In 2004, we paid for repairs totaling $302,160 that we made to the buildings and property that we lease from K & R, located at 7100 Grade Lane, Louisville, Kentucky. K & R executed an unsecured promissory note, dated March 25, 2005, but effective December 31, 2004, to us for the principal sum of $302,160. K & R makes payments on the promissory note of principal and interest in ninety-six (96) monthly installments of $3,897.66. The rate of interest is five and one-half percent (5.5%) per annum. Failure of K & R to make any payment when due under this note within fifteen (15) days of its due date shall constitute a default. After the fifteen day period, the note shall bear interest at a rate equal to fifteen percent (15%) per annum and we have the right to exercise our remedies to collect full payment of the note.
Events of default under the K & R lease include (i) our failure to pay the fixed minimum rent for 10 days after written demand therefore, (ii) any other default in our observance or performance of any of the other covenants, agreements or conditions of the K & R lease, which shall continue for 30 days after written notice, unless we shall have commenced and shall be diligently pursuing curing such default, (iii) certain bankruptcy or related events affecting us, (iv) our vacation of the leased premises, or (v) the transfer or devolution whether by operation of law or otherwise of the K & R lease or our estate or of any of our interest to anyone other than K & R. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, K & R may, at its option, terminate the K & R lease and enter into and take possession of the leased premises with the right to sue for and collect all amounts due, including damages. All payments are current.
In an addendum to the K & R lease as of January 1, 2005, our rent increased $4,000 per month as a result of the improvements made to the property in 2004. For years 2005 through 2010, our payments to K & R of $4,000 for additional rent and the payment from K & R to us of $3,897.66 for the promissory note were offset.
The K & R consulting agreement terminates upon a non-defaulting party providing written notice to the other party of its intent to terminate. The recipient of the notice has 10 days to cure monetary defaults and 30 days to cure non-monetary defaults (which will be extended if a cure is being diligently commenced and pursued during that 30-day period). The K & R consulting agreement also terminates upon the condemnation or destruction by fire or other casualty of all or substantially all of the leased premises. Upon termination, K & R agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, in our business, or hire our employees for a period of five years and within 100 miles of our operations. We compensate our principal shareholder and chief executive officer through consulting fees pursuant to the K & R consulting agreement.
The K & R consulting agreement provides for cross-indemnification of each party by the other for acts other than negligence or willful malfeasance. The K & R consulting agreement further provides that K & R must maintain the confidentiality of any of our information not otherwise in the public domain or that K & R must disclose by law.
Other related party transactions
Donaghy Asset Purchase Agreement. During 2007, we entered into an asset purchase agreement for $1,800,000 funded primarily by a note payable to Industrial Logistic Services, LLC, the sole member of which is Brian Donaghy, our president and chief operating officer, whereby we pay $20,000 per month for 60 months for various assets including tractor trailers, trucks and containers. The note payable reflects a seven percent (7%) interest payment on the outstanding balance plus principal amortization. The outstanding balance as of March 31, 2011 was $322,791.
Property Purchase – Grade Lane. On September 10, 2009 we completed the acquisition of all outstanding membership interests in 7124 Grade Lane LLC and 7200 Grade Lane LLC, each a Kentucky limited liability company, owned by Harry Kletter Family Limited Partnership, a Kentucky limited partnership. Mr. Kletter is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Company and the general partner of Harry Kletter Family Limited Partnership. Mr. Kletter’s interest in the transaction is $3,200,000.
Lohan Realty Resources, Inc., a member of the Appraisal Institute and located in Louisville, Kentucky, provided an appraisal for each property to assist the Company in determining the purchase price for the membership interests in the limited liability companies. As of the date of the appraisals on July 3, 2009, the property at 7124 Grade Lane had an “as is” estimated market value of $850,000 while the property located at 7200 Grade Lane had an “as is” estimated market value of $2,350,000. The respective purchase prices paid in the form of Company shares to the limited partnership for the 7124 Grade Lane LLC and 7200 Grade Lane LLC were $850,003 and $2,349,997, respectively. The purchase price was paid through the issuance of 199,220 shares and 550,781 shares of Company common stock, respectively, to 7124 Grade Lane LLC and 7200 Grade Lane LLC at the per share price of $4.27.
The transaction received approval of the Company audit committee comprised of independent directors, the board of directors, without the participation of Harry Kletter, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Company and also the general partner of the limited partnership, and a majority of the outstanding shares of the common stock by written consent. Because of the relationship between Harry Kletter and the Company, NASDAQ rules required the approval of the Company’s stockholders.
Purchase of Venture Metals, LLC Intangibles. On March 26, 2010, we entered into an agreement dated July 1, 2010, subject to shareholder approval of certain issuances of shares of our common stock. After shareholder approval of the issuance of 300,000 shares of our common stock, on July 1, 2010, we entered into an asset purchase agreement and a non-compete agreement with Venture Metals, LLC (“Venture Metals”), 3409 Camp Ground Road, Louisville, KY 40211. Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement dated July 1, 2010, in consideration for the transfer of the Venture Metals name and entry into the Non-Compete Agreement, we delivered to Venture Metals 300,000 shares of our common stock based on a price of $10.41 per share (the “Purchase Price”) based on the stock price on July 1, 2010.
The purchase price was negotiated between us and Steve Jones, co-owner of Venture Metals. Venture Metals is owned by Steve Jones and Jeff Valentine, both of whom were our employees at the time. Mr. Jones was no longer employed by the Company effective December 17, 2010, and Mr. Jones was no longer employed by the Company effective April 18, 2011. At the same time as these negotiations took place, we renegotiated the employment agreements of Mr. Jones and Mr. Valentine, as described below. Mr. Jones’ and Mr. Valentine’s original employment agreements were entered into in connection with our prior purchase of certain assets from Venture Metals. An outside financial consultant also assessed the transaction to provide an opinion of the fair value of the transaction, which led to a supplemental acquisition dated July 1, 2010, as described below.
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The material terms of the Non-Compete Agreement include that (i) Venture Metals, or any entity that Venture Metals may become, operating under any name agrees that for a period of five (5) years from the date of the Agreement (the “Non-Competition Period”), Venture Metals will not directly or indirectly (a) engage in any business which is the same or substantially the same as any business of the Company (the “Restricted Business”), or (b) have any interest in any other business venture, within one hundred (100) direct miles of any geographic area in which the Company engages in business operations; (ii) during the Non-Competition Period, Venture Metals will not solicit for employment or employ or otherwise encourage any employee to leave his or her employment with the Company; and (iii) during the Non-Competition Period, Venture Metals shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit or engage in certain restricted business with any customer, distributor, vendor, supplier or agent with whom the Company shall have dealt, or that the Company shall have actively sought to deal, for or on behalf of Venture Metals or any other person in connection with the restricted business or encourage any such customer, distributor, vendor, supplier or agent to cease its business relationship with the Company.
On June 16, 2010, the Company and Venture Metals agreed to a supplemental acquisition dated July 1, 2010. Pursuant to this agreement, on April 12, 2010, the Company paid Venture Metals $1,348,942 for commissions earned and accrued in 2009 using the line of credit facility and on July 1, 2010, issued to Venture Metals 300,000 shares of Common Stock, in exchange for Venture Metals’ customer list, the Venture Metals name, Venture Metals’ execution of a non-compete agreement, and Venture Metals’ agreement to cause Mr. Jones and Mr. Valentine to provide the company with non-compete agreements. Based on an independent appraisal, the Company may be required to deliver up to an additional 750,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in accordance with the following:
(a) Venture Metals shall receive up to ninety thousand (90,000) shares of the Company’s common stock per annum commencing in 2011 for calendar year 2010, and thereafter in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 for calendar years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, resulting in a maximum of four hundred and fifty thousand (450,000) shares of the Company’s common stock over the such period (but in no event greater than 90,000 shares in any one calendar year) based on satisfaction of the RONA criteria set forth in Exhibit 10.3 of the June 30, 2010 Form 10-Q as previously filed with the SEC and incorporated herein by reference. Such consideration shall be payable in the form of the Company’s common stock in one delivery of a stock certificate, as soon as practicable following December 31, 2015 subject to applicable withholding and other taxes and other required deductions;
(b) Venture Metals shall be entitled to receive additional consideration for the purchase of assets up to three hundred thousand (300,000) shares of the Company’s common stock based on satisfaction of the 5 year (2010-2014) average RONA criteria set forth in Exhibit 10.3 of the June 30, 2010 Form 10-Q as previously filed with the SEC and incorporated herein by reference. Such consideration shall be payable in the form of Company common stock in one delivery of a stock certificate, as soon as practicable following December 31, 2014 subject to applicable withholding and other taxes and other required deductions.
The Company is in the process of obtaining a valuation. Based on preliminary estimates and the share price as of July 1, 2010 of $10.41 per share, we recorded additional goodwill of $4,273,000, decreased the value of the intangible asset by $630,000, and increased fourth quarter amortization expense related to the intangible assets by $98,718. We have also recorded a commitment of $7,300,000 representing the fair value of the contingent consideration associated with the purchase of the intangibles as of December 31, 2010.
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Amendment to Brian Donaghy’s employment agreement. Effective April 1, 2010, the Company amended and restated the employment agreement of Brian Donaghy, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, to (a) extend the term to June 30, 2015, and (b) provide for (i) an annual bonus based on the Company’s achievement of certain return on net asset (“RONA”) targets pursuant to incentive plans to be established by the Company, to be payable in cash or partly in Common Stock at the election of Mr. Donaghy, (ii) a bonus of up to 15,000 shares of Common Stock per annum based on the Company’s achievement of certain RONA targets, and (iii) a one-time bonus of up to 225,000 shares of Common Stock based on the Company’s achievement of certain 5 year RONA targets as measured on December 31, 2014.
Amendment to Steve Jones’ employment agreement. Effective July 1, 2010, the Company amended and restated the employment agreement of Steve Jones, the Company’s Vice President of Operations – ISA Alloys at the time, to (a) extend the term to June 30, 2015, and (b) replace the annual bonus of a cash payment equal to 7.5% of the amount determined for each fiscal year of the segment profit of ISA Alloys minus selling, general and administrative expenses applicable to the ISA Alloys segment with (i) an annual bonus based on the Company’s achievement of certain RONA targets pursuant to incentive plans to be established by the Company, to be payable in cash or partly in Common Stock, at the election of Mr. Jones. Also, as a result of the supplemental acquisition between the Company and Venture Metals, further discussed above, Mr. Jones was no longer entitled to: (i) a bonus of up to 45,000 shares of Common Stock per annum based on the Company’s achievement of certain RONA targets, and (ii) a one-time bonus of up to 225,000 shares of Common Stock based on the Company’s achievement of certain 5 year RONA targets as of December 31, 2014. As of December 17, 2010, Mr. Jones was no longer an employee of the Company.
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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The following report of the audit committee does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any of our other filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this report by reference therein.
In accordance with its amended and restated charter the audit committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for the oversight of the quality and integrity of our accounting, auditing and financial practices. In discharging its oversight responsibility as to the audit process, the audit committee obtained from the independent registered public accountants a formal written statement describing all relationships between the registered public accountants and us that might bear on the registered public accountants’ independence consistent with applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding registered public accountants’ communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the registered public accountants any relationships that may impact their objectivity and independence, and satisfied itself as to the registered public accountants’ independence. The audit committee also discussed with management the independent registered public accounting firm and the quality and adequacy of our internal controls. The audit committee reviewed with the independent registered public accountants their audit plans, audit scope and identification of audit risk.
On February 17, 2011, the audit committee discussed and reviewed with the independent registered public accountants all communications required by standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, including the matters required to be discussed by PCAOB AU 380, Communication with Audit Committees, and Rule 2-07, Communication with Audit Committees, of Regulation S-X, and, with and without management present, discussed and reviewed the results of the independent registered public accountants’ examination of the financial statements. The audit committee also discussed with the independent registered public accountants matters relating to its independence, including a review of audit and non-audit fees and written disclosures from Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP to the audit committee. The audit committee also considered whether non-audit services provided by the independent auditors are compatible with the independent auditors’ independence.
The audit committee reviewed our audited financial statements with the independent registered public accountants on February 17, 2011 and with management on February 17, 2011. The audit committee met a total of two times during the first quarter of 2011 to review the report from the independent accountants and the management letter prior to releasing the Form 10-K annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, and to review the Form 10-K annual report and related press releases for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. Based upon these reviews, the audit committee recommended to the Board that our audited financial statements be included in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The audit committee has considered whether the provision of these services is compatible with maintaining accounting independence.
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| Orson Oliver, director and audit committee Chairman |
| Roman Epelbaum, director and audit committee Member |
| Al Cozzi, director and audit committee Member |
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INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS FEES
The aggregate fees billed for professional services by principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP (previously Mountjoy & Bressler, LLP) in 2010 and 2009 are as follows:
Audit Fees:$111,750 and $108,950 to principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP for the years ending December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, for services rendered for the annual audit of our financial statements and the quarterly reviews of the financial statements included in our Form 10-Qs.
Audit Related Fees: $7,500 and $6,600 to principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP for the annual audit of our 401(k) retirement plan for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Also, $490 to principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP for professional services relating to the filing of Form S-3 for the year ending December 31, 2010 and $6,615 for professional services relating to the Venture Metals, LLC acquisition and an SEC comment letter regarding a land purchase, and $27,825 for professional services relating to the SOX 404 bill for the year ending December 31, 2009.
Tax Fees: No tax services were provided by principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.
All Other Fees: No other services were provided by principal accountants Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.
The audit committee is responsible for pre-approving all auditing services and permitted non-audit services that our independent registered public accountants are to perform, except as described below.
The audit committee will establish general guidelines for the permissible scope and nature of any permitted non-audit services in connection with its annual review of the audit plan and will review such guidelines with the Board of Directors. The full audit committee, or in its absence, the chair of the audit committee, may pre-approve non-audit services. No pre-approval is necessary for the provision of non-audit services if (1) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services constitutes no more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid by us to the registered public accountants during the fiscal year in which the accountants provide the non-audit services, (2) we did not recognize such services at the time of engagement to be non-audit services, and (3) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the audit committee and approved prior to the completion of the audit. Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP did not provide any such services in 2010.
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SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
We must receive proposals of shareholders intended to be presented at the next annual meeting of shareholders at its principal executive offices in Louisville, Kentucky on or before January 6, 2012 for inclusion in the our proxy statement and form of proxy relating to that meeting. All shareholder proposals must comply with the applicable requirements of the federal securities laws.
OTHER MATTERS
The Board knows of no business, which will be presented for consideration at the annual meeting other than that described above. However, if any such other business should properly come before the annual meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy to vote the proxies in respect of any such business in accordance with their best judgment.
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| By Order of the Board of Directors |
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| Michael P. Shannonhouse |
| Recording Secretary of the Board of Directors |
Louisville, Kentucky
April 28, 2011
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