LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL, INC. \DE\ - Quarter Report: 2008 November (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For the Fiscal Quarter Ended November
30, 2008, or
¨
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For the
Transition period from _____ to _________.
Commission
file number: 0-27446
LANDEC
CORPORATION
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
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94-3025618
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(IRS
Employer
|
|
incorporation
or organization)
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Identification
Number)
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3603
Haven Avenue
Menlo
Park, California 94025
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Registrant's
telephone number, including area code:
(650)
306-1650
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 at least the past 90 days.
Yes x No ¨
Accelerated filer x
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Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Smaller reporting company ¨
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes ¨ No x
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As
of December 22, 2008, there were 26,175,069 shares of Common Stock
outstanding.
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LANDEC
CORPORATION
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FORM
10-Q For the Fiscal Quarter Ended November 30,
2008
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INDEX
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Page
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|||
Facing
sheet
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1
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Index
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2
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Part I.
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Financial
Information
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3
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Item 1.
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a)
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Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of November 30, 2008 and May 25, 2008
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3
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b)
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Consolidated
Statements of Income for the Three Months and Six Months Ended November
30, 2008 and November 25, 2007
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4
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c)
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Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended November 30, 2008 and
November 25, 2007
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5
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d)
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Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
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6
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Item 2.
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Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
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16
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Item 3.
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Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
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24
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Item 4
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Controls
and Procedures
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25
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Part II.
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Other
Information
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26
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Item 1.
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Legal
Proceedings
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26
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Item 1A.
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Risk
Factors
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26
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Item 2.
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Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
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32
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Item 3.
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Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
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32
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Item 4.
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Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
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32
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Item 5.
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Other
Information
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33
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Item 6.
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Exhibits
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33
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Signatures
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34
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-2-
PART
I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(In
thousands, except share and per share amounts)
November 30,
2008
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May 25,
2008
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|||||||
(Unaudited)
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(1)
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|||||||
ASSETS
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||||||||
Current
Assets:
|
||||||||
Cash and cash
equivalents
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$ | 42,345 | $ | 44,396 | ||||
Marketable
securities
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18,882 | 14,643 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $211 and $169 at
November 30, 2008 and May 25, 2008, respectively
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15,474 | 19,460 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable, related party
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666 | 411 | ||||||
Inventories, net
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7,665 | 7,329 | ||||||
Notes and advances
receivable
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1,086 | 501 | ||||||
Deferred
taxes
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2,180 | 2,180 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
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1,521 | 1,746 | ||||||
Total
Current Assets
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89,819 | 90,666 | ||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
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22,083 | 21,306 | ||||||
Goodwill,
net
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27,361 | 27,354 | ||||||
Trademarks,
net
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8,228 | 8,228 | ||||||
Other
assets
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3,435 | 3,035 | ||||||
Total
Assets
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$ | 150,926 | $ | 150,589 | ||||
Current
Liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts payable
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$ | 16,420 | $ | 18,991 | ||||
Related party accounts
payable
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143 | 273 | ||||||
Income
taxes payable
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252 | — | ||||||
Accrued
compensation
|
906 | 2,197 | ||||||
Other accrued
liabilities
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2,187 | 2,930 | ||||||
Deferred revenue
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2,167 | 3,613 | ||||||
Total
Current Liabilities
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22,075 | 28,004 | ||||||
Deferred
revenue
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4,000 | 5,000 | ||||||
Deferred
taxes
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2,502 | 1,569 | ||||||
Minority
interest
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1,531 | 1,550 | ||||||
Total
Liabilities
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30,108 | 36,123 | ||||||
Stockholders’
Equity:
|
||||||||
Common
stock, $0.001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 26,175,069 and
26,156,323 shares issued and outstanding at November 30, 2008 and May 25,
2008, respectively
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26 | 26 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
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114,963 | 112,948 | ||||||
Retained earnings
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5,829 | 1,492 | ||||||
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
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120,818 | 114,466 | ||||||
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
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$ | 150,926 | $ | 150,589 |
(1)
Derived from audited financial statements.
See
accompanying notes.
-3-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(In
thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended
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Six Months Ended
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|||||||||||||||
November 30,
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November 25,
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November 30,
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November 25,
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|||||||||||||
2008
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2007
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2008
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2007
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|||||||||||||
Revenues:
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||||||||||||||||
Product sales
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$ | 55,267 | $ | 56,274 | $ | 124,128 | $ | 116,075 | ||||||||
Services revenue, related
party
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998 | 909 | 2,156 | 1,983 | ||||||||||||
License fees
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1,550 | 1,550 | 3,100 | 3,131 | ||||||||||||
Research, development and royalty
revenues
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223 | 228 | 406 | 399 | ||||||||||||
Royalty revenues, related
party
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— | — | — | 32 | ||||||||||||
Total
revenues
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58,038 | 58,961 | 129,790 | 121,620 | ||||||||||||
Cost
of revenue:
|
||||||||||||||||
Cost of product
sales
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48,822 | 48,777 | 108,124 | 100,369 | ||||||||||||
Cost of product sales, related
party
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822 | 571 | 2,258 | 1,782 | ||||||||||||
Cost of services
revenue
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837 | 756 | 1,728 | 1,638 | ||||||||||||
Total
cost of revenue
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50,481 | 50,104 | 112,110 | 103,789 | ||||||||||||
Gross
profit
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7,557 | 8,857 | 17,680 | 17,831 | ||||||||||||
Operating
costs and expenses:
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||||||||||||||||
Research and
development
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867 | 788 | 1,756 | 1,610 | ||||||||||||
Selling, general and
administrative
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4,449 | 4,239 | 9,125 | 8,785 | ||||||||||||
Total
operating costs and expenses
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5,316 | 5,027 | 10,881 | 10,395 | ||||||||||||
Operating
income
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2,241 | 3,830 | 6,799 | 7,436 | ||||||||||||
Interest
income
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455 | 607 | 812 | 1,388 | ||||||||||||
Interest
expense
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(3 | ) | (5 | ) | (4 | ) | (13 | ) | ||||||||
Minority
interest expense
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(132 | ) | (109 | ) | (296 | ) | (229 | ) | ||||||||
Net
income before taxes
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2,561 | 4,323 | 7,311 | 8,582 | ||||||||||||
Income
tax expense
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(1,063 | ) | (1,198 | ) | (2,974 | ) | (2,380 | ) | ||||||||
Net
income
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$ | 1,498 | $ | 3,125 | $ | 4,337 | $ | 6,202 | ||||||||
Basic
net income per share
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$ | 0.06 | $ | 0.12 | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.24 | ||||||||
Diluted
net income per share (Note 4)
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$ | 0.06 | $ | 0.12 | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.23 | ||||||||
Shares
used in per share computation:
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||||||||||||||||
Basic
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26,171 | 26,070 | 26,167 | 26,004 | ||||||||||||
Diluted
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26,814 | 27,020 | 26,806 | 26,970 |
See
accompanying notes.
-4-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In
thousands)
Six months Ended
|
||||||||
November 30,
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November 25,
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|||||||
2008
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2007
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|||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
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||||||||
Net
income
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$ | 4,337 | $ | 6,202 | ||||
Adjs.
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
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1,615 | 1,469 | ||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
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474 | 505 | ||||||
Tax
benefit from stock based compensation
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(1,496 | ) | (2,229 | ) | ||||
Increase
in long-term receivable
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(400 | ) | (400 | ) | ||||
Minority interest
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296 | 233 | ||||||
Deferred
taxes
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933 | — | ||||||
Changes in current assets and
current liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts receivable,
net
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3,986 | (25 | ) | |||||
Accounts receivable, related
party
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(255 | ) | 144 | |||||
Inventories, net
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(336 | ) | (1,620 | ) | ||||
Issuance of notes and advances
receivable
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(1,322 | ) | (1,592 | ) | ||||
Collection
of notes and advances receivable
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636 | 288 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
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225 | 190 | ||||||
Accounts payable
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(2,571 | ) | 383 | |||||
Related party accounts
payable
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(130 | ) | (115 | ) | ||||
Income taxes
payable
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1,748 | 2,308 | ||||||
Accrued
compensation
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(1,291 | ) | (1,497 | ) | ||||
Other accrued
liabilities
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(743 | ) | 253 | |||||
Deferred revenue
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(2,446 | ) | (2,353 | ) | ||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
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3,260 | 2,144 | ||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
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(2,392 | ) | (1,458 | ) | ||||
Acquisition
related earnout payments
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(7 | ) | (29 | ) | ||||
Issuance
of notes and advances receivable
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(2 | ) | (9 | ) | ||||
Collection
of notes and advances receivable
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103 | 116 | ||||||
Purchase
of marketable securities
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(21,992 | ) | — | |||||
Proceeds
from maturities of marketable securities
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17,753 | — | ||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
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(6,537 | ) | (1,380 | ) | ||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||
Proceeds
from sale of common stock
|
45 | 781 | ||||||
Repurchase
of subsidiary common stock and options
|
— | (20,837 | ) | |||||
Tax
benefit from stock-based compensation
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1,496 | 2,229 | ||||||
Increase
in other assets
|
— | (6 | ) | |||||
Payments
on related party note payable
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— | (74 | ) | |||||
Payments
to minority interest holders
|
(315 | ) | (283 | ) | ||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
1,226 | (18,190 | ) | |||||
Net
decrease in cash and cash equivalents
|
(2,051 | ) | (17,426 | ) | ||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
44,396 | 62,556 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
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$ | 42,345 | $ | 45,130 | ||||
Supplemental
schedule of noncash operating activities:
|
||||||||
Income
tax expense not payable
|
$ | 1,496 | $ | 2,229 | ||||
Long-term
receivable from Monsanto for guaranteed termination fee
|
$ | 400 | $ | 400 |
See accompanying
notes.
-5-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1.
|
Organization,
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting
Policies
|
Organization
Landec
Corporation and its subsidiaries ("Landec" or the "Company") design, develop,
manufacture, and sell temperature-activated and other specialty polymer products
for a variety of food products, agricultural products, and licensed partner
applications. The Company sells Intellicoat® coated seed products through its
Landec Ag, Inc. (“Landec Ag”) subsidiary and specialty packaged fresh-cut
vegetables and whole produce to retailers and club stores, primarily in the
United States and Asia through its Apio, Inc. (“Apio”) subsidiary.
Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Landec have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States for interim financial information and with the instructions for
Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of
management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) have been
made which are necessary to present fairly the financial position at November
30, 2008 and the results of operations and cash flows for all periods
presented. Although Landec believes that the disclosures in these
financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not
misleading, certain information normally included in financial statements and
related footnotes prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted per the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
accompanying financial data should be reviewed in conjunction with the audited
financial statements and accompanying notes included in Landec's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 25, 2008.
The results of operations for the three
and six months ended November 30, 2008 are not necessarily indicative of the
results that may be expected for an entire fiscal year due to some seasonality
in Apio’s food business and because the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 was a
14-week quarter which occurs once every five years compared to the standard
13-week quarter.
Basis
of Consolidation
The
consolidated financial statements are presented on the accrual basis of
accounting in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and
include the accounts of Landec Corporation and its subsidiaries, Apio and Landec
Ag. All material inter-company transactions and balances have been
eliminated.
The
Company follows FASB Interpretation No. 46R, "Consolidation of Variable Interest
Entities" ("FIN 46R"), which addresses the consolidation of variable
interest entities ("VIEs"). Under FIN 46R, arrangements that are
not controlled through voting or similar rights are accounted for as
VIEs. An enterprise is required to consolidate a VIE if it is the
primary beneficiary of the VIE.
Under
FIN 46R, a VIE is created when (i) the equity investment at risk is
not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional
subordinated financial support from other parties, or (ii) the entity's
equity holders as a group either: (a) lack direct or indirect ability to
make decisions about the entity through voting or similar rights, (b) are
not obligated to absorb expected losses of the entity if they occur, or
(c) do not have the right to receive expected residual returns of the
entity if they occur. If an entity is deemed to be a VIE pursuant to
FIN 46R, the enterprise that is deemed to absorb a majority of the expected
losses or receive a majority of expected residual returns of the VIE is
considered the primary beneficiary and must consolidate the VIE.
Based
on the provisions of FIN 46R, the Company has concluded that as a result of
the license and supply agreement between Landec and Monsanto Company (see Note
2), Monsanto has a variable interest in the Company’s Intellicoat coating
subsidiary, Landec Ag, and therefore Landec Ag has been determined to be a
VIE. The Company has also determined that it is the primary
beneficiary of Landec Ag and therefore the accounts of Landec Ag are
consolidated with the accounts of the Company.
-6-
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make certain
estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial
statements and accompanying notes. The accounting estimates that require
management’s most significant, difficult and subjective judgments include
revenue recognition; sales returns and allowances; recognition and measurement
of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities; the assessment of
recoverability of long-lived assets; the valuation of intangible assets and
inventory; the valuation and nature of impairments of investments; and the
valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation.
These
estimates involve the consideration of complex factors and require management to
make judgments. The analysis of historical and future trends, can require
extended periods of time to resolve, and are subject to change from period to
period. The actual results may differ from management’s
estimates.
For
instance, the carrying value of notes and advances receivable, are impacted by
current market prices for the related crops, weather conditions and the fair
value of the underlying security obtained by the Company, such as, liens on
property and crops. The Company recognizes losses when it estimates
that the fair value of the related crops or security is insufficient to cover
the advance or note receivable.
Cash,
Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities
The Company records all highly liquid
securities with three months or less from date of purchase to maturity as cash
equivalents and consists mainly of certificates of deposit, money market funds
and U.S. Treasuries. Short-term marketable securities consist of
certificates of deposit that are FDIC insured and state and municipal bonds with
original maturities of more than three months at the date of purchase and less
than one year from the date of the balance sheet. The Company
classifies all debt securities with readily determined market values as
“available for sale” in accordance with SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments
in Debt and Equity Securities.” These investments are
classified as marketable securities on the consolidated balance sheet as of
November 30, 2008 and are carried at fair market value. Unrealized
gains and losses were not significant for the three and six months ended
November 30, 2008. The cost of debt securities is adjusted for
amortization of premiums and discounts to maturity. This amortization
is recorded to interest income. Realized gains and losses on the sale
of available-for-sale securities are also recorded to interest income and were
not significant for the three and six months ended November 30,
2008. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific
identification method.
Financial
Instruments
The Company’s financial instruments are
primarily composed of commercial-term trade payables and grower advances, and
notes receivable, as well as long-term notes receivables and debt
instruments. For short-term instruments, the historical carrying
amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value. Fair values for
long-term financial instruments not readily marketable are estimated based upon
discounted future cash flows at prevailing market interest
rates. Based on these assumptions, management believes the fair
market values of the Company’s financial instruments are not materially
different from their recorded amounts as of November 30, 2008.
Investments
Equity
investments in non-public companies with no readily available market value are
carried on the balance sheet at cost as adjusted for impairment losses, if
any. If reductions in the market value of the investments to an
amount that is below cost are deemed by management to be other than temporary,
the reduction in market value will be realized, with the resulting loss in
market value reflected on the income statement.
-7-
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
Fair
Value Measurements
In
September 2006, FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.”
SFAS No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair
value and expands disclosure about fair value measurements. SFAS No.
157 does not require new fair value measurements but provides guidance on how to
measure fair value by providing a fair value hierarchy used to classify the
source of information. SFAS No. 157 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007. However, on February 12, 2008, the
FASB issued FASB Staff (“FSP”) FAS No. 157-2 which delays the effective date for
all non-financial assets and liabilities except those that are recognized or
disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at
least annually). FSP 157- 2 defers the effective date of SFAS No. 157
to fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008, and interim periods within
the fiscal years for items within the scope of this FSP. The Company
adopted SFAS No. 157 on May 26, 2008 for financial assets and financial
liabilities. It did not have any impact on the Company’s results of
operations or financial position for the three and six months ended November 30,
2008. The Company will adopt Statement 157 for non-financial assets
and liabilities during its fiscal year ending May 30, 2010.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities— Including an amendment of FASB Statement No.
115.” SFAS No. 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial
instruments and certain other items at fair value that are not currently
required to be measured at fair value. Subsequent adjustments to the
fair value of the financial instruments and liabilities an entity elects to
carry at fair value will be recognized in earnings. SFAS No. 159 also
establishes additional disclosure requirements. SFAS No. 159 is
effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, with early
adoption permitted provided the entity also elects to apply the provisions of
SFAS No. 157. The Company adopted SFAS No. 159 on May 26, 2008, but
has not elected the fair value measurement provisions for any eligible financial
statements.
Business
Combinations
The FASB
issued SFAS No. 141R (revised 2007), “Business Combinations.” which
significantly changes the financial accounting and reporting for business
combination transactions. SFAS No. 141R requires the acquiring entity
in a business combination to recognize all (and only) the assets acquired and
liabilities assumed in the transaction and establishes the acquisition date fair
value as the measurement objective for all assets acquired and liabilities
assumed in a business combination. Certain provisions of this
standard will, among other things, impact the determination of acquisition-date
fair value of consideration paid in a business combination (including contingent
consideration); exclude transaction costs from acquisition accounting; and
change accounting practices for acquired contingencies, acquisition-related
restructuring costs, in-process research and development, indemnification
assets, and tax benefits. For the Company, SFAS No. 141R is effective
for business combinations occurring after May 31, 2009. The Company
is currently evaluating the future impacts and disclosures of this
standard.
Noncontrolling
Interests
In
December 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
(“SFAS”) No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements.” SFAS No. 160 amends
Accounting Research Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 51, “Consolidated Financial
Statements” and establishes accounting and reporting standards for the
noncontrolling interest (minority interest) in a subsidiary. This
statement requires the reporting of all noncontrolling interests as a separate
component of stockholders’ equity, the reporting of consolidated net income
(loss) as the amount attributable to both the parent and the noncontrolling
interests and the separate disclosure of net income (loss) attributable to the
parent and to the noncontrolling interests. In addition, this
statement provides accounting and reporting guidance related to changes in
noncontrolling ownership interests. Other than the reporting requirements
described above which require retrospective application, the provisions of SFAS
No. 160 are to be applied prospectively in the first annual reporting period
beginning on or after December 15, 2008. The Company is
currently in the process of determining the impact and disclosure of this
standard and expects it will result in a reclassification of income from the
noncontrolling interest (minority interest) in Apio Cooling, L.P., in which Apio
is the general partner with a 60% ownership position. Upon adoption,
all noncontrolling interest will be included as a component of stockholders’
equity and not in the statement of operations. The Company does not
anticipate any additional material impact on the consolidated financial
statements.
-8-
Collaborative
Arrangements
In
December 2007, the FASB ratified the EITF consensus on EITF Issue No. 07-1,
“Accounting for Collaborative
Arrangements” that discusses how parties to a collaborative arrangement
(which does not establish a legal entity within such arrangement) should account
for various activities. The consensus indicates that costs incurred
and revenues generated from transactions with third parties (i.e. parties
outside of the collaborative arrangement) should be reported by the
collaborators on the respective line items in their income statements pursuant
to EITF Issue No. 99-19, “Reporting Revenue Gross as a
Principal Versus Net as an Agent.” Additionally, the consensus
provides that income statement characterization of payments between the
participants in a collaborative arrangement should be based upon existing
authoritative pronouncements; analogy to such pronouncements if not within their
scope; or a reasonable, rational, and consistently applied accounting policy
election. For the Company, EITF Issue No. 07-1 is effective beginning
June 1, 2009 and is to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented for
collaborative arrangements existing as of the date of adoption. The
Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated
financial statements.
Fair
Value Measurements
The
Company adopted Statement 157 on May 26, 2008 for financial assets and
liabilities. The Company also adopted Statement 159 in which entities
are permitted to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other
items at fair value. The Company did not elect the fair value option
for any of its eligible financial assets or liabilities under SFAS
159.
SFAS
No. 157 established a three-tier hierarchy for fair value measurements,
which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as
follows:
|
·
|
Level
1 – observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in
active markets.
|
|
·
|
Level
2 – inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable
either directly or indirectly through corroboration with observable market
data.
|
|
·
|
Level
3 – unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which
would require the Company to develop its own
assumptions.
|
As of
November 30, 2008, the Company held certain assets that are required to be
measured at fair value on a recurring basis. These included the
Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities for which the fair value is
determined based on observable inputs that are readily available in public
markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets.
Therefore, the Company has categorized the cash equivalents and marketable
securities as Level 1. The Company has no other financial assets or
liabilities for which fair value measurement has been adopted.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been
made to prior period financial statements to conform to the current period
presentation.
2. License Agreement with Monsanto
Company
On
December 1, 2006, Landec sold its direct marketing and sales seed company,
Fielder’s Choice Direct (“FCD”), which included the Fielder’s Choice Direct® and
Heartland Hybrid® brands,
to American Seeds, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Monsanto Company
(“Monsanto”). The acquisition price for FCD was $50 million in cash
paid at the close. During fiscal year 2007, Landec recorded income
from the sale, net of direct expenses and bonuses, of $22.7
million. The income that was recorded is equal to the difference
between the fair value of FCD of $40 million and its net book value, less direct
selling expenses and bonuses. In accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, the portion of the $50 million of proceeds in excess of
the fair value of FCD, or $10 million, was allocated to the technology license
agreement described below and is being recognized as revenue ratably over the
five year term of the technology license agreement or $2 million per year
beginning December 1, 2006. The fair value was determined by
management with the assistance of an independent appraiser.
-9-
On
December 1, 2006, Landec also entered into a five-year co-exclusive technology
license and polymer supply agreement (“the Agreement”) with Monsanto for the use
of Landec’s Intellicoat polymer
seed coating technology. Under the terms of the Agreement, Monsanto will pay
Landec Ag $2.6 million per year in exchange for (1) a co-exclusive right to use
Landec’s Intellicoat temperature-activated
seed coating technology worldwide during the license period, (2) the right to be
the exclusive global sales and marketing agent for the Intellicoat seed coating
technology, and (3) the right to purchase the stock of Landec Ag at any time
during the five year term of the Agreement. Monsanto will also fund
all operating costs, including all Intellicoat research
and development, product development and non-replacement capital costs during
the five year agreement period. For each of the three and six months
ended November 30, 2008 and November 25, 2007, Landec recognized $1.35 million
and $2.7 million, respectively, in revenues from the Agreement.
The
Agreement also provides for a fee payable to Landec Ag of $4 million if Monsanto
elects to terminate the agreement or $8 million if Monsanto elects to purchase
the stock of Landec Ag. If the purchase option is exercised before
the fifth anniversary of the Agreement, or if Monsanto elects to terminate the
Agreement, all annual license fees and supply payments that have not been paid
to Landec Ag will become due upon the purchase or
termination. If Monsanto does not exercise its purchase
option by the fifth anniversary of the Agreement, Landec Ag will receive the
termination fee and all rights to the Intellicoat seed
coating technology will revert to Landec. Accordingly, Landec Ag will
receive minimum guaranteed payments of $17 million for license fees and polymer
supply payments over five years or $21 million in maximum payments if Monsanto
elects to purchase the stock of Landec Ag. The minimum guaranteed
payments and the deferred gain of $2 million per year described above will
result in Landec recognizing revenue and operating income of $5.4 million per
year for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 and $2.7 million per year for fiscal
years 2007 and 2012. The incremental $4 million to be received in the
event Monsanto exercises the purchase option has been deferred and will be
recognized upon the exercise of the purchase option. The fair value
of the purchase option was determined by management to be less than the amount
of the deferred revenue.
If
Monsanto elects to purchase the stock of Landec Ag, a gain or loss on the sale
of the stock of Landec Ag will be recognized at the time of
purchase. If Monsanto exercises its purchase option, Landec and
Monsanto will enter into a new long-term supply agreement in which Landec will
continue to be the exclusive supplier of Intellicoat polymer materials to
Monsanto.
3.
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
|
In the three and six months ended
November 30, 2008, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense
of $179,000 and $474,000 or $0.01 and $0.02 per basic and diluted share,
respectively, which included $76,000 and $155,000 for restricted stock unit
awards and $103,000 and $319,000 for stock option grants, respectively.
In the three and six
months ended November 25, 2007, the Company recognized stock-based
compensation expense of $181,000 and $505,000 or $0.01 and $0.02 per basic and
diluted share, respectively, which included $80,000 and $143,000 for restricted
stock unit awards and $101,000 and $362,000 for stock option grants,
respectively.
The
following table summarizes the stock-based compensation by income statement line
item:
Three Months
Ended November 30,
2008 |
Three Months
Ended November 25,
2007 |
Six Months
Ended November
30, 2007 |
Six Months
Ended November
25, 2007 |
|||||||||||||
Research
and development
|
$ | 42,000 | $ | 39,000 | $ | 84,000 | $ | 70,000 | ||||||||
Selling,
general and administrative
|
$ | 137,000 | $ | 142,000 | $ | 390,000 | $ | 435,000 | ||||||||
Total
amort. of stock-based compensation
|
$ | 179,000 | $ | 181,000 | $ | 474,000 | $ | 505,000 |
As of
November 30, 2008, there was $770,000 of total unrecognized compensation
expense related to unvested equity compensation awards granted under the
Company’s incentive stock plans. Total expense is expected to be recognized over
the weighted-average period of 1.58 years.
During
the six months ended November 30, 2008, the Company granted options to purchase
75,000 shares of Common Stock and 25,002 restricted stock unit
awards.
-10-
As of
November 30, 2008, the Company has reserved 2.5 million shares of Common Stock
for future issuance under its current and former stock plans.
4.
|
Net
Income Per Diluted Share
|
The following table sets forth the
computation of diluted net income per share (in thousands, except per share
amounts):
Three Months
Ended November 30,
2008 |
Three Months
Ended November 25,
2007 |
Six Months
Ended November 30,
2008 |
Six Months
Ended November 25,
2007 |
|||||||||||||
Numerator:
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 1,498 | $ | 3,125 | $ | 4,337 | $ | 6,202 | ||||||||
Denominator:
|
||||||||||||||||
Weighted
average shares for basic net income per share
|
26,171 | 26,070 | 26,167 | 26,004 | ||||||||||||
Effect
of dilutive securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
Stock options and restricted stock
units
|
643 | 950 | 639 | 966 | ||||||||||||
Weighted
average shares for diluted net income per share
|
26,814 | 27,020 | 26,806 | 26,970 | ||||||||||||
Diluted
net income per share
|
$ | 0.06 | $ | 0.12 | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.23 |
For the
three months ended November 30, 2008 and November 25, 2007, the computation of
the diluted net income per share excludes the impact of options to purchase
288,834 shares and 74,500 shares of Common Stock, respectively, as such impacts
would be antidilutive for these periods.
For the
six months ended November 30, 2008 and November 25, 2007, the computation of the
diluted net income per share excludes the impact of options to purchase 266,405
shares and 86,701 shares of Common Stock, respectively, as such impacts would be
antidilutive for these periods.
5.
|
Income
Taxes
|
The
estimated annual effective tax rate for fiscal year 2009 is currently expected
to be approximately 41%. The provision for income taxes for the three and six
months ended November 30, 2008 was $1.1 million and $3.0 million,
respectively.
The
"Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008," which contains the "Tax
Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008", was signed into law
on October 3, 2008. Under the Act, the federal research credit was
retroactively extended for amounts paid or incurred after December 31, 2007 and
before January 1, 2010. The effects of the retroactive change in the
tax law were recognized during the quarter ended November 30, 2008, which is the
quarter in which the law was enacted. The federal research credit
that was available to reduce the Company’s income tax provision for the three
and six months ended November 30, 2008 was not significant.
On
September 30, 2008, California enacted Assembly Bill 1452 which among other
provisions, suspends net operating loss deductions for 2008 and 2009 and extends
the carryforward period of any net operating losses not utilized due to such
suspension; adopts the federal 20-year net operating loss carryforward period;
phases-in the federal two-year net operating loss carryback periods beginning in
2011 and limits the utilization of tax credits to 50 percent of a taxpayer's
taxable income. The Company does not expect this change in tax law to
materially impact its tax provision, except for the increase in the current
state tax liability due to the temporary suspension of the utilization of
California net operating loss carryforwards.
-11-
In June
2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Interpretation
No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”). FIN 48 clarifies the
accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s
financial statements in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”
(“FAS 109”). This interpretation prescribes a recognition threshold and
measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of
a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48
also provides guidance on derecognition of tax benefits, classification on the
balance sheet, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods,
disclosure, and transition.
As of May
25, 2008, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately
$678,000. Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits as of
May 25, 2008 is approximately $599,000 of tax benefits that, if recognized,
would result in an adjustment to the Company’s effective tax
rate. The Company does not expect that the amounts of unrecognized
tax benefits will change significantly within the next twelve
months.
In
accordance with FIN 48, paragraph 19, the Company has decided to classify
interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of its
provision for income taxes. Due to the Company’s historical taxable
loss position, the Company did not accrue interest and penalties relating to the
income tax on the unrecognized tax benefits as of May 25, 2008 and November 30,
2008 as the amounts were not significant.
Due to
tax attribute carryforwards, the Company is subject to examination for tax years
1992 forward for U.S. tax purposes. The Company was also subject to
examination in various state jurisdictions for tax years 1997 forward, none of
which were individually significant.
6.
|
Goodwill
and Other Intangibles
|
The
Company tests goodwill and all its other intangible assets with indefinite lives
(collectively, “intangible assets”) for impairment at least annually, in
accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible
Assets (“SFAS 142”). When evaluating goodwill for impairment,
SFAS 142 requires the Company to first compare the fair value of the reporting
unit to its carrying value to determine if there is an impairment
loss. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying
value, goodwill is considered not impaired. Application of the second
step of the two-step approach in SFAS 142 is not
required. Application of the goodwill impairment tests require
significant judgment by management, including identification of reporting units,
assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill
to reporting units, determination of the fair value of each reporting unit and
projections of future net cash flows, which judgments and projections are
inherently uncertain.
The
Company considers the results generated from using both of the approaches set
forth in SFAS 142 to estimate the fair value of each relevant reporting unit as
follows:
·
|
The
Company uses the market approach to develop indications of fair
value. This approach uses market values and revenue multiples
of other publicly traded companies engaged in the same or similar lines of
business as the Company.
|
·
|
The
Company uses the discounted cash flow (“DCF”) methodology to develop an
additional estimate of fair value. The DCF methodology
recognizes that current value is premised on the expected receipt of
future economic benefits. Indications of value are developed by
discounting projected future net cash flows to their present value at a
rate that reflects both the current return requirements of the market and
the risks inherent in the specific
investment.
|
The
determination of whether the intangible assets are impaired involves numerous
assumptions, estimates and the application of significant
judgment. For the market approach, considerable judgment is required
to select comparable companies and estimate the multiples of revenues implied by
their market values. For the DCF approach, the Company must exercise
judgment in selecting an appropriate discount rate and must also make numerous
assumptions in order to develop future business and financial forecasts and the
related estimates of future net cash flows. Future net cash flows
depend primarily on future product sales, which are inherently difficult to
predict.
-12-
The
Company tested its goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives
for impairment as of July 20, 2008 and determined that no adjustments to the
carrying values of the intangible assets were necessary as of that
date. On a quarterly basis, the Company considers the need to update
its most recent annual tests for possible impairment of its intangible assets
with indefinite lives, based on management’s assessment of changes in its
business and other economic factors since the most recent annual
evaluation. Such changes, if significant or material, could indicate
a need to update the most recent annual tests for impairment of the intangible
assets during the current period. The results of these tests could
lead to write-downs of the carrying values of the intangible assets in the
current period. No such significant or material changes in the
Company’s business or economic environment have come to the attention of
management since July 20, 2008 through the date of this report.
7.
|
Inventories
|
Inventories are stated at the lower of
cost (first-in, first-out method) or market and consisted of the following (in
thousands):
November 30,
2008 |
May 25,
2008
|
|||||||
Raw
material
|
$ | 5,161 | $ | 4,380 | ||||
Finished
goods
|
2,504 | 2,949 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 7,665 | $ | 7,329 |
8.
|
Related
Party
|
Apio
provides cooling and distributing services for farms in which the Chairman of
Apio (the “Apio Chairman”) has a financial interest and purchases produce from
those farms. Apio also purchases produce from Beachside Produce LLC
for sale to third parties. Beachside Produce is owned by a group of
entities and persons that supply produce to Apio including the Apio
Chairman. Revenues and the resulting accounts receivable and cost of
product sales and the resulting accounts payable are classified as related party
items in the accompanying financial statements as of November 30, 2008 and May
25, 2008 and for the three and six months ended November 30, 2008 and November
25, 2007.
Apio
leases, for approximately $310,000 on a current annual basis, agricultural land
that is owned by the Apio Chairman. Apio, in turn, subleases that
land at cost to growers who are obligated to deliver product from that land to
Apio for value added products. There is generally no net statement of
income impact to Apio as a result of these leasing activities but Apio creates a
guaranteed source of supply for the value added business. Apio has
loss exposure on the leasing activity to the extent that it is unable to
sublease the land. For the three and six months ended November 30,
2008, the Company subleased all of the land leased from the Apio Chairman and
received sublease income of $80,000 and $156,000, respectively, which is equal
to the amount the Company paid to lease that land for the period.
Apio's
domestic commodity vegetable business was sold to Beachside Produce, effective
June 30, 2003. The Apio Chairman is a 12.5% owner in Beachside
Produce. During the three and six months ended November 30, 2008, the
Company recognized revenues of $330,000 and $730,000, respectively, from the
sale of products to Beachside Produce. The related accounts
receivable from Beachside Produce are classified as related party in the
accompanying financial statements as of November 30, 2008 and May 25,
2008.
All
related party transactions are monitored quarterly by the Company and approved
by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
9.
|
Comprehensive
Income
|
The
comprehensive income of Landec is the same as net income.
-13-
10.
|
Stockholders’
Equity
|
On November 6, 2008, the Company
reincorporated from California to Delaware. As a result of this
reincorporation the Company has established an additional paid in capital
account and reclassified as of November 30, 2008 and May 25, 2008, $115.0
million and $112.9 million, respectively, from Common Stock to additional
paid-in capital.
During the three and six months ended
November 30, 2008, 8,750 and 18,752 shares of Common Stock, respectively, were
issued upon the vesting of RSUs and upon the exercise of options under the
Company’s stock option plans.
11.
|
Business
Segment Reporting
|
Landec
operates in three business segments: the Food Products Technology segment, the
Commodity Trading segment and the Technology Licensing segment. The Food
Products Technology segment markets and packs specialty packaged whole and
fresh-cut vegetables that incorporate the BreatheWay specialty packaging for the
retail grocery, club store and food services industry. In addition,
the Food Products Technology segment sells BreatheWay packaging to partners for
produce products. The Commodity Trading segment consists of revenues
generated from the purchase and sale of primarily whole commodity fruit and
vegetable products to Asia and domestically to Wal-Mart. The Technology
Licensing segment licenses Landec’s patented Intellicoat seed coatings to the
farming industry and licenses the Company’s Intelimer® polymers for personal
care products and other industrial products. Corporate includes corporate
general and administrative expenses, non-Food Products Technology interest
income and Company-wide income tax expenses. All of the assets of the Company
are located within the United States of America. Prior to the fourth
quarter of fiscal year 2008, Landec’s operating segments were Food Products
Technology and Agricultural Seed Technology. At fiscal year end 2008,
the Company reexamined its segment reporting. As a result, the
Company eliminated the Agricultural Seed Technology segment and established the
Commodity Trading and the Technology Licensing segments. As a result,
the segment information for the three and six months ended November 25, 2007 has
been reclassified to conform with the current year
classification. The Company’s international sales are primarily to
Canada, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Japan.
-14-
Operations
and identifiable assets by business segment consisted of the following (in
thousands):
|
Food Products
Technology
|
Commodity
Trading |
Technology
Licensing |
Corporate
|
TOTAL
|
|||||||||||||||
Three
Months Ended November 30, 2008
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 37,971 | $ | 18,355 | $ | 1,712 | $ | — | $ | 58,038 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 3,443 | $ | 17,901 | $ | ¾ | $ | ¾ | $ | 21,344 | ||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 4,707 | $ | 1,138 | $ | 1,712 | $ | — | $ | 7,557 | ||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 1,849 | $ | 551 | $ | 1,167 | $ | (2,069 | ) | $ | 1,498 | |||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$ | 774 | $ | 3 | $ | 42 | $ | — | $ | 819 | ||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ | 149 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 306 | $ | 455 | ||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 3 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 3 | ||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 1,063 | $ | 1,063 | ||||||||||
Three
Months Ended November 25, 2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 39,441 | $ | 17,855 | $ | 1,665 | $ | — | $ | 58,961 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 3,566 | $ | 17,281 | $ | ¾ | $ | ¾ | $ | 20,847 | ||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 6,175 | $ | 1,017 | $ | 1,665 | $ | — | $ | 8,857 | ||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 2,999 | $ | 541 | $ | 1,163 | $ | (1,578 | ) | $ | 3,125 | |||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$ | 690 | $ | 5 | $ | 58 | $ | — | $ | 753 | ||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ | 89 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 518 | $ | 607 | ||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 5 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | ¾ | $ | 5 | ||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 1,198 | $ | 1,198 | ||||||||||
Six Months Ended November 30,
2008
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 81,785 | $ | 44,651 | $ | 3,354 | $ | — | $ | 129,790 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 7,590 | $ | 39,594 | $ | ¾ | $ | ¾ | $ | 47,184 | ||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 11,991 | $ | 2,335 | $ | 3,354 | $ | — | $ | 17,680 | ||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 5,838 | $ | 1,149 | $ | 2,272 | $ | (4,922 | ) | $ | 4,337 | |||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$ | 1,518 | $ | 7 | $ | 90 | $ | — | $ | 1,615 | ||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ | 272 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 540 | $ | 812 | ||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 4 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 4 | ||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 2,974 | $ | 2,974 | ||||||||||
Six
Months Ended November 25, 2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 78,988 | $ | 39,306 | $ | 3,326 | $ | — | $ | 121,620 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 7,265 | $ | 36,531 | $ | ¾ | $ | ¾ | $ | 43,796 | ||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 12,397 | $ | 2,108 | $ | 3,326 | $ | — | $ | 17,831 | ||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 6,102 | $ | 1,114 | $ | 2,372 | $ | (3,386 | ) | $ | 6,202 | |||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$ | 1,344 | $ | 10 | $ | 115 | $ | — | $ | 1,469 | ||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ | 312 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 1,076 | $ | 1,388 | ||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 13 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | ¾ | $ | 13 | ||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 2,380 | $ | 2,380 |
During the six months ended November
30, 2008 and November 25, 2007, sales to the Company’s top five customers
accounted for 46% and 49%, respectively, of revenues with the Company’s top
customer from the Food Products Technology segment, Costco Wholesale Corp.,
accounting for 19% for the each of the six months ended November 30, 2008 and
November 25, 2007. The Company expects that, for the foreseeable
future, a limited number of customers may continue to account for a significant
portion of its net revenues. The Company’s international sales are
primarily to Canada, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan.
-15-
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read
in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and
accompanying notes included in Part I--Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and the audited
consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
included in Landec’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May
25, 2008.
Except for the historical information
contained herein, the matters discussed in this report are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties
include, without limitation, those mentioned in this report and, in particular
the factors described below under “Additional Factors That May Affect Future
Results,” and those mentioned in Landec’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended May 25, 2008. Landec undertakes no obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or
circumstances that may arise after the date of this report.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
There
have been no material changes to the Company's critical accounting policies
which are included and described in the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May
25, 2008 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8,
2008.
The
Company
Landec Corporation and its subsidiaries
(“Landec” or the “Company”) design, develop, manufacture and sell
temperature-activated and other specialty polymer products for a variety of food
products, agricultural products, and licensed partner
applications. This proprietary polymer technology is the foundation,
and a key differentiating advantage, upon which Landec has built its
business.
Landec’s
core polymer products are based on its patented proprietary Intelimer polymers,
which differ from other polymers in that they can be customized to abruptly
change their physical characteristics when heated or cooled through a pre-set
temperature switch. For instance, Intelimer polymers can change
within the range of one or two degrees Celsius from a non-adhesive state to a
highly tacky, adhesive state; from an impermeable state to a highly permeable
state; or from a solid state to a viscous state. These abrupt changes
are repeatedly reversible and can be tailored by Landec to occur at specific
temperatures, thereby offering substantial competitive advantages in Landec’s
target markets.
Following the sale of Landec’s former
direct marketing and sales seed corn company, FCD, to Monsanto in fiscal year
2007, Landec now has three core businesses – Food Products Technology, Commodity
Trading and Technology Licensing (see note 11 of the unaudited financial
statements).
Our Food Products Technology business
is operated through a subsidiary, Apio, Inc., and combines our proprietary food
packaging technology with the capabilities of a large national food supplier and
value-added produce processor. Value-added processing incorporates
Landec's proprietary packaging technology with produce that is processed by
washing, and in some cases cutting and mixing, resulting in packaged produce to
achieve increased shelf life and reduced shrink (waste) and to eliminate the
need for ice during the distribution cycle.
This combination was consummated in 1999 when the Company acquired Apio, Inc.
and certain related entities (collectively, “Apio”).
Our Commodity Trading business is
operated through Apio and combines Apio’s export company, Cal Ex Trading Company
(“Cal-Ex”) with Apio’s domestic buy-sell commodity business that purchases and
sells whole fruit and vegetable products to Asia and domestically to
Wal-Mart.
-16-
Our Technology Licensing business
includes our proprietary Intellicoat seed coating technology which we have
licensed to Monsanto and our Intelimer polymer business that licenses and/or
supplies products outside of our Food Products Technology business to companies
such as Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (“Air Products”) and Nitta Corporation
(“Nitta”).
Landec was incorporated on October 31,
1986. We completed our initial public offering in 1996 and our Common
Stock is listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LNDC.” Our
principal executive offices are located at 3603 Haven Avenue, Menlo Park,
California 94025 and our telephone number is (650) 306-1650.
Description
of Core Business
Landec participates in three core
business segments– Food Products Technology, Commodity Trading and Technology
Licensing.
Food
Products Technology Business
The Company began marketing its
proprietary Intelimer-based BreatheWay® membranes in 1996 for use in the
fresh-cut produce packaging market, one of the fastest growing segments in the
produce industry. Landec’s proprietary BreatheWay packaging technology
when combined with fresh-cut or whole produce results in packaged produce with
increased shelf life and reduced shrink (waste) without the need for ice during
the distribution cycle. The resulting products are referred to as
“value-added” products. In 1999, the Company acquired Apio, its then
largest customer in the Food Products Technology business and one of the
nation’s leading marketers and packers of produce and specialty packaged
fresh-cut vegetables. Apio utilizes state-of-the-art fresh-cut
produce processing technology and year-round access to specialty packaged
produce products which Apio distributes to the top U.S. retail grocery chains,
major club stores and to the foodservice industry. The Company’s proprietary
BreatheWay packaging business has been combined with Apio into a subsidiary that
retains the Apio, Inc. name. This vertical integration within the
Food Products Technology business gives Landec direct access to the large and
growing fresh-cut and whole produce market. During the fiscal year
ended May 25, 2008, Apio shipped more than nineteen million cartons of produce
to leading supermarket retailers, wholesalers, foodservice suppliers and club
stores throughout the United States and internationally, primarily in
Asia.
There are
four major distinguishing characteristics of Apio that provide competitive
advantages in the Food Products Technology market:
|
·
|
Value-Added Supplier:
Apio has structured its business as a marketer and seller of fresh-cut and
whole value-added produce. It is focused on selling products
under its Eat Smart® brand and other brands for its fresh-cut and whole
value-added products. As retail grocery and club store chains
consolidate, Apio is well positioned as a single source of a broad range
of products.
|
|
·
|
Reduced Farming
Risks: Apio reduces its farming risk by not taking
ownership of farmland, and instead, contracts with growers for
produce. The year-round sourcing of produce is a key component
to the fresh-cut and whole value-added processing
business.
|
-17-
|
·
|
Lower Cost Structure:
Apio has strategically invested in the rapidly growing fresh-cut and whole
value-added business. Apio’s 96,000 square foot value-added
processing plant is automated with state-of-the-art vegetable processing
equipment. Virtually all of Apio’s value-added products utilize
Apio’s proprietary BreatheWay packaging technology. Apio’s
strategy is to operate one large central processing facility in one of
California’s largest, lowest cost growing regions (Santa Maria Valley) and
use packaging technology to allow for the nationwide delivery of fresh
produce products.
|
|
·
|
Expanded Product Line Using
Technology: Apio, through the use of its BreatheWay packaging technology, is
introducing on average fifteen new value-added products each
year. These new product offerings range from various sizes of
fresh-cut bagged products, to vegetable trays, to whole produce, to
vegetable salads and snack packs. During the last twelve
months, Apio has introduced 23 new
products.
|
Apio
established its Apio Packaging division of the Food Products Technology business
in 2005 to advance the sales of BreatheWay packaging technology for shelf-life
sensitive vegetables and fruit. The technology also includes unique
packaging solutions for produce in large packages including shipping and
pallet-sized containers.
Apio
Packaging’s first program has concentrated on bananas and was formally
consummated when Apio entered into an agreement to supply Chiquita Brands
International, Inc. (“Chiquita”) with its proprietary banana packaging
technology on a worldwide basis for the ripening, conservation and shelf-life
extension of bananas for most applications on an exclusive basis and for other
applications on a non-exclusive basis. In addition, Apio provides
Chiquita with ongoing research and development and process technology support
for the BreatheWay membranes and bags, and technical service support throughout
the customer chain in order to assist in the development and market acceptance
of the technology.
For its
part, Chiquita provides marketing, distribution and retail sales support for
Chiquita® bananas sold worldwide in BreatheWay packaging. To maintain
the exclusive license, Chiquita must meet quarterly minimum purchase thresholds
of BreatheWay banana packages.
The
initial market focus for the BreatheWay banana packaging technology using
Chiquita bananas has been commercial outlets that normally do not sell bananas
because of their short shelf-life – outlets such as quick serve restaurants,
convenience stores and coffee chain outlets. Chiquita is currently
developing packaging designs for bananas packaged with Landec’s BreatheWay
technology for sale in quick serve restaurants and retail grocery
chains.
During
fiscal year 2008, the Company expanded the use of its BreatheWay technology to
avocados under an expanded licensing agreement with
Chiquita. Commercial sales of avocados into the food service industry
began in the fall of 2008 and retail grocery store trials recently
began.
In May
2007, Apio entered into an 18-month research and development agreement with
Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center, a branch of the
U.S. Military, to develop commercial uses for Landec’s BreatheWay packaging
technology within the U.S. Military by significantly increasing the shelf life
of produce for overseas shipments.
In June
2008, Apio entered into a collaboration agreement with Seminis Vegetable Seeds,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monsanto, to develop novel broccoli and
cauliflower products for the exclusive sale by Apio in the North American
market. These novel products will be packaged in Landec’s proprietary
BreatheWay packaging and will be sold to retail grocery chains, club stores and
the food service industry. Field trials for the initial target
varieties began in the fall of 2008.
In
addition, the Company has commercialized new lines of fresh cut vegetable side
dishes, vegetable salads and vegetable snacks.
Commodity
Trading Business
Commodity
Trading revenues consist of revenues generated from the purchase and sale of
primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asia through Apio’s
export company, Cal-Ex and from the purchase and sale of whole commodity fruit
and vegetable products domestically to Wal-Mart. The Commodity
Trading business is a buy/sell business that realizes a commission-based margin
on average in the 5-6% range.
-18-
Technology
Licensing Businesses
The
Technology and Market Opportunity: Intellicoat Seed Coatings
Following
the sale of FCD, our strategy has been to work closely with Monsanto to further
develop our patented, functional polymer coating technology that can be broadly
sold and/or licensed to the seed industry. In accordance with our
license, supply and R&D agreement with Monsanto, we are currently focused on
commercializing products for the seed corn market and then plan to broaden the
technology to other seed crop applications.
Landec's
Intellicoat seed coating applications are designed to control seed germination
timing, increase crop yields, reduce risks and extend crop-planting windows.
These coatings are currently available on hybrid corn, soybeans and male inbred
corn used for seed production. In fiscal year 2000, Landec Ag
launched its first commercial product, Pollinator Plusâ coatings, which is a
coating application used by seed companies as a method for spreading pollination
to increase yields and reduce risk in the production of hybrid seed
corn. There are approximately 650,000 acres of seed production in the
United States and in 2008 Pollinator Plus was used by 25 seed companies on
approximately 17% of the seed corn production acres in the U.S.
In 2003,
Landec commercialized Early Plantâ corn by selling the
product directly to farmers through the Fielder's Choice Directâ brand. This application
allows farmers to plant into cold soils without the risk of chilling injury, and
enables farmers to plant as much as four weeks earlier than normal. With this
capability, farmers are able to utilize labor and equipment more efficiently,
provide flexibility during the critical planting period and avoid yield losses
caused by late planting. In 2008, five seed companies offered
Intellicoat on their hybrid seed corn offerings.
Monsanto
has formed a new business called the Seed Treatment Business which will allow
Monsanto to develop its seed treatment requirements internally. The
concept of seed treatments is to place an insecticide or fungicide directly onto
the seed surface in order to protect the seed and the seedling as it
emerges. Landec’s Intellicoat seed coating technology could be an
integral and proprietary part of Monsanto’s commitment to building a major
position in seed treatments worldwide by using Landec’s seed coatings as a
“carrier” of insecticides/fungicides which can be dispensed at the appropriate
time based on time or soil temperature.
The
Technology and Market Opportunity: Intelimer Polymer Applications
We
believe our technology has commercial potential in a wide range of industrial,
consumer and medical applications beyond those identified in our core
businesses. For example, our core patented technology, Intelimer
materials, can be used to trigger catalysts, insecticides or fragrances just by
changing the temperature of the Intelimer materials or to activate adhesives
through controlled temperature change. In order to exploit these
opportunities, we have entered into and will enter into licensing and
collaborative corporate agreements for product development and/or distribution
in certain fields. However, given the infrequency and
unpredictability of when the Company may enter into any such licensing and
research and development arrangements, the Company is unable to disclose its
financial expectations in advance of entering into such
arrangements.
Industrial
Materials and Adhesives
Landec’s
industrial product development strategy is to focus on coatings, catalysts,
resins, additives and adhesives in the polymer materials
market. During the product development stage, the Company identifies
corporate partners to support the ongoing development and testing of these
products, with the ultimate goal of licensing the applications at the
appropriate time.
Intelimer
Polymer Systems
Landec
has developed latent catalysts useful in extending pot-life, extending shelf
life, reducing waste and improving thermoset cure methods. Some of
these latent catalysts are currently being distributed by Akzo-Nobel Chemicals
B.V. through a licensing agreement with Air Products. The Company has
also developed Intelimer polymer materials useful in enhancing the formulating
options for various personal care products. The rights to develop and
sell Landec’s latent catalysts and personal care technologies were licensed to
Air Products in March 2006.
-19-
Personal
Care and Cosmetic Applications
Landec’s
personal care and cosmetic applications strategy is focused on supplying
Intelimer materials to industry leaders for use in lotions and creams, and
potentially color cosmetics, lipsticks and hair care. The Company's
partner, Air Products, is currently shipping products to L’Oreal for use in
lotions and creams.
Medical
Applications
On December 23, 2005, Landec entered
into a licensing agreement with Aesthetic Sciences Corporation (“Aesthetic
Sciences”) for the exclusive rights to use Landec's Intelimer materials
technology for the development of dermal fillers worldwide. In
exchange for the exclusive right to use Landec’s Intelimer technology, the
Company received shares of preferred stock valued at $1.8 million which as of
November 30, 2008 represented a 16.4% ownership interest in Aesthetic
Sciences. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the ultimate
outcome of the collaboration with Aesthetic Sciences and the timing or amount of
future revenues, if any.
Results
of Operations
Revenues (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 11/30/08
|
Three months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
Six months
ended 11/30/08
|
Six months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$ | 37,314 | $ | 39,264 | (5 | )% | $ | 80,316 | $ | 78,658 | 2 | % | ||||||||||||
Apio
Packaging
|
657 | 177 | 271 | % | 1,469 | 330 | 345 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Technology
Subtotal
|
37,971 | 39,441 | (4 | )% | 81,785 | 78,988 | 4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Apio
Trading
|
18,355 | 17,855 | 3 | % | 44,651 | 39,306 | 14 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
Apio
|
56,326 | 57,296 | (2 | )% | 126,436 | 118,294 | 7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,712 | 1,665 | 3 | % | 3,354 | 3,326 | 1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
Revenues
|
$ | 58,038 | $ | 58,961 | (2 | )% | $ | 129,790 | $ | 121,620 | 7 | % |
Apio
Value Added
Apio’s
value-added revenues consist of revenues generated from the sale of specialty
packaged fresh-cut and whole value-added processed vegetable products that are
washed and packaged in our proprietary packaging and sold under Apio’s Eat Smart
brand and various private labels. In addition, value-added revenues
include the revenues generated from Apio Cooling, LP, a vegetable cooling
operation in which Apio is the general partner with a 60% ownership
position.
The
decrease in Apio’s value-added revenues for the three months ended November 30,
2008 compared to the same period last year was primarily due to a decrease in
value-added unit sales volumes of 7%. The increase in value-added revenues for
the six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year was
primarily due to an increase in value-added unit sales volumes of
1%.
Apio
Packaging
Apio
packaging revenues consist of Apio’s packaging technology business using its
BreatheWay membrane technology. The first commercial
application included in Apio packaging is our banana packaging
technology.
The
increase in Apio packaging revenues for the three and six months ended November
30, 2008 compared to the same periods last year was primarily due to the timing
of contractual minimum payments from Chiquita as a result of amending the
Chiquita license agreement.
Apio
Trading
Apio
trading revenues consist of revenues generated from the purchase and sale of
primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asia through Apio’s
export company, Cal-Ex, and from the purchase and sale of whole commodity fruit
and vegetable products domestically to Wal-Mart. The export portion
of trading revenues for the three and six months ended November 30, 2008 was
$17.9 million and $39.6 million, or 98% and 89%, respectively, of total trading
revenues.
-20-
The
increase in revenues in Apio’s trading business for the three months ended
November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year was primarily due to
higher per unit sales prices resulting from product mix changes on flat unit
sales volumes. The increase in revenues in Apio’s trading business
for the six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year
was due to a 6% increase in trading business sales volumes coupled with higher
per unit sales prices due to product mix changes.
Technology
Licensing
Technology
licensing revenues consist of revenues generated from the licensing agreements
with Monsanto, Air Products and Nitta.
The
increase in Technology Licensing revenues for the three and six months ended
November 30, 2008 compared to the same periods of the prior year was not
significant to consolidated Landec revenues.
Gross Profit (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 11/30/08
|
Three months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
Six months
ended 11/30/08
|
Six months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$ | 4,084 | $ | 6,029 | (32 | )% | $ | 10,665 | $ | 12,132 | (12 | )% | ||||||||||||
Apio
Packaging
|
623 | 146 | 327 | % | 1,326 | 265 | 400 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Technology
Subtotal
|
4,707 | 6,175 | (24 | )% | 11,991 | 12,397 | (3 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Apio
Trading
|
1,138 | 1,017 | 12 | % | 2,335 | 2,108 | 11 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
Apio
|
5,845 | 7,192 | (19 | )% | 14,326 | 14,505 | (1 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,712 | 1,665 | 3 | % | 3,354 | 3,326 | 1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
Gross Profit
|
$ | 7,557 | $ | 8,857 | (15 | )% | $ | 17,680 | $ | 17,831 | (1 | )% |
General
There are numerous factors that can
influence gross profit including product mix, customer mix, manufacturing costs,
volume, sale discounts and charges for excess or obsolete inventory, to name a
few. Many of these factors influence or are interrelated with other
factors. Therefore, it is difficult to precisely quantify the impact
of each item individually. The Company includes in cost of sales all
the costs related to the sale of products in accordance with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles. These costs include the following:
raw materials (including produce, seeds and packaging), direct labor, overhead
(including indirect labor, depreciation, and facility related costs) and
shipping and shipping related costs. The following discussion
surrounding gross profit includes management’s best estimates of the reasons for
the changes for the three and six months ended November 30, 2008, compared to
the same periods last year as outlined in the table above.
Apio Value-Added
The decrease in gross profit for Apio’s
value-added specialty packaging vegetable business for the three months ended
November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year was primarily due the 5%
decrease in revenues coupled with increased costs for raw materials and greater
overhead absorption per unit due to lower sales volumes. The gross
margin for Apio’s value-added business for the second quarter of fiscal year
2009 was 11% compared to a gross margin of 15% during the second quarter of last
year. The decrease in gross profit for Apio’s value-added specialty
packaged vegetable business for the six months ended November 30, 2008 compared
to the same period last year was primarily due to increased costs for raw
materials and greater overhead absorption per unit due to lower sales
volumes. The gross margin for Apio’s value-added business for the
first six months of fiscal year 2009 was 13% compared to a gross margin of 15%
during the first six months of fiscal year 2008.
-21-
Apio Packaging
The increase in gross profit for Apio
Packaging for the three and six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the
same periods last year was primarily due to the timing of contractual minimum
payments from Chiquita as a result of amending the Chiquita license
agreement.
Apio Trading
Apio’s trading business is a buy/sell
business that realizes a commission-based margin in the 4-6%
range. The increase in Apio trading gross profit for the three months
ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year was due to an
increase in revenues coupled with a shift during the quarter to higher margin
vegetable export products from lower margin fruit export products during the
second quarter of fiscal year 2008 primarily due to a higher quantity of
vegetable products available for export during the second quarter of this year
compared to the same period last year. The increase in Apio trading
gross profit during the six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same
period last year was primarily due to increased trading revenues of
14%. The increase in revenues during the first six months of fiscal
year 2009 was greater than the increase in gross profit because the revenues
from domestic commodity sales, which is a 2% margin business, increased 82%
whereas revenues from the higher margin export business increased
8%.
Technology
Licensing
The
decrease in Technology Licensing gross profit for the three and six months ended
November 30, 2008 compared to the same period of the prior year was not
significant to consolidated Landec gross profit.
Operating Expenses (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 11/30/08
|
Three months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
Six months
ended 11/30/08
|
Six months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Research
and Development:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Apio
|
$ | 322 | $ | 286 | 13 | % | $ | 673 | $ | 656 | 3 | % | ||||||||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
545 | 502 | 9 | % | 1,083 | 954 | 14 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
R&D
|
$ | 867 | $ | 788 | 10 | % | $ | 1,756 | $ | 1,610 | 9 | % | ||||||||||||
Selling,
General and Administrative:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Apio
|
$ | 3,136 | $ | 3,340 | (6 | )% | $ | 6,636 | $ | 6,701 | (1 | )% | ||||||||||||
Corporate
|
1,313 | 899 | 46 | % | 2,489 | 2,084 | 19 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Total
S,G&A
|
$ | 4,449 | $ | 4,239 | 5 | % | $ | 9,125 | $ | 8,785 | 4 | % |
Research and Development
Landec’s research and development
expenses consist primarily of expenses involved in the development and process
scale-up initiatives. Research and development efforts at Apio are
focused on the Company’s proprietary BreatheWay membranes used for packaging
produce, with recent focus on extending the shelf life of bananas and other
shelf-life sensitive vegetables and fruit. In the Technology
Licensing business, the research and development efforts are focused on uses for
our proprietary Intelimer polymers outside of food.
The increase in research and
development expenses for the three months and six months ended November 30, 2008
compared to the same periods last year was not significant.
Selling, General and
Administrative
Selling, general and administrative
expenses consist primarily of sales and marketing expenses associated with
Landec’s product sales and services, business development expenses and staff and
administrative expenses.
-22-
The increase
in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three and six months
ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same periods last year was primarily due
to increased audit, tax and legal fees at Corporate.
Other (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 11/30/08
|
Three months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
Six months
ended 11/30/08
|
Six months
ended 11/25/07
|
Change
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Interest
Income
|
$ | 455 | $ | 607 | (25 | )% | $ | 812 | $ | 1,388 | (41 | )% | ||||||||||||
Interest
Expense
|
$ | (3 | ) | $ | (5 | ) | (40 | )% | $ | (4 | ) | $ | (13 | ) | (69 | )% | ||||||||
Minority
Int. Exp.
|
$ | (132 | ) | $ | (109 | ) | 21 | % | $ | (296 | ) | $ | (229 | ) | 29 | % | ||||||||
Income
Taxes
|
$ | (1,063 | ) | $ | (1,198 | ) | (11 | )% | $ | (2,974 | ) | $ | (2,380 | ) | 25 | % |
Interest Income
The decrease in interest income for the
three and six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same periods last
year was primarily due to lower yields on investments, driven by both declines
in interest rates and a shift in our investment portfolio to more conservative
investments.
Interest Expense
The decrease in interest expense during
the three and six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same periods
last year was not significant.
Minority Interest Expense
The minority interest expense consists
of the minority interest associated with the limited partners’ equity interest
in the net income of Apio Cooling, LP.
The increase in the minority interest
for the three and six months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same
periods last year was not significant.
Income Taxes
The decrease in the income tax expense
for the three months ended November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last
year was due to a 41% decrease in pre-tax net income partially offset by the
fact that the effective tax rate for the three months ended November 30, 2008
was 41% compared to an effective tax rate of 27.7% for the same period last
year. The increase in the income tax expense for the six months ended
November 30, 2008 compared to the same period last year is due to the Company
utilizing all of its net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits during
fiscal year 2008 for book income tax expense purposes which resulted in the
estimated effective tax rate for fiscal year 2009 for federal and state income
tax increasing to 41% from 27.7% last year, partially offset by a 15% decrease
in pre-tax net income.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of November 30, 2008, the Company
had cash and cash equivalents of $42.3 million, a net decrease of $2.1 million
from $44.4 million at May 25, 2008.
Cash Flow from Operating
Activities
Landec generated $3.3 million of cash
flow from operating activities during the six months ended November 30, 2008
compared to generating $2.1 million from operating activities for the six months
ended November 25, 2007. The primary sources of cash from operating
activities during the six months ended November 30, 2008 were from generating
$4.3 million of net income and from non-cash related expenses of $3.0 million
from depreciation, stock based compensation and changes in deferred
taxes. The primary uses of cash from operating activities during the
six months ended November 30, 2008 were from the recognition of revenues for
which the cash had previously been received (the reduction of deferred revenue)
and from cash advances to farmers for future crops.
-23-
Cash Flow from Investing
Activities
Net cash used in investing activities
for the six months ended November 30, 2008 was $6.5 million compared to $1.4
million for the same period last year. The primary uses of cash from
investing activities during the first six months of fiscal year 2009 were for
the purchase of $2.4 million of property and equipment primarily for the further
expansion and automation of Apio’s value-added facility and from the net
purchase of $4.2 million of marketable securities.
Cash Flow from Financing
Activities
Net cash provided by financing
activities for the six months ended November 30, 2008 was $1.2 million compared
to the use of $18.2 million for the same period last year. The
primary source of cash from financing activities during the first six months of
fiscal year 2009 was from the tax benefit from stock-based compensation of $1.5
million.
Capital Expenditures
During the six months ended November
30, 2008, Landec purchased vegetable processing equipment to support the further
expansion and automation of Apio’s value added processing
facility. These expenditures represented the majority of the $2.4
million of capital expenditures.
Debt
Apio has
a $7.0 million revolving line of credit with Wells Fargo Bank
N.A. Outstanding amounts under the line of credit bear interest at
the LIBOR adjustable rate plus 1.50%. The revolving line of
credit with Wells Fargo (collectively, the “Loan Agreement”) contains
certain restrictive covenants, which require Apio to meet certain financial
tests, including minimum levels of net income, maximum leverage ratio, minimum
net worth and maximum capital expenditures. Landec has pledged
substantially all of the assets of Apio to secure the lines with Wells
Fargo. At November 30, 2008, no amounts were outstanding under the
revolving line of credit. Apio was in compliance with all loan
covenants during the six months ended November 30, 2008.
Landec is not a party to any agreements
with, or commitments to, any special purpose entities that would constitute
material off-balance sheet financing other than the operating lease commitments
listed above.
Landec’s future capital requirements
will depend on numerous factors, including the progress of its research and
development programs; the continued development of marketing, sales and
distribution capabilities; the ability of Landec to establish and maintain new
collaborative and licensing arrangements; any decision to pursue additional
acquisition opportunities; weather conditions that can affect the supply and
price of produce, the timing and amount, if any, of payments received under
licensing and research and development agreements; the costs involved in
preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing intellectual property
rights; the ability to comply with regulatory requirements; the emergence of
competitive technology and market forces; the effectiveness of product
commercialization activities and arrangements; and other factors. If
Landec’s currently available funds, together with the internally generated cash
flow from operations are not sufficient to satisfy its capital needs, Landec
would be required to seek additional funding through other arrangements with
collaborative partners, additional bank borrowings and public or private sales
of its securities. There can be no assurance that additional funds,
if required, will be available to Landec on favorable terms if at
all.
Landec believes that its debt
facilities, cash from operations, along with existing cash, cash equivalents and
existing borrowing capacities will be sufficient to finance its operational and
capital requirements for at least the next twelve months.
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative
Disclosures about Market Risk
None.
-24-
Item
4. Controls and
Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our
management evaluated, with participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our
Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our
Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed
in reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and
reported within the time periods specified by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information
required to be disclosed by the Company in such reports is accumulated and
communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding
required disclosure.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal
controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended November 30, 2008
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect,
our internal controls over financial reporting.
-25-
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
The
Company is involved in litigation arising in the normal course of
business. The Company is currently not a party to any legal
proceedings which management believes could result in the payment of any amounts
that would be material to the business or financial condition of the
Company.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
The risk
factors set forth below include any material changes to, and supersede the
description of, the risk factors disclosed in Item 1A of the Company's
Form 10-K for the year ended May 25, 2008.
Our
Future Operating Results Are Likely to Fluctuate Which May Cause Our Stock Price
to Decline
In the past, our results of operations
have fluctuated significantly from quarter to quarter and are expected to
continue to fluctuate in the future. Historically, Landec Ag has been
the primary source of these fluctuations, as its revenues and profits were
concentrated over a few months during the spring planting season (generally
during our third and fourth fiscal quarters). In addition, Apio can
be heavily affected by seasonal and weather factors which have impacted
quarterly results, such as the high cost of sourcing product in June/July 2006
and January 2007 due to a shortage of essential value-added produce
items. Our earnings may also fluctuate based on our ability to
collect accounts receivables from customers and note receivables from growers
and on price fluctuations in the fresh vegetables and fruits
markets. Other factors that affect our food and/or agricultural
operations include:
|
·
|
the
seasonality of our supplies;
|
|
·
|
our
ability to process produce during critical harvest
periods;
|
|
·
|
the
timing and effects of ripening;
|
|
·
|
the
degree of perishability;
|
|
·
|
the
effectiveness of worldwide distribution
systems;
|
|
·
|
total
worldwide industry volumes;
|
|
·
|
the
seasonality of consumer demand;
|
|
·
|
foreign
currency fluctuations; and
|
|
·
|
foreign
importation restrictions and foreign political
risks.
|
As a result of these and other factors,
we expect to continue to experience fluctuations in quarterly operating
results.
We
May Not Be Able to Achieve Acceptance of Our New Products in the
Marketplace
Our success in generating significant
sales of our products will depend in part on the ability of us and our partners
and licensees to achieve market acceptance of our new products and
technology. The extent to which, and rate at which, we achieve market
acceptance and penetration of our current and future products is a function of
many variables including, but not limited to:
|
·
|
price;
|
|
·
|
safety;
|
|
·
|
efficacy;
|
|
·
|
reliability;
|
|
·
|
conversion
costs;
|
-26-
|
·
|
marketing
and sales efforts; and
|
|
·
|
general
economic conditions affecting purchasing
patterns.
|
We may not be able to develop and
introduce new products and technologies in a timely manner or new products and
technologies may not gain market acceptance. We are in the early
stage of product commercialization of certain Intelimer-based specialty
packaging, Intellicoat seed coatings and other Intelimer polymer products and
many of our potential products are in development. We believe that
our future growth will depend in large part on our ability to develop and market
new products in our target markets and in new markets. In particular,
we expect that our ability to compete effectively with existing food products,
agricultural, industrial and medical companies will depend substantially on
successfully developing, commercializing, achieving market acceptance of and
reducing the cost of producing our products. In addition, commercial
applications of our temperature switch polymer technology are relatively new and
evolving. Our failure to develop new products or the failure of our
new products to achieve market acceptance would have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
Face Strong Competition in the Marketplace
Competitors may succeed in developing
alternative technologies and products that are more effective, easier to use or
less expensive than those which have been or are being developed by us or that
would render our technology and products obsolete and
non-competitive. We operate in highly competitive and rapidly
evolving fields, and new developments are expected to continue at a rapid
pace. Competition from large food products, agricultural, industrial
and medical companies is expected to be intense. In addition, the
nature of our collaborative arrangements may result in our corporate partners
and licensees becoming our competitors. Many of these competitors
have substantially greater financial and technical resources and production and
marketing capabilities than we do, and may have substantially greater experience
in conducting clinical and field trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and
manufacturing and marketing commercial products.
We
Have a Concentration of Manufacturing in One Location for Apio and May Have to
Depend on Third Parties to Manufacture Our Products
Any disruptions in our primary
manufacturing operation at Apio’s facility in Guadalupe, California would reduce
our ability to sell our products and would have a material adverse effect on our
financial results. Additionally, we may need to consider seeking
collaborative arrangements with other companies to manufacture our
products. If we become dependent upon third parties for the
manufacture of our products, our profit margins and our ability to develop and
deliver those products on a timely basis may be affected. Failures by
third parties may impair our ability to deliver products on a timely basis and
impair our competitive position. We may not be able to continue to
successfully operate our manufacturing operations at acceptable costs, with
acceptable yields, and retain adequately trained personnel.
Our
Dependence on Single-Source Suppliers and Service Providers May Cause Disruption
in Our Operations Should Any Supplier Fail to Deliver Materials
We may experience difficulty acquiring
materials or services for the manufacture of our products or we may not be able
to obtain substitute vendors. We may not be able to procure
comparable materials at similar prices and terms within a reasonable
time. Several services that are provided to Apio are obtained
from a single provider. Several of the raw materials we use to
manufacture our products are currently purchased from a single source, including
some monomers used to synthesize Intelimer polymers and substrate materials for
our breathable membrane products. Any interruption of our
relationship with single-source suppliers or service providers could delay
product shipments and materially harm our business.
We
May Be Unable to Adequately Protect Our Intellectual Property
Rights
We may receive notices from third
parties, including some of our competitors, claiming infringement by our
products of patent and other proprietary rights. Regardless of their
merit, responding to any such claim could be time-consuming, result in costly
litigation and require us to enter royalty and licensing agreements which may
not be offered or available on terms acceptable to us. If a
successful claim is made against us and we fail to develop or license a
substitute technology, we could be required to alter our products or processes
and our business, results of operations or financial position could be
materially adversely affected. Our success depends in large part on
our ability to obtain patents, maintain trade secret protection and operate
without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties. Any
pending patent applications we file may not be approved and we may not be able
to develop additional proprietary products that are patentable. Any
patents issued to us may not provide us with competitive advantages or may be
challenged by third parties. Patents held by others may prevent the
commercialization of products incorporating our
technology. Furthermore, others may independently develop similar
products, duplicate our products or design around our patents.
-27-
Our
Operations Are Subject to Regulations that Directly Impact Our
Business
Our food packaging products are subject
to regulation under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FDC
Act”). Under the FDC Act, any substance that when used as intended
may reasonably be expected to become, directly or indirectly, a component or
otherwise affect the characteristics of any food may be regulated as a food
additive unless the substance is generally recognized as safe. We
believe that food packaging materials are generally not considered food
additives by the FDA because these products are not expected to become
components of food under their expected conditions of use. We
consider our breathable membrane product to be a food packaging material not
subject to regulation or approval by the FDA. We have not received
any communication from the FDA concerning our breathable membrane
product. If the FDA were to determine that our breathable membrane
products are food additives, we may be required to submit a food additive
petition for approval by the FDA. The food additive petition process
is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. A determination by the FDA that
a food additive petition is necessary would have a material adverse effect on
our business, operating results and financial condition.
Federal, state and local regulations
impose various environmental controls on the use, storage, discharge or disposal
of toxic, volatile or otherwise hazardous chemicals and gases used in some of
the manufacturing processes. Our failure to control the use of, or to
restrict adequately the discharge of, hazardous substances under present or
future regulations could subject us to substantial liability or could cause our
manufacturing operations to be suspended and changes in environmental
regulations may impose the need for additional capital equipment or other
requirements.
Our agricultural operations are subject
to a variety of environmental laws including, the Food Quality Protection Act of
1966, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act. Compliance with these laws and related regulations is an ongoing
process. Environmental concerns are, however, inherent in most
agricultural operations, including those we conduct. Moreover, it is
possible that future developments, such as increasingly strict environmental
laws and enforcement policies could result in increased compliance
costs.
The Company is subject to the
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) law. PACA regulates
fair trade standards in the fresh produce industry and governs all the products
sold by Apio. Our failure to comply with the PACA requirements could
among other things, result in civil penalties, suspension or revocation of a
license to sell produce, and in the most egregious cases, criminal prosecution,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Adverse
Weather Conditions and Other Acts of God May Cause Substantial Decreases in Our
Sales and/or Increases in Our Costs
Our Food Products business is subject
to weather conditions that affect commodity prices, crop yields, and decisions
by growers regarding crops to be planted. Crop diseases and severe
conditions, particularly weather conditions such as floods, droughts, frosts,
windstorms, earthquakes and hurricanes, may adversely affect the supply of
vegetables and fruits used in our business, which could reduce the sales volumes
and/or increase the unit production costs. Because a significant portion of the
costs are fixed and contracted in advance of each operating year, volume
declines due to production interruptions or other factors could result in
increases in unit production costs which could result in substantial losses and
weaken our financial condition.
-28-
We
Depend on Strategic Partners and Licenses for Future Development
Our strategy for development, clinical
and field testing, manufacture, commercialization and marketing for some of our
current and future products includes entering into various collaborations with
corporate partners, licensees and others. We are dependent on our corporate
partners to develop, test, manufacture and/or market some of our
products. Although we believe that our partners in these
collaborations have an economic motivation to succeed in performing their
contractual responsibilities, the amount and timing of resources to be devoted
to these activities are not within our control. Our partners may not
perform their obligations as expected or we may not derive any additional
revenue from the arrangements. Our partners may not pay any
additional option or license fees to us or may not develop, market or pay any
royalty fees related to products under the agreements. Moreover, some
of the collaborative agreements provide that they may be terminated at the
discretion of the corporate partner, and some of the collaborative agreements
provide for termination under other circumstances. Our partners may pursue
existing or alternative technologies in preference to our
technology. Furthermore, we may not be able to negotiate additional
collaborative arrangements in the future on acceptable terms, if at all, and our
collaborative arrangements may not be successful.
Both
Domestic and Foreign Government Regulations Can Have an Adverse Effect on Our
Business Operations
Our products and operations are subject
to governmental regulation in the United States and foreign
countries. The manufacture of our products is subject to periodic
inspection by regulatory authorities. We may not be able to obtain
necessary regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all. Delays in
receipt of or failure to receive approvals or loss of previously received
approvals would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations. Although we have no reason to
believe that we will not be able to comply with all applicable regulations
regarding the manufacture and sale of our products and polymer materials,
regulations are always subject to change and depend heavily on administrative
interpretations and the country in which the products are
sold. Future changes in regulations or interpretations relating to
matters such as safe working conditions, laboratory and manufacturing practices,
environmental controls, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous
substances may adversely affect our business.
We are subject to USDA rules and
regulations concerning the safety of the food products handled and sold by Apio,
and the facilities in which they are packed and processed. Failure to
comply with the applicable regulatory requirements can, among other things,
result in:
|
·
|
fines,
injunctions, civil penalties, and
suspensions,
|
|
·
|
withdrawal
of regulatory approvals,
|
|
·
|
product
recalls and product seizures, including cessation of manufacturing and
sales,
|
|
·
|
operating
restrictions, and
|
|
·
|
criminal
prosecution.
|
We may be required to incur significant
costs to comply with the laws and regulations in the future which may have a
material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition.
Our
International Operations and Sales May Expose Our Business to Additional
Risks
For the six months ended November 30,
2008, approximately 36% of our total revenues were derived from product sales to
international customers. A number of risks are inherent in international
transactions. International sales and operations may be limited or
disrupted by any of the following:
|
·
|
regulatory
approval process,
|
|
·
|
government
controls,
|
|
·
|
export
license requirements,
|
|
·
|
political
instability,
|
|
·
|
price
controls,
|
|
·
|
trade
restrictions,
|
|
·
|
changes
in tariffs, or
|
|
·
|
difficulties
in staffing and managing international
operations.
|
-29-
Foreign regulatory agencies have or may
establish product standards different from those in the United States, and any
inability to obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis could have a
material adverse effect on our international business, and our financial
condition and results of operations. While our foreign sales are
currently priced in dollars, fluctuations in currency exchange rates may reduce
the demand for our products by increasing the price of our products in the
currency of the countries to which the products are sold. Regulatory,
geopolitical and other factors may adversely impact our operations in the future
or require us to modify our current business practices.
Cancellations
or Delays of Orders by Our Customers May Adversely Affect Our
Business
During six months ended November 30,
2008, sales to our top five customers accounted for approximately 46% of our
revenues, with our largest customer, Costco Wholesale Corporation, accounting
for approximately 19% of our revenues. We expect that, for the
foreseeable future, a limited number of customers may continue to account for a
substantial portion of our net revenues. We may experience changes in
the composition of our customer base as we have experienced in the past. We do
not have long-term purchase agreements with any of our customers. The
reduction, delay or cancellation of orders from one or more major customers for
any reason or the loss of one or more of our major customers could materially
and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial
condition. In addition, since some of the products processed by Apio
at its Guadalupe, California facility are sole sourced to its customers, our
operating results could be adversely affected if one or more of our major
customers were to develop other sources of supply. Our current
customers may not continue to place orders, orders by existing customers may be
canceled or may not continue at the levels of previous periods or we may not be
able to obtain orders from new customers.
Our
Sale of Some Products May Increase Our Exposure to Product Liability
Claims
The testing, manufacturing, marketing,
and sale of the products we develop involve an inherent risk of allegations of
product liability. If any of our products were determined or alleged
to be contaminated or defective or to have caused a harmful accident to an
end-customer, we could incur substantial costs in responding to complaints or
litigation regarding our products and our product brand image could be
materially damaged. Either event may have a material adverse effect
on our business, operating results and financial condition. Although
we have taken and intend to continue to take what we believe are appropriate
precautions to minimize exposure to product liability claims, we may not be able
to avoid significant liability. We currently maintain product
liability insurance. While we believe the coverage and limits are
consistent with industry standards, our coverage may not be adequate or may not
continue to be available at an acceptable cost, if at all. A product
liability claim, product recall or other claim with respect to uninsured
liabilities or in excess of insured liabilities could have a material adverse
effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our
Stock Price May Fluctuate in Accordance with Market Conditions
The following events may cause the
market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly:
|
·
|
technological
innovations applicable to our
products,
|
|
·
|
our
attainment of (or failure to attain) milestones in the commercialization
of our technology,
|
|
·
|
our
development of new products or the development of new products by our
competitors,
|
|
·
|
new
patents or changes in existing patents applicable to our
products,
|
|
·
|
our
acquisition of new businesses or the sale or disposal of a part of our
businesses,
|
|
·
|
development
of new collaborative arrangements by us, our competitors or other
parties,
|
|
·
|
changes
in government regulations applicable to our
business,
|
|
·
|
changes
in investor perception of our
business,
|
|
·
|
fluctuations
in our operating results and
|
|
·
|
changes
in the general market conditions in our
industry.
|
These
broad fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common
stock.
-30-
Our
Controlling Stockholders Exert Significant Influence over Corporate Events that
May Conflict with the Interests of Other Stockholders
Our executive officers and directors
and their affiliates own or control approximately 12% of our common stock
(including options exercisable within 60 days). Accordingly, these
officers, directors and stockholders may have the ability to exert significant
influence over the election of our Board of Directors, the approval of
amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the approval of
mergers or other business combination transactions requiring stockholder
approval. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of
delaying or preventing a merger or other business combination transaction, even
if the transaction or amendments would be beneficial to our other
stockholders. In addition, our controlling stockholders may approve
amendments to our certificate of incorporation or bylaws to implement
anti-takeover or management friendly provisions that may not be beneficial to
our other stockholders.
We
May Be Exposed to Employment Related Claims and Costs that Could Materially
Adversely Affect Our Business
We have been subject in the past, and
may be in the future, to claims by employees based on allegations of
discrimination, negligence, harassment and inadvertent employment of illegal
aliens or unlicensed personnel, and we may be subject to payment of workers'
compensation claims and other similar claims. We could incur
substantial costs and our management could spend a significant amount of time
responding to such complaints or litigation regarding employee claims, which may
have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition.
We
Are Dependent on Our Key Employees and if One or More of Them Were to Leave, We
Could Experience Difficulties in Replacing Them and Our Operating Results Could
Suffer
The success of our business depends to
a significant extent upon the continued service and performance of a relatively
small number of key senior management, technical, sales, and marketing
personnel. The loss of any of our key personnel would likely harm our
business. In addition, competition for senior level personnel with
knowledge and experience in our different lines of business is
intense. If any of our key personnel were to leave, we would need to
devote substantial resources and management attention to replace them. As a
result, management attention may be diverted from managing our business, and we
may need to pay higher compensation to replace these employees.
We
May Issue Preferred Stock with Preferential Rights that Could Affect Your
Rights
Our Board of Directors has the
authority, without further approval of our stockholders, to fix the rights and
preferences, and to issue shares, of preferred stock. In November
1999, we issued and sold shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and in
October 2001 we issued and sold shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.
The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock was converted into 1,666,670 shares of
Common Stock in November 2002 and the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock was
converted into 1,744,102 shares of Common Stock in
May 2004.
The
issuance of new shares of preferred stock could have the effect of making it
more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding stock,
and the holders of such preferred stock could have voting, dividend, liquidation
and other rights superior to those of holders of our Common Stock.
We
Have Never Paid any Dividends on Our Common Stock
We have
not paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock since inception and do not
expect to do so in the foreseeable future. Any dividends may be
subject to preferential dividends payable on any preferred stock we may
issue.
Our
Profitability Could Be Materially and Adversely Affected if it Is Determined
that the Book Value of Goodwill is Higher than Fair Value
Our balance sheet includes an amount
designated as “goodwill” that represents a portion of our assets and our
stockholders’ equity. Goodwill arises when an acquirer pays more for
a business than the fair value of the tangible and separately measurable
intangible net assets. Under Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 142 “Goodwill
and Other Intangible Assets”, beginning in fiscal year 2002, the
amortization of goodwill has been replaced with an “impairment test” which
requires that we compare the fair value of goodwill to its book value at least
annually and more frequently if circumstances indicate a possible
impairment. If we determine at any time in the future that the book
value of goodwill is higher than fair value then the difference must be
written-off, which could materially and adversely affect our
profitability.
-31-
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds
None.
Item
3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item
4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security
Holders
At the
Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on October 16, 2008, the following
proposals were adopted by the margins indicated:
Number of Shares
|
||||||||
Voted For
|
Withheld
|
|||||||
1.
Four Class I directors were elected by the margins indicated to serve for
a term of office to expire at the second succeeding annual meeting of
shareholders at which their successors will be elected and
qualified:
|
||||||||
Frederick
Frank
|
22,454,136 | 617,668 | ||||||
Stephen
E. Halprin
|
22,440,407 | 631,397 | ||||||
Richard
S. Schneider, Ph.D.
|
22,347,825 | 723,979 | ||||||
Kenneth
E. Jones
|
22,373,449 | 698,355 | ||||||
The Class II directors
were not up for election at the Annual Meeting. The four
current Class II directors, Gary T. Steele, Nicholas Tompkins, Duke K.
Bristow, Ph.D. and Robert Tobin will serve as Class II directors until the
next Annual Meeting, when their successors will be elected and
qualified.
|
Voted
For
|
Voted
Against
|
Abstain
|
||||||||||
2.
To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as independent public
accountants of the Company for the 2009 fiscal year.
|
22,689,765 | 341,236 | 40,803 |
Voted
For
|
Voted
Against
|
Abstain
|
||||||||||
3.
To reincorporate the Company from California to Delaware.
|
16,043,995 | 588,592 | 32,039 |
-32-
Item
5. Other Information
None.
Item
6. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
|
Exhibit Title:
|
|
|
10.26+
|
Amendment
No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement between Apio, Inc. and
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., dated as of November 4, 2008.
|
||
31.1+
|
CEO
Certification pursuant to section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
||
31.2+
|
CFO
Certification pursuant to section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002.
|
||
32.1+
|
CEO
Certification pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
||
32.2+
|
CFO
Certification pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002.
|
+ Filed
herewith.
-33-
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.
LANDEC
CORPORATION
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Gregory
S. Skinner
|
|
Gregory
S. Skinner
|
||
Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
|
||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
Date: January
8, 2009
-34-