SCHEDULE 14C (Rule 14c-101) INFORMATION REQUIRED IN INFORMATION STATEMENT SCHEDULE 14C INFORMATION Information Statement Pursuant to Section 14(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ) Check the appropriate box: | |Preliminary Information Statement | |Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14c-5(d)(2)) |x|Definitive Information Statement Market America, Inc. __________________________________________________________________________ (Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): |x| $125 per Exchange Act Rule 0-11(c)(1)(ii) or 14c-5(g). | | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14c-5(g) and 0-11. (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: ________________________________________________________________________ (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: ________________________________________________________________________ (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): ________________________________________________________________________ (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: _______________________ (5) Total fee paid: ________________________________________________________ | | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. | | Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing: (1) Amount Previously Paid: ________________________________________________ (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No: ___________________________ (3) Filing Party: __________________________________________________________ (4) Date Filed: ____________________________________________________________ NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF - MARKET AMERICA, INC. - To the Shareholders of Market America, Inc.: Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting of the shareholders of Market America, Inc., will be held at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, 3121 High Point Road (at I-40), Greensboro, North Carolina, on August 19, 1996, at 10 a.m. for the following purposes: (1) To re-elect existing Directors. (2) To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting and adjournment or adjournments thereof. The determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting shall be made as of the close of business on June 1, 1996, which is the record date fixed by the board of directors for such purpose. By order of the Board of Directors, Loren Ashley Ridinger Secretary Dated: July 29, 1996 MARKET AMERICA, INC. 7605-A Business Park Drive Greensboro, N.C. 27409 July 29, 1996 INFORMATION STATEMENT FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 19,1996 WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY This Information Statement is being furnished by the management of Market America, Inc. (the "Company") in connection with the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company to be held on August 19, 1996, at 10:00 a.m., at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. The meeting is being held for the purposes of electing directors and transacting such other business as may lawfully come before the meeting. As of June 1, 1996, the record date for determination of the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting, there were 19,950,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock outstanding and entitled to be voted. A majority of such shares will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the meeting. Abstentions by stockholders represented at the meeting will be counted as present for determining the presence of a quorum. Each share will have one vote at the annual meeting. Elections of directors will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast and, except as otherwise required by law, all other matters will be determined by a majority of the votes cast. Abstentions will be excluded entirely from the vote, and will have no effect on the outcome. Since the management of the Company is not soliciting proxies for the meeting, there should be no returns of proxies from brokers holding shares in street name without instructions for voting. Therefore, such "broker non-votes" should have no effect on any vote. Election of Directors The members of the Company's Board of Directors elected at the meeting will serve until the next annual meeting or until their successors are elected and qualified. Listed on the next page are the persons nominated for election to the Board of Directors by management. 1 NOMINEES FOR MEMBERSHIP ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS Common Stock Beneficially Owned ----------------------- Director No. Name and Background Since Shares Percentage - - ------------------- -------- ------ ---------- James H. Ridinger, 44, is Chairman of 1992 13,945,100* 69.90% the Board of Directors and CEO of the Company. He founded the Company in 1992 and has been associated with the Company since then. Before 1992, Mr. Ridinger was a consultant to the Direct Sales Industry. Loren A. Ridinger, 27, is a Director 1993 101,400** 0.51% and Vice President of Administration of the Company. She has held the position since 1992. Before 1992, Ms. Ridinger was active in administration of several Direct Sales companies. She is the wife of James H. Ridinger, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Company. Marty Weissman, 53, is a Director and 1993 630,000 3.16% Executive Vice President of the Company. Mr. Weissman was a founder, owner and Executive Vice President of Howard Carpet Mills of Chatsworth, Georgia. He has served as a Director of the Company since 1993. Dennis Franks, 43, is a Director of the 1994 184,000 0.92% the Company and Executive Vice President of the Company, where he has served as a consultant since 1992. Before that Mr. Franks served in various executive capacities with direct sales companies. ALL DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 14,860,500 74.49% AS A GROUP (four persons) <FN> - - --------------------- *Does not include shares held by Loren A. Ridinger, Mr. Ridinger's wife and a Director and Executive Vice President of Administration of the Company, as to which Mr. Ridinger disclaims beneficial interest. See also "Beneficial Ownership of Shares." **Does not include shares held by James H. Ridinger, Ms. Ridinger's husband and the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Company, as to which Ms. Ridinger disclaims beneficial interest. See also "Beneficial Ownership of Shares." </FN> During the fiscal year ended April 30, 1996, the Board of Directors held six meetings. No Director attended fewer than 75% of the meetings. The Board has no standing audit, nominating or compensation committees or committees performing similar functions. Board members receive no additional compensation for their services on the Board. 2 Executive Compensation The following table summarizes the compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to all executive officers of the Company for services to the Company in the fiscal year ended April 30, 1996 whose compensation is required to be reported under rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Summary Compensation Table Annual Compensation* --------------------------------------------------- Name and Fiscal Other Annual Principal Position Year Ended Salary($) Bonus($) Compensation - - ------------------ ---------- --------- -------- ------------ James Ridinger, Chairman of the Board of 4-30-94 0 0 0 Directors and Chief Executive Officer 4-30-95 5,024 50,000 0 4-30-96 303,182 95,000 0 Loren Ridinger, Director and Vice 4-30-94 0 0 0 President of Administration 4-30-95 5,024 50,000 0 4-30-96 157,782 30,000 0 Marty Weissman, Director and Executive 4-30-96 0 0 0 Vice President 4-30-95 0 0 0 4-30-96 0 30,000 0 Dennis Franks, Director and Executive 4-30-94 0 0 90,000 Vice President 4-30-95 0 0 90,000 4-30-96 0 30,000 90,000 <FN> - - ----------------- *Does not include the value of any perquisites or other personal benefits because the aggregate amount of any such compensation does not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 10% of the total annual salary and bonus shown. </FN> Neither Mr. Ridinger nor Mrs. Ridinger has a written current employment contract with the Company, their compensation is set by the Board of Directors based upon the recommendation of a committee of non-Board members consisting of Edward Faulkner, the Company's Controller and Richard D. Hall, Jr., the Company's Legal Counsel. The Company pays the premiums on health insurance coverage for James Ridinger, Martin Weissman, and Dennis Franks. James 3 Ridinger, Loren Ridinger, Martin Weissman, and Dennis Franks are also independent distributors of the Company and receive commissions on Business Volume (a measure of sales) of the Company. Mr. Ridinger and Mrs. Ridinger are also independent distributors of the Company and receive commissions on Business Volume (a measure of sales) from which the Company calculates commissions. Compensation Committee Report The Company's Executive Compensation Programs are administered by a compensation committee appointed by the Board of Directors. Currently the Company's controller, Edward Faulkner and its outside legal counsel, Richard D. Hall Jr., serve on this committee. It is their primary function to negotiate with and recommend to the Board of Directors the compensation to be paid to James H. Ridinger and Loren A. Ridinger. The compensation policy of the Company is designed to motivate the overall success of the Company by: (1) Attracting, retaining and rewarding highly qualified and productive individuals; (2) Delivering a significant portion of compensation through performance- based incentives (3) Directly relating incentive compensation to overall company and individual performance; and (4) Encouraging executive stock ownership to align the interest of management with those of the shareholders. Mr. Ridinger negotiates the base salaries of all other named officers and the management of the Company. For 1996 and later years, the compensation committee intends to continue to seek to structure executive compensation arrangements to preserve the deductibility of named officer compensation under applicable federal and state income tax laws, including the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, while also taking into account the need to provide appropriate incentives to the Company's key executives. However, no assurance can be given that the Company will preserve the deductibility of all executive compensation. Compensation Committee ---------------------- Edward J. Faulkner Richard D. Hall, Jr. Dated July 29, 1996 4 Performance Graph Set forth below is a comparison of the yearly percentage change in total shareholder return of the Company's common stock and the returns for the NASDAQ composite index and a designated Peer Group. The total shareholder return calculation is for the two year period (the period during which the Company has been publicly traded) commencing August 1, 1994 and includes the reinvestment of dividends. The Peer Group for the total shareholder return chart is comprised of publicly-traded companies possessing the following characteristics similar to those of the Company: *Size, as measured by net sales; *Similarity in selling methodology; *Comparative products including companies engaged in the distribution of weight control products, health and nutritional supplements, and skin, hair, or other personal products; *Relatively high insider ownership; and/or *Particular emphasis on the talents and visibility of Chief Executive Officer. Companies included in the Peer Group are: Beauticontrol Cosmetics, Inc.; Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.; Avon Products, Premark International, Inc.; Amway Japan; and Amway Asia Pacific. Beneficial Ownership of Shares The Company is not aware that, as of the record date for the annual meeting, anyone other than the following may beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of its common stock: Name and Address Amount and Nature* of Percent of of Beneficial Owner Beneficial Ownership Class ------------------- --------------------- ---------- James H. Ridinger 13,945,100 shares* 69.90% Market America, Inc. 7605-A Business Park Drive Greensboro, North Carolina 27409 Gilbert Zwetsch ** ** 403 W. 25th Spokane, Washington 99203 The AAA Plus Trust 1,187,400 5.94% c/o Codan Trust Company Limited, Trustee 2 Church St. Clarendon House Hamilton, Bermuda HM 11 5 <FN> - - ----------------- *Does not include 101,400 shares owned by Mr. Ridinger's spouse, as to which Mr. Ridinger disclaims beneficial ownership. Also does not include 1,185,700 shares as to which Codan Trust Company Limited, Hamilton, Bermuda, exercises investment and voting control as trustee of The AAA Plus Trust, as to which Mr. Ridinger disclaims beneficial ownership. **The Company has reason to believe that Mr. Zwetsch is the beneficial owner of more than 5% and perhaps has as much as 12% of the Company's outstanding common stock. The Company does not have adequate information at this time to make this determination. </FN> Section 16 (a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance To the Company's knowledge, based solely on its review of reports submitted to it, all SEC Section 16(a) filing requirements, which prescribe that the Company's executive officers, directors, and 10% shareholders must file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of the Company's Common Stock with the SEC, were complied with in fiscal year 1996. James H. Ridinger may arguably have been required to file reports relating to a family trust on the grounds that he exercised investment control over the trust. James H. Ridinger disclaims beneficial ownership of securities in the trust or that he exercised investment control over the trust. Certain Transactions James H. Ridinger, the President of Market America, Inc., has loaned the Company various amounts throughout its existence. These loans have been combined into one promissory note, which is due upon demand, bears interest at the rate of 8.0% per annum, and is secured by the Company's furniture, fixtures and equipment. The amounts owing on this note as of April 30, 1996, and April 30, 1995, were $292,714 and $263,950, respectively, including accrued interest. On April 15, 1996, the Company purchased a house that was owned by James and Loren Ridinger, officers of the Company, which was used for corporate business guests on a periodic basis. The purchase price of this house was $130,000. Annual Report A copy of the Annual Report of the Company for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1996 was distributed to all stockholders of record on June 1, 1995. Copies of the Annual Report also have been sent, or are being sent with this Information Statement, to all stockholders of record on the record date for the annual meeting. Additional copies are available from the Company on request. 6 FORM 10-K A copy of the most recent annual report of the Company to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K may be obtained from the Company by stockholder on written request. Direct your request to: Edward J. Faulkner, Controller, 7605-A Business Park Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409. 7