ULTRALIFE BATTERIES, INC. 424B5
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-136742
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated September 22, 2006)
1,000,000 Shares
Common Stock
We are offering 1,000,000 shares of common stock. Our
common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the
symbol ULBI. On November 8, 2007, the last
reported sale price of our common stock as reported on the
NASDAQ Global Market was $13.98 per share.
Investing in our common stock involves risks that are
described in Risk Factors beginning on
page S-5
of this prospectus supplement.
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Per Share
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Total
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Public offering price
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$
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13.500
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$
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13,500,000
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Sales commissions
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$
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0.675
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$
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675,000
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us
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$
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12.825
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$
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12,825,000
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Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We expect to deliver the shares to investors on or about
November 15, 2007.
Stephens Inc.
The date of this prospectus supplement is November 8, 2007
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
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S-1
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S-2
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S-5
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S-16
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S-16
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S-17
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S-17
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S-18
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S-20
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S-22
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S-22
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PROSPECTUS
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INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS
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2
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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RISK FACTORS
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USE OF PROCEEDS
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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
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LEGAL MATTERS
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EXPERTS
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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
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S-i
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus
supplement, which describes the terms of the common stock that
we are offering and adds to and updates information contained in
the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus,
which gives more general information, some of which may not
apply to the common stock that we are currently offering.
Generally, the term prospectus refers to both parts
combined.
You should read and consider all of the information contained in
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus,
including the documents incorporated by reference in each such
document, in making your investment decision. If the information
varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus, the information in this prospectus supplement
supersedes the information in the accompanying prospectus. You
should rely only on the information contained in, or
incorporated by reference in, this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus. We have not, and the placement agent
has not, authorized any other person to provide you with
additional or different information. If anyone provides you with
different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on
it. You should not assume that the information provided by this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate
as of any date other than the date on the front of these
documents. Our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. Our
common stock is being offered and sold only in jurisdictions
where offers and sales are permitted.
As used in this prospectus supplement, the terms
Ultralife, Company, we,
our, ours and us refer to
Ultralife Batteries, Inc. and its subsidiaries except where the
context otherwise requires or as otherwise indicated.
S-1
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary does not contain all of the information that you
should consider before buying our common stock. You should,
therefore, read carefully this entire prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus, including the section entitled
Risk Factors beginning on
page S-5
and the more detailed information and financial statements and
related notes appearing elsewhere or incorporated by reference
in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus,
before making an investment decision.
Ultralife
Batteries, Inc.
We are a global provider of high-energy power systems,
communications accessories and engineering and technical
services for diverse applications. We develop, manufacture and
market a wide range of non-rechargeable and rechargeable
batteries, charging systems and accessories for markets
including defense, commercial and consumer portable electronics.
Through our portfolio of standard products and engineered
solutions, we are at the forefront of providing the next
generation of power systems, communications accessories and
technical services.
Our battery technologies allow us to offer batteries and power
systems that are flexibly configured, light weight and generally
capable of achieving longer operating times than many competing
batteries currently available. Our communications accessories
offer users a wide variety of integrated solutions that satisfy
the most demanding applications. Our engineering and technical
services capabilities enable us to design, integrate and field
mobile, modular and fixed-site communication and electronic
systems.
We compete on the basis of design flexibility, performance and
reliability. Through our experience in battery manufacturing, we
have developed expertise which we believe would be difficult to
reproduce without substantial time and expense in the
non-rechargeable battery market.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and
2006, and the nine month period ended September 29, 2007,
our sales were $98.2 million, $70.5 million,
$93.5 million and $100.8 million, respectively. Our
gross profit for those same periods was $20.3 million,
$12.3 million, $17.4 million and $23.0 million,
respectively, and our operating income (loss) was
$5.1 million, ($2.9 million), ($3.0 million) and
$2.5 million, respectively.
Growth
Strategy
We continually evaluate various ways to grow, including
opportunities to expand through mergers and acquisitions. In
2006, we acquired ABLE New Energy Co., Ltd., or ABLE, an
established manufacturer of lithium batteries located in
Shenzhen, China, and McDowell Research, Ltd., or McDowell, a
manufacturer of military communications accessories located in
Waco, Texas, and in September 2007, we acquired Innovative
Solutions Consulting, Inc., or ISC, a company engaged in the
business of providing engineering and technical services for
communication electronic systems to government agencies. In
October 2007, we entered into agreements to acquire Stationary
Power Services, Inc., or SPS, and Reserve Power Systems, Inc.,
or RPS, two related companies that provide battery systems for
back-up
power for telecom, cable television, uninterruptible power
supply systems and critical computer applications.
For our non-rechargeable products, our strategy is to develop
sales and marketing alliances with original equipment
manufacturers, or OEMs and governmental agencies that utilize
our batteries in their products, commit to cooperative research
and development or marketing programs, and recommend our
products for design-in or replacement use in their products.
With respect to our rechargeable products, we have targeted
sales through OEM customers, as well as distributors and
resellers focused on our target markets. We continue to expand
our marketing activities as part of our strategic plan to
increase sales of our rechargeable batteries for military and
communications applications, as well as hand-held devices,
wearable devices and other electronic portable equipment.
S-2
With respect to our communications accessories products, we have
targeted sales of products used to support military
communication systems, such as battery chargers, power supplies,
power cables, connector assemblies, radio frequency (RF)
amplifiers, amplified speakers, equipment mounts, case equipment
and integrated communication systems, to military OEMs and
military organizations including the U.S. Department of
Defense.
Principal
Executive Offices
Our principal executive offices are located at 2000 Technology
Parkway, Newark, New York 14513. Our telephone number at that
location is
(315) 332-7000.
Our Internet website is www.ultralifebatteries.com. Information
contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in
this prospectus, and you should not consider information
contained on our website as part of this prospectus supplement.
S-3
The
Offering
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Issuer |
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Ultralife Batteries, Inc. |
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Common stock offered |
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1,000,000 shares |
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering |
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16,264,437 shares |
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Use of proceeds |
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To fund (i) approximately $6.0 million of the
consideration related to the acquisition of SPS, (ii) the
prepayment of $3.5 million principal amount of indebtedness
due on the subordinated convertible notes issued as partial
consideration for the McDowell acquisition, (iii) to repay
$1.0 million of borrowings outstanding under our credit
facility used to fund the ISC acquisition, and (iv) for
general working capital purposes. |
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NASDAQ Global Market Symbol |
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ULBI |
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Risk factors |
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See Risk Factors beginning on
page S-5
and other information in this prospectus for a discussion of
factors you should consider carefully before deciding to invest
in our common stock. |
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after
this offering is based on 15,264,437 shares of our common
stock outstanding as of September 29, 2007 and assumes the
sale of all 1,000,000 shares of our common stock offered
hereby. The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding
after this offering excludes (i) 1,852,738 shares
issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding and
having a weighted average exercise price of $11.34 per share,
(ii) 637,262 additional shares reserved for issuance under
our Amended and Restated 2004 Long Term Incentive Plan, as
amended, and (iii) 700,000 shares issuable upon
conversion of the outstanding subordinated convertible notes
issued as partial consideration for the McDowell acquisition
after the $3.5 million prepayment described above, in each
case as of September 29, 2007.
Recent
Operating Results
For our recently concluded third quarter, we reported revenue of
$33.3 million, an increase of 40% compared with
$23.7 million reported for the third quarter 2006.
Operating income for the third quarter was $0.2 million
compared to a $2.1 million operating loss for the same
period last year. As a percentage of revenue, gross margin for
the third quarter of 2007 was 21%, up from 17% for the third
quarter of 2006. Net loss for the third quarter of 2007 was
$0.1 million, or $0.01 per common share, compared with a
net loss of $1.7 million, or $0.11 per share for the same
quarter in 2006.
For the nine-month period ended September 29, 2007, our
revenue was $100.8 million, an increase of 59% when
compared with revenue of $63.4 million for the same period
a year ago. Operating income amounted to $2.5 million for
the first nine months of 2007, an improvement of
$4.0 million over the first nine months of 2006. Net income
for the first nine months of 2007 was $1.1 million, or
$0.07 per share, compared to a net loss of $1.4 million, or
$0.10 per share, for the same period last year.
S-4
An investment in our common stock involves risks. We
urge you to carefully consider all of the information contained
in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus as provided under
Incorporation by Reference in the accompanying
prospectus, including our Annual Report on
Form 10-K,
our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
and our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.
This prospectus supplement contains forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In some cases,
you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such
as may, will, should,
intend, expect, plan,
anticipate, believe,
estimate, predict, potential
or continue, or the negative of such terms or other
comparable terminology. Our actual results could differ
materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks
described below and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement or
the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus. Our forward-looking statements are based on our
beliefs as well as assumptions we have made and on information
currently available to us. Our forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to,
future demand for our products and services, addressing the
process of U.S. military procurement, the successful
commercialization of our products, general economic conditions,
government and environmental regulation, finalization of non-bid
government contracts, competition and customer strategies,
technological innovations in the industries we service, changes
in our business strategy or development plan, capital
deployment, business disruptions, including those caused by
fires, materials supplies, environmental regulations and other
risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond our
control. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial
condition or results of operations could be adversely
affected.
Risks
Related to our Business
A decline
in demand for products using our batteries or communications
accessories could reduce demand for our products.
A substantial portion of our business depends on the continued
demand for products using our batteries and communications
accessories sold by OEMs. Our success depends significantly upon
the success of those OEMs products in the marketplace. We
are subject to many risks beyond our control that influence the
success or failure of a particular product manufactured by an
OEM, including:
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competition faced by the OEM in its particular industry,
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market acceptance of the OEMs product,
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the engineering, sales, marketing and management capabilities of
the OEM,
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technical challenges unrelated to our technology or products
faced by the OEM in developing its products, and
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the financial and other resources of the OEM.
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For instance, in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004,
2005 and 2006 and the nine months ended September 29, 2007,
22%, 32%, 27% and 18% of our revenues, respectively, were
comprised of sales of our 9-volt batteries, and of this,
approximately 19%, 21%, 47% and 39%, respectively, pertained to
sales to smoke alarm OEMs. If the retail demand for long-life
smoke alarms decreases significantly, this could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
Our
customers may not meet the volume requirements in our OEM supply
agreements.
We sell most of our products through OEM supply agreements and
contracts. While OEM supply agreements and contracts contain
volume-based pricing based on expected volumes, industry
practices dictate that pricing is rarely adjusted retroactively
when contract volumes are not achieved. Every effort is made to
adjust future prices accordingly, but the ability to adjust
prices is generally based on market conditions.
S-5
Our
growth and expansion strategy could strain or overwhelm our
resources.
Rapid growth of our business could significantly strain
management, operations and technical resources. If we are
successful in obtaining rapid market growth of our products, we
will be required to deliver large volumes of quality products to
customers on a timely basis at a reasonable cost to those
customers. For example, the large contracts received from the
U.S. military for our batteries using cylindrical cells
could strain the current capacity capabilities of our U.K.
facility and require additional equipment and time to build a
sufficient support infrastructure at that location. This demand
could also create working capital issues for us, as we may need
increased liquidity to fund purchases of raw materials and
supplies. We cannot assure, however, that business will grow
rapidly or that our efforts to expand manufacturing and quality
control activities will be successful or that we will be able to
satisfy commercial scale production requirements on a timely and
cost-effective basis.
We have recently adopted a strategy to grow our business through
the acquisition of complementary businesses, in addition to
organic growth. Our inability to acquire such businesses, or
increased competition for such businesses which could increase
our acquisition costs, could impede our ability to close
identified acquisitions, which could adversely affect our growth
strategy and results of operations. In addition, our inability
to improve the operating margins of businesses we acquire or
operate such acquired businesses profitably or to effectively
integrate the operations of those acquired businesses could
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
In 2006, we acquired the businesses of McDowell and ABLE, and in
2007 we acquired ISC and entered into agreements to acquire SPS
and RPS, which added new facilities and operations to our
overall business. We have faced some initial operational
challenges at McDowell that are requiring a greater amount of
managements time to resolve than we had expected. Our
management team remains essentially the same, however, which
places an increased burden and responsibility on a team which
had little capacity to absorb such added responsibility. In
addition, these acquisitions have strained our production
capacity, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to
meet customer demands for product delivery.
We will also be required to continue to improve our operations,
management and financial systems and controls in order to remain
competitive. The failure to manage growth and expansion
effectively could have an adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
recent acquisitions may not result in the revenue growth that we
expect. In addition, we may not be able to successfully
integrate our recent acquisitions.
During the second quarter of 2006, we acquired ABLE, a
manufacturer of lithium batteries located in Shenzhen, China,
and during the third quarter of 2006, we acquired substantially
all of the assets of McDowell, a manufacturer of military
communications accessories located in Waco, Texas. In addition,
in September 2007, we acquired ISC, a provider of engineering
and technical services for communication electronic systems to
government agencies. In October of 2007, we entered into
agreements to acquire SPS and RPS, two related companies that
provide battery systems for
back-up
power for telecom, cable television, uninterruptible power
supply systems and critical computer applications. We have begun
the process of integrating these acquisitions into our business
and assimilating their operations, services, products and
personnel with our management policies, procedures and
strategies. We cannot be sure that we will achieve the benefits
of revenue growth that we expect from these acquisitions or that
we will not incur unforeseen additional costs or expenses in
connection with these acquisitions. To effectively manage our
expected future growth, we must continue to successfully manage
our integration of these companies and continue to improve our
operational systems, internal procedures, accounts receivable
and management, financial and operational controls. If we fail
in any of these areas, our business could be adversely affected.
The U.S.
government can audit our contracts with the U.S. military and,
under certain circumstances, can adjust the economic terms of
those contracts.
A significant portion of our business comes from sales of
product to the U.S. military through various government
contracts. These contracts are subject to procurement laws and
regulations that lay out uniform
S-6
policies and procedures for acquiring goods and services by the
U.S. government. The regulations also contain guidelines
for managing contracts after they are awarded, including
conditions under which contracts may be terminated, in whole or
in part, at the governments convenience or for default.
Failure to comply with the procurement laws or regulations can
result in civil, criminal or administrative proceedings
involving fines, penalties, suspension of payments, or
suspension or disbarment from government contracting or
subcontracting for a period of time.
We have had certain exigent non-bid contracts with
the U.S. government that have been subject to an audit and
final price adjustment and have resulted in decreased margins
compared with the original terms of the contracts. As of
September 29, 2007, there were no outstanding exigent
contracts with the government. As part of its due diligence, the
U.S. government has conducted post-audits of the completed
exigent contracts to ensure that information used in supporting
the pricing of exigent contracts did not differ materially from
actual results. In September 2005, the Defense Contracting Audit
Agency, or DCAA, presented its findings related to the audits of
three of the exigent contracts, suggesting a potential pricing
adjustment of approximately $1,400,000 related to reductions in
the cost of materials that occurred prior to the final
negotiation of these contracts. We have reviewed these audit
reports, have submitted our response to these audits and
believe, taken as a whole, the proposed audit adjustments can be
offset with the consideration of other compensating cost
increases that occurred prior to the final negotiation of the
contracts. While we believe that potential exposure exists
relating to any final negotiation of these proposed adjustments,
we cannot reasonably estimate what, if any, adjustment may
result when finalized. In addition, we have received a request
from the Office of Inspector General of the Department of
Defense, or DoD IG, seeking certain information and documents
relating to our business with the Department of Defense. We are
cooperating with the DoD IG inquiry and are furnishing the
requested information and documents. At this time we have no
basis for assessing whether we might face any penalties or
liabilities on account of the DoD IG inquiry. The aforementioned
DCAA-related adjustments could reduce margins and, along with
the aforementioned DoD IG inquiry, could have an adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Such adjustments could reduce margins and have an adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are
subject to the contract rules and procedures of the U.S.
government because we do business with the U.S. military. These
rules and procedures create significant risks and uncertainties
for us that are not usually present in contracts with private
parties.
We will continue to develop both non-rechargeable and
rechargeable battery products, related products and
communications accessories to meet the needs of the
U.S. military. We compete in solicitations for awards of
contracts for these products, as well as meeting delivery
schedules for orders released under contract. The receipt of an
award, however, does not usually result in the immediate release
of an order and does not guarantee in any way any given volume
of orders. Any delay of solicitations or anticipated purchase
orders by, or future failure of, the U.S. government to
purchase products manufactured by us could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations. Additionally, we are typically required to
successfully meet contractual specifications and to pass various
qualification-testing for the products under contract by the
military. Our inability to pass these tests in a timely fashion
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
When a government contract is awarded, there is a government
procedure that permits unsuccessful companies to formally
protest such award if they believe they were unjustly treated in
the evaluation process. As a result of these protests, the
government is precluded from proceeding under these contracts
until the protests are resolved. A prolonged delay in the
resolution of a protest, or a reversal of an award resulting
from such a protest, could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Many of our products are sold for ultimate use overseas in
countries where the U.S. military is deployed.
U.S. government decisions regarding military deployment and
budget allocations to fund overseas military operations have an
impact on the demand for our products.
S-7
A
significant portion of our revenues is derived from contracts
with the U.S. military or OEMs that supply the U.S.
military.
In the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006, and
the nine months ended September 29, 2007, approximately
65%, 45%, 47% and 46%, respectively, of our revenues were
comprised of sales made directly or indirectly to the
U.S. military. We have two major customers, the
U.S. Department of Defense, that comprised 56%, 25%, 20%,
and 17% of our revenue in the years ended December 31,
2004, 2005, and 2006, and the nine months ended
September 29, 2007, respectively and the U.K. Ministry of
Defense, that comprised 2%, 6%, 7% and 16% of our revenue in the
years ended December 31, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and the nine
months ended September 29, 2007, respectively. There were
no other customers that comprised greater than 10% of our total
revenues in those periods. If the demand for products from the
U.S. military were to decrease significantly, this could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We generally do not distribute our products to a concentrated
geographical area nor is there a significant concentration of
credit risks arising from individuals or groups of customers
engaged in similar activities, or who have similar economic
characteristics. One customer, the U.S. military, comprised
18% of our trade accounts receivable as of September 29,
2007. There were no other customers that comprised greater than
10% of our total trade accounts receivable as of
September 29, 2007. This customer comprised 22% of our
total trade accounts receivable as of December 31, 2006.
While sales to the U.S. military have been substantial
during 2006 and 2007, we do not consider this customer to be a
significant credit risk. We do not normally obtain collateral on
trade accounts receivable.
Our
efforts to develop new commercial applications for our products
could fail.
Although we are involved with developing certain products for
new commercial applications, such as
back-up
batteries for the automotive telematics market, batteries for
emergency locator transmitters and RF amplifiers for portable
radio communications, we cannot assure that volume acceptance of
our products will occur due to the highly competitive nature of
the business. There are many new product and technology entrants
into the marketplace, and we must continually reassess the
market segments in which our products can be successful and seek
to engage customers in these segments that will adopt our
products for use in their products. In addition, these companies
must be successful with their products in their markets for us
to gain increased business. Increased competition, failure to
gain customer acceptance of products, introduction of
competitive technologies or failure of our customers in their
markets could have a further adverse effect on our business.
We may
incur significant costs because of the warranties we supply with
our products.
With respect to our battery products, we typically offer
warranties against any defects due to product malfunction or
workmanship for a period up to one year from the date of
purchase. With respect to our communications accessory products,
we typically offer a four-year warranty. We also offer a
10-year
warranty on our 9-volt batteries that are used in
ionization-type smoke alarms. We provide for a reserve for these
potential warranty expenses, which is based on an analysis of
historical warranty issues. There is no assurance that future
warranty claims will be consistent with past history, and in the
event we experience a significant increase in warranty claims,
there is no assurance that our reserves will be sufficient. This
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We are
subject to certain safety risks, including the risk of fire,
inherent in the manufacture of lithium batteries.
Due to the high energy density inherent in lithium batteries,
our batteries can pose certain safety risks, including the risk
of fire. We incorporate safety procedures in research,
development, manufacturing processes and the transportation of
batteries that are designed to minimize safety risks, but we
cannot assure that accidents will not occur. Although we
currently carry insurance policies which cover loss of the plant
and machinery, leasehold improvements, inventory and business
interruption, any accident, whether at the
S-8
manufacturing facilities or from the use of the products, may
result in significant production delays or claims for damages
resulting from injuries. While we maintain what we believe to be
sufficient casualty and liability insurance coverage to protect
against such occurrences, these types of losses could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
We may
incur significant costs because of known and unknown
environmental matters.
National, state and local laws impose various environmental
controls on the manufacture, storage, use and disposal of
lithium batteries and of certain chemicals used in the
manufacture of lithium batteries. Although we believe that our
operations are in substantial compliance with current
environmental regulations and that, except as noted below, there
are no environmental conditions that will require material
expenditures for
clean-up at
our present or former facilities or at facilities to which we
have sent waste for disposal, there can be no assurance that
changes in such laws and regulations will not impose costly
compliance requirements on us or otherwise subject us to future
liabilities. Moreover, state and local governments may enact
additional restrictions relating to the disposal of lithium
batteries by our customers that could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations. In addition, the U.S. Department of
Transportation, or DOT, and certain international regulatory
agencies that consider lithium to be a hazardous material
regulate the transportation of lithium-ion batteries and
batteries that contain lithium metal. We currently ship lithium
batteries in accordance with regulations established by the DOT
and other international regulatory agencies. There can be no
assurance that additional or modified regulations relating to
the manufacture, transportation, storage, use and disposal of
materials used to manufacture our batteries or restricting
disposal of batteries will not be imposed or how these
regulations will affect us or our customers.
In conjunction with our purchase/lease of our Newark, New York
facility in 1998, we entered into a
payment-in-lieu
of tax agreement, which provides us with real estate tax
concessions upon meeting certain conditions. In connection with
this agreement, a consulting firm performed a Phase I
and II Environmental Site Assessment, which revealed the
existence of contaminated soil and ground water around one of
the buildings. We have submitted various work plans to the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation, or NYSDEC,
regarding further environmental testing and sampling in order to
determine the scope of any additional remediation. We
subsequently met with the NYSDEC in March 2006 to present the
test results. In November 2006, the NYSDEC completed its review
of the final investigation report and requested additional
groundwater, soil and sediment sampling. A work plan to address
the additional investigation was submitted to the NYSDEC in
January 2007 and was approved in April 2007. Additional
investigative work was performed in May 2007. A preliminary
report of results was prepared by our outside environmental
consulting firm in August 2007, and a meeting with the NYSDEC
and the New York State Department of Health, or the NYSDOH, took
place in September 2007. As a result of this meeting, NYSDEC and
NYSDOH have requested additional investigation work. A work plan
to address this additional investigation is being developed. The
results of the additional investigation requested by the NYSDEC
may increase the estimated remediation costs modestly. At
September 29, 2007, we have reserved $45,000 for this
matter. The ultimate resolution of this matter may result in us
incurring costs in excess of what we have reserved.
The future regulatory direction of the European Unions
Restriction of Hazardous Substances, or RoHS, and Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE, Directives, as
they pertain to our products, is uncertain. Their potential
impact to our business would become material if battery packs
were to be included in new guidelines and we were unable to
procure materials in a timely manner. Other associated risks
related to these directives include excess inventory risk due to
a write off of non-compliant inventory. We continue to monitor
the regulatory activity of the European Union to ascertain such
risks.
Chinas Management Methods for Controlling Pollution
Caused by Electronic Information Products Regulation, or
China RoHS, provides a two-step, broad regulatory framework,
including similar hazardous substance restrictions as are
imposed by the European Unions RoHS Directive, and apply
to methods for the control and reduction of pollution and other
public hazards to the environment caused during the production,
sale and import of electronic information products, or EIP, in
China affecting a broad range of electronic products and parts,
with an implementation date of March 1, 2007. Currently,
only the first step of the regulatory framework of China RoHS,
which details marking and labeling requirements under Standard
S-9
SJT11364-2006 (Marking Standard), is in effect.
However, the methods under China RoHS only apply to EIP placed
in the marketplace in China. Additionally, the Marking Standard
does not apply to components sold to OEMs for use in other EIP.
Our sales in China are limited to sales to OEMs and to
distributors who supply to OEMs. Should our sales strategy
change to include direct sales to end-users, our compliance
system is sufficient to meet our requirements under China RoHS.
Our current estimated costs associated with our compliance with
this regulation based on our current market share and strategy
are not significant. However, we continue to evaluate the impact
of China RoHS, and actual costs could differ from our current
estimates.
Any
inability to comply with changes to the regulations for the
shipment of our products could limit our ability to transport
our products to customers in a cost-effective manner
The transportation of non-rechargeable and rechargeable lithium
batteries is regulated by the International Civil Aviation
Organization, or ICAO, and corresponding International Air
Transport Association, or IATA, Dangerous Goods Regulations and
the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, or IMDG, and in
the U.S. by the Department of Transportations
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or
PHMSA. These regulations are based on the United Nations
Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model
Regulations and the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria.
We currently ship our products pursuant to ICAO, IATA and PHMSA
hazardous goods regulations. New regulations that pertain to all
lithium battery manufacturers went into effect in 2003 and 2004,
and additional regulations will go into effect in 2008 and 2009.
The regulations require companies to meet certain testing,
packaging, labeling and shipping specifications for safety
reasons. We comply with all current U.S. and international
regulations for the shipment of our products, and we intend and
expect to comply with any new regulations that are imposed. We
have established our own testing facilities to ensure that we
comply with these regulations. If we are unable to comply with
the new regulations, however, or if regulations are introduced
that limit our ability to transport our products to customers in
a cost-effective manner, this could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Our
supply of materials could be disrupted.
Certain materials used in our products are available only from a
single or a limited number of suppliers. As such, some materials
could become in short supply, resulting in limited availability
and/or
increased costs. Additionally, we may elect to develop
relationships with a single or limited number of suppliers for
materials that are otherwise generally available. Due to our
involvement with supplying military batteries to the government,
we could receive a government preference to continue to obtain
critical supplies to meet military production needs. However, if
the government did not provide us with a government preference
in such circumstances, the resulting difficulty in obtaining
supplies could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations. Although we
believe that alternative suppliers are available to supply
materials that could replace materials currently used and that,
if necessary, we would be able to redesign our products to make
use of such alternatives, any interruption in the supply from
any supplier that serves as a sole source could delay product
shipments and have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations. Although we have
experienced interruptions of product deliveries by sole source
suppliers, these interruptions have not typically had a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations. However, as we increased production at our Waco,
Texas facility in the fourth quarter of 2006, our operations
were hindered by certain suppliers inability to provide
timely deliveries of materials. We cannot guarantee that we will
not experience a material interruption of product deliveries
from sole source suppliers. Additionally, we could face
increasing pricing pressure from our suppliers dependent upon
volume, due to rising costs by these suppliers that could be
passed on to us in higher prices for our raw materials, which
could have a material effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
S-10
Any
inability to protect our proprietary and intellectual property
could allow our competitors and others to produce competing
products based on our proprietary and intellectual
property.
Our success depends more on the knowledge, ability, experience
and technological expertise of our employees than on the legal
protection of patents and other proprietary rights. We claim
proprietary rights in various unpatented technologies, know-how,
trade secrets and trademarks relating to products and
manufacturing processes. We cannot guarantee the degree of
protection these various claims may or will afford, or that
competitors will not independently develop or patent
technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to
our technology. We protect our proprietary rights in our
products and operations through contractual obligations,
including nondisclosure agreements with certain employees,
customers, consultants and strategic partners. There can be no
assurance as to the degree of protection these contractual
measures may or will afford. We have had patents issued and have
patent applications pending in the U.S. and elsewhere. We
cannot assure (1) that patents will be issued from any
pending applications, or that the claims allowed under any
patents will be sufficiently broad to protect our technology,
(2) that any patents issued to us will not be challenged,
invalidated or circumvented, or (3) as to the degree or
adequacy of protection any patents or patent applications may or
will afford. If we are found to be infringing third party
patents, there can be no assurance that we will be able to
obtain licenses with respect to such patents on acceptable
terms, if at all. The failure to obtain necessary licenses could
delay product shipment or the introduction of new products, and
costly attempts to design around such patents could foreclose
the development, manufacture or sale of products.
The loss
of key personnel could significantly harm our business, and the
ability and technical competence of persons we hire will be
critical to the success of our business.
Because of the specialized, technical nature of our business, we
are highly dependent on certain members of our management,
marketing, engineering and technical staff. The loss of these
employees could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations. In addition to
developing manufacturing capacity to produce high volumes of
batteries, we must attract, recruit and retain a sizeable
workforce of technically competent employees. Our ability to
pursue effectively our business strategy will depend upon, among
other factors, the successful recruitment and retention of
additional highly skilled and experienced managerial, marketing,
engineering and technical personnel, and the integration of such
personnel obtained through business acquisitions. We cannot
assure that we will be able to recruit or retain this type of
personnel. An inability to hire sufficient numbers of people or
to find people with the desired skills could result in greater
demands being placed on limited management resources which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We are
subject to competition from large and small manufacturers of
high rate batteries and communications accessories.
We compete with large and small manufacturers of alkaline,
carbon-zinc, seawater, and high-rate batteries as well as other
manufacturers of lithium batteries, both rechargeable and
non-rechargeable, and communications accessories. We cannot
assure that we will successfully compete with these
manufacturers, many of which have substantially greater
financial, technical, manufacturing, distribution, marketing,
sales and other resources.
Our
products could become obsolete.
The market for our products is characterized by changing
technology and evolving industry standards, often resulting in
product obsolescence or short product lifecycles. Although we
believe that our products are comprised of state-of-the-art
technology, there can be no assurance that competitors will not
develop technologies or products that would render our
technology and products obsolete or less marketable.
Many of the companies with which we compete have substantially
greater resources than us, and some have the capacity and volume
of business to be able to produce their products more
efficiently than we can at the present time. In addition, these
companies are developing or have developed products using a
variety of technologies that are expected to compete with our
technologies. If these companies successfully market their
S-11
products in a manner that renders our technologies obsolete,
there may be a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
We are
subject to foreign currency fluctuations.
We maintain manufacturing operations in the U.S., the U.K. and
China, and we export products to various countries. We purchase
materials and sell our products in foreign currencies, and
therefore currency fluctuations may impact our pricing of
products sold and materials purchased. In addition, our foreign
subsidiaries maintain their books in local currency, and the
translation of those subsidiary financial statements into
U.S. dollars for our consolidated financial statements
could have an adverse effect on our consolidated financial
results, due to changes in local currency relative to the
U.S. dollar. Accordingly, currency fluctuations could have
a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
Our
ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards in the
future may be limited, which could have an adverse impact on our
tax liabilities.
At December 31, 2006, we had approximately
$84.7 million of net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs,
available to offset future taxable income. At the end of 2004,
based on our assessment, we recorded a deferred tax asset
related to the future tax benefit expected to be received
relating to our U.S. operations. This was due to our
profitable track record and expected continued profitability.
The asset was recorded since it was determined to be more likely
then not to be realized. We continually assess the carrying
value of this asset based on the relevant accounting standards.
As a result of our assessment in the fourth quarter of 2006, we
concluded that a full valuation allowance against the net
deferred tax asset was appropriate. The establishment of the
valuation allowance was based upon the most recent operating
losses in the U.S. as well as other factors. Therefore, as
of December 31, 2006, we reflected a net deferred tax asset
of $0 in the United States and in the United Kingdom. As we
continue to assess the realizability of our deferred tax assets,
the amount of the valuation allowance could be reduced.
Achieving our business plan targets, particularly those relating
to revenue and profitability, is integral to our assessment
regarding the recoverability of our net deferred tax asset.
We have determined that a change in ownership, as defined under
Internal Revenue Code Section 382, occurred during 2003 and
again during 2005. As such, the domestic net operating loss
carryforward will be subject to an annual limitation estimated
to be in the range of approximately $12 million. This
limitation did not have an impact on income taxes determined for
2006. Such a limitation could result in the possibility of a
cash outlay for income taxes in a future year when earnings
exceed the amount of net operating loss carryforwards that can
be used by us.
Our
quarterly results and the price of our common stock could
fluctuate significantly.
Our future operating results may vary significantly from quarter
to quarter depending on factors such as the timing and shipment
of significant orders, new product introductions, delays in
customer releases of purchase orders, the mix of distribution
channels through which we sell our products and general economic
conditions. Frequently, a substantial portion of our revenue in
each quarter is generated from orders booked and shipped during
that quarter. As a result, revenue levels are difficult to
predict for each quarter. If revenue results are below
expectations, operating results will be adversely affected as we
have a sizeable base of fixed overhead costs that do not
fluctuate much with the changes in revenue. Due to such
variances in operating results, we have sometimes failed to
meet, and in the future may not meet, market expectations or
even our own guidance regarding our future operating results.
In addition to the uncertainties of quarterly operating results,
future announcements concerning us or our competitors, including
technological innovations or commercial products, litigation or
public concerns as to the safety or commercial value of one or
more of our products may cause the market price of our common
stock to fluctuate substantially for reasons which may be
unrelated to our operating results. These fluctuations, as well
as general economic, political and market conditions, may have a
material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
S-12
We may be
unable to obtain financing to fund ongoing operations and future
growth.
While we believe that our revenue growth projections and our
ongoing cost controls will allow us to generate cash and achieve
profitability in the foreseeable future, there is no assurance
as to when or if we will be able to achieve our projections. Our
future cash flows from operations, combined with our
accessibility to cash and credit, may not be sufficient to allow
us to finance ongoing operations or to make required investments
for future growth. We may need to seek additional credit or
access capital markets for additional funds. There is no
assurance that we would be successful in this regard.
We have certain debt covenants that must be maintained in
accordance with the provisions of our credit facility. There is
no assurance that we will be able to continue to meet these debt
covenants in the future. If we default on any of our debt
covenants and we are unable to renegotiate credit terms in order
to comply with such covenants, this could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
There have been several amendments to our credit facility during
the past few years, including amendments to authorize
acquisitions and modify financial covenants. Recently, effective
February 14, 2007, we entered into Forbearance and
Amendment Number Six to the Credit Agreement, or the Forbearance
and Amendment, with JPMorgan Chase and M&T Bank which
reduced the amount of the revolving credit component from
$20 million to $15 million. The Company and the
Lenders entered into Extension of Forbearance and Amendment
Number Seven to the Credit Agreement, or the Forbearance
Extension, and Extension of Forbearance and Amendment Number
Eight to Credit Agreement, or the Second Forbearance Extension,
which provide that JPMorgan Chase and M&T Bank will forbear
from exercising their rights under the credit facility arising
from our failure to comply with certain financial covenants in
the credit facility with respect to the fiscal quarter ended
December 31, 2006. Specifically, we were not in compliance
with the terms of the credit facility because we failed to
maintain the required debt-to-earnings and EBIT-to-interest
ratios provided for in the credit facility. JPMorgan Chase and
M&T Bank agreed to forbear from exercising their respective
rights and remedies under the credit facility until
March 23, 2007, or the Forbearance Period, unless we
breached the Forbearance and Amendment or unless another event
or condition occurs that constitutes a default under the credit
facility. The Forbearance Extension extended the Forbearance
Period until May 18, 2007, and the Second Forbearance
Extension further extended the Forbearance Period until
August 15, 2007. During the Forbearance Period, JPMorgan
Chase and M&T Bank each agreed to continue to make
revolving loans available to us.
On August 15, 2007, the Company and the Lenders entered
into Amendment Number Nine to Credit Agreement, or Amendment
Nine, which effectively ended the Forbearance Period and
extended the term of the revolving credit facility to
January 31, 2009 and the term of the term loans to
July 1, 2009. During the Forbearance Period, the applicable
revolving interest rate and the applicable term interest rate,
in each case as set forth in the credit agreement, was increased
by 25 basis points. In addition to a number of technical
and conforming amendments, the Forbearance and Amendment revised
the definition of Change in Control in the credit
facility to provide that the acquisition of equity interests
representing more than 30% of the aggregate ordinary voting
power represented by the issued and outstanding equity interests
of us shall constitute a Change in Control for
purposes of the credit facility. Previously, the equity interest
threshold had been set at 20%. As a result of the uncertainty of
our ability to comply with the financial covenants within the
next year, we are continuing to classify all of the debt
associated with this credit facility as a current liability on
our balance sheet. Now that the Forbearance Period has ended,
JPMorgan Chase and M&T Bank may exercise their rights and
remedies under the credit facility without further notice or
action.
While we believe relations with our lenders are good, and we
have received waivers as necessary in the past, there can be no
assurance that such waivers will always be obtained when needed.
In such case, we believe we have, in the aggregate, sufficient
cash, cash generation capabilities from operations, working
capital and financing alternatives at our disposal, including
but not limited to alternative borrowing arrangements and other
available lenders, to fund operations in the normal course for
the foreseeable future. If we are unable to achieve our plans or
unforeseen events occur, we may need to implement alternative
plans to provide us with sufficient levels of liquidity and
working capital. While we believe we could complete our original
plans or
S-13
alternative plans, if necessary, there can be no assurance that
such alternatives would be available on acceptable terms and
conditions or that we would be successful in our implementation
of such plans.
The
re-payment of the debt outstanding under our credit facility and
the vesting of options under certain of our equity compensation
plans may both be accelerated if any single stockholder owns
more than 30% of our stock. Currently, our largest stockholder
owns almost 30% of our stock.
Our largest single stockholder is Grace Brothers, Ltd., which,
as of its most recent Schedule 13D/A filing, beneficially
owned 29.4% of our issued and outstanding shares of common
stock. On June 6, 2007, Mr. Bradford T. Whitmore,
general partner of Grace Brothers, Ltd., became a member of our
Board of Directors. If Grace Brothers, Ltd. were to increase its
ownership to more than 30%, it would be deemed a change in
control for purposes of our credit facility administered
by JP Morgan Chase and for purposes of options granted under our
2004 Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan, or LTIP. If
a change in control were to occur, our commercial
lenders would be able to demand payment of all amounts
outstanding under our existing credit facility and the vesting
of all outstanding options granted under our LTIP would be
accelerated resulting in a significant expense being charged
against our income statement for the period during which the
change in control occurred, all of which would have
a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
Our
operations in China are subject to unique risks and
uncertainties.
Our operating facility in China presents risks including, but
not limited to, political changes, civil unrest, labor disputes,
currency restrictions and changes in currency exchange rates,
taxes, and boycotts and other civil disturbances that are
outside of our control. Any such disruptions could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
We may be
unable to adequately maintain and monitor our internal controls
over financial reporting.
We maintain and monitor various internal control processes over
our financial reporting. Whenever we acquire a new business or
operations, we need to integrate those operations with our
existing control processes, which can prove to be a challenge if
the acquired business had not been required to have such
controls in effect. We are in the process of integrating
McDowell and ISC into our business and assimilating
McDowells operations, services, products and personnel
with our management policies, procedures and strategies. We are
in the process of remediating several internal control
deficiencies that have been identified at McDowell. While we
work to ensure a stringent control environment, it is possible
that we may fail to adequately maintain and monitor our various
internal control processes over our financial reporting. Any
such failure could result in internal control deficiencies that
might be considered to be material weaknesses. Such material
weaknesses in internal controls would be indicative of potential
factors that could affect the reliability of our financial
statements and other reported financial information and impact
the financial results we report.
Risks
Related to this Offering
We may
sell more shares of common stock in the future.
Upon consummation of this offering, we will have
16,278,612 shares of common stock outstanding. Future sales
of our common stock by existing stockholders pursuant to
Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or
through the exercise of outstanding registration rights or
otherwise could have an adverse effect on the prevailing market
price of our common stock and our ability to raise additional
capital. Except for permitted sales of an aggregate of
18,000 shares by three of our directors, our executive
officers and directors and their affiliates have agreed not to
sell any shares for 75 days following the date of this
prospectus supplement without the consent of Stephens Inc.
Thereafter, all shares held by our executive officers and
directors and their affiliates will be eligible for sale in the
public market, subject, in most cases, to applicable volume
limitations and other resale conditions imposed by
Rule 144. The sale, or the availability for sale, of
substantial amounts of our common stock or securities
convertible into common stock in the public
S-14
market at any time subsequent to the date of this prospectus
supplement could adversely affect the prevailing market price of
our common stock.
We may
sell shares of our authorized preferred stock in the
future.
Our Board of Directors is authorized to issue preferred stock
and determine its rights and preferences, privileges and
restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights,
conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation
preferences. Although there is no preferred stock currently
outstanding, there are no limitations on the ability of our
Board of Directors to issue any series of preferred stock. Any
such issuance could result in dilution from a voting and equity
perspective to our existing holders of our common stock and
would likely establish dividend and liquidation preferences for
the holders of preferred stock. In addition, the issuance of a
series of preferred stock in connection with possible
acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes
could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third
party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking
to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.
The price
of our common shares may fluctuate substantially, which could
negatively affect the holders of our common shares.
The price of our common stock could be subject to significant
fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, including
variations in our anticipated or actual results of operations,
fluctuations in the price of the shares of our competitors,
announcements of acquisitions as part of our growth strategy,
additions or departures of key personnel, announcements of legal
proceedings or regulatory matters, and general volatility in the
stock market. The stock market has experienced volatility that
has affected the market prices of equity securities of many
companies, which has often been unrelated to the operating
performance of these companies. A number of other factors, many
of which are beyond our control, also could cause the market
price of our common shares to fluctuate substantially.
Volatility in the market price of our common shares may prevent
the holders of our common shares from being able to sell their
shares at or above the price that was paid for them.
S-15
We will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately
$12,575,000 after payment of sales commissions and other
offering expenses, estimated to total $925,000.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund:
(i) approximately $6.0 million of the consideration
related to the acquisition of SPS, (ii) the prepayment of
$3.5 million principal amount of indebtedness due on the
subordinated convertible notes that have an interest rate of
5.0%, mature on November 18, 2007 and were issued as
partial consideration for the McDowell acquisition,
(iii) to repay $1.0 million of borrowings outstanding
under our credit facility used to fund the ISC acquisition, and
(iv) for general working capital purposes.
The following table sets forth our capitalization as of
September 29, 2007. Our capitalization is presented
(i) on an actual basis, including the September 2007
acquisition of ISC, and (ii) on an as adjusted basis to
give effect to the sale of 1,000,000 shares of common stock
offered in this offering and the application of the estimated
net proceeds of the offering as described in Use of
Proceeds. This table should be read in conjunction with
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations incorporated in this
prospectus supplement by reference to our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended September 29, 2007.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 29, 2007
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
As Adjusted
|
|
|
|
(Dollars in thousands)
|
|
|
Cash, cash equivalents and short term investments:
|
|
$
|
927
|
|
|
$
|
9,002
|
|
Debt:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current portion of debt and capital lease obligations
|
|
|
12,789
|
|
|
|
11,789
|
|
Debt and capital lease obligations long-term
|
|
|
20,324
|
|
|
|
16,824
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total debt
|
|
|
33,113
|
|
|
|
28,613
|
|
Shareholders equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 40,000,000 shares
authorized;
15,991,687 shares
issued as of September 29, 2007
|
|
|
1,591
|
|
|
|
1,691
|
|
Paid-in capital
|
|
|
136,725
|
|
|
|
149,200
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income
|
|
|
154
|
|
|
|
154
|
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
|
(92,892
|
)
|
|
|
(92,892
|
)
|
Less-Treasury stock;
727,250 shares issued
|
|
|
(2,378
|
)
|
|
|
(2,378
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shareholders equity
|
|
|
43,200
|
|
|
|
55,775
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total capitalization
|
|
$
|
76,313
|
|
|
$
|
84,388
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: The payment of $3,500 of debt principal on the McDowell
subordinated convertible notes, as required by the McDowell
settlement agreement, will trigger a $6,000 reduction in the
outstanding principal balance of those notes and a $1,889
reduction of accrued liabilities, all of which will be reflected
in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ending December 31, 2007, as previously
disclosed in our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the period ended September 29, 2007.
S-16
PRICE
RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the
symbol ULBI. The last reported sales price per share
of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market was $13.98 on
November 8, 2007. As of November 8, 2007, there were
15,278,612 shares of our common stock outstanding. The
following table shows the high and low per share closing sales
price for our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global
Market for the periods indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Closing Sales
|
|
|
|
Prices
|
|
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$
|
11.74
|
|
|
$
|
8.04
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$
|
10.57
|
|
|
$
|
9.00
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$
|
12.86
|
|
|
$
|
10.46
|
|
Fourth Quarter (through November 8, 2007)
|
|
$
|
14.99
|
|
|
$
|
12.56
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$
|
13.67
|
|
|
$
|
10.41
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$
|
12.49
|
|
|
$
|
8.31
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$
|
10.41
|
|
|
$
|
8.79
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$
|
13.72
|
|
|
$
|
10.15
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2005:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$
|
19.05
|
|
|
$
|
16.46
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$
|
17.88
|
|
|
$
|
15.00
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$
|
17.07
|
|
|
$
|
10.06
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$
|
13.28
|
|
|
$
|
11.60
|
|
We anticipate that we will retain all future earnings to finance
the continuing development of our business. In addition, our
bank credit facility prohibits us from declaring or paying any
dividends or other distributions on our capital stock.
Accordingly, we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our
common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of any
future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of
Directors and will depend upon, among other things, future
earnings, the success of our business activities, regulatory and
capital requirements, our lenders, our general financial
condition and general business conditions.
S-17
Stephens Inc. has entered into a placement agency agreement with
us. Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, Stephens Inc.
has agreed to act as placement agent for the sale of up to
1,000,000 shares of our common stock in connection with
this offering. The placement agent is using its reasonable
efforts to introduce us to investors who will purchase the
shares. The placement agent does not have any obligation to buy
any of the shares from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale
of any specific number or dollar amount of the shares.
We have agreed to pay the placement agent a commission equal to
5.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of shares in this
offering; provided that the minimum commission payable to the
placement agent will be $500,000. The following table shows the
per share and total commissions we will pay to the placement
agent in connection with the sale of the common stock offered
pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus, assuming the purchase of all of the common stock
offered hereby.
|
|
|
|
|
Per share of common stock:
|
|
|
$.675
|
|
Total commissions:
|
|
|
$675,000
|
|
Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a
condition to closing in this offering, the actual total
commissions, if any, are not presently determinable and may be
substantially less than the maximum amount set forth above. In
compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum commission to be
received by the placement agent (or any other FINRA member or
independent broker or dealer in this offering) will in no event
exceed 8.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from
the sale of shares in the offering.
We have also agreed to reimburse the placement agent for the
reasonable and documented out of pocket expenses, including the
reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel and other experts,
incurred by the placement agent in connection with this offering
which are estimated not to exceed $100,000. We estimate the
total expenses of this offering which will be payable by us,
excluding the commissions of the placement agent (and any other
FINRA member or independent broker or dealer in this offering),
will be approximately $250,000.
We have granted the placement agent a right of first refusal to
act as our exclusive agent in connection with any private
placement of securities, merger or acquisition and as lead
manager in connection with any public offering of securities or
other financing that the Company may undertake during the six
month period immediately following the completion of this
offering. To the extent that such right of refusal would cause
us to breach an existing agreement between us and another
investment banking firm, the placement agents right of
first refusal shall be limited to a non-exclusive or co-lead
role to the extent allowed by such other agreement.
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or to contribute to payments the placement
agent may be require to make in respect thereof.
The price per share of the common stock was determined based on
discussions between us and the placement agent. Investors will
be informed of the date and manner in which they must transmit
the purchase price for their shares. It is expected that the
sale of the common stock will be completed on November 15,
2007. On the scheduled closing date, the following will occur:
|
|
|
|
|
We will receive funds in the amount of the aggregate purchase
price;
|
|
|
|
We will deposit the shares being sold with the Depository Trust
Company, which will credit the shares to the respective accounts
of the investors; and
|
|
|
|
The placement agent will receive its commission in accordance
with the terms of the placement agency agreement.
|
The placement agency agreement provides that the completion of
the sale of the common stock is subject to certain conditions
precedent, including the absence of any material adverse change
in our business
S-18
and the receipt of certain certificates, opinions and letters
from us and our counsel. If the conditions of this offering are
not satisfied or waived, all investor funds will be returned
promptly to the investors and this offering will terminate.
Except for sales of an aggregate 18,000 shares by three of
our directors, our executive officers and directors and their
affiliates have agreed to a
75-day
lock up with respect to future sales of shares of
our common stock and other of our securities that they
beneficially own. This means that, subject to certain
exceptions, for a period of 75 days following the date of
this prospectus supplement, such persons may not, without the
prior written consent of the placement agent, directly or
indirectly sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell,
pledge, transfer, establish an open put equivalent
position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent
position or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of
common stock, options to acquire shares of common stock or
securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into
shares of common stock currently or hereafter owned by them, or
publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing. The
75-day
restricted period described above is subject to automatic
extension such that, in the event that either (1) during
the last 17 days of the
75-day
period, we issue an earnings release or material news or a
material event relating to us occurs or (2) prior to the
expiration of the
75-day
restricted period, the lock up restrictions
described above will, subject to limited exceptions, continue to
apply until the date that is 18 days after the date of
issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the
material news or material event. We have agreed in the placement
agency agreement to a similar lock up for the same periods
described above.
The placement agency agreement, including the form of
lock-up
letter as an exhibit thereto, will be included as an exhibit to
a Current Report on
Form 8-K
that we will file with the SEC in connection with the
consummation of this offering.
The placement agent or its affiliates may from time to time
engage in investment banking and advisory services for us in the
ordinary course of their business.
S-19
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK AND
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Set forth below is a description of certain provisions of our
common stock and preferred stock. The following description is
only a summary. You should refer to all of the provisions of our
Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws, which have been filed
as exhibits to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part. As of the date of this prospectus
supplement, under our Certificate of Incorporation, our
authorized capital stock consists of 40,000,000 common shares,
$.10 par value per share, and 1,000,000 preferred shares,
$.10 par value per share. As of November 8, 2007,
15,278,612 shares of common stock and no shares of
preferred stock were issued and outstanding.
Common
Stock
Voting. For all matters submitted to a vote of
stockholders, including the election of directors, each holder
of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share
registered in his or her name on the books of Ultralife. For
most stockholder votes, an action is approved if the votes cast
in favor of the action exceed the votes cast opposing the
action, subject to quorum requirements (which are stockholders
holding a majority of the stock entitled to vote at such
meeting) and any voting rights granted to holders of preferred
stock. Our common stock does not have cumulative voting rights
and our directors are elected by plurality vote.
Dividends. If our Board of Directors declares
a dividend, holders of common stock will receive payments from
the funds of Ultralife that are legally available to pay
dividends. However, this dividend right is subject to any
preferential dividend rights we may grant to the persons who
hold preferred stock, if any is outstanding, and may further be
subject to negative covenants imposed on the payment of
dividends by our senior lenders pursuant to our credit
facilities.
Liquidation. If Ultralife is dissolved, the
holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all
the assets that remain after we pay our liabilities and any
amounts we may owe to the persons who hold preferred stock, if
any is outstanding.
Other Rights and Restrictions. Holders of
common stock do not have preemptive rights, and they have no
right to convert their common stock into any other securities.
Our common stock is not redeemable.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. Our transfer
agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock
Transfer and Trust Company.
Preferred
Stock
We have no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. Our
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, allows our Board of
Directors to authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock
in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our Board of
Directors has the discretion to determine the rights,
preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting
rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption
privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of
preferred stock.
The purpose of authorizing our Board of Directors to issue
preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences without
the approval of our stockholders is to eliminate delays
associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The
issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in
connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and
other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it
more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage
a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our
outstanding voting stock. Upon the closing of this offering,
there will be not shares of preferred stock outstanding, and we
have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Indemnification
of Officers and Directors
With respect to indemnification of directors and officers,
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or
DGCL, provides that a corporation shall have the power to
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to
be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or
S-20
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the
corporation), by reason of the fact that the person is or was a
director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is
or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the
person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if
the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the
persons conduct was unlawful. Under this provision of the
DGCL, the termination of any action, suit or proceeding by
judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo
contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a
presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a
manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable
cause to believe that the persons conduct was unlawful.
Furthermore, the DGCL provides that a corporation shall have the
power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation
to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that
the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of
the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the
corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys fees)
actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection
with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the
person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in
respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person
shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless
and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or
other court in which such action or suit was brought shall
determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of
liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such
person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such
expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall
deem proper.
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for limitation of the
liability of directors to the Company and its stockholders and
for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents
of the Company, respectively, to the maximum extent permitted by
the DGCL.
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors are not
liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages
for breaches of fiduciary duty as a director, except for
liability (a) for any breach of the directors duty of
loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (b) for acts or
omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) for dividend
payments or stock repurchases in violation of Delaware law, or
(d) for any transaction from which the director derived any
improper personal benefit.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to our directors,
officers or persons in control pursuant to the foregoing
provisions or otherwise, we have been advised that in the
opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable.
S-21
The validity of the shares of common stock offered by us will be
passed upon for us by Harter Secrest & Emery LLP.
Alston & Bird LLP will pass on certain legal matters
for the placement agent in connection with this offering.
The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus
Supplement by reference to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 have been so
incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Seidman LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, and the financial
statements incorporated in this Prospectus Supplement by
reference to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
as of and for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004
have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, with each report given on the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Innovative Solutions Consulting Inc.
for the year ended December 31, 2006, incorporated in this
Prospectus Supplement by reference to our Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
filed with the SEC on October 31, 2007, have been so
incorporated in reliance on the report of Bonadio &
Co., LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm,
given on the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.
S-22
1,000,000 Shares
Common
Stock
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
November 8, 2007
Stephens
Inc.