HONG YUAN HOLDING GROUP - Quarter Report: 2009 March (Form 10-Q)
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-Q
(Mark One)
þ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2009
OR
o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission File Number 333-126378
CEREPLAST, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
91-2154289 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
|
3411-3433 West El Segundo Boulevard Hawthorne, California (Address of Principal Executive Office) |
90250 (Zip Code) |
(310) 676-5000
(Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its
corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted
pursuant to Rule 405 or Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No o
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of large accelerated
filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check one):
Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer o | Smaller reporting company þ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OUTSTANDING AS OF MAY 5, 2009: 307,001,006
CEREPLAST, INC.
FORM 10-Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORM 10-Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART IFINANCIAL INFORMATION |
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PART IIOTHER INFORMATION |
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Exhibit 31.1 | ||||||||
Exhibit 32.1 |
Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this report
to we, us, our or the Company mean Cereplast, Inc.
Table of Contents
PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CEREPLAST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
3/31/09 | 12/31/08 | |||||||
(Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Current Assets |
||||||||
Cash |
$ | 54,165 | $ | 501,699 | ||||
Accounts Receivable, Net |
172,636 | 280,102 | ||||||
Inventory, Net |
1,677,327 | 1,838,775 | ||||||
Prepaid Expenses |
541,659 | 160,863 | ||||||
Total Current Assets |
2,445,787 | 2,781,439 | ||||||
Property and Equipment |
||||||||
Property and Equipment |
5,680,414 | 5,729,051 | ||||||
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization |
(1,237,230 | ) | (1,132,337 | ) | ||||
Net Property and Equipment |
4,443,184 | 4,596,714 | ||||||
Other Assets |
||||||||
Restricted Cash |
48,628 | 48,628 | ||||||
Intangibles, Net |
177,729 | 173,285 | ||||||
Deposits |
48,027 | 44,943 | ||||||
Total Other Assets |
274,384 | 266,856 | ||||||
Total Assets |
$ | 7,163,355 | $ | 7,645,009 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Current Liabilities |
||||||||
Accounts Payable |
$ | 1,559,404 | $ | 1,114,744 | ||||
Other Payables |
32,311 | 33,634 | ||||||
Accrued Expenses |
761,024 | 829,933 | ||||||
Capital Leases, Current Portion |
50,879 | 47,440 | ||||||
Convertible Shareholder Loan |
| 212,482 | ||||||
Loan Payable, Current Portion |
971 | 3,874 | ||||||
Total Current Liabilities |
2,404,589 | 2,242,107 | ||||||
Long-Term Liabilities |
||||||||
Capital Leases |
21,795 | 40,045 | ||||||
Total Long-Term Liabilities |
21,795 | 40,045 | ||||||
Total Liabilities |
2,426,384 | 2,282,152 | ||||||
Shareholders Equity |
||||||||
Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value; 5,000,0000 authorized preferred shares |
| | ||||||
Common Stock, $0.001 par value; 495,000,000 authorized shares; 306,430,230 shares & 281,134,359 shares issued and outstanding, respectively |
306,430 | 281,134 | ||||||
Common Stock subscribed, not issued |
| 250,000 | ||||||
Additional Paid in Capital |
35,967,135 | 34,175,023 | ||||||
Retained Earnings/(Deficit) |
(31,565,575 | ) | (29,372,020 | ) | ||||
Other Comprehensive Income |
28,981 | 28,720 | ||||||
Total Shareholders Equity |
4,736,971 | 5,362,857 | ||||||
Total Liabilities and Shareholders Equity |
$ | 7,163,355 | $ | 7,645,009 | ||||
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
3
Table of Contents
CEREPLAST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED
(UNAUDITED)
3/31/2009 | 3/31/2008 | |||||||
GROSS SALES |
$ | 564,383 | $ | 913,152 | ||||
Sales Discounts, Returns & Allowances |
(3,806 | ) | (21,922 | ) | ||||
NET SALES |
560,577 | 891,230 | ||||||
COST OF SALES |
462,807 | 778,789 | ||||||
GROSS PROFIT |
97,770 | 112,441 | ||||||
OPERATING EXPENSES |
||||||||
Depreciation and Amortization |
135,910 | 129,464 | ||||||
Marketing Expense |
158,805 | 395,572 | ||||||
Professional Fees |
148,299 | 346,040 | ||||||
Rent Expense |
241,693 | 264,643 | ||||||
Research and Development |
141,210 | 157,098 | ||||||
Salaries & Wages |
748,320 | 647,798 | ||||||
Salaries & Wages Stock Based Compensation |
349,255 | 1,512,781 | ||||||
Other Operating Expenses |
330,834 | 583,259 | ||||||
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
2,254,326 | 4,036,655 | ||||||
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE OTHER INCOME(EXPENSES) |
(2,156,556 | ) | (3,924,214 | ) | ||||
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES) |
||||||||
Gain on Settlement of Shareholder Loan |
81,982 | | ||||||
Waiver fee on Settlement of Shareholder Loan |
(90,000 | ) | | |||||
Loss on Sale of Equipment |
(25,449 | ) | | |||||
Interest Income |
8,279 | 86,376 | ||||||
Interest Expense |
(11,811 | ) | (6,571 | ) | ||||
TOTAL OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES) |
(36,999 | ) | 79,805 | |||||
LOSS BEFORE PROVISIONS FOR TAXES |
(2,193,555 | ) | (3,844,409 | ) | ||||
Provision for Taxes |
| | ||||||
NET LOSS |
(2,193,555 | ) | (3,844,409 | ) | ||||
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |
||||||||
Gain on Foreign Currency Translation |
261 | | ||||||
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS |
$ | (2,193,294 | ) | $ | (3,844,409 | ) | ||
BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | ||
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING |
||||||||
BASIC AND DILUTED |
291,091,799 | 259,567,853 | ||||||
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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CEREPLAST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED
(UNAUDITED)
3/31/2009 | 3/31/2008 | |||||||
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (2,193,555 | ) | $ | (3,844,409 | ) | ||
Adjustment to reconcile net loss to net cash
used in operating activities |
||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
135,910 | 129,464 | ||||||
Reserve for Inventory Obsolescence |
46,000 | | ||||||
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts |
(1,325 | ) | | |||||
Loss on sale of equipment |
25,449 | | ||||||
Common Stock Issued for Services, Salaries & Wages |
406,754 | 1,520,581 | ||||||
Common Stock Issued for Waiver Fee |
90,000 | | ||||||
Gain on Settlement of Shareholder Loan |
(81,982 | ) | | |||||
(Increase) Decrease in: |
||||||||
Accounts Receivable |
108,791 | (24,183 | ) | |||||
Inventory |
115,448 | (605,480 | ) | |||||
Deposits |
(3,084 | ) | (358,583 | ) | ||||
Prepaid Expenses |
44,203 | (55,020 | ) | |||||
Restricted Cash |
| (847 | ) | |||||
Intangibles |
(6,557 | ) | (34,007 | ) | ||||
Increase (Decrease) in: |
||||||||
Accounts Payable |
492,473 | 25,977 | ||||||
Accrued Expenses |
(68,909 | ) | 66,648 | |||||
Other Payables |
(1,323 | ) | 902 | |||||
NET CASH USED IN OPERATING ACTIVITIES |
(891,707 | ) | (3,178,957 | ) | ||||
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Purchase of property and equipment, and intangibles |
(6,869 | ) | (149,643 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from sale of equipment |
1,154 | | ||||||
NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES |
(5,715 | ) | (149,643 | ) | ||||
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Payments on Capital Leases |
(14,811 | ) | (17,549 | ) | ||||
Payments on Term Loan Payable |
(2,903 | ) | (2,714 | ) | ||||
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and subscription receivable |
467,341 | | ||||||
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES |
449,627 | (20,263 | ) | |||||
FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION |
261 | | ||||||
NET DECREASE IN CASH |
(447,534 | ) | (3,348,863 | ) | ||||
CASH, BEGINNING OF PERIOD |
501,699 | 8,593,714 | ||||||
CASH, END OF PERIOD |
$ | 54,165 | $ | 5,244,851 | ||||
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
During the three months ended March 31, 2009, the Company issued 9,346,819 shares in exchange for
gross proceeds of $467,341 under a private placement and 5,000,000 shares in fulfillment of
subscriptions payable of $250,000. During the three months ended March 31, 2008, the Company did
not issue any shares pursuant to private placement transactions. For the three months ended March
31, 2009 and 2008, the Company paid $8,945 and $6,571, respectively, in cash for interest and $0
for taxes.
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE OF NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS
During the three months ended March 31, 2009, the Company issued 2,936,552 shares valued at
$264,607 for services to directors and employees and 8,012,500 shares valued at $693,313 for
prepaid services and debt repayment to third parties. The Company also recognized $142,147 of
expense related to vesting of employee stock options for the same period. During the three months
ended March 31, 2008, the Company issued 2,375,540 shares, valued at $1,354,054 for services to
directors and employees and 40,000 shares valued at $22,800 for services to third parties. The
Company also recognized $143,727 of expense related to the vesting of employee stock options for
the three months ended March 31, 2008.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
5
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March 31, 2009
(Unaudited)
1. ORGANIZATION AND LINE OF BUSINESS
Organization
We were incorporated on September 29, 2001 in the State of Nevada under the name of Biocorp North
America Inc. On March 18, 2005, we filed an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to
change our name to Cereplast, Inc.
Line of Business
We have developed and are commercializing proprietary bio-based resins through two complementary
product families: Cereplast Compostables® Resins which are renewable, ecologically sound substitute
for petroleum-based plastics and Cereplast Hybrid® Resins, which replace up to 50% of the
petroleum-based content of traditional plastics with materials from renewable resources. Our
resins aim to be competitively priced compared to petroleum-based plastic resins and can be
converted into finished products using conventional manufacturing equipment without significant
additional capital investment by downstream converters.
The demand for non-petroleum based, clean and renewable sources for materials, such as bioplastics,
and the demand for compostable/biodegradable products are being driven globally by a variety of
factors, including fossil fuel price volatility, energy security and environmental concerns. These
factors have led to increased spending on clean and renewable products by corporations and
individuals as well as legislative initiatives at the local and state level.
We are a full-service resin solution provider uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapidly
increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastic
products.
We primarily conduct our operations through two product families:
| Cereplast Compostables Resins® are renewable, ecologically-sound substitutes
for petroleum-based plastics targeting primarily single-use disposables and packaging
applications. We offer 14 commercial grades of Compostables Resins in this product line.
These resins are compatible with existing manufacturing processes and equipment making them
a ready substitute for traditional petroleum-based resins. We commercially introduced our
Compostables line in November 2006. |
| Cereplast Hybrid Resins® replace up to 50% of the petroleum content in
conventional plastics with bio-based materials such as industrial starches sourced from
plants. The Hybrid Resin line is designed to offer similar properties to traditional
polyolefins such as impact strength and heat deflection temperature, and is compatible with
existing converter processes and equipment. Hybrid Resins provide a viable alternative for
brand owners and converters looking to partially replace petroleum-based resins in durable
goods applications. Hybrid Resins address this need in a wide range of markets, including
automotive, consumer goods, consumer electronics, medical, packaging, and construction.
We commercially introduced our first grade of Hybrid Resin, Hybrid 150, at the end of 2007.
We currently offer two commercial grades in this product line. |
As of March 31, 2009, over 179 companies have requested and been provided with samples of our
bioplastic resin and 109 customers have purchased resin for trials and testing. Of these, 70
customers have advanced to prototype testing and qualification of more than 115 different product
applications. Twenty customers, including WNA, Alcoa, Genpak, Innoware, Penley, Solo, Cadaco,
Jatco, Dentek, CSI-Cosmolab, Warner Tools and Pace Industries, have commercialized and introduced
90 different bioplastic products using our resin.
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2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
The accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (GAAP) for interim financial
information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the SEC). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by
GAAP for complete financial statements. The consolidated financial statements include the
financial condition and results of operations of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Cereplast
International, S.A., a Luxembourg company organized during the year ended December 31, 2008 for the
purpose of conducting sales operations in Europe. Intercompany balances and transactions have been
eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal
recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating
results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2009 are not necessarily indicative of the
results that may be expected for year ending December 31, 2009. For further information, refer to
the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008 and notes thereto included in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on March 30, 2009.
This summary of our significant accounting policies is presented to assist in understanding our
financial statements. The financial statements and notes are representations by our management,
which is responsible for their integrity and objectivity. These accounting policies conform to
GAAP and have been consistently applied in the preparation of the financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the accompanying financial
statements. Significant estimates made in preparing these financial statements include the
estimate of useful lives of property and equipment, the deferred tax valuation allowance and the
fair value of stock options. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Basis of Presentation and Going Concern
We have incurred net losses of $2,193,555 for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and $12,748,701
for the year ended December 31, 2008, and have an accumulated deficit of $31,565,575 as of March
31, 2009. Based on our operating plan, our existing working capital will not be sufficient to meet
the cash requirements to fund our planned operating expenses, capital expenditures and working
capital requirements through December 31, 2009 without additional sources of cash.
These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as
a going concern. This basis of accounting contemplates the recovery of our assets and the
satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.
Our plan to address the shortfall of working capital is to generate additional financing through a
combination of financing of assets, incremental product sales and the sale of equity securities.
There are no assurances that we will be able to obtain any sources of financing on acceptable
terms, or at all.
If we cannot obtain sufficient additional financing in the short-term, we may be forced to file for
bankruptcy or cease operations. The consolidated financial statements do not include any
adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts
and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be forced to take such actions.
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Cash and Cash Equivalents
We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be
cash equivalents. At various times throughout the year, we may have exceeded federally insured
limits.
Concentration of Credit Risk
We had unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, totaling $54,165 at March
31, 2009 and $501,699 at December 31, 2008. The unrestricted cash and cash equivalents are held
for working capital purposes. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative
purposes. Some of the securities in which we invest, however, may be subject to market risk. This
means that a change in prevailing interest rates may cause the principal amount of the investment
to fluctuate. To minimize this risk, we intend to maintain our portfolio of cash equivalents and
short-term investments in a variety of securities, including commercial paper, money market funds,
debt securities and certificates of deposit. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we
believe that we do not have any material exposure to changes in the fair value of our investment
portfolio as a result of changes in interest rates. As of March 31, 2009 all of our investments
were held in money market accounts and short-term instruments. We actively monitor changes in
interest rates.
Other Concentration
During the quarter ended March 31, 2009, we had one significant supplier that accounted for 30.8%
of total cost of goods sold and had two customers, Dorel Juvenile Group and Genpak, that accounted
for 25.5% and 25.4%, respectively, of total sales. No other supplier or customer accounted for
more than 10% of cost of sales or sales during this period. For the three months ended March 31,
2008, we had one supplier that accounted for 78.9% of total cost of goods sold and one customer
that accounted for 44.9% of total sales.
Restricted Cash
We had restricted cash in the amount of $48,628 at March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008. The
restricted cash amount consists of a Certificate of Deposit which supports a Letter of Credit
for a leased facility.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of our financial instruments as of March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, which
include cash equivalents, accounts receivable, unbilled receivables, accounts payable, accrued
expenses, and advances on financing from investors, approximate their fair values due to the
short-term nature of these instruments.
Accounts Receivable
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses that may arise if any of our
customers are unable to make required payments. Management performs a review of the receivables
past due from the customers on a monthly basis and reserves against uncollectible items for each
customer after all reasonable means of collection have been exhausted, and the potential for
recovery is considered remote. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $27,199 as of March 31,
2009 and $28,524 as of December 31, 2008.
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Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out basis) or market, and consist
primarily of raw materials used in the manufacturing of bioplastic resins, finished bioplastic
resins and finished goods. Inventories are reviewed for excess and obsolescence and a reserve is
established accordingly. As of March 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the inventories are as
follows:
3/31/09 | 12/31/08 | |||||||
Raw Materials |
$ | 582,091 | $ | 608,984 | ||||
Bioplastic Resins |
1,004,430 | 1,040,255 | ||||||
Finished Goods |
200,887 | 291,890 | ||||||
Work in Process |
45,458 | | ||||||
Packaging Materials |
22,461 | 29,646 | ||||||
Promo & Misc. |
| | ||||||
Reserve for Obsolescence |
(178,000 | ) | (132,000 | ) | ||||
Inventories, Net |
$ | 1,677,327 | $ | 1,838,775 | ||||
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost, and depreciation is computed on the straight-line method
over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives of the assets are between
five and seven years. Repairs and maintenance expenditures are charged to expense as incurred.
Property and equipment consist of:
3/31/09 | 12/31/08 | |||||||
Equipment |
$ | 2,526,774 | $ | 2,582,204 | ||||
Construction in Progress |
2,596,226 | 2,593,937 | ||||||
Furniture & Fixtures |
325,738 | 325,738 | ||||||
Leasehold Improvements |
231,676 | 227,172 | ||||||
5,680,414 | 5,729,051 | |||||||
Less Accumulated Depreciation |
(1,237,230 | ) | (1,132,337 | ) | ||||
Net Property and Equipment |
$ | 4,443,184 | $ | 4,596,714 | ||||
Intangibles
Intangibles are stated at cost and consist primarily of patents and trademarks. Amortization is
computed on the straight-line method over the estimated life of these assets, estimated to be
between five and 15 years.
3/31/09 | 12/31/08 | |||||||
Intangibles |
$ | 195,433 | $ | 188,927 | ||||
Less Accumulated Amortization |
(17,704 | ) | (15,642 | ) | ||||
Net Intangibles |
$ | 177,729 | $ | 173,285 | ||||
Deferred Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes are provided using the liability method whereby deferred tax assets are
recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and
deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences
are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases.
Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is
more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of the changes in tax laws and
rates as of the date of enactment.
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When tax returns are filed, it is highly certain that some positions taken would be sustained upon
examination by the taxing authorities, while others are subject to uncertainty about the merits of
the position taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. The benefit
of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on
all available evidence, management believes it is more likely than not that the position will be
sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any.
Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions. Tax positions that meet the
more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that
is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing
authority. The portion of the benefits associated with tax
positions taken that exceeds the amount measured as described above is reflected as a liability for
unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheet along with any associated interest and
penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination.
Interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits are classified as additional
income taxes in the statement of income.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue at the time of shipment of products, provided that evidence of an arrangement
exists, title and risk of loss have passed to the customer, fees are fixed or determinable, and
collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured.
Marketing and Advertising
We expense marketing and advertising costs as incurred. Marketing and advertising costs for the
three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008 were $158,805 and $395,572, respectively.
Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. These costs consist primarily of
research with respect to new grades of bioplastic resins, testing of both the bioplastic resins as
well as testing of finished products made from the bio-based resins. The costs for the three months
ended March 31, 2009 and 2008 were $141,210 and $157,098, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
As of January 1, 2007, we adopted SFAS No. 123(R), which requires measurement of compensation cost
for all stock-based awards at fair value on date of grant and recognition of compensation over the
service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of stock options is determined using the
Black-Scholes valuation model. Such value is recognized as expense over the service period, net of
estimated forfeitures, using the straight-line method under SFAS 123(R).
Loss per Share Calculations
We adopted SFAS No. 128 for the calculation of Loss per Share. SFAS No. 128 dictates the
calculation of basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share. Basic earnings per share is
computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of
common shares available. Diluted earnings per share is computed similar to basic earnings per share
except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional common shares that
would have been outstanding if the potential common shares had been issued and if the additional
common shares were dilutive. Our diluted loss per share is the same as the basic loss per share for
the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008 as the inclusion of any potential shares would have
had an anti-dilutive effect due to us generating a loss.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings, which arise in
the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an
adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We
are currently not aware of any such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will have,
individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition or
operating results.
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3. CAPITAL STOCK
During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we issued shares of common stock as follows:
| In a private placement transaction on February 18, 2009, which was made in reliance upon
an exemption from registration under rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated under Section
4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), we issued 9,346,819
restricted shares of common stock for gross cash proceeds of $467,341, and 5,000,000
restricted shares of common stock in fulfillment of subscriptions received prior to
December 31, 2008 of $250,000. |
| Also on February 18, 2009 we also issued 2,450,000 shares of restricted common stock
valued at $220,500 to one of our shareholders, a party related to our Chief Executive
Officer, in repayment of a convertible shareholder loan. The stock issuance includes
1,450,000 shares related to the original principal amount of $212,500 and 1,000,000
additional shares related to an agreement to waive default penalties. |
| We issued 5,000,000 shares of restricted common stock valued at $425,000 to third
parties for prepaid services to be rendered over a twelve-month term beginning in March
2009. |
| We issued 3,499,052 shares of restricted common stock valued at $312,419 to various
employees, directors, and third parties for services rendered. |
Stock Option Activity
Under this 2004 Employee Stock Option Plan, the Board of Directors may issue incentive and
non-qualified stock options to our employees. Options granted under these Plans generally expire at
the end of five or ten years and vest in accordance with a vesting schedule determined by our Board
of Directors, usually over three years from the grant date. As of March 31, 2009, 13,375,000
shares are available for future grants under the 2004 Employee Stock Option Plan. We settle stock
option exercises with newly issued common shares. The following is a summary of stock option
activity (in thousands, except per share data):
Three months ended | ||||||||
March 31, 2009 | ||||||||
Weighted Average | ||||||||
Shares | Exercise Price | |||||||
Outstandingbeginning of year |
9,975 | $ | 0.56 | |||||
Granted at fair value |
| | ||||||
Exercised |
| | ||||||
Canceled/forfeited |
| | ||||||
Outstandingend of quarter |
9,975 | 0.56 | ||||||
Options exercisable at quarter-end |
6,873 | $ | 0.56 | |||||
The following table summarizes information about stock options as of March 31, 2009 (in
thousands, except per share data):
Options Outstanding | Options Exercisable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weighted | Weighted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weighted | Average | Weighted | Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average | Remaining | Aggregate | Average | Remaining | Aggregate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise | Contract | Intrinsic | Exercise | Contract | Intrinsic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range of Exercise Prices | Shares | Price | Life | Value | Shares | Price | Life | Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
$0.0-$0.56 |
9,975 | $ | 0.56 | 4.75 | | 6,873 | $ | 0.56 | 4.43 | | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total unrecognized compensation costs related to non-vested awards was approximately $1,009 million
as of March 31, 2009. These non-vested awards are expected to be exercised over the weighted
average period of 5.45 years.
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The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pretax intrinsic value, based
on our average stock price of $0.10 during the three months ended March 31, 2009, which would have
been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options as of that date.
Based on the average stock price during the three months ended March 31, 2009, there were no
in-the-money options exercisable as of March 31, 2009.
No options were granted and no shares vested during the three months ended March 31, 2009.
Additionally, no options were exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2009 and as such no
cash was received from employees as a result of any such exercise of stock options.
4. LEASES
We currently operate out of two main locations in Hawthorne, California and Seymour, Indiana. The
various leases underlying these two facilities are summarized below:
California Facilities The Hawthorne facility is comprised of two contiguous building spaces
covering an aggregate of 55,000 square feet that serve as our main corporate office, research and
development lab, production facility and a second separate 30,000 square foot facility that serves
as an additional logistic center. The Hawthorne facility is subject to three operating leases:
| a lease for office, industrial and warehouse space with monthly rents of $15,405
expiring in January 2010; |
| a lease for office and warehouse space with monthly rents of $20,644 expiring in April
2012; and |
| a lease for office and warehouse space with monthly rents of $26,105 expiring in January
2010. This facility was subleased to a third party for a four-month period beginning in
February 2009 for rental income of $15,000 per month. |
Indiana Facility The 105,000 square foot Seymour facility is currently used as a distribution
facility for our products; construction and installation of our first production line is
mechanically completed and now undergoing final stages of preparation for operation on a continuous
basis. The Seymour facility is subject to a lease with monthly rents of $25,000 expiring in
January 2018.
5. LOANS PAYABLE
Term Loan
During the year ended December 31, 2004, the Company obtained a term loan payable in the amount of
$50,000, which bears interest at the rate of 6.75% per annum, and matures in 2009. The monthly
payments are $984 with principal and interest. The future payments on the loan payable are as
follows:
Year ending December 31, 2009 |
$ | 971 | ||
Less Current Portion of Loan Payable |
(971 | ) | ||
Long Term Portion of Loan Payable |
$ | | ||
Shareholder Loan
During the year ended December 31, 2008, we received a loan of $212,482 from one of our
shareholders, a party related to our Chief Executive Officer. The loan bore no interest and was
repayable on or before January 15, 2009 at our discretion in cash or in shares of Cereplast common
stock. On February 18, 2009, the loan was repaid with the issue of 1,450,000 shares of Cereplast
common stock valued at $130,500 resulting in a gain on repayment of debt of $81,982. An additional
1,000,000 shares valued at $90,000 were issued to this same shareholder as payment for waiving any
default penalties on the loan.
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6. INCOME TAX
We are subject to U.S. and California income tax. Subject to limited statutory exceptions, we are
no longer subject to federal, state and local or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax
authorities for years before 2004. We are not presently liable for any income taxes nor are we
undergoing any tax examinations by the Internal Revenue Service. We adopted the provision of FASB
Interpretation No. 48 Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes on January 1, 2007. No Deferred
Tax Assets and Deferred Tax Liabilities are included in the balance at March 31, 2009 or December
31, 2008.
Our policy is to recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest
expense and penalties in operating expenses.
7. CONTINGENCIES
Lease Obligations
In our efforts to preserve working capital for the primary purpose of financing operations until we
are able to secure additional financing as discussed in Note 2, we suspended payment of rent for
our leased premises in Hawthorne and Indiana during the period. We may be subject to claims by the
parties to the lease agreements, however we do not believe this is likely as we are in discussions
with the affected parties to reach an amicable solution and no claims have been asserted. All
amounts owing to lessors have been included in the Accounts Payable balance as at March 31, 2009.
8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Issuance of Capital Stock
Subsequent to March 31, 2009, we received $25,000 from Cumorah Capital, Inc. in exchange for
570,776 shares of restricted common stock pursuant to the Periodic Equity Investment Agreement
dated December 8, 2008.
Payment of Salaries
Subsequent to March 31, 2009, we took additional measures to preserve working capital to continue
to focus on financing operations and suspended or significantly reduced payment of salaries to
certain employees. In addition, we have furloughed certain senior management employees with whom
we have employment contracts and may be in default of some terms of these contracts. We cannot
estimate the likelihood or amount of any loss that may arise relating to any employment contracts.
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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
This Form 10-Q may contain forward-looking statements, as that term is used in federal securities
laws, about our financial condition, results of operations and business. These statements include,
among others, statements concerning the potential benefits that we may experience from our business
activities and certain transactions the Company contemplates or has completed; and statements of
our expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated developments and other matters
that are not historical facts. These statements may be made expressly in this Form 10-Q. You can
find many of these statements by looking for words such as believes, expects, anticipates,
estimates, opines, or similar expressions used in this Form 10-Q. These forward-looking
statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual
results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by us in those
statements. The most important facts that could prevent the Company from achieving its stated goals
include, but are not limited to, the following:
| inability to raise sufficient additional capital to finance operations; |
| potential fluctuation in quarterly results; |
| our failure to earn profits; |
| inadequate capital to expand our business, inability to raise additional capital or
financing to implement our business plans; |
| decline in demand for our products and services; |
| rapid and significant changes in markets and other factors which encourage use of
bioplastics; |
| failure to successfully commence operations at our new Seymour facility and relocate
manufacturing activities from California to Indiana; |
| failure to commercialize new grades of resin being pursued in our technical / market
development pipeline |
| competitor actions which curtail our market share, negatively affect pricing or limit
sales growth; |
| inability to retain employees as a result of deferral of payment of salaries to preserve
cash; |
| litigation with or legal claims and allegations by outside parties; and |
| insufficient revenues to cover operating costs. |
There is no assurance that we will be profitable. We may not be able to successfully manage or
market our products and services, attract or retain qualified executives and technology personnel
or obtain additional customers for our products or services. Our products and services may become
obsolete, government regulation may hinder our business, additional dilution in outstanding stock
ownership may be incurred due to the issuance of more shares, warrants and stock options, or the
exercise of outstanding warrants and stock options, and other risks inherent in our businesses.
Because forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may
differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We caution
you not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form
10-Q. The cautionary statements contained or referred to in
this section should be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking
statements that our company or persons acting on our behalf may issue. We do not undertake any
obligation to review or confirm analysts expectations or estimates or to release publicly any
revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of
this Form 10-Q, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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OVERVIEW
General
We primarily conduct our operations through two product families:
| Cereplast Compostables Resins® are renewable, ecologically-sound substitutes
for petroleum-based plastics targeting primarily single-use disposables and packaging
applications. We offer 14 commercial grades of Compostables Resins in this product line.
These resins are compatible with existing manufacturing processes and equipment making them
a ready substitute for traditional petroleum-based resins. We commercially introduced our
Compostables line in November 2006. |
| Cereplast Hybrid Resins® replace up to 50% of the petroleum content in
conventional plastics with bio-based materials such as industrial starches sourced from
plants. The Hybrid Resin line is designed to offer similar properties to traditional
polyolefins such as impact strength and heat deflection temperature, and is compatible with
existing converter processes and equipment. Hybrid Resins provide a viable alternative for
brand owners and converters looking to partially replace petroleum-based resins in durable
goods applications. Hybrid Resins address this need in a wide range of markets, including
automotive, consumer goods, consumer electronics, medical, packaging, and construction.
We commercially introduced our first grade of Hybrid Resin, Hybrid 150, at the end of 2007.
We currently offer two commercial grades in this product line. |
The lead time for customer testing (which, for compostable products, includes the full product
lifecycle necessary to receive compostable certifications) of our resins generally ranges from one
to three years or more depending upon the industry, the customer and the specific application. As
of March 31, 2009, over 179 companies have requested and been provided with samples of our
bioplastic resin and 109 customers have purchased resin for trials and testing. Of these, 70
customers have advanced to prototype testing and qualification of more than 115 different product
applications. Twenty customers, including WNA, Alcoa, Genpak, Innoware, Penley, Solo, Cadaco,
Jatco, Dentek, CSI-Cosmolab, Warner Tools and Pace Industries, have commercialized and introduced
90 different bioplastic products using our resin. As a result of successful testing and commercial
product launches, some of our customers have signed multi-year supply contracts with increasing
volume.
Trends and Uncertainties that May Impact Future Results of Operations
Global Market and Economic Conditions. Recent global market and economic conditions have been
unprecedented and challenging with tighter credit conditions and slower growth through the first
quarter of 2009. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2009, continued concerns about the
systemic impact of inflation, energy costs, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of
credit, the U.S. mortgage market and a declining real estate market in the U.S. have contributed to
increased market volatility and diminished expectations for the U.S. economy. In the last half of
2008 concerns fueled by the federal government conservatorship of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association, the declared bankruptcy of Lehman
Brothers Holdings Inc., the U.S. government provided loan to American International Group Inc. and
other federal government interventions in the US credit markets lead to increased market
uncertainty and instability in both US and international capital and credit markets. These
conditions, combined with volatile oil prices, declining business and consumer confidence and
increased unemployment have contributed to continued volatility of unprecedented levels.
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As a result of these market conditions, the cost and availability of credit has been and may
continue to be adversely affected by illiquid credit markets and wider credit spreads. Concern
about the stability of the markets generally and the strength of counterparties specifically has
lead many lenders and institutional investors to reduce, and in some cases, cease to provide
funding to borrowers. Continued turbulence in the U.S. and international markets and economies may
adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, and the liquidity and financial condition
of our customers. If these market conditions continue, they may limit our ability, and the ability
of our customers, to timely replace maturing liabilities, and access the capital markets to meet
liquidity needs, resulting in an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of
operations.
Sales. We record sales at the time that we ship our products, provided that evidence of an
arrangement exists, title and risk of loss have passed to the customer, fees are fixed or
determinable, and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. We record sales net
of sales discounts and allowances. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2009, we provided
price incentives to several customers that entered into multi-year supply contracts for their
initial purchase commitments to assist in testing and sample production. In the future, we may
offer these incentives on a selected basis as we continue to grow our customer base. The amount of
these incentives in the future periods will be a function of the growth of our customer base and
the particular commercialization.
Operating Expenses. Operating expenses consist principally of salaries (both cash and non-cash
equity-based compensation), professional fees (including legal, accounting, patent-related,
government compliance), marketing, rent and research and development. Salaries include all cash
and non-cash compensation and related costs for all principal functions including executive,
finance, accounting, production, and human resources. During recent periods we have made grants of
equity awards, including shares of restricted stock and stock options, to attract directors and
members of senior management, which have resulted in non-cash compensation expense for the periods
reported. We expect that non-cash compensation expense attributed to equity-based awards may
increase in future periods as the result of future equity-based incentive compensation awards
granted to attract and retain talented employees as we continue to grow our business. In addition,
we expect to experience increases in our research and development expenses as we continue to
develop new products and formulations, as well as increases in marketing and promotional expenses
as we seek to increase our customer base.
Expansion of Operations. Through at least the second quarter of 2009, we expect to incur increased
operating expenses in connection with the commissioning and continuous operation of our second
manufacturing facility in Seymour, Indiana, including expenses related to increased headcount as
well as the costs of starting up the second facility. In addition, investments in property and
equipment will result in increased depreciation expenses in future periods following the
commencement of continuous commercial operations, currently anticipated by the end of the second
quarter of 2009. This planned expansion of operations however, is
subject to the outcome of the strategic review of our manufacturing
capacity which is currently underway.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND USE OF ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our
unaudited financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements
requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets,
liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.
We monitor our estimates on an ongoing basis for changes in facts and circumstances, and material
changes in these estimates could occur in the future. Changes in estimates are recorded in the
period in which they become known. We base our estimates on historical experience and other
assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ
from our estimates if past experience or other assumptions do not turn out to be substantially
accurate.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2009 COMPARED TO THE THREE MONTHS ENDED
MARCH 31, 2008
Sales
Gross sales decreased by $348,769 or 38.2% to $564,383 for the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. Net sales decreased by $330,653 or 37.1% to
$560,577 for the three months ended March 31, 2009 compared to the three months ended March 31,
2008. The sales decrease for the period is attributable to decreases in sales volume of our
bioplastic resins experienced as existing customers have delayed orders and/or launches of their
own commercial applications with our resins due to the general economic downturn and global drop in
demand. The reduction in orders from existing customers was partially offset by sales to new and
significant customers under long-term contracts finalized during the three-month period ended March
31, 2009, including Dorel Juvenile Group. The full benefit of new sales contracts finalized in the
first quarter should be reflected in the second quarter of 2009.
Gross Profit
Gross profit decreased by $14,671 or 13.0% from $112,441 to $97,770 for the three months ended
March 31, 2009 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. As a percentage of net sales,
gross profit margin increased from 12.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2008 to 17.4% for the
three months ended March 31, 2009. The increase in gross margin is attributable to price increases
across most of our resin grades. These price increases have been partially offset by increases in
raw material costs and freight costs year over year. While gross margins and capacity utilization
in the Hawthorne facility continue to increase, we are still operating at a low capacity
utilization rate. As such, management does not believe that the current gross margins are
reflective of the target gross margins we should be able to achieve with increased utilization
rates. Management expects continued improvement over the next four quarters based upon
improvements in manufacturing operations (including the start-up of the Seymour facility and
step-wise relocation of Compostable Resin® operations from California to Indiana),
higher levels of equipment utilization, operations at greater scale across all functions, recently
implemented cost and organizational efficiency improvements, and sales volumes with a higher
percentage of commercially mature customers and applications.
Operating Expenses
| Overall, total operating expenses decreased by $1,782,329, including non-cash-related
expenses of $406,754, or 44.2%, to $2,254,326 for the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The decrease for the period is largely
attributable to a $1,163,526 reduction in non-cash compensation awarded to employees during
the three months ended March 31, 2009 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008.
In addition, reduced spending on marketing and professional fees was enabled by focusing
our pipeline process for technical development and expansion of our resin families. |
| Salaries and wages decreased by $1,063,004 for the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008, largely as a result of the reduction in
value of the stock based bonus awards granted during the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to March 31, 2008. |
| Marketing expense decreased by $236,767 to $158,805 for the three months ended March 31,
2009 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The decrease for the period is
directly attributable to focusing our pipeline process and implementing more rigorous
market and customer selection processes. |
| Professional fees decreased by $197,741 to $148,299 for the three months ended March 31,
2009 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008 as a result of executive search
expenses incurred in the prior year relating to our focus on strengthening the leadership
team. |
| Rent expense decreased by $22,950 to $241,693 for the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The decrease for the period was the
result of rental income from the sublease of one of our office and warehouse premises in
Hawthorne being offsetting rent expense during the three months ended March,31, 2009. No
rental income was earned on any of our leased premises for the three months ended March 31,
2008. |
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Net Loss
Net loss decreased by $1,650,854 or 42.9%, to $2,193,555 for the three months ended March 31, 2009
compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. This decrease in net loss was a result of
reduced operating expenses associated with the leveraging of our staff resources and, improved
processes and cost control and rigorous market and customer selection as well as enhanced gross
profit margins. Currently operating costs exceed revenue as we have only recently introduced
Cereplast Hybrid Resins®. We cannot assure when or if revenue will exceed operating
results.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We require working capital to fund our operations, including payments to finance our research and
development and expand sales and marketing, to purchase equipment, service indebtedness, satisfy
lease obligations and execute on our business plan and growth strategy. Based on our current cash
position and to complete the development of our Seymour facility, we will be required to raise
additional working capital, either through commercial debt financing or through the issuance of
debt or equity securities. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional sources
of working capital on commercially reasonable terms when needed, or at all.
We had net unrestricted cash of $54,165 at March 31, 2009 compared to net unrestricted cash of
$501,699 at December 31, 2008. The net decrease in unrestricted cash is attributed principally to
the funding of operating activities.
We had positive working capital (the difference between current assets and current liabilities) of
$41,198 at March 31, 2009 compared to working capital of $539,332 at December 31, 2008. The
decrease in working capital is attributed primarily to a decrease in our cash position.
During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we used $891,707 of cash for operating activities
compared to $3,178,957 used for operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2008.
The decrease in the use of cash for operating activities was a result of a decrease in operating
expenses as well as a focus on working capital management, which resulted in a reduction in
inventory and accounts receivable and an increase in accounts payable.
Cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $5,715 compared
to $149,643 during the three months ended March 31, 2008. No spending related to construction of
equipment for the Indiana facility was required during the three months ended March 31, 2009.
Cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended March 31, 2009 was $449,627 and
was largely provided by proceeds of a private placement of shares of our common stock.
We have incurred net losses of $2,193,555 for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and $12,748,701
for the year ended December 31, 2008, and have an accumulated deficit of $31,565,575 as of March
31, 2009. Based on our operating plan, our existing working capital will not be sufficient to meet
the cash requirements to fund our planned operating expenses, capital expenditures and working
capital requirements through December 31, 2009 without additional sources of cash.
These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as
a going concern. This basis of accounting contemplates the recovery of our assets and the
satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.
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Our plan to address the shortfall of working capital is to generate additional financing through a
combination of financing of assets, incremental product sales and the sale of equity securities.
There are no assurances that we will be able to obtain any sources of financing on acceptable
terms, or at all.
If we cannot obtain sufficient additional financing in the short-term, we may be forced to file for
bankruptcy or cease operations. The consolidated financial statements do not include any
adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts
and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be forced to take such actions.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at March 31, 2009 and the effects such
obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in our future periods:
Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||||
Less Than | 2-3 | 4-5 | More Than | |||||||||||||||||
Total | 1 year | Years | Years | 5 years | ||||||||||||||||
Capitalized lease obligations |
$ | 72,674 | $ | 50,879 | $ | 21,795 | $ | | $ | | ||||||||||
Rental lease obligations |
72,442 | 72,442 | ||||||||||||||||||
Purchase obligations |
396,404 | 396,404 | | | | |||||||||||||||
Indebtedness |
971 | 971 | | | | |||||||||||||||
$ | 542,491 | $ | 520,696 | $ | 21,795 | $ | | $ | | |||||||||||
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We do not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships such as
entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that would have been
established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance-sheet arrangements or for other
contractually narrow or limited purposes. As such, we are not exposed to any financing, liquidity,
market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in such relationships.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to a number of market risks in the ordinary course of business. These risks, which
include interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange risk and commodity price risk, arise in the
normal course of business rather than from trading. We have examined our exposures to these risks
and concluded that none of our exposures in these areas is material to fair values, cash flows or
earnings. We regularly review these risks to determine if we should enter into active strategies,
such as hedging, to help manage the risks. At the present time, we do not have any hedging programs
in place and we are not trading in any financial or derivative instruments.
We currently do not have any material debt, so we do not have interest rate risk from a liability
perspective. We do have a significant amount of cash and short-term investments with maturities
less than three months. This cash portfolio exposes us to interest rate risk as short-term
investment rates can be volatile. Given the short-term maturity structure of our investment
portfolio, and the high-grade investment quality of our portfolio, we believe that we are not
subject to principal fluctuations and the effective interest rate of our portfolio tracks closely
to various short-term money market interest rate benchmarks.
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ITEM 4T. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer Principal Financial
Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31,2009.
Our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and
operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management
necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls
and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31,
2009, our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date,
our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
During the quarter ended March 31, 2009, there have been no changes in our internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that have
materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over
financial reporting. We were not required to include a report of managements assessment regarding
internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered
public accounting firm in our Annual Report on Form 10-K due to a transition period established by
rules of the SEC for newly-public companies. At the end of the fiscal year 2009, our management
will be required to provide an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
PART II OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in
the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an
adverse result in matters that may harm our business may arise from time to time. We are currently
not aware of nor have any knowledge of any such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will
have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition or operating results.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
We have issued the following unregistered securities during the three months ended March 31, 2009:
| 2,936,552 shares of our common stock valued at $264,607 to our directors and
employees as part of their compensation. |
| 2,450,000 shares of our common stock valued at $220,500 to a current shareholder, a
party related to our Chief Executive Officer, in repayment of a convertible shareholder
loan. |
| 562,500 shares of our common stock valued at $47,813 to third parties for services
rendered in the period. |
| 5,000,000 shares of our common stock valued at $425,000 to third parties for prepaid
services to be rendered over a future period. |
| 9,346,819 shares of our common stock to accredited investors for gross proceeds of
$467,341. |
| 5,000,000 shares of our common stock to accredited investors to accredited investors
in fulfillment of subscriptions received prior to December 31, 2008 of $250,000. |
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All of the offerings and sales above were deemed to be exempt under rule 506 of Regulation D and
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, No advertising or general solicitation was employed in offering
the securities. The offerings and sales were made to a limited number of persons, all of whom were
accredited investors, our business associates or our executive officers, and transfers of the
securities were restricted by us in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. In
addition to representations by the above-referenced persons, we have made independent
determinations that all of the above-referenced persons were accredited or sophisticated investors,
were capable of analyzing the merits and risks of their investment, and understood the speculative
nature of their investment. Furthermore, all of the above-referenced persons were provided with
access to our SEC filings.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
Departure
of Certain Executive Officers and Directors
In connection with our revised strategic plan to leverage our proprietary products and
marketing strengths, Randy Woelfel, President and Chief Operating
Officer, will be leaving the Company effective May 20th, 2009. Mr. Woelfel will remain a director of the
Company.
Stephan
Garden tendered his resignation from the Companys Board of
Directors on May 18th, 2009 to be effective immediately.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Description | |||
3.1 | Articles of Incorporation(1) |
|||
3.2 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated February 26, 2003(1) |
|||
3.3 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated July 19, 2004(1) |
|||
3.4 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated March 18, 2005(1) |
|||
3.5 | Bylaws(1) |
|||
31.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|||
32.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. *** |
(1) | Filed as an exhibit to the Form SB-2 Registration Statement declared effective on July 5,
2005 and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
*** | In accordance with Item 601(b)(32)(ii) of Regulation S-K, this exhibit shall not be deemed
filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the
liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act. |
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Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: May 19, 2009 | CEREPLAST, INC. |
|||
By: | /S/ Frederic Scheer | |||
Frederic Scheer | ||||
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Director |
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Table of Contents
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Description | |||
3.1 | Articles of Incorporation(1) |
|||
3.2 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated February 26, 2003(1) |
|||
3.3 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated July 19, 2004(1) |
|||
3.4 | Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation dated March 18, 2005(1) |
|||
3.5 | Bylaws(1) |
|||
31.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|||
32.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. *** |
(1) | Filed as an exhibit to the Form SB-2 Registration Statement declared effective on July 5,
2005 and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
*** | In accordance with Item 601(b)(32)(ii) of Regulation S-K, this exhibit shall not be deemed
filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the
liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act. |
23