LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL, INC. \DE\ - Quarter Report: 2009 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
30, 2009, or
¨
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For the
transition period from _____ to _________.
Commission
file number: 0-27446
LANDEC
CORPORATION
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
94-3025618
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(IRS
Employer
|
|
incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
Number)
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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 has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was
required to submit and post such files).
Yes ¨ 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
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Non
Accelerated Filer ¨
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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 21, 2009, there were 26,358,815 shares of Common Stock
outstanding.
|
LANDEC
CORPORATION
FORM 10-Q
For the Fiscal Quarter Ended August 30, 2009
INDEX
Page
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||
Facing
sheet
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1
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Index
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2
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Part
I.
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Financial
Information
|
|
Item
1.
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Financial
Statements
|
|
a)
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of August 30, 2009 and May 31,
2009
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3
|
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b)
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Three Months Ended August 30,
2009 and
August 31, 2008
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4
|
|
c)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended August
30, 2009
and August 31, 2008
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5
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|
d)
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
6
|
|
Item
2.
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Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
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17
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Item
3.
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Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
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25
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Item
4
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Controls
and Procedures
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25
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Part
II.
|
Other
Information
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26
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Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
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26
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Item
1A.
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Risk
Factors
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26
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Item
2.
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Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
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32
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Item
3.
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Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
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32
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Item
4.
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Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
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32
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Item
5.
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Other
Information
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32
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Item
6.
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Exhibits
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32
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Signatures
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33
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-2-
PART
I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(In
thousands except shares and per share amounts)
August 30,
2009
|
May 31,
2009
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|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(1)
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Current
Assets:
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
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$ | 3,998 | $ | 43,459 | ||||
Marketable
securities
|
65,460 | 22,498 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $204 and $165 at
August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009, respectively
|
19,244 | 15,271 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable, related party
|
484 | 632 | ||||||
Inventories,
net
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8,439 | 5,829 | ||||||
Notes
and advances receivable
|
22 | 186 | ||||||
Deferred
taxes
|
2,161 | 2,161 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
908 | 1,298 | ||||||
Total
Current Assets
|
100,716 | 91,334 | ||||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
23,325 | 22,743 | ||||||
Goodwill,
net
|
27,361 | 27,361 | ||||||
Trademarks,
net
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8,228 | 8,228 | ||||||
Other
assets
|
4,032 | 3,832 | ||||||
Total
Assets
|
$ | 163,662 | $ | 153,498 | ||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
||||||||
Current
Liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$ | 19,613 | $ | 12,430 | ||||
Related
party accounts payable
|
384 | 299 | ||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
278 | 107 | ||||||
Accrued
compensation
|
1,677 | 1,112 | ||||||
Other
accrued liabilities
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1,814 | 1,805 | ||||||
Deferred
revenue
|
2,702 | 3,430 | ||||||
Total
Current Liabilities
|
26,468 | 19,183 | ||||||
Deferred
revenue
|
2,500 | 3,000 | ||||||
Deferred
taxes
|
4,593 | 4,119 | ||||||
Total
Liabilities
|
33,561 | 26,302 | ||||||
Stockholders’
Equity:
|
||||||||
Common
stock, $0.001
par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 26,358,815 and 26,326,889 shares
issued and outstanding at August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009,
respectively
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26 | 26 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
116,947 | 116,158 | ||||||
Retained
earnings
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11,406 | 9,222 | ||||||
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
|
128,379 | 125,406 | ||||||
Noncontrolling
interest
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1,722 | 1,790 | ||||||
Total
Equity
|
130,101 | 127,196 | ||||||
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
|
$ | 163,662 | $ | 153,498 |
(1) Derived
from audited financial statements.
See
accompanying notes.
-3-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(In
thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended
|
||||||||
August 30,
|
August 31,
|
|||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Revenues:
|
||||||||
Product
sales
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$ | 58,392 | $ | 68,861 | ||||
Services
revenue, related party
|
1,166 | 1,158 | ||||||
License
fees
|
1,350 | 1,550 | ||||||
Research,
development and royalty revenues
|
35 | 184 | ||||||
Total
revenues
|
60,943 | 71,753 | ||||||
Cost
of revenue:
|
||||||||
Cost
of product sales
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50,106 | 59,302 | ||||||
Cost
of product sales, related party
|
1,066 | 1,437 | ||||||
Cost
of services revenue
|
901 | 891 | ||||||
Total
cost of revenue
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52,073 | 61,630 | ||||||
Gross
profit
|
8,870 | 10,123 | ||||||
Operating
costs and expenses:
|
||||||||
Research
and development
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939 | 888 | ||||||
Selling,
general and administrative
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4,570 | 4,676 | ||||||
Total
operating costs and expenses
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5,509 | 5,564 | ||||||
Operating
income
|
3,361 | 4,559 | ||||||
Interest
income
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288 | 357 | ||||||
Interest
expense
|
(1 | ) | (2 | ) | ||||
Net
income before taxes
|
3,648 | 4,914 | ||||||
Income
tax expense
|
(1,282 | ) | (1,911 | ) | ||||
Consolidated
net income
|
2,366 | 3,003 | ||||||
Noncontrolling
interest
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(182 | ) | (164 | ) | ||||
Net
income applicable to Common Stockholders
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$ | 2,184 | $ | 2,839 | ||||
Basic
net income per share
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$ | 0.08 | $ | 0.11 | ||||
Diluted
net income per share
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$ | 0.08 | $ | 0.11 | ||||
Shares
used in per share computation
|
||||||||
Basic
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26,349 | 26,163 | ||||||
Diluted
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26,716 | 26,799 |
See
accompanying notes.
-4-
LANDEC
CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands)
Three months Ended
|
||||||||
August 30,
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August 31,
|
|||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||
Net
income applicable to Common Stockholders
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$ | 2,184 | $ | 2,839 | ||||
Adjustments.
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
762 | 796 | ||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
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220 | 295 | ||||||
Tax
benefit from stock-based compensation expense
|
(622 | ) | (1,686 | ) | ||||
Increase
in long-term receivable
|
(200 | ) | (200 | ) | ||||
Deferred
taxes
|
474 | — | ||||||
Noncontrolling
interest
|
182 | 164 | ||||||
Changes
in current assets and current liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable, net
|
(3,973 | ) | 803 | |||||
Accounts
receivable, related party
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148 | 4 | ||||||
Inventories,
net
|
(2,610 | ) | (852 | ) | ||||
Issuance
of notes and advances receivable
|
(23 | ) | (233 | ) | ||||
Collection
of notes and advances receivable
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187 | 379 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
390 | 941 | ||||||
Accounts
payable
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7,183 | (930 | ) | |||||
Related
party accounts payable
|
85 | 104 | ||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
793 | 2,113 | ||||||
Accrued
compensation
|
565 | (835 | ) | |||||
Other
accrued liabilities
|
(241 | ) | (198 | ) | ||||
Deferred
revenue
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(1,228 | ) | (1,352 | ) | ||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
4,276 | 2,152 | ||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
(1,344 | ) | (874 | ) | ||||
Issuance
of notes and advances receivable
|
— | (1 | ) | |||||
Purchase
of marketable securities
|
(54,067 | ) | (7,013 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from maturities of marketable securities
|
11,105 | 5,400 | ||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(44,306 | ) | (2,488 | ) | ||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||
Taxes
paid by Company for stock swaps to cover taxes on RSUs
|
(53 | ) | — | |||||
Tax
benefit from stock-based compensation expense
|
622 | 1,686 | ||||||
Decrease
in other assets
|
— | 1 | ||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
569 | 1,687 | ||||||
Net
(decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
(39,461 | ) | 1,351 | |||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
43,459 | 44,396 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$ | 3,998 | $ | 45,747 | ||||
Supplemental
schedule of noncash operating activities:
|
||||||||
Income
tax expense not payable
|
$ | 622 | $ | 1,686 | ||||
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 LLC (“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 30, 2009 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
31, 2009.
The results of operations for the three
months ended August 30, 2009 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, particularly, Apio’s Commodity Trading business.
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),
Landec Ag is 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-
Landec Ag
exists solely to administer the license and supply agreement between Landec and
Monsanto Company. At August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009, Landec Ag had total
tangible net assets of approximately $400,000 and $300,000,
respectively.
None of
Landec’s assets serve as collateral for the obligations of Landec Ag, and there
is no restriction on the recourse of creditors or beneficial interest holders of
Landec Ag to the general credit of Landec.
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 (CDs) that are FDIC insured and single A or better rated municipal bonds
with original maturities of more than three months at the date of purchase
regardless of the maturity date as the Company views its
available-for-sale portfolio as available for use in its
current operations. The aggregate amount of CDs included in marketable
securities at August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009 was $5.8 million and $2.1
million, respectively. The Company classifies all debt securities with readily
determined market values as “available for sale” in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments
in Debt and Equity Securities”. The contractual maturities of the
Company's marketable securities that are due in less than one year represent
$34.8 million of our marketable securities and those due in one to two years
represents the remaining $30.7 million of our marketable securities as of August
30, 2009. These investments are classified as marketable securities on the
consolidated balance sheet as of August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009 and are
carried at fair market value which currently approximates cost. The difference
between the fair market value and the cost of the Company’s marketable
securities as of August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009 was not significant. As of
August 30, 2009, the aggregate fair value of municipal bonds included in
marketable securities with continuous unrealized losses for less than twelve
months was $43.8 million. There are no marketable securities as of August 30,
2009 that have continuous unrealized losses for more than twelve months.
Unrealized gains and losses are reported as a component of stockholders’ equity
and were not significant for the three months ended August 30, 2009 and 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 30, 2009 and 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 30, 2009.
-7-
Investment
in Non-Public Company
Landec’s
investment of $1.8 million in a non-public company is carried at cost and
adjusted for impairment losses, if any. Since there is no readily available
market value information, Landec periodically reviews this investment to
determine if any other than temporary declines in value have occurred based on
the financial stability and viability of the company. The company is currently
in discussions with several parties to sell the rights to certain proprietary
assets, and potential deal terms with more than one party are in late-stage
negotiations. The company's goal is to close the sale in calendar 2009. Landec
has evaluated its cost method investment for impairment, utilizing a discounted
cash flow analysis of the preliminary terms under late-stage discussions with
one of the parties. Based on the expectation that the rights to certain
proprietary assets of the company will be sold to a third party, Landec has
determined there is no impairment of its investment as of August 30, 2009.
However, if the currently proposed or similar deal does not close, Landec will
need to re-evaluate impairment, with maximum exposure equal to its cost
investment.
New
Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted
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 Position
(“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, except for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair
value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. 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 30, 2009. The Company adopted SFAS No. 157 for
non-financial assets and liabilities during the current quarter. Adoption of
this statement did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of
operations or financial position.
Noncontrolling
Interests
In
December 2007, the FASB issued 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. Changes in a parent’s ownership interest while the
parent retains its controlling interest will be accounted for as equity
transactions and any retained noncontrolling equity investment upon the
deconsolidation of a subsidiary will be initially measured at fair value. Other
than the reporting requirements described above which require retrospective
application, the provisions of SFAS No. 160 are to be applied prospectively. The
Company adopted SFAS No. 160 on June 1, 2009. Adoption of this statement did not
have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial
position for the three months ended August 30, 2009, however, as required,
presentation of noncontrolling interests has been conformed to the requirements
of the standard for all periods presented.
-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. The Company adopted EITF Issue No. 07-1 on June 1, 2009. The adoption
of EITF Issue No. 07-01 did not have any impact on the Company’s results of
operations or financial position for the three months ended August 30,
2009.
Fair
Value Disclosures in Interim Reports
In April
2009, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1, Interim Disclosures about Fair Value
of Financial Instruments. This Staff Position amends FASB Statement No.
107, Disclosures about Fair
Value of Financial Instruments, to require disclosures about fair value
of financial instruments at interim reporting periods. This Staff Position is
effective for interim reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009, with early
adoption permitted for periods ending after March 15, 2009 provided FSP No. FAS
115-2 and FAS 124-2 are also early adopted. The Company adopted FSP No. FAS
107-1 on June 1, 2009. The adoption of this FSP did not have any impact on the
Company’s results of operations or financial position for the three months ended
August 30, 2009.
Subsequent
Events
In May
2009, the FASB issued Statement No. 165, “Subsequent Events.” Statement
165 establishes general standards of accounting for and disclosure of events
that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are
issued or are available to be issued. The Company adopted Statement 165 on June
1, 2009. Adoption of this Statement did not impact the Company’s consolidated
financials other than the required additional disclosures.
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. The Company adopted SFAS No. 141R on June 1, 2009.
Adoptions of this statement did not have an impact on the Company’s results of
operations or financial position for the three months ended August 30, 2009,
however, its provisions will impact future business combinations.
Recently Issued
Pronouncements
Variable
Interest Entities
In June
2009, the FASB issued Statement No. 167, “Amendments to FASB Interpretation
No. 46(R).” Statement 167 amends the evaluation criteria to identify the
primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity provided by FASB
Interpretation No. 46(R) ,
“Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities—An Interpretation of ARB No.
51”. Additionally, Statement 167 requires ongoing reassessments of
whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest
entity. The Company will adopt Statement 167 in fiscal year 2011 and is
currently evaluating the impact of its pending adoption on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements.
-9-
Accounting
Standards Codification
In June
2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 168, FASB Accounting Standards
CodificationTM and the Hierarchy of Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles, a replacement of SFAS No. 162 (“Statement
168”). Statement 168 establishes the FASB Accounting Standards Codification as
the source of authoritative accounting principles recognized by the FASB to be
applied in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles. Statement 168 explicitly recognizes rules and
interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under
federal securities laws as authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. Statement 168
is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim
periods ending after September 15, 2009. The Company will adopt Statement 168 in
the second quarter of fiscal year 2010.
Fair
Value Measurements
The
Company adopted Statement No. 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 30, 2009, 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 its 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.
-10-
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 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.
The
Agreement also provides for a fee payable to Landec of $4 million if Monsanto
elects to terminate the agreement or $10 million if Monsanto elects to purchase
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 will receive the termination
fee and all rights to the Intellicoat seed coating technology will revert to
Landec. Accordingly, Landec will receive minimum guaranteed payments of $17
million for license fees and polymer supply payments over five years or $23
million in maximum payments if Monsanto elects to purchase 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 $6 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.
For each
of the three months ended August 30, 2009 and August 31, 2008, Landec recognized
$1.35 million in revenues from the Agreement.
If
Monsanto exercises its purchase option, Landec and Monsanto will enter into a
new long-term supply agreement in which Landec would continue to be the
exclusive supplier of Intellicoat polymer materials to Monsanto.
3.
|
License
Agreements
|
In
December 2005, Landec entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with
Aesthetic Sciences Corporation (“Aesthetic Sciences”), a medical device company.
Aesthetic Sciences paid Landec an upfront license fee of $250,000 for the
exclusive rights to use Landec's IntelimerÒ 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 received shares of preferred stock valued at $1.3 million which
represented a 19.9% ownership interest in Aesthetic Sciences as of December
2005.
As part
of the original agreement with Aesthetic Sciences, Landec was to receive
additional shares upon the completion of a specific milestone. In November 2006,
that milestone was met and as a result Landec received an additional 800,000
shares of preferred stock valued at $481,000. The receipt of the additional
800,000 preferred shares did not change Landec’s 19.9% ownership interest in
Aesthetic Sciences. The $481,000 is included in other assets in the accompanying
Consolidated Balance Sheet and was recorded as licensing revenue during fiscal
year 2007 in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations since Landec
has no further obligations under this agreement. During fiscal year 2009,
Aesthetic Sciences completed a second preferred stock offering in which Landec
did not participate and as a result Landec’s ownership interest in Aesthetic
Sciences was 17.3% as of August 30, 2009 and May 31, 2009.
In March
2006, Landec entered into an exclusive license and research and development
agreement with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (“Air Products”). Landec will
provide research and development support to Air Products for three years with a
mutual option for two additional years. The license fees are being recognized as
license revenue over a three year period beginning March 2006. In addition, in
accordance with the agreement, Landec will receive 40% of the gross profit
generated from the sale of products by Air Products occurring after April 1,
2007, that incorporate Landec’s Intelimer materials.
-11-
In
September 2007, the Company amended its licensing and supply agreement with
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (“Chiquita”). Under the terms of the
amendment, the license for bananas was expanded to include additional exclusive
fields using Landec’s BreatheWay® packaging technology, and a new exclusive
license has been added for the sale and marketing of avocados and mangos using
Landec’s BreatheWay packaging technology. In exchange for expanding the
exclusive fields for bananas and adding a new exclusive field for avocados and
mango, the minimum gross profits to be received by Landec from the sale of
BreatheWay packaging to Chiquita for bananas, avocados and mangos was increased
to $2.2 million in fiscal year 2009. In addition, the minimum gross profits the
Company is to receive are calculated and payable on a calendar quarter basis per
the terms of the amended agreement. Accordingly, the minimum amounts under the
amended agreement will be calculated each calendar quarter and thus will be due
at the end of March, June, September and December of each year.
4.
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
|
In the
three months ended August 30, 2009, the Company recognized stock-based
compensation expense of $220,000 or $0.01 per basic and diluted share, which
included $119,000 for restricted stock unit awards and $101,000 for stock option
grants. 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.
The
following table summarizes the stock-based compensation by income statement line
item:
Three Months
Ended
August 30, 2009
|
Three Months
Ended
August 31, 2008
|
|||||||
Research
and development
|
$ | 49,000 | $ | 42,000 | ||||
Sales,
general and administrative
|
171,000 | 253,000 | ||||||
Total
stock-based compensation
|
$ | 220,000 | $ | 295,000 |
As of
August 30, 2009, there was $1.5 million 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 2.66 years for stock options and 2.24 years
for restricted stock unit awards.
During
the three months ended August 30, 2009, the Company granted options to purchase
47,500 shares of common stock and 15,833 restricted stock unit
awards.
As of
August 30, 2009 the Company has reserved 2.1 million shares of Common Stock for
future issuance under its current and former equity plans.
5.
|
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 30, 2009
|
Three Months
Ended
August 31, 2008
|
|||||||
Numerator:
|
||||||||
Net
income applicable to Common Stockholders
|
$ | 2,184 | $ | 2,839 | ||||
Denominator:
|
||||||||
Weighted
average shares for basic net income per share
|
26,349 | 26,163 | ||||||
Effect
of dilutive securities:
|
||||||||
Stock
options and restricted stock units
|
367 | 636 | ||||||
Weighted
average shares for diluted net income per share
|
26,716 | 26,799 | ||||||
Diluted
net income per share
|
$ | 0.08 | $ | 0.11 |
-12-
For the
three months ended August 30, 2009 and August 31, 2008, the computation of the
diluted net income per share excludes the impact of options to purchase 881,613
shares and 245,579 shares of Common Stock, respectively, as such impacts would
be antidilutive for these periods.
6.
|
Income
Taxes
|
The
estimated annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2010 is currently expected to be
approximately 37%. The provision for income taxes for the three months ended
August 30, 2009 was $1.3 million.
On
September 30, 2008, California enacted Assembly Bill 1452 which among other
provisions, suspends net operating loss deductions for 2008 and 2009 and extends
the carry forward period of any net operating losses not utilized due to such
suspension; adopts the federal 20-year net operating loss carry forward period;
phases-in the federal two-year net operating loss carryback periods beginning in
2011 and limits the utilization of tax credits to 50 percent of a taxpayer's
taxable income. The Company does not expect this change in tax law to materially
impact its tax provision, except for the increase in the current state tax
liability due to the temporary suspension of the utilization of California net
operating loss carry forwards.
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
31, 2009, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $619,000.
Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits as of May 31, 2009 is
approximately $549,000 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 August 30, 2009 and May 31,
2009 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 1996 forward, none of which were
individually significant.
7.
|
Goodwill
and Other Intangibles
|
The
Company tests goodwill and all its other intangible assets with indefinite lives
(collectively, “intangible assets”) for impairment at least annually, in
accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible
Assets (“SFAS 142”). When evaluating goodwill for impairment, SFAS
142 requires the Company to first compare the fair value of the reporting unit
to its carrying value to determine if there is an impairment loss. If the fair
value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill is considered
not impaired. Application of the second step of the two-step approach in SFAS
142 is not required. Application of the goodwill impairment tests require
significant judgment by management, including identification of reporting units,
assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill
to reporting units, determination of the fair value of each reporting unit and
projections of future net cash flows, which judgments and projections are
inherently uncertain.
The
Company considers the results generated from using both of the approaches set
forth in SFAS 142 to estimate the fair value of each relevant reporting unit as
follows:
·
|
The Company uses the market
approach to develop indications of fair value. This approach
uses market values and revenue multiples of other publicly-traded
companies engaged in the same or similar lines of business as the
Company.
|
-13-
·
|
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 26, 2009 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 31, 2009 through the date of this
report.
8.
|
Inventories
|
Inventories are stated at the lower of
cost (first-in, first-out method) or market and consisted of the following (in
thousands):
August 30,
2009
|
May 31,
2009
|
|||||||
Finished
goods
|
$ | 4,410 | $ | 2,108 | ||||
Raw
material
|
4,029 | 3,721 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 8,439 | $ | 5,829 |
9.
|
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,
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 30,
2009 and May 31, 2009 and for the three months ended August 30, 2009 and August
31, 2008.
Apio
leases, for approximately $310,000 on a current annual basis, agricultural land
that is owned by the Apio Chairman. Apio, in turn, subleases that land at cost
to growers who are obligated to deliver product from that land to Apio for value
added products. There is generally no net statement of income impact to Apio as
a result of these leasing activities but Apio creates a guaranteed source of
supply for the value added business. Apio has loss exposure on the leasing
activity to the extent that it is unable to sublease the land. For the three
months ended August 30, 2009, the Company subleased all of the land leased from
the Apio Chairman and received sublease income of $78,000 which is equal to the
amount the Company paid to lease that land for the period.
-14-
Apio's
domestic commodity vegetable business was sold to Beachside Produce in
2003. The Apio Chairman is a 12.5% owner in Beachside
Produce. During the three months ended August 30, 2009 and August 31,
2008, the Company recognized revenues of $210,000 and $400,000, 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 30, 2009 and May 31,
2009.
All
related party transactions are monitored quarterly by the Company and approved
by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
10.
|
Comprehensive
Income
|
The
comprehensive income of Landec is insignificantly different from net
income.
11.
|
Stockholders’
Equity
|
During the three months ended August
30, 2009, 31,926 shares of Common Stock were issued upon the vesting of
restricted stock units and upon the exercise of options under the Company’s
equity plans.
12.
|
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 consists of
revenues generated from the purchase and sale of primarily whole commodity fruit
and vegetable products to Asia and domestically to Wal-Mart. The Technology
Licensing segment licenses Landec’s patented Intellicoat seed coatings to the
farming industry and licenses the Company’s Intelimer polymers for personal care
products and other industrial products. Corporate includes corporate general and
administrative expenses, non Food Products Technology interest income and
Company-wide income tax expenses. All of the assets of the Company are located
within the United States of America. The Company’s international
sales are primarily to Canada, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Japan. Operations by
business segment consisted of the following (in thousands):
Three
Months Ended August 30, 2009
|
Food
Products
Technology
|
Trading
|
Technology
Licensing
|
Corporate
|
TOTAL
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 41,856 | $ | 17,702 | $ | 1,385 | $ | — | $ | 60,943 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 3,436 | $ | 15,950 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 19,386 | ||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 6,381 | $ | 1,104 | $ | 1,385 | $ | — | $ | 8,870 | ||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 3,398 | $ | 578 | $ | 740 | $ | (2,532 | ) | $ | 2,184 | |||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
$ | 716 | $ | 3 | $ | 43 | $ | — | $ | 762 | ||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ | 32 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 256 | $ | 288 | ||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 1 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 1 | ||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
$ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 1,282 | $ | 1,282 | ||||||||||
Three
Months Ended August 31, 2008
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 43,814 | $ | 26,297 | $ | 1,642 | $ | — | $ | 71,753 | ||||||||||
International
sales
|
$ | 4,147 | $ | 21,693 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 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 |
-15-
During the three months ended August
30, 2009 and August 31, 2008, sales to the Company’s top five customers
accounted for 50% and 49%, respectively, of revenues with the Company’s top
customer from the Food Products Technology segment, Costco Wholesale Corp.,
accounting for 19% for both of the three months ended August 30, 2009 and August
31, 2008. 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.
13.
|
Subsequent
Events
|
The
Company evaluated subsequent events in accordance with SFAS No. 165 “Subsequent Events” through
the financials statements filing date of September 30, 2009.
-16-
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
31, 2009.
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 Form 10-Q and, in
particular the factors described below in Part II-Item 1A of the Form 10-Q and
those mentioned in Landec’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
May 31, 2009. 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
31, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4,
2009.
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”).
-17-
Landec was incorporated on October 31,
1986. We completed our initial public offering in 1996 and our Common
Stock is listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LNDC.” Our
principal executive offices are located at 3603 Haven Avenue, Menlo Park,
California 94025 and our telephone number is (650) 306-1650.
Description
of Core Business
Landec participates in three core
business segments– Food Products Technology, Commodity Trading and Technology
Licensing.
Food
Products Technology Business
The Company began marketing its
proprietary Intelimer-based BreatheWay® membranes in 1996 for use in the
fresh-cut produce packaging market, one of the fastest growing segments in the
produce industry. Landec’s proprietary BreatheWay packaging technology
when combined with fresh-cut or whole produce results in packaged produce with
increased shelf life and reduced shrink (waste) without the need for ice during
the distribution cycle. The resulting products are referred to as
“value-added” products. In 1999, the Company acquired Apio, its then
largest customer in the Food Products Technology business and one of the
nation’s leading marketers and packers of produce and specialty packaged
fresh-cut vegetables. Apio utilizes state-of-the-art fresh-cut
produce processing technology and year-round access to specialty packaged
produce products which Apio distributes to the top U.S. retail grocery chains,
major club stores and to the foodservice industry. The Company’s proprietary
BreatheWay packaging business has been combined with Apio into a subsidiary that
retains the Apio, Inc. name. This vertical integration within the
Food Products Technology business gives Landec direct access to the large and
growing fresh-cut and whole produce market. During the fiscal year
ended May 31, 2009, Apio shipped nearly sixteen 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.
-18-
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 13 new products.
Apio
established its Apio Packaging division in 2005 to advance the sales of
BreatheWay packaging technology for shelf-life sensitive vegetables and
fruit.
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.
In 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 packaged in Landec’s BreatheWay packaging into the food service
industry began late in fiscal year 2008 and market trials are currently underway
for retail applications.
The Company’s specialty packaging for
case liner products reduces freight expense up to 50% for certain produce
commodities by eliminating the weight and space consumed by ice. In
addition to reducing the cost of freight, the removal of ice from the
distribution system offers additional benefits.
Product
enhancements in the fresh-cut vegetable line include fresh-cut vegetable trays
designed to look like they were freshly made in the retail grocery store or at
home. The rectangular tray design is convenient for storage in
consumers’ refrigerators and expands the Company’s wide-ranging vegetable tray
line.
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. Apio is now an approved vendor for
its BreatheWay packaging technology to the U.S. Military.
In June
2008, Apio entered into a collaboration agreement with Seminis Vegetable Seeds,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monsanto, to develop novel broccoli and
cauliflower products for the exclusive sale by Apio in the North American
market. These novel products will be packaged in Landec’s proprietary
BreatheWay packaging and will be sold to retail grocery chains, club stores and
the food service industry. Field trials for the initial target
varieties began in the Fall of 2008.
In
addition, the Company has commercialized new lines of fresh cut vegetable side
dishes, vegetable salads and vegetable snacks.
Commodity
Trading Business
Commodity
Trading revenues consist of revenues generated from the purchase and sale of
primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asia through Apio’s
export company, Cal-Ex, and from the purchase and sale of whole commodity fruit
and vegetable products domestically to Wal-Mart. The Commodity
Trading business is a buy/sell business that realizes a commission-based margin
on average in the 5-6% range.
-19-
Technology
Licensing Businesses
The
Technology and Market Opportunity: Intellicoat Seed Coatings
Following
the sale of FCD, Landec Ag’s strategy has been to work closely with Monsanto to
further develop our patented, functional polymer coating technology for sale
and/or licensing to the seed industry. In accordance with its
license, supply and R&D agreement with Monsanto, Landec Ag is currently
focused on commercializing products for the seed corn market and then plans 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 2009 Pollinator Plus was used by 18 seed companies on
approximately 22% of the seed corn production acres in the U.S.
Monsanto
announced last year that it 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. During fiscal year 2009, we
focused on validating the use of Landec’s coating technology for these
applications.
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 our 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.
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 material to the Company’s financial
results
-20-
Medical
Applications
In
December 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 May
31, 2009 represented a 17.3% 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 8/30/09
|
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Change
|
||||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$ | 41,292 | $ | 43,002 | (4 | )% | ||||||
Apio
Packaging
|
564 | 812 | (31 | )% | ||||||||
Apio
Tech. Subtotal
|
41,856 | 43,814 | (4 | )% | ||||||||
Commodity
Trading
|
17,702 | 26,297 | (33 | )% | ||||||||
Total
Apio
|
59,558 | 70,111 | (15 | )% | ||||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,385 | 1,642 | (16 | )% | ||||||||
Total
Revenues
|
$ | 60,943 | $ | 71,753 | (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
decrease in Apio’s value-added revenues for the three months ended August 30,
2009 compared to the first quarter of last year was primarily due to
the fact that the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 included 14 weeks of
revenue compared to 13 weeks during the first quarter of fiscal year
2010.
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
decrease in Apio packaging revenues for the three months ended August 30, 2009
compared to the same period last year was primarily due to the reduction in
contractual minimum payments received from Chiquita under 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 2010 was $16.0 million or 90% of total trading
revenues.
-21-
The
decrease in revenues in Apio’s trading business for the three months ended
August 30, 2009 compared to the same period last year was due to a 26% decrease
in export sales volumes as a result of a decreased supply of produce to export,
primarily fruit, and a $2.9 million decrease in domestic commodity sales to
Wal-Mart due to the planned exiting of most of our domestic buy/sell business
with Wal-Mart. In addition, the first quarter of fiscal year 2009
included 14 weeks of revenue compared to 13 weeks during the first quarter of
fiscal year 2010.
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 30,
2009 compared to the same period of the prior year was not significant to
consolidated Landec revenues.
Gross Profit (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 8/30/09
|
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Change
|
||||||||||
Apio
Value Added
|
$ | 5,865 | $ | 6,580 | (11 | )% | ||||||
Apio
Packaging
|
516 | 703 | (27 | )% | ||||||||
Apio
Tech. Subtotal
|
6,381 | 7,283 | (12 | )% | ||||||||
Commodity
Trading
|
1,104 | 1,198 | (8 | )% | ||||||||
Total
Apio
|
7,485 | 8,481 | (12 | )% | ||||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
1,385 | 1,642 | (16 | )% | ||||||||
Total
Gross Profit
|
$ | 8,870 | $ | 10,123 | (12 | )% |
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 2010 compared to the same period last year as
outlined in the table above.
Apio Value-Added
The decrease in gross profit for Apio’s
value-added specialty packaged vegetable business for the three months ended
August 30, 2009 compared to the same period last year was primarily due to the
decrease in revenues of 4% during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 compared
to the first quarter of last year coupled with an increase in the cost of
produce during this year’s first quarter compared to last year’s first
quarter. In addition, the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 included
14 weeks of gross profit compared to 13 weeks during the first quarter of fiscal
year 2010.
Apio Packaging
The decrease in gross profit for Apio
Packaging for the three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to the same period
last year was primarily due to the reduction of contractual minimum payments
received from Chiquita under 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 decrease in gross profit for Apio’s commodity trading
business during the three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to the same
period last year was primarily due to a 33% decrease in revenues. In
addition, the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 included 14 weeks of gross
profit compared to 13 weeks during the first quarter of fiscal year
2010. The decrease in revenues was greater than the
decrease in gross profit because the decrease in revenues was primarily due to
decreased domestic commodity volume sales which is a 2% margin business and
decreased export of fruit which realizes lower gross margins than the gross
margins realized from the export of vegetables.
-22-
Technology
Licensing
The
decrease in Technology Licensing gross profit for the three months ended August
30, 2009 compared to the same period of the prior year was not significant to
consolidated Landec gross profit.
Operating Expenses (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 8/30/09
|
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Change
|
||||||||||
Research
and Development:
|
||||||||||||
Apio
|
$ | 294 | $ | 351 | (16 | )% | ||||||
Tech.
Licensing
|
645 | 537 | 20 | % | ||||||||
Total
R&D
|
$ | 939 | $ | 888 | 6 | % | ||||||
Selling,
General and Administrative:
|
||||||||||||
Apio
|
$ | 3,063 | $ | 3,500 | (12 | )% | ||||||
Corporate
|
1,507 | 1,176 | 28 | % | ||||||||
Total
S,G&A
|
$ | 4,570 | $ | 4,676 | (2 | )% |
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 30, 2009 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 decrease in selling, general and
administrative expenses for the three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to
the same period last year was not significant.
Other (in
thousands):
Three months
ended 8/30/09
|
Three months
ended 8/31/08
|
Change
|
||||||||||
Interest
Income
|
$ | 288 | $ | 357 | (19 | )% | ||||||
Interest
Expense
|
$ | (1 | ) | $ | (2 | ) | (50 | )% | ||||
Income
Taxes
|
$ | 1,282 | $ | 1,911 | 33 | % | ||||||
Noncontrolling
interest
|
$ | 182 | $ | 164 | 11 | % |
Interest
Income
The decrease in interest income for the
three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to the same period last year was
primarily due to lower yields on investments due to declines in interest
rates.
-23-
Interest Expense
The decrease in interest expense during
the three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to the same period last year was
not significant.
Income Taxes
The decrease in the income tax expense
is due to a 26% decrease in net income before taxes during the three months
ended August 30, 2009 compared to the same period last year and a decrease in
the Company’s effective tax rate, after taking into account the expense for
noncontrolling interest, to 37% for the three months ended August 30, 2009
compared to 40% for the same period last year.
Noncontrolling Interest
The noncontrolling interest consists of
the limited partners’ equity interest in the net income of Apio Cooling,
LP.
The increase in the noncontrolling
interest for the three months ended August 30, 2009 compared to the first
quarter of last year was not significant.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of August 30, 2009, the Company had
cash and cash equivalents of $4.0 million, a net decrease of $39.5 million from
$43.5 million at May 31, 2009.
Cash Flow from Operating
Activities
Landec generated $4.3 million of cash
flow from operating activities during the three months ended August 30, 2009
compared to generating $2.2 million of cash flow from operating activities for
the three months ended August 31, 2008. The primary sources of
cash from operating activities during the three months ended August 30, 2009
were from (1) generating $2.2 million of net income, (2) non-cash related net
expenses of $816,000 and (3) a net increase of $1.3 million in working
capital. The primary changes in working capital were (a) a $4.0
million increase in accounts receivable due to August 2009 revenues being
considerably higher than May 2009 revenues, (b) a $2.6 million increase in
inventories resulting from the timing of receipts and the build up of
inventories in advance of the holiday season, (c) a $7.2 million increase in
accounts payable resulting from the timing of payments and the increase in cost
of sales due to August 2009 cost of sales being higher than May 2009 cost of
sales, and (d) a $1.2 million decrease in deferred revenue primarily due to
recognizing $1.4 million of revenue associated with deferred revenue from the
Monsanto licensing agreement during the first three months of fiscal year
2010.
Cash Flow from Investing
Activities
Net cash used in investing activities
for the three months ended August 30, 2009 was $44.3 million compared to $2.5
million for the same period last year. The primary uses of cash in
investing activities during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 were for the
purchase of $1.3 million of property, plant and equipment primarily for the
further expansion of Apio’s value-added processing facility and the further
automation of Apio’s value-added processing facility and from the net purchase
of $43.0 million of marketable securities.
Cash Flow from Financing
Activities
Net cash provided by financing
activities for the three months ended August 30, 2009 was $569,000 compared to
$1.7 million for the same period last year. The source of cash from
financing activities during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 was the tax
benefit from stock-based compensation of $622,000.
-24-
Capital
Expenditures
During the three months ended August
30, 2009, Landec started the expansion of Apio’s value-added processing facility
and purchased vegetable processing equipment to support the further automation
of Apio’s value added processing facility. These expenditures
represented the majority of the $1.3 million of capital
expenditures.
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 cash from
operations, along with existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities
will be sufficient to finance its operational and capital requirements for at
least the next twelve months.
Item
3. Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
None.
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 30, 2009 that
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our
internal controls over financial reporting.
-25-
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
The
Company is involved in litigation arising in the normal course of
business. The Company is currently not a party to any legal
proceedings which management believes could result in the payment of any amounts
that would be material to the business or financial condition of the
Company.
Item 1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
The risk factors set forth below
include and material changes to, and supersede the descriptions of, the risk
factors disclosed in Item 1A of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended May
31, 2009.
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 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.
The
United States’ Economy is Currently Undergoing a Period of Slowdown and
Unprecedented Volatility, Which May Have an Adverse Effect on Our
Business
The U.S.
and international economy and financial markets have experienced significant
slowdown and volatility due to uncertainties related to the availability of
credit, energy prices, difficulties in the banking and financial services
sectors, softness in the housing market, severely diminished market liquidity,
geopolitical conflicts, falling consumer confidence and rising unemployment
rates. This slowdown has and could further lead to reduced demand for our
products, which in turn, would reduce our revenues and adversely affect our
business, financial condition and results of operations. In
particular, the slowdown and volatility in the global markets have resulted in
softer demand and more conservative purchasing decisions by customers, including
a tendency toward lower-priced products, which could negatively impact our
revenues, gross margins and results of operations. In addition to a
reduction in sales, our profitability may decrease during downturns because we
may not be able to reduce costs at the same rate as our sales decline. These
slowdowns are expected to worsen if current economic conditions are prolonged or
deteriorate further. We cannot predict the ultimate severity or length of the
current economic crisis, or the timing or severity of future economic or
industry downturns.
Given the
current unfavorable economic environment, our customers may have difficulties
obtaining capital at adequate or historical levels to finance their ongoing
business and operations, which could impair their ability to make timely
payments to us. This may result in lower sales and/or additional
inventory or bad debt expense for Landec. In addition to the impact
of the economic downturn on our customers, some of our vendors and growers may
experience a reduction in their availability of funds and cash flows, which
could negatively impact their business as well as ours. A continuing
or deepening downturn of the U.S. economy, including increased volatility in the
credit markets, could adversely impact our customers’ and vendors’ ability or
willingness to conduct business with us on the same terms or at the same levels
as they have historically.
We are
unable to predict the likely duration and severity of the current disruption in
the financial markets and adverse economic conditions in the U.S. and other
countries and such conditions, if they persist or worsen, will further adversely
impact our business, operating results, and financial
condition. Further, these conditions and uncertainty about future
economic conditions make it challenging for Landec to forecast its operating
results, make business decisions, and identify the risks that may affect its
business, sources and use of cash, financial condition and results of
operations.
-26-
Our
Future Operating Results Are Likely to Fluctuate Which May Cause Our Stock Price
to Decline
In the past, our results of operations
have fluctuated significantly from quarter to quarter and are expected to
continue to fluctuate in the future. Historically, Landec Ag has been
the primary source of these fluctuations, as its revenues and profits were
concentrated over a few months during the spring planting season (generally
during our third and fourth fiscal quarters). In addition, Apio can
be heavily affected by seasonal and weather factors which have impacted
quarterly results, such as the high cost of sourcing product in June/July 2006
and January 2007 due to a shortage of essential value-added produce
items. Our earnings may also fluctuate based on our ability to
collect accounts receivables from customers and note receivables from growers
and on price fluctuations in the fresh vegetables and fruits
markets. Other factors that affect our food and/or agricultural
operations include:
|
the
seasonality of our supplies;
|
|
our
ability to process produce during critical harvest
periods;
|
|
the
timing and effects of ripening;
|
|
the
degree of perishability;
|
|
the
effectiveness of worldwide distribution
systems;
|
|
total
worldwide industry volumes;
|
|
the
seasonality of consumer demand;
|
|
foreign
currency fluctuations; and
|
|
foreign
importation restrictions and foreign political
risks.
|
As a result of these and other factors,
we expect to continue to experience fluctuations in quarterly operating
results.
We
May Not Be Able to Achieve Acceptance of Our New Products in the
Marketplace
Our success in generating significant
sales of our products will depend in part on the ability of us and our partners
and licensees to achieve market acceptance of our new products and
technology. The extent to which, and rate at which, we achieve market
acceptance and penetration of our current and future products is a function of
many variables including, but not limited to:
|
price;
|
|
safety;
|
|
efficacy;
|
|
reliability;
|
|
conversion
costs;
|
|
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.
-27-
We
Face Strong Competition in the Marketplace
Competitors may succeed in developing
alternative technologies and products that are more effective, easier to use or
less expensive than those which have been or are being developed by us or that
would render our technology and products obsolete and
non-competitive. We operate in highly competitive and rapidly
evolving fields, and new developments are expected to continue at a rapid
pace. Competition from large food products, agricultural, industrial
and medical companies is expected to be intense. In addition, the
nature of our collaborative arrangements may result in our corporate partners
and licensees becoming our competitors. Many of these competitors
have substantially greater financial and technical resources and production and
marketing capabilities than we do, and may have substantially greater experience
in conducting clinical and field trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and
manufacturing and marketing commercial products.
We
Have a Concentration of Manufacturing in One Location for Apio and May Have to
Depend on Third Parties to Manufacture Our Products
Any disruptions in our primary
manufacturing operation at Apio’s facility in Guadalupe, California would reduce
our ability to sell our products and would have a material adverse effect on our
financial results. Additionally, we may need to consider seeking
collaborative arrangements with other companies to manufacture our
products. If we become dependent upon third parties for the
manufacture of our products, our profit margins and our ability to develop and
deliver those products on a timely basis may be affected. Failures by
third parties may impair our ability to deliver products on a timely basis and
impair our competitive position. We may not be able to continue to
successfully operate our manufacturing operations at acceptable costs, with
acceptable yields, and retain adequately trained personnel.
Our
Dependence on Single-Source Suppliers and Service Providers May Cause Disruption
in Our Operations Should Any Supplier Fail to Deliver Materials
We may experience difficulty acquiring
materials or services for the manufacture of our products or we may not be able
to obtain substitute vendors. We may not be able to procure
comparable materials at similar prices and terms within a reasonable
time. Several services that are provided to Apio are obtained
from a single provider. Several of the raw materials we use to
manufacture our products are currently purchased from a single source, including
some monomers used to synthesize Intelimer polymers and substrate materials for
our breathable membrane products. Any interruption of our
relationship with single-source suppliers or service providers could delay
product shipments and materially harm our business.
We
May Be Unable to Adequately Protect Our Intellectual Property
Rights
We may receive notices from third
parties, including some of our competitors, claiming infringement by our
products of patent and other proprietary rights. Regardless of their
merit, responding to any such claim could be time-consuming, result in costly
litigation and require us to enter royalty and licensing agreements which may
not be offered or available on terms acceptable to us. If a
successful claim is made against us and we fail to develop or license a
substitute technology, we could be required to alter our products or processes
and our business, results of operations or financial position could be
materially adversely affected. Our success depends in large part on
our ability to obtain patents, maintain trade secret protection and operate
without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties. Any
pending patent applications we file may not be approved and we may not be able
to develop additional proprietary products that are patentable. Any
patents issued to us may not provide us with competitive advantages or may be
challenged by third parties. Patents held by others may prevent the
commercialization of products incorporating our
technology. Furthermore, others may independently develop similar
products, duplicate our products or design around our patents.
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.
-28-
Federal, state and local regulations
impose various environmental controls on the use, storage, discharge or disposal
of toxic, volatile or otherwise hazardous chemicals and gases used in some of
the manufacturing processes. Our failure to control the use of, or to
restrict adequately the discharge of, hazardous substances under present or
future regulations could subject us to substantial liability or could cause our
manufacturing operations to be suspended and changes in environmental
regulations may impose the need for additional capital equipment or other
requirements.
Our agricultural operations are subject
to a variety of environmental laws including, the Food Quality Protection Act of
1966, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act. Compliance with these laws and related regulations is an ongoing
process. Environmental concerns are, however, inherent in most
agricultural operations, including those we conduct. Moreover, it is
possible that future developments, such as increasingly strict environmental
laws and enforcement policies could result in increased compliance
costs.
The Company is subject to the
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) law. PACA regulates
fair trade standards in the fresh produce industry and governs all the products
sold by Apio. Our failure to comply with the PACA requirements could
among other things, result in civil penalties, suspension or revocation of a
license to sell produce, and in the most egregious cases, criminal prosecution,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Adverse
Weather Conditions and Other Acts of God May Cause Substantial Decreases in Our
Sales and/or Increases in Our Costs
Our Food Products Technology 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.
-29-
We are subject to USDA rules and
regulations concerning the safety of the food products handled and sold by Apio,
and the facilities in which they are packed and processed. Failure to
comply with the applicable regulatory requirements can, among other things,
result in:
fines,
injunctions, civil penalties, and suspensions,
withdrawal
of regulatory approvals,
product
recalls and product seizures, including cessation of manufacturing and
sales,
operating
restrictions, and
criminal
prosecution.
We may be required to incur significant
costs to comply with the laws and regulations in the future which may have a
material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition.
Our
International Operations and Sales May Expose Our Business to Additional
Risks
For the three months ended August 30,
2009, approximately 32% 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 the three months ended August
30, 2009, sales to our top five customers accounted for approximately 50% 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.
-30-
Our
Sale of Some Products May Increase Our Exposure to Product Liability
Claims
The testing, manufacturing, marketing,
and sale of the products we develop involve an inherent risk of allegations of
product liability. If any of our products were determined or alleged
to be contaminated or defective or to have caused a harmful accident to an
end-customer, we could incur substantial costs in responding to complaints or
litigation regarding our products and our product brand image could be
materially damaged. Either event may have a material adverse effect
on our business, operating results and financial condition. Although
we have taken and intend to continue to take what we believe are appropriate
precautions to minimize exposure to product liability claims, we may not be able
to avoid significant liability. We currently maintain product
liability insurance. While we believe the coverage and limits are
consistent with industry standards, our coverage may not be adequate or may not
continue to be available at an acceptable cost, if at all. A product
liability claim, product recall or other claim with respect to uninsured
liabilities or in excess of insured liabilities could have a material adverse
effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our
Stock Price May Fluctuate in Accordance with Market Conditions
The following events may cause the
market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly:
technological
innovations applicable to our products,
our
attainment of (or failure to attain) milestones in the commercialization of our
technology,
our
development of new products or the development of new products by our
competitors,
new
patents or changes in existing patents applicable to our
products,
our
acquisition of new businesses or the sale or disposal of a part of our
businesses,
development
of new collaborative arrangements by us, our competitors or other
parties,
changes
in government regulations applicable to our business,
changes
in investor perception of our business,
fluctuations
in our operating results and
changes
in the general market conditions in our industry.
These
broad fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common
stock.
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.
-31-
We
May Issue Preferred Stock with Preferential Rights that Could Affect Your
Rights
Our Board of Directors has the
authority, without further approval of our stockholders, to fix the rights and
preferences, and to issue shares, of preferred stock. In November
1999, we issued and sold shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and in
October 2001 we issued and sold shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.
The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock was converted into 1,666,670 shares of
Common Stock in November 2002 and the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock was
converted into 1,744,102 shares of Common Stock in
May 2004.
The
issuance of new shares of preferred stock could have the effect of making it
more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding stock,
and the holders of such preferred stock could have voting, dividend, liquidation
and other rights superior to those of holders of our Common Stock.
We
Have Never Paid any Dividends on Our Common Stock
We have
not paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock since inception and do not
expect to do so in the foreseeable future. Any dividends may be
subject to preferential dividends payable on any preferred stock we may
issue.
Our
Profitability Could Be Materially and Adversely Affected if it Is Determined
that the Book Value of Goodwill is Higher than Fair Value
Our balance sheet includes an amount
designated as “goodwill” that represents a portion of our assets and our
stockholders’ equity. Goodwill arises when an acquirer pays more for
a business than the fair value of the tangible and separately measurable
intangible net assets. Under Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 142 “Goodwill
and Other Intangible Assets”, beginning in fiscal year 2002, the
amortization of goodwill has been replaced with an “impairment test” which
requires that we compare the fair value of goodwill to its book value at least
annually and more frequently if circumstances indicate a possible
impairment. If we determine at any time in the future that the book
value of goodwill is higher than fair value then the difference must be
written-off, which could materially and adversely affect our
profitability.
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.
|
-32-
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: September
30, 2009
-33-