To date, our manufacturing facility in Little Elm, Texas has continued to operate due to its status as an essential business. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented certain safety precautions at our facility to reduce the risk of the potential spread of the novel coronavirus. All of our employees are required to be vaccinated. We continue to monitor the evolving situation and will work to further mitigate risks to staff and to customers. We are continuing to evaluate the ever-changing circumstances surrounding this pandemic as it relates to our ability to continue to source materials and products, maintain a workforce, and operate our business effectively and efficiently. We have faced and continue to deal with the logistical challenges of sourcing raw materials and finished goods, particularly finished goods from China. We utilize multiple transportation providers to ensure we can meet our delivery schedules, but we are subject to the global supply chain and its complexities.
On April 17, 2020, we entered into the PPP Loan in the principal amount of $1.4 million in favor of Independent Bank pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). On May 13, 2021, we were informed that the SBA granted our request for loan forgiveness for the entire original principal amount and accrued interest, for a total of $1.4 million.
We have engaged a construction company and architect to explore the possibility of expanding our existing administrative offices. We currently expect that the cost of expansion will be approximately $5.0 million and will be completed in the first half of 2022. To date, we have spent approximately $212 thousand.
As detailed in Note 4 to the financial statements, we held $13.6 million in debt and equity securities as of September 30, 2021, which represented 15.4% of our current assets. We continually monitor our invested balances.
In response to, among other factors, the global COVID-19 pandemic, our delivery orders from the U.S. government, and the TIA, employee headcount and related salary and benefits costs have increased significantly. As of September 30, 2021, the Company employed approximately 243 full-time, part-time, and temporary employees. This represents approximately a 35.0% increase in our workforce since September 2020.
On March 16, 2021, the Board approved the 2021 Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) and set aside and reserved 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Plan. The Plan was approved by the shareholders at the May 11, 2021 shareholder meeting. The Plan provides for the granting of incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options at a price equal to at least 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock as of the date of grant. Participants in the Plan may include employees, consultants, and non-employee Directors. On March 16, 2021, the Compensation and Benefits Committee approved option grants to purchase 1,000,000, 250,000, and 100,000 shares of Common Stock to our chief executive officer, general counsel, and chief financial officer, respectively. These shares will vest in their entirety three years from the grant date.
On March 16, 2021, the Compensation and Benefits Committee modified the annual salaries of our chief executive officer, general counsel, and chief financial officer to $1,000,000, $400,000, and $300,000, respectively. Such salaries are retroactively effective as of January 1, 2021. On March 16, 2021, the Compensation and Benefits Committee also approved issuances of cash bonuses of $300,000, $100,000, and $100,000 to our chief executive officer, general counsel, and chief financial officer, respectively.
On June 4, 2021, the Board of Directors approved payment to Class B Convertible Preferred shareholders of all current dividends, dividends in arrears, as well as dividends still owed to shareholders who converted their preferred stock in the past. The total amount authorized for dividends payable was $5.1 million. The dividends were paid on July 22, 2021 to all shareholders who had been contacted and confirmed as the rightful owner entitled to payment. We have not yet established contact with all former shareholders, most of whom converted their shares prior to 2001. As of November 5, 2021, we are continuing to establish contact with approximately 90 former shareholders who are entitled to approximately $1.4 million.
Effective June 4, 2021, we entered into a repurchase plan (the “Plan”) for the purchase of up to $10 million of our Common Stock. Under the Plan, open market purchases of our Common Stock commenced June 18, 2021 and 362,854 shares were purchased as of November 10, 2021 for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $4.0 million.