RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a great deal of risk. Careful consideration should be made of the following factors as well as other information included in this prospectus before deciding to purchase our securities. You should pay particular attention to the fact that we conduct substantially all of our operations in China and are governed by a legal and regulatory environment that in some respects differs significantly from the legal and regulatory environment that may prevail in the U.S. and other countries. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be affected materially and adversely by any or all of these risks.
THE FOLLOWING MATTERS MAY HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY, RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND PROSPECTS, FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE. REFERENCE TO THIS CAUTIONARY STATEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF A FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT OR STATEMENTS SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A STATEMENT THAT ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE IN SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT OR STATEMENTS.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have a limited operating history.
We have a relatively limited operating history. Sanming and JLF, our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, and TFS through which we currently operate our business, commenced operations in April 2004, September 2002, and March 2006, respectively. All three entities were profitable for 2007, 2008 and 2009. The foregoing notwithstanding, you should consider our future prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties typically experienced by companies such as ours in evolving industries such as the bioengineering industry in China and the Asia-Pacific region. Some of these risks and uncertainties relate to our ability to:
| ● | offer new and innovative products to attract and retain a larger customer base; |
| ● | attract additional customers and increase spending per customer; |
| ● | increase awareness of our products and brands and continue to develop user and customer loyalty; |
| ● | raise sufficient capital to sustain and expand our business; |
| ● | maintain effective control of our costs and expenses; |
| ● | respond to changes in our regulatory environment; |
| ● | respond to competitive market conditions; |
| ● | manage risks associated with intellectual property rights; |
| ● | integrate any business acquisition properly; |
| ● | attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; and |
| ● | upgrade our technology to support additional research & development of new products. |
If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of these risks and uncertainties, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Although our revenues have grown rapidly, we cannot assure you that we will maintain our profitability or that we will not incur net losses in the future. We expect that our operating expenses will increase as we expand. Any significant failure to realize anticipated revenue growth could result in operating losses.
We will continue to encounter risks and difficulties in implementing our business model.
We believe that our business model will allow us to become a leader in developing and producing chemical and herbal extracts and natural supplements and organic products for the health and wellness and organic products industries in which we operate. However, we can not assure you that our business model will be effective. We are susceptible to risks, including the failure to increase awareness of our products, protect our reputation and develop customer loyalty, the inability to manage our expanding operations, the failure to maintain adequate control of our expenses, and the inability to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions in the markets in which we operate as well as the impact of any changes in government regulation, mergers and acquisitions involving our competito rs, technological developments, and other significant competitive and market dynamics. If we are not successful in addressing any or all of these risks, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Quarterly operating results may fluctuate.
Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including fluctuation in the demand for and shipments of our products and changes in the price of raw material which directly affect the price of our products and may influence the demand for our products. Therefore, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of results of operations have been and will be impacted by the volume of such orders and shipments. In addition, our operating results could be adversely affected by the following factors, among others, such as variations in the mix of product sales, price changes in response to competitive factors, increases in raw material costs and other significant costs, increases in utility costs (particularly electricity) and interruptions in plant operations resulting from the interruption of raw material supplies and other factors.
We may incur material product liability claims and/or product recalls, which could increase our costs and adversely affect our reputation, revenues and operating income.
As a manufacturer of products designed for human consumption, we are subject to product liability claims that the use of our products has resulted in injury. Also, in the event the use of our products results in injury, we may be forced to recall any of our products that caused the injury. We do not maintain any product liability insurance. A product liability claim against us could result in costly litigation and could adversely affect our reputation with our customers, which in turn could adversely affect our revenues and operating income.
Certain of the countries where we distribute or intend to distribute our CHE and OP products have embraced various manufacturing and quality control standards for the distribution and/or exportation of products such as the products we produce and the labeling of such products. Even though compliance with these standards is generally voluntary, and we are typically able to distribute and/or export our products into those countries without such compliance, if we are unable to demonstrate our compliance with those standards, the marketability of our products may be adversely effected, which may in turn adversely and materially affect our revenues and profits and the market price for our stock.
The manufacture and distribution of our products are subject to domestic (PRC) manufacturing and quality control standards, and the standards announced by the countries to which we export and intend to export our products, including Japan, Europe and the U.S. Generally these standards focus on how products are produced, maintained and held, the facility where the products are produced, and the documentation maintained by the producer supporting the producer’s compliance with these provisions and the labeling of the products. Additionally certain countries, including the U.S. require registration of facilities a nd compliance with regulations in order to export and distribute these products in the U.S. If a consumer files a complaint regarding a producer’s product and the product is found to cause a health hazard, the producer’s facilities will generally be inspected by the applicable governing body and if such inspection reveals that the producer’s processes, documentation or products do not meet the applicable standards, the export of the products to the applicable country may be blocked until the producer can demonstrate that the problem has been rectified. Certain of the governing bodies, including the U.S. FDA, may require a recall of the adulterated products and/or levy fines. If a producer’s facilities, processes, documentation or products do not meet the applicable agency’s rules and standards, the export of the products to the applicable country may be denied until the pr oducer can demonstrate that it has satisfied the required standards.
We believe that our CHE and OP facilities, systems, processes, procedures and documentation comply with the standards in the countries where we distribute and export our products. However, the fact that we comply with a particular standard is not a guarantee that each and every product we produce will be absolutely safe for consumption. Many factors can cause products such as the ones we manufacture and distribute to be adulterated or impure. If a product we produce is discovered to be adulterated, causes illness or injury, or fails to meet standards for purity or identity, this can lead to interruptions of production and, recalls or claims against us. Further no assurances can be given that we will be able to achieve or maintain compliance with announced standards, or that a governing body may not prohibit us from distributing or exporting our products to a particular country, which events could have a material adverse on our revenue and profits and the market price of our stock.
Certain of the countries where we distribute and intend to distribute our CHE and OP products regulate the labeling and advertising of products of the type we produce and distribute.
The products produced by our CHE and OP facilities may be subject to standards and regulations of the countries to which we export or intend to export our products which regulations govern the labeling of bulk or individual finished products. In addition, the advertising and marketing of our products may be subject to other rules that govern claims which may be made about products and their contents. These standards and regulations vary from country to country. Often when our products are imported into particular countries, inspectors review the label affixed to the product to determine whether the product should be permitted entry. When our products are purchased in bulk for use as an ingredient in other products, we may make claims regarding our products that the purchaser may rely upon and repeat on a label or in advertising. When our products are sold in finished form we may make claims ourselves about our product on it label or in advertising. The claims we make to our customers, and the statements on our labels and in advertising, are regulated in many countries. If the advertising or labeling of a product we produce fails to comply with the specific laws, rules or regulations that apply in the country where it is sought to be imported and sold, we may be unable to sell it there, we may experience delays in delivery, we may be required to re-label or revise advertising, or we may be precluded from making a claim with respect to the product (i.e., a claim that the product is “Organic”) and any of these events this can lead to loss of sales or claims against us and our revenues and profits and marke t price for our stock could be materially and adversely affected
We may encounter substantial competition in our business and our failure to compete effectively may adversely affect our ability to generate revenue.
The nutritional over-the-counter products and organic products industries are becoming increasingly competitive. Our competitors may have greater market recognition and substantially greater financial, technical, marketing, distribution, purchasing, manufacturing, personnel and other resources than we do. Furthermore, some of our competitors have manufacturing and sales forces that are geographically diversified, allowing them to reduce transportation expenses, tariff costs and currency fluctuations for certain customers in markets where their facilities are located. The principal elements of competition in the nutritional over-the-counter products and organic products industry are, in our opinion, pricing, product availability and quality. In order to succeed in the nutrition al over-the-counter products and organic products industry, we must be competitive in our pricing, product availability and quality. If we fail to do so, we will not be able to compete effectively and will lose market share. In such case we may be forced to reduce our margins to retain or acquire that business, which could decrease our revenues or slow our future revenue growth and lead to a decline in profitability. Further, to the extent that, whether as a result of the increased cost of raw materials, the relative strength of the Chinese currency, shipping costs or other factors, we are not able to price our products competitively, our ability to sell our products in both the Chinese domestic and the international markets will suffer.
We may not be able to effectively control and manage our growth.
If our business and markets grow and develop, it may be necessary for us to finance and manage expansion in an orderly fashion. In addition, we may face challenges in managing expanding product offerings. Such circumstances could increase demands on our existing management and facilities. Failure to manage this growth and expansion could interrupt or adversely affect our operations and cause production backlogs, longer product development time frames and administrative inefficiencies.
We may not be able to successfully implement our strategy of acquiring desired target companies or to obtain financing needed to complete the acquisition of target companies.
One of our strategies is to grow through the acquisition of profitable, well-run companies whose businesses are synergistic with our core business. We may encounter substantial competition in connection with our efforts to complete such acquisitions which in turn could increase the cost of such acquisitions. If we are unable to negotiate and close such acquisitions on terms acceptable to us, our anticipated growth may not occur as contemplated or may require us to pay more for a target company which could adversely affect the profitability of such acquired company and negatively affect our results of operations. Additionally, our ability to successfully acquire a desired target company may depend upon our ability to obtain funding for any such acquisition and no assurances can be given that we will be able to obtain such financing, if needed, on terms acceptable to us.
We may not be able to effectively integrate acquired target companies or attain economies of scale.
If we are successful in acquiring desired target companies, we will need to integrate such acquisitions with our existing core business. Failure to effectively integrate the acquired target companies could adversely affect our core business, prevent us from realizing the benefits of economies of scale, or adversely affect our ability to successfully acquire other target companies and thereby adversely impact our growth strategy.
Shortages or disruptions in the availability of raw materials could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We expect that raw materials used to produce and manufacture our products will continue to account for a significant portion of our cost of goods sold in the future. The prices of raw materials fluctuate because of general economic conditions, global supply and demand and other factors causing monthly variations in the costs of our raw materials purchases. The macro-economic factors, together with labor and other business interruptions experienced by certain suppliers, have contributed to periodic shortages in the supply of raw materials, and such shortages may increase in the future. If we are unable to procure adequate supplies of raw material to meet our future production needs and customer demand, shortages could result in a material loss of customers and revenues and adve rsely impact our results of operations. In addition, supply shortages or disruptions or the loss of suppliers may cause us to procure our raw materials from less cost-effective sources and may have a material adverse affect on our business, revenues and results of operations.
Interruptions in growing or otherwise obtaining the raw materials used by our CHE and OP business units, whether due to problems with our crops or problems with our raw material suppliers, may affect our results of operations and our financial performance.
We grow a significant amount of the raw materials we use for our CHE business unit and we also purchase additional raw materials for our CHE business unit from various suppliers. We are not substantially dependent on any of our suppliers for the raw materials used by our CHE business unit. Also, we grow substantially all of the raw materials for our OP business unit and accordingly, to the extent we purchase raw materials from suppliers for our OP business unit, we are not dependent on any of our suppliers for the raw materials used by our OP business unit. Any problems we may experience with our CHE or OP business unit crops could disrupt production or impact our ability to increase production and sales of our CHE or OP products respectively or require us to purchase a greate r amount of raw materials from suppliers. With respect to our suppliers, we typically enter into renewable, fixed price agreements. If we experience disruptions in our obtaining supplies for either our CHE business unit or our OP business unit, whether due to problems with our crops or other circumstances, we will need to identify and access alternative sources for such supplies which may in turn increase our costs and our dependence. Also in such event, interruptions in our obtaining the necessary raw materials could disrupt production or impact our ability to increase production and sales of our CHE or OP products and negatively impact our results of operations, financial performance and the price of our common stock.
Due to increased volatility of raw material prices, the timing lag between the raw material purchase and product pricing can negatively impact our profitability.
To the extent we purchase raw materials for our CHE and OP business units, volatility in the prices of raw materials, among other factors, may adversely impact our ability to accurately forecast demand and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. We seek to mitigate the impact of changing raw material prices by passing changes in prices to our customers by adjusting prices daily to reflect changes in raw material prices, as is customary in the industry. We may not be able to adjust our product prices rapidly enough in the short-term to recover the costs of increases in raw materials. Our future profitability may be adversely affected to the extent we are unable to pass on higher raw material costs to our customers.
Increases in raw materials prices will increase our need for working capital.
If the prices of raw materials that we may purchase for our CHE business unit and our OP business unit were to increase, our working capital requirements may increase as well. Increases in our working capital requirements can materially adversely impact our results of operations, our cash flow and our available liquidity to fund other business needs. Furthermore, there is no assurance we would be able to finance additional working capital requirements or finance such working capital requirements on favorable terms. If we were unable to obtain financing on favorable terms, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources.̶ 1;
Increases in raw materials prices may increase credit and default risk with respect to our customers.
Increases in the price of our products, if raw material prices were to rise and be passed on to our customers, may place additional demands on the working capital and liquidity needs of our customers. Accordingly, our customers’ cash flow may be negatively impacted which may have an adverse affect on the timing and amount of payment on our accounts receivable, which would in turn, negatively affect our results of operations.
If the nutritional, over-the-counter products and organic products industries do not grow or grow at a slower speed than we project, our sales and profitability may be materially adversely affected.
We currently derive most of our profits from sales of our products in China. The continued development of our business depends, in large part, on continued growth in the nutritional over-the-counter products and organic products industries in China and the Asia-Pacific region. Although China’s nutritional over-the-counter products and organic products industries have grown rapidly in the past, they may not continue to grow at the same growth rate or at all in the future. Any reduced demand for our products, any downturn or other adverse changes in China’s nutritional, over-the-counter products and organic products or related industries could severely impact the profitability of our business.
Potential environmental liability could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.
As a manufacturer, we are subject to various Chinese environmental laws and regulations on air emission, waste water discharge, solid wastes and noise. Although we believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with current environmental laws and regulations, we may not be able to comply with these regulations at all times as the Chinese environmental legal regime is evolving and becoming more stringent. Therefore, if the Chinese government imposes more stringent regulations in the future, we may have to incur additional and potentially substantial costs and expenses in order to comply with new regulations, which may negatively affect our results of operations. Further, no assurance can be given that all potential environmental liabilities have been identified or pr operly quantified or that any prior owner, operator, or tenant has not created an environmental condition unknown to us. If we fail to comply with any of the present or future environmental regulations in any material aspects, we may suffer from negative publicity and be subject to claims for damages that may require us to pay substantial fines or have our operations suspended or even be forced to cease operations.
Adverse publicity associated with us or our products or similar products manufactured by our competitors could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Over the past several years, there have been various reported and publicized incidents regarding the safety and efficacy of products produced in China and the production in China of counterfeit products. Because our products include health supplements, energy drinks, organic food products, and products that are used in the manufacture of health supplements, energy drinks, organic food products and fertilizers, we are highly dependent upon market perceptions of the safety and quality of our products. Concerns over the safety of nutraceutical and organic products produced or manufactured in China could have an adverse effect on the sale of such products, including products produced or manufactured by us.
We could be adversely affected if any of our products or any similar products produced or manufactured by other companies prove to be, or are alleged to be, unsafe or harmful to humans or to animals, or ineffective or harmful to the environment. Any negative publicity associated with the safety, adverse effects or efficacy resulting from the use or misuse of our products or any similar products manufactured by other companies could also have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. We have not, to date, experienced any significant quality control or safety problems. If in the future we become involved in incidents of the type described above, such problems could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Key employees are essential to growing our business.
We are dependent on the services of Mr. Silvasan our CEO, Mr. Min Zhao, our CHE business unit president, Mr. Jinrong Tang, our OP business unit president, and Ms. Jeanne Chan our Senior VP China to grow our business. Messrs. Silvasan, Zhao and Tang, and Ms. Chan are essential to our ability to continue to grow our business. Each of Mr. Zhao and Mr. Tang has established relationships within the industries in which we operate. Each of our key executives has agreed to non-solicitation and non-compete restrictions during the course of their employment with us, however, these restrictions only extend for a one-year period from termination. While none of our key executives have indicated to us that they intend to leave or resign from our Company in the near future, the loss of the services of any of our key executives could materially harm our business because of the cost and time necessary to recruit and train a replacement and to re-establish relationships within the industries in which we operate. Such a loss would also divert management’s attention away from operational matters. Further, we do not maintain, or intend to maintain, key person life insurance for any of our key executives or key employees. If any of them were to leave us, our growth strategy might be hindered, which could limit our ability to increase revenue. In addition, we face competition for attracting skilled personnel. If we fail to attract and retain qualified personnel to meet current and future needs, this could slow our ability to grow our business, which could result in a decrease in market share.
We may need additional financing, which may not be available on satisfactory terms or at all.
Our capital requirements may be accelerated as a result of many factors, including timing of acquisition and development activities, underestimates of budget items, unanticipated expenses or capital expenditures, overestimates of revenues, future product opportunities with collaborators, future licensing opportunities and future business combinations. Consequently, we may need to seek additional debt or equity financing, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and which may be dilutive to our shareholders.
We may seek to raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or additional corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our shareholders may experience dilution. To the extent that we raise additional capital by issuing debt securities, we may incur substantial interest obligations, may be required to pledge assets as security for the debt and may be constrained by restrictive financial and/or operational covenants. Debt financing would also be superior to our shareholders’ interest in bankruptcy or liquidation. To the extent we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our te chnologies or product candidates, or grant licenses on unfavorable terms.
If we fail to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, or to secure rights to patents of others, the value of our intellectual property rights could diminish.
Our success, competitive position and future revenues will depend in part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection for our products, methods, processes and other technologies, to preserve our trade secrets, to prevent third parties from infringing on our proprietary rights and to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties.
To date, we have, through our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, applied for or been issued two patents in the PRC. The patents cover the proprietary production process used to produce Solanesol, Co-enzyme Q10, Resveratrol, 5-HTP, organic fertilizer, and potential future products. We cannot predict the degree and range of protection the patents will afford us against competitors. Third parties may find ways to invalidate or otherwise circumvent any patented technology that is a part of our business units. Third parties may attempt to obtain patents claiming aspects similar to our patents. We also have, through our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, applied for or have been issued six trademarks in the PRC. If we need to initiate litigation or admini strative proceedings to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, such actions may be costly whether we win or lose.
Our success will also depend on the skills, knowledge and experience of our scientific and technical personnel, consultants, advisors, licensors and contractors. To help protect our proprietary know-how and inventions for which patents may be unobtainable or difficult to obtain, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements. If any of our confidential intellectual property is disclosed, our value could be significantly impaired, and our business and competitive position could suffer.
If we infringe the rights of third parties, we could be prevented from selling products, forced to pay damages and compelled to defend against litigation.
If our products, methods, processes and other technologies infringe on the proprietary rights of other parties, we could incur substantial costs, and may have to obtain licenses (which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all), redesign our products or processes, stop using the subject matter claimed in the asserted patents, pay damages, or defend litigation or administrative proceedings, which may be costly whether we win or lose. All of the above could result in a substantial diversion of valuable management resources.
We believe we have taken reasonable steps, including comprehensive internal and external prior patent searches, to ensure we have freedom to operate and that our development and commercialization efforts can be carried out as planned without infringing on others’ proprietary rights. However, we cannot guarantee that no third party patent has been filed or will be filed that may contain subject matter of relevance to our development, causing a third party patent holder to claim infringement. Resolving such issues has traditionally resulted, and could in our case result, in lengthy and costly legal proceedings, the outcome of which cannot be predicted accurately.
We do not have business insurance coverage in China.
Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products. As a result, we do not have any business liability, loss of data or disruption insurance coverage for our operations. Any business disruption, litigation or natural disaster might cause us to incur substantial costs or divert our resources. In addition, we do not carry insurance with respect to certain risks, including product liability insurance. As a result, any product liability or other claims may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, we may need to stop selling products that result in product liability claims, which could negatively affect the range of products that we offer and the size of our customer base.
Our corporate actions are substantially controlled by our principal shareholders and affiliated entities.
As of September 15, 2010, our principal shareholders and their affiliated entities own approximately 74% of our outstanding common stock, representing approximately 74% of our voting power. These shareholders, acting individually or as a group, could exert substantial influence over matters such as electing directors and approving mergers or other business combination transactions. In addition, because of the percentage of ownership and voting concentration in these principal shareholders and their affiliated entities, elections of our board of directors will generally be within the control of these shareholders and their affiliated entities. While all of our shareholders are entitled to vote on matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, the concentration of shar es and voting control presently lies with these principal shareholders and their affiliated entities. As such, it would be difficult for shareholders to propose and have approved proposals not supported by management. There can be no assurances that matters voted upon by our officers and directors in their capacity as shareholders will be viewed favorably by all shareholders of the company.
If we are unable to maintain appropriate internal financial reporting controls and procedures, it could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, result in the restatement of our financial statements, harm our operating results, subject us to regulatory scrutiny and sanction, and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. As a public company, we have significant additional requirements for enhanced financial reporting and internal controls. We are required to document and test our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and a report by our independent registered public accounting firm addressing these assessments. The process of designing and implementing effective internal controls is a continuous effort that requires us to anticipate and react to changes in our business and the economic an d regulatory environments and to expend significant resources to maintain a system of internal controls that is adequate to satisfy our reporting obligations as a public company.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2009. Based upon that evaluation, our CEO concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective and designed to ensure that material information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and regulations and accumulated and communicated to them as appropriate to allow timely decision regarding required disclosure.
Our management is also responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, which refers to the process designed by, or under the supervision of, our CFO and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. As of December 31, 2009, our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and concluded that at December 31, 2009, there was a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, which related to the monitoring and review of work performed in the preparation of audit and financial statements, footnotes and financial data provided by us to our independent accounting firm. Management concluded that our financial disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to our limited internal resources and lack of ability to have multiple levels of transaction review. Through the use of external consultants and the review process, management believes that the financial statements and other information presented by us are materially correct. Our lack of accounting staff results in a lack of segregation of duties necessary for an effective system of internal control. In order to mitigate this material weakness to the fullest extent possible, all quarterly and annual financial reports completed by our CFO are reviewed by our CEO for reasonableness and all unexpected results are investigated. At any time, if it appears that any control can be implemented to continue to mitigate such weakness, it is immediately implemented.
We have implemented internal financial controls and external reporting systems that we believe meet the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. However, we cannot assure you that we will not, in the future, identify areas requiring improvement in our internal control over financial reporting. We cannot assure you that the measures we will take to remediate any areas in need of improvement will be successful or that we will implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future as we continue our growth. If we are unable to establish appropriate internal financial reporting controls and procedures, it could cause us to fail to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley and meet our reporting obligations, result in the restatement of our financ ial statements, harm our operating results, subject us to regulatory scrutiny and sanction, and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information.
We may not be able to extend our Research and Development Contract with Fudan University
In 2005, we entered into a Research and Development Contract with Fudan University regarding, among other things, our joint ownership with Fudan University of the patented “solanesol-clean extraction method”, research and development of downstream products and assistance and support to be provided by Fudan University. On May 8, 2010, we entered into an Addendum Agreement to extend the expiration date under the Research and Development Contract to July 24, 2013. Because of our relationship with Fudan University, and in particular with Dr. Jian Ming Chan, who has served as Sanming’s Chief Scientist since April 2006, and has continued in that position since we acquired Green Planet on June 17, 2009, we believe that this Research and Development Contract wil l be further extended; however no assurances can be given that this contract will be extended beyond July 24, 2013. If we are unable to further extend the Research and Development Contract, if desirable, we may not have the assistance and support of Fudan University and we may be limited in the improvement of current products or the development of new downstream products.
Risks Associated With Doing Business In China
There are substantial risks associated with doing business in China, as set forth in the following risk factors.
Substantially all of our assets and operations are located in the PRC and are subject to changes resulting from the political and economic policies of the Chinese government and it is possible that the PRC government could adopt material changes to their policies regarding foreign participation in businesses operating in the PRC, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business and could even cause us to lose all of our assets an d operations in China.
We conduct our business primarily through our contractually controlled, affiliated PRC operating entities. Our business operations could be restricted by the political environment in the PRC. The PRC has operated as a socialist state since 1949 and is controlled by the Communist Party of China. In recent years, however, the government has introduced reforms aimed at creating a socialist market economy and policies have been implemented to allow business enterprises greater autonomy in their operations. We are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises (“WFOE”s). Changes in the political leadership of the PRC may have a significant effect on laws and pol icies related to the current economic reform programs, other policies affecting business and the general political, economic and social environment in the PRC, including the introduction of measures to control inflation, changes in the rate or method of taxation, import and export tariffs, the imposition of additional restrictions on currency conversion and remittances abroad, foreign investment and regulations relating to raw materials, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. Moreover, economic reforms and growth in the PRC have been more successful in certain provinces than in others, and the continuation or increases of such disparities could affect the political or social stability of the PRC. Although we believe that the economic reforms and the macroeconomic measures adopted by the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the economic development of China, there is no assurance that the Chinese government will continue to pursue the current economic reform polici es, or that it will not significantly alter these policies from time to time without notice and the future direction of these economic reforms is uncertain and the uncertainty may decrease the attractiveness of our Company as an investment, which may in turn result in a decline in the trading price of our common stock. Further, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not alter its policies to further restrict foreign participation in businesses operating in the PRC or even cause us to lose all of our assets and operations in the PRC.
Additionally, Chinese legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, the PRC has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published decisions and their non-binding nature, the limited precedential value or prior court decisions, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. In addition, the Chinese legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation (if any) of these policies and rules until some time after the violation. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
We cannot assure you that the current Chinese policies of economic reform will continue. Because of this uncertainty, there are significant economic risks associated with doing business in China.
Although the majority of productive assets in China are owned by the Chinese government, in recent years the government has implemented economic reform measures that emphasize decentralization and encourage private economic activity. In keeping with these economic reform policies, the PRC has been openly promoting business development in order to bring more business into the PRC. Because these economic reform measures may be inconsistent or ineffective, there are no assurances that:
| ● | the Chinese government will continue its pursuit of economic reform policies; |
| ● | the economic policies, even if pursued, will be successful; |
| ● | the economic policies will not be significantly altered from time to time; or |
| ● | business operations in China will not become subject to the risk of nationalization. |
We cannot assure you that we will be able to capitalize on these economic reforms, assuming the reforms continue. Because our business model is dependent upon the continued economic reform and growth in China (as well as other Asia-Pacific countries), any change in Chinese government policy could materially adversely affect our ability to continue to implement our business model. China’s economy has experienced significant growth in the past decade, but such growth has been uneven across geographic and economic sectors and has recently been slowing. Even if the Chinese government continues its policies of economic reform, there are no assurances that economic growth in that country will continue or that we will be able to take advantage of these opportunities in a fashio n that will provide financial benefit to us.
The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which our Chinese subsidiaries and contractually controlled operating entities must conduct our business activities.
The PRC only recently has permitted provincial and local economic autonomy and private economic activities. The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in the PRC or particular regions of the PRC, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in our PRC subsidiaries, or cause us to lose all of our assets and operations in the PRC.
We may be unable to enforce our rights due to policies regarding the regulation of foreign investments in China.
The PRC’s legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes in which decided legal cases have uncertain value as precedent, unlike the common law system prevalent in the United States. The PRC does not have a well-developed, consolidated body of laws governing foreign investment enterprises and its regulations and policies with respect to foreign investments are evolving. As a result, the administration of laws and regulations by government agencies may be subject to considerable discretion and variation, and may be subject to influence by external forces unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter.
Definitive regulations and policies with respect to many of such matters have not yet been published. Statements regarding these evolving policies have been conflicting and any such policies, as administered, are likely to be subject to broad interpretation and discretion and to be modified, perhaps on a case-by-case basis. The uncertainties regarding such regulations and policies present risks which may affect our ability to achieve our stated business objectives. If we are unable to enforce any legal rights we may have under our contracts or otherwise, our ability to compete with other companies in our industry could be limited which could result in a loss of revenue in future periods which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
Certain agreements to which we are a party and which are material to our operations lack various legal protections which are customarily contained in similar contracts prepared in the United States.
Our subsidiaries and affiliated entities include companies organized under the laws of the PRC and all of their business and operations are conducted in China. We are a party to certain contracts related to our operations in China and, in particular, the contracts by which we contractually control Sanming and JLF. While these contracts contain the basic business terms of the agreements between the parties, these contracts do not contain certain clauses which are customarily contained in similar contracts prepared in the U.S., such as representations and warranties of the parties, confidentiality and non-compete clauses, provisions outlining events of defaults, and termination and jurisdictional clauses. Because our contracts in China omit these customary clauses, notwithstandi ng the differences in Chinese and U.S. laws, we may not have the same legal protections as we would if the contracts contained these additional clauses. We anticipate that our Chinese subsidiaries and our contractually controlled PRC operating entities will likely enter into contracts in the future which will likewise omit these customary legal protections. While we have not been subject to any adverse consequences as a result of the omission of these customary clauses, and we consider the contracts to which we are a party to contain all the material terms of our business arrangements with the other party, future events may occur which lead to a dispute which could have been avoided if the contracts included customary clauses in conformity with U.S. standards. Contractual disputes which may arise from this lack of legal protection could divert management’s time from the operation of our business, require us to expend funds attempting to settle a possible dispute, limit the time our management would oth erwise devote to the operation of our business, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally the lack of a well developed body of laws and the uncertain value of decided legal cases a precedent could, if a dispute were to arise, impact the enforceability of such contracts.
PRC regulations relating to acquisitions of PRC companies by foreign entities may create regulatory uncertainties that could restrict or limit our ability to operate. Our failure to obtain the prior approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”), for this offering and the listing and trading of our common stock could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, reputation and trading price of our common stock, and may also create uncertainties for this offering.
The PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or “SAFE,” issued a public notice effective November 1, 2005, known as Circular 75, concerning the use of offshore holding companies in mergers and acquisitions in China. The public notice provides that if an offshore company controlled by PRC residents intends to acquire a PRC company, such acquisition will be subject to registration with the relevant foreign exchange authorities. The public notice also suggests that registration with the relevant foreign exchange authorities is required for any sale or transfer by the PRC residents of shares in an offshore holding company that owns an onshore company. The PRC residents must each submit a registration form to the local SAFE branch with respect to their ownership in terests in the offshore company, and must also file an amendment to such registration if the offshore company experiences material events, such as changes in the share capital, share transfer, mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions or use of assets in China to guarantee offshore obligations.
We are committed to complying with and to ensuring that our shareholders who are subject to the regulations will comply with the relevant rules. However, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will comply with our request to make or obtain any applicable registrations or comply with other requirements required by Circular 75 or other related rules. Any future failure by any of our shareholders who is a PRC resident, or controlled by a PRC resident, to comply with relevant requirements under this regulation could subject us to fines or sanctions imposed by the PRC government, including restrictions on our PRC subsidiaries’ abilities to pay dividends or make distributions to us and our ability to increase our investment in our PRC subsidiaries.
On August 8, 2006, the PRC Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), joined by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and SAFE, released a substantially amended version of the Provisions for Foreign Investors to Merge with or Acquire Domestic Enterprises (the “Revised M&A Regulations”), which took effect September 8, 2006. These new rules significantly revised China’s regulatory framework governing onshore-to-offshore restructurings and foreign acquisitions of domestic enterprises. These new rules signify greater PRC government attention to cross-border merger, acquisition a nd other investment activities, by confirming MOFCOM as a key regulator for issues related to mergers and acquisitions in China and requiring MOFCOM approval of a broad range of merger, acquisition and investment transactions. Further, the new rules establish reporting requirements for acquisition of control by foreigners of companies in key industries, and reinforce the ability of the Chinese government to monitor and prohibit foreign control transactions in key industries.
Among other things, the Revised M&A Regulations include new provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, or “SPV”, formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals must obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such SPV’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website procedures specifying documents and materials required to be s ubmitted to it by SPVs seeking CSRC approval of their overseas listings. Our PRC counsel has advised us that, (i) Fujian GP and Fujian United were incorporated by a foreign owned enterprise, and there was no acquisition of the equity or assets of a “PRC domestic company” as such term is defined under the Revised M&A Regulations and (ii) no provision in the Revised M&A Regulations clearly classifies the contractual arrangements between Fujian GP and Sanming, Fujian United and JLF as a type of transaction falling within such rules. Therefore, we were and are not required to obtain the approval of CSRC under the Revised M&A Regulations in connection with this offering. However, the application of this PRC regulation remains unclear with no consensus currently existing among the leading PRC law firms regarding the scope and applicability of the CSRC approval requirement.
If the CSRC or another PRC regulatory agency subsequently determines that CSRC approval was required for this offering, we may face regulatory actions or other sanctions from the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC, limit our operating privileges in the PRC, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into the PRC, or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our common stock. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt this offering before settlement and d elivery of the common stock offered hereby. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, you do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur.
Also, if later the CSRC requires that we obtain its approval, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of the CSRC approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties and/or negative publicity regarding this CSRC approval requirement could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock. Furthermore, published news reports in China recently indicated that the CSRC may have curtailed or suspended overseas listings for Chinese private companies. These news reports have created further uncertainty regarding the approach that the CSRC and other PRC regulators may take with respect to transactions such as this offering.
It is uncertain how our business operations or future strategy will be affected by the interpretations and implementation of Circular 75 and the Revised M&A Regulations. It is anticipated that application of the new rules will be subject to significant administrative interpretation, and we will need to closely monitor how MOFCOM and other ministries apply the rules to ensure that our domestic and offshore activities continue to comply with PRC law. Given the uncertainties regarding interpretation and application of the new rules, we may need to expend significant time and resources to maintain compliance.
We conduct of our business primarily through contractually controlled PRC operating entities and our control of the day-to-day operations of such PRC entities pursuant to contracts in order to comply with Chinese law may not be as effective as conducting business through direct equity ownership of such PRC entities due to uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
We conduct our business primarily through our contractually controlled PRC operating entities. PRC laws and regulations govern our operations in China. Our contractually controlled PRC operating entities are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises (“WFOEs”). Although members of our executive management team and our shareholders include the executive officers and owners of our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, because we do not directly own our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, we may encounter problems enforcing our rights to control the business affairs and day-to-day operations of such entities. If we find it nece ssary to take legal action in China to enforce our rights under our contracts with the PRC operating entities, we will be subject to the uncertainties of the PRC legal system, where prior court decisions have limited precedential value. Since 1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of published decisions and their non-binding nature, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. In addition, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation, if any, of these policies and rules until some time after the violation. In addition, any litigation in China, regardless of outcome, may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Accordingly, notwithstanding our contractual control over our PRC operating entities, such control may not be as effective as if we conducted our business through direct equity owned PRC entities which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
Our contractual arrangements with Sanming, JLF and their shareholders may not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership.
We have no equity ownership interest in Sanming and JLF, we rely on the contractual arrangements of the VIE agreements to control and operate Sanming and JLF. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing control over Sanming and JLF as direct ownership. For example, Sanming and JLF could fail to take actions required for our business or fail to pay dividends to Fujian GP and Fujian United despite its contractual obligation to do so. If Sanming and JLF fail to perform their obligation under the VIE agreements, we may have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, which may not be effective.
Uncertainty as to the enforceability of our agreements through which we control our contractually controlled PRC operating entities and their day-to-day operations.
We entered into agreements with our contractually controlled PRC operating entities and their equity holders which provide us with the contractual control over the business affairs and the day-to-day operations of such businesses as a means to comply with PRC restrictions relating to foreign investment in PRC entities. Our PRC counsel, DeHeng Law Offices (Bejing), has advised us that such agreements are enforceable and in compliance with PRC laws. Based on such advice, we did not seek PRC government approval regarding our relationships or agreements with our contractually controlled PRC operating entities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, due to the uncertainties and inconsistencies of the applications and interpretations of the PRC laws and regulations and the limited precedent ial value of prior court decisions in the PRC legal system, we cannot assure you that we will be able to enforce our rights under our agreements with said third party PRC operating entities or otherwise control the business affairs and day-to-day operations of such businesses.
If we make equity compensation grants to persons who are PRC citizens, they may be required to register with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC, or “SAFE”. We may also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional equity compensation plans for our directors and employees and other parties under PRC law.
On April 6, 2007, SAFE issued the “Operating Procedures for Administration of Domestic Individuals Participating in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan or Stock Option Plan of An Overseas Listed Company,” also know as “Circular 78.” It is not clear whether Circular 78 covers all forms of equity compensation plans or only those which provide for the granting of stock options. For any plans which are so covered and are adopted by a non-PRC listed company, such as our company, after April 6, 2007, Circular 78 requires all participants who are PRC citizens to register with and obtain approvals from SAFE prior to their participation in the plan. In addition, Circular 78 also requires PRC citizens to register with SAFE and make the necessary applications a nd filings if they participated in an overseas listed company’s covered equity compensation plan prior to April 6, 2007. We believe that the registration and approval requirements contemplated in Circular 78 will be burdensome and time consuming.
Effective January 5, 2010, we adopted our 2010 Incentive Stock Plan and made stock option grants under the 2010 Incentive Stock Plan to certain of our officers, directors and employees, some of whom are PRC citizens and may be required to register with SAFE. In addition to our officers and directors that receive option grants at the close of this offering, future participants of our 2010 Incentive Stock Plan or any other equity compensation plan we may adopt who are PRC citizens may be required to register with SAFE. If it is determined that any of our equity compensation plans are subject to Circular 78, failure to comply with such provisions may subject us and participants of our equity incentive plan who are PRC citizens to fines and legal sanctions and prevent us from bein g able to grant equity compensation to our PRC employees. In that case, our business operations may be adversely affected.
Because our business is located in the PRC, we may have difficulty establishing adequate management, legal and financial controls, which we are required to do in order to comply with U.S. securities laws.
PRC companies have historically not adopted a Western style of management and financial reporting concepts and practices, which includes strong corporate governance, internal controls and, computer, financial and other control systems. Although our senior executive officers are seasoned executives with significant experience in operating public companies and corporate governance compliance, most of our middle and top management staff in the PRC are not educated and trained in the Western system. While historically we have not experienced problems in attracting executives or management personnel from China’s large pool of professionals, should we need to replace one of our executives or key employees or bring on additional executives and key employees, we may have difficu lty hiring new employees in the PRC with such Western system training. As a result of these factors, we may experience difficulty in establishing management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data and preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records and instituting business practices for our PRC subsidiaries and controlled operating entities that meet Western standards even though we have significant contractual controls over our PRC operating entities. Therefore, we may, in turn, experience difficulties in implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This may result in significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal controls, which could impact the reliability of our financial statements and prevent us from complying with SEC rules and regulations and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Any such deficiencies, weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a material ly adverse effect on our business.
Restrictions on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currency may limit our ability to make dividends or other payments in U.S. dollars or fund possible business activities outside China.
Substantially all of our net revenues are currently generated in RMB. Any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use net revenues generated in RMB to make dividends or other payments in U.S. dollars or fund possible business activities outside China. Although the PRC government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater convertibility of RMB for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell and/or remit foreign currencies at those banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange business after providing valid commercial documents. In addition, remittance of foreign currencies abroad and conversion of RMB for capital account items, includi ng direct investment and loans, is subject to government approval in China, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for capital account items. Subject to certain procedures, including the payment of certain taxes in the PRC, our PRC business units are currently able to pay dividends to us which we can then use to fund our other business activities. We cannot assure you the Chinese regulatory authorities will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of RMB, especially with respect to foreign exchange transactions.
Restrictions on making payments to us.
We rely almost entirely on payments from the revenues generated by our contractually controlled PRC operating entities under our contractual arrangements with them. The Chinese government imposes controls on the conversion of the Chinese currency, RMB, into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of China. Subject to certain procedures, including the payment of certain taxes in the PRC, our PRC business units are currently able to pay dividends to us which we can then use to fund our other business activities. We may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency. Furthermore, if our contractually controlled PRC operating entities incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to make payments. If we are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations in the PRC through these contractual or dividend arrangements, we may be unable to pay our operating expenses as they come due.
We do not have a financial service business license and may be restricted in extending loans directly to other companies, including affiliates.
We do not currently have a financial service business license and PRC laws generally do not permit companies that do not possess a financial service business license to extend loans directly to other companies, including affiliates, without proceeding through a financial agency. The enforcement of these restrictions remains unpredictable, and government authorities may declare these loans void, require the forfeiture of any interest paid and levy fines or other penalties upon the parties involved, among other remedies. In the past, when our subsidiaries or affiliates have required capital, we have funded such needs by providing equity investments and not loans to such entities. In the future, we intend to continu e to fund the capital needs of our subsidiaries in the form of additional equity investments. Additionally, because we do not have a financial services business license our internal financing business unit may be limited in providing funding to our other business units and their customers in China that purchase products from us. However, in the future we may seek to obtain the necessary PRC licenses or government approvals in order to provide intercompany loans to our subsidiaries and funding to their customers in China who purchase products from us.
Bringing original actions in China based on United States or other foreign laws against us, our management or the experts named in the prospectus.
We currently conduct substantially all of our operations in China through contractually controlled PRC operating entities, substantially all of our revenues are generated by our operations in China, and substantially all of our operating assets are located in China. The owners and executive officers who control and operate our contractually controlled PRC operating entities include individuals who are also our executive officers and shareholders who reside within China. If the owners and executive officers of our contractually controlled PRC operating entities were to decide to operate such businesses for their own benefit and thereby breach our agreements with them, we may experience difficulties enforcing our agreements with such entities. Additionally, it may not be possibl e to affect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside China upon our executive officers and other individuals our executive officers who reside in China, including with respect to matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws or applicable state securities laws. Moreover, our Chinese counsel has advised us that China does not have treaties with the United States or many other countries providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgment of courts.
Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.
The Chinese government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. Under our current structure, our income is primarily derived from payments from our PRC business units. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our Chinese subsidiaries and our affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. Under existing Chinese foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from China State Administration of Foreign Exchange by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of bank loans denominated in foreign currencies. The Chinese government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay our operating expenses as they come due.
We derive a substantial portion of our sales from China and a slowdown or other adverse developments in the PRC economy may materially and adversely affect our customers, demand for our services and our business.
Substantially all of our sales are generated from China. We anticipate that sales of our products in China will continue to represent a substantial proportion of our total sales in the near future. Although the PRC economy has grown significantly in recent years, we cannot assure you that such growth will continue. The industries in which we are involved in the PRC are relatively new and growing, but we do not know how sensitive these industries are to a slowdown in economic growth or other adverse changes in the PRC economy which may affect demand for our products. A slowdown in overall economic growth, an economic downturn or recession or other adverse economic developments in the PRC may materially reduce the demand for our products and materially and adversely affect our b usiness.
Currency fluctuations and restrictions on currency exchange may adversely affect our business, including limiting our ability to convert Chinese RMB into foreign currencies and, if Chinese RMB were to decline in value, reducing our revenue in U.S. dollar terms.
Although our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, substantially all of our operations are in China and the RMB is used as their functional currency and substantially all of our Chinese revenue and expenses are in RMB. We are subject to the effects of exchange rate fluctuations with respect to any of these currencies. For example, the value of the RMB depends to a large extent on Chinese government policies and China’s domestic and international economic and political developments, as well as supply and demand in the local market. Since 1994, the official exchange rate for the conversion of RMB to the U.S. dollar had generally been stable and the RMB had appreciated slightly against the U.S. dollar. However, on July 21, 2005, the Chinese government changed its policy of pegging the value of Chinese RMB to the U.S. dollar. Under the new policy, Chinese RMB may fluctuate within a narrow and managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. It is possible that the Chinese government could adopt a more flexible currency policy, which could result in more significant fluctuation of Chinese RMB against the U.S. dollar. We can offer no assurance that Chinese RMB will be stable against the U.S. dollar or any other foreign currency.
The income statements of our foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rates in each applicable period. To the extent the U.S. dollar strengthens against foreign currencies, the translation of these foreign currencies denominated transactions results in reduced revenue, operating expenses and net income for our international operations. Similarly, to the extent the U.S. dollar weakens against foreign currencies, the translation of these foreign currency denominated transactions results in increased revenue, operating expenses and net income for our international operations. We are also exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations as we convert the financial statements of our foreign operations into U.S. dollars in consolidation. If there is a change in foreign currency exchange rates, the conversion of the foreign operations’ financial statements into U.S. dollars will lead to a translation gain or loss which is recorded as a component of other comprehensive income. In addition, we have certain assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the relevant entity’s functional currency. Changes in the functional currency value of these assets and liabilities create fluctuations that will lead to a transaction gain or loss. We have not entered into agreements or purchased instruments to hedge our exchange rate risks, although we may do so in the future. The availability and effectiveness of any hedging transaction may be limited and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exchange rate risks.
We may have limited legal recourse under PRC law if disputes arise under our contracts with third parties.
The Chinese government has enacted some laws and regulations dealing with matters such as corporate organization and governance, foreign investment, commerce, taxation and trade. However, their 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 unpredictable. If our new business ventures are unsuccessful, or other adverse circumstances arise from these transactions, we face the risk that the parties to these ventures may seek ways to terminate the transactions, or, may hinder or prevent us from accessing important information regarding the financial and business operations of these contractually controlled companies. The resolution of these matters may b e subject to the exercise of considerable discretion by agencies of the Chinese government, and forces unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter or dispute may influence their determination. Any rights we may have to specific performance, or to seek an injunction under PRC law, in either of these cases, are severely limited, and without a means of recourse by virtue of the Chinese legal system, we may be unable to prevent these situations from occurring. The occurrence of any such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including the loss of all of our assets and operations located in China. Although legislation in China over the past 30 years has significantly improved the protection afforded to various forms of foreign investment and contractual arrangements in China, these laws, regulations and legal requirements are relatively new and their interpretation and enforcement involve uncertainties, which could limit the legal prote ction available to us, and foreign investors, including you. The inability to enforce or obtain a remedy under any of our future agreements could result in a significant loss of business, business opportunities or capital and could have a material adverse impact on our operations.
It may be difficult to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights under PRC law.
Intellectual property rights in China are still developing, and there are uncertainties involved in the protection and the enforcement of such rights. We will need to pay special attention to protecting our intellectual property and trade secrets. Failure to do so could lead to the loss of a competitive advantage that could not be compensated by a damages award.
If our land use rights are revoked, we would have no operational capabilities.
Under Chinese law, land is owned by the state or rural collective economic organizations. The state issues to tenants the rights to use property. Use rights can be revoked and the tenants forced to vacate at any time when redevelopment of the land is in the public interest. The public interest rationale is interpreted quite broadly and the process of land appropriation may be less than transparent. Sanming and JLF, our contractually controlled PRC operating entities, rely on these land use rights in their respective operations, and the loss of such rights would have a material adverse effect on these operating divisions and our company and our source of raw materials needed by our CHE and OP business units.
Because we may not be able to obtain business insurance in the PRC, we may not be protected from risks that are customarily covered by insurance in the United States.
Business insurance is not readily available in the PRC. To the extent that we suffer a loss of a type which would normally be covered by insurance in the United States, such as product liability and general liability insurance, we would incur significant expenses in both defending any action and in paying any claims that result from a settlement or judgment.
Future inflation in China may inhibit our ability to conduct business in China.
In recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion and high rates of inflation. During the past ten years, the rate of inflation in China has been as high as 20.7% and as low as 2.2%. These factors have led to the adoption by the PRC government, from time to time, of various corrective measures designed to restrict the availability of credit or regulate growth and contain inflation. While inflation has been more moderate since 1995, high inflation may in the future cause the PRC government to impose controls on credit or prices, or to take other action, which could inhibit economic activity in China, and thereby harm the market for our products.
We must comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
We are required to comply with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Foreign companies, including some of our competitors, are not subject to these prohibitions. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent practices occur from time-to-time in mainland China. If our competitors engage in these practices, they may receive preferential treatment from personnel of some companies, giving our competitors an advantage in securing business or from government officials who might give them priority in obtaining new licenses, which would put us at a disadvantage. Although we inform our personnel t hat such practices are illegal and therefore not acceptable to us, we cannot assure you that our employees or other agents will not engage in such conduct for which we might be held responsible. If our employees or other agents are found to have engaged in such practices, we could suffer severe penalties.
The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities.
We are dependent on our relationship with the local government in the province in which we operate our business. Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. We believe that our operations in China are in material compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. However, the central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditure s and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
Because the M&A Rules permit the government agencies to have scrutiny over the economics of an acquisition transaction and require consideration in a transaction to be paid within stated time limits, we may not be able to negotiate a transaction that is acceptable to our shareholders or sufficiently protect their interests in a transaction.
The M&A Rules have introduced aspects of economic and substantive analysis of the target business and the acquirer and the terms of the transaction by MOFCOM and the other governing agencies through submissions of an appraisal report and the acquisition agreement, all of which form part of the application for approval, depending on the structure of the transaction. The M&A Rules also prohibit a transaction at an acquisition price obviously lower than the appraised value of the Chinese business or assets. The M&A Rules require that in certain transaction structures, the consideration must be paid within strict time periods. Because the Chinese authorities have been unhappy with offshore flips which converte d domestic companies into foreign investment enterprises (“FIEs”) in order to take advantage of certain benefits, including reduced taxation, in the PRC, the M&A Rules require foreign sourced capital of not less than 25% of the domestic company’s post-acquisition capital in order to obtain FIE treatment. In asset transactions there must be no harm of third parties and the public interest in the allocation of assets and liabilities being assumed or acquired. These aspects of the M&A Rules will limit our ability to negotiate various terms of the acquisition, including aspects of the initial consideration, contingent consideration, holdback provisions, indemnification provisions and provisions relating to the assumption and allocation of assets and liabilities. Transaction structures involving trusts, nominees and similar entities are prohibited with respect to the acquisitions among related parties. Therefore, we may not be able to negotiate a transaction with terms that will satisfy our investors and protect our shareholders interests in an acquisition of a Chinese business or assets.
Compliance with the PRC Antitrust Law may limit our ability to effect an acquisition.
The PRC Antitrust Law was promulgated on August 30, 2007, and became effective on August 1, 2008. The government authorities in charge of antitrust matters in China are the Antitrust Commission and other antitrust authorities under the State Council. The PRC Antitrust Law regulates (i) monopoly agreements, including decisions or actions in concert that preclude or impede competition, entered into by business operators; (ii) abuse of dominant market position by business operators; and (iii) concentration of business operators that may have the effect of precluding or impeding competition. The concentration of business operators refers to (i) merger with other business operators; (ii) gaining control over other business operators through acquisition of equity interest or assets of other business operators; and (iii) gaining control over other business operators through exerting influence on other business operators through contracts or other means. In the event of occurrence of any concentration of business operators and to the extent required by the Antitrust Law, the relevant business operators must file with the antitrust authority under the State Council prior to conducting the contemplated business concentration. If the antitrust authority decides not to further investigate whether the contemplated business concentration has the effect of precluding or impeding competition or fails to make a decision within 30 days from receipt of relevant materials, the relevant business operators may proceed to consummate the contemplated business concentration. When we evaluate a potential transaction, we will consider the need to comply with the Antitrust Law and other relevant regulations which may limit our ability to effect an acquisition.
Our contractual arrangements with Sanming and JLF may result in adverse tax consequences to us.
As a result of our corporate structure and contractual arrangements, Fujian GP and Fujian United are effectively subject to the 5% PRC business tax on revenues derived from Sanming and JLF pursuant to the VIE agreements. Fujian GP and Fujian United are subject to the business tax, while Sanming and JLF, as manufacturers, instead of a service provider, are not subject to the business tax. Moreover, we would be subject to adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities were to determine that the VIE agreements were not on an arm’s length basis and therefore constitute a favorable transfer pricing. As a result, the PRC tax authorities could request that we adjust the taxable income upward for PRC tax purposes. Such a pricing adjustment could adversely affect us by:
· increasing Sanming and JLF’s tax expenses without reducing Fujian GP and Fujian United’s tax expenses, which could subject Sanming and JLF to late payment fees and other penalties for under-payment of taxes; and/or
·resulting in Fujian GP and Fujian United’s loss of its preferential tax treatment.
Under PRC law, we are required to obtain permits and business licenses, and our failure to do so would adversely impact our ability to conduct business in China.
We hold various permits, business licenses, and approvals authorizing our operations and activities, which are subject to periodic review and reassessment by the Chinese authorities. Standards of compliance necessary to pass such reviews change from time to time and differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, leading to a degree of uncertainty. If renewals, or new permits, business licenses or approvals required in connection with existing or new facilities or activities, are not granted or are delayed, or if existing permits, business licenses or approvals are revoked or substantially modified, we will suffer a material adverse effect. If new standards are applied to renewals or new applications, it could prove costly to us to meet any new level of compliance.
Requirement of new labor laws in the PRC.
On June 29, 2007, the PRC government promulgated a new labor law, namely, the Labor Contract Law of the PRC, or the New Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008. The New Labor Contract Law imposes stricter obligations on employers. Under the New Labor Contract Law, an employer is obligated to execute written labor contracts with all of its employees, otherwise an employee without a written labor contract will be entitled to claim double monthly salary from the employer. We believe we are in substantial compliance with this law, although at certain times of the year (harvest season) we hire between 20 and 40 seasonal/part time employees each year without execution of a written labor contract. If any of our employees with who m we do not have a written labor contract were to file a valid claim under this law, and we are required to make additional payments to such employee, we do not believe it would have a material impact on our financial results.
The New Labor Contract Law also imposes tougher procedural requirements related to a reduction in workforce and requires certain terminations to be based upon seniority and not merit. In the event we decide to significantly change or decrease our workforce, the New Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to enact such changes in a timely and cost-effective manner that is most advantageous to our business, which may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our failure to fully comply with PRC labor laws exposes us to potential liability.
Companies operating in China must comply with a variety of labor laws, including certain social insurance, housing fund and other staff welfare-oriented payment obligations. There exist uncertainties as to the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of such obligations. If relevant governmental authorities determine that we have not complied fully with such obligations, we may be in violation of applicable PRC labor laws and we cannot assure you that PRC governmental authorities will not impose penalties on us for any failure to comply. In addition, in the event that any current or former employee files a complaint with relevant governmental authorities, we may be subject to making up such staff-welfare oriented obligations as well as paying administrative fines.
Our global income and the dividends that we may receive from our PRC subsidiary may be subject to PRC taxes under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementing rules, both effective from January 1, 2008, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management bodies” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its global income. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management bodies” as “establishments that carry out substantial and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an enterprise.” The State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Regarding the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Offshore Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or SAT C ircular 82, on April 22, 2009. SAT Circular 82 provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled offshore-incorporated enterprise is located in China. Although SAT Circular 82 only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises, not those controlled by PRC individuals, like our company, the determining criteria set forth in SAT Circular 82 may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises or individuals. Accordingly, we may be considered a resident enterprise and may therefore be subject to the enterprise income tax at 25% on our global income. If we are considered a resident enterprise and earn income other than dividends from our PRC subsidiary, a 25% enterprise income tax on our global income could significantly increase our tax burden and materially and adversely affect our cash flow and profitability.
We face risks related to natural disasters and health epidemics in China, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by natural disasters or the outbreak of health epidemics in China. For example, in May 2008, Sichuan Province suffered a strong earthquake measuring approximately 8.0 on the Richter scale that caused widespread damage and casualties. In addition, in the last decade, the PRC has suffered health epidemics related to the outbreak of avian influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. In April 2009, an outbreak of the H1N1 virus, also commonly referred to as “swine flu”, occurred in Mexico and has spread to other countries. Cases of swine flu have been reported in Hong Kong and mainland China. If the outbreak of swine flu were to become widespread in China or increase in severity, it could have an adverse effect on economic activity in China, and our business a nd operations could be adversely affected. Any future natural disasters or health epidemics in the PRC could also have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Risks Related to our Securities
Our common stock is thinly traded and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you desire to liquidate your shares. There is only a limited and sporadic trading market for our common stock on the OTB Bulletin Board.
Even though our common stock has been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market, we cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock will develop or be sustained.
Our common stock has historically been sporadically or “thinly-traded” on the OTC Bulletin Board, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stocks at or near bid 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 relatively small company which 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 a relatively 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 had been periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares was minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which 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 you 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 when our stock begins to trade on the NASDAQ Stock market.
The market price for our common stock may be volatile given our status as a relatively small company with a small and thinly traded “float” that could lead to wide fluctuations in our share price. The price at which you purchase our common stock may not be indicative of the price that will prevail in the trading market. You may be unable to sell your common stock at or above your purchase price if at all, which may result in substantial losses to you.
The market for our common stock is characterized by price fluctuations when compared to seasoned issuers, and we expect that our share price will continue to be more volatile than a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. The fluctuations in our share price are attributable to a number of factors. First, as noted above, our common stock is sporadically and/or thinly traded. As a consequence of this lack of liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares by our shareholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. The price for our shares could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of shares of our common stocks are sold on the market without commensurate demand, as compared to a seasoned issuer which could better absorb those sales without adverse impact on its share price. Secondly, we are a speculative or “risky” investment due to our fluctuating level of revenues or profits to date and uncertainty of future market acceptance for our current and potential products. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-averse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the stock of a seasoned issuer. The following factors may add to the volatility in the price of our common stock: actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly or annual operating results; adverse outcomes; and additions or departures of our key personnel, as well as other items discussed under this “Risk Factors” section, as well as elsewhe re in this prospectus. Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our common stock regardless of our operating performance. We cannot make any predictions or projections as to what the prevailing market price for our common stock will be at any time, including as to whether our common stock will sustain their current market prices, or as to what effect that the sale of shares or the availability of common stock for sale at any time will have on the prevailing market price.
Shareholders should be aware that the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (1) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (2) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (3) boiler room practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (4) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differential and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (5) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of those prices and with consequent investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities. The occurrence of these patterns or practices could increase the volatility of our share price. Although we believe that our shares would not currently be considered a penny stock, if our shares were to trade at a price below $5.00 per share and/or not be listed on one of the major exchanges (NSYE, NYSEAmex or NASDAQ) we my be considered a penny stock under the SEC’s rules which would impose restrictions of broker-dealers who recommend our stock to customers.
The market price for our securities may be subject to wide fluctuations and our securities may trade below the initial public offering price.
The initial public offering price of our securities will be determined by negotiations between us and the representative of the underwriters, based on numerous factors we discuss under “Underwriting.” This price may not be indicative of the market price of our securities after this offering. We cannot assure you that you will be able to resell your securities at or above the initial public offering price or our net asset value. The securities of a number of Chinese companies and companies with substantial operations in China have also experienced wide fluctuations subsequent to their initial public offerings, including trading at prices substantially below the initial public offering prices. Among the factors that could affect the price of our securities are risk f actors described in this section and other factors, including:
| ● | conditions in health and wellness and organic products markets; |
| ● | changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other bio-engineering companies; |
| ● | announcements by us or our competitors of new products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; |
| ● | general economic or political conditions in China; |
| ● | regulatory developments of our industry affecting us, our customers or our competitors; |
| ● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results; |
| ● | failure of our quarterly financial and operating results to meet market expectations or failure to meet our previously announced guidance, if any; |
| ● | changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts; |
| ● | changes in the economic performance or market valuations of our competitors; |
| ● | additions or departures of our executive officers and other key personnel; |
| ● | announcements regarding intellectual property litigation (or potential litigation) involving us or any of our directors and officers; |
| ● | fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the RMB; and |
| ● | release or expiration of the underwriters’ post-offering lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding common stock. |
In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular industries or companies. For example, the capital and credit markets have been experiencing volatility and disruption for more than 12 months. Starting in September 2008, the volatility and disruption have reached extreme levels, developing into a global crisis. As a result, stock prices of a broad range of companies worldwide, whether or not they are related to financial services, have declined significantly. These market fluctuations may also have a material adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future but will review this policy as circumstances dictate.
We have considerable discretion in the use of proceeds from this offering and we may use these proceeds in ways with which you may not agree.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the acquisition of profitable operating bioengineering businesses located principally in the Asia-Pacific region, to fund organic growth of our existing operating businesses, to purchase any 8% debentures that have not been retired, to provide any remaining unfunded registered capital for any of our WFOEs, for working capital and for general corporate purposes. We have not allocated the net proceeds of this offering to any particular project or acquisition. Rather, our board of directors and our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds received by us. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether proceeds are being used appropriately. You must rely on the judgment of our board of directors and our management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering. The net proceeds may be used for corporate purposes that do not improve our efforts to maintain profitability or increase the price of our securities. The net proceeds from this offering may be placed in investments that do not produce income or that lose value.
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your investment and may experience further dilution in the future.
Our net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2010 was $4.86. The offering price per share of common stock in this offering is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering. Consequently, when you purchase our securities in this offering at an assumed offering price of $5.50, you will incur immediate dilution of $0.60 per share.
We may need additional capital and may sell additional securities or other equity securities or incur indebtedness, which could result in additional dilution to our shareholders or increase our debt service obligations.
We may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our cash resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities or equity-linked debt securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
Substantial future sales of our securities in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the price of our securities to decline.
Additional sales of our securities in the public market after this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our securities to decline. Upon completion of this offering, we will have 10,704,014 million shares of our common stock outstanding. Of that amount, approximately 4,600,000 shares of common stock outstanding after this offering will be available for sale upon the expiration of varying lock-up periods beginning from the date of this prospectus, subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All securities sold in this offering will be freely transferable without restriction under the Securities Act. Any or all of these shares may be released prior to expiration of t he lock-up period at the discretion of the lead underwriters for this offering. We have agreed to issue shares as part of our acquisition of our financing business unit based upon the future performance of that business unit and we may issue our securities in connection with acquisitions we may make in the future. In addition, we may grant or sell additional options, restricted shares or other share-based awards in the future under our share incentive plan to our management, employees and other persons, the settlement and sale of which may further dilute our shares and drive down the price of our securities.
As of September 15, 2010, we had outstanding warrants to purchase 355,200 (adjusted for the 1 for 5 reverse stock split effected August 30, 2010) of common stock. To the extent that the warrants are exercised, they may be exercised at prices below the price of our shares of common stock on the public market, resulting in a significant number of shares entering the public market and the dilution of our securities.
Even though our common stock has been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market, we cannot assure you that our securities will meet the continued listing requirements to be listed on NASDAQ Stock Market in the future.
If the NASDAQ should delist our securities from trading on its exchange once listed, we could face significant material adverse consequences including:
| ● | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| ● | a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock; |
| ● | a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and |
| ● | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
If our shares of common stock become subject to the SEC’s penny stock rules, broker-dealers may experience difficulty in completing customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected.
If at any time we have net tangible assets of $5,000,000 or less and our shares of common stock have a market price per share of less than $5.00, transactions in our common stock may be subject to the “penny stock” rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Under these rules, broker-dealers who recommend such securities to persons other than institutional accredited investors must:
| ● | make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser; |
| ● | receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction prior to sale; |
| ● | provide the purchaser with risk disclosure documents which identify certain risks associated with investing in “penny stocks” and which describe the market for these “penny stocks” as well as a purchaser’s legal remedies; and |
| ● | obtain a signed and dated acknowledgment from the purchaser demonstrating that the purchaser has actually received the required risk disclosure document before a transaction in a “penny stock” can be completed. |
If our securities become subject to these rules, broker-dealers may find it difficult to effectuate customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected. As a result, the market price of our securities may be depressed, and you may find it more difficult to sell our securities.
Foreign exchange risk
We carry out the majority of our transactions in RMB. Therefore, we have an exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations. A substantial portion of our cash is held in China in interest bearing bank deposits and denominated in RMB. The RMB is not a freely convertible currency. The PRC government may take actions that could cause future exchange rates to vary significantly from current or historical exchange rates. Fluctuations in exchange rates may adversely affect the value of any dividends we declare. Restrictions on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currency may limit our ability to make dividends or other payments in U.S. dollars or fund possible business activities outside of China.