LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL, INC. \DE\ - Quarter Report: 2008 August (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
|
For
the Fiscal Quarter Ended August 31, 2008,
or
o
|
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)
California
|
94-3025618
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(IRS
Employer
|
incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
Number)
|
3603
Haven Avenue
Menlo
Park, California 94025
(Address
of principal executive offices, including zip code)
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
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company.
See
definition of “large accelerated filer” and
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
Large
Accelerated Filer ¨
|
Accelerated
Filer x
|
Non
Accelerated Filer ¨
|
Smaller
Reporting Company ¨
|
Indicate
by check mark whether
the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act).
Yes
¨ No
x
As
of
September 19, 2008, there were 26,166,319 shares of Common Stock
outstanding.
LANDEC
CORPORATION
FORM
10-Q
For the Fiscal Quarter Ended August 31, 2008
INDEX
Page
|
|||
Facing
sheet
|
1
|
||
Index
|
2
|
||
Part
I.
|
Financial
Information
|
3
|
|
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements
|
3
|
|
a)
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of August 31, 2008 and May 25, 2008
|
3
|
|
b)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended August 31, 2008
and
August 26, 2007
|
4
|
|
c)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended August 31, 2008
and
August 26, 2007
|
5
|
|
d)
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
6
|
|
Item
2.
|
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
15
|
|
Item
3.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
|
29
|
|
Item
4
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
29
|
|
Part
II.
|
Other
Information
|
30
|
|
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
30
|
|
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
30
|
|
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
30
|
|
Item
3.
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
30
|
|
Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
30
|
|
Item
5.
|
Other
Information
|
30
|
|
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
30
|
|
Signatures
|
31
|
-2-
PART
I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(In
thousands except shares and per share amounts)
August 31,
2008
|
May 25,
2008
|
||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(1)
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Current
Assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
45,747
|
$
|
44,396
|
|||
Marketable
securities
|
16,256
|
14,643
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $214 and $169
at
August 31, 2008 and May 25, 2008, respectively
|
18,657
|
19,460
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable, related party
|
407
|
411
|
|||||
Inventories,
net
|
8,181
|
7,329
|
|||||
Notes
and advances receivable
|
356
|
501
|
|||||
Deferred
taxes
|
2,180
|
2,180
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
805
|
1,746
|
|||||
Total
Current Assets
|
92,589
|
90,666
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
21,384
|
21,306
|
|||||
Goodwill,
net
|
27,354
|
27,354
|
|||||
Trademarks,
net
|
8,228
|
8,228
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
3,234
|
3,035
|
|||||
Total
Assets
|
$
|
152,789
|
$
|
150,589
|
|||
LIABILITIES
AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
Liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
18,061
|
$
|
18,991
|
|||
Related
party accounts payable
|
377
|
273
|
|||||
Income
taxes payable
|
427
|
—
|
|||||
Accrued
compensation
|
1,362
|
2,197
|
|||||
Other
accrued liabilities
|
2,732
|
2,930
|
|||||
Deferred
revenue
|
2,761
|
3,613
|
|||||
Total
Current Liabilities
|
25,720
|
$
|
28,004
|
||||
Deferred
revenue
|
4,500
|
5,000
|
|||||
Deferred
taxes
|
1,569
|
1,569
|
|||||
Minority
interest
|
1,714
|
1,550
|
|||||
Total
Liabilities
|
33,503
|
36,123
|
|||||
Shareholders’
Equity:
|
|||||||
Common
stock, $0.001
par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 26,166,319 and 26,156,323
shares
issued and outstanding at August 31, 2008 and May 25, 2008,
respectively
|
114,955
|
112,974
|
|||||
Retained
earnings
|
4,331
|
1,492
|
|||||
Total
Shareholders’ Equity
|
119,286
|
114,466
|
|||||
Total
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
|
$
|
152,789
|
$
|
150,589
|
(1)
Derived from audited financial statements.
See
accompanying notes.
-3-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In
thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended
|
|||||||
August 31,
|
August 26,
|
||||||
2008
|
2007
|
||||||
Revenues:
|
|||||||
Product
sales
|
$
|
68,861
|
$
|
59,800
|
|||
Services
revenue, related party
|
1,158
|
1,075
|
|||||
License
fees
|
1,550
|
1,581
|
|||||
Research,
development and royalty revenues
|
184
|
171
|
|||||
Royalty
revenues, related party
|
—
|
32
|
|||||
Total
revenues
|
71,753
|
62,659
|
|||||
Cost
of revenue:
|
|||||||
Cost
of product sales
|
59,302
|
51,592
|
|||||
Cost
of product sales, related party
|
1,437
|
1,212
|
|||||
Cost
of services revenue
|
891
|
881
|
|||||
Total
cost of revenue
|
61,630
|
53,685
|
|||||
Gross
profit
|
10,123
|
8,974
|
|||||
Operating
costs and expenses:
|
|||||||
Research
and development
|
888
|
822
|
|||||
Selling,
general and administrative
|
4,676
|
4,546
|
|||||
Total
operating costs and expenses
|
5,564
|
5,368
|
|||||
Operating
income
|
4,559
|
3,606
|
|||||
Interest
income
|
357
|
781
|
|||||
Interest
expense
|
(2
|
)
|
(8
|
)
|
|||
Minority
interest expense
|
(164
|
)
|
(120
|
)
|
|||
Net
income before taxes
|
4,750
|
4,259
|
|||||
Income
tax expense
|
(1,911
|
)
|
(1,182
|
)
|
|||
Net
income
|
$
|
2,839
|
$
|
3,077
|
|||
Basic
net income per share
|
$
|
0.11
|
$
|
0.12
|
|||
Diluted
net income per share
|
$
|
0.11
|
$
|
0.11
|
|||
Shares
used in per share computation
|
|||||||
Basic
|
26,163
|
25,937
|
|||||
Diluted
|
26,799
|
26,911
|
See
accompanying notes.
-4-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands)
Three months Ended
|
|||||||
August 31,
|
August
26,
|
||||||
2008
|
2007
|
||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
2,839
|
$
|
3,077
|
|||
Adjs.
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
|||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
796
|
716
|
|||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
295
|
325
|
|||||
Tax
benefit from stock-based compensation expense
|
(1,686
|
)
|
|||||
Increase
in long-term receivable
|
(200
|
)
|
(200
|
)
|
|||
Minority
interest
|
164
|
120
|
|||||
Changes
in current assets and current liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
receivable, net
|
803
|
(12
|
)
|
||||
Accounts
receivable, related party
|
4
|
(64
|
)
|
||||
Inventories,
net
|
(852
|
)
|
(1,000
|
)
|
|||
Issuance
of notes and advances receivable
|
(233
|
)
|
(2
|
)
|
|||
Collection
of notes and advances receivable
|
379
|
141
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
941
|
(242
|
)
|
||||
Accounts
payable
|
(930
|
)
|
2,554
|
||||
Related
party accounts payable
|
104
|
291
|
|||||
Income
taxes payable
|
2,113
|
24
|
|||||
Accrued
compensation
|
(835
|
)
|
(1,902
|
)
|
|||
Other
accrued liabilities
|
(198
|
)
|
291
|
||||
Deferred
revenue
|
(1,352
|
)
|
(1,293
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
2,152
|
2,824
|
|||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|||||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
(874
|
)
|
(236
|
)
|
|||
Issuance
of notes and advances receivable
|
(1
|
)
|
(4
|
)
|
|||
Purchase
of marketable securities
|
(7,013
|
)
|
—
|
||||
Proceeds
from maturities of marketable securities
|
5,400
|
—
|
|||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(2,488
|
)
|
(240
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sale of common stock
|
—
|
570
|
|||||
Repurchase
of subsidiary common stock and options
|
—
|
(20,596
|
)
|
||||
Tax
benefit from stock-based compensation expense
|
1,686
|
1,132
|
|||||
Decrease
in other assets
|
1
|
4
|
|||||
Issuance
of related party note payable
|
—
|
232
|
|||||
Payments
on long term debt
|
—
|
(5
|
)
|
||||
Payments
to minority interest holders
|
—
|
(227
|
)
|
||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
1,687
|
(18,890
|
)
|
||||
Net
decrease in cash and cash equivalents
|
1,351
|
(16,306
|
)
|
||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
44,396
|
62,556
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$
|
45,747
|
$
|
46,250
|
|||
Supplemental
schedule of noncash operating activities:
|
|||||||
Income
tax expense not payable
|
$
|
1,686
|
$
|
1,132
|
|||
Long-term
receivable from Monsanto for guaranteed termination fee
|
$
|
200
|
$
|
200
|
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 August
31, 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 months ended August
31, 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 certificate
of deposits, money market funds and U.S. Treasuries. Short-term marketable
securities consist of certificates of deposit that are FDIC insured 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 August 31, 2008 and are carried at fair market value. Unrealized
gains and losses are reported as a component of shareholders’ equity and were
not significant in for the three months ended August 31, 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 months ended August 31, 2008. The cost
of
securities sold is based on the specific identification method.
Financial
Instruments
The
Company’s financial instruments are primarily composed of marketable debt
securities, 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 August 31, 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 months ended August 31, 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
August 31, 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 will be 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.
-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 months ended August 31, 2008 and August 26, 2007, Landec
recognized $1.35 million 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. 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
|
The
Company adopted SFAS 123R using the modified prospective transition method,
which requires the application of the accounting standard to (i) all
stock-based awards issued on or after May 29, 2006 and (ii) any
outstanding stock-based awards that were issued but not vested as of
May 29, 2006. In the three months ended August 31, 2008, the Company
recognized stock-based compensation expense of $295,000 or $0.01 per basic
and
diluted share, which included $79,000 for restricted stock unit awards and
$216,000 for stock option grants. In the three months ended August 26,
2007, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $325,000 or
$0.01 per basic and diluted share, which included $63,000 for restricted stock
unit awards and $262,000 for stock option grants.
The
following table summarizes the stock-based compensation by income statement
line
item:
Three Months
Ended
August 31, 2008
|
Three Months
Ended
August 26, 2007
|
||||||
Research
and development
|
$
|
42,000
|
$
|
32,000
|
|||
Sales,
general and administrative
|
253,000
|
293,000
|
|||||
Total
stock-based compensation
|
$
|
295,000
|
$
|
325,000
|
As
of
August 31, 2008, there was $945,000 of total unrecognized compensation expense
related to unvested equity compensation awards granted under the Landec
incentive stock plans. Total expense is expected to be recognized over the
weighted-average period of 1.72 years.
During
the three months ended August 31, 2008, the Company granted options to purchase
75,000 shares of common stock and 25,002 restricted stock unit
awards.
As
of
August 31, 2008 the Company has reserved 2.5 million shares of Common Stock
for
future issuance under its current and former stock plans.
-10-
4. |
Net
Income Per Diluted Share
|
The
following table sets forth the computation of diluted net income for the periods
with net income (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Three Months
Ended
August 31, 2008
|
Three Months
Ended
August 26, 2007
|
||||||
Numerator:
|
|||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
2,839
|
$
|
3,077
|
|||
Denominator:
|
|||||||
Weighted
average shares for basic net income per share
|
26,163
|
25,937
|
|||||
Effect
of dilutive securities:
|
|||||||
Stock
options and restricted stock units
|
636
|
974
|
|||||
Weighted
average shares for diluted net income per share
|
26,799
|
26,911
|
|||||
Diluted
net income per share
|
$
|
0.11
|
$
|
0.11
|
For
the
three months ended August 31, 2008 and August 26, 2007, the computation of
the
diluted net income per share excludes the impact of options to purchase 245,579
shares and 68,901 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 2009 is currently expected to
be
approximately 40%. The provision for income taxes for the three months ended
August 31, 2008 was $1.9 million.
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 August
31, 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.
-11-
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.
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 May 25, 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):
August 31,
2008
|
May 25,
2008
|
||||||
Finished
goods
|
$
|
3,897
|
$
|
2,949
|
|||
Raw
material
|
4,284
|
4,380
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
8,181
|
$
|
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 August
31, 2008
and
May
25,
2008
and for
the three months ended August
31, 2008
and
August 26, 2007.
-12-
Apio
leases, for approximately $303,000 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
months ended August 31, 2008, the Company subleased all of the land leased
from
the Apio Chairman and received sublease income of $76,000 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 months ended August 31, 2008 and August 26, 2007, the Company
recognized revenues of $400,000 and $371,000, 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 August
31, 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
Loss
|
The
comprehensive income of Landec is the same as net income.
10. |
Shareholders’
Equity
|
During
the three months ended August 31, 2008, 10,002 shares of Common Stock were
issued upon the vesting of restricted stock units and upon the exercise of
options under the Company’s stock option plans.
-13-
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
non-vegetable products. The Commodity Trading segment consist 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 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 first quarter 2008 has been
reclassified to conform with the current quarter classification. Included in
the
Technology Licensing segment for the first quarter 2008 are the results of
Landec Ag. In addition, the licensing activity for non food and Ag
collaborations is included in the Technology Licensing segment whereas in
periods prior to fiscal year 2008 it was included in Corporate. Corporate
amounts include corporate general and administrative expenses, non Food Products
Technology interest income and Company-wide income taxes. The Company’s
international sales are primarily to Canada, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Japan.
Operations and identifiable assets by business segment consisted of the
following (in thousands):
|
Food Products
Technology
|
Trading
|
Technology
Licensing
|
Corporate
|
TOTAL
|
|||||||||||
Three Months Ended August 31, 2008
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
43,814
|
$
|
26,297
|
$
|
1,642
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
71,753
|
||||||
International
sales
|
$
|
4,147
|
$
|
21,693
|
$
|
¾
|
$
|
¾
|
$
|
25,840
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
$
|
7,283
|
$
|
1,198
|
$
|
1,642
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
10,123
|
||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
3,989
|
$
|
598
|
$
|
1,105
|
$
|
(2,853
|
)
|
$
|
2,839
|
|||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$
|
744
|
$
|
4
|
$
|
48
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
796
|
||||||
Interest
income
|
$
|
122
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
235
|
$
|
357
|
||||||
Interest
expense
|
$
|
2
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
2
|
||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
1,911
|
$
|
1,911
|
||||||
Three
Months Ended August 26, 2007
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
39,547
|
$
|
21,451
|
$
|
1,661
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
62,659
|
||||||
International
sales
|
$
|
3,699
|
$
|
19,250
|
$
|
¾
|
$
|
¾
|
$
|
22,949
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
$
|
6,222
|
$
|
1,091
|
$
|
1,661
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
8,974
|
||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
3,103
|
$
|
573
|
$
|
1,209
|
$
|
(1,808
|
)
|
$
|
3,077
|
|||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$
|
654
|
$
|
5
|
$
|
57
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
716
|
||||||
Interest
income
|
$
|
223
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
558
|
$
|
781
|
||||||
Interest
expense
|
$
|
8
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
¾
|
$
|
8
|
||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
1,182
|
$
|
1,182
|
During
each of the three months ended August 31, 2008 and August 26, 2007, sales to
the
Company’s top five customers accounted for 49% of revenues with the Company’s
top customer from the Food Products Technology segment, Costco Wholesale Corp.,
accounting for 19% for the three months ended August 31, 2008 and 20% for the
three months ended August 26, 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.
-14-
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 12
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.
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”).
-15-
Landec
was incorporated in California 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.
|
·
|
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.
|
-16-
·
|
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 18
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 recently began and retail grocery
store trials are expected to begin during the fall of 2008.
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 are expected
to
being 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.
-17-
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
announced several months ago that it 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.
-18-
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. To date, the sales of Landec materials used in L’Oreal products have not
been significant to the Company’s financials.
Medical
Applications
On
December 23, 2005, Landec entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with
Aesthetic Sciences Corporation (“Aesthetic Sciences”). Aesthetic Sciences paid
Landec an upfront license fee of $250,000 for the exclusive rights to use
Landec's Intelimer materials technology for the development of dermal fillers
worldwide. Landec will also receive royalties on the sale of products
incorporating Landec’s technology. In addition, the Company has received shares
of preferred stock valued at $1.8 million which as of August 31, 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 8/31/08
|
Three months
ended 8/26/07
|
Change
|
||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$
|
43,002
|
$
|
39,394
|
9
|
%
|
||||
Apio
Packaging
|
812
|
153
|
431
|
%
|
||||||
Apio
Tech. Subtotal
|
43,814
|
39,547
|
11
|
%
|
||||||
Commodity
Trading
|
26,297
|
21,451
|
23
|
%
|
||||||
Total
Apio
|
70,111
|
60,998
|
15
|
%
|
||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,642
|
1,661
|
(1
|
)%
|
||||||
Total
Revenues
|
$
|
71,753
|
$
|
62,659
|
15
|
%
|
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
increase in Apio’s value-added revenues for the three months ended August 31,
2008 compared to the same period last year is due to increased product
offerings, increased sales to existing customers and the addition of new
customers. Overall value-added sales volume increased 8% during the first
quarter of fiscal year 2009 compared to the same period last year.
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 months ended August 31, 2008
compared to the same period last year was primarily due to the timing of
contractual minimum payments from Chiquita as a result of the amended Chiquita
license agreement.
Commodity
Trading
Apio
trading revenues consist of revenues generated from the purchase and sale of
primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asia by 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 first
quarter of fiscal year 2008 was $21.7 million or 82% of total trading
revenues.
-19-
The
increase in revenues in Apio’s trading business for the three months ended
August 31, 2008 compared to the same period last year was due to a 8% increase
in export sales volumes as a result of an increased supply of produce to export
and a 84% increase in domestic commodity sales volumes to Wal-Mart due to the
timing of the harvest for certain produce, primarily cherries, which was earlier
than the harvest last year.
Technology
Licensing
Technology
licensing revenues consist of revenues generated from the licensing agreements
with Monsanto, Air Products and Nitta.
The
decrease in Technology Licensing revenues for the three months ended August
31,
2008 compared to the same period of the prior year was not significant to
consolidated Landec revenues.
Gross
Profit (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Three months
ended 8/26/07
|
Change
|
||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$
|
6,580
|
$
|
6,103
|
8
|
%
|
||||
Apio
Packaging
|
703
|
119
|
491
|
%
|
||||||
Apio
Tech. Subtotal
|
7,283
|
6,222
|
17
|
%
|
||||||
Commodity
Trading
|
1,198
|
1,091
|
10
|
%
|
||||||
Total
Apio
|
8,481
|
7,313
|
16
|
%
|
||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,642
|
1,661
|
(1
|
)%
|
||||||
Total
Gross Profit
|
$
|
10,123
|
$
|
8,974
|
13
|
%
|
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 generally
accepted accounting principles. These costs include the following: raw materials
(including produce 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 first quarter
of fiscal year 2009 compared to the same period last year as outlined in the
table above.
Apio
Value-Added
The
increase in gross profit for Apio’s value-added specialty packaged vegetable
business for the three months ended August 31, 2008 compared to the same period
last year was primarily due to the increase in revenues of 9% during the first
quarter of fiscal year 2009 compared to the first quarter of last year.
Apio
Packaging
The
increase in gross profit for Apio Packaging for the three months ended August
31, 2008 compared to the same period last year was primarily due to the timing
of contractual minimum payments from Chiquita as a result of the amended
Chiquita license agreement.
Commodity
Trading
Apio’s
commodity trading business is a buy/sell business that realizes a
commission-based margin in the 5-6% range. The increase in gross profit for
Apio’s commodity trading business during the three months ended August 31, 2008
compared to the same period last year was primarily due to a 23% increase in
revenues. The increase in revenues was greater than the increase in gross profit
because the increase in revenues was primarily due to increased domestic
commodity volume sales which is a 2% margin business.
-20-
Technology
Licensing
The
decrease in Technology Licensing gross profit for the three months ended August
31, 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 8/31/08
|
Three months
ended 8/26/07
|
Change
|
||||||||
Research
and Development:
|
||||||||||
Apio
|
$
|
351
|
$
|
370
|
(5
|
)%
|
||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
537
|
452
|
19
|
%
|
||||||
Total
R&D
|
$
|
888
|
$
|
822
|
8
|
%
|
||||
Selling,
General and Administrative:
|
||||||||||
Apio
|
$
|
3,500
|
$
|
3,361
|
4
|
%
|
||||
Corporate
|
1,176
|
1,185
|
(1
|
)%
|
||||||
Total
S,G&A
|
$
|
4,676
|
$
|
4,546
|
3
|
%
|
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 the Company’s
proprietary Intellicoat coatings for seeds, primarily corn seed and on uses
for
our proprietary Intelimer polymers outside of food and agriculture.
The
increase in research and development expenses for the three months ended August
31, 2008 compared to the same period 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.
The
increase in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months
ended August 31, 2008 compared to the same period last year was not
significant.
Other
(in
thousands):
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Three months
ended 8/26/07
|
Change
|
||||||||
Interest
Income
|
$
|
357
|
$
|
781
|
(54
|
)%
|
||||
Interest
Expense
|
(2
|
)
|
(8
|
)
|
(75
|
)%
|
||||
Minority
Interest Exp.
|
(164
|
)
|
(120
|
)
|
37
|
%
|
||||
Total
Other
|
$
|
191
|
$
|
653
|
(71
|
)%
|
||||
Income
Taxes
|
$
|
1,911
|
$
|
1,182
|
62
|
%
|
-21-
Interest
Income
The
decrease in interest income for the three months ended August 31, 2008 compared
to the same period 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 months ended August 31, 2008
compared to the same period 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 months ended August 31, 2008
compared to the first quarter of last year was not significant.
Income
Taxes
The
increase in the income tax expense 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 increasing to 40% for federal and state income
taxes.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As
of
August
31, 2008,
the
Company had cash and cash equivalents of $45.7 million, a net increase of $1.3
million from $44.4 million at May 25, 2008.
Cash
Flow from Operating Activities
Landec
generated $2.2 million of cash flow from operating activities during the three
months ended August 31, 2008 compared to generating $2.8 million in operating
activities for the three months ended August 26, 2007. The primary source of
cash from operating activities was from generating $2.8 million of net income
partially offset by non-cash related expenses of $631,000.
Cash
Flow from Investing Activities
Net
cash
used in investing activities for the three months ended August 31, 2008 was
$2.5
million compared to $240,000 for the same period last year. The primary uses
of
cash from investing activities during the first quarter of fiscal year 2009
were
for the purchase of $874,000 of property and equipment primarily for the further
automation of Apio’s value-added facility and from the net purchase of $1.6
million of marketable securities.
Cash
Flow from Financing Activities
Net
cash
provided by financing activities for the three months ended August 31, 2008
was
$1.7 million compared to the use of $18.9 million for the same period last
year.
The source of cash from financing activities during the first quarter of fiscal
year 2009 was from the tax benefit from stock-based compensation of $1.7
million.
-22-
Capital
Expenditures
During
the three months ended August 31, 2008, Landec purchased vegetable processing
equipment to support the further automation of Apio’s value added processing
facility. These expenditures represented the majority of the $874,000 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 either the prime rate less
0.50% or 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 August 31, 2008, no amounts were
outstanding under the revolving line of credit. Apio has been in compliance
with
all loan covenants during the three months ended August 31, 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.
Additional
Factors That May Affect Future Results
Landec
desires to take advantage of the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and of Section 21E and Rule 3b-6 under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Specifically, Landec wishes to alert
readers that the following important factors, as well as other factors
including, without limitation, those described elsewhere in this report, could
in the future affect, and in the past have affected, Landec’s actual results and
could cause Landec’s results for future periods to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Landec.
Landec assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking
statements.
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:
-23-
·
|
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;
|
·
|
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.
-24-
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.
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.
-25-
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.
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,
|
-26-
· |
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
three months ended August 31, 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.
|
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
three months ended August 31, 2008, sales to our top five customers accounted
for approximately 49% 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.
-27-
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.
Our
Controlling Shareholders Exert Significant Influence over Corporate Events
that
May Conflict with the Interests of Other Shareholder
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 shareholders may have the
ability to exert significant influence over the election of our Board of
Directors, the approval of amendments to our articles and bylaws and the
approval of mergers or other business combination transactions requiring
shareholder 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 shareholders.
In addition, our controlling shareholders may approve amendments to our articles
or bylaws to implement anti-takeover or management friendly provisions that
may
not be beneficial to our other shareholders.
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.
-28-
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 shareholders,
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 shareholders’ 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.
Item
3. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
None.
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 August 31, 2008 that have materially affected, or are reasonably
likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial
reporting.
-29-
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
Not
applicable.
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
None.
Item
5. Other
Information
None.
Item
6. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
|
Exhibit
Title:
|
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.
-30-
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: October
6, 2008
-31-