The shareholders (including any “group” as that term is used in Section 13(d) (3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) who, to the knowledge of the Board of Directors of the Company, owned beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding Common Stock as of September 1, 2007, and all directors and officers of the Company as a group, and their respective stock holdings (according to information furnished by them to the Company), are set forth in the following table.
There is no other information regarding Directors, Officers and Shareholders.
II. APPROVAL OF EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN 2007-1
(Proposal II)
The full text of the proposed Stock Option Plan 2007-1 (the “Plan”) is shown on Exhibit A, which is part of this proxy statement. The purpose of the Plan is to serve as an incentive to employees to remain employed by the Company and further serves as an incentive to do their part to improve the financial condition of the Company so that the stock value could increase.
PLAN PROVISIONS. The principal features of the Plan give the independent directors the discretion to award up to 200,000 options to employees of the Company. (“Independent directors” are not employees or major stockholders). Out of the 8 directors, 5 are considered independent directors. The plan remains active until all 200,000 options are awarded or ten years passes. An option means the ability to purchase one share of common stock at the option price only if the option to be exercised is “vested”. The award to a particular employee vests in thirds, that is, upon the grant, no options can be exercised. After one year 1/3 of the granted options may be exercised. After two year 2/3rds may be exercised. After three years all options may be exercised. The option price, which is set on the date of the grant, is computed by taking a weighted average of the last 5 trading days as reported on the “pink sheets”. The date of grant will be the date a resolution is passed by the independent directors. The expiration date of the options is five years from the date of grant. This gives a four-year window in which 1/3 of the options are exercisable. A three-year window in which 2/3 of the options are exercisable and a two-year window in which all options are exercisable.
All shares purchased under an option will be paid for in full at the time the option is exercised by either a tender of cash by the employee or a tender of Company stock which will be valued at the 5 day weighted average prior to the tender/exercise.
Type of Shares.When an option is exercised the Company will provide “restricted shares”. The shares are unregistered and deemed to be purchased for extended investment; hence to resell into the public market, certain requirements for holding periods and quantities must be met. If the employee is not an affiliate/executive officer the restrictions on the stock may be removed after two years pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 144K, otherwise Rule 144 allows up to 1% to be sold in a 90 day period once a Rule 144 filing is completed and the stock is held for one year or more. Most brokers have a group for handling “Rule 144 sales”. In the event Company shares are used to exercise the option, the holding period of the original shares are “tacked” onto the new shares.
Dilution. A stock option plan such as the one being proposed has a dilutive effect on the Company’s capitalization. The amount of shares authorized, issued and outstanding on the date of this proxy is 4,717,908. If all the options under this proposal were exercised in the next five years, the issued shares would increase to 4,917,908 or about 4.2 % higher. Accordingly, the earning per share calculation would decrease 4.2%. The Company believes that the likelihood of all 200,000 options being awarded and exercised is remote.
Tax Consequences.The Plan is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. However, the Company does not undertake to maintain such status throughout the existence of the Plan.
The following is a description of tax matters relating to Stock Option Plan 2007-1 (in accordance with SEC rules):
In general, a participant has no taxable event at the time of grant of an option or at the time of exercise of an option, but will realize taxable income at the time the participant sells the shares acquired under the Plan.
If the participant sells the shares before satisfying the tax holding period requirements, then the participant will realize ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the stock on the Exercise Day. If the tax-holding period requirements are met, the proceeds of sale will be taxed at capital gains rates. A participant is encouraged to seek professional tax advice.
III. RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (Proposal III)
Subject to ratification by the stockholders, the Board of Directors has selected the firm of Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman & Company (“RRBB”) as the Company’s independent public accountants for the current year. Payments to RRBB for the previous fiscal years ended June 30, 2007 and June 30, 2006 were $37,000 and $37,600, respectively, all for audit fees. There were no other payments for other services such as audit related fees, tax fees or other.
Representatives of RRBB are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement and will also be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.
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IV. OTHER MATTERS
The Board of Directors of the Company does not know of any other matters, which may be brought before the meeting. However, if any such other matters are properly presented for action, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying form of Proxy to vote the shares represented thereby in accordance with their judgment on such matters.
V. MISCELLANEOUS
If the accompanying form of Proxy is executed and returned, the shares represented thereby will be voted in accordance with the terms of the Proxy, unless the proxy is revoked by written notice addressed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation. If no directions are indicated in such Proxy, the shares represented thereby will be voted in the election of directors in favor of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors, the Stock Option Plan and in favor of ratification of the Independent Certified Public Accountants. Any Proxy may be revoked at any time before it is exercised. The casting of a ballot at the Meeting by a shareholder who may theretofore have given a Proxy will not have the effect of revoking the same unless the shareholder so notifies the Secretary of the meeting in writing at any time prior to the voting of the shares represented by the Proxy. Votes that are withheld and broker non-votes will be treated as shares that are present for purposes of determining a quorum. Withheld votes will be excluded in determining whether a nominee for director, the approval of the Stock Option Plan or the ratification of independent certified public accountants, has received a plurality of the votes cast. All costs relating to the solicitation of Proxies will be borne by the Company. Proxies may be solicited by mail and the Company may pay brokers and other persons holding shares of stock in their names or those of their nominees for their reasonable expenses in sending soliciting materials to their principals. It is important that Proxies be returned promptly. Shareholders who do not expect to attend the Meeting in person are urged to mark, sign and date the accompanying form of Proxy and mail it in the enclosed return envelope, which requires no postage if mailed in the United States, so that their vote can be recorded.
VI. EXCHANGE ACT COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act requires that certain of the Company’s officers, directors and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s securities, file reports of ownership and changes in ownership of the Company’s securities with the Securities Exchange Commission. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent shareholders are required to provide the Company with copies of the forms they file. Based solely upon its review of copies of such forms received by the Company, and upon representations by the Company’s officers and directors regarding compliance with the filing requirements, the Company believes that in Fiscal 2006/2007, all filing requirements applicable to its officers, directors and ten percent shareholders were complied with in a timely manner.
VII. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
The Company must receive shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company by May 15, 2008 in order to be considered for inclusion in the Company’s Proxy Statement relating to such meeting.
VIII. INTERNET WEB SITE
The Company maintains a WEB site on the Internet with an address of http://www.hydromer.com, which describes the products and services sold by the Company and contains product brochures, which can be downloaded. The web site contains links to the Company’s Policy on Business Conduct, the Audit Committee Charter, and the Code of Ethics for the CEO and CFO, which any person can use to obtain these documents and other documents filed with the Security and Exchange Commission. Also provided, are links to various financial services, which post the current stock price and current press releases. Stockholders are invited to browse this information.
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EXHIBIT A
Hydromer Employee Incentive/Retention Option Plan
(Title-Option Plan 2007-1)
Purpose-to provide for the grant of stock options to EXISTING employees and provide an incentive and/or provide for the retention of talented individuals.
Approval-by a majority of the Shareholders at the annual meeting scheduled for November 14, 2007.
Amount of Stock Options in plan-200,000 options, each option allows the purchase of one share of restricted Common Stock. This plan shall stay in existence until all the options are awarded or until 9/1/2017, whichever shall occur first.
Price-the grant will be set at a price calculated as the prior 5-day weighted average of the closing price of the Common Stock. This price is considered as “Market Price”
Grant-upon recommendation of the C.E.O. and upon approval of all the independent directors of the Company, the grant shall be awarded and a reserve setup for the options granted.
Terms- The options shall be for a term of five years. 1/3 shall vest at the end of one year from grant, another 1/3 for a total of 2/3rds shall vest upon the end of two years from grant and the remainder or 100% shall vest upon the end of three years from grant.
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REVOCABLE PROXY
HYDROMER, Inc.
PLEASE MARK VOTES
AS IN THIS EXAMPLE
PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on
November 14, 2007
The undersigned hereby appoints Robert J. Moravsik and Robert Y. Lee and each of them, to represent the undersigned at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Hydromer, Inc. to be held at Hydromer’s facility located at 35 Industrial Parkway, Branchburg, New Jersey, on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., and at any adjournment thereof, on all matters coming before such meeting.
Please be sure to sign and date this Proxy in the box below.
Stockholder sign above – Co-holder (if any) sign above
| | | | | | For | | With hold | | For All Except: |
1. | | | | Election of Manfred F Dyck;
| | | | | | |
| | | | Dr. Maxwell Borow; Dieter Heinemann | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Ursula M. Dyck; Robert H. Bea; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Dr. Klaus Meckeler; Dr. Frederick Perl; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | and Michael F Ryan, Ph.D. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
INSTRUCTION: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, mark “For All Except” and write that nominee’s name in the space provided below. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
2. | | | | Approve Employee Stock Option Plan | | For | | Against | | Abstain |
3. | | | | The ratification of the appointment of Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman & Company as Company’s independent Accountants for fiscal 2007/2008. | | For | | Against | | Abstain |
4. | | | | In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon Such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any postpone ment or adjournment thereof. |
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WILL BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS APPEARING ON THIS SIDE. IF A CHOICE IS NOT INDICATED WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS I, 2 or 3, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” SUCH ITEM. THE PROXIES WILL USE THEIR DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO ANY OTHER MATTER PROPERLY BROUGHT BEFORE THE MEETING OR POSTPONEMENT OR ADJOURNMENT THEREOF. THIS PROXY IS REVOCABLE AT ANY TIME BEFORE IT IS EXERCISED.
Receipt herewith of the Company’s Annual Report and notice of meeting and proxy statement dated September 14, 2007 is hereby acknowledged.
Detach above card, sign, date and mail in postage paid envelope provided.
HYDROMER, Inc.
Joint owners must EACH sign. Please sign EXACTLY as your name(s) appear(s) on this card. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, partner or corporate officer, please give FULL title.
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND MAIL TODAY
IF YOUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED, PLEASE CORRECT THE ADDRESS IN THE SPACE PROVIDED BELOW AND RETURN THIS PORTION WITH THE PROXY IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED.