Planet Green Holdings Corp. - Quarter Report: 2007 June (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10 Q
(Mark
One)
x
QUARTERLY REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the
quarterly period ended: June 30, 2007
o
TRANSITION REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission
File No. 0-31619
AMERICAN
LORAIN CORPORATION
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
87-0430320
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or Organization)
|
(IRS
Employer ID No.)
|
Beihuan
Zhong Road
Junan
County
Shandong,
China 276600
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(86) 539-7318818
(Issuer's
telephone number)
Check
whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13
or
15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period
that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject
to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
x
No o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a larger accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one)
Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer x |
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
No x
The
numbers of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common equity,
as of August 20, 2007, are as follows:
Class
of Securities
|
Shares
Outstanding
|
Common
Stock, $0.001 par value
|
24,923,178
|
Table
of
Contents
Page
|
|||
Part
I - Financial Information
|
|||
Item
1
|
Financial
Statements
|
3
|
|
Item
2
|
Management's
Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation
|
18
|
|
Item
3
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
|
|
Part
II - Other Information
|
|||
Item
1
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
31
|
|
Item
2
|
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
47
|
|
Item
3
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
48
|
|
Item
4
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
48
|
|
Item
5
|
Other
Information
|
48
|
|
Item
6
|
Exhibits
|
48
|
|
Signatures
|
49
|
2
PART
I FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
ITEM
1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AMERICAL
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
|
AS
OF JUNE 30, 2007 AND DECEMBER 31, 2006
|
(Stated
in U.S. Dollars)
|
Notes
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||||
Current
assets
|
||||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
2,526,427
|
$
|
2,316,425
|
||||||
Restricted
cash
|
3
|
6,536,540
|
2,549,321
|
|||||||
Short
term Investment
|
6,951
|
26,618
|
||||||||
Trade
accounts receivable
|
4
|
8,903,779
|
11,805,229
|
|||||||
Prepayments
for raw materials
|
3,353,642
|
2,406,161
|
||||||||
Income
tax prepayment
|
-
|
38,375
|
||||||||
Other
receivables
|
9,637,204
|
4,466,169
|
||||||||
Inventories
|
5
|
13,773,027
|
12,294,354
|
|||||||
Total
current assets
|
$
|
44,737,570
|
$
|
35,902,652
|
||||||
Other
Assets
|
||||||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
|
6
|
13,100,394
|
8,883,464
|
|||||||
Leasehold
land, net
|
7
|
2,852,723
|
2,777,476
|
|||||||
Total
Non Current Assets
|
$
|
15,953,117
|
$
|
11,660,940
|
||||||
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
$
|
60,690,687
|
$
|
47,563,592
|
||||||
LIABILITIES
AND
|
||||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
||||||||||
Current
liabilities
|
||||||||||
Short
term bank loans
|
$
|
16,062,061
|
$
|
21,858,467
|
||||||
Current
maturities of long term debts
|
-
|
5,117
|
||||||||
Accounts
and notes payable
|
3,615,618
|
5,262,549
|
||||||||
Customers’
deposits
|
727,216
|
843,089
|
||||||||
Accrued
expenses and other
|
5,938,551
|
10,228,267
|
||||||||
Income
tax payable
|
307,376
|
402,217
|
||||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
$
|
26,650,822
|
$
|
38,599,706
|
||||||
Long
term bank loans
|
1,416,921
|
1,384,741
|
||||||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES
|
$
|
28,067,743
|
$
|
39,984,447
|
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements and accountant's report
3
AMERICAL
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)
|
AS
OF JUNE 30, 2007 AND DECEMBER 31, 2006
|
(Stated
in US Dollars)
|
Notes
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||
Minority
interests
|
$
|
3,629,879
|
$
|
3,474,042
|
||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
||||||||||
Series
A voting convertible preferred stock
|
||||||||||
$0.001
par value, 100,000 shares
|
||||||||||
authorized;
100,000 shares issued but
|
||||||||||
immediately
converted to common stock
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||||
Series
B voting convertible preferred stock
|
||||||||||
$0.001
par value, 1,000,000 shares
|
||||||||||
authorized;
996,718.78 shares issued but
|
||||||||||
immediately
converted to common stock
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||
Common
stock, $0.001 par value,
|
||||||||||
200,000,000
shares authorized;
|
||||||||||
35,111,908
and 28,121,507 shares issued
|
||||||||||
and
outstanding at June 30, 2007 and
|
||||||||||
December
31, 2006
|
8
|
35,112
|
28,122
|
|||||||
Additional
Paid-in Capital
|
8
|
20,349,190
|
-
|
|||||||
Statutory
reserves
|
2,495,587
|
904,594
|
||||||||
Retained
earnings
|
4,589,115
|
3,141,804
|
||||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
|
1,524,061
|
30,583
|
||||||||
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
|
$
|
28,993,065
|
$
|
4,105,103
|
||||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND
|
||||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
$
|
60,690,687
|
$
|
47,563,592
|
||||||
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements and accountant's report
4
AMERICAL
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
|
FOR
THE PERIODS ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND 2006
|
(Stated
in US Dollars)
|
Six
months ended June 30,
|
|
Three
months ended June 30,
|
||||||||||||||
Note
|
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||||
Revenue
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
revenues
|
$
|
25,242,021
|
$
|
15,090,325
|
$
|
13,343,209
|
$
|
9,502,539
|
||||||||
Cost
of revenues
|
(19,341,479
|
)
|
(11,725,331
|
)
|
(10,388,680
|
)
|
(7,438,589
|
)
|
||||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,900,542
|
3,364,994
|
2,954,529
|
2,063,950
|
||||||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
||||||||||||||||
Selling
and marketing expenses
|
(422,750
|
)
|
(623,870
|
)
|
(296,917
|
)
|
(327,225
|
)
|
||||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(820,140
|
)
|
(673,868
|
)
|
(460,141
|
)
|
(311,905
|
)
|
||||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
4,657,652
|
2,067,256
|
2,197,471
|
1,424,820
|
||||||||||||
Finance
costs, net
|
(1,303,281
|
)
|
(744,074
|
)
|
(764,201
|
)
|
(379,687
|
)
|
||||||||
Government
grant
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(2,910
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Sundry
|
33,824
|
15,704
|
26,103
|
15,704
|
||||||||||||
Other
income
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(58,751
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Other
expenses
|
9
|
(1,333,429
|
)
|
(34,148
|
)
|
(1,329,203
|
)
|
(3,901
|
)
|
|||||||
Income
before taxation
|
2,054,766
|
1,304,738
|
130,170
|
995,275
|
||||||||||||
Income
tax
|
10
|
(615,577
|
)
|
(270,129
|
)
|
(285,597
|
)
|
(190,878
|
)
|
|||||||
Net
income before minority interests
|
1,439,189
|
1,034,609
|
(155,427
|
)
|
804,397
|
|||||||||||
Minority
interests
|
(155,837
|
)
|
4,283
|
(54,442
|
)
|
484,652
|
||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
1,283,352
|
$
|
1,038,892
|
$
|
(209,869
|
)
|
$
|
1,289,049
|
|||||||
Net
income per share, basic and
|
||||||||||||||||
diluted
|
$
|
0.0366
|
$
|
0.0295
|
$
|
(0.00746
|
)
|
$
|
0.0458
|
|||||||
Weighted
average shares
|
||||||||||||||||
outstanding
of common stock
|
35,111,908
|
35,111,908
|
28,121,507
|
28,121,507
|
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements and accountant's report
5
AMERICAL
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
FOR
THE SIX-MONTHS AND THREE-MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND
2006
|
(Stated
in US Dollars)
|
Six
months ended June 30,
|
Three
months ended June 30,
|
||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Cash
Flows from Operating Activities
|
|||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
1,283,352
|
$
|
1,038,892
|
$
|
(209,869
|
)
|
$
|
1,289,049
|
||||
Depreciation
|
345,003
|
378,516
|
185,240
|
233,844
|
|||||||||
Amortization
|
24,019
|
24,019
|
5,981
|
13,593
|
|||||||||
Minority
interest
|
155,837
|
(4,283
|
)
|
54,442
|
(484,652
|
)
|
|||||||
Increase
in accounts and other receivables
|
(3,178,691
|
)
|
(4,681,372
|
)
|
(6,173,644
|
)
|
(9,068,823
|
)
|
|||||
(Increase)/decrease
in inventories
|
(1,478,673
|
)
|
(8,189,298
|
)
|
(2,565,667
|
)
|
(4,785,675
|
)
|
|||||
Increase/(decrease)
in accounts and other payables
|
(6,147,360
|
)
|
16,012,172
|
(7,514,109
|
)
|
13,034,878
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Net
cash (used in)/provided by operating activities
|
$
|
(8,996,513
|
)
|
$
|
4,578,646
|
$
|
(16,217,626
|
)
|
$
|
232,214
|
|||
Cash
Flows from Investing Activities
|
|||||||||||||
Purchase
of Landscaping,
plant and tree
|
(1,031,299
|
)
|
(1,000,000
|
)
|
(1,031,299
|
)
|
(1,000,000
|
)
|
|||||
Purchase
of plant and equipment
|
-
|
(7,506,599
|
)
|
(887,995
|
)
|
(6,898,494
|
)
|
||||||
Purchase
of leasehold land
|
-
|
(1,530,817
|
)
|
(1,530,817
|
)
|
||||||||
(Increase)/Decrease
in restricted cash
|
(3,987,219
|
)
|
2,838,067
|
(6,209,092
|
)
|
246,183
|
|||||||
Payment
of cost of lease payment
|
-
|
-
|
1,081,811
|
105,259
|
|||||||||
Investment
in short term securities
|
19,667
|
16,474
|
19,930
|
20,908
|
|||||||||
Construction
in Progress
|
(777,177
|
)
|
(500,000
|
)
|
(777,177
|
)
|
(500,000
|
)
|
|||||
Cash
(Used)/Sourced in Investing Activities
|
$
|
(5,776,028
|
)
|
(7,682,875
|
)
|
$
|
(7,803,822
|
)
|
$
|
(9,556,961
|
)
|
||
Cash
Flows from Financing Activities
|
|||||||||||||
Bank
borrowings, net of payment
|
(5,769,343
|
)
|
(2,675,029
|
)
|
(2,618,282
|
)
|
(51,170
|
)
|
|||||
Issue
of common stock
|
103,679
|
-
|
103,679
|
-
|
|||||||||
Additional
Paid-in capital
|
20,260,623
|
-
|
20,260,623
|
-
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Cash
(Used)/Sourced in Financing Activities
|
$
|
14,594,959
|
$
|
(2,675,029
|
)
|
$
|
17,746,020
|
$
|
(51,170
|
)
|
|||
Net
Increase in Cash & Cash Equivalents for the Period
|
$
|
(177,582
|
)
|
$
|
(5,779,258
|
)
|
$
|
(6,275,428
|
)
|
$
|
(9,375,917
|
)
|
|
Effect
of foreign currency translation on Cash & Cash
equivalents
|
387,585
|
(220,895
|
)
|
351,291
|
(750,574
|
)
|
|||||||
Cash
& Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period
|
2,316,425
|
7,429,038
|
8,450,565
|
11,555,376
|
|||||||||
Cash
& Cash Equivalents at End of Period
|
$
|
2,526,428
|
1,428,885
|
$
|
2,526,428
|
$
|
1,428,885
|
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements and accountant's report
6
1. ORGANIZATION,
BASIS OF PRESENTATION, AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
(a) |
Organization
history of American Lorain Corporation (formerly known as Millennium
Quest, Inc.)
|
American
Lorain Corporation (the “Company” or “ALC”) is a Delaware corporation
incorporated on February 4, 1986. From inception through May 3, 2007, the
Company did not engage in any active business operations other than in search
and evaluation of potential business opportunity to become an acquiree of a
reverse-merger deal.
(b) |
Organization
History of International Lorain Holding Inc. and its
subsidiaries
|
International
Lorain Holding Inc. (“ILH”) is a Cayman Islands company incorporated on August
4, 2006 and was wholly-owned by Mr. Hisashi Akazawa. Through restructuring
and
acquisition in 2006, the Company presently has two direct wholly-owned
subsidiaries, Junan Hongrun and Luotian Lorain, and one indirectly wholly-owned
subsidiary through Junan Hongrun, which is Beijing Lorain.
In
addition, the Company directly and indirectly has 80.2% ownership of Shandong
Lorain. The other 19.8% is owned by Shandong Economic Development Investment
Co.
Ltd., a State-owned entity is not included as a part of the Group.
(c) |
Reverse-Merger
|
On
May 3,
2007, the Company entered into a share exchange agreement with International
Lorain Holding Inc. (“ILH”) whereby the Company consummated its acquisition of
Lorain by issuance of 697,663 Series B voting convertible preferred shares
to
the shareholders of Lorain in exchange of 5,099,503 Lorain shares. Concurrently
on May 3, 2007, the Company issued 299,058.78 Series B voting convertible
preferred shares (which were later converted to 6,990,401 common shares) at
a
selling price of $2.87 per share to certain private investors.
The
share
exchange transaction and the private financing transaction are collectively
referred to hereafter as the “reverse-merger transaction.” The share exchange
transaction has been accounted for as a recapitalization of ALC where the
Company (the legal acquirer) is considered the accounting acquiree and ILH
(the
acquiree) is considered the accounting acquirer. As a result of this
transaction, the Company is deemed to be a continuation of the business of
ILH.
Accordingly,
the accompanying consolidated financial statements are those of the accounting
acquirer, ALC. The historical stockholders’ equity of the accounting acquirer
prior to the share exchange has been retroactively restated as if the share
exchange transaction occurred as of the beginning of the first period presented.
See also Note 12 Capitalization.
7
(d) |
Business
Activities
|
The
Company develops, manufactures, and sells convenience foods (such as cut fruit
and premixed salads, which are known as lightly processed; ready-to-cook (or
RTC) meals; ready-to-eat (or RTE) meals and meals ready-to-eat (or MRE);
chestnut products; and frozen, canned, and bulk foods, in hundreds of varieties.
The Company operates through indirect Chinese subsidiaries. The products are
sold in 19 provinces and administrative regions in China and 23 foreign
countries. Food products are categorized into three types: (1) chestnut
products, (2) convenience food, and (3) frozen, canned, and bulk
food.
2. SUMMARY
OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(a) |
Method
of Accounting
|
The
Company maintains its general ledger and journals with the accrual method
accounting for financial reporting purposes. The financial statements and notes
are representations of management. Accounting policies adopted by the Company
conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of
America and have been consistently applied in the presentation of financial
statements, which are compiled on the accrual basis of accounting.
(b) |
Principles
of Consolidation
|
The
consolidated financial statements which include the Company and its
subsidiaries, are compiled in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States of America. All significant inter-company
accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The consolidated financial
statements include 100% of assets, liabilities, and net income or loss of those
wholly-owned subsidiaries; ownership interest of minority investors are recorded
as minority interests.
The
Company owned the four subsidiaries since its reverse-merger on May 3, 2007.
As
of June 30, 2007, the detailed identities of the consolidating subsidiaries
are
as follows:
Name
of Company
|
Place
of incorporation
|
Attributable
equity interest %
|
Registered
capital
|
||||||||||
Shandong
Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd
|
PRC
|
80.2
|
$
|
12,901,823
|
(RMB
100,860,000
|
)
|
|||||||
Luotian
Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd
|
PRC
|
100
|
$
|
1,279,181
|
(RMB
10,000,000
|
)
|
|||||||
Junan
Hongrun Foodstuff Co., Ltd
|
PRC
|
100
|
$
|
2,430,445
|
(RMB
19,000,000
|
)
|
|||||||
Beijing
Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd
|
PRC
|
100
|
$
|
1,279,181
|
(RMB
10,000,000
|
)
|
(c) |
Use
of Estimates
|
The
preparation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States of America requires management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
during the reporting periods. Management makes these estimates using the best
information available at the time the estimates are made; however actual results
could differ materially from those estimates.
8
(d) |
Economic
and political risks
|
The
Company’s operations are conducted in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company’s
business, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced by
the
political, economic and legal environment in the PRC, and by the general state
of the PRC economy.
The
Company’s operations in the PRC are subject to special considerations and
significant risks not typically associated with companies in North America
and
Western Europe. These include risks associated with, among others, the
political, economic and legal environment and foreign currency exchange. The
Company’s results may be adversely affected by changes in the political and
social conditions in the PRC, and by changes in governmental policies with
respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary measures, currency
conversion, remittances abroad, and rates and methods of taxation, among other
things.
(e) |
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original
maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains
bank accounts only in the PRC. The Company does not maintain any bank accounts
in the United States of America.
(f) |
Trade
receivables
|
Trade
receivables are recognized and carried at the original invoice amount less
allowance for any uncollectible amounts. An estimate for doubtful accounts
is
made when collection of the full amount is no longer probable. Bad debts are
written off as incurred.
(g) |
Inventories
|
Inventories
consisting of finished goods and raw materials are stated at the lower of cost
or market value. Finished goods are comprised of direct materials, direct labor
and an appropriate proportion of overhead.
(h) |
Property,
plant and equipment
|
Plant
and
equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
provided over their estimated useful lives, using the straight-line method.
Estimated useful lives of the plant and equipment are as follows:
Buildings
|
40
years
|
Machinery
and equipment
|
10
years
|
Motor
vehicles
|
10
years
|
Office
equipment
|
5
years
|
9
The
cost
and related accumulated depreciation of assets sold or otherwise retired are
eliminated from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in the statement
of income. The cost of maintenance and repairs is charged to income as incurred,
whereas significant renewals and betterments are capitalized.
(i) |
Construction
in progress
|
Construction
in progress represents direct costs of construction or acquisition and design
fees incurred. Capitalization of these costs ceases and the construction in
progress is transferred to plant and equipment when substantially all the
activities necessary to prepare the assets for their intended use are completed.
No depreciation is provided until it is completed and ready for intended use.
(j) |
Leasehold
Land
|
Leasehold
Land represents the cost of land use rights in the PRC. Land use rights are
carried at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over the period of rights
of 50 years.
(k) |
Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived
Assets
|
The
long-lived assets held and used by the Company are reviewed for impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount
of
assets may not be recoverable. It is reasonably possible that these assets
could
become impaired as a result of technology or other industry changes.
Determination of recoverability of assets to be held and used is by comparing
the carrying amount of an asset to future net undiscounted cash flows to be
generated by the assets.
If
such
assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is
measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the
fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower
of
the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.
During
the reporting periods, there was no impairment loss.
(l) |
Investment
securities
|
The
Company classifies its equity securities into trading or available-for-sale.
Trading securities are bought and held principally for the purpose of selling
them in the near term. All securities not included in trading securities are
classified as available-for-sale.
Trading
and available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value. Unrealized holding
gains and losses on trading securities are included in the net income.
Unrealized holding gains and losses, net of the related tax effect, on available
for sale securities are excluded from net income and are reported as a separate
component of other comprehensive income until realized. Realized gains and
losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are determined on a
specific-identification basis.
A
decline
in the market value of any available-for-sale security below cost that is deemed
to be other-than-temporary results in a reduction in carrying amount to fair
value. The impairment is charged as an expense to the statement of income and
comprehensive income and a new cost basis for the security is established.
To
determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, the Company considers
whether it has the ability and intent to hold the investment until a market
price recovery and considers whether evidence indicating the cost of the
investment is recoverable outweighs evidence to the contrary. Evidence
considered in this assessment includes the reasons for the impairment, the
severity and duration of the impairment, changes in value subsequent to year
end, and forecasted performance of the investee.
10
Premiums
and discounts are amortized or accreted over the life of the related
available-for-sale security as an adjustment to yield using the
effective-interest method. Dividend and interest income are recognized when
earned.
(m) |
Customer
deposits
|
Customer
deposits were received from customers in connection with orders of products
to
be delivered in future periods.
(n) |
Statutory
reserves
|
Statutory
reserves are referring to the amount appropriated from the net income in
accordance with laws or regulations, which can be used to recover losses and
increase capital, as approved, and are to be used to expand production or
operations.
(o) |
Comprehensive
income
|
Comprehensive
income is defined to include all changes in equity except those resulting from
investments by owners and distributions to owners. Among other disclosures,
all
items that are required to be recognized under current accounting standards
as
components of comprehensive income are required to be reported in a financial
statement that is presented with the same prominence as other financial
statements. The Company’s current component of other comprehensive income is the
foreign currency translation adjustment.
(p) |
Revenue
recognition
|
The
Company's revenue recognition policies are in compliance with Staff accounting
bulletin (SAB) 104. Sales revenue is recognized at the date of shipment to
customers when a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable,
the delivery is completed, no other significant obligations of the Company
exist
and collectibility is reasonably assured. Payments received before all of the
relevant criteria for revenue recognition are satisfied are recorded as unearned
revenue.
The
Company's revenue consists of invoiced value of goods, net of a value-added
tax
(VAT). , No product return or sales discount allowance is made as products
delivered and accepted by customers are normally not returnable and sales
discount is normally not granted after products are delivered.
(q) |
Advertising
|
All
advertising costs are expensed as incurred.
(r) |
Shipping
and handling
|
All
shipping and handling are expensed as incurred.
11
(s) |
Research
and development
|
All
research and development costs are expensed as incurred.
(t) |
Retirement
benefits
|
Retirement
benefits in the form of contributions under defined contribution retirement
plans to the relevant authorities are charged to the pro forma consolidated
statement of income as incurred.
(u) |
Income
taxes
|
The
Company accounts for income tax using an asset and liability approach and allows
for recognition of deferred tax benefits in future years. Under the asset and
liability approach, deferred taxes are provided for the net tax effects of
temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
for
financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.
A
valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely
than not these items will either expire before the Company is able to realize
their benefits, or that future realization is uncertain.
(v) |
Earnings
per share
|
Basic
earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average
number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per
share is computed by dividing net income by the sum of the weighted average
number of ordinary shares outstanding and dilutive potential ordinary shares
during the years.
(w) |
Foreign
currency translation
|
The
accompanying financial statements are presented in United States dollars. The
functional currency of the Company is the Renminbi (RMB). The financial
statements are translated into United States dollars from RMB at year-end
exchange rates as to assets and liabilities and average exchange rates as to
revenues and expenses. Capital accounts are translated at their historical
exchange rates when the capital transactions occurred.
June
30, 2007
|
December
31, 2006
|
June
30, 2006
|
||||||||
Year
end RMB : US$ exchange rate
|
7.6248
|
7.8175
|
8.0065
|
|||||||
Average
yearly RMB : US$ exchange rate
|
7.72999
|
7.98189
|
8.03924
|
The
RMB
is not freely convertible into foreign currency and all foreign exchange
transactions must take place through authorized institutions. No representation
is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$
at
the rates used in translation.
12
(x) |
Commitments
and contingencies
|
Liabilities
for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines
and
penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability
has been incurred and the amount of the assessment can be reasonably
estimated.
(y) |
Segment
reporting
|
The
Company uses the “management approach” in determining reportable operating
segments. The management approach considers the internal organization and
reporting used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker for making
operating decisions and assessing performance as the source for determining
the
Company’s reportable segments.
(z) |
Recent
accounting pronouncements
|
In
July
2006, the FASB issued FIN 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an
Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, which clarifies the accounting for
uncertainty in tax positions. This Interpretation requires that the Company
recognizes in its consolidated financial statements the impact of a tax position
if that position is more likely than not of being sustained on audit, based
on
the technical merits of the position. The provisions of FIN 48 are effective
for
the Company on January 1, 2007, with the cumulative effect of the change in
accounting principle, if any, recorded as an adjustment to opening retained
earnings.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS 157, Fair Value Measurements, which defines
fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally
accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. SFAS 157 applies under other accounting pronouncements that
require or permit fair value measurements, where fair value is the relevant
measurement attribute. The standard does not require any new fair value
measurements. SFAS 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal
years.
In
September 2006, the SEC issued SAB No. 108, which provides guidance on the
process of quantifying financial statement misstatements. In SAB No. 108, the
SEC staff establishes an approach that requires quantification of financial
statement errors, under both the iron-curtain and the roll-over methods, based
on the effects of the error on each of the Company’s financial statements and
the related financial statement disclosures. SAB No.108 is generally effective
for annual financial statements in the first fiscal year ending after November
15, 2006. The transition provisions of SAB No. 108 permits existing public
companies to record the cumulative effect in the first year ending after
November 15, 2006 by recording correcting adjustments to the carrying values
of
assets and liabilities as of the beginning
of that year with the offsetting adjustment recorded to the opening balance
of
retained earnings.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—Including an Amendment of SFAS 115”
(SFAS No. 159), which allows for the option to measure financial instruments
and
certain other items at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on items for
which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings. The
objective of SFAS 159 is to provide opportunities to mitigate volatility in
reported earnings caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently
without having to apply hedge accounting provisions. SFAS 159 also establishes
presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate comparisons
between companies that choose different measurement attributes for similar
types
of assets and liabilities. This statement is effective for financial statements
issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company is
currently evaluating the impact of SFAS No. 159 on our consolidated financial
statements.
13
The
Company does not anticipate that the adoption of the above standards will have
a
material impact on these consolidated financial statements.
3. RESTRICTED
CASH
Restricted
Cash represents cash placed with banks to secure banking facilities, which
are
comprised of loans and notes payable in addition to other
collateral.
4. TRADE
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Trade
accounts receivable
|
$
|
9,130,660
|
$
|
12,032,110
|
|||
Less:
Allowance for doubtful accounts
|
(221,881
|
)
|
(226,881
|
)
|
|||
$
|
8,903,779
|
$
|
11,805,229
|
||||
The
Group
offer credit terms of between 90 to 180 days to most of their international
distributors and between 30 to 90 days for most of their domestic distributors.
An
analysis of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the period ended June 30,
2007 and December 31, 2006 is as follows:
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Balance
at beginning of year
|
$
|
226,881
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Arising
through acquisition
|
-
|
67,090
|
|||||
Addition
of bad debt expense, net
|
-
|
159,791
|
|||||
Balance
at end of year
|
$
|
226,881
|
$
|
226,881
|
|||
5. INVENTORIES
Inventories
at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 consists of the following:
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Raw
materials
|
$
|
6,560,319
|
$
|
7,785,927
|
|||
Finished
goods
|
7,212,708
|
4,508,427
|
|||||
$
|
13,773,027
|
$
|
12,294,354
|
||||
14
6. PROPERTY,
PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT
Property,
plant, and equipment at June 30, 2007 consist of the following:
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
At
cost
|
|||||||
Buildings
|
$
|
8,395,048
|
$
|
5,706,515
|
|||
Machinery
and equipment
|
4,869,942
|
3,658,663
|
|||||
Office
equipment
|
227,060
|
163,100
|
|||||
Motor
vehicles
|
329,043
|
245,139
|
|||||
$
|
13,821,093
|
$
|
10,236,071
|
||||
Less:
accumulated depreciation
|
(2,529,175
|
)
|
(2,184,172
|
)
|
|||
Landscaping,
plant and tree
|
1,031,299
|
||||||
Construction
in progress
|
777,177
|
831,565
|
|||||
$
|
13,100,394
|
$
|
8,883,464
|
||||
Construction
in progress mainly comprises capital expenditures for construction of the
Company’s new corporate campus, including offices, factories and staff
dormitories. Capital commitments for the construction are immaterial for the
three year.
Landscaping,
plant and tree is chestnut trees investment in the development of agricultural
operations, which have not been the significant source of the raw materials
needed for the Company’s operations to date.
7. LEASEHOLD
LAND, NET
Leasehold
Land at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 consists of the
following:
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Leasehold
Land, at cost
|
$
|
2,985,853
|
$
|
2,886,587
|
|||
Accumulated
amortization
|
(133,130
|
)
|
(109,111
|
)
|
|||
$
|
2,852,723
|
$
|
2,777,476
|
||||
Leasehold
Land represents the prepaid land use right. The PRC government owns the land
on
which the Company’s corporate campus is being constructed.
Amortization
expense, which is calculated by straight-line, for the above leasehold land
was
$24,019 and $23,788 for the period ended June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006.
15
8. CAPITALIZATION
As
a
result of the reverse-merger on May 3, 2007 involving an exchange of shares
and
issuance of shares to private investors and other parties involved in the deal,
total capitalization of the Company by common stock and Series A and B of
preferred stock with related additional paid-in capital at June 30, 2007 and
December 31, 2006 are depicted in the following table:
Name
of Shareholder
|
Number
of Shares
|
Stock
Capital
|
Additional
Paid-in capital
|
|||||||
Shareholders
of International Lorain Holding Inc. (697,663 Series B preferred
shares
converted to common shares)
|
$
|
16,307,872
|
$
|
16,308
|
$
|
(16,148
|
)
|
|||
Halter
Financial Investments LP and Other (100,000 Series A preferred shares
converted to common shares)
|
1,304,992
|
1,305
|
(1,305
|
)
|
||||||
Original
Shareholders of Millennium Quest before reverse-merger
|
10,508,643
|
10,509
|
(10,509
|
)
|
||||||
Private
Investors (299,055.78 Series B preferred shares converted to common
shares)
|
6,990,401
|
6,990
|
19,318,943
|
|||||||
Less:
Cost of issue
|
-
|
-
|
(2,043,295
|
)
|
||||||
Original
Additional Paid-in capital from the 4 PRC subsidiaries
|
-
|
-
|
3,101,504
|
|||||||
$
|
35,111,908
|
$
|
35,112
|
$
|
20,349,190
|
9. OTHER
EXPENSES
Included
in this heading of expense was casualty loss on the Company’s Beijing production
facility, which had a fire due to electricity short-circuit on May 26, 2007.
The
cost to rebuild the facility and replace equipment incurred during the current
quarter amounted to $ 1,243,000 (RMB 9,500,000). Production was restored to
normal during early August 2007.
10. INCOME
TAXES
All
of
the Group’s income before income taxes and related tax expenses are from PRC
sources. In accordance with the relevant tax laws and regulations of PRC, the
corporation income tax rate is 33%. However, also in accordance with the
relevant taxation laws in the PRC, some of the subsidiaries of the Group are
eligible for tax exemption. In particular, from the time that a company has
its
first profitable tax year, the company is exempt from corporate income tax
for
its first two year and is then entitled to a 50% tax reduction for the
succeeding three year. Actual income tax expenses reported in the consolidated
statements of income and comprehensive income differ from the amounts computed
by applying the PRC statutory income tax rate of 33% to income before income
tax
for the period from August 4, 2006 (date of incorporation) to December 31,
2006
for the following reasons:
16
2007
|
|
2006
|
|||||
Income
before tax
|
$
|
2,054,766
|
$
|
5,411,264
|
|||
Tax
at the income tax rate
|
678,072
|
1,785,717
|
|||||
Effect
of tax exemption granted
|
(62,495
|
)
|
(842,586
|
)
|
|||
Income
tax
|
$
|
615,577
|
$
|
943,131
|
|||
As
of
June 30, 2007, there existed no deferred tax assets or liabilities for the
Group
pursuant to the PRC tax law.
17
PART
I. ITEM. 2 Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Caution
Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain
statements contained in this quarterly filing, including, without limitation,
statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "expects" and words
of similar import, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or
industry results, to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements.
Such
factors include, among others, the following: international, national and local
general economic and market conditions: demographic changes; the ability of
the
Company to sustain, manage or forecast its growth; the ability of the Company
to
successfully make and integrate acquisitions; raw material costs and
availability; new product development and introduction; existing government
regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, government
regulations; adverse publicity; competition; the loss of significant customers
or suppliers; fluctuations and difficulty in forecasting operating results;
changes in business strategy or development plans; business disruptions; the
ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the ability to protect
technology; and other factors referenced in this and previous
filings.
Given
these uncertainties, readers of this Form 10-QSB and investors are cautioned
not
to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company
disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce
the
result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained
herein to reflect future events or developments.
Overview
We
are a
Delaware corporation that was incorporated on February 4, 1986 and we are
headquartered in Shandong Province, China. From our inception in 1986 until
May
3, 2007, when we completed a reverse acquisition transaction with Lorain
Holding, we were a blank check company and did not engage in active business
operations other than our search for, and evaluation of, potential business
opportunities for acquisition or participation.
We
develop, manufacture and sell convenience foods. Convenience foods like cut
fruit and premixed salads, which are known as lightly processed -- our
convenience foods include ready-to-cook (or RTC) meals, ready-to-eat (or RTE)
meals and meals ready-to-eat (or MREs), chestnut products, and frozen, canned
and bulk foods, in hundreds of varieties. We operate through our indirect
Chinese subsidiaries. Our products are sold in 19 provinces and administrative
regions in China and 23 foreign countries.
Background
and History of Lorain Holding and its Operating Subsidiaries and
Affiliates
18
Lorain
Holding was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in August 2006. Lorain Holding
presently has two direct, wholly-owned Chinese operating subsidiaries: Luotian
Lorain and Junan Hongrun, one indirect wholly owned operating subsidiary,
Beijing Lorain, and one majority-owned subsidiary, Shandong Lorain, which is
80.2% owned by us (with Shandong Economic Development Investment Co. Ltd. owning
the remaining 19.8% interest). We sometimes refer to these four Chinese
operating subsidiaries as the Lorain Group Companies.
Recent
Developments
On
July
17th,
we have
changed our company name into American Lorain Corporation and completed reverse
split of stock.
In
the
second quarter, Shandong Lorain worked on constructing an egg-processing
workshop, the estimated cost of which is 14 million RMB (U.S. $1.81 million).
Ten percent of this project has been completed and the final completion is
anticipated the end of this year. During the same period, Shandong Lorain worked
on constructing a sewage plant, for which 1.45 million RMB (U.S. $0.18 million)
has been spent, and seventy percent of the project has been completed. The
reconstruction of Beijing Lorain, which factory was damaged during the fire
mentioned below, has been finished, and the factory will resume operation at
the
end of this August.
Uncertainties
that Affect our Financial Condition
May
26,
2007, as the result of a short circuit there was a fire at Beijing Green
Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Lorain”).The fire consumed production space and
equipment that was worth approximately 10.16 million RMB (U.S. $1.3 million)
on
the Company’s books. The local government of Miyun County has subsidized 1.2
million RMB (U.S. $0.16 million) of the cost of rebuilding the facility on
July
18, 2007. Additionally, the Company estimates an approximate U.S. $1 million
loss of revenue.
The
cost
of one of our raw materials, asparagus, increased dramatically during the second
quarter of 2007. Accordingly, the selling price of our asparagus products
increased significantly, which led to decreased sales volume of such products
in
the foreign market.
Results
of Operations
Three
months Ended June 30, 2007 Compared to Three months Ended June 30,
2006
The
following table summarizes the results of our operations during the three-month
period ended June 30, 2007 and ended June 30, 2006, and provides information
regarding the dollar and percentage increase or (decrease) from the three-month
period ended June 30, 2007 to the three-month period ended June 30, 2006.
19
AMERICAL
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
|
FOR
THE PERIODS ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND 2006
|
(Stated
in US Dollars)
|
Three
months ended June 30,
|
Dollar
($)
|
Percentage(%)
|
||||||||||||||
Note
|
2007
|
2006
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
||||||||||||
Revenue
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
revenues
|
$
|
13,343,209
|
$
|
9,502,539
|
3,840,670
|
40.42
|
%
|
|||||||||
Cost
of revenues
|
(10,388,680
|
)
|
(7,438,589
|
)
|
2,950,091
|
39.66
|
%
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
2,954,529
|
2,063,950
|
890,579
|
43.15
|
%
|
|||||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
||||||||||||||||
Selling
and marketing expenses
|
(296,917
|
)
|
(327,225
|
)
|
(30,308
|
)
|
(9.26
|
%)
|
||||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(460,141
|
)
|
(311,905
|
)
|
148,236
|
47.52
|
%
|
|||||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
2,197,471
|
1,424,820
|
772,651
|
54.23
|
%
|
|||||||||||
Finance
costs, net
|
(764,201
|
)
|
(379,687
|
)
|
384,514
|
101.27
|
%
|
|||||||||
Government
grant
|
-
|
(2,910
|
)
|
(2,910
|
)
|
(100
|
%)
|
|||||||||
Sundry
|
26,103
|
15,704
|
10,399
|
66.22
|
%
|
|||||||||||
Other
income
|
-
|
(58,751
|
)
|
(58,751
|
)
|
(100
|
%)
|
|||||||||
Other
expenses
|
9
|
(1,329,203
|
)
|
(3,901
|
)
|
1,325,302
|
33973.39
|
%
|
||||||||
Income
before taxation
|
130,170
|
995,275
|
(865,105
|
)
|
(86.92
|
%)
|
||||||||||
Income
tax
|
10
|
(285,597
|
)
|
(190,878
|
)
|
94,719
|
49.62
|
%
|
||||||||
Net
income before minority interests
|
(155,427
|
)
|
804,397
|
(959,824
|
)
|
(119.32
|
%)
|
|||||||||
Minority
interests
|
(54,442
|
)
|
484,652
|
(539,094
|
)
|
(111.23
|
%)
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
(209,869
|
)
|
$
|
1,289,049
|
$
|
(1,498,918
|
)
|
(116.28
|
%)
|
Net
Revenues.
Our
net
revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2007 amounted to $13.34 million,
which is approximately $3.84 million or 40.42% more than that of the same period
ended on June 30, 2006, where we had revenue of $9.5 million.
This
increase was attributable to an increase of 94.48% in domestic sales as compared
to the same period ended June 30, 2006, in spite of the fact that our sales
in
foreign market decreased by 42.47% due primarily to a general lack of confidence
with Chinese food which occurred in the foreign markets in the second quarter
and also due to increased selling price of our asparagus
products.
20
Cost
of Revenues. Our
cost
of goods sold, which consists of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing
overhead expenses, was $10.39 million for the three month period ended June
30,
2007, a increase of $2.95 million or 39.66%, as compared to $7.44 million for
the three month period ended June 30, 2006. This
increase was mainly attributable to increased volume of products
sold.
Gross
Profit.
Our
gross profit increased $0.89 million , or 43.15% to $2.95 million for the three
months ended June 30, 2007 from $2.06 million for the same period in 2006.
This
increase was mainly attributable to the increase in sales.
Selling
and Marketing Expenses.
Selling
and marketing expenses decreased $0.03 million, or 9.26% to $0.30 million for
the three months ended June 30, 2007 from $0.33 million for the same period
in
2006. This decrease mainly resulted from decreased
transportation cost for export sales as the sale volume in foreign market
decreased.
General
and Administrative Expenses. General
and administrative expenses increased $0.15 million, or 47.52% to $0.46 million
for the three months ended June 30, 2007 from $0.31 million for the same period
of 2006.
The
increase of general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable
to
(1) increased compensation for managerial personnel and (2) increased traveling
and lodging expenses associated with increased field sales efforts.
Income
Before Income Taxes and Minority Interest. Income
before income taxes and minority interest decreased $0.87 million or 86.92%
to
$0.13 million for the three months ended June 30, 2007 from $1.00 million for
the same period of 2006. The decrease was primarily attributed to the
substantial loss incurred by Beijing Lorain due to the fire.
Income
Taxes.
Income
taxes increased $0.09 million or 49.62% to $0.28 million for the three months
ended June 30, 2007 from $0.19 million RMB for the same period of 2006. The
increase of tax paid was primarily a result of higher income achieved by all
the
subsidiaries except for Beijing Lorain.
On
March
16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of the PRC determined to adopt a new
corporate income tax law in its fifth plenary session. The new corporate income
tax law unifies the application, scope, tax rate, tax deduction and preferential
policy for both domestic and foreign-invested enterprises. The new
corporate income tax law will be effective on January 1, 2008. According
to the new corporate income tax law, the applicable income tax rate for our
operating subsidiaries may be subject to change. As the implementation
details have not yet been announced, we cannot be sure of the potential impact
of such new corporate income tax law on our financial position and operating
results.
21
Net
Income. Net
income decreased $1.50 million , or 116.28% to $0.21 million for the three
months ended June 30, 2007 from$ 1.29 million for the same period of
2006.
Six
months Ended June 30, 2007 Compared to Six months Ended June 30,
2006
The
following table summarizes the results of our operations during the six-month
period ended June 30, 2007 and ended June 30, 2006, and provides information
regarding the dollar and percentage increase or (decrease) from the six-month
period ended June 30, 2007 to the six-month period ended June 30, 2006.
(All
amounts, other than percentages, are in thousands of U.S. dollars)
Six
months ended June 30,
|
Dollar
($)
|
Percentage
(%)
|
|||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
||||||||||
Revenue
|
|||||||||||||
Net
revenues
|
$
|
25,242,021
|
$
|
15,090,325
|
$
|
10,151,696
|
67.27
|
%
|
|||||
Cost
of revenues
|
(19,341,479
|
)
|
(11,725,331
|
)
|
7,616,148
|
64.95
|
%
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,900,542
|
3,364,994
|
2,535,548
|
75.35
|
%
|
||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
|||||||||||||
Selling
and marketing expenses
|
(422,750
|
)
|
(623,870
|
)
|
(201,120
|
)
|
(32.23
|
%)
|
|||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(820,140
|
)
|
(673,868
|
)
|
146,272
|
21.7
|
%
|
||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
4,657,652
|
2,067,256
|
2,590,396
|
125.30
|
%
|
||||||||
Finance
costs, net
|
(1,303,281
|
)
|
(744,074
|
)
|
559,207
|
75.15
|
%
|
||||||
Government
grant
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Sundry
|
33,824
|
15,704
|
18,120
|
115.38
|
%
|
||||||||
Other
income
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Other
expenses
|
(1,333,429
|
)
|
(34,148
|
)
|
1,299,281
|
3804.85
|
%
|
||||||
Income
before taxation
|
2,054,766
|
1,304,738
|
750,028
|
57.48
|
%
|
||||||||
Income
tax
|
(615,577
|
)
|
(270,129
|
)
|
345,448
|
127.88
|
%
|
||||||
Net
income before minority interests
|
1,439,189
|
1,034,609
|
404,580
|
39.1
|
%
|
||||||||
Minority
interests
|
(155,837
|
)
|
4,283
|
160,120
|
3738.5
|
%
|
|||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
1,283,352
|
$
|
1,038,892
|
$
|
244,460
|
23.53
|
%
|
|||||
22
Net
Revenues.
Our
net
revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2007 amounted to $25.24 million,
which
is approximately $10.15 million or 67.27% more than that of the same period
ended on June 30, 2006, where we had revenue of $15.09 million. The
increased revenues were attributable to the expansion of our customer base
and
our strengthened marketing activities.
Cost
of Revenues. Our
cost
of goods sold, which consists of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing
overhead expenses, was $19.34 million for the six month period ended June 30,
2007, a increase of $7.62 million or 64.95%, as compared to $11.72 million
for
the six month period ended June 30, 2006. The
cost
of goods sold increased because the sales in the first six months of 2007
increased as compared to the same period ended June 30, 2006.
Gross
Profit.
Our
gross profit increased $2.54 million, or 75.35% to $5.9 million for the six
months ended June 30, 2007 from $3.36 million for the same period in 2006.
This
increase was attributable to the increased sales of chestnuts products as a
percentage of total sales, since chestnuts have higher gross profit margin.
Selling
and Marketing Expenses.
Selling
and marketing expenses decreased $0.20 million, or 32.23% to $0.42 million
for
the six months ended June 30, 2007 from $0.62 million for the same period in
2006. This
decrease mainly resulted from decreased
transportation cost for export sales as foreign sales decreased as a percentage
of total sales.
General
and Administrative Expenses. General
and administrative expenses increased $0.15 million, or 21.70% to $0.82 million
for the six months ended June 30, 2007 from $0.67 million for the same period
of
2006. The increase of general and administrative expenses was primarily
attributable to increased
travel and lodging expenses associated with increased sales promotion
activities.
Income
Before Income Taxes and Minority Interest. Income
before income taxes and minority interest increased $0.75 million or 57.48%
to
$2.06 million for the six months ended June 30, 2007 from $1.31 million for
the
same period of 2006.
The
increase was primarily a result of the higher revenue during the six month
period ended on June 30, 2007 as compared to 2006.
23
Income
Taxes.
Income
taxes increased $0.35 million or 127.88% to $0.62 million for the six months
ended June 30, 2007 from $0.27 million for the same period of 2006. The increase
of tax paid was primarily a result of the increase of income in 2007, as
compared to the year of 2006.
On
March
16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of the PRC determined to adopt a new
corporate income tax law in its fifth plenary session. The new corporate income
tax law unifies the application, scope, tax rate, tax deduction and preferential
policy for both domestic and foreign-invested enterprises. The new
corporate income tax law will be effective on January 1, 2008. According
to the new corporate income tax law, the applicable income tax rate for our
operating subsidiaries may be subject to change. As the implementation
detail has not yet been announced, we cannot be sure of the potential impact
of
such new corporate income tax law on our financial position and operating
results.
Net
Income. Net
income increased $0.24million, or 23.53% to $1.28 million for the six months
ended June 30, 2007 from $1.04 million for the same period of 2006.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
General
As
of
June 30, 2007, we had cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)
of
$2.5 million. The following table provides detailed information about our net
cash flow for all financial statements periods presented in this
report.
|
Cash
Flow (in thousands)
|
|
|||||
|
|
Six
Months Ended June 30,
|
|||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
$
|
(8,996,513
|
)
|
$
|
4,578,646
|
||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
$
|
(5,776,028
|
)
|
$
|
(7,682,875
|
)
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
$
|
14,594,959
|
$
|
(2,675,029
|
)
|
||
Net
cash flow (outflow)
|
$
|
(14,772,541
|
)
|
$
|
(10,357,904
|
)
|
24
Operating
Activities
Net
cash
provided by operating activities was $(8.99) million for the six months period
ended June 30, 2007, which is an decrease of $13.57 million from $4.58 million
for the same period of 2006. The decrease of the cash provided by operating
activities was primarily a result of the decrease in accounts and other payables
in 2007, as compared to the year of 2006.
Investing
Activities
Our
main
uses of cash for investment activities are payments
for the acquisition of property, plants and equipment.
Net
cash
provided by investing activities for the six months period ended June 30, 2007
was $5.78 million, which is an decrease of $1.9 million from net cash provided
by investing activities of $7.68 million for the same period of 2006. The
decrease was primarily due to the decrease in restricted cash in 2007, as
compared to the year of 2006.
Financing
Activities
Net
cash
used in financing activities for the six months period ended June 30, 2007
was
$14.59 million, which is an increase of $17.27 million from $(2.68) million
net
cash used in financing activities during the same period of 2006. The increase
of the cash used in financing activities was primarily a result of the increase
of additional paid-in capital, resulting from the private
placement.
Loan
Facilities
As
of
June 30, 2007, the amounts and maturity dates for our bank loans were as
follows:
All
amounts, other than percentages, in thousands of U.S. dollars.
Banks
|
Amounts
|
Beginning
|
Ending
|
Duration
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
28.84
|
10/10/2006
|
10/09/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
590.00
|
10/31/2006
|
10/30/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
262.23
|
11/03/2006
|
11/02/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
668.67
|
11/16/2006
|
11/15/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
472.00
|
12/06/2006
|
12/05/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
498.23
|
12/06/2006
|
12/05/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
118.00
|
06/14/2007
|
06/07/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
39.33
|
06/14/2007
|
06/07/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
524.45
|
06/30/2007
|
06/29/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Agriculture Bank
|
104.89
|
06/30/2007
|
06/29/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Construction Bank
|
393.33
|
08/31/2006
|
08/31/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Construction Bank
|
329.09
|
09/08/2006
|
09/07/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
222.89
|
12/14/2006
|
12/15/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
621.47
|
12/11/2006
|
12/10/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
725.05
|
12/11/2006
|
11/15/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
524.45
|
01/12/2007
|
01/11/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
131.11
|
01/11/2007
|
01/10/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
524.45
|
06/08/2007
|
01/29/2008
|
8
months
|
25
Banks
|
Amounts
|
Beginning
|
Ending
|
Duration
|
|||||||||
Bank
of China, Junan Branch
|
12.29
|
09/19/2006
|
05/19/2009
|
8
months
|
|||||||||
International
Trust & Investment Co., Ltd.
|
1,311.12
|
06/14/2005
|
06/13/2008
|
36
months
|
|||||||||
Linyi
Commercial Bank
|
590.00
|
02/07/2007
|
02/06/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Linyi
Commercial Bank
|
616.22
|
02/10/2007
|
02/09/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Linyi
Commercial Bank
|
314.67
|
04/30/2006
|
10/20/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Linyi
Commercial Bank
|
196.67
|
11/30/2006
|
11/29/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
Agricultural Development Bank
|
590.00
|
07/20/2006
|
07/19/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
Agricultural Development Bank
|
721.11
|
09/05/2006
|
09/04/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
28.84
|
02/05/2007
|
08/01/2007
|
6
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
340.89
|
04/26/2007
|
08/10/2007
|
3
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Construction Bank
|
340.89
|
06/06/2007
|
03/05/2008
|
9
months
|
|||||||||
Beijing
Miyun County Shilipu Rural Financial Institution
|
1,947.01
|
09/28/2006
|
09/27/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Beijing
Miyun County Shilipu Rural Financial Institution
|
655.56
|
09/25/2006
|
09/26/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
China
Agricultural Bank, Miyun Branch
|
262.22
|
07/19/2006
|
07/18/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Agricultural
Development Department of Luotian Government
|
98.33
|
12/11/2006
|
12/11/2010
|
48
months
|
|||||||||
China
Agricultural Bank, Luotian Square Branch
|
380.22
|
09/05/2006
|
09/05/2007
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
458.89
|
01/31/2007
|
01/18/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
524.45
|
01/31/2007
|
01/18/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Junan
County Industrial and Commercial Bank
|
1,311.12
|
03/06/2007
|
03/05/2008
|
12
months
|
|||||||||
Total
|
17478.98
|
As
shown
in the above table, we have $17.48 million in loans maturing on or before the
end of June 30, 2007. We plan to repay this debt either as it matures or
refinance this debt with other debt.
We
believe that our currently available working capital, after receiving the
aggregate proceeds of our capital raising activities and the credit facilities
referred to above, should be adequate to sustain our operations at our current
levels through at least the next twelve months.
Obligations
under Material Contracts
We
do not
have any material contractual obligations as of June 30, 2007.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States requires our management to make
assumptions, estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the
financial statements, including the notes thereto, and related disclosures
of
commitments and contingencies, if any. We consider our critical accounting
policies to be those that require the more significant judgments and estimates
in the preparation of financial statements, including the
following:
26
· |
Method
of Accounting -- We
maintain our general ledger and journals with the accrual method
accounting for financial reporting purposes. The financial statements
and
notes are representations of management. Accounting policies adopted
by us
conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States
of America and have been consistently applied in the presentation
of
financial statements, which are compiled on the accrual basis of
accounting.
|
· |
Use
of estimates -- The
preparation of the financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States of America requires
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets
and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported
amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Management
makes these estimates using the best information available at the
time the
estimates are made; however, actual results could differ materially
from
those estimates.
|
· |
Principles
of consolidation -- The
consolidated financial statements are presented in US Dollars and
include
the accounts of the Company and its commonly controlled entity. All
significant inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated
in
combination.
|
As
of
June 30, 2007, the particulars of the commonly controlled entities are as
follows:
Name
of company
|
Place
of incorporation
|
|
Attributable
equity interest %
|
|
Registered
capital
|
|||||
Shandong
Green Foodstuff CO., LTD.
|
PRC
|
80.2
|
%
|
RMB
100,860,000
|
||||||
Luotian
Green Foodstuff CO., LTD
|
PRC
|
100
|
%
|
RMB
10,000,000
|
||||||
Junan
Hongrun Foodstuff CO., LTD.
|
PRC
|
100
|
%
|
RMB
19,000,000
|
||||||
Beijing
Green Foodstuff CO., LTD.
|
PRC
|
100
|
%
|
RMB
10,000,000
|
Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets -- The long-lived assets held and used
by us are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of assets may not be recoverable. It is
reasonably possible that these assets could become impaired as a result of
technology or other industry changes. Determination of recoverability of assets
to be held and used is by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to future
net undiscounted cash flows to be generated by the assets.
If
such
assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is
measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the
fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower
of
the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.
During
the reporting years, there was no impairment loss.
27
Revenue
recognition -- Our
revenue recognition policies are in compliance with Staff Accounting Bulletin
(SAB) 104. Sales revenue is recognized at the date of shipment to customers
when
a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, the delivery
is
completed, we have no other significant obligations and collectibility is
reasonably assured. Payments received before all of the relevant criteria for
revenue recognition are satisfied are recorded as unearned revenue.
Our
revenue consists of invoiced value of goods, net of a value-added tax (VAT).
No
product return or sales discount allowance is made as products delivered and
accepted by customers are normally not returnable and sales discount is normally
not granted after products are delivered.
Recent
accounting pronouncements
In
July
2006, the FASB issued FIN 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an
Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, which clarifies the accounting for
uncertainty in tax positions. This Interpretation requires that the Company
recognizes in its consolidated financial statements the impact of a tax position
if that position is more likely than not of being sustained on audit, based
on
the technical merits of the position. The provisions of FIN 48 are effective
for
the Company on January 1, 2007, with the cumulative effect of the change in
accounting principle, if any, recorded as an adjustment to opening retained
earnings.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS 157, Fair Value Measurements, which defines
fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally
accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. SFAS 157 applies under other accounting pronouncements that
require or permit fair value measurements, where fair value is the relevant
measurement attribute. The standard does not require any new fair value
measurements. SFAS 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
year beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal
year.
In
September 2006, the SEC issued SAB No. 108, which provides guidance on the
process of quantifying financial statement misstatements. In SAB No. 108, the
SEC staff establishes an approach that requires quantification of financial
statement errors, under both the iron-curtain and the roll-over methods, based
on the effects of the error on each of the Company’s financial statements and
the related financial statement disclosures. SAB No.108 is generally effective
for annual financial statements in the first fiscal year ending after November
15, 2006. The transition provisions of SAB No. 108 permits existing public
companies to record the cumulative effect in the first year ending after
November 15, 2006 by recording correcting adjustments to the carrying values
of
assets and liabilities as of the beginning of that year with the offsetting
adjustment recorded to the opening balance of retained earnings.
The
management of the Company does not anticipate that the adoption of these three
standards will have a material impact on these consolidated financial
statements.
28
Seasonality
Our
operating results and operating cash flows historically have been subject to
seasonal variations. Our raw materials are mostly fresh agricultural products.
Therefore, we are subject to production seasonality by product, though we are
able to maintain overall year-round production. Specifically, the main
processing season for chestnut products is from the latter half of August to
the
next January. During the busy season, our chestnut production lines are running
with full capacity. Other than this period, we still maintain a small amount
of
chestnut production by using frozen chestnuts. However, this pattern may change,
as a result of new market opportunities or new product
introductions.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
ITEM
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET
RISK
Interest
Rate Risk
We
are
exposed to interest rate risk primarily with respect to our short-term bank
loans. Although the interest rates are fixed for the terms of the loans, the
terms are typically 12 months and interest rates are subject to change upon
renewal. Since April 28, 2006, China People’s Bank has increased the interest
rate of RMB bank loans with a term of 6 months or less by 0.27%, and loans
with
a term of 6 to 12 months by 0.54%. The new interest rates are 5.67% and 6.39%
for RMB bank loans with a term 6 months or less and loans with a term of 6-12
months, respectively. The change in interest rates has no impact on our bank
loans that were made before April 28, 2006. A hypothetical 1.0% increase in
the
annual interest rates for all of our credit facilities at March 31, 2006 would
decrease net income before provision for income taxes by approximately $230,000
for the six months ended December 31, 2006. Management monitors the banks’
interest rates in conjunction with our cash requirements to determine the
appropriate level of debt balances relative to other sources of funds. We have
not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure
to
interest rate risk.
Foreign
Exchange Risk
While
our
reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, all of our consolidated revenues and
consolidated costs and expenses are denominated in Renminbi. All of our assets
are denominated in RMB. As a result, we are exposed to foreign exchange risk
as
our revenues and results of operations may be affected by fluctuations in the
exchange rate between U.S. Dollars and RMB. If the RMB depreciates against
the
U.S. Dollar, the value of our RMB revenues, earnings and assets as expressed
in
our U.S. Dollar financial statements will decline. We have not entered into
any
hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign exchange
risk.
29
Inflation
Inflationary
factors such as increases in the cost of our product and overhead costs may
adversely affect our operating results. Although we do not believe that
inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of
operations to date, a high rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse
effect on our ability to maintain current levels of gross margin and selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenues, if the
selling prices of our products do not increase with these increased costs.
ITEMS
4 AND 4T. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
We
maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures. The term “disclosure
controls and procedures,” as defined by regulations of the SEC, means controls
and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required
to be
disclosed in the reports that we file or submit to the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”) under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules,
regulations and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without
limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required
to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under
the
Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the our management, including
our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, or persons
performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions to be
made regarding required disclosure. Si
Chen,
our Chief Executive Officer, and Huanxiang Sheng, our Interim Chief Financial
Officer, have evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of our disclosure
controls and procedures as of June 30, 2007. Based upon their evaluation, these
executive officers have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
are effective as of June 30, 2007.
Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting.
We
also
maintain internal control over financial reporting. The term “internal control
over financial reporting,” as defined by regulations of the SEC, means a process
designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal
financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by
the
our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation
of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting procedures in the U.S. (“GAAP”), and includes those policies
and procedures that:
· |
Pertain
to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately
and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
|
· |
Provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and
that our
receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of our management and directors;
and
|
· |
Provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could
have
a material effect on our consolidated financial
statements.
|
30
Changes
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
There
has
not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting that has
materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect our internal
control over financial reporting.
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM
1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From
time
to time, we have disputes that arise in the ordinary course of business.
Currently, there are no material legal proceedings to which we are a party,
or
to which any of our property is subject, that we expect to have a material
adverse effect on our financial condition.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
The
shares of our common stock being offered for resale by the selling stockholders
are highly speculative in nature, involve a high degree of risk and should
be
purchased only by persons who can afford to lose the entire amount invested
in
the common stock. Before purchasing any of the shares of common stock, you
should carefully consider the following factors relating to our business and
prospects. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business,
financial condition or operating results will suffer, the trading price of
our
common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
You
should also refer to the other information about us contained in this
prospectus, including our financial statements and related
notes.
BUSINESS
RISKS
We
may not be able to obtain sufficient raw materials to satisfy our production
requirements and any decline in the amount or quality of raw materials could
reduce our sales and negatively affect our financial prospects.
In
2006,
we procured approximately 16,181 metric tons of chestnuts and approximately
23,300 metric tons of vegetables and other raw materials from a number of third
party suppliers and produced approximately 220 metric tons of chestnuts and
approximately 1,980 metric tons of vegetables and other raw materials from
our
own agricultural operations. We may have to increase the number of our suppliers
of raw materials and expand our own agricultural operations in the future to
meet growing production demands. We may not be able to locate new suppliers
who
could provide us with sufficient materials to meet our needs and we may not
be
able to expand our own agricultural operations in a timely manner to satisfy
our
needs. Any interruptions to or decline in the amount or quality of our raw
materials supply could materially disrupt our production and adversely affect
our business and financial condition and financial prospects.
31
The
average price we paid for our raw materials experienced significant fluctuation
during the three years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006. These price
fluctuations could result in fluctuations in our profit margins and could
materially adversely affect our financial condition.
The
average prices we paid for chestnuts in 2004, 2005 and 2006 were approximately
$805 per metric ton, $884 per metric ton, and $713 per metric ton respectively,
excluding any value added tax assessed on the purchased chestnuts. The prices
that we pay for our raw materials may not be stable in the future. Price changes
may result in unexpected increases in production costs, and we may be unable
to
increase the prices of our products to offset these increased costs and
therefore may suffer a reduction to our profit margins. We do not currently
hedge against changes in our raw material prices. If
the
costs of raw materials or other costs of production and distribution of our
products increase further, and we are unable to entirely offset these increases
by raising the prices of our products, our profit margins and financial
condition could be adversely affected.
Our
sales and reputation may be affected by product liability claims, litigation,
product recalls, or adverse publicity in relation to our products.
The
sale
of products for human consumption involves an inherent risk of injury to
consumers. We face risks associated with product liability claims, litigation,
or product recalls, if our products cause injury, or become adulterated or
misbranded. Our products are subject to product tampering, and to contamination
risks, such as mold, bacteria, insects and other pests, shell fragments and
off-flavor contamination during the various stages of the procurement,
production, transportation and storage processes. If any of our products were
to
be tampered with, or become tainted in any of these respects and we were unable
to detect this, our products could be subject to product liability claims or
product recalls. Our ability to sell products could be reduced if certain
pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals used by growers have left harmful
residues on portions of the crop or that the crop has been contaminated by
other
agents.
Although
we have never had a product recall in the past, we have experienced product
liability claims that were made by our customers. On average, we experience
and
expect to continue to experience product liability claims in the amount of
approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per year. However, we have no control over
the
amount of claims made in any year and larger claims of product defect or product
liability may be made in the future.
We
would
be liable for the full amount of any damages awarded against us in any product
liability claim. As the insurance industry in China is still in an early stage
of development, business insurance is not readily available in China. To the
extent that we suffer a loss of a type which would normally be covered by
insurance in the United States, such as product liability and general liability
insurance, we would incur significant expenses in both defending any action
and
in paying any claims that result from a settlement or judgment. Product
liability claims and product recalls could have a material adverse effect on
the
demand for our products and on our business goodwill and reputation. Adverse
publicity could result in a loss of consumer confidence in our products.
32
We
may be unable to manage future rapid growth.
We
have
grown rapidly over the last few years. Our sales increased by 77% from
$27,735,833 in 2004 to $49,560,957 in 2006. The number of product types we
sold
increased from approximately 100 in 2004 to approximately 192 in early 2007.
We
intend to continue to expand the volume and variety of products we offer, as
well as the geographical scope of our sales and production facilities. Our
business growth could place a significant strain on our managerial, operational
and financial resources. Our ability to manage future growth will depend on
our
ability to continue to implement and improve operational, financial and
management information systems on a timely basis and to expand, train, motivate
and manage our workforce. We cannot assure you that our personnel, systems,
procedures and controls will be adequate to support our future growth. Failure
to effectively manage our expansion may lead to increased costs, a decline
in
sales and reduced profitability.
Our
expansion strategy may not prove successful and could adversely affect our
existing business.
Our
growth strategy includes the expansion of our manufacturing operations including
new production lines and agricultural operations. In the past few years, we
have
expanded rapidly. In 2003, Luotian Lorain set up one production line with a
production of 600 metric tons per year, and in 2004, a second production line
with a production of 9,912 metric tons per year. In 2003, Beijing Lorain set
up
one production line with a production of 9,912 metric
tons per year, and in 2004, three additional production lines with a production
of 1,425 metric tons per year per line. In both 2005 and 2006, Shandong Lorain
established Chestnut planting bases. Beijing Lorain established a Chestnut
planting base in 2005, a sticky corn and sweet corn planting base in 2004 and
pumpkin planting base in 2005. We also plan to expand our sales in China and
internationally. We will need to engage in various forms of promotional and
marketing activities in order to develop branding of our products and increase
our market share in new and existing markets.
The
implementation of this strategy may involve large transactions and present
financial, managerial and operational challenges. We could also experience
financial or other setbacks if any of our growth strategies incur problems
of
which we are not presently aware. We may have difficulty in successfully
expanding the sale of our products in areas that have not traditionally
experienced high levels chestnut consumption due to lack of chestnut
familiarity. If we fail to generate sufficient sales in new markets or increase
our sales in existing markets, we may not be able to recover the production,
distribution, promotional and marketing expenses, as well as administrative
costs, we have incurred in developing such markets.
The
acquisition of other businesses could pose risks to our profitability.
We
may
try to grow through acquisitions in the future. Any proposed acquisition could
result in accounting charges, potentially dilutive issuances of equity
securities, and increased debt and contingent liabilities, any of which could
have a material adverse effect on our existing business and the market price
of
our common stock. Acquisitions, in general, entail many risks, including risks
relating to the failed integration of the acquired operations, diversion of
management’s attention, and the potential loss of key employees of the acquired
organizations. We may be unable to integrate successfully businesses or the
personnel of any business that might be acquired in the future, and our failure
to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business and on the market
price of our common stock.
33
We
are subject to risks of doing business internationally. If the international
market does not grow as we expect, our business and financial condition may
be
adversely affected.
We
conduct a substantial amount of business with overseas distributors primarily
from Japan, Korea, countries in Asia and western countries. During the year
ended 2004, 2005 and 2006, sales outside China accounted for 45%, 44% and 52%
of
our total sales, respectively. Our international operations are subject to
a
number of inherent risks, including:
·
|
chestnut
products may not be widely recognized internationally, especially
in
western countries;
|
·
|
local
economic and political conditions, including disruptions in trading
markets;
|
·
|
restrictive
foreign governmental actions, including restrictions on transfers
of funds
and trade;
|
·
|
protection
measures, including export duties and quotas and customs duties and
tariffs;
|
·
|
currency
exchange rate fluctuations; and
|
·
|
earthquakes,
tsunamis, floods or other major disasters may limit the imported
food
products.
|
Any
of
the foregoing risks could have a material and adverse effect on our operating
results. As a result, our products and our revenues would be decreased and
we
may need to adjust our market strategy.
We
mainly rely on distributors to sell our products. Any delays in delivery or
poor
handling by distributors and third-party transport operators may affect our
sales and damage our reputation.
In
2006,
we sold over 81% of our products through over 180 distributors. We rely on
these
distributors for the distribution of our products. A significant portion of
our
revenues historically have been derived from a limited number of domestic
supermarkets and international distributors, particularly in our chestnut
processing business. The sales to our five largest customers and overseas
retailers accounted for approximately 27%, 37%, and 43% of our total revenue
in
2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. The loss of any of these customers and
international distributors or a material decrease in purchases could result
in
decreased sales and adversely impact our revenues.
34
Additionally,
the distribution service provided by these distributors could be suspended
and
could cause interruption to the supply of our products to overseas retailers
in
the case of unforeseen events. Delivery disruptions may occur for various
reasons beyond our control, including poor handling by distributors or third
party transport operators, transportation bottlenecks, natural disasters and
labor strikes, and could lead to delayed or lost deliveries. Poor handling
by
distributors and third-party transport operators could also result in damage
to
our products. If our products are not delivered to retailers on time, or are
delivered damaged, or our products are contaminated during the stage of
transportation or storage, we would be liable for the compensation, and we
could
lose business and our reputation could be harmed.
The
development and introduction of new products is key to our expansion strategy.
Failure to do so may cause us to lose our competitiveness in the food industry
and may cause our profits to decline.
If
we are
unable to gain market acceptance or significant market share for the new
products we introduce, then we will incur development, production and marketing
costs which we would not be able to recover. We constantly introduce new
packaging and new flavors for our products. For example, we have introduced
15
new products in 2006, and we will be introducing about 20 new products in
2007. The
success of the new products we introduce depends on our ability to anticipate
the tastes and dietary habits of consumers and to offer products that appeal
to
their preferences. We intend to introduce new product lines including different
flavors, different sizes and packaging. We may not be able to gain market
acceptance or significant market share for our new products. Consumer
preferences change, and any new products that we introduce may fail to meet
the
particular tastes or requirements of consumers, or may be unable to replace
their existing preferences. Our failure to anticipate, identify or react to
these particular tastes or changes could result in reduced demand for our
products, which could in turn cause us to be unable to recover our development,
production and marketing costs, thereby leading to a decline in our
profitability.
We
are dependent on certain key personnel and loss of these key personnel could
have a material adverse effect on our research and development, operations
and
revenue.
The
Lorain Group Companies were founded in 1995 by Mr. Si Chen, our chairman and
chief executive officer. Since then, Mr. Chen and our senior management team
have developed us into a leading food production company. Mr. Chen, together
with other senior management, has been the key driver of our strategy and has
been fundamental to our achievements to date. The successful management of
our
business is, to a considerable extent, dependent on the services of Mr. Chen
and
other senior management. The loss of the services of any key management employee
or failure to recruit a suitable or comparable replacement could have a
significant impact upon our ability to manage our business effectively and
our
business and future growth may be adversely affected.
We
compete for qualified personnel with other food processing companies, food
retailers and research institutions. Intense competition for these personnel
could cause our compensation costs to increase significantly, which could have
a
material adverse effect on our results of operations. Our future success and
ability to grow our business will depend in part on the continued service of
these individuals and our ability to identify, hire and retain additional
qualified personnel. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees,
we may be unable to meet our business and financial goals.
35
We
face increasing competition from both domestic and foreign companies, which
may
affect our market share and profit margins.
The
food
industry in China is fragmented. Our ability to compete against other national
and international enterprises is, to a significant extent, dependent on our
ability to distinguish our products from those of our competitors by providing
large volumes and high quality products at reasonable prices that appeal to
consumers’ tastes and preferences. Some of our competitors may have been in
business longer than we have, may be better established in their markets. Our
current or future competitors may provide products comparable or superior to
those we provide or adapt more quickly than we do to evolving industry trends
or
changing market requirements. Increased competition may result in price
reductions, reduced margins and loss of market share, any of which could
materially adversely affect our profit margins. We cannot assure you that we
will be able to compete effectively against current and future
competitors.
We
may be adversely affected by a change in consumer preferences, which may result
in decreased demand for our products.
Consumer
tastes can change rapidly due to many factors, including shifting consumer
preferences, and spending habits. A general decline in the consumption of our
chestnuts products and other products could occur as a result of a change in
consumer preferences, perceptions and spending habits at any time and future
success will depend partly on our ability to anticipate or adapt to such changes
and to offer, on a timely basis, new products that meet consumer preferences.
Our failure to adapt our products offering to respond to such changes, may
result in reduced demand and lower prices for our products and a decline in
the
market share of our products. Any changes in consumer preferences could result
in lower sales of our products, put pressure on pricing or lead to increased
levels of selling and promotional expenses, resulting in a material adverse
effect on our sales volumes, sales and profits.
An
increase in the cost of energy could affect our
profitability.
Recently,
we have experienced significant increases in energy costs, and energy costs
could continue to rise, which would result in higher distribution, freight
and
other operating costs. Our future operating expenses and margins will be
dependent on our ability to manage the impact of cost increases.
Our
chestnut products and brand names may be subject to counterfeiting or imitation,
which could impact upon our reputation and brand name as well as lead to higher
administrative costs.
While
we
sell our products both under our brand name and under private labels, we regard
brand positioning as the core of our competitive strategy, and intend to
position our "Lorain" and “Yimeng Lorain” brand to promote the consumption of
green foods by our customers. We believe our advanced processing technology
makes it difficult for illegal manufacturers to counterfeit our products.
Although we have experienced limited counterfeiting and imitation of our
chestnut products, we cannot guarantee that counterfeiting or imitation of
our
products will not occur in the future or that we will be able to detect it
and
deal with it effectively. Any occurrence of counterfeiting or imitation could
impact negatively upon our corporate and brand image, particularly if the
counterfeit or imitation products cause sickness, or injury to consumers. In
addition, counterfeit or imitation products could result in a reduction in
our
market share, a loss of revenues or an increase in our administrative expenses
in respect of detection or prosecution.
36
We
rely on an outside contractor to provide a majority of our labor.
We
hire
Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company to provide employees to our production
facilities. During normal production times Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company
provides about 5 out of every 6 of our production line personnel. During times
of peak production Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company usually provides the
additional personnel needed to meet the additional production demands which
increases the ratio of Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company employees to our
employees above the 5 out of every 6 mark. Under our arrangement with Linyi
Zhifu Labor Service Company we pay their employees directly for services
rendered to our Company and we pay Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company a fee
for
their services related to providing employees to our business. Linyi Zhifu
Labor
Service Company pays for state pension contribution and social insurance for
its
employees.
Should
Linyi Zhifu Labor Service Company be unable continue to provide the number
of
employees we need for our facilities our production could be disrupted. Linyi
Zhifu Labor Service Company could raise their service fees or terminate their
relationship with us in the future which may result in increased production
costs which we may not be able to pass on to our customers.
REGULATORY
RISKS
Government
regulation could increase our costs of production and increase our legal and
regulatory expenditures.
The
food
industry is subject to extensive regulation by Chinese government agencies.
Among other things, these regulations govern the manufacturing, importation,
processing, packaging, storage, exportation, distribution and labeling of our
products. New or amended statutes and regulations, increased production at
our
existing facilities, and our expansion into new operations and jurisdictions
may
require us to obtain new licenses and permits and could require us to change
our
methods of operations at costs that could be substantial. If the relevant
regulatory authorities set standards with which we are unable to comply or
which
increase our production costs, our ability to sell products may be
limited.
Changes
in the existing laws and regulations or additional or stricter laws and
regulations on environmental protection in China may cause us to incur capital
expenditures.
We
carry
on our business in an industry that is subject to PRC environmental protection
laws and regulations. These laws and regulations require enterprises engaged
in
manufacturing and construction that may cause environmental waste to adopt
effective measures to control and properly dispose of waste gases, waste water,
industrial waste, dust and other environmental waste materials, as well as
fee
payments from producers discharging waste substances. Fines may be levied
against producers causing pollution. If failure to comply with such laws or
regulations results in environmental pollution, the administrative department
for environmental protection can levy fines. If the circumstances of the breach
are serious, it is at the discretion of the central government of the PRC
including all governmental subdivisions to cease or close any operation failing
to comply with such laws or regulations. The Chinese government may also change
the existing laws or regulations or impose additional or stricter laws or
regulations, compliance with which may cause us to incur significant capital
expenditures, which we may be unable to pass on to our customers through higher
prices for our products.
37
Changes
in existing PRC food hygiene laws may cause us to incur additional costs to
comply with the more stringent laws and regulations, which could have an adverse
impact on our financial position.
Manufacturers
in food industry operating in China are subject to compliance with PRC food
hygiene laws and regulations. These food hygiene laws require all enterprises
engaged in the production of chestnut and other various vegetables and fruits
to
obtain a hygiene license for each of their production facilities. They also
set
out hygiene standards with respect to food and food additives, packaging and
containers, information to be disclosed on packaging as well as hygiene
requirements for food production and sites, facilities and equipment used for
the transportation and sale of food. Failure to comply with PRC food hygiene
laws may result in fines, suspension of operations, loss of hygiene licenses
and, in more extreme cases, criminal proceedings against an enterprise and
its
management. Although we are in compliance with current food hygiene laws, in
the
event that the PRC government increases the stringency of such laws, our
production and distribution costs may increase, and we may be unable to pass
these additional costs on to our customers.
FINANCIAL
RISKS
We
are subject to credit risk in respect of account
receivables.
We
offer
credit terms of between 90 to 180 days to most of our international distributors
and between 30 to 120 days for many of our domestic distributors. For each
of
the three years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006, our third party trade
receivables outstanding were $7,611,531, $7,992,923 and $11,805,229, which
accounted for 16.6%, 14.7%, and 24.8%, of our total assets, respectively. Should
a significant number of our customers fail to settle the account receivables
in
full for any reasons, our financial conditions and profitability could be
adversely effected.
Our
operations are cash intensive, and our business could be adversely affected
if
we fail to maintain sufficient levels of working
capital.
We
spent
a significant amount of cash in our operations, principally to fund our raw
material procurement. Our suppliers, in particular farmers of chestnuts,
vegetables and fruits, and suppliers of packaging materials usually grant us
a
credit period. In turn, we require our customers and distributors to make
payment either prior to or shortly after delivery, although we offer some of
our
long-standing customers credit terms. We generally fund most of our working
capital requirements out of cash flow generated from operations. If we fail
to
generate sufficient sales, or if we suffer decreasing sales to customers as
a
result of failing to offer credit terms, if our suppliers stop to offer us
credit terms, or if we were to experience difficulties in collecting our
accounts receivables, we may not have sufficient cash flow to fund our operating
costs and our business could be adversely affected.
38
Our
borrowing levels and significant interest payment obligations could limit the
funds we have available for various business
purposes.
We
have
relied mainly on a high level of short-term borrowings to fund a portion of
our
capital requirements, and may continue to do so in the future. As of December
31, 2006, we had total borrowings of $23,248,325. Our ratio of total
indebtedness to total assets stood at 48.88% as at December 31, 2006. As at
December 31, 2006, 94.04%, of such borrowings was due within one year, primarily
from our use of short-term loans from Chinese banks to satisfy our working
capital needs. Historically, we have repaid a significant portion of such
short-term loans by rolling over the loans on an annual basis. In addition,
we
may not have sufficient funds available to pay all of our borrowings upon
maturity. Failure to roll over our short-term borrowings at maturity or to
service our debt could result in the imposition of penalties, including
increases in rates of interest that we pay on our debt and legal actions against
us by our creditors, or even insolvency.
The
discontinuation of any preferential tax treatment or other incentives currently
available to us in the PRC could materially and adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
subsidiaries enjoy certain special or preferential tax treatments regarding
foreign enterprise income tax in accordance with the “Income Tax Law of the PRC
for Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Foreign Enterprises” and its
implementing rules. Accordingly, they have been entitled to tax concessions
whereby the profit for the first two financial years beginning with the first
profit-making year (after setting off tax losses carried forward from prior
years) is exempt from income tax in the PRC and the profit for each of the
subsequent three financial years is taxed at 50% of the prevailing tax rates
set
by the relevant tax authorities. However, on March 16, 2007, the PRC’s National
People’s Congress passed a new corporate income tax law, which will be effective
on January 1, 2008. This new corporate income tax unifies the corporate income
tax rate, cost deduction and tax incentive policies for both domestic and
foreign-invested enterprises. According to the new corporate income tax law,
the
applicable corporate income tax rate of our operating subsidiary will be moved
up to a rate of 25% over a five-year grandfather period. We expect the measures
to implement this grandfather period to be enacted by the PRC government in
the
coming months and we will make an assessment of what the impact of the new
unified tax law is expected to be in the grandfather period. The discontinuation
of any such special or preferential tax treatment or other incentives could
have
an adverse affect our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
39
Under
current PRC tax law, regulations and rulings, dividends from our operations
in
China paid to us (as a foreign legal person) are not currently subject to PRC
income tax. If these distributions become subject to tax in the future, our
net
income would be adversely affected.
RISKS
RELATING TO OUR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The
concentration of ownership of our securities by our controlling stockholder
who
does not participate in the management of our business and who may have
conflicting interests can result in stockholder votes that are not in our best
interests or the best interests of our minority
stockholders.
Mr.
Akazawa, is the record owner of approximately 65.43% of our outstanding voting
securities, giving him a controlling interest in the Company. However, Mr.
Akazawa is not an executive officer or director of the Company and is not a
participant in any way in the day to day affairs of the Company. Mr. Akazawa
may
have little to no knowledge of the details of the Company’s operations and does
not participate in the corporate governance of the Company. To the extent that
Mr. Akazawa does participate as a stockholder in the governance of the Company's
affairs, his interests may be conflicted since he is an affiliate of one of
our
largest customers and he may act in his best interests or in our customer’s best
interest instead of our best interests. Additionally, Mr. Akazawa may act as
if
he has little or no economic interest in the Company in his role as stockholder
since he has granted an option to our sole director and Chief Executive Officer,
Mr. Chen, allowing Mr. Chen to buy 90% of Mr. Akazawa's interest in the Company
at a fixed price at a future time in accordance with the terms of an option
agreement between the two parties. The result of this option agreement is that
Mr. Akazawa has only limited economic benefit if our financial performance
excels as he will have only limited benefit from any upward movement in our
stock price since most of the stock that he currently owns is subject to the
option in favor of Mr. Chen.
We
do not have any independent directors and may be unable to appoint any qualified
independent directors.
We
currently do not have any independent directors. We plan to appoint a number
of
independent directors which will constitute a majority of our board of directors
before our common stock is listed on a national securities exchange, but we
may
not be able to identify independent directors qualified to be on our board
that
are willing to serve on our board.
We
may be exposed to potential risks relating to our internal controls over
financial reporting and our ability to have those controls attested to by our
independent auditors.
As
directed by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or SOX 404, the
Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rules requiring public companies
to
include a report of management on the Company’s internal controls over financial
reporting in their annual reports, including Form 10-K. In addition, the
independent registered public accounting firm auditing a company’s financial
statements must also attest to and report on management’s assessment of the
effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting as
well as the operating effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls. We were
not subject to these requirements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Accordingly, we have not evaluated our internal control systems in order to
allow our management to report on, and our independent auditors to attest to,
our internal controls as required by these requirements of SOX 404. Under
current law, we will be subject to these requirements beginning with our annual
report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. We can provide no assurance
that we will comply with all of the requirements imposed thereby. There can
be
no assurance that we will receive a positive attestation from our independent
auditors. In the event we identify significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses in our internal controls that we cannot remediate in a timely manner
or we are unable to receive a positive attestation from our independent auditors
with respect to our internal controls, investors and others may lose confidence
in the reliability of our financial statements.
40
We
may be exposed to potential risks relating to Lorain Holding’s acquisition of
certain interests in Lorain Group Companies from a British Virgin Islands
company.
Lorain
Holding acquired certain interests in the Lorain Group Companies from a British
Virgin Islands company controlled by Mr. Chen. According to a notice promulgated
by SAFE in October 2005 (“Notice No. 75”), Mr. Chen is required to register with
and obtain approvals from SAFE or its agency in connection with his direct
offshore investment activities before March 31, 2006. Pursuant to the Notice
No.
75, if a PRC shareholder with a direct or indirect stake in an offshore parent
company fails to make the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries
of
such offshore parent company may be prohibited from making distributions of
profit to the offshore parent and from paying the offshore parent proceeds
from
any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation in respect of the PRC
subsidiaries. Because Mr. Chen did not register with the relevant authorities
to
disclose his offshore investment before March 31, 2006, it is uncertain whether
it will affect our acquisition of interests in Lorain Group Companies from
this
British Virgin Islands company and what types of actions those authorities
might
take, including potential action against British Virgin Islands
company, Lorain Holding and the Lorain Group Companies.
RISKS
RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA
Changes
in China’s political or economic situation could harm us and our operating
results.
Economic
reforms adopted by the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the
economic development of the country, but the government could change these
economic reforms or any of the legal systems at any time. This could either
benefit or damage our operations and profitability. Some of the things that
could have this effect are:
·
|
Level
of government involvement in the
economy;
|
·
|
Control
of foreign exchange;
|
·
|
Methods
of allocating resources;
|
·
|
Balance
of payments position;
|
·
|
International
trade restrictions; and
|
41
·
|
International
conflict.
|
The
Chinese economy differs from the economies of most countries belonging to the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, in many ways.
For example, state-owned enterprises still constitute a large portion of the
Chinese economy, and weak corporate governance traditions and a lack of flexible
currency exchange policy continue to persist. As a result of these differences,
we may not develop in the same way or at the same rate as might be expected
if
the Chinese economy were similar to those of the OECD member
countries.
Our
business is largely subject to the uncertain legal environment in China and
your
legal protection could be limited.
The
Chinese legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike
common law systems, it is a system in which precedents set in earlier legal
cases are not generally used. The overall effect of legislation enacted over
the
past 20 years has been to enhance the protections afforded to foreign invested
enterprises in China. However, these laws, regulations and legal requirements
are relatively recent and are evolving rapidly, and their interpretation and
enforcement involve uncertainties. These uncertainties could limit the legal
protections available to foreign investors, such as the right of foreign
invested enterprises to hold licenses and permits such as requisite business
licenses. In addition, all of our executive officers and our directors are
residents of China and not of the U.S., and substantially all the assets of
these persons are located outside the U.S. As a result, it could be difficult
for investors to effect service of process in the U.S., or to enforce a judgment
obtained in the U.S. against our Chinese operations and
subsidiaries.
The
Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we
must
conduct our business activities.
Only
recently has China permitted provincial and local economic autonomy and private
economic activities. The Chinese government has exercised and continues to
exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy
through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may
be
harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to
taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, land use rights,
property and other matters. We believe that our operations in China are in
material compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
However, the central or local governments of the jurisdictions in which we
operate may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing
regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part
to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations.
Accordingly,
government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to
support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned
economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic
policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or
particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any
interest we then hold in Chinese properties or joint ventures.
42
Future
inflation in China may inhibit our ability to conduct business profitably in
China.
In
recent
years, the Chinese economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion and highly
fluctuating rates of inflation. During the past ten years, the rate of inflation
in China has been as high as 20.7% and as low as -2.2%. These factors have
led
to the adoption by the Chinese government, from time to time, of various
corrective measures designed to restrict the availability of credit or regulate
growth and contain inflation. High inflation in the future may cause the Chinese
government to impose controls on credit and/or prices, or to take other action,
which could inhibit economic activity in China, and thereby harm the market
for
our products. Likewise, negative inflation could have an unfavorable effect
on
our business profitability in China. Negative inflation may cause a period
where
consumers are reluctant to spend, as consumers anticipate lower prices for
products in the future. In the event of negative inflation, the Chinese
government may impose controls on credit and/or prices, or take other actions,
which could inhibit economic activity, harming the market for our
products.
Restrictions
on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively.
The
majority of our revenues will be settled in Renminbi and U.S. Dollars, and
any
future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use revenue
generated in Renminbi to fund any future business activities outside China
or to
make dividend or other payments in U.S. dollars. Although the Chinese government
introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater convertibility of the Renminbi
for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain,
including primarily the restriction that foreign-invested enterprises may only
buy, sell or remit foreign currencies after providing valid commercial documents
at those banks in China authorized to conduct foreign exchange business. In
addition, conversion of Renminbi for capital account items, including direct
investment and loans, is subject to governmental approval in China, and
companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts
for capital account items. We cannot be certain that the Chinese regulatory
authorities will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility
of
the Renminbi.
Failure
to comply with PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special
purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident stockholders
to
personal liability, limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject
capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to
distribute profits to us or otherwise materially adversely affect us.
In
October 2005, the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, issued
the Notice on Relevant Issues in the Foreign Exchange Control over Financing
and
Return Investment Through Special Purpose Companies by Residents Inside China,
generally referred to as Circular 75, which required PRC residents to register
with the competent local SAFE branch before establishing or acquiring control
over an offshore special purpose company, or SPV, for the purpose of engaging
in
an equity financing outside of China on the strength of domestic PRC assets
originally held by those residents. Internal implementing guidelines issued
by
SAFE, which became public in June 2007 (known as Notice 106), expanded the
reach
of Circular 75 by (i)
purporting to cover the establishment or acquisition of control by PRC residents
of offshore entities which merely acquire “control” over domestic companies or
assets, even in the absence of legal ownership; (ii)
adding
requirements relating to the source of the PRC resident’s funds used to
establish or acquire the offshore entity; (iii)
covering
the use of existing offshore entities for offshore financings; (iv)
purporting to cover situations in which an offshore SPV establishes a new
subsidiary in China or acquires an unrelated company or unrelated assets in
China; and (v)
making
the domestic affiliate of the SPV responsible for the accuracy of certain
documents which must be filed in connection with any such registration, notably,
the business plan which describes the overseas financing and the use of
proceeds. Amendments to registrations made under Circular 75 are required in
connection with any increase or decrease of capital, transfer of shares, mergers
and acquisitions, equity investment or creation of any security interest in
any
assets located in China to guarantee offshore obligations, and Notice 106 makes
the offshore SPV jointly responsible for these filings. In the case of an SPV
which was established, and which acquired a related domestic company or assets,
before the implementation date of Circular 75, a retroactive SAFE registration
was required to have been completed before March 31, 2006; this date was
subsequently extended indefinitely by Notice 106, which also required that
the
registrant establish that all foreign exchange transactions undertaken by the
SPV and its affiliates were in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Failure to comply with the requirements of Circular 75, as applied by SAFE
in
accordance with Notice 106, may result in fines and other penalties under PRC
laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. Any such failure
could also result in the SPV’s affiliates being impeded or prevented from
distributing their profits and the proceeds from any reduction in capital,
share
transfer or liquidation to the SPV, or from engaging in other transfers of
funds
into or out of China.
43
We
believe our stockholders who are PRC residents as defined in Circular 75 have
registered with the relevant branch of SAFE, as currently required, in
connection with their equity interests in us and our acquisitions of equity
interests in our PRC subsidiaries. However, we cannot provide any assurances
that their existing registrations have fully complied with, and they have made
all necessary amendments to their registration to fully comply with, all
applicable registrations or approvals required by Circular 75. Moreover, because
of uncertainty over how Circular 75 will be interpreted and implemented, and
how
or whether SAFE will apply it to us, we cannot predict how it will affect our
business operations or future strategies. For example, our present and
prospective PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct foreign exchange activities,
such as the remittance of dividends and foreign currency-denominated borrowings,
may be subject to compliance with Circular 75 by our PRC resident beneficial
holders. In addition, such PRC residents may not always be able to complete
the
necessary registration procedures required by Circular 75. We also have little
control over either our present or prospective direct or indirect stockholders
or the outcome of such registration procedures. A failure by our PRC resident
beneficial holders or future PRC resident stockholders to comply with Circular
75, if SAFE requires it, could subject these PRC resident beneficial holders
to
fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment
activities, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay
dividends or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our
business and prospects.
44
The
value of our securities will be affected by the foreign exchange rate between
U.S. dollars and Renminbi.
The
value
of our common stock will be affected by the foreign exchange rate between U.S.
dollars and Renminbi, and between those currencies and other currencies in
which
our sales may be denominated. For example, to the extent that we need to convert
U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operational needs and should the Renminbi
appreciate against the U.S. dollar at that time, our financial position, the
business of the Company, and the price of our common stock may be harmed.
Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the
purpose of declaring dividends on our common stock or for other business
purposes and the U.S. dollar appreciates against the Renminbi, the U.S. dollar
equivalent of our earnings from our subsidiaries in China would be
reduced.
Our
strategy to procure raw ingredients supply is to diversify our suppliers both
in
the PRC and overseas. Currently, some of our raw materials and major equipment
are imported. In the event that the U.S. dollars appreciate against Renminbi,
our costs will increase. If we cannot pass the resulting cost increase on to
our
customers, our profitability and operating results will suffer. In addition,
since our sales to international customers grew rapidly, we are subject to
the
risk of foreign currency depreciation.
Our
licenses are subject to governmental control and renewal, failure to obtain
renewal will cause all or part of our operations to be suspended or
terminated.
In
accordance with PRC laws and regulations, we are required to maintain various
licenses and permits in order to operate our business at each of our production
facilities including, without limitation, hygiene permits, and industrial
products production permits. We are required to comply with applicable hygiene
and food safety standards in relation to our production processes. Our premises
and transportation vehicles are subject to regular inspections by the regulatory
authorities for compliance with the Detailed Rules for Administration and
Supervision of Quality and Safety in Food Producing and Processing Enterprises.
Failure to pass these inspections, or the loss of or failure to renew our
licenses and permits, could require us to temporarily or permanently suspend
some or all of our production activities, which could disrupt our operations
and
adversely affect our business.
RISKS
RELATED TO THE MARKET FOR OUR STOCK
Certain
of our stockholders hold a significant percentage of our outstanding voting
securities.
Mr.
Akazawa, is the record owner of approximately 65.43% of our outstanding voting
securities. As a result, he possesses significant influence and can elect a
majority of our board of directors and authorize or prevent proposed significant
corporate transactions. His ownership and control may also have the effect
of
delaying or preventing a future change in control, impeding a merger,
consolidation, takeover or other business combination or discourage a potential
acquirer from making a tender offer.
45
Our
common stock is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board which may have an unfavorable
impact on our stock price and liquidity.
Our
common stock is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board. The OTC Bulletin Board is
a
significantly more limited market than the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ
system. The quotation of our shares on the OTC Bulletin Board may result in
a
less liquid market available for existing and potential stockholders to trade
shares of our common stock, could depress the trading price of our common stock
and could have a long-term adverse impact on our ability to raise capital in
the
future.
We
are subject to penny stock regulations and
restrictions.
The
SEC
has adopted regulations which generally define so-called “penny stocks” to be an
equity security that has a market price less than $5.00 per share or an exercise
price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exemptions. As of August
17, 2007, the closing price for our common stock was $7.00 per share, but our
recent trading history has also shown prices below $5.00 per share and,
therefore, our stock could be designated a “penny stock.” As a “penny stock,”
our common stock may become subject to Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act of
1934, or the “Penny Stock Rule.” This rule imposes additional sales practice
requirements on broker-dealers that sell such securities to persons other than
established customers and “accredited investors” (generally, individuals with a
net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual incomes exceeding $200,000, or
$300,000 together with their spouses). For transactions covered by Rule 15g-9,
a
broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser
and have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to
sale. As a result, this rule may affect the ability of broker-dealers to sell
our securities and may affect the ability of purchasers to sell any of our
securities in the secondary market.
For
any
transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require delivery,
prior to any transaction in a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule prepared
by
the SEC relating to the penny stock market. Disclosure is also required to
be
made about sales commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the
registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally,
monthly statements are required to be sent disclosing recent price information
for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market
in
penny stock.
There
can
be no assurance that our common stock will qualify for exemption from the Penny
Stock Rule. In any event, even if our common stock were exempt from the Penny
Stock Rule, we would remain subject to Section 15(b)(6) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, or “Exchange Act”, which gives the SEC the authority to
restrict any person from participating in a distribution of penny stock, if
the
SEC finds that such a restriction would be in the public interest.
46
Certain
provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation may make it more difficult for
a
third party to effect a change- in-control.
Our
Certificate of Incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue up
to
5,000,000 shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval. The preferred
stock may be issued in one or more series, the terms of which may be determined
at the time of issuance by the board of directors without further action by
the
stockholders. These terms may include voting rights including the right to
vote
as a series on particular matters, preferences as to dividends and liquidation,
conversion rights and redemption rights provisions. The issuance of any
preferred stock could diminish the rights of holders of our common stock, and
therefore could reduce the value of such common stock. In addition, specific
rights granted to future holders of preferred stock could be used to restrict
our ability to merge with, or sell assets to, a third party. The ability of
the
board of directors to issue preferred stock could make it more difficult, delay,
discourage, prevent or make it more costly to acquire or effect a
change-in-control, which in turn could prevent the stockholders from recognizing
a gain in the event that a favorable offer is extended and could materially
and
negatively affect the market price of our common stock.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
On
May 3,
2007, through a private placement, we raised approximately $19.8 million in
gross proceeds, which left us with approximately $18 million in net proceeds
after the deduction of offering expenses in the amount of approximately $1.8
million. We plan to use part of the proceeds to build new production lines
and
purchase new equipment for the expansion of our production capacity. This
financing resulted in an increase of our net cash flow and a decrease of our
asset/liability ratio and financial risks.
Through
the reverse acquisition of Lorain Holding we acquired all of the issued and
outstanding capital stock of Lorain Holding, which became our wholly-owned
subsidiary, and in exchange for that capital stock we issued to the former
stockholders of Lorain Holding 697,663 shares of our Series B Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock, which shares of preferred stock were convertible into
16,384,706 shares of our common stock immediately following the effectiveness
of
an amendment to our charter filed July 17, 2007 that, among other things,
increases the number of our authorized shares of common stock from 20,000,000
to
200,000,000 and effectuated a 1-for-32.84 reverse stock split.
Contemporaneous
with the reverse acquisition, we also completed a private placement transaction
in which we issued and sold to accredited investors 299,055.78 shares of our
Series B Voting Convertible Preferred Stock and warrants for the purchase of
up
to an aggregate of 1,398,065 shares of our Common Stock for gross proceeds
of
approximately $19.8 million. These shares of Series B Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock were converted into 6,990,401 shares of our common stock at
the
effective time of an amendment and restatement of our Restated Certificate
of
Incorporation filed on July 17, 2007.
47
Details
of unregistered sale of common securities can be found in the Company’s Current
Report filed on Form 8-K, dated May 3, 2007 filed by the SEC on May 9, 2007,
which is incorporated into this Quartely report by reference.
ITEM
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
There
were no defaults upon senior securities in the quarter ended June 30,
2007.
ITEM
4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY
HOLDERS
On
May 3,
2007, the board of directors of Millennium Quest, Inc, a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”) and Halter Financial Investments, L.P., the record holder 70.5%
of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock, approved, by written
consent, an amendment of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (the
“Amendment”) that (i) will increase the number of shares of our authorized
common stock from 20,000,000 to 200,000,000 shares, (ii) effectuate a
1-for-32.84 reverse stock split for our common stock and (iii) to change the
Company’s name to “American Lorain Corporation”.
ITEM
5. OTHER INFORMATION
N/A
ITEM
6. EXHIBITS
EXHIBITS.
31.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer and Financial Officer furnished
pursuant to
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
48
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 hereunto
duly authorized.
AMERICAN
LORAIN CORPORATION
|
|||
Date:
August 20, 2007
|
|||
By: /S/ Si Chen | |||
Si
Chen
Chief
Executive Officer
|
49
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
|
Description |
31.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of
the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer and Financial Officer furnished
pursuant to
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
50