qualified personnel; | ||
• | the ownership by competitors of proprietary tools to customize systems to the needs of a particular customer; | ||
• | the price at which others offer comparable services and equipment; | ||
• | the extent of our competitors’ responsiveness to customer needs; and | ||
• | installation technology. |
Competition in the solar power services industry may increase in the future, partly due to low barriers to entry, as well as from other alternative energy resources now in existence or developed in the future. Increased competition could result in price reductions, reduced margins or loss of market share and greater competition for qualified personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors. If we are unable to compete effectively, or if competition results in a deterioration of market conditions, our business and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Our growth plans depend in large part on our ability to identify, attract and retain qualified franchisees and to manage our proposed franchise business.
We expect to grow our business through franchise partners who will establish retail operations in defined geographic areas to market, sell and install photovoltaic systems. As a result, our future growth will depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified franchisees, the franchisees’ ability to execute our business concept, create and maintain brand recognition, develop retail stores and to market and install our products. We may not be able to recruit franchisees who have sufficient expertise in our business or financial resources necessary to effectively open, manage and operate retail stores, or who will conduct operations in a manner consistent with our concept and standards. Also, our franchisees may not be able to operate the retail stores in a profitable manner.
Federal Trade Commission rules require us to furnish prospective franchisees with a franchise disclosure document containing prescribed information before entering into a binding agreement or accepting any payment for the franchise. Numerous states, including California, also have state franchise sales or business opportunity laws which require us to add to the federal disclosure document additional state-specific disclosures and to register our offering with a state agency before we may offer franchises for locations in the state or to state residents. Applicable laws in these states vest state examiners with discretion to disapprove registration applications based on a number of factors. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining registration in all states where we intend to operate franchises or be able to continue to comply with these regulations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Finally, our franchise operations will be dependent upon our ability to:
• | develop, maintain and enhance our brands; | ||
• | maintain satisfactory relations with our franchisees; | ||
• | develop consistency in installation, training and service among our franchisees; | ||
• | monitor and audit the reports and payments received from franchisees; and | ||
• | monitor the quality of the installations completed by our franchisees. |
A few customers account for a significant portion of our sales, and the loss of any of these could harm our business.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2007, three customers contributed 51% of our total sales revenue, including one customer who contributed 27% to our revenue. This compares to the similar period in calendar 2006 when three customers contributed 67% of total sales revenue, including one customer which contributed 38% of our revenue. Under present conditions, the loss of any one of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our performance, liquidity and prospects.
We generally do not have long-term agreements with our customers and, accordingly, could lose customers without warning.
Our products are generally not sold pursuant to long-term agreements with customers, but instead are sold on a purchase order basis. We typically contract to perform large projects with no assurance of repeat business from the same customers in the future. Although we believe that cancellations on our purchase orders to date have been insignificant, our customers may cancel or reschedule purchase orders with us on relatively short notice. Cancellations or rescheduling of customer orders could result in the delay or loss of anticipated sales without allowing us sufficient time to reduce, or delay the incurrence of, our corresponding inventory and operating expenses. In addition, changes in forecasts or the timing of orders from these or other customers expose us to the risks of inventory shortages or excess inventory. This, in addition to the completion and non-repetition of large systems projects, in turn could cause our operating results to fluctuate.
Decrease in construction could adversely affect our business.
During 2006, approximately 50% of our solar-related revenues were generated from the design and installation of solar power products in newly constructed and renovated buildings, plants and residences. Our ability to generate revenues from construction contracts will depend on the number of new construction starts and renovations, which should correlate with the cyclical nature of the construction industry and be affected by general and local economic conditions, changes in interest rates, lending standards and other factors. For example, the current housing slump and tightened credit markets have resulted in reduced new home construction, which limits our ability to sell solar products to residential and commercial developers.
We act as the general contractor for our customers in connection with the installations of our solar power systems and are subject to risks associated with construction, bonding, cost overruns, delays and other contingencies, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We act as the general contractor for our customers in connection with the installation of our solar power systems. All essential costs are estimated at the time of entering into the sales contract for a particular project, and these are reflected in the overall price that we charge our customers for the project. These cost estimates are preliminary and may or may not be covered by contracts between us or the other project developers, subcontractors, suppliers and other parties to the project. In addition, we require qualified, licensed subcontractors to install most of our systems. Shortages of such skilled labor could significantly delay a project or otherwise increase our costs. Should miscalculations in planning a project or defective or late execution occur, we may not achieve our expected margins or cover our costs. Also, most systems customers require performance bonds issued by a bonding agency. Due to the general performance risk inherent in construction activities, it has become increasingly difficult recently to secure suitable bonding agencies willing to provide performance bonding. In the event we are unable to obtain bonding, we will be unable to bid on, or enter into, sales contracts requiring such bonding.
Delays in solar panel or other supply shipments, other construction delays, unexpected performance problems in electricity generation or other events could cause us to fail to meet these performance criteria,
resulting in unanticipated and severe revenue and earnings losses and financial penalties. Construction delays are often caused by inclement weather, failure to timely receive necessary approvals and permits, or delays in obtaining necessary solar panels, inverters or other materials. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The execution of our growth strategy is dependent upon the continued availability of third-party financing arrangements for our customers.
For many of our projects, our customers have entered into agreements to pay for solar energy over an extended period of time based on energy savings generated by our solar power systems, rather than paying us to purchase our solar power systems. For these types of projects, most of our customers choose to purchase solar electricity under a power purchase agreement with a financing company that purchases the system from us. These structured finance arrangements are complex and may not be feasible in many situations. In addition, customers opting to finance a solar power system may forgo certain tax advantages associated with an outright purchase on an accelerated basis which may make this alternative less attractive for certain potential customers. If financing companies are unwilling or unable to finance the cost of our products, or if the parties that have historically provided this financing cease to do so, or only do so on terms that are substantially less favorable for us or these customers, our growth will be adversely affected.
Existing regulations and policies of the electric utility industry and changes to these regulations and policies may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of our products, which may significantly reduce demand for our products.
The market for electricity generating products is strongly influenced by federal, state and local government regulations and policies concerning the electric utility industry, as well as policies promulgated by electric utilities. These regulations and policies often relate to electricity pricing and technical interconnection of customer-owned electricity generation. In the U.S., these regulations and policies are being modified and may continue to be modified. Customer purchases of alternative energy sources, including solar power technology, could be deterred by these regulations and policies, which could result in a significant reduction in the demand for our solar power products. For example, without a regulatory-mandated exception for solar power systems, utility customers are often charged interconnection or standby fees for putting distributed power generation on the electric utility grid. These fees could increase the cost to our customers and make our solar power products less desirable.
The failure to increase or restructure the net metering caps could adversely affect our business. Currently all grid-tied photovoltaic systems are installed with cooperation by the local utility providers under guidelines created through statewide net metering policies. These policies require local utilities to purchase from end users excess solar electricity for a credit against their utility bills. The amount of solar electricity that the utility is required to purchase is referred to as a net metering cap. If these net metering caps are reached and local utilities are not required to purchase solar power, or if the net metering caps do not increase in the locations where we install our solar product, demand for our products could decrease. The solar industry is currently lobbying to extend these arbitrary net metering caps, and replace them with either notably higher numbers, or with a revised method of calculation that will allow the industry to continue our expansion in a manner consistent with both the industry and state and federal desires.
Moreover, we anticipate that our solar power products and our installation will be subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with national and local ordinances relating to building codes, safety, environmental protection, utility interconnection and metering and related matters. It is difficult to track the requirements of individual states and design equipment to comply with the varying standards. Any new government regulations or utility policies pertaining to our solar power products may result in
significant additional expenses to us, our resellers, and our customers and, as a result, could cause a significant reduction in demand for our solar power products.
Compliance with environmental regulations can be expensive, and noncompliance with these regulations may result in adverse publicity and potentially significant monetary damages and fines.
As our manufacturing processes generate noise, wastewater, gaseous and other industrial wastes, we are required to comply with all national and local regulations regarding protection of the environment. If we fail to comply with present or future environmental regulations, we may be required to pay substantial fines, suspend production or cease operations. In addition, our cost to comply with future regulations may increase, which could adversely impact the price of our products and our profitability.
If we do not retain key personnel, our business will suffer.
The success of our business is heavily dependent on the leadership of our key management personnel, specifically Stephen C. Kircher. In addition, the company currently relies on Todd Lindstrom’s construction experience and management for the installation of solar systems. If either of these people were to leave us, it would be difficult to replace them, and our business may be harmed. We will also need to retain additional highly-skilled individuals if we are to effectively grow our business. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel for all areas of our organization. Competition in our industry for qualified employees is intense, and we anticipate that certain of our competitors may directly target our employees and officers, all of whom are at-will employees and not parties to employment agreements with us. Our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract new qualified employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees and officers.
The growth of our business is dependent upon sufficient capitalization.
The growth of our business depends on our ability to finance new products and services. We operate in a rapidly changing industry. Technological advances, the introduction of new products and new design and manufacturing techniques could adversely affect our business unless we are able to adapt to the changing conditions. To remain competitive, we may incur additional costs in product development, equipment, facilities and integration resources. These additional costs may result in greater fixed costs and operating expenses. As a result, we could be required to expend substantial funds for and commit significant resources to the following:
• | research and development activities on existing and potential product solutions; | ||
• | additional engineering and other technical personnel; | ||
• | advanced design, production and test equipment; | ||
• | manufacturing services that meet changing customer needs; | ||
• | technological changes in manufacturing processes; | ||
• | long cycle times for payment collection after incurring capital costs; | ||
• | manufacturing capacity; and |
• | developing a franchise network. |
We recognize revenue on system installations on a “percentage of completion” basis and payments are due upon the achievement of contractual milestones and any delay or cancellation of a project could adversely affect our business.
We recognize revenue on our system installations on a “percentage of completion” basis and, as a result, our revenue from these installations is driven by the performance of our contractual obligations, which is generally driven by timelines for the installation of our solar power systems at customer sites. This could result in unpredictability of revenue and, in the near term, a revenue decrease. As with any project-related business, there is the potential for delays within any particular customer project. Variation of project timelines and estimates may impact our ability to recognize revenue in a particular period. In addition, certain customer contracts may include payment milestones due at specified points during a project. Because we must invest substantial time and incur significant expense in advance of achieving milestones and the receipt of payment, failure to achieve milestones could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We are subject to particularly lengthy sales cycles in some markets.
Our focus on developing a customer base that requires our solar power products means that it may take longer to develop strong customer relationships or partnerships. Moreover, factors specific to certain industries also have an impact on our sales cycles. Some of our customers may have longer sales cycles that could occur due to the timing of various state and federal subsidies. These lengthy and challenging sales cycles may mean that it could take longer before our sales and marketing efforts result in revenue, if at all, and may have adverse effects on our operating results, financial condition, cash flows and stock price.
Products we manufacture for third parties may contain design or manufacturing defects, which could result in customer claims.
We often manufacture products to our customers’ requirements, which can be highly complex and may at times contain design or manufacturing failures. Any defects in the products we manufacture, whether caused by a design, manufacturing or component failure or error, may result in returns, claims, delayed shipments to customers or reduced or cancelled customer orders. If these defects occur, we will incur additional costs and if in large quantity or too frequent, we may sustain loss of business, loss of reputation and may incur liability.
We may not be able to prevent others from using our trademarks in connection with our solar power products, which could adversely affect the market recognition of our brand names and our revenue.
We have filed applications to register trademarks related to our franchise business and we are in the process preparing additional applications to register the following trademarks: Solar Power, Inc., the Solar Power, Inc. logo, International Assembly Solutions, Ltd. and IAS, Ltd. (the “Marks”) for use with our solar power products. There is no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such marks. In addition, if someone else has already established trademark rights in the Marks, we may face trademark disputes and may have to market our products with other trademarks, which also could hurt our marketing efforts. Furthermore, we may encounter trademark disputes with companies using marks which are confusingly similar to our Marks which if not resolved favorably could cause our branding efforts to suffer. Trademark litigation carries an inherent risk and we cannot guarantee we will be successful in this
type of litigation. In addition, we may have difficulty in establishing strong brand recognition with consumers if others use similar marks for similar products.
Our SkyMount racking system is untested and may not be effective or patentable or may encounter other unexpected problems, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our SkyMount racking system is new and has not been tested in installation settings for a sufficient period of time to prove its long-term effectiveness and benefits. The SkyMount racking system may not be effective or other problems may occur that are unexpected and could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. While we anticipate filing a patent application for our SkyMount racking system technology, a patent may not be issued on such technology or we may not be able to realize the benefits from any patent that is issued.
Our competitive position depends in part on maintaining intellectual property protection.
Our ability to compete and to achieve and maintain profitability depends in part on our ability to protect our proprietary discoveries and technologies. We currently rely on a combination of patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, trade secret laws and confidentiality agreements, to protect our intellectual property rights. We also rely upon unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position.
As of September 30, 2007, we had two pending patent applications. Our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents, and we cannot assure you that our issued patent or any patents that might ultimately be issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will protect our technology. Any patents that may be issued to us might be challenged by third parties as being invalid or unenforceable, or third parties may independently develop similar or competing technology that avoids our patents. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent the misappropriation and use of our intellectual property, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States.
From time to time, the United States Supreme Court, other federal courts, the U.S. Congress or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office may change the standards of patentability and any such changes could have a negative impact on our business.
We may face intellectual property infringement claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and could result in our loss of significant rights and the assessment of damages.
If we receive notice of claims of infringement, misappropriation or misuse of other parties’ proprietary rights, some of these claims could lead to litigation. We cannot assure you that we will prevail in these actions, or that other actions alleging misappropriation or misuse by us of third-party trade secrets, infringement by us of third-party patents and trademarks or the validity of our patents, will not be asserted or prosecuted against us. We may also initiate claims to defend our intellectual property rights. Intellectual property litigation, regardless of outcome, is expensive and time-consuming, could divert management’s attention from our business and have a material negative effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. If there is a successful claim of infringement against us, we may be required to pay substantial damages (including treble damages if we were to be found to have willfully infringed a third party’s patent) to the party claiming infringement, develop non-infringing technology, stop selling our products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable or commercially practical terms, if at all. Our failure to develop non-infringing technologies or license the proprietary rights on a timely basis
could harm our business. Parties making infringement claims on future issued patents may be able to obtain an injunction that would prevent us from selling our products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property, which could harm our business.
We are exposed to risks associated with product liability claims in the event that the use or installation of our products results in injury or damage, and we have limited insurance coverage to protect against such claims and those losses resulting from business interruptions or natural disasters.
Since our products are electricity-producing devices, it is possible that users could be injured or killed by our products, whether by product malfunctions, defects, improper installation or other causes. As a manufacturer, distributor, and installer of products that are used by consumers, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims or class action suits in the event that the use of the solar power products we sell or install results in injury or damage. We commenced commercial shipment of our solar modules in 2007 and, due to our limited historical experience, we are unable to predict whether product liability claims will be brought against us in the future or the effect of any resulting adverse publicity on our business. Moreover, to the extent that a claim is brought against us we may not have adequate resources in the event of a successful claim against us. We rely on our general liability insurance to cover product liability claims and have not obtained separate product liability insurance. The successful assertion of product liability claims against us could result in potentially significant monetary damages and, if our insurance protection is inadequate, could require us to make significant payments which could have a materially adverse effect on our financial results. Any business disruption or natural disaster could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources.
Since we cannot test our solar panels for the duration of our standard 25-year warranty period, we may be subject to unexpected warranty expense; if we are subject to warranty and product liability claims, such claims could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
The possibility of future product failures could cause us to incur substantial expense to repair or replace defective products. We have agreed to indemnify our customers and our distributors in some circumstances against liability from defects in our solar cells. A successful indemnification claim against us could require us to make significant damage payments, which would negatively affect our financial results.
Our current standard product warranty for our solar panels includes a 10-year warranty period for defects in materials and workmanship and a 25-year warranty period for declines in power performance. We believe our warranty periods are consistent with industry practice. Due to the long warranty period, we bear the risk of extensive warranty claims long after we have shipped product and recognized revenue. We have sold solar panels since September 2007. Any increase in the defect rate of our products would cause us to increase the amount of warranty reserves and have a corresponding negative impact on our results. Although we conduct accelerated testing of our solar panels, our solar panels have not and cannot be tested in an environment simulating the 25-year warranty period. As a result of the foregoing, we may be subject to unexpected warranty expense, which in turn would harm our financial results.
Like other retailers, distributors and manufacturers of products that are used by consumers, we face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event that the use of the solar power products into which our solar panels are incorporated results in injury. We may be subject to warranty and product liability claims in the event that our solar power systems fail to perform as expected or if a failure of our solar power systems results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury, property damage or other damages. Since our solar power products are electricity producing devices, it is possible that our products could result in injury, whether by product malfunctions, defects, improper installation or other causes. In
addition, since we only began selling our solar panels in late 2007 and the products we are developing incorporate new technologies and use new installation methods, we cannot predict whether or not product liability claims will be brought against us in the future or the effect of any resulting negative publicity on our business. Moreover, we may not have adequate resources in the event of a successful claim against us. We have evaluated the potential risks we face and believe that we have appropriate levels of insurance for product liability claims. We rely on our general liability insurance to cover product liability claims and have not obtained separate product liability insurance. However, a successful warranty or product liability claim against us that is not covered by insurance or is in excess of our available insurance limits could require us to make significant payments of damages. In addition, quality issues can have various other ramifications, including delays in the recognition of revenue, loss of revenue, loss of future sales opportunities, increased costs associated with repairing or replacing products, and a negative impact on our goodwill and reputation, which could also adversely affect our business and operating results. Our exposure to warranty and product liability claims is expected to increase significantly in connection with our planned expansion into the new home development market.
Warranty and product liability claims may result from defects or quality issues in certain third-party technology and components that we incorporate into our solar power systems, particularly solar cells and panels, over which we have no control. While our agreements with our suppliers generally include warranties, those provisions may not fully compensate us for any loss associated with third-party claims caused by defects or quality issues in these products. In the event we seek recourse through warranties, we will also be dependent on the creditworthiness and continued existence of these suppliers.
Our current standard warranty for our solar power systems differs by geography and end-customer application and includes either a one, two or five year comprehensive parts and workmanship warranty, after which the customer may typically extend the period covered by its warranty for an additional fee. Due to the warranty period, we bear the risk of extensive warranty claims long after we have completed a project and recognized revenues. Future product failures could cause us to incur substantial expenses to repair or replace defective products. While we generally pass through manufacturer warranties we receive from our suppliers to our customers, we are responsible for repairing or replacing any defective parts during our warranty period, often including those covered by manufacturers’ warranties. If the manufacturer disputes or otherwise fails to honor its warranty obligations, we may be required to incur substantial costs before we are compensated, if at all, by the manufacturer. Furthermore, our warranties may exceed the period of any warranties from our suppliers covering components included in our systems, such as inverters.
Our failure to raise additional capital or generate the significant capital necessary to expand our operations and invest in new products could reduce our ability to compete and could harm our business.
We expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with the net proceeds from this offering, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for at least the next twelve months. However, the timing and amount of our working capital and capital expenditure requirements may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including:
• | the level and timing of product revenues; | ||
• | the costs and timing of expansion of product development efforts and the success of these development efforts; | ||
• | the extent to which our existing and new products gain market acceptance; |
• | the costs and timing of expansion of sales and marketing activities; | ||
• | competing technological and marketing developments; | ||
• | the extent of international operations; | ||
• | the need to adapt to changing technologies and technical requirements; | ||
• | the existence of opportunities for expansion and for acquisitions of, investments in, complementary businesses, technologies or product lines; and | ||
• | access to and availability of sufficient management, technical, marketing and financial personnel. |
We may not be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all. If we raise additional equity financing, our shareholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock could decline. If we engage in debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness and force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios, any of which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, we may not be able to, among other things:
• | develop or enhance our products and services; | ||
• | continue to expand our product development sales and marketing organizations; | ||
• | acquire complementary technologies, products or businesses; | ||
• | expand operations, in the United States or internationally; | ||
• | hire, train and retain employees; or | ||
• | respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated working capital requirements. |
Our failure to do any of these things could seriously harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
We must effectively manage our growth.
Failure to manage our growth effectively could adversely affect our operations. We may increase the number of our manufacturing facilities and products and may plan to expand further the number and diversity of our products in the future and may further increase the number of locations from which we manufacture and sell. Our ability to manage our planned growth will depend substantially on our ability to:
• | enhance our operational, financial and management systems; | ||
• | maintain adequate capital resources to pay our production costs before our customers pay us; | ||
• | expand usage of our facilities and equipment; |
• | successfully integrate our franchise operations while effectively managing our related expenses; and | ||
• | successfully hire, train and motivate additional employees, including the technical personnel necessary to operate our production facilities and staff our installation teams. |
An expansion and diversification of our product range, manufacturing and sales and franchise locations and customer base may result in increases in our overhead and selling expenses. We may also be required to increase staffing and other expenses as well as our expenditures on plant, equipment and property in order to meet the anticipated demand of our customers. Any increase in expenditures in anticipation of future orders that do not materialize would adversely affect our profitability. Customers may require rapid increases in design and production services that place an excessive short-term burden on our resources.
We may not be able to increase or sustain our recent growth rate, and we may not be able to manage our future growth effectively.
We may not be able to continue to expand our business or manage future growth. We plan to significantly increase our production capacity between 2007 and 2010. To do so will require successful execution of expanding our existing manufacturing facilities, developing new manufacturing facilities, ensuring delivery of adequate solar cells, developing more efficient solar power systems, maintaining adequate liquidity and financial resources, and continuing to increase our revenues from operations. Expanding our manufacturing facilities or developing facilities may be delayed by difficulties such as unavailability of equipment or supplies or equipment malfunction. Ensuring delivery of adequate solar cells is subject to many market risks including scarcity, significant price fluctuations and competition. Maintaining adequate liquidity is dependent upon a variety of factors including continued revenues from operations and compliance with our indentures and credit agreements. If we are unsuccessful in any of these areas, we may not be able to achieve our growth strategy and increase production capacity as planned during the foreseeable future.
Our recent expansion has placed, and our planned expansion and any other future expansion will continue to place, a significant strain on our management, personnel, systems and resources. We plan to purchase additional equipment to significantly expand our manufacturing capacity and to hire additional employees to support an increase in manufacturing, research and development and our sales and marketing efforts. We anticipate that we will need to hire a significant number of highly skilled technical, manufacturing, sales, marketing, administrative and accounting personnel. The competition for qualified personnel is intense in our industry. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified personnel to support our anticipated growth. To successfully manage our growth and handle the responsibilities of being a public company, we believe we must effectively:
• | hire, train, integrate and manage additional qualified engineers for research and development activities, sales and marketing personnel, and financial and information technology personnel; | ||
• | retain key management and augment our management team, particularly if we lose key members; | ||
• | continue to enhance our customer resource management and manufacturing management systems; |
• | implement and improve additional and existing administrative, financial and operations systems, procedures and controls, including the need to update and integrate our financial internal control systems as well as our ERP system in our China facility with those of our Roseville, California headquarters; | ||
• | expand and upgrade our technological capabilities; and | ||
• | manage multiple relationships with our customers, suppliers and other third parties. |
We may encounter difficulties in effectively managing the budgeting, forecasting and other process control issues presented by rapid growth. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, develop new solar modules and other products, satisfy customer requirements, execute our business plan or respond to competitive pressures.
We may be unable to achieve our goal of reducing the cost of installed solar systems, which may negatively impact our ability to sell our products in a competitive environment, resulting in lower revenues, gross margins and earnings.
To reduce the cost of installed solar systems, as compared against the current cost, we will have to achieve cost savings across the entire value chain from designing to manufacturing to distributing to selling and ultimately to installing solar systems. We have identified specific areas of potential savings and are pursuing targeted goals. However, such cost savings are especially dependent upon decreasing silicon prices and lowering manufacturing costs. Additionally, we are increasing production capacity at our existing manufacturing facilities while seeking to improve efficiencies. We also expect to develop additional manufacturing capacity. As a result, we expect these improvements will decrease our per unit production costs. However, if we are unsuccessful in our efforts to lower the cost of installed solar systems, our revenues, gross margins and earnings may be negatively impacted in the competitive environment and particularly in the event that governmental and fiscal incentives are reduced or an increase in the global supply of solar cells and solar panels causes substantial downward pressure on prices of our products.
Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.
We will be required to document and test our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which will require annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2007 and a report by our independent registered public accounting firm that attests to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. During the course of our testing, we may identify deficiencies which we may not be able to remediate in time to meet our deadline for compliance with Section 404. Testing and maintaining internal control can divert our management’s attention from other matters that are important to our business. We expect to incur increased expense and to devote additional management resources to Section 404 compliance. We may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 or our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able or willing to issue an unqualified report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, we cannot be certain as to the timing of completion of our evaluation, testing and remediation actions or their effect on our operations since there is presently no precedent available by which to measure compliance adequacy. If either we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting or our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to
provide us with an unqualified report as required by Section 404, then investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
Risks Related to Operations in China
We are dependent on our Chinese manufacturing operations.
Our current manufacturing operations are located in China and our sales and administrative offices are in the U.S. The geographical distances between these facilities create a number of logistical and communications challenges. In addition, because of the location of the manufacturing facilities in China, we could be affected by economic and political instability there, including problems related to labor unrest, lack of developed infrastructure, variances in payment cycles, currency fluctuations, overlapping taxes and multiple taxation issues, employment and severance taxes, compliance with local laws and regulatory requirements, and the burdens of cost and compliance with a variety of foreign laws. Moreover, inadequate development or maintenance of infrastructure in China, including adequate power and water supplies, transportation, raw materials availability or the deterioration in the general political, economic or social environment could make it difficult, more expensive and possibly prohibitive to continue to operate our manufacturing facilities in China.
We may not be able to retain, recruit and train adequate management and production personnel.
Our continued operations are dependent upon our ability to identify, recruit and retain adequate management and production personnel in China. We require trained graduates of varying levels and experience and a flexible work force of semi-skilled operators. Many of our current employees come from the more remote regions of China as they are attracted by the wage differential and prospects afforded by our operations. With the growth currently being experienced in China and competing opportunities for our personnel, there can be no guarantee that a favorable employment climate will continue and that wage rates where we manufacture our products in China will continue to be internationally competitive.
The Chinese government could change its policies toward, or even nationalize, private enterprise, which could harm our operations.
All of our manufacturing is conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects are affected significantly by economic, political and legal developments in China. Over the past several years, the Chinese government has pursued economic reform policies, including the encouragement of private economic activities and decentralization of economic regulation. The Chinese government may not continue to pursue these policies or may significantly alter them to our detriment from time to time without notice. Changes in policies by the Chinese government resulting in changes in laws or regulations, our interpretation of laws or regulations, or the imposition of confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion or imports and sources of supply could materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. The nationalization or other expropriation of private enterprises by the Chinese government could result in the total loss of our investment in China.
Our results could be harmed if compliance with new environmental regulations becomes too burdensome.
Our manufacturing processes may result in the creation of small amounts of hazardous and/or toxic wastes, including various gases, epoxies, inks, solvents and other organic wastes. We are subject to Chinese governmental regulations related to the use, storage and disposal of such hazardous wastes. The amounts of our hazardous waste may increase in the future as our manufacturing operations increase, and therefore, our cost of compliance is likely to increase. In addition, sewage produced by dormitory
facilities which house our labor force is coming under greater environmental legislation. Although we believe we are operating in compliance with applicable environmental laws, there is no assurance that we will be in compliance consistently as such laws and regulations, or our interpretation and implementation, change. Failure to comply with environmental regulation could result in the imposition of fines, suspension or halting of production or closure of manufacturing operations. Additionally, we may incur substantial costs to comply with future regulations, which could adversely impact our results of operations.
The Chinese legal system has inherent uncertainties that could materially and adversely impact our ability to enforce the agreements governing our operations.
We conduct our manufacturing through our wholly owned Chinese subsidiary, IAS Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. We lease the actual factory. The performance of the agreements and the operations of our factory are dependent on our relationship with the local government. Our operations and prospects would be materially and adversely affected by the failure of the local government to honor our agreements or an adverse change in the laws governing us. In the event of a dispute, enforcement of these agreements could be difficult in China. China tends to issue legislation which is subsequently followed by implementing regulations, interpretations and guidelines that can render immediate compliance difficult. Similarly, on occasion, conflicts are introduced between national legislation and implementation by the provinces that take time to reconcile. These factors can present difficulties in our compliance. Unlike the U.S., China has a civil law system based on written statutes in which judicial decisions have limited precedential value. The Chinese government has enacted laws and regulations to deal with economic matters such as corporate organization and governance, foreign investment, commerce, taxation and trade. However, the Chinese government experience in implementing, interpreting and enforcing these laws and regulations is limited, and our ability to enforce commercial claims or to resolve commercial disputes is therefore unpredictable. These matters may be subject to the exercise of considerable discretion by agencies of the Chinese government, and forces and factors unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter or dispute may influence our determination, which may limit legal protections available to us. In addition, any litigation in China may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
Because our operations are international, we are subject to significant worldwide political, economic, legal and other uncertainties.
We are incorporated in the United States and have subsidiaries in the U.S., Hong Kong S.A.R. and the Peoples’ Republic of China. Because we manufacture all of our products in China, substantially all of the net book value of our fixed assets is located there. Although we currently sell our products only to customers in the U.S., we may sell our products to customers located outside of the U.S. in the future. Protectionist trade legislation in the U.S. or foreign countries, such as a change in export or import legislation, tariff or duty structures, or other trade policies, could adversely affect our ability to sell products in these markets, or even to purchase raw materials or equipment from foreign suppliers. Moreover, we are subject to a variety of U.S. laws and regulations, changes to which may affect our ability to transact business with non-U.S. customers or in certain product categories.
We are also subject to numerous national, state and local governmental regulations, including environmental, labor, waste management, health and safety matters and product specifications. We are subject to laws and regulations governing our relationship with our employees, including: wage and hour requirements, working and safety conditions, citizenship requirements, work permits and travel restrictions. These include local labor laws and regulations, which may require substantial resources for compliance. We are subject to significant government regulation with regard to property ownership and use in connection with our leased facility in China, import restrictions, currency restrictions and
restrictions on the volume of domestic sales and other areas of regulation, all of which impact our profits and operating results.
We are exposed to the limit of the availability and price of electricity.
The primary energy supply to our operations in China is electricity from the local power company. There is not an extensive and resilient connection to a national or regional power grid. Thus, we may be exposed to power outages and shut downs which our standby generators would only partially mitigate. Fluctuations in world oil prices and supply could affect our supply and cost of electricity. The electricity producers that supply us with electricity in our facility in China generate their electricity from oil, and our back-up generators create electricity from diesel fuel. Accordingly, fluctuations in world oil product prices and supply could affect our supply and cost of electricity at our manufacturing facilities.
We face risks associated with international trade and currency exchange.
We transact business in a variety of currencies including the U.S. dollar and the Chinese Yuan Renminbi, or RMB. Although we make all sales in U.S. dollars, we incur approximately 22% of our operating expenses, such as payroll, land rent, electrical power and other costs associated with running our facilities in China, in RMB. Changes in exchange rates would affect the value of deposits of currencies we hold. The RMB has been broadly stable against the U.S. dollar in the past three years, but in July 2005 the Chinese government announced that the RMB would be pegged to a basket of currencies, making it possible for the RMB to rise and fall relative to the U.S. dollar. We do not currently hedge against exposure to currencies. We cannot predict with certainty future exchange rates and thus their impact on our operating results. We do not have any long-term debt valued in RMB. Movements between the U.S. dollar and the RMB could have a material impact on our profitability.
Changes to Chinese tax incentives and heightened efforts by the Chinese tax authorities to increase revenues could subject us to greater taxes.
Under applicable Chinese law, we have been afforded profits tax concessions by Chinese tax authorities on our operations in China for specific periods of time, which has lowered our cost of operations in China. However, the Chinese tax system is subject to substantial uncertainties with respect to interpretation and enforcement. Recently, the Chinese government has attempted to augment its revenues through heightened tax collection efforts. Continued efforts by the Chinese government to increase tax revenues could result in revisions to or changes to tax incentives or new interpretations by the Chinese government of the tax benefits we should be receiving currently, which could increase our future tax liabilities or deny us expected concessions or refunds.
Future outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome or other communicable diseases may have a negative impact on our business and operating results.
In 2003, several economies in Asia, including China, where our operations are located, were affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. If there is a recurrence of an outbreak of SARS, or similar infectious or contagious diseases such as avian flu, it could adversely affect our business and operating results. For example, a future SARS outbreak could result in quarantines or closure to our factory, and our operations could be seriously disrupted as the majority of our work force is housed in one dormitory. In addition, an outbreak could negatively affect the willingness of our customers, suppliers and managers to visit our facilities.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
We have not paid and are unlikely to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock and may not pay cash dividends in the future. Instead, we intend to apply earnings, if any, to the expansion and development of the business. Thus, the liquidity of your investment is dependent upon active trading of our stock in the market.
Any future financings and subsequent registration of common stock for resale will result in a significant number of shares of our common stock available for sale, and such sales could depress our common stock price. Further, no assurances can be given that we will not issue additional shares which will have the effect of diluting the equity interest of current investors. Moreover, sales of a substantial number of shares of common stock in any future public market could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult to sell shares of common stock at times and prices that either you or we determine to be appropriate.
We expect our stock price to be volatile.
Should a public market develop, the trading price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
• | the depth and liquidity of the market for the common stock; | ||
• | developments generally affecting the energy industry; | ||
• | investor perceptions of the business; | ||
• | changes in securities analysts’ expectations or our failure to meet those expectations; | ||
• | actions by institutional or other large stockholders; | ||
• | terrorist acts; | ||
• | actual or anticipated fluctuations in results of operations; | ||
• | announcements of technological innovations or significant contracts by us or our competitors; | ||
• | introduction of new products by us or our competitors; | ||
• | our sale of common stock or other securities in the future; | ||
• | changes in market valuation or earnings of our competitors; | ||
• | changes in the estimation of the future size and growth rate of the markets; | ||
• | results of operations and financial performance; and | ||
• | general economic, industry and market conditions. |
In addition, the stock market in general often experiences substantial volatility that is seemingly unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, should a public market develop.
Any sale of a substantial amount of our stock could cause our stock price to drop.
Gerald Moore beneficially owns 3,100,000, or approximately 9.4% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock, of which 2,600,000 are subject to a Lock-Up Agreement, whereby Mr. Moore has agreed not to sell, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of his shares for a period of three years from the initial filing date of the our registration statement on Form SB-2, or January 17, 2010. Furthermore, as part of the terms of private placements, we registered for resale approximately 18,753,334 shares of our common stock, including 800,000 shares underlying warrants, with the SEC, representing approximately 57% of our outstanding common stock as of November 19, 2007. None of these shareholders are obligated to retain our shares, subject to the above-mentioned restrictions for Mr. Moore. Any sale by these or other holders of a substantial amount of common stock in any future public market, or the perception that such a sale could occur, could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. Such an effect could be magnified if our stock is relatively thinly traded.
There may not be an active public market for our common stock in the near term and you may have to hold your common stock for an indefinite period of time.
Although our common stock is eligible for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, there currently is a limited trading market for the common stock, and we cannot assure you that any market will further develop or be sustained. Because our common stock is expected to be thinly traded, you cannot expect to be able to liquidate your investment in case of an emergency or if you otherwise desire to do so. It may be difficult for you to resell a large number of your shares of common stock in a short period of time or at or above their purchase price.
Our stock may be governed by the “penny stock rules,” which impose additional requirements on broker-dealers who make transactions in our stock.
SEC rules require a broker-dealer to provide certain information to purchasers of securities traded at less than $5.00, which are not traded on a national securities exchange or quoted on The NASDAQ Stock Market. Since our common stock is not currently traded on an “exchange,” if the future trading price of our common stock is less than $5.00 per share, our common stock will be considered a “penny stock,” and trading in our common stock will be subject to the requirements of Rule 15g-9 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Penny Stock Rules”). The Penny Stock Rules require a broker-dealer to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC that provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also give bid and offer quotations and broker and salesperson compensation information to the prospective investor orally or in writing before or with the confirmation of the transaction. In addition, the Penny Stock Rules require a broker-dealer to make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction before a transaction in a penny stock. These requirements may severely limit the liquidity of securities in the secondary market because few broker-dealers may be likely to undertake these compliance activities. Therefore, unless an exemption is available from the Penny Stock Rules, the disclosure requirements
under the Penny Stock Rules may have the effect of reducing trading activity in our common stock, which may make it more difficult for investors to sell.
Our shareholders may experience future dilution.
Our charter permits our board of directors, without shareholder approval, to authorize shares of preferred stock. The board of directors may classify or reclassify any preferred stock to set the preferences, rights and other terms of the classified or reclassified shares, including the issuance of shares of preferred stock that have preference rights over the common stock with respect to dividends, liquidation, voting and other matters or shares of common stock having special voting rights. Further, substantially all shares of common stock for which our outstanding stock options are exercisable are, once they have been purchased, eligible for immediate sale in the public market.
The issuance of additional shares of our capital stock or the exercise of stock options or warrants could be substantially dilutive to your shares and may negatively affect the market price of our common stock.
If we do not meet the listing standards established by The NASDAQ Stock Market or other similar markets, our common stock may not become listed for trading on one of those markets.
As soon as reasonably practicable, we intend to apply to list our common stock for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market, on either the NASDAQ Global Market tier or The NASDAQ Capital Market tier. The NASDAQ Stock Market has established certain quantitative criteria and qualitative standards that companies must meet in order to become and remain listed for trading on these markets. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet all necessary requirements for listing; therefore, we cannot guarantee that our common stock will be listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market or other similar markets.