Attached files
file | filename |
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EX-3.2 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex3-2.htm |
EX-3.1 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex3-1.htm |
EX-10.9 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex10-9.htm |
EX-10.8 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex10-8.htm |
EX-14.1 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex14-1.htm |
EX-23.1 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex23-1.htm |
EX-99.1 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex99-1.htm |
EX-99.3 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex99-3.htm |
EX-21.1 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex21-1.htm |
EX-10.10 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex10-10.htm |
EX-10.11 - A.G. Volney Center, Inc | v196530_ex10-11.htm |
As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 17,
2010
Registration
No. 333-
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
S-1
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware
|
3316
|
13-4260316
|
||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
|
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification
Code Number)
|
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
|
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Industrial Park
Hebei,
065300 People’s Republic of China
+86
(316) 8864783
|
Corporation
Service Company
2711 Centerville
Road, Suite 400
Wilmington,
Delaware 19808
(866)
403-5272
|
|
(Address,
including zip code, and telephone number, including
area
code, of principal executive offices)
|
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone
number,
including area code, of agent for
service)
|
Copies
to:
Bradley
A. Haneberg, Esq.
Anthony
W. Basch, Esq.
Christopher
J. Mugel, Esq.
Kaufman &
Canoles, P.C.
Three
James Center, 12th Floor
1051
East Cary Street
Richmond,
Virginia 23219
(804)
771-5700 – telephone
(804)
771-5777 – facsimile
|
Gregory
Sichenzia, Esq.
Darrin
M. Ocasio, Esq.
Tara
Guarneri-Ferrara, Esq.
Sichenzia
Ross Friedman Ference LLP
61
Broadway
32nd
Floor
New
York, New York 10006
(212)
930-9700 – telephone
(212)
930-9725 – facsimile
|
Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable
after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of
the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check
the following box. x
If this
Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities
Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering. ¨
If this
Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. ¨
If this
Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. ¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See
definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer
|
¨
|
|
Accelerated filer
|
¨
|
||
Non-accelerated
filer
|
¨ (Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
|
Smaller reporting company
|
x
|
The
Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as
may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a
further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement
shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall
become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting
pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.
CALCULATION
OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
Title of Each Class of Securities to be
Registered
|
Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(1)
|
Amount of
Registration Fee
|
||||||
Units,
each Unit consisting of two shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per
share,
and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock
|
$ | 20,000,000 | ||||||
Common
stock included as part of the Units(2)
|
— | |||||||
Warrants
to purchase shares of common stock included as part of the Units(2)
|
— | |||||||
Overallotment
sale Units, each consisting of two shares of common stock, $0.001 par
value per share, and one warrant to purchase one share of common
stock.
|
$ | 3,000,000 | ||||||
Common
stock underlying Warrants sold in Units(3)
|
$ | 14,375,000 | ||||||
Underwriter
Warrants(2)
|
$ | 100 | ||||||
Shares
of common stock underlying Underwriter Warrants, $0.001 par value(3)
|
$ | 1,250,000 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 38,625,100 | $ | 2,754 |
(4)
|
(1)
|
Estimated
solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to
Section 6(b) and Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
|
(2)
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No
fee pursuant to Rule 457(g).
|
(3)
|
Pursuant
to Rule 416, this registration statement also covers such number of
additional shares of common stock to prevent dilution resulting from stock
splits, stock dividends and similar
transactions.
|
(4)
|
Paid
herewith.
|
The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not
sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell
these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any
state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 17,
2010
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
___________
Units
Each
Unit Consisting of Two Shares of Common Stock and
One
Warrant to Purchase One Share of Common Stock
We are
offering, on a firm commitment basis, ___ Units, each of which
consists of two shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and one
warrant to purchase one share of our common stock at an exercise price per share
equal to 62.5% of the public offering price per Unit (or 125% of the
proportionate price per share of common stock underlying the Units),
during the five-year period commencing on the date of this prospectus. The
common stock and the warrants may be transferred separately immediately upon
issuance.
The
warrants are exercisable at any time until their expiration date, five years
after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus
is part. We may cancel the warrants on thirty days’ notice, in whole
or in part and if in part, by lot, at any time following the date that is the
six (6) month anniversary of the effective date of the registration statement of
which is this prospectus is part if the closing price of our common stock
exceeds $_______ per share for at least ten (10) trading days within any period
of twenty (20) consecutive trading days.
We are a
reporting company under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under
the symbol “AGVO” but has traded only sporadically. On September
16,
2010, the average between the bid and ask price for our common stock was
$7.51 per
share, as reported by the www.otcbb.com. We have applied to list our
common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “METL.” The Units and
warrants included in the Units will not trade publicly.
Investing
in these Units involves significant risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page
6 of this prospectus.
Total
|
||||||||||||
Per
Unit
|
Without
Overallotment
|
With
Overallotment
|
||||||||||
Public
offering price
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$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Underwriting
discount(1)
|
$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Non-accountable
expense allowance(2)
|
$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Proceeds,
before expenses, to us(3)
|
$ | $ | $ |
(1)
|
The
underwriting discount will be 7.5% of the public offering price per
Unit. The discount does not reflect additional compensation to
the underwriters in the form of (a) an overallotment option exercisable
for up to 45 days to purchase up to 15% of the number of Units sold in
this offering, (b) a 1.5% non-accountable expense allowance and (c)
warrants to purchase up to a number of shares equal to 4% of the number of
shares of common stock underlying the Units sold in this offering, not
including any shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the
warrants underlying the Units sold in this offering, not including any
shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants underlying
the Units. See “Underwriting and Plan of
Distribution.”
|
(2)
|
The
non-accountable expense allowance of 1.5% is not payable as to the shares
sold upon exercise of the underwriter overallotment
option.
|
(3)
|
We
estimate that the total expenses of this offering, excluding the
underwriting discount and the non-accountable expense allowance, are
approximately $400,000.
|
On the
closing date of the offering, we will issue Units to investors in the offering
and Underwriter Warrants to our underwriters.
These
securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any state securities commission, nor has the Securities and
Exchange Commission or any state securities commission passed upon the accuracy
or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
Ladenburg
Thalmann & Co. Inc.
Prospectus
dated ,
2010
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Prospectus
Summary
|
1
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Risk
Factors
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8
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Forward-Looking
Statements
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29
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Our
Corporate Structure
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30
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Use
of Proceeds
|
33
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Trading
Information for Our Securities
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34
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Dividend
Policy
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34
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Exchange
Rate Information
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35
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Capitalization
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37
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Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
38
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Our
Business
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54
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Description
of Property
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66
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Regulations
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67
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Management
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70
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Related
Party Transactions
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78
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Legal
Proceedings
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79
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Principal
Shareholders
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80
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Description
of Capital Stock
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83
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Shares
Eligible for Future Sale
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87
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Taxation
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89
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Enforceability
of Civil Liabilities
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95
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Underwriting
and Plan of Distribution
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95
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Change
in Certifying Accountant
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99
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Experts
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100
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Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel
|
100
|
Legal
Matters
|
100
|
Where
You Can Find More Information
|
100
|
Financial
Statements
|
F-1
|
No
dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to
represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any
unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell
only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in
jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this
prospectus is current only as of its date.
i
Except
where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this prospectus
only:
•
|
“we,”
“us,” “our company,” “our” and “Buddha” refer
to
|
·
|
Buddha
Steel, Inc., a Delaware stock corporation (formerly A.G. Volney Center,
Inc., which was formerly Lottlink Technologies, Inc.), after completion of
the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise on April 28,
2010;
|
·
|
Gold
Promise Group (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong limited company (“Gold
Promise” when individually referenced), which is a wholly owned subsidiary
of Buddha;
|
·
|
Hebei
Anbang Investment Consultation Co., Ltd., a PRC limited company (“HAIC”
when individually referenced), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold
Promise; and
|
·
|
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd., a Chinese limited
company (“Baosheng Steel” when individually referenced), which HAIC
controls through a series of contractual
agreements;
|
•
|
“Lottlink”
refers to Lottlink Technologies, Inc. prior to completion of its change of
name to “A.G. Volney Center, Inc.” in July
2003;
|
•
|
“A.G.
Volney” refers to A.G. Volney Center, Inc. after its name change from
“Lottlink Technologies, Inc.” in July 2003 and prior to completion of the
reverse acquisition of Gold Promise on April 28,
2010;
|
•
|
“shares”
and “common stock” refer to our common stock, $0.001 par value per
share;
|
•
|
“Units”
refers to the units offered hereby comprised of two shares of common stock
and one Warrant, which Warrant may be exercised to purchase one share of
common stock;
|
•
|
“Warrants”
refers to the warrants contained within the Units, each of which may be
exercised for $_______ to purchase one share of our common
stock;
|
•
|
“Underwriter
Warrants” refers to the warrants we are issuing to our underwriters in
connection with this offering, each of which may be exercised for $______
to purchase one share of our common
stock;
|
•
|
“Reverse
Stock Split” refers to the reverse stock split of Buddha’s common stock on
the basis of one share of common stock for one hundred eighty-six shares
of previously-held common stock (1:186) that was completed on June 11,
2010;
|
•
|
“Conversion”
refers to the automatic conversion of shares of Buddha’s Series A
Preferred Stock into shares of common stock on the basis of one share of
Series A Preferred Stock for 987.5 shares of common stock (987.5:1) that
was completed on June 11, 2010;
|
•
|
“ton”
refers to metric tons;
|
•
|
“China”
and “PRC” refer to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the
purposes of this prospectus only, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong;
and
|
•
|
all
references to “RMB,” “Renminbi” and “¥” are to the legal currency of China
and all references to “USD,” “U.S. dollars,” “dollars,” and “$” are to the
legal currency of the United States. As of September
16,
2010, the Interbank exchange rate was RMB 6.7156
to $1.00.
|
This
prospectus contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollar amounts
at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise
noted, all translations made in this prospectus are based upon a rate of RMB
¥6.8086 to US$1.00, which was the exchange rate on June 30, 2010. Any
discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and
the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.
For the
sake of clarity, this prospectus follows English naming convention of first name
followed by last name, regardless of whether an individual’s name is Chinese or
English. For example, the name of our chief executive officer will be presented
as “Hongzhong Li,” even though, in Chinese, Mr. Li’s name would be presented as
“Li Hongzhong.”
We have
relied on statistics provided by a variety of publicly-available sources
regarding China’s expectations of growth, China’s demand for steel and China’s
steel industry. We did not, directly or indirectly, sponsor or participate in
the publication of such materials.
ii
Prospectus
Summary
This
summary highlights information that we present more fully in the rest of this
prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should
consider before buying shares in this offering. This summary contains
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as
statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, assumptions or future
events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by
terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continuing,”
“ongoing,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “could,” and
similar expressions denoting uncertainty or an action that may, will or is
expected to occur in the future. These statements involve estimates,
assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performances
or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You
should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors”
section and the financial statements and the notes to those
statements.
Our
Company
We are a
leading producer and vendor of high value-added, ultra-thin precision
cold-rolled steel products. Our cold-rolled steel is engineered and manufactured
using state-of-the-art machinery. Our premium products are
tailor-made to customers’ individual requirements. Our steel is further
processed by downstream manufacturers and incorporated into a wide variety of
end products including, among others, automobiles, home appliances, packaging,
and specialized construction materials.
Our
products range in thickness from 0.1 millimeter to 3.5 mm and can be up to
1,250 mm in width. The production process begins with our major raw
material, hot-rolled steel coils, which we clean, roll, cut, and then anneal in
a cold-rolling mill to the desired specifications. Our tonnage capacity can vary
significantly depending on the types of products produced, and we strive to
maximize profit by producing the largest tonnage of product with the highest
margin available to us. In 2009, we had an expected capacity to produce 465,000
tons of cold-rolled steel assuming our 2009 product mix and we produced 446,000
tons of steel products. This amount represents a utilization rate of
96% of our expected capacity. Our production facilities occupy more than
47 acres and include 96 annealing furnaces and 17 lines: 13 cold-rolling mills,
1 tin-plate sheet mill, and 3 leveler stretchers. We employ over 900
employees.
Located
in Hebei Province which surrounds both Beijing and Tianjin, we are strategically
positioned to serve the capital area and partake of its vibrant economic and
manufacturing activities. Hebei has one of the largest concentrations
of iron ore in China. Collectively, the three provinces of Liaoning, Sichuan and
Hebei account for almost half of China’s iron
ore. (www.chinamining.org). As a result of these iron ore
reserves, the steel production industry has become an important industry in
Hebei Province. Since 2001, Hebei Province has been consistently
ranked the first in steel-production among all provinces in China for nine
years. (Hebei again
ranks first for steel production among Chinese provinces,
www.chinamining.org, 02/08/2010).
We sell
the vast majority of our products in China, but we also sell a very small
percent of our products in Europe, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia,
including countries such as the U.K., the Philippines, Nigeria, and
Peru.
Industry
and Market Background
PRC
Economic Growth
Demand
for our products is driven in line with macroeconomic industrial growth both
globally and in the PRC. As the end products made with our steel range
from automobiles to appliances, general economic growth underlies our success,
especially in China. PRC macroeconomic growth has been strong and positive
in recent years. China’s gross domestic product (“GDP”) grew at a
rate of 8.7% in 2009, reaching $4.9 trillion. (China Daily, Jan. 21,
2010). The World Bank currently projects that China’s GDP will grow
at 9.5% for 2010 and 8.5% for 2011. (www.worldbank.org, June
2010).
According
to IMF’s World Economic Outlook, China’s real GDP growth rate has exceeded both
the United States’ and the world’s GDP growth rates over the past twenty
years. (World Economic Outlook, April 2010). The
international analysis and consulting firm IHS Global Insight has estimated that
China will surpass that United States as the world’s largest center of
manufacturing activity by the year 2020:
1
China’s
Steel Market Generally:
China is
the largest steel-producing country in the world, and steel production in China
has been increasing rapidly since early 1990s. China has been the world’s
largest steel-producing country since the mid-1990s. According to the World
Steel Association, during the first six months of 2010, China accounted for
45.7% of global crude steel output. (www.worldsteel.org). Chinese exports of
steel in June 2010 increased to 5.6 million tons, more than three times the
number in June 2009 and 8% over June 2008 levels.
(www.steelonthenet.com/production.html).
The China
Iron and Steel Institute estimates that China’s steel demand will exceed 600
million tons by 2011, while global steel demand is projected to reach over 1.45
billion tons by 2011. China has increased its steel exports from 7 million tons
in 2003 to 60.5 million tons in 2008, making it the number one ranked steel
exporter globally. Even though steel exports declined 58.5% in 2009 largely due
to global economic recession, exports have since surged 127% to 18 million tons
in the first five months of 2010. (Reuters.com, June 21, 2010).
A strong
increase in new Chinese government investment plans is expected to help boost
domestic demand for steel, and improving external demand following world
economic recovery should encourage steel exports. China’s crude steel production
capacity exceeded 700 million tons at the end of 2009, compared with 660 million
tons at the end of 2008. (China Daily, March 24, 2010). In 2009, China’s steel
output rose 13.5 percent to 567.84 million tons. (World Steel Association). Its
68 large and medium sized iron and steel companies reaped RMB55.39 billion
($8.12 billion) in profit in 2009, down 31.43 percent from a year earlier. In
early 2010, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (“MIIT”)
projected that demand for steel in China in 2010 would exceed that in 2009, and
to date in 2010, this prediction has been accurate.
Cold-Rolled
Steel Market:
Steel
products can be categorized as low-end (long products such as pipes, tubes,
wires and rods) and high-end (flat products such as hot-rolled steel or
cold-rolled steel strips). We operate in the high-end category of this market
with our niche precision steel processing and produce and sell high precision
cold-rolled steel products.
Hot-rolling
involves working with metal above its recrystallization temperature. The
starting material in hot-rolling is usually a large piece of metal, such as a
semi-finished casting product such as billets, slabs and blooms. In some cases,
hot-rolling involves a direct feed from the casting line into the rolling mill
at the proper temperature. The product is very stiff and is intended for flat
work where deformation is minimal. This type of hot-rolled steel is most often
applied to further processing for applications such as continuous galvanizing.
Hot-rolling often results in the metal surface becoming covered in mill scale,
an oxide that forms at high temperature. Hot-rolling is generally used for sheet
metal and simple cross sections, such as railroad tracks.
Cold-rolling
involves working with metal below its recrystallization temperature. While
hot-rolling might be conducted at approximately 1000°F, cold-rolling is often
conducted at room temperature. Cold-rolled steel products generally begin from
hot-rolled products that have been processed to remove mill scale. Cold-rolling
increases strength by up to 20%, improves the surface finish and holds tighter
tolerances. As a result, cold-rolled steel is used in a variety of high
precision capacities, including appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, and
other small appliances), automobiles (exposed as well as unexposed parts), steel
roofing, food packaging materials, electric motors, microelectronics and food
packaging.
Cold-rolled
specialty precision steel is a relatively new industry in China. Manufacturers
of products that use specialty precision steel products have traditionally
imported precision steel products from Japan, Korea, the European Union and the
United States. We believe that, to date, the average quality and standards of
China’s high precision steel industry lag behind the international
norm.
2
Due to
lack of quality manufacturing facilities and capability, the PRC has been a net
importer of ultra thin cold-rolled steel products like those produced by our
affiliate, Baosheng Steel. To meet demand, manufacturers have imported
precision steel products from countries with more developed high-end steel
capacity. China’s production of cold-rolled steel has responded to market
demand by growing robustly as domestic producers have moved up the value
chain. According to Freedonia Custom Research, from 2005 to 2008, China’s
consumption of high precision cold-rolled narrow strip products grew at a
compound annual rate of 19.1% and is projected to grow at 10% from 2008 through
2011. In particular, Freedonia projects that from 2008 through 2011,
the production of metal food and beverage containers, insulated wire and cable,
optic fiber cable, and household appliances in China is expected to grow at
compound annual rates of 10.9%, 11.5%, 17.8%, and 7.3%,
respectively.
Our
Products
Our
products, custom ultra thin cold-rolled steel sheets and coils, are a
vital component in a variety of industrial products, including but not
limited to roofing, appliances, telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories. We anticipate that
demand for high precision steel in end product manufacturing markets in
China will grow in the foreseeable future, and we believe we are well
positioned to benefit from this growth.
The
principal raw materials in our products are hot-rolled coil and hot-rolled steel
strips. In 2009, hot-rolled coil and hot-rolled steel strips accounted for
more than 80% of our production costs. We purchase our hot-rolled coil and
hot-rolled steel strips from a number of sources and are not dependent on any
single supplier.
We
manufacture cold-rolled steel products in a variety of different
forms: black strip, welded pipe, bright strip, cold-rolled sheet,
cold-rolled coil and tin-plated sheet. Products
are typically custom-made to the specifications of our clients. Our
production facilities can produce a large range of different widths and
thicknesses, ranging from 30 mm up to 1,250 mm and as thin as 0.10 mm up to 3.5
mm, respectively. Our major products include:
Cold-Rolled
Coil
Cold-rolled
coils include steel products with thickness from 0.16 mm to 2.0 mm, and
width from 900 mm to 1,250 mm. Cold-rolled coils are mainly used as
materials for automobile parts, stamping steel plates, construction decoration
and construction appliances such as roofing, security doors and steel
keel.
Cold-Rolled
Sheet
Cold-rolled
sheets are steel products with thickness from 0.10 mm to 2.0 mm, and
width from 360 mm to 860 mm. Cold-rolled sheets are mainly used as
materials in equipment appliances such as metal cabinets and electrical
appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves.
Cold-Rolled
Strip
Cold-rolled
strips are steel products with thickness from 0.50 mm to 3.5 mm,
and width from 30 mm up to 355 mm. Cold-rolled strips includes cold-rolled black
strip and cold-rolled bright strip. Cold-rolled strips are mainly used as
materials in house hardware appliances, farm equipment, office equipment and
motors appliances.
Tin-Plated
Sheet
Tin-plated
sheets are the steel products plated with thin layer of tin. This type of steel
product has thickness from 0.15 mm to 0.4 mm, and width from
360 mm to 830 mm. Tin-plated sheets are mainly used as materials for
the containers for industrial and food usage.
3
Corporate
Structure
Overview
We were
incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1997. Our company changed
its name in 2003 and 2010 in connection with acquisitions of companies engaged
in, respectively, the clothing industry in the United States (A.G. Volney) and
the steel industry in China (Buddha). Pursuant to an acquisition
completed on April 28, 2010, we own all of the issued and outstanding capital
stock of Gold Promise, a Hong Kong company, and the previous shareholders of
Gold Promise became the controlling shareholders of Buddha. Gold
Promise in turn owns all of the issued and outstanding stock of HAIC, a PRC
company. HAIC has entered into a series of contractual arrangements
with Baosheng Steel and all of its shareholders, agreements known as variable
interest agreements (the “VIE Agreements”), pursuant to which Baosheng Steel
became HAIC’s contractually controlled affiliate. The use of such control
agreements is a common structure used to control PRC corporations, particularly
in certain industries in which foreign investment is restricted or forbidden by
the PRC government. While the VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a
level of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the
level of control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng
Steel, no such equity ownership relationship exists between Buddha, Gold Promise
and HAIC on one hand and Baosheng Steel on the other hand. See “Risk
Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”
Our
present corporate structure is as follows:
|
Equity
ownership
|
|
|
Contractual
relationships consisting of a Consulting Services Agreement, Operating
Agreement, Voting Rights Proxy Agreement, Option Agreement and Equity
Pledge Agreement
|
4
Corporate
History - Buddha
Buddha
was originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 6,
1997 under the name “Lottlink Technologies, Inc.” From December 1997
until July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was suspended for non-payment of franchise
taxes. In July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was renewed, and its certificate
of incorporation was amended to change its name to “A.G. Volney Center,
Inc.” Prior to the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise, A.G. Volney
was primarily in the business of purchasing and reselling clothing
overruns. It was a development-stage company, had commenced only
limited business operations and was looking to find a suitable merger candidate
and/or alternative financing.
On
October 19, 2006, A.G. Volney filed a Registration Statement on Form 10SB (File
No.: 0-52269) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), to register
its common stock under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Registration Statement was declared
effective by operation of law on December 18, 2006, at which point A.G. Volney
became a reporting company under the Exchange Act.
On April
28, 2010, A.G. Volney entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Gold Promise,
the shareholders of Gold Promise, and Baosheng Steel. This Share
Exchange Agreement effected a reverse acquisition by which A.G. Volney acquired
all of the shares of Gold Promise, and the shareholders of Gold Promise became
the controlling shareholders of A.G. Volney. Since Gold Promise
controls HAIC and, through a series of contractual arrangements, Baosheng Steel,
the reverse acquisition resulted in A.G. Volney acquiring control over the
operations of Baosheng Steel. Thus, as a result of the reverse
acquisition of Gold Promise, we are an active steel manufacturing
business.
In
connection with this transaction, A.G. Volney’s then President, CEO, CFO,
Secretary and each of A.G. Volney’s directors resigned from all offices of A.G.
Volney. On April 28, 2010, our board of directors authorized an
increase in the number of members of our board of directors to three, and
appointed Hongzhong Li to the position of Chairman of the Board and also elected
Zhenqi Chen and Xianmin Meng as the remaining board members.
On June
7, 2010, we amended our certificate of incorporation to change our name to
“Buddha Steel, Inc.” and to effect the Reverse Stock Split and
Conversion.
Effective
as of the closing date of this offering, our board of directors will increase to
five members, Mr. Chen and Ms. Meng will resign, and we will appoint several new
directors (all of whom have consented to serve upon appointment), so that our
board will consist of the following members: Hongzhong Li, Yuanmei Ma, George
Qin, Troy Mao and Luis Mejia. Mr. Qin, Mr. Mao and Mr. Mejia will be
our independent directors.
Corporate
History – Gold Promise, HAIC and Baosheng Steel
Gold
Promise was established in Hong Kong on January 8, 2010 to serve as an
intermediate holding company, with the intention that its shareholders would
enter into the reverse transaction with Buddha and then that Buddha and its
affiliates (including Gold Promise, HAIC and Baosheng Steel) would undertake a
public offering. HAIC was established in the PRC on April 2,
2010. On March 29, 2010, the local government of the PRC issued a
certificate of approval regarding the foreign ownership of HAIC by Gold Promise,
a Hong Kong entity. As a result of this certificate, HAIC became a
wholly foreign-owned entity, or WFOE.
Baosheng
Steel, our operating affiliate, was established in the PRC on September 9,
1999. On April 2, 2010, prior to the reverse acquisition transaction,
HAIC, Baosheng Steel and Baosheng Steel’s shareholders entered into a series of
VIE Agreements pursuant to which Baosheng Steel became the controlled affiliate
of HAIC. The use of such control agreements is a common structure
used to control PRC corporations, particularly in certain industries in which
foreign investment is restricted or forbidden by the PRC
government. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a level
of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the level of
control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng
Steel. Pursuant to the VIE Agreements, Buddha (by virtue of its
ownership of Gold Promise and Gold Promise’s ownership of HAIC) controls
Baosheng Steel.
5
The
Offering
Securities
offered:
|
|
________ Units (two shares of
common stock and one Warrant per Unit).
|
Assumed
Offering Price per Unit:
|
|
$________.
|
Warrant
Terms:
|
|
Each
Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock at an
exercise price equal to 62.5% of the public offering price per Unit (or
125% of the proportionate price per share of common stock underlying the
Units), during the five-year period commencing on the date of this
prospectus. Beginning six months
after the closing date of this offering, if the closing price per shares
of common stock exceeds $_____ for at least ten trading days within any
period of twenty consecutive trading days, we may reduce the Warrant
expiration date to 30 days from the date of our filing of a current report
on Form 8-K announcing the satisfaction of such condition and such change
to the Warrant term.
|
Underwriter
Warrant Terms:
|
In
connection with this offering, we will, for a nominal amount, sell to our
underwriters ____ Underwriter Warrants, representing 4% of the number of
common shares in the offering of the Units, not including overallotment
Units or shares underlying Warrants contained within the Units, to
purchase one share of our common stock per Underwriter Warrant. The
Underwriter Warrants are exercisable for a period of five years from the
date of issuance at a price equal to 62.5% of the public offering price
per Unit (or 125% of the proportionate price per share of common stock
underlying the Units) (and on a cashless basis to the extent the
underlying shares of common stock are not registered or exempt from
registration). The Underwriter Warrants contain piggyback
registration rights for the life of such Underwriter
Warrants.
|
|
Common
Stock Outstanding prior to Completion of the Offering:
|
|
10,000,041
shares
|
Common
Stock Outstanding upon Closing of the Offering:
|
|
Upon
closing, we will have ________ shares of common stock outstanding (not
including the shares underlying the Warrants offered hereby, the common
stock underlying the Underwriter Warrants or the common stock underlying
the overallotment option).
|
Underwriter
Overallotment Option:
|
|
We
have granted to the underwriter an option exercisable within 45 days after
the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 15% of the number of Units
to cover overallotments. Overallotment Units do not carry
Underwriter Warrants.
|
Company
Information:
|
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Industrial Park,
Hebei
Province, 065300 People’s Republic of China
+86
(316) 8864783. We do not maintain a corporate website at this
time.
|
|
Current
OTCBB Symbol:
|
AGVO
|
|
Proposed
NASDAQ Global Market Symbol:
|
|
METL
(CUSIP No. 118849 108)
|
Transfer
Agent:
|
|
Pacific
Stock Transfer Company
4045
S. Spencer Street, Suite 403, Las Vegas, NV 89119
|
Timing
and Settlement for Units:
|
|
We
expect to deliver the Units registered hereunder against payment on
________ __, 2010.
|
Use
of Proceeds:
|
|
Net
proceeds from this offering (excluding proceeds from the overallotment
option and any warrant exercise) are expected to be approximately
$17,800,000 and will be used principally to purchase new equipment and
machinery and raw materials. No portion of the net proceeds will be used
to repay any loans due to our employees.
|
Risk
Factors:
|
|
Investing
in these securities involves a high degree of risk. As an investor, you
should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment. You should
carefully consider the information set forth in the “Risk Factors” section
of this prospectus before deciding to invest in our common
stock.
|
6
Summary
Financial Information
In the
table below, we provide you with summary financial data of our company. This
information is derived from our consolidated financial statements included
elsewhere in this prospectus. Historical results are not necessarily indicative
of the results that may be expected for any future period. When you read this
historical selected financial data, it is important that you read it along with
the historical statements and notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this
prospectus.
For the Fiscal Year
ended December 31,
|
For the Six Months
ended June 30,
|
|||||||||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
$ | 16,377,139 | $ | 11,114,162 | $ | 13,122,486 | $ | 5,432,300 | ||||||||
Income
from operations
|
$ | 13,683,016 | $ | 8,353,859 | $ | 11,251,321 | $ | 4,095,530 | ||||||||
Other
income (expenses)
|
$ | (1,821,656 | ) | $ | (1,884,990 | ) | $ | (936,930 | ) | $ | (788,304 | ) | ||||
Provision
for income tax
|
(58,556 | ) | $ | (144,891 | ) | $ | - | $ | (58,480 | ) | ||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 11,802,804 | $ | 6,323,978 | $ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | ||||||||
Other
comprehensive income (loss)
|
$ | 4,870 | $ | (1,114,220 | ) | $ | 78,100 | $ | (12,706 | ) | ||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$ | 11,807,674 | $ | 5,209,759 | $ | 10,392,491 | $ | 3,236,040 | ||||||||
Basic
earnings per share (based on 9,875,001, 9,875,001, 9,919,214 and 9,875,001
shares of common stock issued and outstanding on each of,
December 31, 2009 and 2008 and June 30, 2010 and 2009,
respectively)(1)
|
$ | 1.20 | $ | 0.64 | $ | 1.05 | $ | 0.33 |
December 31,
|
June 30,
|
|||||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
2010
|
||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||||||
Total
Assets
|
$ | 125,599,246 | $ | 217,469,573 | $ | 157,260,921 | ||||||
Total
Current Liabilities
|
$ | 110,426,169 | $ | 212,418,571 | $ | 132,249,306 | ||||||
Shareholders’
Equity
|
$ | 15,173,077 | $ | 3,365,403 | $ | 25,011,615 | ||||||
Total
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
|
$ | 125,599,246 | $ | 217,469,473 | $ | 157,260,921 |
(1)
|
We
have presented earnings per share after giving retroactive effect to the
Reverse Stock Split and the Conversion that were completed on June 11,
2010.
|
7
Risk
Factors
Investment
in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully
consider the risks described below together with all of the other information
included in this prospectus before making an investment decision. The risks
and uncertainties described below represent our known material risks to our
business. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business,
financial condition or results of operations could suffer. In that case,
you may lose all or part of your investment. You should not invest in this
offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We
have a short operating history.
While our
operating entity, Baosheng Steel, was founded in 1999, we have existed in our
current organizational structure for less than one year. We may not
succeed in implementing our business plan successfully because of competition
from domestic and foreign market entrants, failure of the market to accept our
products, or other reasons. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on
our past performance as they may not be indicative of our future
results.
The
global economic crisis could further impair the demand for our products and
affect the overall availability and cost of external financing for our
operations.
The
continuation or intensification of the global economic crisis and turmoil in the
global financial markets may adversely impact our business, the businesses of
our customers from whom we generate revenues and our potential sources of
capital financing. The global economic crisis harmed most industries and
has been particularly detrimental to the real estate, construction, automobile
and consumer product industries. Since our steel products serve as key
components in construction and building materials, automobiles and household
products, our sales and business operations are dependent on the financial
health of these industries and could suffer if our customers experience, or
continue to experience, a downturn in their business. In addition, the
lack of availability of credit could lead to a further weakening of the Chinese
and global economies and make capital financing of our operations more expensive
for us or impossible altogether. Presently, it is unclear whether and to
what extent the economic stimulus measures and other actions taken or
contemplated by the Chinese government and other governments throughout the
world will mitigate the effects of the crisis on the industries that affect our
business. These conditions have not presently impaired our ability to
access credit markets and finance our operations. However, the impact of
the current crisis on our ability to obtain capital financing in the future, and
the cost and terms of same, is unclear. Furthermore, deteriorating
economic conditions including business layoffs, downsizing, industry slowdowns
and other similar factors that affect our customers could have further negative
consequences for the real estate, construction, automobile and consumer product
industry and result in lower sales, price reductions in our products and
declining profit margins. The economic situation also could harm our current or
future lenders or customers, causing them to fail to meet their obligations to
us. No assurances can be given that the effects of the current crisis will not
damage on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
8
Rapidly
growing demand and supply in China and other developing economies may result in
additional excess worldwide capacity and falling steel prices, which could
adversely impact our results.
Over the
last several years steel consumption in China and other developing economies
such as India has increased at a rapid pace. Steel companies have responded by
developing plans to rapidly increase steel production capability in these
countries and entered into long-term contracts with iron ore suppliers in
Australia and Brazil. Steel production, especially in China, has been expanding
rapidly and could exceed Chinese demand depending on continuing growth rates.
Because China is now the largest worldwide steel producer, any significant
excess in Chinese capacity could have a major impact on domestic and
international steel trade and prices.
We
may require additional capital in the future, and the access to capital is
uncertain and we cannot assure that capital will be available on reasonable
terms, if at all, or on terms that would not cause substantial dilution to
stockholdings.
The
development of high quality specialty precision steel requires substantial
funds. We will require additional working capital to support our long-term
growth strategies, which includes identifying suitable points of market entry
for expansion growing the number of points of sale for our products, so as to
enhance our product offerings and benefit from economies of scale. Sourcing
external capital funds for product development and requisite capital
expenditures are key factors that have and may in the future constrain our
growth, production capability and profitability. To achieve the next phase of
our corporate growth, increased production capacity, successful product
development and additional external capital will be necessary.
However,
our working capital requirements and the cash flow provided by future operating
activities, if any, may vary greatly from quarter to quarter, depending on the
volume of business during the period. We may not be able to obtain adequate
levels of additional financing, whether through equity financing, debt financing
or other sources. If we are unable to raise additional financing, we may be
unable to implement our long-term growth strategies, develop or enhance our
products and services, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to
competitive pressures on a timely basis. There can be no assurance that such
capital will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if
at all. Any sale of a substantial number of additional shares of common stock or
securities convertible into common stock will cause dilution to the holders of
our common stock and could also cause the market price of our common stock to
decline.
If
we are unable to attract and retain senior management and qualified technical
and sales personnel, our operations, financial condition and prospects will be
materially adversely affected.
Our
future success depends in part on the contributions of our management team and
key technical and sales personnel and our ability to attract and retain
qualified new personnel. In particular, our success depends on the
continuing employment of our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hongzhong Li, our
Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Hongzhi Fang, our Chief Financial Officer, Ms.
Yuanmei Ma and our Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Zhenqi Chen. There is
significant competition in our industry for qualified managerial, technical and
sales personnel, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to retain our key
senior managerial, technical and sales personnel or that we will be able to
attract, integrate and retain other such personnel that we may require in the
future. If we are unable to attract and retain key personnel in the future, our
business, operations, financial condition, results of operations and prospects
could be materially adversely affected.
Our
operating results are likely to fluctuate, which may affect our stock
price.
Our
revenues, expenses, operating results and gross profit margins vary over time,
and may be affected by a variety of circumstances largely beyond our control. As
a result, our operating results may at times fall below the expectations of
securities analysts and investors in some quarters, which could result in a
decrease in the market price of our common stock. The conditions that may cause
results to vary include but are not limited to:
|
·
|
variations
in the price of hot- and cold-rolled
steel;
|
|
·
|
fluctuations
in exchange rates and international trade, causing changes in the
competitiveness of domestic Chinese as opposed to foreign supplies of
cold-rolled steel, as well as causing changes in the competiveness of
finished products made with our
products;
|
9
|
·
|
changes
in the general competitive and economic conditions;
and
|
|
·
|
delays
in, or uneven timing in the delivery of and payment for, customer
orders.
|
We
face significant competition from competitors who have greater resources than we
do, and we may not have the resources necessary to successfully compete with
them.
We are
one of a few manufacturers of specialty precision steel products in China.
Differences in the type and nature of the specialty precision steel products in
China’s steel industry are relatively small, and, coupled with intense
competition from international and local suppliers, to a limited extent,
consumers’ demand can be price sensitive. Competitors may increase their market
share through pricing strategies that adversely impact our business. Our
business is in an industry that is becoming increasingly competitive and capital
intensive, and competition comes from manufacturers located in China as well as
from international competition. Our competitors may have financial resources,
staff and facilities substantially greater than ours, and we may be at a
competitive disadvantage compared with larger companies.
The
relatively limited scope of our cold-rolled steel products may limit
our ability to respond quickly to significant changes in the market or new
market entrants.
Cold-rolled
specialty precision steel is a relatively new industry in China, and our
customers have traditionally relied on imports of precision
steel. Although we offer high precision cold-rolled steel products
according to our customers’ specifications, all of our products fall generally
within a single category, cold-rolled steel products. If there are significant
changes in market demands and/or competitive forces, we may not be able to
change our product mix or adapt our production equipment quickly enough to meet
customers’ needs. If this were to occur, our financial performance
could be materially negatively affected.
Increased
imports of steel products into China could negatively affect domestic steel
prices and demand levels and reduce profitability of domestic
producers.
While
China is a net exporter of steel products generally, it is a net importer of the
sort of precision steel products Baosheng Steel
produces. Particularly if China’s domestic economy continues to
improve, foreign competitors may have lower costs, and may be owned, controlled
or subsidized by their governments, which could provide them with advantages in
competing with domestic steel companies. Import levels may also be
affected by political considerations over which we have no control. Increases in
future levels of imported steel could negatively impact future market prices and
demand levels for our precision steel products.
If
our customers that operate in highly competitive markets are willing to accept
substitutes in lieu of our products, our business and results of operations will
suffer.
Our
customers and other users of cold-rolled steel products operate in highly
competitive markets, which are becoming increasingly
cost-conscious. Cold-rolled precision steel competes with other
materials, such as aluminum, plastics, composite materials and glass, among
others, for industrial and commercial applications. Customers have demonstrated
a willingness to substitute other materials for cold-rolled steel, particularly
where they can save money by doing so. If our customers increasingly
utilize substitutes for cold-rolled steel products in their operations, sales of
our products will decline and our business and results of operations will
suffer.
We
are dependent on our Chinese operations to generate our revenue, and the
deterioration of any current favorable local conditions may make it difficult or
prohibitive to continue to operate or expand in China.
Because
of the location of our facilities in China, our operations could be affected by,
among other things:
|
·
|
economic
and political instability in China, including problems related to labor
unrest;
|
|
·
|
lack
of developed infrastructure;
|
|
·
|
variances
in payment cycles;
|
|
·
|
currency
fluctuations;
|
10
|
·
|
overlapping
taxes and multiple taxation issues;
|
|
·
|
employment
and severance taxes;
|
|
·
|
compliance
with local laws and regulatory
requirements;
|
|
·
|
greater
difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;
and
|
|
·
|
the
burdens of cost and compliance with a variety of foreign
laws.
|
Moreover,
inadequate development or maintenance of infrastructure in China, including
adequate power and water supplies, transportation, raw materials availability or
the deterioration in the general political, economic or social environment could
make it difficult, more expensive and possibly prohibitive to continue to
operate or expand our facilities in China.
Our
operations are international, and we are subject to significant worldwide
political, economic, legal and other uncertainties that may make it difficult or
costly to collect amounts owed to us or to conduct operations should materials
needed from certain places be unavailable for an indefinite or extended period
of time.
We have
subsidiaries in Hong Kong and China. We manufacture all of our products in China
and substantially all of the net book value of our total fixed assets is located
there. However, we sell our products to customers outside of China as well as
domestically. As a result, we have receivables from and goods in transit to
locations outside of China. Protectionist trade legislation in Africa or other
Southeast Asian countries, such as a change in export or import legislation,
tariff or duty structures, or other trade policies, could adversely affect our
ability to sell products in these markets, or even to purchase raw materials or
equipment from foreign suppliers. Moreover, we are subject to a variety of
United States laws and regulations, changes to which may affect our ability to
transact business with certain customers or in certain product
categories.
In China,
our operating affiliate Baosheng Steel is subject to numerous national,
provincial and local governmental regulations, all of which can limit our
ability to react to market pressures in a timely or effective way, thus causing
us to lose business or miss opportunities to expand our business. These include,
among others, regulations governing:
|
·
|
environmental
and waste management;
|
|
·
|
our
relationship with our employees, including: wage and hour requirements,
working and safety conditions, citizenship requirements, work permits and
travel restrictions;
|
|
·
|
property
ownership and use in connection with our leased facilities in China;
and
|
|
·
|
import
restrictions, currency restrictions and restrictions on the volume of
domestic sales.
|
We may not be
able to pass on to customers the increases in the costs of our raw materials,
particularly hot-rolled steel.
We
require substantial amounts of raw materials in our business, consisting
principally of hot-rolled steel. Any substantial increases in the cost
of hot-rolled steel could adversely affect our financial condition and
results of operations. The availability and price of hot-rolled steel depends on
a number of factors outside our control, including general economic conditions,
domestic and international supply and tariffs. Increased domestic and worldwide
demand for hot-rolled steel has had and will continue to have the effect of
increasing the prices that we pay for these raw materials, thereby increasing
our cost of goods sold. Generally, there is a potential time lag between changes
in prices under our purchase contracts and the point when we can implement a
corresponding change under our sales contracts with our customers. As a result,
we can be exposed to fluctuations in the price of raw materials since, during
the time lag period, we may have to temporarily bear the additional cost of the
change under our purchase contracts, which could have a material adverse effect
on our profitability. If raw material prices were to increase significantly
without a commensurate increase in the market value of our products, our
financial condition and results of operations would be adversely
affected.
Changing
technology and manufacturing techniques could place us at a competitive
disadvantage.
The
successful implementation of our business strategy requires us to introduce new
products and improve existing products to meet customers’ needs. Our products
require a high degree of precision in design and manufacture. We believe that
our customers evaluate our products on the basis of a number of factors,
including, but not limited to:
11
|
·
|
quality;
|
|
·
|
value
for price;
|
|
·
|
reliability
and timeliness of delivery;
|
|
·
|
product
design capability;
|
|
·
|
operational
flexibility;
|
|
·
|
customer
service; and
|
|
·
|
overall
management.
|
Our
success depends on our ability to continue to meet our customers’ changing
requirements and specifications with respect to these and other criteria. If we
are unable to address technological advances or introduce new designs or
products that may be necessary to remain competitive within the precision steel
industry, our financial performance could suffer.
Defects
in our products could impair our ability to sell products or could result in
litigation and other significant costs.
Detection
of any significant defects in our precision steel products may result in, among
other things, delay in time-to-market, loss of market acceptance and sales of
its products, diversion of development resources, injury to our reputation,
litigation or fines, or increased costs to correct such defects. Defects could
harm our reputation, which could result in significant costs and could impair
our ability to sell our products. The costs we may incur in correcting any
product defects may be substantial and could decrease our profit
margins.
Failure to optimize our manufacturing
potential and cost structure could materially increase our overhead, causing a
decline in our margins and profitability.
We strive
to utilize the manufacturing capacity of our facilities fully, but may not do so
on a consistent basis. Our factory utilization is dependent on our success in,
among other things:
|
·
|
accurately
forecasting demand;
|
|
·
|
predicting
volatility;
|
|
·
|
timing
volume sales to our customers;
|
|
·
|
balancing
our productive resources with product mix;
and
|
|
·
|
planning
manufacturing services for new or other products that we intend to
produce.
|
Demand
for contract manufacturing of these products may not be as high as we expect,
and we may fail to realize the expected benefit from our investment in our
manufacturing facilities. Our profitability and operating results are also
dependent upon a variety of other factors, including, but not limited
to:
|
·
|
utilization
rates of manufacturing lines;
|
|
·
|
downtime
due to product changeover;
|
|
·
|
impurities
in raw materials causing shutdowns;
and
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maintenance
of contaminant-free operations.
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Failure
to optimize our manufacturing potential and cost structure could materially and
adversely affect our business and operating results.
Moreover,
our cost structure is subject to fluctuations from inflationary pressures in
China and other geographic regions where we conduct business. China is currently
experiencing dramatic growth in its economy. This growth may lead to continued
pressure on wages and salaries that may exceed our budget and adversely affect
our operating results.
12
Our
production facilities are subject to risks of power shortages which may
adversely affect our ability to meet our customers’ needs and reduce our
revenues.
Many
cities and provinces in China have suffered serious power shortages since the
second quarter of 2004. Many of the regional grids do not have sufficient power
generating capacity to fully satisfy the increased demand for electricity driven
by continual economic growth and increasing consumer demand. Local governments
have occasionally required local factories to temporarily shut down their
operations or reduce their daily operational hours in order to reduce local
power consumption levels. To date, our operations have not been affected by
those administrative measures. If our operations are affected by
those administrative measures in the future, thereby causing material production
disruption and delay in delivery schedule, our business, results of operation
and financial conditions could be materially adversely affected. We do not have
any back-up power generation system.
Increases
in energy prices will increase our operating costs, and we may be unable to pass
all these increases on to our customers in the form of higher prices for our
products.
We use a
significant amount of electricity and other energy sources to manufacture our
products. We do not hedge our exposure to higher prices via energy
futures contracts. A substantial increase in the price of energy sources
would increase our operating costs and could negatively impact our
profitability and cash flows if we cannot pass the increases on to our
customers.
Unexpected
equipment failures may lead to production curtailments or
shutdowns.
Interruptions
in our production capabilities will adversely affect our production costs,
products available for sales and earnings for the affected period. In addition
to equipment failures, our facilities are also subject to the risk of
catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events such as fires, explosions or
violent weather conditions. Our manufacturing processes are dependent upon
critical pieces of equipment, such as our various cold-rolling mills, as well as
electrical equipment, such as transformers, and this equipment may, on occasion,
be out of service as a result of unanticipated failures. We have experienced and
may in the future experience material plant shutdowns or periods of reduced
production as a result of such equipment failures.
Environmental
compliance and remediation could result in substantially increased capital
requirements and operating costs.
Our
operating entity, Baosheng Steel, is subject to numerous Chinese provincial and
local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. These
laws continue to evolve and are becoming increasingly stringent. The ultimate
impact of complying with such laws and regulations is not always clear or
determinable because regulations under some of these laws have not yet been
promulgated, are undergoing revision or are not clearly interpreted. The capital
requirements and other expenditures that may be necessary to comply with
environmental requirements could increase and become a significant expense
linked to the conduct of our business.
Our
consolidated business and operating results could be materially and adversely
affected if our operating subsidiaries and affiliate were required to increase
expenditures to comply with any new environmental regulations affecting their
operations. We are required to comply with the environmental protection laws and
regulations promulgated by the national and local governments of the PRC. Yearly
inspections of our facilities require the payment of a license fee which could
become a penalty fee if standards are not maintained. If we fail to comply with
any of these environmental laws and regulations in the PRC, depending on the
types and seriousness of the violation, we may be subject to, among other
things, warning from relevant authorities, imposition of fines, specific
performance and/or criminal liability, forfeiture of profits made, being ordered
to close down our business operations and suspension of relevant
permits.
13
Our
limited ability to protect our intellectual property, and the possibility that
our technology could inadvertently infringe technology owned by others, may
adversely affect our ability to compete.
We rely
on a combination of trade secret laws and confidentiality procedures to protect
the technological know-how that comprises much of our intellectual property. We
protect our technological know-how pursuant to non-disclosure and
non-competition provisions contained in our employment agreements, and
agreements with them to keep confidential all information relating to our
customers, methods, business and trade secrets during and after their employment
with us. Our employees are also required to acknowledge and recognize that all
inventions, trade secrets, works of authorship, developments and other processes
made by them during their employment are our property.
A
successful challenge to the ownership of our intellectual property could
materially damage our business prospects. Our competitors may assert that our
technologies or products infringe on their patents or proprietary rights. We may
be required to obtain from others licenses that may not be available on
commercially reasonable terms, if at all. In addition, competitors may assert
patent or other intellectual property rights that arguably impair our ability to
employ and improve our technologies. Problems with intellectual
property rights could increase the cost of our products or delay or preclude our
new product development and commercialization. If infringement claims
against us are deemed valid, we may not be able to obtain appropriate licenses
on acceptable terms or at all. Litigation could be costly and
time-consuming but may be necessary to defend against infringement
claims.
We
do not carry business interruption insurance so we could incur unrecoverable
losses if our business is interrupted.
We are
subject to risks inherent to our business, including equipment failure, theft,
natural disasters, industrial accidents, labor disturbances, business
interruptions, property damage, product liability, personal injury and death. We
do not carry any business interruption insurance or third-party liability
insurance or other insurance to cover risks associated with our business. As a
result, if we suffer losses, damages or liabilities, including those caused by
natural disasters or other events beyond our control and we are unable to make a
claim again a third party, we will be required to bear all such losses from our
own funds, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Corporate Structure
Our
controlling stockholder holds a significant percentage of our outstanding voting
securities, which could hinder our ability to engage in significant corporate
transactions without his approval.
Mr.
Hongzhong Li, as the sole director of Crowning Elite Limited and the father of
Meng Li, is the beneficial owner of approximately 76.1% of our outstanding
voting securities. Assuming the completion of this offering and no
exercise of the Warrants underlying the Units offered hereby or of the
Underwriter Warrants, Mr. Li will be the beneficial owner of approximately __%
of our outstanding voting securities. As a result, Mr. Li will
possess significant influence, giving him the ability, among other things, to
elect a majority of our board of directors and to 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 discouraging a
potential acquirer from making a tender offer.
14
The
PRC government may determine that the VIE Agreements are not in compliance with
applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations.
We manage
and operate Baosheng Steel, our operating entity, through HAIC pursuant to the
rights its holds under the VIE Agreement. By reason of the VIE Agreements,
Baosheng Steel is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Almost all
economic benefits and risks arising from Baosheng Steel’s operations are
transferred to HAIC under these agreements. Details of the VIE Agreements
are set out in “Our Business – VIE Agreements.”
There are
risks involved with the operation of our business in reliance on the VIE
Agreements, including the risk that the VIE Agreements may be determined by PRC
regulators or courts to be unenforceable. Our PRC counsel, AllBright Law
Offices, has provided a legal opinion that the VIE Agreements are binding and
enforceable under PRC law, but has further advised that if the VIE Agreements
were for any reason determined to be in breach of any existing or future PRC
laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad
discretion in dealing with such breach, including:
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imposing
economic penalties;
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discontinuing
or restricting the operations of HAIC or Baosheng
Steel;
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imposing
conditions or requirements with respect to the VIE Agreements with which
HAIC or Baosheng Steel may not be able to
comply;
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requiring
our company to restructure the relevant ownership structure or
operations;
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taking
other regulatory or enforcement actions that could adversely affect our
company’s business; and
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revoking
the business licenses and/or the licenses or certificates of HAIC, and/or
voiding the VIE Agreements.
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Any of
these actions could adversely affect our ability to manage, operate and gain the
financial benefits of Baosheng Steel, which would have a material adverse impact
on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable
to restructure our relationship with Baosheng Steel in such circumstances, our
resulting corporate structure (Buddha, Gold Promise and HAIC) would have
essentially no operations or means of operating a steel business.
Our
ability to manage and operate Baosheng Steel under the VIE Agreements may not be
as effective as direct ownership.
We
conduct our business in the PRC and generate virtually all of our revenues
through the VIE Agreements. We depend on Baosheng Steel to hold and maintain
contracts with our customers. Our plans for future growth are based
substantially on growing the operations of Baosheng Steel. However, the VIE
Agreements may not be as effective in providing us with control over Baosheng
Steel as direct ownership.
15
Neither
Buddha nor HAIC has any ownership interest in Baosheng Steel, nor do we have
business assets or revenue streams other than through our VIE Agreements with
Baosheng Steel. Although we have been advised by AllBright Law Offices, our
Chinese legal counsel, that each contract under HAIC’s contractual arrangements
with Baosheng Steel is valid, binding and enforceable under current Chinese laws
and regulations, these contractual arrangements may not be as effective in
providing us with control over Baosheng Steel as direct ownership of Baosheng
Steel would be. In addition, Baosheng Steel may breach the contractual
arrangements. For example, Baosheng Steel may decide not to make
contractual payments to HAIC, and consequently to our company, in accordance
with the existing contractual arrangements. In the event of any such
breach, we may have to (i) incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such
arrangements, and (ii) rely on legal remedies under PRC law, which we cannot be
sure would be always effective in light of uncertainties in the Chinese legal
system.
Therefore,
if we are unable to effectively control Baosheng Steel, it may have an adverse
effect on our ability to achieve our business objectives and grow our
revenues.
As
the VIE Agreements are governed by PRC law, we would be required to rely on PRC
law to enforce our rights and remedies under them; PRC law may not provide us
with the same rights and remedies as are available in contractual disputes
governed by the law of other jurisdictions.
The VIE
Agreements are governed by the PRC law and provide for the resolution of
disputes through arbitral proceedings pursuant to PRC law. If Baosheng Steel or
its shareholders fail to perform the obligations under the VIE Agreements, we
would be required to resort to legal remedies available under PRC law, including
seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, or claiming damages. We
cannot be sure that such remedies would provide us with effective means of
causing Baosheng Steel to meet its obligations, or recovering any losses or
damages as a result of non-performance. Further, the legal environment in China
is not as developed as in other jurisdictions. Uncertainties in the application
of various laws, rules, regulations or policies in PRC legal system could limit
our ability to enforce the VIE Agreements and protect our
interests.
HAIC’s
contractual arrangements with Baosheng Steel and the payment arrangement
thereunder may be challenged by the PRC tax authorities and may result in
adverse tax consequences to us.
We
generate our revenues through the payments we receive pursuant to the VIE
Agreements. We could face adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities
determine that the VIE Agreements were not entered into based on arm’s length
negotiations. For example, PRC tax authorities may adjust HAIC’s and/or Baosheng
Steel’s income and expenses for PRC tax purposes in the form of a transfer
pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could result in a reduction,
for Chinese tax purposes, of adjustments recorded by Baosheng Steel, which could
adversely affect us by increasing Baosheng Steel’s tax liability without
reducing HAIC’s tax liability, which could further result in late payment fees
and other penalties to Baosheng Steel for underpaid taxes.
We
rely on the approval certificates and business license held by HAIC, and any
deterioration of the relationship between HAIC and Baosheng Steel could
materially and adversely affect our business operations.
We
operate our business in China on the basis of the approval certificates,
business license and other requisite licenses held by HAIC and Baosheng Steel.
There is no assurance that HAIC and Baosheng Steel will be able to renew
their licenses or certificates when their terms expire with substantially
similar terms as the ones they currently hold.
Further,
our relationship with Baosheng Steel is governed by the VIE Agreements that are
intended to provide us with effective control over the business operations of
Baosheng Steel. Yet, the VIE Agreements may not be effective in providing
control over the application for and maintenance of the licenses required for
our business operations. Baosheng Steel could violate the VIE Agreements, go
bankrupt, suffer from difficulties in its business or otherwise become unable to
perform its obligations under the VIE Agreements and, as a result, our
operations, reputations and business could be materially adversely
affected.
If
HAIC exercises the purchase option it holds over Baosheng Steel’s share capital
pursuant to the VIE Agreements, the payment of the purchase price could
materially and adversely affect our financial position.
Under the
VIE Agreements, Baosheng Steel’s shareholders have granted HAIC an option
for the maximum period of time allowed by law to purchase all of the equity
interest in Baosheng Steel at a price equal to the capital paid in by the
transferors, adjusted pro rata for purchase of less than all of the equity
interest, unless applicable PRC laws and regulations require an appraisal of the
equity interest or stipulate other restrictions regarding the purchase price of
the equity interest. As Baosheng Steel is already our contractually
controlled affiliate, HAIC’s exercising of the option would not bring immediate
benefits to our company other than the possible resolution of uncertainties
regarding the correct contractual relationship, and payment of the purchase
prices could adversely affect our financial position.
16
The
shareholders of Baosheng Steel and their proxy have potential conflicts of
interest with us, which may adversely affect our business.
Neither
we nor HAIC owns any portion of the equity interests of Baosheng Steel. Instead,
we rely on HAIC’s contractual obligations to enforce our interest in receiving
payments from Baosheng Steel. Conflicts of interests may arise between
Baosheng Steel’s shareholders and our company if, for example, their interests
in receiving dividends from Baosheng Steel were to conflict with our interest
requiring these companies to make contractually obligated payments to
HAIC. The fact that affiliates of Baosheng Steel are also affiliates of our
company may result in conflicting fiduciary duties. Because of these potentially
conflicting interests and fiduciary duties, we have required Baosheng Steel and
each of its shareholders to execute a Shareholders’ Voting Proxy Agreement
granting HAIC the irrevocable power to appoint a designee to vote on their
behalf on all matters requiring shareholder approval by Baosheng Steel and to
require Baosheng Steel’s compliance with the terms of its contractual
obligations.
The
designee may have different interests than those of Buddha and Buddha’s other
shareholders. We cannot assure you, if conflicts of interest arise,
that the designee will act completely in our interests or that conflicts of
interests will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these shareholders
could violate their agreements with us by diverting business opportunities from
us to others. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest between us and
Baosheng Steel’s shareholders or their proxy, we would have to rely on legal
proceedings, which could result in the disruption of our business.
If
HAIC is required to make a payment under its agreement to bear the losses of
Baosheng Steel, our liquidity may be adversely affected, which could harm our
financial condition and results of operations.
On April
2, 2010, HAIC entered into VIE Agreements with Baosheng Steel. Pursuant to the
VIE Agreements, HAIC agreed to bear the liabilities of Baosheng Steel. If
Baosheng Steel suffers losses and HAIC is required to absorb all or a portion of
such liabilities, HAIC will be required to seek reimbursement from Baosheng
Steel. In such event, it is unlikely that Baosheng Steel will be able to make
such reimbursement, and HAIC may be unable to recoup the loss HAIC absorbed at
such time, if ever. Further, under the Entrusted Management Agreement, HAIC may
absorb the losses at a time when HAIC does not have sufficient cash to make such
payment and at a time when we or HAIC may be unable to borrow such funds on
terms that are acceptable, if at all. As a result, any losses absorbed under the
Entrusted Management Agreement may have an adverse effect on our liquidity,
financial condition and results of operations.
Provisions
in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws or Delaware law might discourage,
delay or prevent a change of control of us or changes in our management and,
therefore depress the trading price of the common stock.
Our
certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue up to
10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. 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 stockholders. These terms may
include preferences as to dividends and liquidation, conversion rights,
redemption rights and sinking fund 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 our
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 our 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.
In
addition, Delaware corporate law and our certificate of incorporation and Bylaws
also contain other provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a change
in control of our Company or changes in its management that our stockholders may
deem advantageous. These provisions:
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deny
holders of our common stock cumulative voting rights in the election of
directors, meaning that stockholders owning a majority of our outstanding
shares of common stock will be able to elect all of our
directors;
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require
any stockholder wishing to properly bring a matter before a meeting of
stockholders to comply with specified procedural and advance notice
requirements; and
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allow
any vacancy on the board of directors, however the vacancy occurs, to be
filled by the directors.
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We
rely on dividends paid by HAIC for our cash needs.
We rely
primarily on dividends paid by HAIC for our cash needs, including the funds
necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions, if any, to our
shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating
expenses. The payment of dividends by entities organized in China is subject to
limitations. Regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of dividends only
out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with accounting standards
and regulations in China. If we determine to pay dividends on any of our common
shares in the future, as a holding company, we will be dependent on receipt of
funds from HAIC. See “Dividend Policy.”
Pursuant
to the new PRC enterprise income tax law effective on January 1, 2008,
dividends payable by a foreign investment entity to its foreign investors are
subject to a withholding tax of up to 20%. At present, the Chinese tax authority
has not issued any guidance on the application of the EIT Law and its
implementing rules on non-Chinese enterprises or group enterprise controlled
entities whose structures are like ours. In practice, the tax authorities
typically impose the withholding tax rate of 10% rate, as prescribed in the
implementation regulations; however, there can be no guarantee that this
practice will continue as more guidance is provided by relevant government
authorities. As a result, we are unable to predict whether payments from HAIC
through Gold Promise to Buddha will be subject to withholding tax because it is
unclear whether Buddha will be deemed to be a resident enterprise for Chinese
tax purposes. If so, Buddha will be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of
25% on all of its income, including interest income on the proceeds from this
offering on a worldwide basis. However, if Buddha is deemed to be a
non-resident enterprise, then it will be subject to a withholding tax at the
rate of 10% on any dividends paid by its Chinese subsidiaries to
Buddha.
The
payment of dividends by entities organized in China is subject to limitations,
procedures and formalities. Regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of
dividends only out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with
accounting standards and regulations in China. HAIC is also required to set
aside at least 10% of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards
each year to its surplus reserves fund until the accumulative amount of such
reserves reaches 50% of its registered capital.
The
transfer to this surplus reserves fund must be made before distribution of any
dividend to shareholders. The surplus reserve fund is non-distributable other
than during liquidation and can be used to fund previous years’ losses, if any,
and may be utilized for business expansion or converted into share capital by
issuing new shares to existing shareholders in proportion to their shareholding
or by increasing the par value of the shares currently held by them, provided
that the remaining reserve balance after such issue is not less than 25% of the
registered capital. For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008,
respectively, HAIC made no appropriations to its surplus reserve
fund.
HAIC
is also required to allocate a portion of its after-tax profits, as determined
by its board of directors, to the general reserve, and the staff welfare and
bonus funds, which may not be distributed to equity owners.
Pursuant
to the “Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law of the P.R. China (2000 Revision)”
and “Detailed Implementing Rules for the Law of the People’s Republic of China
on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises (Revised at 2001)”, HAIC is required to
allocate a portion of its after-tax profits in accordance with its Articles of
Association, to the general reserve, and the staff welfare and bonus funds. Not
less than 10% of an enterprise’s after tax-profits should be allocated to the
general reserve. When the general reserve account balance is equal to or greater
than 50% of HAIC’s registered capital, no further allocation to the general
reserve account is required. The general reserve is used to offset future
extraordinary losses. The subsidiaries may, upon a resolution passed by the
shareholders, convert the general reserve into capital. According to the
Articles of Association of HAIC, the amount contributed to the staff welfare and
bonus funds is determined by HAIC’s board of directors. The staff welfare and
bonus fund is used for the collective welfare of the staff of the subsidiaries.
These reserves represent appropriations of retained earnings determined
according to PRC law.
18
As of the
date of this prospectus, the amounts of these reserves have not yet been
determined, and we have not committed to establishing such amounts at this time.
Under current PRC laws, HAIC is required to set aside reserve amounts, but has
not yet done so. HAIC has not done so because PRC authorities grant companies
flexibility in making a determination. Chinese law requires such a determination
to be made in accordance with the companies’ organizational documents and HAIC’s
organizational documents do not require the determination to be made within a
particular timeframe. Although we have not yet been required by PRC authorities
to make such determinations or set aside such reserves, PRC authorities may
require HAIC to rectify its noncompliance and we may be fined if we fail to do
so after warning within the time period set in the warning.
Additionally,
PRC law requires that the after-tax profits of foreign invested companies be
distributed after a portion of after-tax profits is allocated to the general
reserve and the staff welfare and bonus funds reserve. Therefore, if for any
reason, the dividends from HAIC cannot be repatriated to us or not in time, then
it may detrimentally affect our cash flow and even cause us to become
insolvent.
Risks
Related Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Our
business is subject to the health of the PRC economy and our growth may be
inhibited by the inability of potential customers to fund purchases of our
products and services.
Our
products are dependent on the continued growth of infrastructure and
construction projects, especially in the PRC. There is no guarantee that
the Chinese government will continue to invest in infrastructure and
construction.
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:
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level
of government involvement in the
economy;
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control
of foreign exchange;
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methods
of allocating resources;
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balance
of payments position;
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international
trade restrictions; and
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international
conflict.
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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 and a lack of flexible currency
exchange policy still prevail in China. 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 was similar to those of the OECD member countries.
Uncertainties
with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available
to you and us.
We
conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries in the PRC
and Hong Kong. Our principal operating affiliate, Baosheng Steel, is subject to
laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in
particular, laws applicable to foreign-invested enterprises. The PRC legal
system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for
reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, a series of new PRC
laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to
various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal
system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws,
regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws,
regulations and rules involve uncertainties, which may limit legal protections
available to you and us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted
and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management
attention.
19
You
may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us.
We are a
Delaware holding company, but Gold Promise is a Hong Kong company, HAIC is a PRC
company, and our principal operating affiliate, Baosheng Steel, is located in
the PRC. Most of our assets are located outside the United States, and most of
our current operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, most of our
directors and all of our officers are PRC nationals. A substantial
portion of the assets of these persons is located in the PRC. As a
result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the
United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in
U.S. courts judgments predicated on the civil liability provisions of the U.S.
federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, most of whom
are not residents in the United States and the substantial majority of whose
assets are located outside the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty
as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S.
courts. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for
under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. Courts in China may recognize and enforce
foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil
Procedures Law based on treaties between China and the country where the
judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have
any treaties or other arrangements that provide for the reciprocal recognition
and enforcement of foreign judgments with the United States. In addition,
according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a
foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that
the judgment violates basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty,
security or the public interest. Consequently, it is uncertain
whether a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United
States.
The
PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must
conduct our business activities.
The PRC
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.
Future
inflation in China may inhibit our ability to conduct business 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 5.9% and as low as -1.4%. (IMF Data Mapper). 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. In the future, high
inflation 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 and our company.
Restrictions
on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively.
The
majority of our revenues will be settled in RMB, and any future restrictions on
currency exchanges may limit our ability to use revenue generated in RMB 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 RMB 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 RMB 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 RMB.
20
Fluctuations
in exchange rates could adversely affect our business and the value of our
securities.
As of
September 16,
2010 the exchange rate between the RMB and U.S. dollar was ¥6.7156
to $1.00. Changes in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar, Euro and
other foreign currencies are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s
political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may
have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial condition, and the
value of, and any dividends payable on our shares in U.S. dollar terms. For
example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our
initial public offering into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB
against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on RMB amount we would
receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into
U.S. dollars for the purpose of paying dividends on our common shares or for
other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would
have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition,
fluctuations of the RMB against other currencies may increase or decrease the
cost of imports, and thus affect the price-competitiveness of Baosheng Steel’s
products against products of foreign manufacturers or products relying on
foreign inputs.
Since
July 2005, the RMB is no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s
Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent
significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate
or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to
long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift
restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in
the foreign exchange market.
Very
limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to
exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging
transactions. While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the
availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may
not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our foreign
currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations
that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currencies.
We may be exposed
to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese
anti-corruption laws, and any determination that we violated these laws could
have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are
subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, or FCPA, and other laws that
prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and
their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by
the statute, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have
operations, agreements with third parties and we make most of our sales in
China. The PRC also strictly prohibits bribery of government officials. Our
activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of
payments by the employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors of our
company and its affiliate, even though they may not always be subject to our
control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices
by our employees, and we have implemented a policy to comply specifically with
the FCPA. In spite of these efforts, our existing safeguards and any future
improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees,
consultants, sales agents or distributors of our company and its affiliate may
engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA
or Chinese anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal or civil
sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively
affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the
U.S. government may seek to hold our company liable for successor liability FCPA
violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we
acquire.
21
Recent
changes in the PRC’s labor law restricts our and Baosheng Steel’s ability to
reduce our respective workforces in the PRC in the event of an economic downturn
and may increase our production costs.
In June
2007, the National People’s Congress of the PRC enacted new labor law
legislation called the Labor Contract Law, which became effective on
January 1, 2008. To clarify certain details in connection with the
implementation of the Labor Contract Law, the PRC State Council promulgated the
Implementing Rules for the Labor Contract Law on September 18, 2008, which
came into effect immediately. The new legislation formalized workers’ rights
concerning overtime hours, pensions, layoffs, employment contracts and the role
of trade unions. Considered one of the strictest labor laws in the world, among
other things, this new law provides for specific standards and procedures for
the termination of an employment contract and places the burden of proof on the
employer. In addition, the law requires the payment of a statutory severance pay
upon the termination of an employment contract in most cases, including the
case of the expiration of a fixed-term employment contract. Further, the law
requires an employer to conclude an “employment contract without a fixed-term”
with any employee who either has worked for the same employer for 10
consecutive years or more or has had two consecutive fixed-term contracts with
the same employer. An “employment contract without a fixed term” can no longer
be terminated on the ground of the expiration of the contract, although it can
still be terminated pursuant to the standards and procedures set forth under the
new law. Because of the lack of precedents for the enforcement of such a law,
the standards and procedures set forth under the law in relation to the
termination of an employment contract have raised concerns among foreign
investment enterprises in the PRC that such “employment contract without a fixed
term” might in fact become a “lifetime, permanent employment contract.” Finally,
under the new law, downsizing of either more than 20 people or more than 10% of
the workforce may occur only under specified circumstances, such as a
restructuring undertaken pursuant to the PRC’s Enterprise Bankruptcy Law, or
where a company suffers serious difficulties in production and/or business
operations, or where there has been a material change in the objective
economic circumstances relied upon by the parties at the time of the conclusion
of the employment contract, thereby making the performance of such employment
contract not possible. To date, there has been very little guidance and
precedents as to how such specified circumstances for downsizing will be
interpreted and enforced by the relevant PRC authorities. All of our and
Baosheng Steel’s employees working exclusively within the PRC are covered
by the new law and thus, our and Baosheng Steel’s ability to adjust the
size of our respective operations when necessary in periods of recession or less
severe economic downturns may be curtailed. Accordingly, if we or Baosheng Steel
face future periods of decline in business activity generally or adverse
economic periods specific to our business, this new law can be expected to
exacerbate the adverse effect of the economic environment on our and Baosheng
Steel’s results of operations and financial condition.
Failure
to comply with PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special
purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident shareholders to
personal liability, limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject
capital into our PRC subsidiary and affiliate, limit their ability to distribute
profits to us or otherwise materially adversely affect us.
In
October 2005, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“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
(“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 (“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 (“Notice 106”), expanded the reach of Circular 75 by
(1) 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; (2) adding
requirements relating to the source of the PRC resident’s funds used to
establish or acquire the offshore entity; covering the use of existing offshore
entities for offshore financings; (3) 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 (4) 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.
22
We have
advised our shareholders who are PRC residents, as defined in Circular 75, to
register 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 shareholders
or the outcome of such registration procedures. A failure by our PRC resident
beneficial holders or future PRC resident shareholders 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.
Under
the New EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such
classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our
non-PRC shareholders.
On March
16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of China passed a new Enterprise Income
Tax Law, or the New EIT Law, and on December 6, 2007, the State Council of China
passed the Implementing Rules for the New EIT Law, or the Implementing Rules,
which took effect on January 1, 2008. Under the New EIT Law, an enterprise
established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within China is
considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can be treated in a manner
similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax
purposes. The Implementing Rules define de facto management as
“substantial and overall management and control over the production and
operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the
enterprise.
On April
22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Concerning
Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled
Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria
of de facto Management Bodies (the “Notice”) further interpreting the
application of the New EIT Law and its implementation with respect to
non-Chinese enterprise or group controlled offshore
entities. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an
offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be
classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its
senior management in charge of daily operation reside or perform their duties
mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved
by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial properties, accounting
books, corporate chops, board and shareholder minutes are kept in China; and
(iv) ½ directors with voting rights or senior management often resident in
China. Such resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise
income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at
a rate of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC
shareholders. However, it remains unclear as to whether the Notice is
applicable to an offshore enterprise incorporated by a Chinese natural
person. Nor are detailed measures on imposition of tax from
non-domestically incorporated resident enterprises are
available. Therefore, it is unclear how tax authorities will determine tax
residency based on the facts of each case.
Yet, as
our case substantially meets the foregoing criteria, there is a likelihood that
we are deemed to be a resident enterprise by Chinese tax
authorities. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident
enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC
tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income
tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise
income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such
as interest on financing proceeds and non-China source income would be subject
to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Second, although, under the New
EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC
subsidiaries would qualify as “tax-exempt income,” we cannot guarantee that such
dividends will not be subject to a 10% withholding tax, as the PRC foreign
exchange control authorities, which enforce the withholding tax, have not yet
issued guidance with respect to the processing of outbound remittances to
entities that are treated as resident enterprises for PRC enterprise income tax
purposes. Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with
respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a
situation in which a 10% withholding tax is imposed on dividends we pay to our
non-PRC shareholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC
shareholders from transferring our shares. We are actively monitoring
the possibility of “resident enterprise” treatment and are evaluating
appropriate organizational changes to avoid this treatment, to the extent
possible.
23
If we
were treated as a “resident enterprise” by PRC tax authorities, we would be
subject to taxation in both the U.S. and China, and our PRC tax may not be
creditable against our U.S. tax.
Our
business and financial performance may be materially adversely affected if the
PRC regulatory authorities determine that our acquisition of Baosheng Steel
constitutes a Round-trip Investment without MOFCOM approval.
On August
8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies promulgated the Regulation on Mergers and
Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (the “2006 M&A
Rule”) which became effective on September 8, 2006. According to the 2006
M&A Rule, when a PRC business that is owned by PRC individual(s) is sold to
a non-PRC entity that is established or controlled, directly or indirectly, by
those same PRC individual(s) it must be approved by the Ministry of Commerce
(“MOFCOM”) and any indirect arrangement or series of arrangements which achieves
the same end result without the approval of MOFCOM is a violation of PRC
law.
The PRC
regulatory authorities may view the acquisition and the share exchange agreement
as part of an overall series of arrangements which constitute a Round-trip
Investment, because at the end of these transactions, Mr. Li will become the
majority owner and effective controlling party of a foreign entity that acquired
ownership of our Chinese subsidiaries. The PRC regulatory authorities may also
take the view that the registration of the acquisition with the relevant
Administration for Industry and Commerce (“AIC”) in Beijing and the filings with
the SAFE may not be evidence that the acquisition has been properly approved
because the relevant parties did not fully disclose to the AIC, SAFE or MOFCOM
the overall restructuring arrangements, the existence of the Share Exchange
Agreement and its link with the Acquisition. If the PRC regulatory authorities
take the view that the Acquisition constitutes a Round-trip Investment under the
2006 M&A Rule, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the
approval required from MOFCOM.
If the
PRC regulatory authorities take the view that the acquisition constitutes a
Round-trip Investment without MOFCOM approval, they could invalidate our
acquisition and ownership of our Chinese subsidiary. Additionally, the PRC
regulatory authorities may take the view that the acquisition constitutes a
transaction which requires the prior approval of the China Securities Regulatory
Commission (“CSRC”) before MOFCOM approval is obtained. If this takes place, we
may be able to find a way to re-establish control of our Chinese subsidiary’s
business operations through a series of contractual arrangements rather than an
outright purchase of our Chinese subsidiary. We cannot, however, assure you that
such contractual arrangements will be protected by PRC law or that the
registrant can receive as complete or effective economic benefit and overall
control of our Chinese subsidiaries’ business as if Buddha had direct ownership
of Baosheng Steel. In addition, we cannot assure you that such
contractual arrangements can be successfully effected under PRC
law. If we cannot obtain MOFCOM or CSRC approval if required by the
PRC regulatory authorities to do so, and if we cannot put in place or enforce
relevant contractual arrangements as an alternative and equivalent means of
control of our Chinese subsidiaries, our business and financial performance will
be materially adversely affected.
If
we make equity compensation grants to persons who are PRC citizens, they may be
required to register with the SAFE of the PRC, or SAFE. We may also face
regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt an equity
compensation plan for our directors and employees and other parties under PRC
law.
On April
6, 2007, SAFE issued the “Operating Procedures for Administration of Domestic
Individuals Participating in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan or Stock Option
Plan of An Overseas Listed Company (“Circular 78”). It is not clear
whether Circular 78 covers all forms of equity compensation plans or only those
which provide for the granting of stock options. For any plans that are so
covered and are adopted by a non-PRC listed company after April 6, 2007,
Circular 78 requires all participants who are PRC citizens to register with and
obtain approvals from SAFE prior to their participation in the plan. In
addition, Circular 78 also requires PRC citizens to register with SAFE and make
the necessary applications and filings if they participated in an overseas
listed company’s covered equity compensation plan prior to April 6, 2007. We
intend to adopt an equity compensation plan in the future and make option grants
to our officers and directors, most of who are PRC citizens. Circular 78 may
require our officers and directors who receive option grants and are PRC
citizens to register with SAFE. We believe that the registration and approval
requirements contemplated in Circular 78 will be burdensome and time consuming.
If it is determined that any of our equity compensation plans are subject to
Circular 78, failure to comply with such provisions may subject us and
participants of any equity incentive plan who are PRC citizens to fines and
legal sanctions and prevent us from being able to grant equity compensation to
our PRC employees. In that case, our ability to compensate our employees and
directors through equity compensation would be hindered and our business
operations may be adversely affected.
24
Risks
Associated with this Offering
We
must remit the offering proceeds to China before they may be used to benefit our
business in China, and this process may take a number of months.
The
proceeds of this offering must be sent back to the PRC, and the process for
sending such proceeds back to the PRC may take several months after the closing
of this offering. We may be unable to use these proceeds to grow our business
until we receive such proceeds in the PRC. In order to remit the offering
proceeds to China, we will take the following actions:
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First,
we will open a special foreign exchange account for capital account
transactions. To open this account, we must submit to SAFE certain
application forms, identity documents, transaction documents, form of
foreign exchange registration of overseas investments of the domestic
residents, and foreign exchange registration certificate of the invested
company.
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Second,
we will remit the offering proceeds into this special foreign exchange
account.
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Third,
we will apply for settlement of the foreign exchange. In order to do so,
we must submit to SAFE certain application forms, identity documents,
payment order to a designated person, and a tax
certificate.
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The
timing of the process is difficult to estimate because the efficiencies of
different SAFE branches can vary materially. Ordinarily the process takes
several months but is required to be accomplished within 180 days of application
by law.
We
do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
For the
foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development
and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash
dividends on our common stock. Accordingly, investors must be prepared to rely
on sales of their common stock after price appreciation to earn an investment
return, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends should not
purchase our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will
be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our
results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions,
restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our board deems
relevant.
An
active, liquid trading market for our common stock may not continue or develop
following this offering.
Our
common stock currently trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “AGVO,”
with limited trading market. Although we have applied for listing of our common
stock on the NASDAQ Global Market, investors will commit funds prior to the
commencement of trading on the NASDAQ Global Market. An active
trading market for our securities may not develop or be sustained following this
offering. You may not be able to sell your securities at the market price,
if at all, if trading in our securities is not active. The offering price
was determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters based upon a
number of factors. The public offering price may not be indicative of
prices that will prevail in the trading market.
25
Our
shares may be subject to the U.S. “Penny Stock” Rules and investors
who purchase our shares may be adversely affected by the impact of the “Penny
Stock” Rules.
A “penny
stock” is defined by the SEC under Section 3(a)(51) of the Exchange Act and Rue
3a51-1. An equity security with a market price under $5.00 will not be
considered a penny stock if it fits within any of the following exceptions,
among others:
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the
equity security is listed on a national securities exchange such as
NASDAQ;
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the
issuer of the equity security has been in continuous operation for less
than three years, and either has (a) net tangible assets of at least
$5,000,000, or (b) average annual revenue of at least $6,000,000 for the
last three years; or
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the
issuer of the equity security has been in continuous operation for more
than three years, and has net tangible assets in excess of
$2,000,000.
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Our
common stock currently is not a penny stock by virtue of the
exceptions. However, any material adverse changes on our business
operation may render the stock a penny stock and thereby subject to U.S. “Penny
Stock” rules, making the stock more difficult to trade on the open
market.
The low
price of a penny stock also has a negative effect on the amount and percentage
of transaction costs paid by individual shareholders. The low price of a penny
stock will limit the issuer’s ability to raise additional capital by
issuing additional shares. There are several reasons for these effects. First,
the internal policies of certain institutional investors prohibit the purchase
of low-priced stocks. Second, many brokerage houses do not permit low-priced
stocks to be used as collateral for margin accounts or to be purchased on
margin. Third, some brokerage house policies and practices tend to discourage
individual brokers from dealing in low-priced stocks. Finally, broker’s
commissions on low-priced stocks usually represent a higher percentage of the
stock price than commissions on higher priced stocks. As a result, shareholders
of a penny stock may pay transaction costs that are a higher percentage of their
total share value.
As an
issuer of a “penny stock,” the protection provided by the federal securities
laws relating to forward-looking statements does not apply and as a result the
issuer could be subject to legal action. As a result, if we ever become a
penny stock, we would not have the benefit of this safe harbor protection in the
event of any legal action based upon a claim that the material provided by us
contained a material misstatement of fact or was misleading in any material
respect because of our failure to include any statements necessary to make the
statements not misleading. Such an action could hurt our financial
condition.
For more
information about the “penny stock” status and its impact, contact the Office of
Filings, Information and Consumer Services of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, or by telephone at
1-800-732-0330.
The
market price for our common stock may be volatile, which could result in
substantial losses to investors.
The
market prices for our common stock are likely to be volatile and subject to wide
fluctuations in response to factors including the following:
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actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating
results;
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changes
in the Chinese economy;
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announcements
by our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships,
joint ventures or capital
commitments;
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additions
or departures of key personnel; or
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potential
litigation.
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In
addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant
price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance
of particular companies. As a result, to the extent holders of our
securities sell our securities in negative market fluctuation, they may not
receive a price that is based solely upon our business performance. We
cannot guarantee that holders of our securities will not lose some of their
entire investment.
26
If
our financial condition deteriorates, we may not meet initial objective listing
standards related to net income on the NASDAQ Global Market (or, if we are
listed at such time, continued listing standards) and holders of our securities
could find it difficult to sell our securities.
We have
applied to list our common stock for trading on the NASDAQ Global Market. We
have not yet been informed that such securities will trade on the NASDAQ Global
Market and can provide no assurance that our NASDAQ Global Market listing
application will be approved. Additionally, we will not complete this offering
unless our application to list on the NASDAQ Global Market is approved. In order
to qualify for initial listing on the NASDAQ Global Market upon the completion
of this offering, we must meet the following criteria:
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(i) Equity Standard: we
must have been in operation for at least two years, must have shareholder
equity of at least $30,000,000 and must have a market value for our
publicly held securities of at least $18,000,000; OR (ii) Market Value Standard:
we must have a market value for our publicly held securities of at least
$20,000,000 and must have a market value of our listed securities of at
least $75,000,000; OR (iii) Income Standard: we
must have net income from continuing operations in our last fiscal year
(or two of the last three fiscal years) of at least $1,000,000, must have
shareholder equity of at least $15,000,000 and must have a market value
for our publicly held securities of at least $8,000,000; OR
(iv) Total
Assets/Total Revenue Standard: we must have total assets and total
revenues in our last fiscal year (or two of the last three fiscal years)
of at least $75,000,000 each and we must have a market value for our
publicly held securities of at least $20,000,000;
and
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we
must have at least 1.1 million publicly held
shares;
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the
minimum bid price for our shares must be at least $4.00 per
share;
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we
must have at least 400 round-lot
shareholders;
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we
must have at least 3 (in the case of the Income Standard or Equity
Standard) or 4 (in the case of the Market Value Standard or Total
Assets/Total Revenue Standard) market makers;
and
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we
must have adopted NASDAQ-mandated corporate governance measures, including
a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors, an
audit committee comprised solely of independent directors and the adoption
of a code of ethics among other
items.
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As to the
first objective listing requirement, we have applied for listing on the NASDAQ
Global Market in reliance on the third test (“net income from continuing
operations in our last fiscal year (or two of the last three fiscal years) of at
least $1,000,000, must have shareholder equity of at least $15,000,000 and must
have a market value for our publicly held securities of at least $8,000,000”).
While our net income for 2009 satisfied this objective requirement, a
deterioration in our financial status combined with a protracted registration
and offering period could cause us to fail to meet this
requirement.
The
NASDAQ Global Market also requires companies to fulfill specific requirements in
order for their shares to continue to be listed. In order to qualify for
continued listing on the NASDAQ Global Market, we must meet the following
criteria:
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Equity Standard: our
shareholders’ equity must be at least $10,000,000, we must have 750,000
publicly held shares and we must have a market value of publicly held
shares of at least $5,000,000; OR Market Value Standard:
the market value of our listed securities must be at least $50,000,000, we
must have 1,100,000 publicly held shares, and we must have a market value
of publicly held shares of at least $15,000,000; OR Total Assets/Total Revenue
Standard: our total assets and total revenue in our last fiscal
year (or two of the last three fiscal years) must have been at least
$50,000,000 each, we must have 1,100,000 publicly held shares, and we must
have a market value of publicly held shares of at least
$15,000,000;
|
|
·
|
the
minimum bid price for our shares must be at least $1.00 per
share;
|
|
·
|
we
must have at least 400
shareholders;
|
|
·
|
we
must have at least 2 (Equity Standard) or 4 (Market Value Standard or
Total Assets/Total Revenue Standard) market makers;
and
|
|
·
|
we
must have adopted NASDAQ-mandated corporate governance measures, including
a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors, an
audit committee comprised solely of independent directors and the adoption
of a code of ethics among other
items.
|
27
Although
we have applied to have our common stock trade on the NASDAQ Global Market upon
the closing of this offering, investors should be aware that they will be
required to commit their investment funds prior to the approval or disapproval
of our listing application by the NASDAQ Global Market. We will not close this
offering unless our listing application is approved. If our shares are delisted
from the NASDAQ Global Market at some later date, holders of our securities
could find it difficult to sell our securities.
In
addition, we have relied on an exemption to the blue sky registration
requirements afforded to “covered securities.” Securities listed on the NASDAQ
Global Market are “covered securities.” If we were unable to meet the NASDAQ
Global Market’s listing standards, then we would be unable to rely on the
covered securities exemption to blue sky registration requirements and we would
need to register the offering in each state in which we planned to sell shares.
Consequently, we will not complete this offering unless we meet the NASDAQ
Global Market’s listing requirements.
In
addition, if our common stock is delisted from the NASDAQ Global Market at some
later date, we may apply to have such securities quoted on the Bulletin Board or
in the “pink sheets” maintained by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc. The
Bulletin Board and the “pink sheets” are generally considered to be less
efficient markets than the NASDAQ Global Market. In addition, if our securities
are not so listed or is delisted at some later date, our securities may be
subject to the aforementioned “Penny Stock” regulations. These rules impose
additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that sell low-priced
securities to persons other than established customers and institutional
accredited investors and require the delivery of a disclosure schedule
explaining the nature and risks of the penny stock market. As a result, the
ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our
securities might decline. If our securities are not so listed or is delisted
from the NASDAQ Global Market at some later date or were to become subject to
the penny stock regulations, it is likely that the price of our securities would
decline and that holders of our securities would find it difficult to sell their
securities.
Shares
eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our common
stock, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding common stock in
the public marketplace could reduce the price of our common stock.
The
market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of
substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the
perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make
it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our common
stock. An aggregate of 10,000,041 shares will be outstanding before the
consummation of this offering and __________ shares will be outstanding
immediately after this offering, assuming no exercise of the warrants underlying
the Units or the Underwriter Warrants and no exercise of the overallotment
option. All of the shares sold in the offering will be freely transferable
without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “Securities Act”). The remaining shares will be “restricted
securities” as defined in Rule 144. These shares may be sold in the future
without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule
144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act. See “Shares Eligible for
Future Sale.”
We
have not determined a specific use for a significant portion of the proceeds
from this offering, and we may use the proceeds in ways with which you may not
agree.
A
majority of the proceeds is devoted to our working capital needs. You will not
have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the
proceeds are being used appropriately. You must rely on the judgment of our
management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering. The
net proceeds may be used for corporate purposes that do not improve our efforts
to achieve profitability or increase the price of our securities. The
net proceeds from this offering may be placed in investments that do not produce
income or that lose value. See “Use of Proceeds.”
28
Forward-Looking
Statements
We have
made statements in this prospectus, including under “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk
Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations,” “Our Business” and elsewhere that constitute
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, such as statements about our plans, objectives, expectations,
assumptions or future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking
statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,”
“continuing,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “we believe,” “we intend,” “may,” “should,”
“will,” “could” and similar expressions denoting uncertainty or an action that
may, will or is expected to occur in the future. These statements involve
estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results,
performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements.
Examples
of forward-looking statements include:
|
•
|
the
timing of the development of future
products;
|
|
•
|
projections
of revenue, earnings, capital structure and other financial
items;
|
|
•
|
the
development of future company-owned and franchised
stores;
|
|
•
|
statements
of our plans and objectives;
|
|
•
|
statements
regarding the capabilities of our business
operations;
|
|
•
|
statements
of expected future economic
performance;
|
•
|
statements
regarding competition in our market; and
|
•
|
assumptions
underlying statements regarding us or our
business.
|
The
ultimate correctness of these forward-looking statements depends upon a number
of known and unknown risks and events. We discuss our known material risks under
the heading “Risk Factors” above. Many factors could cause our actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking
statements. Consequently, you should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements.
The
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made,
and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any
forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on
which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events.
In
addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the
extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements.
29
Overview
We were
incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1997. Our company changed
its name in 2003 and 2010 in connection with acquisitions of companies engaged
in, respectively, the clothing industry in the United States and the steel
industry in China. Pursuant to an acquisition completed on April 28,
2010, we own of all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Gold Promise,
a Hong Kong company, and the shareholders of Gold Promise became the controlling
shareholders of Buddha. Gold Promise in turn owns all of the issued
and outstanding stock of HAIC, a PRC company. HAIC has entered into a
series of VIE Agreements with Baosheng Steel and all of its shareholders,
pursuant to which Baosheng Steel became HAIC’s contractually controlled
affiliate. The use of such control agreements is a common structure used
to control PRC corporations, particularly in certain industries in which foreign
investment is restricted or forbidden by the PRC government. The VIE
Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a level of control over Baosheng Steel
that is functionally equivalent to the level of control HAIC would have if it
instead owned the equity of Baosheng Steel.
Our
present corporate structure is as follows:
Equity
ownership
|
||
|
Contractual
relationships consisting of a Consulting Services Agreement, Operating
Agreement, Voting Rights Proxy Agreement, Option Agreement and Equity
Pledge Agreement
|
30
Corporate
History - Buddha
Buddha
was originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 6,
1997 under the name “Lottlink Technologies, Inc.” From December 1997
until July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was suspended for non-payment of franchise
taxes. In July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was renewed and its certificate of
incorporation was amended to change its name to “A.G. Volney Center,
Inc.” Prior to the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise, A.G. Volney
was primarily in the business of purchasing and reselling clothing
overruns. It was a development-stage company, had commenced only
limited business operations, and was looking to find a suitable merger candidate
and/or alternative financing.
On
October 19, 2006, A.G. Volney filed a Registration Statement on Form 10SB (File
No.: 0-52269) with the SEC, to register our common stock under Section 12(g) of
the Exchange Act. The Registration Statement went effective by operation
of law on December 18, 2006, at which point we became a reporting company under
the Exchange Act whose shares were traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board
under the symbol “AGVO.”
On April
28, 2010, A.G. Volney acquired Gold Promise in a reverse merger, and the former
shareholders in Gold Promise became the controlling shareholders of A.G.
Volney.
On June
7, 2010, we changed our name to “Buddha Steel, Inc.”
Corporate
History – Gold Promise, HAIC and Baosheng Steel
Gold
Promise was established in Hong Kong on January 8, 2010 to serve as an
intermediate holding company, with the intention that its shareholders would
enter into the reverse transaction with Buddha and then that Buddha and its
affiliates (including Gold Promise, HAIC and Baosheng Steel) would undertake an
initial public offering. HAIC was established in the PRC on April 2,
2010. On March 29, 2010, the local government of the PRC issued a
certificate of approval regarding the foreign ownership of HAIC by Gold Promise,
a Hong Kong entity.
Baosheng
Steel, our operating affiliate, was established in the PRC on September 9, 1999.
All of our manufacturing operations are conducted by Baosheng Steel. On April 2,
2010, prior to the reverse acquisition transaction, HAIC, Baosheng Steel and
Baosheng Steel’s shareholders entered into a series of VIE Agreements pursuant
to which Baosheng Steel became the controlled affiliate of HAIC. The use of such
control agreements is a common structure used to control PRC corporations,
particularly in certain industries in which foreign investment is restricted or
forbidden by the PRC government. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC
a level of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the
level of control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng
Steel. Pursuant to the VIE Agreements, Buddha (by virtue of its ownership of
Gold Promise and Gold Promise’s ownership of HAIC) controls Baosheng
Steel.
Recent
Developments and Restructuring
On April
28, 2010, A.G. Volney entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Gold Promise,
the shareholders of Gold Promise, and Baosheng Steel. This Share
Exchange Agreement effected a reverse acquisition in which A.G. Volney acquired
all of the outstanding shares of Gold Promise and, in exchange, issued to the
former Gold Promise shareholders 10,000 shares of A.G Volney’s Series A
Preferred stock, then constituting 98.75% of its issued and outstanding capital
stock on an as-converted to common stock basis. As a result of this
reverse acquisition, Gold Promise became a wholly-owned subsidiary of A.G.
Volney, and the Gold Promise shareholders held 98.75% of A.G. Volney’s capital
stock on an as-converted basis. The share exchange resulted in a
change in control of A.G. Volney.
Also on
April 28, 2010, David F. Stever, our President, CEO, CFO and a director, and
Samantha M. Ford, our Secretary and a director, each submitted a resignation
letter pursuant to which they resigned from all offices that they held effective
immediately and from their positions as our directors that will become effective
on the tenth day following the mailing by us of an information statement, or the
Information Statement, to our stockholders that complies with the requirements
of Section 14f-1 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our board of
directors on April 28, 2010 increased the size of the Board of Directors to
three directors and appointed Hongzhong Li (Chairman), Zhenqi Chen and Xianmin
Meng to fill the vacancies created by such resignations and increase in the size
of the Board, which appointments became effective upon the effectiveness of the
resignations of David F. Stever and Samantha M. Ford on May 21, 2010, the tenth
day following the mailing by us of the Information Statement to our
stockholders.
31
On April
28, 2010, we filed an Information Statement on Schedule 14F with the SEC
relating to a potential change in control of our board of directors containing
the information required under Rule 14f-1 of the Exchange Act. On April 28,
2010, Crowning Elite Limited, or “Crowning Elite,” being the record holder of
6,644 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, constituting 65.6% of
the voting power of our issued and outstanding shares of our Common Stock and
Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, consented in
writing to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to change our name to “Buddha
Steel, Inc.” and authorize the board of directors to effect the Reverse Stock
Split of the outstanding shares of common stock. We amended our
Certificate of Incorporation to reflect such changes on June 7, 2010 and the
Reverse Split was approved by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on
June 11, 2010.
Our Board
of Directors unanimously approved the filing of a Certificate of Designation
designating and authorizing the issuance of up to 10,000 shares of our Series A
Preferred Stock. The Certificate of Designation was filed on April
27, 2010. Pursuant to the Conversion, shares of our Series A
Preferred Stock then were converted automatically into shares of common stock on
the basis of one share of Series A Preferred Stock for 987.5 shares of common
stock immediately subsequent to Reverse Stock Split. Upon the Reverse
Stock Split, the 10,000 outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock converted
into 9,875,001 shares of common stock, which constitute 98.75% of the
outstanding common stock of Buddha. In addition, prior holders of
125,040 shares of common stock continued to hold those shares.
The
Reverse Stock Split was effected to provide us with greater flexibility with
respect to our capital structure for such purposes as additional equity
financings, including this offering, and future stock based acquisitions, and to
facilitate the conversion of our preferred stock into common stock.
After the
Reverse Stock Split and the Conversion of preferred stock into common stock,
10,000,041 shares of our common stock are issued and outstanding and no shares
of preferred stock are issued and outstanding.
Contractual
Agreements
HAIC has
entered into a number of VIE Agreements with Baosheng Steel and all of its
shareholders by which it, and thus Buddha as its ultimate parent entity, has
effective control over the operations of Baosheng Steel. The use of
such control agreements is a common structure used to control PRC corporations,
particularly in certain industries in which foreign investment is restricted or
forbidden by the PRC government. The VIE Agreements are designed to
provide HAIC a level of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally
equivalent to the level of control HAIC would have if it instead owned the
equity of Baosheng Steel. Pursuant to the VIE Agreements, Buddha (by
virtue of its ownership of Gold Promise and Gold Promise’s ownership of HAIC)
controls Baosheng Steel.
The VIE
Agreements include:
|
·
|
a
Consulting Services Agreement dated April 2, 2010 between HAIC and
Baosheng Steel through which HAIC has the exclusive right to advise,
consult, manage and operate Baosheng Steel and, in exchange, Baosheng
Steel agrees to limitations on its ability to pay dividends and incur debt
and also becomes obligated to pay to HAIC all of the income of Baosheng
Steel;
|
|
·
|
an
Operating Agreement dated April 2, 2010 among HAIC, Baosheng Steel and
each of the shareholders of Baosheng Steel in which HAIC agrees to
guarantee the contracts, agreements and transactions entered into by
Baosheng Steel and, in exchange, pledges and guarantees all of its assets,
including accounts receivable, to HAIC and also vests in HAIC rights to
direct the appointment of directors and senior executives of Baosheng
Steel as well as to any transactions that may materially affect the
assets, liabilities, rights or operations of Baosheng
Steel;
|
32
|
·
|
a
Voting Rights Proxy Agreement dated April 2, 2010 between HAIC and
Baosheng under which the owners of Baosheng Steel vest their collective
voting control over Baosheng Steel in HAIC and agree only to transfer
their equity interests in Baosheng Steel to HAIC or its
designee(s);
|
|
·
|
an
Option Agreement dated April 2, 2010 among HAIC, Baosheng Steel and each
of the shareholders of Baosheng Steel in which the shareholders of
Baosheng Steel collectively and irrevocably grant to HAIC the option to
purchase at any time all or a portion of the equity interests in Baosheng
Steel; and
|
|
·
|
an
Equity Pledge Agreement dated April 2, 2010 between HAIC and each of the
shareholders of Baosheng Steel in which the shareholders irrevocably grant
and pledge to HAIC all of their voting rights as shareholders of Baosheng
Steel and agree not to transfer their interests to third parties (other
than to HAIC or its designee(s) under the Voting Rights Proxy Agreement)
in order to guarantee Buddha’s performance of its obligations under the
Consulting Services Agreement.
|
By their
terms, all of the VIE Agreements are governed by PRC law.
After
deducting the estimated underwriting discount and offering expenses payable by
us, we expect to receive net proceeds of approximately $17,800,000 from this
offering. The net proceeds from this offering must be remitted to China before
we will be able to use the funds to grow our business in China. The procedure to
remit funds may take several months after completion of this offering, and we
will be unable to use the funds in China until remittance is completed. See
“Risk Factors – We must remit the offering proceeds to China before they may be
used to benefit our business in China, and this process may take a number of
months.” We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering as
follows after we complete the remittance process, and we have ordered the
specific uses of proceeds in order of priority.
We have
not fixed upon detailed plans for the use of proceeds to be generated through
this offering. As to our plan to devote proceeds to purchasing and installing
equipment and machinery, we have not yet established a plan to purchase
equipment and machinery (either the specific type of equipment and machinery or
the general plan of acquisition). We do not at this time have any understanding,
commitment or undertaking to purchase any equipment or machinery at this
time. Accordingly, we have not set forth the cost or types of such
anticipated purchases.
We do
plan generally, however, to devote the proceeds of the offering to the
continuation and expansion of our production capacity and output through the
purchase and installation of production equipment and machinery as well as the
purchase of raw materials, as set forth generally in the following
table.
Description of Use
|
Percentage of
Net Proceeds
|
|||
Purchase
and Installation of Equipment and Machinery
|
60 | % | ||
Working
Capital for the Purchase of Raw Materials
|
40 | % | ||
Total
|
100 | % |
Pending
use of the net proceeds, we intend to invest our net proceeds in short-term,
interest bearing, investment-grade obligations.
33
Trading
Information for Our Securities
Our
common stock is quoted on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol
“AGVO.” Our warrants are not currently traded on any
market. At the conclusion of this offering, we expect our common
stock to trade on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “METL.”
The CUSIP
number for our common stock is 118849 108. There have only been limited or
sporadic quotations and only a very limited public trading market for our common
stock. The Electronic Bulletin Board is a significantly more limited market than
established trading markets such as the New York Stock Exchange or
NASDAQ. Because our common stock has only been sporadically traded,
reliable trading price information is not generally available for the last two
years.
As of
September 16,
2010, there were approximately 75 holders of record of our common
stock. The average between the bid and ask price of our common stock
as reported on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board was $7.51 per
share.
Dividend
Policy
The
holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to dividends out of funds
legally available when and as declared by our board of directors. Our board of
directors has never declared a dividend and does not anticipate declaring a
dividend in the foreseeable future. Should we decide in the future to pay
dividends, as a holding company, our ability to do so and meet other obligations
depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from our operating
affiliate and subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. In addition, our
operating subsidiary in the PRC, from time to time, may be subject to
restrictions on their ability to make distributions to us, including as a result
of restrictive covenants in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of
local currency into U.S. dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory
restrictions. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up,
holders of our common stock are entitled to receive, ratably, the net assets
available to shareholders after payment of all creditors.
34
Exchange
Rate Information
Our
financial information is presented in U.S. dollars. Our functional currency is
Renminbi (“RMB”), the currency of the PRC. Transactions which are denominated in
currencies other than RMB are translated into RMB at the Interbank exchange rate
quoted at the dates of the transactions. Exchange gains and losses resulting
from transactions denominated in a currency other than the RMB are included in
statements of operations as exchange gains. Our financial statements have been
translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with Statement of Financial
Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 52, “Foreign Currency Translation”, which
was subsequently codified within ASC 830, “Foreign Currency Matters”. The
financial information is first prepared in RMB and then is translated into U.S.
dollars at period-end exchange rates as to assets and liabilities and average
exchange rates as to revenue and expenses. Capital accounts are translated at
their historical exchange rates when the capital transactions occurred. The
effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component
of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders’
equity. The relevant exchange rates are listed below:
June 30, 2010
|
December 31, 2009
|
December 31, 2008
|
||||||||||
RMB:US$
exchange rate
|
6.8086 | 6.8270 | 6.8225 |
We make
no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could
be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular
rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency
reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign
exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. On September 16,
2010, the Interbank rate was RMB 6.7156
to $1.00. We do not currently engage in currency hedging
transactions.
The
following table sets forth information concerning exchange rates between the RMB
and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated. (www.safe.gov.cn).
Interbank Rate
|
||||||||||||||||
Period
|
Period-End
|
Average
|
High
|
Low
|
||||||||||||
(RMB per U.S. Dollar)
|
||||||||||||||||
2004
|
8.2865 | 8.2872 | 8.2870 | 8.2365 | ||||||||||||
2005
|
8.0734 | 8.2033 | 8.2666 | 8.0566 | ||||||||||||
2006
|
7.8175 | 7.9819 | 8.0715 | 7.7845 | ||||||||||||
2007
|
7.3141 | 7.6172 | 7.8062 | 7.2941 | ||||||||||||
2008
|
6.8542 | 6.9623 | 7.2941 | 6.7480 | ||||||||||||
2009
|
6.8372 | 6.8409 | 6.8430 | 6.7880 | ||||||||||||
2010
|
||||||||||||||||
January
|
6.8369 | 6.8347 | 6.8295 | 6.7836 | ||||||||||||
February
|
6.8367 | 6.8377 | 6.8336 | 6.7941 | ||||||||||||
March
|
6.8361 | 6.8359 | 6.8268 | 6.8136 | ||||||||||||
April
|
6.8358 | 6.8329 | 6.8280 | 6.7471 | ||||||||||||
May
|
6.8315 | 6.8365 | 6.8408 | 6.8273 | ||||||||||||
June
|
6.8086 | 6.8309 | 6.8433 | 6.8022 | ||||||||||||
July
|
6.7852 | 6.7861 | 6.7933 | 6.7814 | ||||||||||||
August
|
6.8130 | 6.7960 | 6.8142 | 6.7755 | ||||||||||||
September
(through September 7, 2010)
|
6.7970 | 6.8118 | 6.8205 | 6.7970 |
Over the
past ten years, the Renminbi has moved from a period of being tightly linked to
the US dollar, to a period of revaluation and strengthening against the dollar
and into a second period of current relative stability, as shown in the
following chart of exchange rates since January 2000.
36
Capitalization
The
following table sets forth our capitalization as of June 30, 2010 on a pro forma
as adjusted basis giving effect to the completion of the offering at an assumed
public offering price of $_____ per Unit and the separation of the Units into
shares of common stock and warrants and to reflect the application of the
proceeds after deducting the estimated underwriting fees.
You
should read this table in conjunction with our financial statements and related
notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and “Use of Proceeds” and
“Description of Capital Stock.”
June
30, 2010
As Reported
|
Pro Forma
Adjusted for Offering(1)
|
|||||||
COMMON
STOCK
|
||||||||
Shares
|
10,000,041 |
_________
|
||||||
Amount
|
$ | 10,000 | $ |
_________
|
||||
Additional
Paid-In Capital
|
$ | 21,756,575 | $ |
_________
|
(2) | |||
Retained
Earnings
|
$ | 5,683,741 | $ |
_________
|
||||
Accumulated
Other Comprehensive Income
|
$ | (2,438,701 | ) | $ |
_________
|
|||
Total
Shareholders’ Equity
|
$ | 25,011,615 | $ |
_________
|
(1)
|
Gives
effect to the completion of the offering at an assumed public offering
price of $______ per Unit, the separation of the Units into shares of
common stock and warrants and to reflect the application of the proceeds
after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and our estimated
offering expenses.
|
(2)
|
Pro
forma adjusted for offering additional paid in capital reflects the net
proceeds we expect to receive, after deducting a 7.5% underwriting
discount, a 1.5% non-accountable expense allowance and approximately
$400,000 in expenses. We expect to receive net proceeds of $17,800,000
($20,000,000 offering, less underwriting discount of $1,500,000,
non-accountable expense allowance of $300,000 and offering expenses of
$400,000).
|
37
Financial
Condition and Results of Operations
Disclaimer
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Our
discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations
that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could
differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as
a result of a number of factors, including those set forth under the Risk
Factors, Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Business
sections in this registration statement. We use terms such as “anticipate,”
“estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “believe,”
“intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” and similar expressions to identify
forward-looking statements. The following discussion of the financial condition
and results of operation of our company for the unaudited six months ended June
30, 2010 and 2009 and the audited fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008,
should be read in conjunction with the selected financial data, the financial
statements and the notes to those statements that are included elsewhere in this
registration statement.
The
discussion of the results of operations below are of Buddha and its
subsidiaries, Gold Promise and HAIC and its controlled affiliate, Baosheng
Steel, and have been derived from the financial statements that are included
elsewhere in this prospectus. Gold Promise is deemed to be the accounting
acquirer in the share exchange transaction consummated as of April 28, 2010,
which is further described in the section, “Our Corporate Structure” in this
prospectus. Since common control exists between the Gold Promise
and Baosheng Steel, for accounting purposes, the acquisition of Baosheng Steel
has been treated as a recapitalization with no adjustment to the historical
basis of its assets and liabilities.
The
restructuring has been accounted for using the “as if” pooling method of
accounting and the operations were consolidated as if the restructuring had
occurred as of the beginning of the earliest period presented in our
consolidated financial statements and the current corporate structure had been
in existence throughout the periods covered by our consolidated financial
statements.
Overview
We were
incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1997. Our company changed
its name in 2003 and 2010 in connection with acquisitions of companies engaged
in, respectively, the clothing industry in the United States (A.G. Volney) and
the steel industry in China (Buddha). Pursuant to an acquisition
completed on April 28, 2010, we own of all of the issued and outstanding capital
stock of Gold Promise, a Hong Kong company, and the previous shareholders of
Gold Promise became the controlling shareholders of Buddha. Gold
Promise in turn owns all of the issued and outstanding stock of HAIC, a PRC
company. HAIC has entered into a series of VIE Agreements with
Baosheng Steel and all of its shareholders, pursuant to which Baosheng Steel
became HAIC’s contractually controlled affiliate. The use of such control
agreements is a common structure to control PRC corporations, particularly in
certain industries in which foreign investment is restricted or forbidden by the
PRC government. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a
level of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the
level of control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng
Steel.
Baosheng
Steel was established in 1999 in Hebei province, Northern China. Baosheng
Steel is a leading producer and vendor of high value-added, ultra-thin precision
cold-rolled steel products. Baosheng Steel’s cold-rolled steel is
engineered and manufactured using state-of-the-art machinery. Our premium
products are tailor-made to customers’ individual requirements. Baosheng
Steel’s products are further processed by downstream manufacturers and
incorporated into a wide variety of end products including, among others,
automobiles, home appliances, packaging, and specialized construction
materials. Baosheng Steel’s production facilities occupy more than 47
acres and include 96 annealing furnaces and 17 lines: 13 cold-rolling mills, 1
tin-plate sheet mill, and 3 leveler stretchers.
As of
August 15, 2010, we had 942 full time employees, of whom 814 were production
personnel, 20 were sales personnel, 9 were finance personnel and 99 were
administrative, support and logistics personnel.
38
During
the first six months of fiscal year 2010 and 2009, we produced about 225,783
tons and 161,514 tons of steel products respectively, a utilization rate of
90.31% of our expected capacity for the six months ended June 30, 2010 and
69.47% for the same period of fiscal 2009. During the year ended December
31, 2009 and the same period of 2008, we produced about 446,000 tons and
285,605 tons of steel products, respectively, a utilization rate of 95.91% of
our expected capacity for the year ended December 31, 2009 and 86.55% for the
year ended December 31, 2008. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, we had an
expected capacity to produce 250,000 tons of cold rolled steel, an increase of
17,500 tons over our capacity of 232,500 tons for the same period in
2009. The expansion of expected production capacity resulted from the
launch of new production equipment in the second quarter of 2010. For the
year ended 2009, our expected production capacity rose by 135,000 tons
to 465,000 tons, representing an increase of 40.91% compared to 330,000
tons for the same period of 2008. Our expected capacity can vary significantly
depending on the types of products produced, and we strive to maximize profit by
producing the largest tonnage of product with the highest margin available to
us. Our expected capacity does not represent our maximum capacity and
instead represents our estimated capacity, taking into consideration routine
maintenance and ordinary work schedules for our employees; as a result, we may
be able to exceed this capacity occasionally during periods of high demand. Our
products range in thickness from 0.1 millimeter to 3.5 mm and can be up to
1,250 mm in width. The production process begins with our major raw
material, hot-rolled steel coils, which we clean, roll, cut and anneal in a
cold-rolling mill to the desired specifications.
We sell
products primarily in China, but we also sell some products in Europe, Africa
and Southeast Asia, including countries such as the U.K., the Philippines,
Nigeria, and Peru. Less than 1% of our sales for the six months ended
June 30, 2010 were direct sales outside China. In addition, less than 1% of
2009 sales and less than 3% of 2008 direct sales were to customers outside
China.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Management’s
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is
based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation
of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that
affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. We
evaluate, on an on-going basis, our estimates for reasonableness as changes
occur in our business environment. We base our estimates on experience, the use
of independent third-party specialists, and various other assumptions that we
believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the
basis of our judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that
are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from
these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Critical
accounting policies are defined as those that reflect significant judgments,
estimates and uncertainties, and potentially result in materially different
results under different assumptions and conditions. The following are our
critical accounting policies:
Revenue
Recognition
We
recognize revenues generated from the sales of our cold-rolled steel products
when these products are delivered to customers in accordance with previously
agreed-upon pricing and delivery arrangements and the collectability of these
sales is reasonably assured. Since our premium products are tailor-made to
customers’ individual requirements, customers do not have return rights, and
management has determined the amount of returned products to be insignificant.
Accordingly, we have made no provision for returnable goods. Revenues presented
in our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income net of sales
taxes.
Accounts
Receivable
We state
accounts receivable at cost, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. We
perform periodic reviews to determine whether the carrying values of accounts
have become impaired. We consider assets impaired if management determines
the collectability of the balances to be doubtful. Accordingly, management
estimates the valuation allowance for anticipated uncollectible receivable
balances. When facts subsequently become available to indicate that the
allowance provided requires an adjustment, then the adjustment is
classified as a change in estimate. Our management determined that no allowance
for doubtful accounts was necessary as of June 30, 2010 or December 31, 2009 or
2008 since all accounts receivables and other receivables were considered fully
collectible.
39
Inventory
Valuation
We value
our inventories at the lower of cost, determined on a weighted average basis, or
net realizable value (the estimated market price). When raw materials move
from primary processing to various manufacturing departments, we adjust the net
realizable value for product specifications and further processing, which
becomes the basis for calculating inventory values. In addition, substantially
all inventory expenses, packaging and supplies are valued by the weighted
average method.
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
We assess
the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable through the
estimated undiscounted cash flows expected as a result of the use and eventual
disposition of the assets. Whenever any such impairment exists, we recognize an
impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair
value.
Taxation
People’s
Republic of China
Income
Taxes:
We
account for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740 “Income Taxes”. ASC
740 requires an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and
reporting for income taxes and allows recognition and measurement of deferred
tax assets based upon the likelihood of realization of 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 either that these items will
expire before our company is able to realize their benefits, or that future
deductibility is uncertain. There was no deferred tax asset or liability for the
six months ended June 30, 2010 or for the years ended December 31, 2009 or
2008. HAIC and Baosheng Steel are governed by the Income Tax Law of the
PRC concerning privately run enterprises, which are generally subject to tax at
a statutory rate of 25% on income reported in the statutory financial statements
after appropriated tax adjustments in the first six months of 2010 and the year
of 2009, respectively.
For the
six months ended June 30, 2010 and the year ended December 31, 2009, as approved
by the local tax authority of Dachang County, Baosheng Steel’s income tax was
assessed annually at a pre-determined fixed rate as an incentive to stimulate
local economy and encourage entrepreneurship. As a result of this determination,
Baosheng Steel’s assessed income taxes were $0, $58,556 and $144,891 for the six
months ended June 30, 2010 and the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008,
respectively. Although the possibility exists for reinterpretation of the
application of the tax regulations by higher tax authorities in the PRC,
potentially overturning the decision made by the local tax authority, Baosheng
Steel has not experienced any reevaluation of its income taxes for prior
years. Management believes that the possibility of any reevaluation of income
taxes is remote based on the fact that Baosheng Steel has obtained the written
tax clearance from the local tax authority.
Value
Added Taxes:
Baosheng
Steel is subject to value added tax (“VAT”) for selling merchandise. The
applicable VAT rate is 17% for products sold in the PRC. The amount of VAT
liability is determined by applying the applicable tax rate to the invoiced
amount of goods sold (output VAT) less VAT paid on purchases made with the
relevant supporting invoices (input VAT). Under the commercial practice of the
PRC, Baosheng Steel pays VAT based on tax invoices issued. The tax invoices may
be issued subsequent to the date on which revenue is recognized, and there may
be a considerable delay between the date on which the revenue is recognized and
the date on which the tax invoice is issued. In the event that the PRC tax
authorities dispute the date on which revenue is recognized for tax purposes,
the PRC tax office has the right to assess a penalty based on the amount of the
taxes which are determined to be late or deficient, and will be expensed in the
period if and when a determination is made by the tax authorities that a penalty
is due.
40
Our
future effective income tax rate depends on various factors, such as tax
legislation, the geographic composition of our pre-tax income and non-tax
deductible expenses incurred. Our management carefully monitors these legal
developments and will punctually adjust our effective income tax rate when
necessary.
Principal
Factors Affecting Our Financial Performance
Our
operating results are primarily affected by the following factors:
|
·
|
Growth in
the Chinese Economy. We operate our facilities in China and
derive almost all of our revenues from sales to customers in China.
Economic conditions in China, therefore, affect virtually all aspects of
our operations, including the demand for our products, the availability
and prices of our raw materials and our other expenses. China has
experienced significant economic growth, achieving a compound annual
growth rate of approximately 10% in real gross domestic product from 1996
through 2009. (World Economic Outlook (April 2010) through International
Monetary Fund Data Mapper). China is expected to experience continued
growth in all areas of investment and consumption, even in the face of a
global economic recession. However, China has not been entirely immune to
the global economic slowdown and is experiencing a slowing of its growth
rate.
|
|
·
|
Supply and
Demand in the Steel Market. We are subject to macroeconomic
factors dictating the supply and demand of steel and wire in the PRC.
Steel commodity prices have been volatile in the past, and while they have
stabilized since the first quarter of 2009, our revenues and earnings
could be dramatically affected by increases and decreases in raw material
and finished product costs. While the overall Chinese steel industry has
recently experienced a period of excess supply, there is an increasing
shortage of high-end thin steel sheets and galvanized steel products in
China, which has been primarily driven by the limited number of producers
of precision thin steel products in China. We are also impacted by the
market for our principal raw material, hot-rolled steel, which comprises
the vast majority of our cost of goods
sold.
|
|
·
|
Infrastructure
and Construction Growth. We have in the past benefited from
strong growth in fixed asset investment in roads, residential and
commercial construction, bridges and other fundamental infrastructure and
construction projects in the PRC. As the Chinese economy matures and
develops, we expect this growth to slow and fixed asset investment to fall
as a percentage of GDP; however, we believe demand for our products will
remain strong for many years to
come.
|
|
·
|
Production
Capacity. In order to capture the market share and take
advantage of the demand for our products, we have expanded and wish to
continue to expand, our production capacity. Increased capacity has
had a significant impact on our ability to increase revenues and net
income through increased product
sales.
|
|
·
|
Our Product
Mix. Our gross margin is affected by our product
mix. We produce and sell products according to customer
orders. In general, we receive higher profit margins on our thinner
products, our plated products and our alloyed products than we receive on
our thicker, non-plated, non-alloyed products. We therefore
strive to allocate our capacity to the highest margin product mix possible
for a given output tonnage by focusing our product mix on thinner, alloyed
and plated products where possible.
|
Results
of Operations
In 2009,
we phased out production of welded pipe and pursued new techniques to produce a
variety of higher margin alloyed and plated ultra thin products. We
worked over time to increase the margins on our products in despite of the
economic crisis environment and to emphasize the production of higher-margin
products.
The
following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain statements of
operations data. As the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise was entered into
after December 31, 2009, the results of operations for the six months ended June
30, 2009, year ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 below refer only to Baosheng
Steel.
41
Six Months ended June 30,
|
Year ended December 31,
|
|||||||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$ | 139,053,010 | $ | 101,250,677 | $ | 275,779,038 | $ | 185,810,277 | ||||||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
(125,930,524 | ) | (95,818,377 | ) | (259,401,899 | ) | (174,696,115 | ) | ||||||||
Gross
profit
|
13,122,486 | 5,432,300 | 16,377,139 | 11,114,162 | ||||||||||||
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
|
(1,871,165 | ) | (1,336,770 | ) | (2,694,123 | ) | (2,760,303 | ) | ||||||||
Operating
Income
|
11,251,321 | 4,095,530 | 13,683,016 | 8,353,859 | ||||||||||||
Other
expense
|
(936,930 | ) | (788,304 | ) | (1,821,656 | ) | (1,884,990 | ) | ||||||||
Income
Before Income Taxes
|
10,314,391 | 3,307,226 | 11,861,360 | 6,468,869 | ||||||||||||
Income
tax
|
- | (58,480 | ) | (58,556 | ) | (144,891 | ) | |||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | $ | 11,802,804 | $ | 6,323,978 |
Six Months Ended June 30,
2010 Compared
with Six Months Ended June 30, 2009
The
following table sets forth key components of our results of operations during
the six-month periods ended June 30, 2010 and 2009, both in dollars and as a
percentage of our net sales. As the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise was
entered into after December 31, 2009, the results of operations for the quarter
ended June 30, 2009 below refer only to Baosheng Steel.
Six Months Ended
|
Six Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
June 30, 2010
|
June 30, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||
% of Net
|
% of Net
|
|||||||||||||||
Amount
|
Sales
|
Amount
|
Sales
|
|||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$ | 139,053,010 | 100.0 | % | $ | 101,250,677 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
(125,930,524 | ) | (90.6 | )% | (95,818,377 | ) | (94.6 | )% | ||||||||
Gross
profit
|
13,122,486 | 9.4 | % | 5,432,300 | 5.4 | % | ||||||||||
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
|
(1,871,165 | ) | (1.3 | )% | (1,336,770 | ) | (1.3 | )% | ||||||||
Operating
Income
|
11,251,321 | 8.1 | % | 4,095,530 | 4.0 | % | ||||||||||
Other
income/(expense)
|
(936,930 | ) | (0.7 | )% | (788,304 | ) | (0.8 | )% | ||||||||
Income
Before Income Taxes
|
10,314,391 | 7.4 | % | 3,307,226 | 3.3 | % | ||||||||||
Income
tax
|
- | - | (58,480 | ) | (0.1 | )% | ||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | 7.4 | % | $ | 3,248,746 | 3.2 | % |
Revenue
During
the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, we earned our revenue mainly through
the sales of cold-rolled steel products. Our four major products, cold-rolled
coil, cold rolled sheet, cold-rolled strip and tin-plated sheet generated
approximately $136,582,000, representing 98.2% of the revenue. The total
revenue for the first half of 2010 increased by approximately 37.3% from
$101,250,677 in the same period of 2009 to $139,053,010 in 2010, which was
mainly driven by an increase in sales volume of cold-rolled coils from 80,064
tons in 2009 to 104,907 tons in 2010 to our existing and new customers and an
increase of $98 in the average price per unit from $594 during the six-month
ended June 30, 2009 to $692 in the same period ended June 30, 2010 for
cold-rolled coil and $41 from $752 for the six-months ended June 30, 2009 to
$793 in the same period ended June 30, 2010 for tin-plated
sheet.
42
The
following tables set forth revenues attributable to our major products for the
six-month periods ended June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009:
Revenues By Products
|
Tons Sold
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Six Months Ended June 30,
|
Net Change
|
% Change
|
Six Months Ended June 30,
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
2010
(thousands)
|
2009
(thousands)
|
2010/09
|
2010/09
|
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
$ | 72,631 | $ | 47,625 | $ | 25,006 | 52.5 | % | 104,907 | 80,064 | ||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
18,708 | 19,529 | (821 | ) | (4.2 | )% | 34,946 | 33,549 | ||||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
39,584 | 24,724 | 14,860 | 60.1 | % | 73,707 | 41,675 | |||||||||||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
5,659 | 7,798 | (2,139 | ) | (27.4 | )% | 7,137 | 10,373 | ||||||||||||||||
Others
|
2,471 | 1,575 | 896 | 56.9 | % | 4,876 | 6,604 | |||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 139,053 | $ | 101,251 | $ | 37,802 | 37.3 | % | 225,573 | 172,265 |
Cold-Rolled
Coil
Sales
volume of cold-rolled coil increased from 80,064 tons to 104,907 tons for the
six months ended June 30, 2010 and its unit price rose from $594.84 to $692.34,
representing increases of 31.0% and 16.3% respectively. In 2010, we upgraded
cold-rolled coil quality by using high carbon steel in production instead of
plain carbon steel, which led to an increase in the unit price and further
increased the revenue of cold-rolled coil by 52.5%.
Cold-Rolled
Sheet
In the
six months ended June 30, 2010, the unit price dropped from $582.10 to $535.34
due to the decrease of average market price. The sales volume rose from 33,549
tons to 34,946 tons, leading to a drop of 4.2% in its sales
revenue.
Cold-Rolled
Strip
In the
six months ended June 30, 2010, the unit price of cold-rolled strip declined to
$537.05 from $593.26 for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and sales volume
grew dramatically from 41,675 tons to 73,707 tons. Accordingly, sales revenue
rose from approximate $24,724,000 to $39,584,000, representing an increase of
60.1%.
Tin-Plated
Sheet
We
increased the price of tin-plated sheet from $751.76 to $792.91; the higher
price decreased sales volume from 10,373 tons to 7,137 tons, which caused sales
revenue to drop by 27.4%.
Cost
of Sales
During
the six months ended June 30, 2010, our cost of sales increased by 31.4%
or approximately $30,112,147 from $95,818,377 in 2009 to $125,930,524 in
2010. Among our major products sold in the first half of 2010, cold-rolled coil
alone accounted for 51.4% of the total cost of sales and increased by 49.3%. The
primary reason for the increase is we used more high-carbon steel in production
compared to the first half year of 2009. Cost of sales of our major products on
an aggregate and percent basis is illustrated by the following
table:
Six
Months Ended
|
Six
Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
June
30, 2010
|
June
30, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Cost of Sales
|
Unit Cost
|
Cost of Sales
|
Unit Cost
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
$ | 64,724,699 | $ | 616.97 | $ | 43,337,205 | $ | 541.28 | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
16,914,411 | 484.02 | 18,557,000 | 553.13 | ||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
36,915,134 | 500.84 | 23,386,939 | 561.17 | ||||||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
4,944,928 | 692.86 | 6,988,521 | 673.72 | ||||||||||||
Other
|
2,431,352 | 498.64 | 3,548,712 | 537.36 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 125,930,524 | $ | 558.27 | $ | 95,818,377 | $ | 556.23 |
43
Gross Profit and Gross
Margin
Our gross
profit increased to $13,122,486 during the six months ended June 30, 2010 from
$5,432,300 for the same period in 2009, which was an increase of $7,690,186 or
approximately 141.6%. During the six month period ended June 30, 2010, we
experienced a remarkable increase in both the volume and value of our sales
which grew faster than our costs. As a result, our profit margin rose
dramatically from 5.4% to 9.4% due to the expanded production and sales of
high margin goods. Each of our major products had a remarkable increase in
margin in spite of changes in their sales percentage. Except for the four major
products, we also sold raw material and scrap metal occasionally, which are
presented as “Other” in the table product categories. Because such
other materials are not considered high precisions products like our other major
category products, they typically carry a much lower profit margin of around
1.6% to 1.7%. Since we sold 6,604 tons of scrap for metal and supplementary
materials at prices lower than their book value, the margin of Other was dragged
down extraordinarily during the first half of 2009. The sales mix and gross
margin of major products can be illustrated by the following table:
Six Months Ended
|
Six Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
June 30, 2010
|
June 30, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Margin
|
% of
Sales
|
Margin
|
% of
Sales
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
10.9 | % | 52.2 | % | 7.8 | % | 47.0 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
9.6 | % | 13.5 | % | 5.0 | % | 19.3 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
6.7 | % | 28.5 | % | 5.4 | % | 24.4 | % | ||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
12.6 | % | 4.1 | % | 10.4 | % | 7.7 | % | ||||||||
Other
|
1.6 | % | 1.7 | % | -125.3 | % | 1.6 | % | ||||||||
Total
|
9.4 | % | 100.0 | % | 5.4 | % | 100.0 | % |
Selling
Expense
During
the six months ended June 30, 2010, our selling expenses increased by
$257,923 to $805,356, compared to $547,433 for the same period in 2009 which was
mainly due to the rise of material expenditures in line with the increase of
sales and associated packaging.
General and Administrative
Expenses
During
the six months ended June 30, 2010, our general and administrative
expenses increased by $276,394 to $1,002.962, compared to the 2009 level of
$726,568. The increase in general and administrative expenses was principally
due to the rise in entertainment expenses, and staff welfare expenses incurred
by us as we hired more employees during the period.
Other expenses
Other
expenses increased to $181,920 in the six months ended June 30, 2010 from
$82,514 for the same period in 2009, which was primarily due to the increase of
bank charges associated with increased use of bank notes as a credit
facility.
Interest
expenses
Interest
expense decreased from $922,410 for the six months ended June 30, 2009 to
$848,389 in the same period ended June 30, 2010, representing a decrease of
$74,021, or approximately 8.0%. The interest expenses consisted of interest
expense to financial institution and for loans from employees, which amounted to
$518,647 and $329,742 in the six months ended June 30, 2010, and $809,964 and
$112,446 in the same period of 2009, respectively.
Net
Income
As a
result of the factors described above, we had net income of $10,314,391 during
the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared to $3,248,746 during the same
period of 2009, representing growth of 217.5%.
44
Earnings
per Share
After the
reverse stock split and the conversion of preferred stock into common stock,
10,000,041 shares of our common stock are issued and outstanding and no shares
of preferred stock are issued and outstanding.
We
calculated earning per share for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010 and
2009 based on the weighted average number of outstanding common shares as shown
in the following table:
Six Months Ended June 30,
|
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||
Numerator
used in basic net income per share
|
||||||||
Net
(loss) / income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | ||||
Shares
(denominator)
|
||||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
|
9,919,214 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding used in computing diluted net income per
common share
|
9,919,214 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Earnings
per ordinary share-basic and diluted
|
$ | 1.05 | $ | 0.33 |
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of
June 30, 2010 and the same period of 2009, we had cash and cash equivalents of
$2,031,867 and $833,691, respectively, which primarily consisted of cash on hand
and demand deposits. Currently the major factors affecting our liquidity and
capital resources are our ability to generate cash through operations, our
ability to raise money through borrowing and the general economic situation in
the PRC.
The
following table provides detailed information about our net cash flows for
six-month periods ended June 30, 2010 and 2009. We have financed our operations
primarily through cash flows from operations, bank notes and loans.
For the Six Months Ended
|
||||||||
June 30, 2010
|
June 30, 2009
|
|||||||
Net
Cash (Used in) Operating Activities
|
$ | (8,467,614 | ) | $ | (18,002,598 | ) | ||
Net
Cash (Used in) Investing Activities
|
(954,745 | ) | (701,729 | ) | ||||
Net
Cash Provided by Financing Activities
|
3,753,982 | 17,408,765 | ||||||
Effects
of Exchange Rate Change in Cash
|
90,418 | (103,220 | ) | |||||
Net (Decrease)
in Cash and Cash Equivalents
|
(5,577,959 | ) | (1,398,782 | ) | ||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalent at Beginning of the Year
|
7,609,826 | 2,232,473 | ||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalent at End of the Year
|
$ | 2,031,867 | $ | 833,691 |
Operating
Activities
The
amount of cash provided by our operating activities differs from our reported
net income due to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization of fixed
assets, which do not result in uses or sources of cash. In addition, the
changes in working capital, other assets and liabilities, which generally
represent temporary timing differences between the recognition of certain
expenses and their payment. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, net cash
used in operating activities was $8 million, a decrease of 53% compared to the
same period in 2009. Cash used in operating activities consisted primarily of
our net profit of $10 million, an increase of $42 million in inventories due to
a general increase in our raw materials cost, a decrease in advances to
suppliers of $18 million and an increase of accounts payable of $6 million. Net
cash used in operating activities for the first half year of 2009 was the
combined result of a decrease of advances from customers of $47 million, a
decrease of inventories of $31 million due to the gradual decrease of raw
materials cost, an increase of advances to suppliers of $9 million, and a
decrease of value added tax recoverable of $7 million as related to
VAT.
Investing
activities
Our
investing activities included equipment purchases and plant construction. Net
cash used in such investing activities was $0.95 million in the six months ended
June 30, 2010. As for the six months ended June 30, 2009, a total of $0.70
million was invested in the purchase of production equipment. Compared to 2009,
we spent 36% more cash in equipment and plant construction to expand our
production capacity in the first half year of 2010.
45
Financing
activities
Net
cash provided by such financing activities as lending from banks and
obtaining bank notes for the six months ended June 30, 2010 was $4 million, as
compared to $17 million net cash provided by financing activities in the
same period of 2009. During the six months ended June 30, 2010, we repaid around
$2 million in short-term loans and obtained $17 million in bank notes and in the
meantime set aside approximately $11 million in restricted cash in our bank
accounts to obtain the bank notes as requested by the lenders. During
the six months ended June 30, 2009, we primarily obtained $12 million of loans
from various lenders and $5 million bank notes, in total, a $17 million net
increase in cash provided by financing activities. In general, compared to the
first half year of 2009, net cash provided by our financing activities dropped
by 76% in 2010.
We
believe that our cash on hand and cash flow from operations will meet part of
our present cash needs, and we will require additional cash resources, to meet
our expected capital expenditure and working capital requirements for the next
12 months. In the future, we may also require additional cash resources due to
changed business conditions, implementation of our strategy to ramp up our
marketing efforts and increase brand awareness, or acquisitions we may decide to
pursue. If our own financial resources are insufficient to satisfy our capital
requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain
additional credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could
result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would
result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to
operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing
may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any
failure by us to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us, or at
all, could limit our ability to expand our business operations and could harm
our overall business prospects.
In terms
of our working capital, our current assets were approximately $122 million and
$90 million as of June 30, 2010 and 2009 respectively. The increase in current
assets of $32 million (or 35.6%) was due to the combined effects of a $42
million increase in inventories, the increase of cash and restricted cash by $6
million, and the decrease of advances to suppliers by $18 million.
Our
current liabilities were approximately $132 million and $110 million as of June
30, 2010 and 2009 respectively. The increase of our current liabilities by $22
million (or 20.0%) was primarily due to the increase in bank notes payable by
$17 million, the increase in accounts payable by $6 million, and the decrease in
short-term debts by $1 million.
46
Interest
Rate Per
|
June 30, 2010
|
|||||||||||||||
Lender
|
Maturity Date
|
Annum
|
RMB (in thousand)
|
USD (in thousand)
|
||||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2010-8-26 | 5.84 | % | 20,000 | 2,937 | |||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2010-10-19 | 5.84 | % | 5,600 | 822 | |||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2010-12-24 | 5.84 | % | 12,000 | 1,762 | |||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2011-3-30 | 5.84 | % | 20,000 | 2,937 | |||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2011-4-20 | 5.84 | % | 20,000 | 2,937 | |||||||||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
2011-5-25 | 5.84 | % | 10,400 | 1,527 | |||||||||||
Rural
Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch
|
2011-1-5 | 9.03 | % | 5,000 | 734 | |||||||||||
Rural
Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch
|
2011-1-6 | 9.03 | % | 5,000 | 734 | |||||||||||
Rural
Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch
|
2011-1-7 | 9.03 | % | 5,000 | 734 | |||||||||||
Rural
Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch
|
2011-1-8 | 9.03 | % | 4,950 | 727 | |||||||||||
Huaxia
Bank, Shijiazhuang Branch
|
2011-4-28 | 5.84 | % | 40,000 | 5,875 | |||||||||||
Xiadian
City Rural Credit Cooperative
|
2011-4-22 | 9.94 | % | 5,000 | 734 | |||||||||||
Xiadian
City Rural Credit Cooperative
|
2011-4-22 | 9.94 | % | 5,000 | 734 | |||||||||||
Shenzhen
Zengshun Import and Export Co., Ltd.
|
N/A | N/A | 27,000 | 3,966 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
7.45 | % | 184,950 | 27,164 |
As
compared to December 31, 2009, we have strengthened our ability to meet our
short-term debt obligations since the current ratio as of June 30, 2010
increased to 0.92 from 0.81 in 2009 due to the change of current assets and
liabilities aforementioned.
In
addition, we had short term bank loans amounting to $27,164,175. The interest
rates on these loans ranges from 5.84% to 9.94%. Please refer to the table below
for the terms and conditions of bank loans outstanding as of June 30,
2010.
Some of
the bank loans were collateralized by our property, as follows:
(1) As of
June 30, 2010, we put approximately $32,656,097 land use right and other fixed
assets as the pledge for loans from Agricultural Bank of China, Dachang
Branch.
(2) As of
June 30, 2010, approximately $4,714,141 of our property was collateralized for
loans from Rural Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County
Branch.
(3) The
loan from Huaxia Bank, Shijiazhuang Branch was guaranteed by Shanghai Chengtong
Precision Strip Co., Ltd.
(4) The
loans from the Xiadian City Rural Credit Cooperative were guaranteed by the
company’s assets. As of June 30, 2010, the outstanding loans in
those cases were $1,468,731.
Contractual
Commitments
As of
June 30, 2010, we had no contractual obligations in terms of long-term debts or
operating leases. As of December 31, 2009, the balance due to related
parties represents the loan borrowed from Hebei Buddha Engineering
Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliated company also owned by Hongzhong Li. This
loan was repaid in May 2010.
47
Fiscal Year Ended December
31, 2009 Compared with Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2008.
The
following table sets forth key components of our results of operations during
the year ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, both in dollars and as a percentage
of our net sales. As the reverse acquisition of Gold Promise was entered
into after December 31, 2009, the results of operations for the year ended
December 31, 2009 and 2008 below refer only to Baosheng
Steel.
Year Ended
|
Year Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
December 31, 2009
|
December 31, 2008
|
|||||||||||||||
Amount
|
% of Net
|
Amount
|
% of Net
|
|||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
Sales
|
(Unaudited)
|
Sales
|
|||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$ | 275,779,038 | 100.0 | % | $ | 185,810,277 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
(259,401,899 | ) | (94.1 | )% | (174,696,115 | ) | (94.0 | )% | ||||||||
Gross
profit
|
16,377,139 | 5.9 | % | 11,114,162 | 6.0 | % | ||||||||||
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
|
(2,694,123 | ) | (1.0 | )% | (2,760,303 | ) | (1.5 | )% | ||||||||
Operating
Income
|
13,683,016 | 5.0 | % | 8,353,859 | 4.5 | % | ||||||||||
Other expense
|
(1,821,656 | ) | (0.7 | )% | (1,884,990 | ) | (1.0 | )% | ||||||||
Income
Before Income Taxes
|
11,861,360 | 4.3 | % | 6,468,869 | 3.5 | % | ||||||||||
Income
tax
|
(58,556 | ) | (0.0 | )% | (144,891 | ) | (0.1 | )% | ||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 11,802,804 | 4.3 | % | $ | 6,323,978 | 3.4 | % |
Revenue
During
the year ended December 31, 2009, we earned our revenue mainly through the sales
of cold-rolled steel products. Our four major products, cold-rolled coil, cold
rolled sheet, cold-rolled strip and tin-plated sheet generated approximately
$271,498,523, representing 98.4% of the revenue. The total revenue for the
year ended December 31, 2009 increased by approximately 48.4% from $185,810,277
in 2008 to $275,779,038. Although price per unit of all products decreased,
especially for cold-rolled sheet and cold-rolled coil whose unit price decreased
by 10.0% and 4.6% respectively compared to 2008, the sale revenue
still increased which was mainly driven by a general expansion in sales
volume of our four major products. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the
sales volume for tin-plated sheet and cold-rolled coil increased 104.1% and
92.1% to our existing and new customers compared 2008.
The
following tables set forth revenues attributable to our major products for the
year ended December 31, 2009 and 2008:
Revenues By Products
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, (U.S.
dollars in thousands)
|
Net Change
|
% Change
|
M.T. Sold
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
2009/08
|
2009/08
|
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
$ | 148,662 | $ | 81,070 | $ | 67,592 | 83.4 | % | 222,091 | 115,603 | ||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
41,631 | 26,827 | 14,804 | 55.2 | % | 71,645 | 41,544 | |||||||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
66,491 | 66,844 | (353 | ) | (0.5 | )% | 116,579 | 114,336 | ||||||||||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
14,714 | 7,583 | 7,131 | 94.0 | % | 19,376 | 9,492 | |||||||||||||||||
Others
|
4,281 | 3,486 | 795 | 22.8 | % | 7,043 | 4,630 | |||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 275,779 | $ | 185,810 | $ | 89,969 | 48.4 | % | 436,734 | 285,605 |
Cold-Rolled
Coil
Compared
with 2008, sales volume of cold-rolled coil increased from 115,603 tons to
222,091 tons in 2009, representing an increase of 92.1%; while its unit price
decreased from $701.28 in 2008 to $669.37 in 2009, which was a 4.6% decrease in
percentage.
48
Cold-Rolled
Sheet
In the
year ended December 31, 2009, the unit price dropped from $645.75 to $581.07 due
to the decrease of average market price. The sales volume rose dramatically from
41,544 tons to 71,645 tons, leading to an increase of 55.2% in its sales
revenue.
Cold-Rolled
Strip
In 2009,
the unit price of cold-rolled strip declined to $570.35 from $584.63 in 2008 but
sales volume grew from 114,336 tons to 116,579 tons. Accordingly, as a
result, sales revenue decreased by 0.5% from $66,844,085 to
$66,491,267.
Tin-Plated
Sheet
Compared
with 2008, the price of tin-plated sheet decreased from $798.88 to $759.39 in
2009; the lower price increased sales volume from 9,492 tons to 19,376 tons,
which caused sales revenue rising up by 94.0%.
Cost
of Sales
During
the year ended December 31, 2009, our cost of sales increased by 48.5%
or approximately $84,705,784 from $174,696,115 in 2008 to $259,401,899 in
2009. Among our major products sold in 2009, cold-rolled coil alone accounted
for 52.5% of the total cost of sales and its cost increased by 85.6% compared to
2008. Average unit cost of total products decreased from 611.67 to 593.96 which
were mainly due to price decreased of raw materials throughout 2009, and
dilution of fixed overhead arising from production volume expansion. Cost of
sales of our major products on an aggregate and percent basis is illustrated by
the following table:
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
December
31, 2009
|
December
31, 2008
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Cost
of Sales
|
Unit
Cost
|
Cost
of Sales
|
Unit
Cost
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
$ | 136,096,317 | $ | 612.80 | $ | 73,331,000 | $ | 634.33 | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
38,352,690 | 535.32 | 25,171,712 | 605.90 | ||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
67,607,182 | 579.93 | 66,556,872 | 582.12 | ||||||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
12,919,393 | 666.77 | 6,322,388 | 666.08 | ||||||||||||
Others
|
4,426,317 | 628.47 | 3,314,143 | 715.80 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
$ | 259,401,899 | $ | 593.96 | $ | 174,696,115 | 611.67 |
49
Gross Profit and Gross
Margin
Our gross
profit increased to $16,377,139 during year ended December 31, 2009 from
$11,114,162 in 2008, which was an increase of $5,262,977 or approximately
47.4% in percentage. Compared with 2008, gross margin of 2009 was around 5.9%
and didn’t have a significant fluctuation. Although the sales volume
increased highly in total which augmented our sales revenue, both average unit
cost and average unit price declined around the same rate of 2.9% from $611.67
in 2008 to $593.96 in 2009, and $650.58 in 2008 to $631.46 in 2009,
respectively. As a result, the gross margin of 2009 and 2008 remained
steady around a similar level of 6.0%. Out of all the products, the unit price
of cold-rolled strip was lower than its unit cost by 1.7%, which resulted in a
negative gross margin in 2009. The sales mix and gross margin of major
products can be illustrated by the following table:
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
December
31, 2009
|
December
31, 2008
|
|||||||||||||||
% of
|
% of
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
8.5 | % | 53.9 | % | 9.5 | % | 43.6 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
7.9 | % | 15.1 | % | 6.2 | % | 14.4 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
(1.7 | )% | 24.1 | % | 0.4 | % | 36.0 | % | ||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
12.2 | % | 5.3 | % | 16.6 | % | 4.1 | % | ||||||||
Others
|
(3.4 | )% | 1.6 | % | 4.9 | % | 1.9 | % | ||||||||
Total
|
5.9 | % | 100.0 | % | 6.0 | % | 100.0 | % |
Selling
Expense
During
the year ended December 31, 2009, selling expenses decreased by $20,904 to
$1,211,272, compared to $1,232,176 in 2008. The main reason was export
transportation fees decreased arising from the drop in export sales within
economic crisis environment. That results the insignificant fluctuation of
selling expenses.
General and Administrative
Expenses
During
the year ended December 31, 2009, our general and administrative
expenses decreased by $45,193 to $1,357,014, compared to the 2008 level of
$1,402,207. The fluctuation in general and administrative expenses was
principally as a result of a drop in tax expense of $84,284
related to the company’s property and land-use taxes. Besides, as we hired
more employees during the period, there was a rise in staff welfare expenses,
which accounted for another reason for general and administrative expenses
movement.
Other income
Other
income mainly consisted of interest income and subsidy income. Other income
decreased to $327,620 in the year ended December 31, 2009 from
$439,544 in 2008, which was primarily due to the decrease of interest
income associated with the decrease of restricted cash.
Interest
expenses
Interest
expense decreased from $2,167,062 for the year ended December 31, 2008
to $1,974,300 in the same period ended December 31, 2009, representing a
decrease of $192,762, or approximately 9.0% in percentage. The interest expenses
consisted of interest expense to financial institution and for loans from
employees, which amounted to $1,861,709 and $112,591 in 2009, and $1,939,734 and
$227,328 in 2008, respectively.
Net
Income
As a
result of the factors described above, we had net income of $11,802,804 during
the year ended December 31, 2009, compared to $6,323,978 during the same period
of 2008, representing a growth of 86.6%.
Earnings
per Share
As the
reverse acquisition of Gold Promise occurred after December 31, 2009, we have
retrospectively presented the issued and outstanding common stocks of Baosheng
Steel for both 2009 and 2008 at 9,875,001 shares. We calculated
earning per share for 2009 and 2008 based on the weighted average number of
outstanding common shares as shown in the following table:
50
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Numerator
used in basic net income per share
|
||||||||
Net
(loss) / income
|
$ | 11,802,804 | $ | 6,323,978 | ||||
Shares
(denominator)
|
||||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
|
9,875,001 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding used in computing diluted net income per
common share
|
9,875,001 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Earnings
per ordinary share-basic and diluted
|
$ | 1.20 | $ | 0.64 |
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of
December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, we had cash and cash equivalents of
$7,609,826 and $2,232,473, respectively, which primarily consisted of cash on
hand and demand deposits. Currently the major factors affecting our liquidity
and capital resources are our ability to generate cash through operations,
our ability to raise money through borrowing and the general economic situation
in the PRC.
The
following table provides detailed information about our net cash flows for the
financial periods presented in this report. We have financed our operations
primarily through cash flows from operations, bank notes and loans.
For the Year Ended
|
||||||||
December 31, 2009
|
December 31, 2008
|
|||||||
Net
Cash (Used in)/Provided by Operating Activities
|
$ | (3,654,815 | ) | $ | 9,285,077 | |||
Net
Cash (Used in) Investing Activities
|
(713,540 | ) | (4,285,305 | ) | ||||
Net
Cash Provided by/(Used in) Financing Activities
|
9,770,203 | (5,690,001 | ) | |||||
Effects
of Exchange Rate Change in Cash
|
(24,495 | ) | 1,520,325 | |||||
Net Increase
in Cash and Cash Equivalents
|
5,377,353 | 830,097 | ||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalent at Beginning of the Year
|
2,232,473 | 1,402,376 | ||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalent at End of the Year
|
$ | 7,609,826 | $ | 2,232,473 |
Operating
Activities
The
amount of cash provided by our operating activities differs from our reported
net income due to non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization of fixed
assets, which do not result in uses or sources of cash. In addition, the
changes in working capital, other assets and liabilities, generally represent
temporary timing differences between the recognition of certain expenses and
their payment. For the year ended December 31, 2009, net cash used in operating
activities was $3.7 million, as compared to $9.3 million net cash provided
by operating activities in 2008. Cash used in operating activities consisted
primarily of our net profit of $11.8 million, an increase of depreciation
included in cost of goods of $4.0 million, an increase of accounts receivable of
$6.9 million, a decrease of $83.2 million in inventories due to a general
decrease in our raw materials cost, an increase of advance to suppliers of $11.9
million a decrease in advances from customers of $106.9 million, an increase of
accounts payable of $4.5 million, an decrease in value added tax recoverable of
$16.7 million and an increase of tax payable of $1.5 million. Net cash provided
by operating activities for the year of 2008 was the combined result of our net
profit of $6.3 million, an increase of depreciation included in cost of goods of
2.2 million, an increase of inventory of $42.3 million, an increase of advance
to suppliers of $9.6 million, an increase of VAT recoverable of $8.7 million, a
decrease of account payable of $10.9 million and an increase of advances from
customers of $72.0 million.
Investing
activities
Our
investing activities included equipment purchases and plant construction. Net
cash used in such investing activities was $0.7 million in 2009. As for
2008, a total of $4.3 million was invested in the purchase of production
machinery. Compared to 2008, we reduced investment in equipment and plant
construction for 83.3%.
51
Financing
activities
Net
cash provided by financing activities in 2009 was $9.8 million, as
compared to $5.7 million net cash used in financing activities in 2008. In
2009, we repaid around $1.7 million in long-term loans, about $8.4 million
in bank notes and received back approximately $11.9 million in restricted
cash into our bank accounts as we decreased bank notes utilization. We
also obtained $8.9 million through short-term loans and repaid about $0.9
million of borrowings to our related parties. In 2008, we primarily
obtained $13.1 million of bank notes and thus set aside $11.3 million cash in
bank accounts as secured deposit according to lenders’ request. We repaid $6.5
million for both short-term and long-term loans, and also reduced about $1.0
million of related party loans. In total, we had $5.7 million net cash used in
financing activities in 2008.
We
believe that our cash on hand and cash flow from operations will meet part of
our present cash needs, and we will require additional cash resources to
meet our expected capital expenditure and working capital requirements for the
next 12 months. In the future, we may also require additional cash resources due
to changed business conditions, implementation of our strategy to ramp up our
marketing efforts and increase brand awareness, or acquisitions we may decide to
pursue. If our own financial resources are insufficient to satisfy our capital
requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain
additional credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could
result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would
result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to
operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing
may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any
failure by us to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us, or at all,
could limit our ability to expand our business operations and could harm our
overall business prospects.
In terms
of our working capital, our current assets were approximately $89.7 million and
$178.1 million as of 2009 and 2008 respectively. The decrease in current assets
of $88.4 million (or 49.6%) was due to the combined effects of an $83.4 million
decrease in inventories, the decrease of value added tax recoverable by $16.7
million, and the increase of advances to suppliers by $11.9 million.
Our
current liabilities were approximately $110.4 million and $212.4 million as of
2009 and 2008 respectively. The decrease of our current liabilities by $102.0
million (or 48.0%) was primarily due to the decrease in advances from customers
by $107.1 million, decrease in bank notes payable by $8.4 million, the increase
in accounts payable by $4.5 million, and the increase in short-term debts by
$8.9 million.
As
compared to 2008, the current ratio decreased to 0.81 in 2009 from 0.84 in 2008,
but the quick ratio increased significantly to 0.63 in 2009 from 0.35 in 2008,
mainly because we increased the turnover of inventory to improve our liquidity
and the ratio of inventory in current assets decreased from 58% in 2008 to 23%
in 2009.
Additional
Operating Data
As
Chinese demand for cold-rolled steel products has increased at a rate of nearly
20% annually in recent years, we believe that demand for high quality
cold-rolled steel products will continue to grow domestically and globally, thus
affording us the opportunity to grow and expand our business operations in
accordance with our growth strategy. In order to capture the market share and
take advantage of the demand for our products, we have expanded, and wish to
continue to expand our production capacity. The following table sets out some
indirect indicators showing our gradual expansion in customers and
employees.
Buddha Steel Operating Data
|
||||||||||||
June 30, 2010
|
December 31, 2009
|
December 21, 2008
|
||||||||||
Customers
|
940 | 910 | 870 | |||||||||
Suppliers
|
360 | 370 | 390 | |||||||||
Employees
|
942 | 859 | 742 |
We have
established stable relationships with reputable suppliers providing favorable
prices in the market, thus decreasing the number of suppliers that we
need.
Inflation
Inflation
and changing prices have not had a material effect on our business and we do not
expect that inflation or changing prices will materially affect our business in
the foreseeable future. However, our management will closely monitor the price
change in travel industry and continually maintain effective cost control in
operations.
52
Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not
have any off balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to
have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial
condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity or capital
expenditures or capital resources that is material to an investor in our
securities.
In
February 2010, FASB issued new standards in ASC 855, Subsequent Event. This
amendment removes the requirement for an SEC filer to disclose a date through
which subsequent events have been evaluated in both issued and revised financial
statements. Revised financial statements include financial statements revised as
a result of either correction of an error or retrospective application of GAAP.
All of the amendments are effective upon issuance of the final update, except
for the use of the issued date for conduit debt obligors. That amendment is
effective for interim or annual periods ending after June 15, 2010. The Company
does not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a material impact on its
consolidated financial statements.
In
January 2010, FASB amended ASC 820 Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements.
This update provides amendments to Subtopic 820-10 that requires new disclosure
as follows: 1) Transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2. A
reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers
in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the
reasons for the transfers. 2) Activity in Level 3 fair value
measurements. In the reconciliation for fair value measurements using
significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reporting entity should present
separately information about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (that
is, on a gross basis rather than as one net number). The new disclosures and
clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual
reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the disclosures
about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements in the roll forward of
activity in Level 3 fair value measurements. Those disclosures are effective for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within
those fiscal years. The Company has determined the adoption of this rule does
not have a material impact on its financial statements.
In
January 2010, FASB amended Accounting for Distributions to Shareholders with
Components of Stock and Cash. The amendments in this Update clarify that the
stock portion of a distribution to shareholders that allows them to elect to
receive cash or stock with a potential limitation on the total amount of cash
that all shareholders can elect to receive in the aggregate is considered a
share issuance that is reflected in EPS prospectively and is not a stock
dividend for purposes of applying Topics 505 and 260 (Equity and Earnings Per
Share). The amendments in this update are effective for interim and annual
periods ending on or after December 15, 2009, and should be applied on a
retrospective basis. The Company does not expect the adoption of this rule to
have a material impact on its financial statements.
53
Overview
We are a
leading producer and vendor of high value-added, ultra-thin precision
cold-rolled steel products. Our cold-rolled steel is engineered and manufactured
using state-of-the-art machinery. Our premium products are
tailor-made to customers’ individual requirements. Our steel is further
processed by downstream manufacturers and incorporated into a wide variety of
end products including, among others, automobiles, home appliances, packaging,
and specialized construction materials.
Our
products range in thickness from 0.1 millimeter to 3.5 mm and can be up to
1,250 mm in width. The production process begins with our major raw
material, hot-rolled steel coils, which we clean, roll, cut and anneal in a
cold-rolling mill to the desired specifications. Our expected capacity can vary
significantly depending on the types of products produced, and we strive to
maximize profit by producing the largest tonnage of product with the highest
margin available to us. Our expected capacity does not represent our maximum
capacity and instead represents our estimated capacity, taking into
consideration routine maintenance and ordinary work schedules for our employees;
as a result, we may be able to exceed this capacity occasionally during periods
of high demand. In 2009, we had an expected capacity to produce 465,000
tons of cold-rolled steel assuming our 2009 product mix and we produced 446,000
tons of steel products. This amount represents a capacity utilization
rate of 96%. Our production facilities occupy more than 47 acres and
include 96 annealing furnaces and 17 lines: 13 cold-rolling mills, 1 tin-plate
sheet mill, and 3 leveler stretchers. We employ over 900
employees.
Located
in Hebei Province which surrounds both Beijing and Tianjin, we are strategically
positioned to serve the capital area and partake of its vibrant economic and
manufacturing activities. Hebei has one of the largest concentrations
of iron ore in China. Collectively, the three provinces of Liaoning, Sichuan and
Hebei account for almost half of China’s iron
ore. (www.chinamining.org). As a result of these iron ore
reserves, the steel production industry has become an important industry in
Hebei Province. Since 2001, Hebei Province has been consistently
ranked the first in steel-production among all provinces in China for nine
years. (Hebei again
ranks first for steel production among Chinese provinces, www.chinamining.org,
02/08/2010).
We sell
products primarily in China, but we also sell some products in Europe, Africa
and Southeast Asia, including countries such as the U.K., the Philippines,
Nigeria, and Peru. Less than 1% of our sales for the six months ended
June 30, 2010 were direct sales outside China. In addition, less than 1% of
2009 sales and less than 3% of 2008 direct sales were to customers outside
China.
54
Our
Industry and Principal Market
PRC
Domestic Consumption
Demand
for our products is driven in line with macroeconomic industrial growth both
globally and in the PRC. As the end products made with our steel range
from automobiles to appliances, general economic growth underlies our success,
especially in China. PRC macroeconomic growth has been strong and positive
in recent years. China’s GDP grew at a rate of 8.7% in 2009, reaching
$4.9 trillion. (China Daily, Jan. 21, 2010). The World Bank currently
projects that China’s GDP will grow at 9.5% for 2010 and 8.5% for
2011. (www.worldbank.org,
June 2010).
According
to IMF’s World Economic Outlook, China’s real GDP growth rate has exceeded both
the United States’ and the world’s GDP growth rates over the past twenty
years. (World Economic Outlook, April 2010).
55
The
international analysis and consulting firm IHS Global Insight has estimated that
China will surpass United States as the world’s largest center of manufacturing
activity by the year 2020:
China’s
Steel Market Generally:
China is
the largest steel-producing country in the world, and steel production in China
has been increasing rapidly since early 1990s. The chart below shows the
global steel production by region during this period. (www.worldsteel.org).
56
China has
been the world’s largest steel-producing country since the mid-1990s, and as the
above chart displays, while much of the remainder of the world’s production of
steel decreased between 2008 and 2009, China’s production increased.
According to the World Steel Association, during the first six months of 2010,
China accounted for 45.7% of global crude steel output, as it
produced approximately 323 million tons out of total world production of
approximately 706 million tons. (www.worldsteel.org).
Chinese
exports of steel in June 2010 increased to 5.6 million tons, more than three
times the number in June 2009 and 8% over June 2008 levels.
(www.steelonthenet.com/production.html). In early 2010, China’s Ministry
of Industry and Information Technology (“MIIT”) projected that demand for steel
in China in 2010 would exceed that in 2009, and to date in 2010, this prediction
has been accurate.
The China
Iron and Steel Institute estimates that China’s steel demand will exceed 600
million tons by 2011, while global steel demand is projected to reach over 1.45
billion tons by 2011. China has increased its
steel exports from 7 million tons in 2003 to 60.5 million tons in 2008, making
it the number one ranked steel exporter globally. Even though steel
exports declined 58.5% in 2009 largely due to global economic recession, exports
have since surged 127% to 18 million tons in the first five months of
2010. (Reuters.com, June 21, 2010). While China is a net exporter of
crude steel, it is a net importer of higher value precision cold-rolled steel
products such as those produced by our controlled affiliate, Baosheng
Steel.
A strong
increase in new Chinese government investment plans is expected to help boost
domestic demand for steel while improving external demand following world
economic recovery should encourage steel exports. China’s crude steel
production capacity exceeded 700 million tons at the end of 2009, compared with
660 million tons at the end of 2008. (China Daily, March 24, 2010).
In 2009, China’s steel output rose 13.5 percent to 567.84 million tons.
(World Steel Association). Its 68 large and medium sized iron and steel
companies earned RMB55.39 billion ($8.12 billion) in profit in 2009, down 31.43
percent from a year earlier in the height of the economic downturn.
Cold-Rolled
Steel Market:
Steel
products can be categorized as low-end (long products such as pipes, tubes,
wires and rods) and high-end (flat products such as hot-rolled steel or
cold-rolled steel strips). The Company operates in the high-end category of
this market with its niche precision steel processing and produces and sells
high precision cold-rolled steel products.
57
Hot-rolling
is a method of metalworking that involves working with metal above its
recrystallization temperature. The starting material in hot-rolling is
usually a large piece of metal, such as a semi-finished casting product such as
billets, slabs and blooms. In some cases, hot-rolling involves a direct
feed from the casting line into the rolling mill at the proper
temperature. The product is very stiff and is intended for flat work where
deformation is minimal. This type of hot-rolled steel is most often applied to
further processing for applications such as continuous galvanizing.
Hot-rolling often results in the metal surface becoming covered in mill scale,
an oxide that forms at high temperature. Hot-rolling is generally used for
sheet metal and simple cross sections, such as railroad tracks.
Cold-rolling
is a method of metalworking that involves working with metal below its
recrystallization temperature. While hot-rolling might be conducted at
approximately 1000°F,
cold-rolling is often conducted at room temperature. Cold-rolled steel
products generally begin from hot-rolled products that have been processed to
remove mill scale. Cold-rolling increases strength by up to 20%, improves the
surface finish and holds tighter tolerances. As a result, cold-rolled
steel is used in a variety of high precision capacities, including appliances
(refrigerators, washers, dryers, and other small appliances), automobiles
(exposed as well as unexposed parts), steel roofing, food packaging materials,
electric motors, microelectronics and food packaging.
Cold-rolled
specialty precision steel is a relatively new industry in China. Manufacturers
of products that use specialty precision steel products have traditionally
imported precision steel products from Japan, Korea, the European Union and the
United States. We believe that generally, to date, the average quality and
standards of China’s high precision steel industry lag behind the international
norm.
Due to
lack of quality manufacturing facilities and capability, the PRC has been a net
importer of ultra thin cold-rolled steel products. To meet demand,
manufacturers have imported precision steel products from countries with more
developed high-end steel capacity. China’s production of cold-rolled steel
has responded to market demand by growing robustly as domestic producers have
moved up the value chain. According to Freedonia Custom Research, from
2005 to 2008, China’s consumption of high precision cold-rolled narrow strip
products grew at a compound annual rate of 19.1% and is projected to grow at 10%
from 2008 through 2011. In particular, Freedonia projects that from 2008
through 2011, the production of metal food and beverage containers, insulated
wire and cable, optic fiber cable, and household appliances in China is expected
to grow at compound annual rates of 10.9%, 11.5%, 17.8%, and 7.3%,
respectively.
Our
Products
Our
products, custom ultra thin cold-rolled steel sheets and coils,
comprise a vital component in a variety of industrial products,
including but not limited to roofing, appliances, telecommunications
equipment, motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories. Demand
for high precision steel in end-product manufacturing markets in China is
projected to grow in the foreseeable future, and we believe we are well
positioned to benefit from this growth.
During
the last five years, we believe that we have begun to develop and establish a
nationally recognized brand in China. We are not yet an internationally
widely known brand for cold-rolled precision steel products.
We
manufacture cold-rolled steel products in a variety of different forms:
black strip, welded pipe, bright strip, cold-rolled sheet, cold-rolled coil and
tin-plated sheet. Our major products include cold-rolled sheet, tin-plate
sheet, and narrow cold-rolled steel strip. Products are typically made in
custom size to meet the specifications of our clients. Our production
facilities can produce a large range of different widths and thicknesses,
ranging from 30 mm up to 1,250 mm and as thin as 0.10 mm up to 3.5 mm,
respectively. The composition of our production in recent years is shown
below:
58
We have
phased out production of welded pipe, and are pursuing new techniques to produce
a variety of higher margin alloyed and plated ultra thin products. We have
worked over time to increase the margins on our products and to emphasize the
production of higher-margin products.
The
production process we employ is displayed graphically as follows:
We
purchase commoditized hot rolled steel from suppliers…
|
|
….and
process it to produce customized steel products for our
clients….
|
|
….who
manufacture products in a wide variety of industries.
|
Presented
below are some images of our products.
59
We have
steadily increased margins of our products and the production of higher margin
products:
Six Months Ended
|
Six Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
June 30, 2010
|
June 30, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||
% of
|
% of
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
10.9 | % | 52.2 | % | 7.8 | % | 47.0 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
9.6 | % | 13.5 | % | 5.0 | % | 19.3 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
6.7 | % | 28.5 | % | 5.4 | % | 24.4 | % | ||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
12.6 | % | 4.1 | % | 10.4 | % | 7.7 | % | ||||||||
Others
|
1.6 | % | 1.7 | % | -125.3 | % | 1.6 | % | ||||||||
Total
|
9.4 | % | 100.0 | % | 5.4 | % | 100.0 | % |
Year Ended
|
Year Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
December 31, 2009
|
December 31, 2008
|
|||||||||||||||
% of
|
% of
|
|||||||||||||||
Product Category
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
Margin
|
Sales
|
||||||||||||
Cold-rolled
coil
|
8.5 | % | 53.9 | % | 9.5 | % | 43.6 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
sheet
|
7.9 | % | 15.1 | % | 6.2 | % | 14.4 | % | ||||||||
Cold-rolled
strip
|
(1.7 | )% | 24.1 | % | 0.4 | % | 36.0 | % | ||||||||
Tin-plated
sheet
|
12.2 | % | 5.3 | % | 16.6 | % | 4.1 | % | ||||||||
Others
|
(3.4 | )% | 1.6 | % | 4.9 | % | 1.9 | % | ||||||||
Total
|
5.9 | % | 100.0 | % | 6.0 | % | 100.0 | % |
Our end
customers further process the cold-rolled sheet to produce a diverse range of
products and product components including automobile parts, farm equipment,
shipping harnesses, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and other
home appliances. Based on
our review of 2009 sales, we estimate that the end products manufactured from
our steel fall in various categories of goods roughly as follows:
Category
|
Estimated Percentage of Product Sales
|
|||
Roofing
|
36 | % | ||
Security
Doors
|
16 | % | ||
Construction
Materials
|
15 | % | ||
Automotive
Parts
|
8 | % | ||
Appliances
|
8 | % | ||
Furniture
|
7 | % | ||
Industrial
Packing
|
6 | % | ||
Electrical
Equipment
|
4 | % |
While the
overall Chinese steel industry has recently experienced a period of excess
supply, there is an increasing shortage of high-end thin steel sheets and
galvanized steel products in China, which has been primarily driven by the
limited number of producers of precision thin steel products in China. We
are also impacted by the market for our principal raw material, hot-rolled
steel, which comprises the vast majority of our cost of goods sold.
Competition
Competition
within the steel industry in the PRC is significant. Our competitors
range from small private enterprises to extremely large state owned
enterprises. Our operating affiliate Baosheng Steel is located in northern
Hebei Province. Hebei is the largest steel-producing province in the
PRC. We are one of the largest non state owned ultra-thin high-precision
cold-rolled steel manufacturers by capacity in China.
60
The table
below identifies our 7 major competitors in our market and our estimates of
their annual production capacities:
Company
|
Estimated Capacity
|
|
Tianjin
Lixingboyu Metal Products Company, Limited
|
500,000
tons/year
|
|
Tianjin
Jixing Cold-roll Board Company, Limited
|
400,000
tons/year
|
|
Tianjin
Hengxing Steel Industrial Company, Limited
|
350,000
tons/year
|
|
Tianjin
Northern Steel Board Company, Limited
|
300,000
tons/year
|
|
Tangshan
City Fengnan District Qunli Metal Products Company,
Limited
|
200,000
tons/year
|
|
Hebei
Dachang Jinming Accurate Cold-Rolling Steel Plate Company
|
150,000
tons/year
|
|
Langfang
Jinhua Industry Co. Ltd
|
150,000
tons/year
|
The
numbers in the foregoing table compare with our annual production of product in
2009 of 446,000 tons. Our production capacity is higher than most of the
competitors named above, and we believe we are able to compete against them
successfully on both price and quality. Private steel product
manufacturers in China generally focus on low-end products. Due to our
high quality equipment, economies of scale and management experience, we are
able to produce steel at higher efficiencies and lower prices than many
competitors that are of smaller size and/or that employ less modern equipment
and processes. The larger state owned enterprises with whom we compete
often have oversized, unionized labor forces and associated pension and
healthcare liabilities. As a result, we believe our production efficiency
distinguishes us from such companies. We believe we distinguish ourselves
in the market based on our fast turnaround, high quality and low
prices.
Our
Competitive Advantages
Our
business is concentrated in the niche low-carbon ultra-thin cold-rolled
precision steel and high-carbon, high strength cold-rolled steel processing and
is not in direct competition with large Chinese steelmakers such as Baosteel
Group Corporation and Magang Group. China’s large steelmakers concentrate on the
production of crude steel and hot-rolled steel from iron ore imported from
Brazil and Australia. Hot-rolled steel coils produced by these steelmakers are
then supplied as raw materials to high precision steel manufacturers, such as
our company, for cold reduction processing to the desired thickness and
applications. Cold-rolled steel products are then sold to manufacturers
and other customers in industries such as automobile and food
packaging.
We
believe that we possess the following competitive advantages that allow us to
maintain our strong market position and aid our future growth:
|
·
|
We are an
experienced, leading manufacturer of precision cold-rolled narrow strip
steel, and believe we and our products have an excellent reputation.
We are the largest manufacturer in Hebei Province of high precision
cold-rolled narrow strip steel. Hebei is the largest steel-producing
province in China. We have a majority of repeat and long term
customers and are recognized as a market leader in top quality,
competitive price, reliability and consistent delivery. We
constantly strive to move up the value chain and provide our customers
tailor made products at their specifications and quality they
demand. We believe we will continue to solidify this position and
consolidate market share.
|
|
·
|
We have
strong historical growth. We have increased sales of more
profitable product lines so that our profit nearly doubled from 2008 to
2009. We intend to continue this growth by expanding our processing
capacity of our higher margin products and increasing our bottom
line.
|
|
·
|
Lower than
industry average cost structure. The steel industry in China is
dominated by small lower end private manufacturers and large state owned
enterprises with large pension and employment obligations. Our
status as a leading private manufacturer of customized, high-end niche
product affords us higher than industry margins and what we believe to be
long term sustainability and growth
opportunities.
|
|
·
|
Capital
intensive industry presents barriers to competitor entry.
Ultra-thin, high-precision cold-rolled steel products require a
significant investment of capital and technical know-how in order to be
profitably exploited. Potential new competitors would be subject to
the requirements of a highly technical and capital intensive industry in
order to be successful.
|
61
|
·
|
Diverse
customer and end product base. Our products serve a broad range of
markets and industries which we believe insulate us from concentration
risk. We serve the automotive, construction, appliance
manufacturing, and telecommunications industries among others.
Market pressures in one segment of our downstream customers may be
softened by sustained demand in the
others.
|
|
·
|
Superior
management of commodity price fluctuations. Our principal raw
material, hot-rolled steel, accounts for the vast majority of our cost of
goods sold. Due to our inventory systems and controls and sales model, we
are able to protect ourselves to some degree from commodity
exposure. We believe we are able to mitigate the results of a
volatile commodity market on our profits through our diligent management
and low inventory.
|
Our
Methods of Competition
While we
believe that our products satisfy our customers’ demands for high quality
precision cold-rolled steel products, we also believe that some of our
competitors are able to achieve adequate quality in their products. As a
result, we do not compete primarily on the basis of quality.
Instead,
we generally compete on the basis of service and price at a high level of
quality. In particular, we benefit from being a relatively larger company
in our industry in our region of China. As a result of this status, we
have several competitive advantages that we leverage in working with
customers. First, we are often able to negotiate favorable pricing of our
raw materials as a result of our greater buying power. This allows us to
offer somewhat lower prices than many of our competitors at similar margins or
to sell at the same price point for a greater margin. Second, we have the
capacity to fill larger orders, which we highlight to provide customers with a
single option to fill their orders. As delays in our industry often result
from starting and stopping machinery and creating new product solutions for
customers, the ability to meet customer demand in a single location can speed
the processing of orders. Third, we have hired employees to staff our
facilities around the clock, which has allowed us to provide products quickly to
customers. We generally are able to fulfill orders within approximately
one week, which has proven important to customers who depend on quick turnaround
particularly because we require advanced payments of a substantial portion of
the cost of the order. Finally, we believe we are able to provide a wide range
of products for our customers. We are unaware of any competitors in
Northern China that are able to produce cold-rolled steel products that range
from 30 mm to 1,250 mm in width and from 0.1 mm to 3.5 mm in
thickness.
Our
Growth Strategy
We
believe demand for high quality cold-rolled steel products will continue to grow
domestically and globally, thus affording us opportunity to grow and expand our
business operations. Our growth strategy is primarily focused on
increasing production capacity of highest margin products, ultra thin
cold-rolled strips and sheets.
We intend
to pursue the following strategies to achieve our goal:
|
·
|
Production
capacity. We will continue to expand new production lines and
increase our capacity of ultra-thin cold-rolled
steel.
|
|
·
|
Market
share and economies of scale. We will expand our market
share, including acquisitions of high-quality producers at favorable
valuations, to increasingly capitalize on economies of
scale;
|
|
·
|
Emerging
markets. We are keen on increasing revenues through export to
emerging markets including but not limited to Southeast Asia, Africa and
Latin America; and
|
|
·
|
State-of-the-art
technology. We will focus our research and development on
advanced processing techniques to develop more sophisticated products that
command higher margins, and will continue to improve margins through
increased efficiencies in our production
process.
|
Raw
Materials
The
principal raw material used in our products is hot-rolled coil and hot-rolled
steel strips. In 2009, hot-rolled coil and hot-rolled steel strips
accounted for more than 80% of our production costs. We purchase our
hot-rolled coil and hot-rolled steel strips from a number of sources and are not
dependent on any single supplier.
62
Supplier
|
Raw Material Purchases
|
Percentage of Total Purchases
|
||||||
Sinosteel
Company
|
$ | 66,731,453 | 36.7 | % | ||||
Tangshan
Guofeng Steel Company
|
$ | 45,019,911 | 24.8 | % | ||||
Sinolight
Materials Company
|
$ | 11,187,376 | 6.2 | % | ||||
Hebei
Jinxi Steel Company
|
$ | 7,439,541 | 4.1 | % | ||||
Zhejiang
Materials Industry Metal Group Co. Ltd
|
$ | 6,729,255 | 3.7 | % | ||||
Shandong
Haixin Board Industrial Co.
|
$ | 3,491,968 | 1.9 | % |
With
larger suppliers, we often secure yearly contracts to ensure a steady supply of
hot-rolled raw materials, with flexible pricing based on movements in spot
price. Smaller suppliers are generally on an as-needed basis with
purchases made at market price for the day.
Major
Suppliers
Although
we do not believe we are reliant on either of our two largest suppliers,
Sinosteel Company and Tangshan Guofeng Steel Company, we purchase more than 60%
of our steel from these two large Chinese steel companies. Notwithstanding this
fact, we believe that we would be able to acquire our steel from other companies
if we were unable to purchase from these companies on acceptable
terms.
We enter
agreements with these companies to purchase hot-rolled steel at such times and
in such amounts as we require. We pay the market rate at the time we enter an
agreement. Our agreements provide for final settlement in cash after initial
settlement in bank credit, and require us to settle in cash at the end of the
month of purchase. We are responsible for delivery costs and have a ten day
period to inspect the hot-rolled steel for conformance to international
standards.
Sales
Channels and Customer Base
We sell
our products based on customer specifications and demand. Currently we
have more than 900 customers, of which more than 50% are repeat buyers.
These customers can be divided into two groups, direct manufacturers and trading
or distribution companies. Margins on sales to direct manufacturers are
higher than sales to distributor. Roughly 40% of our sales in 2009 were
through distributor while the remaining 60% were sales directly to end users
(manufacturers).
Our
customer base is diverse, and none of our customers has accounted for ten
percent or more of our sales in either 2009 or 2008. In 2009, our top five
direct manufacturer customers together accounted for 9% of our total revenues in
2009, while our top five distributor clients account for 12% of total
revenue
The
following table details our top 5 direct manufacturing customers:
Top 5 Direct Manufacturing Customers
|
2009 Sales
|
% of Total
Revenue
|
||||||
Hongyuan
Caituban Co.
|
$ | 9,620,295 | 3.5 | % | ||||
Tianjin
Soudragon Steel Co.
|
$ | 5,590,835 | 2.0 | % | ||||
Xianghe
Xingang Wuzi Trading Co.
|
$ | 4,583,128 | 1.7 | % | ||||
Tangshan
Jiajia Door Industrial Co.
|
$ | 2,818,739 | 1.0 | % | ||||
Chendu
Xinhete Door Industrial Co.
|
$ | 2,426,937 | 0.9 | % | ||||
$ | 25,039,933 | 9.1 | % |
The next
table shows top five distribution customers by revenue:
Top 5 Distributors
|
2009 Sales
|
% of Total
Revenue
|
||||||
Jiangsu
Sumeida International Tech. Trade Co.
|
$ | 9,973,299 | 3.6 | % | ||||
Xianghe
Kuntai Steel Processing Co.
|
$ | 8,174,849 | 3.0 | % | ||||
Wenhan
Xinfeng Steel Business Co.
|
$ | 7,172,211 | 2.6 | % | ||||
Wenhan
Xueza Steel Business Co.
|
$ | 5,278,553 | 1.9 | % | ||||
Hangzhou
Relian Import and Export Co.
|
$ | 3,363,474 | 1.2 | % | ||||
$ | 33,962,386 | 12.3 | % |
63
Though we
have customers in nearly every province in China, local sales in Hebei, Tianjin
and Beijing represent nearly half of our domestic sales volume:
Province/City
|
% of 2009
Domestic Sales
|
% of 2008
Domestic Sales
|
||||||
Hebei
|
29.61 | % | 17.02 | % | ||||
Tianjin
|
11.72 | % | 12.49 | % | ||||
Jiangsu
|
10.80 | % | 17.65 | % | ||||
Zhejiang
|
9.98 | % | 10.58 | % | ||||
Beijing
|
7.34 | % | 6.41 | % | ||||
Shandong
|
7.25 | % | 6.08 | % | ||||
Shanghai
|
5.47 | % | 2.22 | % | ||||
Sichuan
|
4.41 | % | 4.62 | % | ||||
Liaoning
|
3.03 | % | 2.95 | % | ||||
Guangdong
|
2.28 | % | 9.12 | % | ||||
Others
|
8.10 | % | 10.86 | % | ||||
Total
|
100.00 | % | 100.00 | % |
We sell
products primarily in China, but we also sell some products in Europe, Africa
and Southeast Asia, including countries such as the U.K., the Philippines,
Nigeria, and Peru. Less than 1% of our sales for the six months ended June
30, 2010 were direct sales outside China. In addition, less than 1% of 2009
sales and less than 3% of 2008 direct sales were to customers outside
China.
We have a
sales staff of around 20 individuals who are responsible for generating sales,
attending sales fairs and trade shows. Our sales staff is compensated on a
salary-plus-commission basis. Our customers often seek us out directly as
we are well known in the industry as a reliable top provider of quality
cold-rolled products.
Customers
are responsible for all costs associated with product pickup and transport
arrangements. Our products are manufactured on an on-demand basis and we
generally require full-payment for each order prior to production.
Occasionally, we extend more flexible payment terms to a selected group of
our repeat buyers. These terms typically allow the buyer to pay a 5-20%
deposit to start the production of their order, and require payment in full
prior to delivery. These payment terms allow us to control our inventory
and manage our raw material costs.
Employees
As of
September 17, 2010, we employ a staff of 942 employees, the majority of whom are
factory workers. As of September 17, 2010, all of our employees are
full-time employees.
Department
|
Number of Employees
|
||
Cold-Rolled
Strip Workshop
|
137
|
||
Cold-Rolled
Sheet Workshop
|
200
|
||
Tin
Plating Workshop
|
32
|
||
Power
Department
|
31
|
||
Mechanical
Department
|
112
|
||
Warehouse
|
127
|
||
Clean
Department
|
87
|
||
Annealing
Department
|
88
|
||
Sales
Department
|
20
|
||
Finance
Department
|
9
|
||
Administrative, R&D and
Logistics
|
99
|
||
Total
|
942
|
We
believe we are in material compliance with all applicable labor and safety laws
and regulations in the PRC, including the PRC Labor Contract Law, the PRC
Unemployment Insurance Law, the PRC Provisional Insurance Measures for Maternity
of Employees, PRC Interim Provisions on Registration of Social Insurance, PRC
Interim Regulation on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums
and other related regulations, rules and provisions issued by the relevant
governmental authorities for our operations in the PRC. According to the PRC
Labor Contract Law, we are required to enter into labor contracts with our
employees and to pay them no less than local minimum wage.
64
Intellectual
Property
We
protect our intellectual property primarily by maintaining strict control over
the production processes. All our employees, including key employees and
engineers, have signed our standard form of labor contracts, pursuant to which
they are obligated to hold in confidence any of our trade secrets, know-how
or other confidential information and not to compete with us. In addition,
for each project, only the personnel associated with the project have access to
the related intellectual property. Access to proprietary data is limited
to authorized personnel to prevent unintended disclosure or otherwise using our
intellectual property without proper authorization. We will continue to
take steps to protect our intellectual property rights.
We have
registered the brand name, logo and trademark “Baosheng” in the PRC for steel
products:
The
trademarks are registered through 2017 and are owned by Baosheng Steel. We
exercise control over these trademarks by virtue of our ownership of HAIC and
HAIC’s contractual control of Baosheng Steel.
Advertising
and Marketing Efforts
We
promote our products directly, and also work with our distribution customers to
promote our products. We have a sales force consisting of 20 full-time
employees. Our direct marketing and sales efforts are conducted chiefly
through three channels. First, we promote our company and its products
primarily through the web sites of www.custeel.com, www.steeldata.cn,
www.china.alibaba.com, and www.mysteel.com, none of which is owned by our
company. Second, we participate in a variety of Chinese steel industry
trade shows, including the Yongkang Hardware Equipment Mold Exhibition, the
Shanghai Metal and Metallurgy Exhibition, the Tianjin Internal Metal Plate
exhibition, and the Building Materials Exhibition. Lastly, we advertise
via mail.
Research
and Development
We have
27 dedicated research and development support staff. Our research and
development efforts are focused on improving efficiencies as well as the quality
and thinness of our products. We spent approximately $76,597 and $67,802
in the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively, for research and
development. All research and development is financed internally, and costs are
not passed along directly to customers.
65
Description
of Property
Our
facilities are located in Dachang Hui Autonomous County in northern Hebei
Province. We are approximately 50 miles from Beijing. Our lease is
with the local authorities and is valid through 2025.
Our
production facilities occupy more than 47 acres and include 96 annealing
furnaces and 17 lines: 13 cold-rolling mills, one tin-plate sheet mills, and
three leveler stretchers. In addition, we have an office building and
cafeteria on a 1.5 acre plot.
Images of
our facilities and equipment are presented below:
66
Regulations
Because
our principal operating affiliate, Baosheng Steel, is located in the PRC, our
business is regulated by the national and local laws of the PRC. We believe our
conduct of business complies with existing PRC laws, rules and
regulations.
General
Regulation of Businesses
We
believe we are in material compliance with all applicable labor and safety laws
and regulations in the PRC, including the PRC Labor Contract Law, the PRC
Production Safety Law, the PRC Regulation for Insurance for Labor Injury, the
PRC Unemployment Insurance Law, the PRC Provisional Insurance Measures for
Maternity of Employees, PRC Interim Provisions on Registration of Social
Insurance, PRC Interim Regulation on the Collection and Payment of Social
Insurance Premiums and other related regulations, rules and provisions issued by
the relevant governmental authorities from time to time, for our operations in
the PRC.
According
to the PRC Labor Contract Law, we are required to enter into labor contracts
with our employees. We are required to pay no less than local minimum wages to
our employees. We are also required to provide employees with labor safety and
sanitation conditions meeting PRC government laws and regulations and carry out
regular health examinations of our employees engaged in hazardous
occupations.
Foreign
Currency Exchange
The
principal regulation governing foreign currency exchange in China is the Foreign
Currency Administration Rules (1996), as amended (2008). Under the Foreign
Currency Administration Rules, the RMB is freely convertible for current account
items, such as trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not
for capital account items, such as direct investment, loan or investment in
securities outside China unless the prior approval of, and/or registration with,
the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the People’s Republic of China,
or SAFE, or its local counterparts (as the case may be) is
obtained.
Pursuant
to the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, foreign invested enterprises, or
FIEs, in China may purchase foreign currency without the approval of SAFE for
trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions by providing commercial
documents evidencing these transactions. They may also retain foreign exchange
(subject to a cap approved by SAFE) to satisfy foreign exchange liabilities or
to pay dividends. In addition, if a foreign company acquires a company in China,
the acquired company will also become an FIE. However, the relevant PRC
government authorities may limit or eliminate the ability of FIEs to purchase
and retain foreign currencies in the future. In addition, foreign exchange
transactions for direct investment, loan and investment in securities outside
China are still subject to limitations and require approvals from, and/or
registration with, SAFE.
Regulation
of Income Taxes
On March
16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of China passed a new Enterprise Income
Tax Law, or the New EIT Law, and its implementing rules, both of which became
effective on January 1, 2008. Before the implementation of the New EIT Law, FIEs
established in the PRC, unless granted preferential tax treatments by the PRC
government, were generally subject to an earned income tax, or EIT, rate of
33.0%, which included a 30.0% state income tax and a 3.0% local income tax. The
New EIT Law and its implementing rules impose a unified EIT rate of 25.0% on all
domestic-invested enterprises and FIEs, unless they qualify for a lower rate
under certain limited exceptions.
In
addition to the changes to the current tax structure, under the New EIT Law, an
enterprise established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within
China is considered a resident enterprise and will normally be subject to an EIT
of 25% on its global income. The implementing rules define the term “de facto
management bodies” as “an establishment that exercises, in substance, overall
management and control over the production, business, personnel, accounting,
etc., of a Chinese enterprise.” If the PRC tax authorities subsequently
determine that we should be classified as a resident enterprise, then our
organization’s global income will be subject to PRC income tax of 25%. For
detailed discussion of PRC tax issues related to resident enterprise status, see
“Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business – Under the New EIT Law, we may be
classified as a ‘resident enterprise’ of China. Such classification will likely
result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC
stockholders.”
67
For the
six months ended June 30, 2010 and the year ended December 31, 2009, as approved
by the local tax authority of Dachang County, Baosheng Steel’s income tax was
assessed annually at a pre-determined fixed rate as an incentive to stimulate
local economy and encourage entrepreneurship. As a result of this determination,
Baosheng Steel’s assessed income taxes were $0, $58,556 and $144,891 for the six
months ended June 30, 2010 and the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008,
respectively. Although the possibility exists for reinterpretation of the
application of the tax regulations by higher tax authorities in the PRC,
potentially overturning the decision made by the local tax authority, Baosheng
Steel has not experienced any reevaluation of its income taxes for prior years.
Management believes that the possibility of any reevaluation of income taxes is
remote based on the fact that Baosheng Steel has obtained the written tax
clearance from the local tax authority.
Our
future effective income tax rate depends on various factors, such as tax
legislation, the geographic composition of our pre-tax income and non-tax
deductible expenses incurred. Our management carefully monitors these legal
developments and will timely adjust our effective income tax rate when
necessary.
Dividend
Distribution
Under
applicable PRC regulations, FIEs in China may pay dividends only out of their
accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting
standards and regulations. In addition, a FIE in China is required to set aside
at least 10.0% of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards each
year to its general reserves until the accumulated amount of such reserves
reaches 50.0% of its registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as
cash dividends. The board of directors of a FIE has the discretion to allocate a
portion of its after-tax profits to staff welfare and bonus funds, which may not
be distributed to equity owners except in the event of liquidation. We have not
yet made this allocation to our staff welfare and bonus funds and do not have
any immediate plans to do so.
The New
EIT Law and its implementing rules generally provide that a 10% withholding tax
applies to China-sourced income derived by non-resident enterprises for PRC
enterprise income tax purposes unless the jurisdiction of incorporation of such
enterprises’ shareholder has a tax treaty with China that provides for a
different withholding arrangement. Baosheng Steel is considered an FIE and is
directly held by our subsidiary Gold Promise in Hong Kong. According to a 2006
tax treaty between mainland China and Hong Kong, dividends payable by a FIE in
China to a company in Hong Kong that directly holds at least 25% of the equity
interests in the FIE will be subject to no more than a 5% withholding tax. We
expect that such 5% withholding tax will apply to dividends paid to Gold Promise
by Baosheng Steel, but this treatment will depend on our status as a
non-resident enterprise.
Environmental
Matters
We are
subject various central, provincial and local laws and regulations relating to
the protection of the environment. These laws continue to evolve and are
becoming increasingly stringent. The major environmental regulations
applicable to us include: the Environmental Protection Law of the PRC, the Law
of PRC on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, Implementation Rules of
the Law of PRC on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, the Law of PRC
on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, Implementation Rules of the Law
of PRC on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, the Law of PRC on the
Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Pollution, and the Law of PRC on the
Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution. The ultimate impact of complying
with such laws and regulations is not always clearly known or determinable
because regulations under some of these laws have not yet been promulgated or
are undergoing revision. The State Environmental Protection Administration
Bureau is responsible for the supervision of environmental protection in,
implementation of national standards for environmental quality and discharge of
pollutants for and supervision of the environmental management system of the
PRC. Environmental protection bureaus at the county level or above are
responsible for environmental protection within their jurisdictions.
68
Our
operating affiliate, Baosheng Steel, has received certifications from the
relevant PRC government agencies in charge of environmental protection
indicating that its projects and operations comply with the relevant PRC
environmental laws and regulations. Baosheng Steel or our company may need to
obtain additional certifications as our business grows. Neither Baosheng
Steel nor we are currently subject to any pending actions alleging any
violations of applicable PRC environmental laws.
In the
years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, we spent $162,089 and $130,229,
respectively, on compliance with applicable environmental laws and
regulations.
Regulation
of the Steel Industry
The steel
industry in China is highly regulated. Due to overcapacity, pollution,
inefficiency and the fragmented nature of the PRC steel market in a number of
steel products, there have been efforts to consolidate the industry, including
restrictions on new capacity, mandatory closure of smaller capacity enterprises,
and restrictions in bank lending and the capital markets. Due to the fact
that our products are considered high value added precision products, we are not
subject to these restrictions. We benefit from export tax
benefits.
Insurance
Insurance
companies in China offer limited business insurance products. While business
interruption insurance is available to a limited extent in China, we have
determined that the risks of interruption, cost of such insurance and the
difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable
terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. As a result, we could
face liability from the interruption of our business as summarized under “Risk
Factors – Risks Related to Our Business – We do not carry business interruption
insurance so we could incur unrecoverable losses if our business is
interrupted.”
FCPA
Policy
The
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, prohibits companies and individuals
subject to FCPA jurisdiction from providing to foreign officials any “corrupt
payments” (i.e.,
bribes, kickbacks, and similar benefits) in order to obtain any unfair advantage
with respect to government contracts, regulatory approvals, licenses, and other
government actions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA
applies to: (1) “issuers” – U.S. and foreign companies subject to SEC
jurisdiction; (2) “domestic concerns” – individuals who are citizens, nationals
or residents of the United States and companies with a principal place of
business in the United States or organized under U.S. law; and (3) “other
persons” – foreign companies or persons who act in the United States to further
a corrupt payment. The term “other persons” has been interpreted broadly to
include foreign entities that send an email in furtherance of a corrupt act to a
U.S. recipient, or that clear a corrupt payment through a U.S. bank. The FCPA
requires issuers to maintain accurate books and records that do not misrepresent
their payments or expenses. Issuers are also liable for the accuracy of their
majority-owned subsidiaries’ books and records and are required to act in good
faith to encourage their minority-owned subsidiaries to adopt reasonable
internal accounting controls intended to avoid corrupt payments. Issuers,
domestic concerns and other persons may be liable for the actions of their
foreign subsidiaries and agents if they know or should know that a subsidiary or
agent is likely to make a corrupt payment to a foreign official.
Issuers,
domestic concerns and other persons subject to the FCPA are subject to severe
criminal and civil penalties for violations of the FCPA. Entities that make
corrupt payments may be fined as much as $2 million per violation, or twice the
amount of the benefit sought in return for the payment. Individuals may be fined
up to $100,000 and/or imprisoned for up to five years. Issuers who violate the
FCPA’s books and records requirements are subject to fines up to $25 million,
and individuals can be fined up to $5 million and/or imprisoned for up to 20
years. Companies may not indemnify their officers or employees for FCPA
violations.
On
September 16, 2010, our board of directors adopted a Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act Policy, which applies to all of our directors, officers, employees, agents
and underwriters, including our principal executive officer, principal financial
officer, and principal accounting officer. Our FCPA Policy requires of our
directors, officers, employees, agents and underwriters to adhere to strict
anti-corruption policies and practices. The policy also requires that
prospective agents and underwriters of our company and Baosheng Steel be
familiarized with and agree to adopt our anti-corruption standards and
expectations for ethical conduct, prior to entering into any engagement with any
of them, and that we perform due diligence, from time to time, to ensure such
compliance.
69
Management
Directors
and Executive Officers
Board
of Directors and Officers Prior to Acquisition of Gold Promise
Upon the
closing of the reverse acquisition of Golden Promise, each of David F. Stever,
our CEO, President, CFO and a director, and Samantha M. Ford, our Secretary,
Treasurer and a director, submitted a resignation letter pursuant to which they
resigned from all offices that they held effective immediately and from their
position as our director that will become effective on the tenth day following
the mailing by us of an information statement, or the Information Statement, to
our stockholders that complies with the requirements of Section 14f-1 of the
Exchange Act. In addition, our board of directors on April 28, 2010
increased the size of our board of directors to three directors and appointed
Hongzhong Li (Chairman), Zhenqi Chen and Xianmin Meng to fill the vacancies
created by such resignations and increase in the size of the board, which
appointments became effective upon the effectiveness of the resignations of
David F. Stever and Samantha M. Ford. In addition, our executive officers
were replaced by the executive officers of Buddha upon the closing of the
reverse acquisition as indicated in more detail above.
The
resignation of the former directors and executive officers and appointment of
the current directors and executive officers both became effective on May 21,
2010.
Executive
Officers and Directors upon Completion of Offering
The
following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our directors and
executive officers upon completion of this offering:
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position
|
Hongzhong
Li(1)
|
49
|
Chief
Executive Officer (Baosheng Steel and Buddha) and
Director
|
||
Yuanmei
Ma(1)
|
39
|
Chief
Financial Officer (Baosheng Steel and Buddha) and
Director
|
||
Zhenqi
Chen(1)
|
45
|
Chief
Operating Officer (Baosheng Steel and Buddha)
|
||
Liwen
Chen(1)
|
44
|
Vice
President, Sales (Baosheng Steel and Buddha)
|
||
Hongzhi
Fang(1)
|
42
|
Vice
President, Technology (Baosheng Steel and Buddha)
|
||
Jianmin
Li(1)
|
44
|
Vice
President, Production (Baosheng Steel and Buddha)
|
||
George
Qin(1)
|
46
|
Independent
Director
|
||
Troy
Mao(1)
|
35
|
Independent
Director
|
||
Luis
Mejia(1)
|
58
|
Independent
Director
|
(1)
|
This
individual can be contacted at Baosheng Steel’s address: Dachang Hui
Autonomous County Industrial Park, Hebei, 065300 People’s Republic of
China.
|
Hongzhong Li. Mr. Li has
served as Chief Executive Officer and director of Baosheng Steel since he
founded it in 1999. He has served as Buddha’s Chief Executive Officer and
director since April 28, 2010. Mr. Li is a graduate of Hebei Party
Committee University, with a degree in philosophy. He received an
Economist Examination Certificate in 1987. Previous experience includes a
position as the Secretary of Dachang Town Party from 1987-1990, Vice Secretary
of Dachang County Committee Office from 1990-1992, and Director of Dachang
County Beijing-Hebei Associated High-Frequency Welded Pipe Factory from
1992-1998. Mr. Li was selected as a director because of his experience in
Hebei’s steel industry in general and Baosheng Steel’s operations in
particular.
Yuanmei Ma. Ms. Ma was
appointed our Chief Financial Officer on July 21, 2010 and as a Director on July
21, 2010. Prior to becoming our chief financial officer, Ms. Ma served as
the chief financial officer of Yihe Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Chinese
pharmaceutical company, from August 2009 through June 2010. Ms. Ma took a
sabbatical from October 2008 through August 2009. From September 2005
through October 2008, Ms. Ma served as chief financial officer for Zhongpin
Inc., a Chinese hog farming company listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
(HOGS). In
connection with this service, Ms. Ma assisted with financing, regulatory
compliance and preparation of financial statements and related
disclosures. From August 2004 through August 2005, Ms. Ma was Senior
Operations Manager, Investment Banking for Daton Securities Co., Ltd., an
investment banking firm based in the PRC. From March 2002 through August 2004,
Ms. Ma was an Accounting Manager with Neotek International Corporation, (USA),
an automobile parts import and export company. From December 1998 through
January 2002, Ms. Ma was an Operations Manager in the Asian Project Department
for Trans-Pacific Venture Investment, Inc., a financial consulting firm based in
the United States. Ms. Ma received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from
Arkansas State University and EMBA degrees from Tsinghua University in Beijing
and INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. Ms. Ma is a licensed CPA in
the United States. Ms. Ma was elected as a director because of her
experience in working with U.S. publicly traded companies and her experience
with U.S. GAAP.
70
Zhenqi Chen. Mr. Chen
served as Baosheng Steel’s Chief Financial Officer since it was founded in 1999,
and Buddha’s Chief Financial Officer and a director since April 28, 2010.
Upon the hiring of Ms. Ma as Chief Financial Officer (principal accounting and
financial officer) on July 21, 2010, Mr. Chen resigned from these posts but
continues to serve as our Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Chen graduated from
Hebei Economic & Trade University with a bachelor’s degree in
accounting. Mr. Chen worked in Dachang County Financial Bureau from 1986
to 1999.
Liwen Chen. Mr. Chen has
managed Baosheng Steel’s sales department since it was founded in 1999 and has
served as Buddha’s Vice President, Sales since April 28, 2010. Mr. Chen’s
experience includes his service as the Secretary of Dachang County Committee
Office from 1985 through 1991, and as the Sales Section Chief of Dachang County
Jing-Hebei Associated High-Frequency Welded Pipe Company from 1992-1999.
Mr. Chen graduated from Hebei University in 1988 with a major in business
management.
Hongzhi Fang. Mr. Fang
has served as Baosheng Steel’s Vice President, Technology, or Chief Technology
Officer, since it was founded in 1999, and our Vice President, Technology since
April 28, 2010. Mr. Fang graduated from Tianjin University of Metallurgy
in 1991, majored in metal pressure processing and became a State Registered
Engineer in 1993. Mr. Fang was previously the Director of Tianjin
Cold-Rolled Steel Co., Ltd. from 1991 through 1998.
Jianmin Li. Mr. Li has
served as Baosheng Steel’s Vice President, Production since it was founded in
1999, and Buddha’s Vice President, Production since April 28, 2010. Mr. Li
graduated from North China Institute of Aerospace. His previous work
experience includes management roles at Dachang Fertilizer Company from 1985
through 1990, and Director of Dachang County Beijng-Hebei Associated
High-Frequency Welded Pipe Factory from 1991 through 1998.
George Qin. Mr. George
Qin has been appointed to serve as a director effective as of the closing date
of this offering. A partner at the accounting firm MaloneBailey LLP since
2007, Mr. Qin has previously worked as an audit manager and an audit senior
manager at Deloitte Touche LLP from 2004 through 2007, a senior accounting
analyst at Lynondell Chemical Company from 2002 through 2004, and
an associate and a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from
1998 through 2002. Mr. Qin earned his bachelor’s degree in business
administration from Tianjin University and his master’s degree, also in business
administration, from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. He is a
member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the
Institute of Management Accountants.
Troy Mao. Mr. Try Mao
has been appointed to serve as a director effective as of the closing date of
this offering. Serving as the chief financial officer at China TransInfo
Technology Corp (NASDAQ: CTFO) since January 2008, Mr. Mao was previously a
senior auditor and senior tax consulstant at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, from
2003 to 2007. Prior to his career as an auditor, Mr. Mao was a budget
analyst at Intrah from December 2002 to May 2003, and an assistant sales manager
at Mingo International Ltd. from April 1998 to September 1999. Mr. Mao was
educated at University of International Relations in Beijing as a Japanese major
and went on to receive his master's degree in accounting in 2003 from University
of North Carolina.
Luis J. Mejia. Mr. Luis
J. Mejia has been appointed to serve as a director effective as of the closing
date of this offering. Currently a managing partner and co-founder of
Murdock Capital Partners since 1991, Mr. Mejia has had extensive experience in
business and investment, from such previous positions as a managing director at
Yorkville Corporation from 1990 through 1991 and a founder and president of
Geneva Capital Resources from 1989 through 1991. Mr. Mejia received a
bachelor’s degree in economics and finance and a second bachelor’s degree in
business administration in 1977 from the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania.
71
Family
Relationships
Ms.
Xianmin Meng served as a director of Baosheng Steel since 1999, and has served
as a director of Buddha since April 28, 2010. Ms. Meng is the wife of
Hongzhong Li. Ms. Meng’s resignation as a director will become effective on the
closing date of this offering. Ms. Li Meng, while not an officer or
director, is a major shareholder and a daughter of Mr. Li and Ms. Meng.
There are no other family relationship among any of our officers and
directors.
Involvement
in Certain Legal Proceedings
To the
best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers has been
convicted in a criminal proceeding, excluding traffic violations or similar
misdemeanors, or has been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding
during the past ten years that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order
enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities
subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of
federal or state securities laws. Except as set forth in our discussion below in
“Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence –
Transactions with Related Persons,” none of our directors, director nominees or
executive officers has been involved in any transactions with us or any of our
directors, executive officers, affiliates or associates which are required to be
disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Executive
Compensation
Summary
Compensation Table — Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2009 and 2008
The
following table sets forth information concerning all cash and non-cash
compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the named persons for services
rendered in all capacities during the noted periods. No other executive officer
received total annual salary and bonus compensation in excess of
$100,000.
Name and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary ($)
|
Bonus ($)
|
Total ($)
|
||||||||||
Hongzhong
Li, Chief Executive Officer (1)
|
2009
|
7,027
|
7,320
|
14,347
|
||||||||||
2008
|
7,027
|
7,320
|
14,347
|
|||||||||||
David
F. Stever, former President (2)
|
2009
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
||||||||||
2008
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
(1)
|
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Industrial Park, Hebei, 065300 People’s Republic of
China.
|
(2)
On April 28, 2010, we acquired Gold Promise in a reverse acquisition transaction
that was structured as a share exchange and in connection with that transaction,
Mr. Hongzhong Li became our Chief Executive Officer. Prior to the
effective date of the reverse acquisition, Mr. David Stever served as President
of A.G. Volney. He has since resigned. The compensation shown in this table
includes the amounts Mr. Li received from Buddha prior to the consummation of
the reverse acquisition. No officer of the company received total
compensation of $100,000 or more in either 2009 or 2008.
Employment
Agreements
Prior to
our reverse acquisition of Gold Promise, our operating affiliate, Baosheng
Steel, was a private limited company organized under the laws of the PRC.
In accordance with PRC regulations, the salary of Baosheng Steel’s executives
was determined by its shareholders. In addition, each employee is required
to enter into an employment agreement. Accordingly, all of our employees,
including management, have executed their employment agreements. Our
employment agreements with our executives provide the amount of each executive
officer’s salary and establish their eligibility to receive a
bonus.
Our
employment agreements with our executive officers generally provide for a salary
to be paid monthly. The agreements also provide that executive officers are to
work an average of forty hours per week and are entitled to all legal holidays
as well as other paid leave in accordance with PRC laws and regulations and our
internal work policies. The employment agreements also provide that we will pay
for all mandatory social security programs for our executive officers in
accordance with PRC regulations. Our executive officers are subject to keep
trade secrets confidential. In addition, our employment agreements with our
executive officers prevent them from rendering services for our competitors for
so long as they are employed.
72
Other
than the salary, bonuses, equity grants and necessary social benefits required
by the government, which are defined in the employment agreement, we currently
do not provide other benefits to the officers. Our executive officers are not
entitled to severance payments upon the termination of their employment
agreements or following a change in control.
We have
not provided retirement benefits (other than a state pension scheme in which all
of our employees in China participate) or severance or change of control
benefits to our named executive officers.
Under
Chinese law, we may only terminate employment agreements without cause and
without penalty by providing notice of non-renewal one month prior to the date
on which the employment agreement is scheduled to expire. If we fail to provide
this notice or if we wish to terminate an employment agreement in the absence of
cause, then we are obligated to pay the employee one month’s salary for each
year we have employed the employee. We are, however, permitted to terminate an
employee for cause without penalty to our company, where the employee has
committed a crime or the employee’s actions or inactions have resulted in a
material adverse effect to us.
Hongzhong
Li
We
entered into an employment agreement with our chief executive officer, Mr.
Hongzhong Li, effective September 16,
2010. Under the terms of that employment agreement, Mr. Li is entitled to the
following:
|
•
|
Base
compensation of approximately $180,000 (RMB1,220,400), payable in 12 equal
monthly installments of approximately $15,000 (RMB101,700)
each.
|
|
•
|
Options
to purchase up to 150,000 shares of our common stock on a cash exercise
basis at an exercise price of $8.50 per share, subject to a reduction of
the exercise price to the offering price of shares in this offering in the
event the proportionate offering price per share of common stock
underlying the Units is below $7.75 per share. The options are subject to
clawback in the event the agreement is terminated prior to its scheduled
expiration, in accordance with the following
schedule:
|
Termination Date
|
Options Recovered
|
|||
Before
March
15,
2011
|
125,000 | |||
March
16,
2011 –
September 15,
2011
|
100,000 | |||
September
16,
2011 –
March 15,
2012
|
75,000 | |||
March
16, 2012 –
September 15,
2012
|
50,000 | |||
September
16,
2012 –
March 15,
2013
|
25,000 |
|
In
the event of clawback, Mr. Li is required either to return the options or,
in the event the options have been exercised, the realized value from
exercise.
|
|
•
|
Reimbursement
of reasonable expenses incurred by
Mr. Li.
|
Mr. Li’s
employment agreement commenced on September 16,
2010 and is scheduled to expire on September 15,
2013. Mr. Li’s agreement may be terminated at any time by either party upon
presentation of 30 days’ prior notice or immediately for cause.
Mr. Li
has agreed during the term of the agreement and for two years afterwards not to
compete with our company without our prior written consent and not to solicit or
induce any of our employees, agents or independent contractors to end their
relationships with us or otherwise to compete with our company. He has
further agreed that he will during the term of the agreement and afterwards,
maintain the confidentiality of our confidential information.
Yuanmei
Ma
We
entered into an employment agreement with our chief financial officer, Ms.
Yuanmei Ma, effective July 21, 2010. Under the terms of that employment
agreement, Ms. Ma is entitled to the following:
73
|
•
|
Base
compensation of approximately $118,584 (RMB804,000), payable in 12 equal
monthly installments of approximately $9,882 (RMB67,000)
each.
|
|
•
|
Options
to purchase up to 150,000 shares of our common stock on a cash exercise
basis at an exercise price of $8.50 per share, subject to a reduction of
the exercise price to the offering price of shares in this offering in the
event the proportionate offering price per share of common stock
underlying the Units is below $7.75 per share. The options are subject to
clawback in the event the agreement is terminated prior to its scheduled
expiration, in accordance with the following
schedule:
|
Termination Date
|
Options Recovered
|
|||
Before
January 21, 2011
|
125,000 | |||
January
21, 2011 – July 20, 2011
|
100,000 | |||
July
21, 2011 – January 20, 2012
|
75,000 | |||
January
21, 2012 – July 20, 2012
|
50,000 | |||
July
21, 2012 – July 20, 2013
|
25,000 |
|
In
the event of clawback, Ms. Ma is required either to return the options or,
in the event the options have been exercised, the realized value from
exercise.
|
|
•
|
Reimbursement
of reasonable expenses incurred by
Ms. Ma.
|
Ms. Ma’s
employment agreement commenced on July 21, 2010 and is scheduled to expire on
July 20, 2013. Ms. Ma’s agreement may be terminated at any time by either
party upon presentation of 30 days’ prior notice or immediately for
cause.
Ms. Ma
has agreed during the term of the agreement and for two years afterwards not to
compete with our company without our prior written consent and not to solicit or
induce any of our employees, agents or independent contractors to end their
relationships with us or otherwise to compete with our company. She has
further agreed that she will during the term of the agreement and afterwards,
maintain the confidentiality of our confidential information.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
For the
year ended December 31, 2009, no director or executive officer has received
compensation from us pursuant to any compensatory or benefit plan. There is no
plan or understanding, express or implied, to pay any compensation to any
director or executive officer pursuant to any compensatory or benefit plan,
although we anticipate that we will compensate our officers and directors for
services to us with stock or options to purchase stock, in lieu of
cash.
Board
of Directors and Board Committees
Our board
of directors currently consists of three (3) directors. Upon completion of this
offering, one director, Xianmin Meng, will resign and we, by amendment to our
by-laws, will modify our board structure to provide for a board of directors
consisting of five (5) members, including a majority of independent directors.
After Xianmin Meng (who is the wife of Hongzhong Li, our chief executive
officer) resigns as a member of our board, there will be no family relationships
among any of our executive officers and directors. Our directors are currently
elected each year at the annual shareholder meeting and hold office until the
next annual meeting of shareholders at which their successors have been duly
elected and qualified. Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of
the Board of Directors.
A
director may vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is
interested; provided, however, that the nature of the interest of any director
in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its
consideration and any vote on that matter. A general notice or disclosure to the
directors or otherwise contained in the minutes of a meeting or a written
resolution of the directors or any committee thereof of the nature of a
director’s interest shall be sufficient disclosure and after such general notice
it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular
transaction. A director may be counted for a quorum upon a motion in respect of
any contract or arrangement which he shall make with our company, or in which he
is so interested and may vote on such motion.
74
There are
no membership qualifications for directors. Further, there are no share
ownership qualifications for directors unless so fixed by us in a general
meeting.
Upon
completion of this offering, the Board of Directors will maintain a majority of
independent directors who are deemed to be independent under the definition of
independence provided by NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(a)(15). George Qin, Lius
Mejia, and Troy Mao will serve as our independent directors.
There are
no other arrangements or understandings pursuant to which our directors are
selected or nominated.
Mr. Hongzhong
Li currently holds both the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of
the Board. These two positions have not been consolidated into one position;
Mr. Li simply holds both positions at this time. We do not have a lead
independent director because of the foregoing reason and also because we believe
our independent directors are encouraged to freely voice their opinions on a
relatively small company board. We believe this leadership structure is
appropriate because we are a smaller reporting company in the process of listing
on a public exchange; as such we deem it appropriate to be able to benefit from
the guidance of Mr. Li as both our principal executive officer and Chairman
of the Board.
Our Board
of Directors plays a key role in our risk oversight. The Board of Directors
makes all relevant company decisions. As such, it is important for us to have
both our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer serve on the Board
as they play key roles in the risk oversight of our company. As a smaller
reporting company with a small board of directors, we believe it is appropriate
to have the involvement and input of all of our directors in risk oversight
matters.
Board
Committees
Currently,
three committees have been established under the board: the audit committee, the
compensation committee and the nominating committee. The audit committee is
responsible for overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of
our company and audits of the financial statements of our company, including the
appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of our independent auditors.
The compensation committee of the board of directors reviews and makes
recommendations to the board regarding our compensation policies for our
officers and all forms of compensation, and also administers our incentive
compensation plans and equity-based plans (but our board retains the authority
to interpret those plans). The nominating committee of the board of directors is
responsible for the assessment of the performance of the board, considering and
making recommendations to the board with respect to the nominations or elections
of directors and other governance issues. The nominating committee considers
diversity of opinion and experience when nominating directors.
Our
prospective independent directors, George Qin, Luis Mejia and Troy Mao, have
agreed to serve on each of the nominating, audit and compensation
committees. Mr. Mejia has agreed to serve as chair of the nominating
committee. Mr. Mao has agreed to serve as chair of the compensation
committee. Mr. Qin has agreed to serve as chair of the audit committee and
as financial expert for audit committee purposes.
Executive
and Director Compensation Determination
Prior to
our reverse acquisition of Gold Promise, our operating affiliate, Baosheng
Steel, was a private limited company organized under the laws of the PRC.
In accordance with PRC regulations, the salary and bonus of Baosheng Steel’s
executive officers was determined by its shareholders.
The
compensation committee of the board of directors annually reviews the
performance and total compensation package for our company’s executive officers,
including the Chief Executive Officer; considers the modification of existing
compensation, and the adoption of new compensation plans; and recommends
appropriate changes to the board of directors, which votes on such
recommendations.
75
Section
16(A) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our company’s directors and executive
officers and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of our
company’s equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership
and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities
of our company. We believe that all of these persons have filed all required
reports on a timely basis.
Compensation
of Directors
No member
of our board of directors received any compensation for his services as a
director during the year ended December 31, 2009. Employee directors do
not receive any compensation for their services as directors but receive
compensation for serving as employees. Non-employee directors are entitled
to receive 5,000 restricted shares for serving as directors of our
company. In addition, the chair of the audit committee is entitled to
receive an additional 2,500 restricted shares in recognition of the additional
work expected of that position. In addition, non-employee directors are
entitled to receive compensation for their actual travel expenses for each Board
of Directors meeting attended, up to a maximum of $6,000 per meeting and $12,000
per year.
Limitation
of Director and Officer Liability
Our
company’s certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the
personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of their
fiduciary duty as directors. To the extent Section 102(b)(7) is interpreted, or
the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended, to allow similar protections
for officers of a corporation, such provisions of our certificate of
incorporation shall also extend to those persons. In addition, we have entered
into Indemnification Agreements with our Directors, which provide for similar
rights.
In
addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law,
the bylaws, certificate of incorporation and Indemnification Agreements of our
company provide that:
|
·
|
Our
company shall indemnify our directors and officers for serving our company
in those capacities or for serving other business enterprises at our
company’s request, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
Delaware law provides that a corporation may indemnify such person if such
person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the company and, with
respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
such person’s conduct was unlawful.
|
|
·
|
We
may, in our discretion, indemnify employees and agents in those
circumstances where indemnification is permitted by applicable
law.
|
|
·
|
Our
company is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to our directors and
officers in connection with defending a proceeding, except that such
director or officer shall undertake to repay such advances if it is
ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to
indemnification.
|
|
·
|
Our
company will not be obligated pursuant to the bylaws to indemnify a person
with respect to proceedings initiated by that person, except with respect
to proceedings authorized by our company’s board of directors or brought
to enforce a right to
indemnification.
|
|
·
|
The
rights conferred in the bylaws are not exclusive, and our company is
authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with its directors,
officers, employees and agents and to obtain insurance to indemnify such
persons.
|
|
·
|
Our
company may not retroactively amend the bylaw provisions to reduce its
indemnification obligations to directors, officers, employees and
agents.
|
These
indemnification provisions may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification
of our company’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement
of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act. Our company may at
the discretion of the board of directors purchase and maintain insurance on
behalf of any person who holds or who has held any position identified in the
paragraph above against any and all liability incurred by such person in any
such position or arising out of his status as such.
76
Insofar
as indemnification by us for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling the company pursuant
to provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws, 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.
In the event that a claim for indemnification by such director, officer or
controlling person of us in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being offered, we will, unless in the opinion of
our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a
court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
77
Related
Party Transactions
Transactions
with Related Persons
The
following includes a summary of transactions since the beginning of 2008, or any
currently proposed transaction, in which we were or are to be a participant and
the amount involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of
the average of our total assets at year end for the last two completed fiscal
years, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect
material interest (other than compensation described under “Executive
Compensation”). We believe the terms obtained or consideration that we paid or
received, as applicable, in connection with the transactions described below
were comparable to terms available or the amounts that would be paid or
received, as applicable, in arm’s-length transactions.
Control
Agreements
On April
2, 2010, HAIC and Baosheng Steel as well as Baosheng Steel’s shareholders
entered into the VIE Agreements, pursuant to which Baosheng Steel became HAIC’s
contractually controlled affiliate. The use of such control agreements is
a common structure used to control PRC corporations, particularly in certain
industries in which foreign investment is restricted or forbidden by the PRC
government. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a level of
control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the level of
control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng Steel.
The VIE Agreements include:
|
·
|
a
Consulting Services Agreement through which HAIC has the right to advise,
consult, manage and operate Baosheng Steel and collect and own all of the
net profits of Buddha;
|
|
·
|
an
Operating Agreement through which HAIC has the right to recommend director
candidates and appoint the senior executives of Baosheng Steel, approve
any transactions that may materially affect the assets, liabilities,
rights or operations of Baosheng Steel, and guarantee the contractual
performance by Baosheng Steel of any agreements with third parties, in
exchange for a pledge by Baosheng Steel of its accounts receivable and
assets;
|
|
·
|
a
Voting Rights Proxy Agreement under which the owners of Baosheng Steel
have vested their collective voting control over Baosheng Steel to HAIC
and will only transfer their equity interests in Baosheng Steel to HAIC or
its designee(s);
|
|
·
|
an
Option Agreement under which the owners of Baosheng Steel have granted to
HAIC the irrevocable right and option to acquire all of their equity
interests in Baosheng Steel; and
|
|
·
|
an
Equity Pledge Agreement under which the owners of Baosheng Steel have
pledged all of their rights, titles and interests in Baosheng Steel to
HAIC to guarantee Baosheng Steel’s performance of its obligations under
the Consulting Services Agreement.
|
Mr.
Hongzhong Li, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and controlling
stockholder, is a director of HAIC and chief executive officer and controlling
stockholder of Baosheng Steel.
Shareholder
Relationships with A.G. Volney
During
the year ended December 31, 2009, Inna Sheveleva, a shareholder of A.G. Volney,
and David Stever, President and a shareholder of A.G. Volney, were customers of
A.G. Volney accounting for 15% of the sales revenue of A.G. Volney during that
period.
As of
March 31, 2010, two major shareholders of A.G. Volney, Joseph C. Passalaqua and
Mary Passalaqua, had outstanding loans to our company totaling $154,596.
These loans were payable on demand and carried a simple interest rate between 8%
and 18% per annum. As of March 31, 2010 the notes had $8,486 of interest
due. On April 28, 2010, A.G. Volney issued 5,920,027 shares of its common
stock to Mr. Passalaqua to retire approximately $187,000 in debts of A.G. Volney
owed to Joseph and Mary Passalaqua.
As of
December 31, 2009, A.G. Volney incurred a liability to Lyboldt-Daly in the
amount of $6,700. Lyboldt-Daly completed the bookkeeping and internal
accounting for A.G. Volney. Joseph Passalaqua is President of Lyboldt-Daly
and a major shareholder in A.G. Volney. Total bookkeeping services for the
three month period ended March 31, 2010 were $1,100.
78
Shareholder
Relationships with Baosheng Steel
Prior to the
acquisition of
Gold Promise by A.G. Volney, certain related parties were issued
loans by
Baosheng Steel.
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009 and 2008, the balances due from related
parties to Baosheng Steel were as follows:
June 30,
|
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||||||
Xianmin
Meng
|
$ | 0 | $ | 171,208 | $ | 171,320 | ||||||
Hongzhong
Li
|
0 | 187,566 | 715,356 | |||||||||
Total
|
$ | 0 | $ | 358,774 | $ | 886,676 |
As of the date of this
filing, all balances have been repaid and no loans to these related
parties are outstanding.
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009 and 2008, there were also balances due to
related parties, the balances as follows:
June 30,
|
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||||||
Hebei
Buddha Engineering Technology Co. Ltd.
|
$ | 0 | $ | 131,830 | $ | 1,587,234 |
Mr.
Hongzhong Li, our CEO and controlling beneficial owner, is the Chairman and the
controlling shareholder of Buddha and the husband of Xianmin Meng. Hebei
Buddha Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. is an affiliated company also owned by
Hongzhong Li. The balances with the related parties have no fixed
repayment terms. These balances are unsecured, interest-fee and due upon
demand. All balances due to or from related parties have been repaid as of
the date of this filing.
Legal
Proceedings
From time
to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which
arise in the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to
inherent uncertainties and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise
from time to time that may harm our business. We are currently not aware of any
such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will have a material adverse
affect on our business, financial condition or operating results.
79
Principal
Shareholders
The
following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of our
common stock as of September 17, 2010 by (i) any person or group with 5
percent or more of any class of voting securities, (ii) each director,
(iii) our chief executive officer and each other executive officer whose
cash compensation for the most recent fiscal year exceeded $100,000 and
(iv) all such executive officers and directors as a group. Unless
otherwise specified, the address of each of the persons set forth below is in
care of our company, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Industrial Park, Hebei,
065300 People’s Republic of China. Except as indicated in the footnotes to
this table and subject to applicable community property laws, the persons named
in the table to our knowledge have sole voting and investment power with respect
to all shares of securities shown as beneficially owned by them.
Name
and Address of
Beneficial
Owner
|
Office,
if Any
|
Amount
and Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
|
Percent
Ownership
and
Voting Power
|
Post-
Offering
Ownership
and
Voting
Power
Percentage
|
||||||||||
Officers
and Directors
|
||||||||||||||
Hongzhong
Li(1)
|
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
7,535,925 | 75.2 | % |
____
|
% | ||||||||
Zhenqi
Chen(2)
|
Chief
Operating Officer and Director
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Yuanmei
Ma(2)(3)
|
Chief
Financial Officer and Director Appointee
|
25,000 | 0.2 | % |
____
|
% | ||||||||
Liwen
Chen(2)
|
Vice
President, Sales
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Hongzhi
Fang(2)
|
Vice
President, Technology
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Jianmin
Li(2)
|
Vice
President, Production
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
George
Qin(2)
|
Director
Appointee
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Troy
Mao(2)
|
Director
Appointee
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Luis
Mejia(2)
|
Director
Appointee
|
0 | 0 | % | 0 | % | ||||||||
Xianmin
Meng(1)
|
Director | 7,535,925 | 75.2 | % |
____
|
% | ||||||||
All
officers and directors as a group (10 individuals)
|
7,560,925 | 75.2 | % |
____
|
% | |||||||||
5%
Security Holders
|
||||||||||||||
Belmont
Partners LLC
360
Main St.
Washington,
VA 20186
|
651,750 | 6.5 | % |
____
|
% | |||||||||
Meng
Li(1)
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Industrial Park,
Hebei,
PRC 065300
|
7,535,925 | 75.2 | % |
____
|
% |
80
(1)
|
6,560,950
of these shares are owned by Crowning Elite Limited, a BVI limited
company, 101 Montgomery St., Suite 1950, San Francisco, CA 94104.
Hongzhong Li is the sole director of Crowning Elite Limited and also has
an option to purchase 100% of the shares of Crowning Elite Limited, which
option vests over three years. 949,975 of such shares are owned by
Meng Li, who is the daughter of Hongzhong Li. Ms. Li’s address is
101 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94104. Mr. Li’s address is
shown above, under the listing of all directors and officers. Mr. Li is
therefore the beneficial owner of the shares owned both by Crowning Elite
Limited and Ms. Li.
|
(2)
|
These
individuals have the same address as Mr.
Li.
|
(3)
|
Includes
25,000 options exercisable within 60 days hereof that are not subject to
clawback upon termination.
|
Changes
in Control
On April
28, 2010, A.G. Volney entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Gold Promise,
the shareholders of Gold Promise, and Baosheng Steel. This Share Exchange
Agreement effected a reverse acquisition in which A.G. Volney acquired all of
the outstanding shares of Gold Promise and, in exchange, issued to the former
Gold Promise shareholders 10,000 shares of its Series A Preferred stock, then
constituting 98.75% of its issued and outstanding capital stock on an
as-converted to common stock basis. As a result of this reverse
acquisition, Gold Promise became a wholly-owned subsidiary of A.G. Volney.
The share exchange resulted in a change in control of A.G. Volney.
Also on
April 28, 2010, David F. Stever, the President, CEO, CFO and a director of A.G.
Volney, and Samantha M. Ford, the Secretary and a director of A.G. Volney, each
submitted a resignation letter pursuant to which they resigned from all offices
that they held effective immediately and from their positions as directors of
A.G. Volney that became effective on June 11, 2010, the tenth day following the
mailing by us of an information statement, or the Information Statement, to our
stockholders that complies with the requirements of Section 14f-1 of the
Exchange Act. In addition, our board of directors on April 28, 2010
increased the size of the Board of Directors to three directors and appointed
Hongzhong Li (Chairman), Zhenqi Chen and Xianmin Meng to fill the vacancies
created by such resignations and increase in the size of the Board, which
appointments became effective upon the resignations of David F. Stever and
Samantha M. Ford on June 11, 2010.
On April
28, 2010, we filed an Information Statement on Schedule 14F with the SEC
relating to a potential change in control of our board of directors containing
the information required under Rule 14f-1 of the Exchange Act.
On April
28, 2010, Crowning Elite Limited, or “Crowning Elite,” being the record holder
of 6,644 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, constituting 65.6%
of the voting power of our issued and outstanding shares of our Common Stock and
Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, consented in
writing to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to change our name to “Buddha
Steel, Inc.” and authorize the board of directors to effect the Reverse Stock
Split of the outstanding shares of common stock. We amended our
Certificate of Incorporation to reflect such changes on June 7, 2010 and the
Reverse Split was approved by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on
June 11, 2010.
Our Board
of Directors unanimously approved the filing of a Certificate of Designation
designating and authorizing the issuance of up to 10,000 shares of our Series A
Preferred Stock. The Certificate of Designation was filed on April 27,
2010. Pursuant to the Conversion, shares of our Series A Preferred Stock
then were converted automatically into shares of common stock on the basis of
one share of Series A Preferred Stock for 987.5 shares of common stock
immediately subsequent to Reverse Stock Split. Upon the Reverse Stock
Split, the 10,000 outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock converted into
9,875,001 shares of common stock, which constitute 98.75% of the outstanding
common stock of Buddha. In addition, prior holders of 125,040 shares of
common stock continued to hold those shares.
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After the
Reverse Stock Split and the Conversion of preferred stock into common stock,
10,000,041 shares of our common stock are issued and outstanding and no shares
of preferred stock are issued and outstanding.
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Description
of Capital Stock
We were
originally incorporated on March 6, 1997 under the laws of the State of
Delaware. As of the date of this prospectus, we are authorized to issue up
to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and
10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
The
following are summaries of the material provisions of our amended and restated
certificate of incorporation and by-laws that will be in force at the time of
the closing of this offering and the certain laws of the State of Delaware,
insofar as they relate to the material terms of our common stock. The forms of
our certificate of incorporation and by-laws are filed as exhibits to the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Units
Each Unit
sold in the offering consists of two shares of common stock and one
Warrant. The Units will not trade publicly and will instead separate into
common stock and warrants. The warrants will not trade publicly.
Common
Stock
Each
outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote per
share on all matters. Our bylaws provide that any vacancy occurring in the board
of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
remaining directors though less than a quorum of the board of
directors.
The
holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to dividends out of funds
legally available when and as declared by our board of directors. Our board of
directors has never declared a dividend and does not anticipate declaring a
dividend in the foreseeable future. Should we decide in the future to pay
dividends, as a holding company, our ability to do so and meet other obligations
depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from our operating
affiliate and subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. In addition, our
operating subsidiary in the PRC, from time to time, may be subject to
restrictions on their ability to make distributions to us, including as a result
of restrictive covenants in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of
local currency into U.S. dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory
restrictions. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up,
holders of our common stock are entitled to receive, ratably, the net assets
available to shareholders after payment of all creditors.
All of
the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock are duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. To the extent that additional
shares of our common stock are issued, the relative interests of existing
shareholders will be diluted.
Following
the effectiveness of the Reverse Stock Split and Conversion on June 11, 2010,
there are 10,000,041 shares of our common stock issued and
outstanding.
Preferred
Stock
Pursuant
to the Reverse Stock Split and Conversion completed on June 11, 2010, we have no
preferred stock issued and outstanding. We are authorized to issue up to
10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, in one or more
classes or series within a class as may be determined by our board of directors,
who may establish, from time to time, the number of shares to be included in
each class or series, may fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of
the shares of each such class or series and any qualifications, limitations or
restrictions thereof. Any preferred stock so issued by the board of directors
may rank senior to the common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or
amounts upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of us, or both. Moreover,
while providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions
and other corporate purposes, under certain circumstances, the issuance of
preferred stock or the existence of the unissued preferred stock might tend to
discourage or render more difficult a merger or other change of
control.
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Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock
In
accordance with our Certificate of Incorporation, our Board of Directors
unanimously approved the filing of a Certificate of Designation designating and
authorizing the issuance of up to 10,000 shares of our Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”). The Certificate of
Designation was filed on April 27, 2010. Upon completion of the Conversion, all
shares of our Series A Preferred Stock converted into common stock. As of
the date of this prospectus, no shares of our Series A Preferred Stock are
outstanding.
Warrants
Number
of Warrants; Warrant Agent; Duration of Warrants
Each Unit
purchased includes one Warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to
purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price per share equal to 62.5%
of the public offering price per Unit (or 125% of the proportionate price per
share of common stock underlying the Units), or $____________ per share, during
the five-year period commencing on the date of this prospectus. The warrants are
being issued pursuant to a Warrant Agreement entered into between us and Pacific
Stock Transfer Company, as warrant agent. The Warrants will be issued separately
from the common stock included in the Units offered hereby and may be
transferred separately immediately thereafter. The warrants may be in
certificated form or represented by one or more book-entry
certificates.
Exercise
and Expiration of Warrants
The
Warrants are exercised by surrendering to us a warrant certificate evidencing
the warrants to be exercised, with the exercise form included therein duly
completed and executed, and paying to us the exercise price per share in cash or
check payable to us. The Warrants may be exercised on a cashless or net
basis to the extent the underlying shares are not registered or exempt from
registration. Stock certificates with respect to shares of common stock
purchased through the exercise of warrants will be issued as soon thereafter as
practicable.
We may
cancel the warrants on thirty days’ notice, in whole or in part and if in part,
by lot, at any time following the date that is the six (6) month anniversary of
the effective date of the registration statement of which is this prospectus is
part if the closing price of our common stock exceeds $_______ per share for at
least ten (10) trading days within any period of twenty (20) consecutive trading
days. The date upon which we may cancel such Warrants must be a date which is
thirty (30) calendar days after we file a current report on Form 8-K following
the satisfaction of the conditions described above, or such longer time as may
be required by regulatory authorities. During such time, holders of
Warrants shall be permitted to exercise such Warrants.
As long
as any Warrants remain outstanding, the shares of common stock to be issued upon
the exercise of Warrants will be adjusted in the event of one or more stock
splits, readjustments or reclassifications. In the event of the foregoing,
the remaining number of shares of common stock still subject to the Warrants
shall be increased or decreased to reflect proportionately the increase or
decrease in the number of shares outstanding, and the exercise price per share
shall be decreased or increased as the case may be, in the same
proportion.
We have
reserved a sufficient number of shares of common stock for issuance upon
exercise of the Warrants and such shares, when issued in accordance with the
terms of the Warrants, will be fully paid and non-assessable. The shares
so reserved are included in the Registration Statement of which this prospectus
is a part. We are required to use our best efforts to maintain an
effective registration statement and current prospectus relating to these shares
at all time when the market price of the shares exceeds the exercise price of
the Warrants until the Warrants expire. We intend to use this registration
statement and prospectus to cover the warrant exercises. We plan to file
all post-effective amendments to the registration statements and supplement to
the prospectus required to be filed under the Securities Act. However, we
cannot assure you that an effective registration statement or current prospectus
will be available at the time you desire to exercise your Warrants.
Fractional
shares will not be issued upon the exercise of Warrants, and no payment will be
made with respect to any fractional share of common stock to which any warrant
holder might otherwise be entitled upon exercise of Warrants. No
adjustments as to previously declared or paid cash dividends, if any, will be
made upon any exercise of Warrants.
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The
holders of the Warrants as such are not entitled to vote, receive dividends or
to exercise any of the rights of the holders of common stock for any purpose
until such Warrants shall have been duly exercised and payment of the purchase
price shall have been made. There is currently no market for the Warrants
and there is no assurance that any such market will ever develop. Indeed, we do
not intend to list the warrants for trading.
For the
life of the Warrants, the warrant holders are given the opportunity to profit
from the rise in market value of our common stock, if any, at the expense of the
holders of common stock and we might be deprived of favorable opportunities to
secure additional equity capital, if it should then be needed, for the purpose
of its business. A warrant holder may be expected to exercise the Warrants
at a time when, we, in all likelihood, would be able to obtain equity capital,
if we need capital at such time, by a public sale of a new offering on terms
more favorable than those provided in the Warrants.
If upon
exercise of the Warrants the exercise price is less than the book value per
share, the exercise will have a dilutive effect upon the warrant holder’s
investment.
The
Underwriter Warrants are described in the section of this prospectus entitled
“Underwriting and Plan of Distribution.”
Anti-takeover
Effects of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws
Our certificate
of incorporation and Bylaws contain certain provisions that may have
anti-takeover effects, making it more difficult for or preventing a third party
from acquiring control of our company or changing its board of directors and
management. According to our Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, neither the
holders of our company’s common stock nor the holders of our company’s preferred
stock have cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors. The
combination of the present ownership by a few stockholders of a significant
portion of our company’s issued and outstanding common stock and lack of
cumulative voting makes it more difficult for other stockholders to replace our
company’s board of directors or for a third party to obtain control of our
company by replacing our board of directors.
Anti-takeover
Effects of Delaware Law
We are
subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly
held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a
business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years
following the date the person became an interested stockholder
unless:
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prior
to the date of the transaction, our board of directors approved either the
business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder
becoming an interested stockholder;
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upon
completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an
interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of
the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the
transaction commenced, calculated as provided under Section 203;
or
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at
or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is
approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special
meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative
vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not
owned by the interested
stockholder.
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Generally,
a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other
transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An
interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates,
owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder
status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We
expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with
respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We
also anticipate that Section 203 may also discourage attempts that might result
in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by
stockholders.
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The
provisions of Delaware law and the provisions of our amended and restated
certificate of incorporation could have the effect of discouraging others from
attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they might also inhibit
temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result
from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also
have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that
these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that
stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
Our
independent stock transfer agent is Pacific Stock Transfer Company, 4045 S.
Spencer Street, Suite 403, Las Vegas, NV 89119.
Voting
rights
Any
action required or permitted to be taken by the shareholders must be effected at
a duly called annual or special meeting of the shareholders entitled to vote on
such action and may be effected by a resolution in writing. At each general
meeting, each shareholder who is present in person or by proxy (or, in the case
of a shareholder being another corporation, by its representative) will have one
vote for each share of common stock which such shareholder holds.
Election
of directors
Delaware
law permits cumulative voting for the election of directors only if expressly
authorized in the certificate of incorporation. Our certificate of
incorporation denies holders of our common stock cumulative voting rights in the
election of directors, meaning that stockholders owning a majority of our
outstanding shares of common stock will be able to elect all of our
directors.
Meetings
We must
provide written notice of all meetings of shareholders, stating the time, place
and, in the case of a special meeting of shareholders, the objective thereof, at
least 10 days before the date of the proposed meeting to each shareholder shown
on our records. Our board of directors shall call a special meeting upon the
written request of shareholders holding at least 25% of our outstanding voting
shares. In addition, our President or board of directors may call a special
meeting of shareholders.
A simple
majority of the capital stock issued and outstanding, represented in person or
by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any
shareholders’ meeting.
Rights
and Preferences
Shareholders
have no preemptive, conversion, or other rights, and there are no redemption or
sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.
Transfer
of shares
Subject
to the restrictions in the lock-up agreements with our underwriters described in
“Shares Eligible for Future Sale—Lock-Up Agreements” and applicable securities
laws, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her shares of
common stock. Shares shall be transferable only on our books or the books of our
authorized transfer agent.
Liquidation
Upon our
voluntary involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, our net assets
available for distribution will be distributed pro rata to the holders of our
common stock.
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Shares
Eligible for Future Sale
A liquid
trading market for our common stock may not develop or be sustained after this
offering. Future sales of substantial amounts of common stock, including shares
of common stock issued upon exercise of outstanding options and exercise of the
warrants offered in this prospectus in the public market after this offering or
the anticipation of those sales could adversely affect market prices prevailing
from time to time and could impair our ability to raise capital through sales of
our equity securities.
Upon the
completion of the offering, we will have outstanding _____________ shares of
common stock, assuming no exercise of outstanding options and not including any
shares underlying the warrants contained within the Units issued in the offering
or the Underwriter Warrants. Of these shares, the ___________ shares of common
stock underlying the Units sold in this offering will be freely tradable without
restriction under the Securities Act, except that any shares purchased by our
“affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act, may
generally only be sold in compliance with the limitations of Rule 144 described
below. The remaining approximately ________ shares of common stock outstanding
will be restricted shares held by existing shareholders that could be sold
pursuant to Rule 144. We have not agreed to register these restricted shares. We
have not issued any warrants to purchase our common stock or other securities
convertible into our common stock.
Rule
144
In
general, under Rule 144 as currently in effect, beginning 90 days after the
effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part,
a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is deemed to be an
affiliate of our company at the time of sale, or at any time during the
preceding three months, and who has beneficially owned restricted shares for at
least six months, would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a
number of shares of our common stock that does not exceed the greater of 1% of
the then outstanding common stock or the average weekly trading volume of shares
of common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding such sale. Sales under
Rule 144 are subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements
and the availability of current public information about our company. See
“Shares Eligible for Future Sale – Lock-Up Agreements”
A person
who has not been our affiliate at any time during the three months preceding a
sale, and who has beneficially owned his or her common stock for at least six
months, would be entitled under Rule 144 to sell such shares without regard to
any manner of sale, notice provisions or volume limitations described above. Any
such sales must comply with the current public information provision of Rule 144
until our common stock has been held for one year.
Rule
701
Securities
issued in reliance on Rule 701 are also restricted and may be sold by
shareholders other than affiliates of our company subject only to manner of sale
provisions of Rule 144 and by affiliates under Rule 144 without compliance with
its six-month holding period requirement.
Lock-Up
Agreements
Each of
our existing 5% shareholders, officers and directors has agreed with us not to
sell or otherwise transfer any common shares for one year after the date of this
prospectus. Specifically, we and such shareholders have agreed not to directly
or indirectly:
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offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any common
shares;
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sell
any option or contract to purchase any common
shares;
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purchase
any option or contract to sell any common
shares;
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grant
any option, right or warrant for the sale of any common shares, except
pursuant to our stock option plan;
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lend
or otherwise dispose of or transfer any common
shares;
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request
or demand that we file a registration statement related to any of our
common shares;
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enter
into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the
economic consequences of ownership of any common shares whether any such
swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of common shares or other
securities, in cash or
otherwise.
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These
lock-up agreements apply to our common shares and to securities convertible
into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, or repayable with, our common shares.
It also applies to our common shares owned now acquired later by the person
executing the agreement or for which the person executing the agreement later
acquires the power of disposition.
Summary
of Shares Available for Future Sale
The
following table summarizes the total shares potentially available for future
sale.
Shares
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Date
Available for Sale
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Currently
outstanding shares: 10,000,041
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__________
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After
90 days from the date of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the
public offering, subject to compliance with Rule 144.
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__________
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After
one year from the date of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the
public offering, subject to compliance with Rule 144.
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Shares
contained within Units offered in this offering:
__________
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After
the date of this prospectus, these shares will be freely
tradable.
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Shares
underlying warrants contained within Units offered in this offering:
__________
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After
the date of this prospectus and exercise of the warrants, these shares
will be freely tradable.
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Shares
underlying Underwriter Warrants: __________
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After
180 days from the date of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the
public offering conducted concurrently herewith and exercise of the
warrants, these shares will be freely
tradable.
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Taxation
Material
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
General
The
following is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax
consequences to an investor of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the
common stock purchased by the investor pursuant to this Offering. This
discussion assumes that an investor will hold each share of our common stock
issued and purchased pursuant to this Offering as a “capital asset” within the
meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income
taxation that may be relevant to an investor in light of that investor’s
particular circumstances. In addition, this discussion does not address (a) U.S.
federal non-income tax laws, such as estate or gift tax laws, (b) state, local
or non-U.S. tax consequences, or (c) the special tax rules that may apply to
certain investors, including, without limitation, banks, insurance companies,
financial institutions, broker-dealers, taxpayers that have elected
mark-to-market accounting, taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax
provisions of the Code, tax-exempt entities, governments or agencies or
instrumentalities thereof, regulated investment companies, real estate
investment trusts, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar,
U.S. expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States, or
investors that acquire, hold, or dispose of our common stock as part of a
straddle, hedge, wash sale, constructive sale or conversion transaction or other
integrated transaction. Additionally, this discussion does not consider the tax
treatment of entities treated as partnerships or other pass-through entities for
U.S. federal income tax purposes or of persons who hold our common stock through
such entities. The tax treatment of a partnership and each partner thereof will
generally depend upon the status and activities of the partnership and such
partner. Thus, partnerships, other pass-through entities and persons holding our
common stock through such entities should consult their own tax
advisors.
This
discussion is based on current provisions of the Code, its legislative history,
U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code, judicial opinions, and
published rulings and procedures of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”),
all as in effect on the date of this prospectus. These authorities are subject
to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. We
have not sought, and will not seek, any ruling from the IRS or any opinion of
counsel with respect to the tax consequences discussed below, and there can be
no assurance that the IRS will not take a position contrary to the tax
consequences discussed below or that any position taken by the IRS would not be
sustained.
As used
in this discussion, the term “U.S. person” means a person that is, for U.S.
federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United
States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S.
federal income tax purposes) created or organized (or treated as created or
organized) in or under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof or
the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S.
federal income taxation regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust if (A) a court
within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the
administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to
control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (B) it has in effect a valid
election to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury
Regulations. As used in this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a
beneficial owner of our common stock that is a U.S. person, and the term
“non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock (other than an
entity that is treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S.
federal income tax purposes) that is not a U.S. person.
THIS
DISCUSSION IS ONLY A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX
CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK.
IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IN OUR COMMON STOCK IS URGED TO
CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO
SUCH INVESTOR OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK,
INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. TAX
LAWS, AS WELL AS U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS, AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX
TREATY.
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U.S.
Holders
Taxation
of Distributions
If we pay
cash distributions to U.S. holders of shares of our common stock, the
distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax
purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and
profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions
in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits generally will
constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not
below zero) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock. Any
remaining excess generally will be treated as gain from the sale or other
disposition of the common stock and will be treated as described under “U.S.
Holders — Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable
Disposition of Common Stock” below.
Any
dividends we pay to a U.S. holder that is treated as a taxable corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes generally will qualify for the
dividends-received deduction if the applicable holding period and other
requirements are satisfied. With certain exceptions, if the applicable holding
period and other requirements are satisfied, dividends we pay to a non-corporate
U.S. holder generally will constitute “qualified dividends” that will be subject
to tax at the maximum tax rate accorded to long-term capital gains for tax years
beginning on or before December 31, 2010, after which the tax rate applicable to
dividends is scheduled to return to the tax rate generally applicable to
ordinary income.
If PRC
taxes apply to any dividends paid to a U.S. holder on our common stock, such
taxes may be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against such holder’s
U.S. federal income tax liability (subject to certain limitations), and a U.S.
holder may be entitled to certain benefits under the income tax treaty between
the United States and the PRC. U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax
advisors regarding the creditability of any such PRC tax and their eligibility
for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the
PRC.
Gain
or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common
Stock
In
general, a U.S. holder must treat any gain or loss recognized upon a sale,
taxable exchange, or other taxable disposition of our common stock as capital
gain or loss. Any such capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or
loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock so disposed of
exceeds one year. In general, a U.S. holder will recognize gain or loss in an
amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the amount of cash and the
fair market value of any property received in such disposition and (ii) the U.S.
holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock so disposed of. Long-term
capital gain recognized by a non-corporate U.S. holder generally will be subject
to a maximum tax rate of 15 percent for tax years beginning on or before
December 31, 2010, after which the maximum long-term capital gains tax rate is
scheduled to increase to 20 percent. The deduction of capital losses is subject
to various limitations.
If PRC
taxes apply to any gain from the disposition of our common stock by a U.S.
holder, such taxes may be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against
such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (subject to certain
limitations), and a U.S. holder may be entitled to certain benefits under the
income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC. U.S. holders should
consult their own tax advisors regarding the creditability of any such PRC tax
and their eligibility for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the
United States and the PRC.
Non-U.S.
Holders
Taxation
of Distributions
In
general, any distribution we make to a non-U.S. holder of our common stock, to
the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as
determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute a dividend
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Provided such dividend is not effectively
connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the
United States, such dividend generally will be subject to U.S. federal
withholding tax at a rate of 30 percent of the gross amount of the dividend,
unless we are treated as an “80/20 company” for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, as described below, or such non-U.S. holder is eligible for a reduced
rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides
proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS
Form W-8BEN). Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first
as reducing the non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common
stock (but not below zero) and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the
non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain from the sale or other disposition
of the common stock, which will be treated as described under “Non-U.S.
Holders — Gain on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition
of Common Stock” below.
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You
should be aware of the possibility that we may qualify as an “80/20 company” for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, a domestic corporation is an 80/20
company if at least 80 percent of its gross income during an applicable testing
period is, directly or through subsidiaries, “active foreign business income.”
The 80 percent test is applied on a periodic basis. If we qualify as an 80/20
company, a percentage of any dividend paid by us generally will not be subject
to U.S. federal withholding tax. You should consult with your own tax advisors
regarding the amount of any such dividend subject to withholding tax in this
circumstance.
Dividends
we pay to a non-U.S. holder that are effectively connected with such non-U.S.
holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if
certain income tax treaties apply, are attributable to a U.S. permanent
establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder) generally will
not be subject to U.S. withholding tax, provided such non-U.S. holder complies
with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an
IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, such dividends generally will be subject to U.S.
federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual
or corporate tax rates applicable to U.S. persons. If the non-U.S. holder is a
corporation, dividends that are effectively connected income may also be subject
to a “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30 percent (or such lower rate as may be
specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Gain
on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Common
Stock
A
non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax in
respect of gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other disposition of common
stock, unless:
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•
|
the
gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by
the non-U.S. holder within the United States. (and, under certain income
tax treaties, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed
base maintained by the non-U.S.
holder);
|
|
•
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the
non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for
183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other
conditions are met; or
|
|
•
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we
are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation”
(“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the
shorter of the five year period ending on the date of disposition or the
non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock disposed of, and,
generally, in the case where our common stock is regularly traded on an
established securities market, the non-U.S. holder has owned, directly or
indirectly, more than 5 percent of the common stock disposed of, at any
time during the shorter of the five year period ending on the date of
disposition or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock
disposed of. There can be no assurance that our common stock will be
treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this
purpose.
|
Unless an
applicable tax treaty provides otherwise, gain described in the first and third
bullet points above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of
certain deductions, at the same tax rates applicable to U.S. persons. Any gains
described in the first bullet point above of a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign
corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30
percent rate (or a lower applicable tax treaty rate). Any U.S. source capital
gain of a non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point above (which may
be offset by U.S. source capital losses during the taxable year of the
disposition) generally will be subject to a flat 30 percent U.S. federal income
tax (or a lower applicable tax treaty rate).
In
connection with the third bullet point above, we generally will be classified as
a USRPHC if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests”
equals or exceeds 50 percent of the sum of the fair market value of our
worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in
a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We
believe that we currently are not a USRPHC, and we do not anticipate becoming a
USRPHC (although no assurance can be given that we will not become a USRPHC in
the future).
91
Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding
We
generally must report annually to the IRS and to each holder the amount of
dividends and certain other distributions we pay to such holder on our common
stock and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to those
distributions. In the case of a non-U.S. holder, copies of the information
returns reporting those distributions and withholding may also be made available
to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder is a resident
under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or agreement.
Information reporting is also generally required with respect to proceeds from
the sales and other dispositions of our common stock to or through the U.S.
office (and in certain cases, the foreign office) of a broker.
In
addition, backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax, currently at a rate of
28 percent, generally will apply to distributions made on our common stock to,
and the proceeds from sales and other dispositions of our common stock by, a
non-corporate U.S. holder who:
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·
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fails
to provide an accurate taxpayer identification
number;
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|
·
|
is
notified by the IRS that backup withholding is required;
or
|
|
·
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in
certain circumstances, fails to comply with applicable certification
requirements.
|
A
non-U.S. holder generally may eliminate the requirement for information
reporting (other than with respect to distributions, as described above) and
backup withholding by providing certification of its foreign status, under
penalties of perjury, on a duly executed applicable IRS Form W-8 or by otherwise
establishing an exemption.
Backup
withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup
withholding will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. holder’s or a non-U.S.
holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a
refund, provided that certain required information is timely furnished to the
IRS. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the
application of backup withholding and the availability of and procedure for
obtaining an exemption from backup withholding in their particular
circumstances.
Material
PRC Income Tax Considerations
The
following discussion summarizes the material PRC income tax considerations
relating to the ownership of our common stock following the consummation of this
Offering.
Resident
Enterprise Treatment
On March
16, 2007, the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People’s Congress passed the
Enterprise Income Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China, or the EIT Law,
which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, enterprises are
classified as “resident enterprises” and “non-resident enterprises.” Pursuant to
the EIT Law and its implementing rules, enterprises established outside China
whose “de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident
enterprises” and subject to the uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on global
income. According to the implementing rules of the EIT Law, “de facto management
body” refers to a managing body that in practice exercises overall management
control over the production and business, personnel, accounting and assets of an
enterprise.
The EIT
Law and the interpretation of many of its provisions, including the definition
of “resident enterprise,” are unclear. It is also uncertain how the PRC tax
authorities would interpret and implement the EIT Law and its implementing
rules. Generally, the PRC tax authorities may determine the resident enterprise
status of entities organized under the laws of foreign jurisdictions, which own
a 100% equity interest in a PRC operating entity. Our management is
substantially based in China and expected to be based in China in the future,
although some of our directors are not PRC nationals. It remains uncertain
whether the PRC tax authorities would determine that we are a “resident
enterprise” or a “non-resident enterprise.”
92
Given the
short history of the EIT law and lack of applicable legal precedent, it remains
unclear how the PRC tax authorities will determine the PRC tax resident
treatment of a non-PRC company such as us. If the PRC tax authorities determine
that we are a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a
number of tax consequences could follow. First, we could be subject to the
enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our global taxable income. Second, the
EIT Law provides that dividend income between “qualified resident enterprises”
is exempt from income tax. It is unclear whether the dividends we or Gold
Promise receives would constitute dividend income between “qualified resident
enterprises” and would therefore qualify for tax exemption.
As of the
date of this prospectus, there has not been a definitive determination as to the
“resident enterprise” or “non-resident enterprise” status of us or Gold Promise.
However, since it is not anticipated that we or Gold Promise would receive
dividends or generate other income in the near future, we and Gold Promise are
not expected to have any income that would be subject to the 25% enterprise
income tax on global income in the near future. We and Gold Promise will consult
with the PRC tax authorities and make any necessary tax payment if we or Gold
Promise (based on future clarifying guidance issued by the PRC), or the PRC tax
authorities, determines that we or Gold Promise is a resident enterprise under
the EIT Law, and if we or Gold Promise were to have income in the
future.
Dividends
from Buddha
If we or
Gold Promise is not treated as resident enterprises under the EIT Law, then
dividends that we or Gold Promise receives may be subject to PRC withholding
tax. The EIT Law and the implementing rules of the EIT Law provide that (A) an
income tax rate of 25% will normally be applicable to investors that are
“non-resident enterprises,” or non-resident investors, which (i) have
establishments or premises of business inside China, and (ii) the income in
connection with their establishment or premises of business is sourced from
China or the income is earned outside China but has actual connection with their
establishments or places of business inside China, and (B) an income tax rate of
10% will normally be applicable to dividends payable to investors that are
“non-resident enterprises,” or non-resident investors, which (i) do not have an
establishment or place of business in the PRC or (ii) have an establishment or
place of business in the PRC, but the relevant income is not effectively
connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such
dividends are derived from sources within the PRC.
As
described above, the PRC tax authorities may determine the resident enterprise
status of entities organized under the laws of foreign jurisdictions, on a
case-by-case basis. We and Gold Promise are holding companies and substantially
all of our income and that of Gold Promise may be derived from dividends. Thus,
if we or Gold Promise is considered a “non-resident enterprise” under the EIT
Law and the dividends paid to us and Gold Promise are considered income sourced
within China, such dividends received may be subject to the income tax described
in the foregoing paragraph.
The State
Council of the PRC or a tax treaty between China and the jurisdictions in which
the non-PRC investors reside may reduce such income tax. Pursuant to the Double
Tax Avoidance Arrangement between Hong Kong and Mainland China, if the Hong Kong
resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in a company in
China, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the Hong Kong resident
enterprise received from such company in China is reduced to 5%. We are a U.S.
holding company, and we have a subsidiary Hong Kong (Gold Promise), which in
turns owns a 100% equity interest in Buddha. If Gold Promise is considered a
Hong Kong resident enterprise under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and is
considered as a “non-resident enterprise” under the EIT Law, the dividends paid
to Gold Promise by Baosheng Steel may be subject to the reduced income tax rate
of 5% under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement. However, based on the Notice
on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax
Treaties, issued on February 20, 2009 by the State Administration of Taxation,
if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a
company benefits from such reduced income tax rate due to a structure or
arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust
the preferential tax treatment.
As of the
date of this prospectus, there has not been a definitive determination as to the
“resident enterprise” or “non-resident enterprise” status of us or Gold Promise.
As indicated above, however, Baosheng Steel is not expected to pay any dividends
in the near future. We and Gold Promise will consult with the PRC tax
authorities and make any necessary tax withholding if, in the future, Baosheng
Steel were to pay any dividends and we or Gold Promise (based on future
clarifying guidance issued by the PRC), or the PRC tax authorities, determines
that we or Gold Promise is a non-resident enterprise under the EIT
Law.
93
Dividends
that Non-Resident Investors Receive From Us; Gain on the Sale or Transfer of Our
Common Stock
If
dividends payable to (or gains recognized by) our non-resident investors are
treated as income derived from sources within the PRC, then the dividends that
non-resident investors receive from us and any such gain on the sale or transfer
of our common stock, may be subject to taxes under PRC tax laws.
Under the
EIT Law and the implementing rules of the EIT Law, PRC income tax at the rate of
10% is applicable to dividends payable to investors that are “non-resident
enterprises,” or non-resident investors, which (i) do not have an establishment
or place of business in the PRC or (ii) have an establishment or place of
business in the PRC but the relevant income is not effectively connected with
the establishment or place of business, to the extent that such dividends have
their sources within the PRC. Similarly, any gain realized on the transfer of
common stock by such investors is also subject to 10% PRC income tax if such
gain is regarded as income derived from sources within the PRC.
The
dividends paid by us to non-resident investors with respect to our common stock,
or gain non-resident investors may realize from sale or the transfer of our
common stock, may be treated as PRC-sourced income and, as a result, may be
subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10%. In such event, we also may be required to
withhold a 10% PRC tax on any dividends paid to non-resident investors. In
addition, non-resident investors in our common stock may be responsible for
paying PRC tax at a rate of 10% on any gain realized from the sale or transfer
of our common stock after the consummation of the Offering if such non-resident
investors and the gain satisfies the requirements under the EIT Law and its
implementing rules. However, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, we
would not have an obligation to withhold income tax in respect of the gains that
non-resident investors (including U.S. investors) may realize from the sale or
transfer of our common stock from and after the consummation of this
Offering.
If we
were to pay any dividends in the future, we would again consult with the PRC tax
authorities and if we (based on future clarifying guidance issued by the PRC),
or the PRC tax authorities, determine that we must withhold PRC tax on any
dividends payable by us under the EIT Law, we will make any necessary tax
withholding on dividends payable to our non-resident investors. If non-resident
investors as described under the EIT Law (including U.S. investors) realized any
gain from the sale or transfer of our common stock and if such gain were
considered as PRC-sourced income, such non-resident investors would be
responsible for paying 10% PRC income tax on the gain from the sale or transfer
of our common stock. As indicated above, under the EIT Law and its implementing
rules, we would not have an obligation to withhold PRC income tax in respect of
the gains that non-resident investors (including U.S. investors) may realize
from the sale or transfer of our common stock from and after the consummation of
this Offering.
Penalties
for Failure to Pay Applicable PRC Income Tax
Non-resident
investors in us may be responsible for paying PRC tax at a rate of 10% on any
gain realized from the sale or transfer of our common stock after the
consummation of this Offering if such non-resident investors and the gain
satisfies the requirements under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, as
described above.
94
According
to the EIT Law and its implementing rules, the PRC Tax Administration Law (the
“Tax Administration Law”) and its implementing rules, the Provisional Measures
for the Administration of Withholding of Enterprise Income Tax for Non-resident
Enterprises (the “Administration Measures”) and other applicable PRC laws or
regulations (collectively the “Tax Related Laws”), where any gain derived by
non-resident investors from the sale or transfer of our Securities is subject to
any income tax in China, and such non-resident investors fail to file any tax
return or pay tax in this regard pursuant to the Tax Related Laws, they may be
subject to certain fines, penalties or punishments, including without
limitation: (1) if a non-resident investor fails to file a tax return and
present the relevant information in connection with tax payments, the competent
tax authorities shall order it to do so within the prescribed time limit and may
impose a fine up to RMB 2,000, and in egregious cases, may impose a fine ranging
from RMB 2,000 to RMB 10,000; (2) if a non-resident investor fails to file a tax
return or fails to pay all or part of the amount of tax payable, the
non-resident investor shall be required to pay the unpaid tax amount payable, a
surcharge on overdue tax payments (the daily surcharge is 0.05% of the overdue
amount, beginning from the day the deferral begins), and a fine ranging from 50%
to 500% of the unpaid amount of the tax payable; (3) if a non-resident investor
fails to file a tax return or pay the tax within the prescribed time limit
according to the order by the PRC tax authorities, the PRC tax authorities may
collect and check information about the income items of the non-resident
investor in China and other payers (the “Other Payers”) who will pay amounts to
such non-resident investor, and send a “Notice of Tax Issues” to the Other
Payers to collect and recover the tax payable and impose overdue fines on such
non-resident investor from the amounts otherwise payable to such non-resident
investor by the Other Payers; (4) if a non-resident investor fails to pay the
tax payable within the prescribed time limit as ordered by the PRC tax
authorities, a fine may be imposed on the non-resident investor ranging from 50%
to 500% of the unpaid tax payable; and the PRC tax authorities may, upon
approval by the director of the tax bureau (or sub-bureau) of, or higher than,
the county level, take the following compulsory measures: (i) notify in writing
the non-resident investor’s bank or other financial institution to withhold from
the account thereof for payment of the amount of tax payable, and (ii) detain,
seal off, or sell by auction or on the market the non-resident investor’s
commodities, goods or other property in a value equivalent to the amount of tax
payable; or (5) if the non-resident investor fails to pay all or part of the
amount of tax payable or surcharge for overdue tax payment, and can not provide
a guarantee to the tax authorities, the tax authorities may notify the frontier
authorities to prevent the non-resident investor or their legal representative
from leaving China.
Enforceability
of Civil Liabilities
Substantially
all of our assets are located outside the United States. In addition, a majority
of our directors and officers are nationals and/or residents of countries other
than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of such persons’ assets
are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for
investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or such
persons or to enforce against them or against us, judgments obtained in United
States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability
provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state
thereof.
We have
appointed Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road, Suite
400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808, as our agent upon whom process may be
served in any action brought against us under the securities laws of the United
States.
AllBright
Law Offices, our counsel as to Chinese law, has advised us that there is
uncertainty as to whether the courts of China would (1) recognize or
enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or such persons
predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the
United States or any state thereof, or (2) be competent to hear original
actions brought in each respective jurisdiction, against us or such persons
predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state
thereof.
AllBright
Law Offices has advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign
judgments are provided for under the Chinese Civil Procedure Law. Chinese courts
may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements
of the Chinese Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and
the country where the judgment is made or in reciprocity between jurisdictions.
China does not have any treaties or other agreements with the United States that
provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. As
a result, it is uncertain whether a Chinese court would enforce a judgment
rendered by a court in either of these two jurisdictions.
Subject
to the terms and conditions of an underwriting agreement, we have agreed to sell
to each of the underwriters named below, and each of the underwriters for which
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. is acting as representative, have severally,
and not jointly, agreed to purchase on a firm commitment basis the number of
Units offered in this offering set forth opposite their respective names below,
at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount set forth on the
cover page of this prospectus.
Name
|
Number of
Units
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Ladenburg
Thalmann & Co. Inc.
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95
Nature
of Underwriting Commitment
The
underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are committed to purchase
on a several but not joint basis all Units offered in this offering, other than
those covered by the overallotment option described below, if the underwriters
purchase any of these securities. The underwriting agreement provides that the
obligations of the underwriters to purchase the Units offered hereby are
conditional and may be terminated at their discretion based on their assessment
of the state of the financial markets. The obligations of the underwriters may
also be terminated upon the occurrence of other events specified in the
underwriting agreement. Furthermore, pursuant to the underwriting agreement, the
underwriters’ obligations are subject to the authorization and the validity of
the Units being accepted for listing on the NASDAQ Global Market and to various
other customary conditions, representations and warranties contained in the
underwriting agreement, such as receipt by the underwriters of officers’
certificates and legal opinions of our counsel.
State
Blue Sky Information
We intend
to offer and sell the Units offered hereby to retail customers and institutional
investors in all 50 states. However, we will not make any offer of these
securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
Pricing
of Securities
The
underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the Units directly to
the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus, and to certain dealers that are members of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (FINRA), at such price less a concession not in excess of
$______ per Unit. The underwriters may allow, and the selected dealers may
reallow, a concession not in excess of $______ per Unit to certain brokers and
dealers. After this offering, the offering price and concessions and discounts
to brokers and dealers and other selling terms may from time to time be changed
by the underwriters. These prices should not be considered an indication of the
actual value of our shares and are subject to change as a result of market
conditions and other factors. No variation in those terms will change the amount
of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus.
The
public offering price for the Units was determined by negotiation between us and
the underwriters. The principal factors considered in determining the public
offering price of the Units included:
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·
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the
information in this prospectus and otherwise available to the
underwriters;
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·
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the
history and the prospects for the industry in which we will
compete;
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·
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the
current stock price;
|
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·
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our
current financial condition and the prospects for our future cash flows
and earnings;
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·
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the
general condition of the economy and the securities markets at the time of
this offering;
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·
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the
recent market prices of, and the demand for, publicly-traded securities of
generally comparable companies; and
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·
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the
public demand for our securities in this
offering.
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We cannot
be sure that the public offering price will correspond to the price at which our
shares will trade in the public market following this offering or that an active
trading market for our shares will develop and continue after this
offering.
96
Commissions
and Discounts
The
following table summarizes the compensation to be paid to the underwriters by us
and the proceeds, before expenses, payable to us, assuming a $______ offering
price. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the
underwriters of the overallotment option.
Total
|
||||||||||||
Per
Unit
|
Without
Overallotment
|
With
Overallotment
|
||||||||||
Public
offering price
|
$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Underwriting
discount(1)
|
$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Non-accountable
expense allowance(2)
|
$ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Proceeds,
before expenses, to us(3)
|
$ | $ | $ |
__________
(1)
|
Underwriting
discount is $______ per Unit (7.5% of the price of the Units sold in the
offering).
|
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(2)
|
The
non-accountable expense allowance of 1.5% is not payable with respect to
the Units sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment
option.
|
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(3)
|
We
estimate that the total expenses of this offering, excluding the
underwriters’ discount and the non-accountable expense allowance, are
approximately $400,000.
|
Overallotment
Option
We will
grant a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase
additional Units up to an additional 15% of Units sold in the offering (_____
additional Units) solely to cover overallotments, if any, at the same price as
the initial Units offered. If the underwriters fully exercise the overallotment
option, the total public offering price, underwriting fees and expenses and net
proceeds (before expenses) to us will be $______, $______, and $______
respectively.
Lock-ups
All of
our directors and executive officers and holders of over 5% of the issued and
outstanding shares of our capital stock will enter into lock-up agreements that
prevent them from selling any shares of our common stock or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock,
subject to certain exceptions, for a period of not less than one year from the
date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of Ladenburg Thalmann
& Co. Inc., as underwriter. The underwriters may in their sole discretion
and at any time without notice release some or all of the shares subject to
lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the lock-up period. When
determining whether or not to release shares from the lock-up agreements, the
underwriters will consider, among other factors, the stockholder’s reasons for
requesting the release, the number of shares for which the release is being
requested and market conditions at the time.
Underwriter
Warrant
We have
agreed to sell our underwriter for $100 in the aggregate, warrants to purchase
the number of shares of common stock that is equivalent to 4% of the aggregate
number of shares of common stock underlying the Units sold in this offering, not
including any shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants
underlying the Units (the “Underwriter
Warrants”). The Underwriter
Warrants will be exercisable at any time, in whole or in part, during the
five-year period commencing on a date which is one year from the effective date
of the registration statement and expiring five years from the effective date of
the registration statement. The Underwriter Warrants may be exercised on a
cashless or net basis to the extent the underlying shares are not registered or
exempt from registration. The Underwriter Warrants and the shares of common
stock underlying the Underwriter Warrants have been deemed compensation by the
FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(g)(1)
of FINRA. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (or permitted assignees under the
Rule) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate the Underwriter
Warrants or the underlying securities, nor will it engage in any hedging, short
sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective
economic disposition of the underwriter warrants or the underlying securities
for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus. Additionally, the
Underwriter Warrants may not be sold transferred, assigned, pledged or
hypothecated for a one-year period (including the foregoing 180 day period)
following the effective date of the registration statement except to any
underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona
fide officers or partners. Although the Underwriter Warrants and underlying
securities have been registered on the registration statement of which this
prospectus forms a part, the Underwriter Warrants grants holders demand and
“piggy back” registration rights for periods of four and six years,
respectively, from the first anniversary of the date of this prospectus, to the
extent either an effective registration statement or an exemption from
registration is unavailable for the securities. These rights apply to all of the
securities directly and indirectly issuable upon exercise of the Underwriter
Warrant. We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the
securities issuable on exercise of the Underwriter Warrants, other than
underwriting commissions incurred and payable by the holders. The exercise price
and number of Units issuable upon exercise of the underwriter warrants may be
adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend,
extraordinary cash dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or
consolidation. However, the exercise price of shares of common stock underlying
the Underwriter Warrant will not be adjusted for issuances of common stock at a
price below the Underwriter Warrant exercise price.
97
These
Underwriter Warrants will be valued based on the underlying shares obtainable
and valuation factors appropriate at the time they are issued. We currently
estimate that value to be approximately $_____, based on the number of shares
subject to these Underwriter Warrants, an assumed offering price of the shares
of $_____, the resulting exercise prices related to the Underwriter Warrants on
the shares, the five year term of the Underwriter Warrants, a risk-free interest
rate of _____% currently commensurate with that term, an expected dividend yield
of _____% and estimated volatility of _____%, based on a review of our
historical volatility. The initial value of these Underwriter Warrants will be
charged to additional paid-in capital as part of the offering costs incurred,
and the Underwriter Warrants will be accounted for as a derivative instrument
liability because they are denominated in a currency other than our functional
currency.
Other
Terms
In
connection with this offering, the underwriters or certain of the securities
dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically. No forms of prospectus other
than printed prospectuses and electronically distributed prospectuses that are
printable in Adobe PDF format will be used in connection with this
offering.
The
underwriters have informed us that they do not expect to confirm sales of Units
offered by this prospectus to accounts over which they exercise discretionary
authority without obtaining the specific approval of the account
holder. We have also granted Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. a
right of first refusal to conduct future offerings for us during the 24 months
following the date of this prospectus.
Stabilization
Until the
distribution of the Units offered by this prospectus is completed, rules of the
SEC may limit the ability of the underwriters to bid for and to purchase our
securities. As an exception to these rules, the underwriters may engage in
transactions effected in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that are intended to stabilize, maintain or otherwise
affect the price of our common stock. The underwriters may engage in
overallotment sales, syndicate covering transactions, stabilizing transactions
and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M.
|
·
|
Stabilizing
transactions permit bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing
or maintaining the price of the common stock, so long as stabilizing bids
do not exceed a specified maximum.
|
|
·
|
Overallotment
involves sales by the underwriters of Units in excess of the number of
Units the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a short
position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a
naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of Units
overallotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of Units
that they may purchase in the overallotment option. In a naked short
position, the number of Units involved is greater than the number of Units
in the overallotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered
short position by either exercising their overallotment option or
purchasing shares in the open
market.
|
98
|
·
|
Covering
transactions involve the purchase of securities in the open market after
the distribution has been completed in order to cover short positions. In
determining the source of securities to close out the short position, the
underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of securities
available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at
which they may purchase securities through the overallotment option. If
the underwriters sell more Unit than could be covered by the overallotment
option, creating a naked short position, the position can only be closed
out by buying securities in the open market. A naked short position is
more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there
could be downward pressure on the price of the securities in the open
market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in
this offering.
|
|
·
|
Penalty
bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a
selected dealer when the Units originally sold by the selected dealer are
purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering
transaction.
|
These
stabilizing transactions, covering transactions and penalty bids may have the
effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or
preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a
result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might
otherwise exist in the open market.
Neither
we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect
that the transactions described above may have on the prices of our securities.
These transactions may occur on any trading market. If any of these transactions
are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.
Foreign
Regulatory Restrictions on Purchase of the Common Stock
We have
not taken any action to permit a public offering of our securities outside the
United States or to permit the possession or distribution of this prospectus
outside the United States. People outside the United States who come into
possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about and observe any
restrictions relating to this offering of our securities and the distribution of
this prospectus outside the United States.
Indemnification
We have
agreed to indemnify Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. against certain
liabilities under the Securities Act, as amended, and liabilities arising from
breaches of representations and warranties contained in the Underwriting
Agreement. We have also agreed to contribute to payments Ladenburg
Thalmann & Co. Inc. may be required to make in respect of such
liabilities.
Change
in Certifying Accountant
Dismissal
of independent registered public accounting firm
On April
27, 2010, the Board of Directors of A.G. Volney dismissed Robison Hill &
Company, Salt Lake City, Utah (“Robison”), as its independent registered public
accounting firm.
The
reports of Robison on A.G. Volney’s financial statements as of and for the years
ended December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 contained no adverse opinion or
disclaimer of opinion nor was qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit
scope, or accounting principle.
During
the recent fiscal years ending December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 and the
subsequent period through April 27, 2010, there were no (i) disagreements with
Robison on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved
to Robison’s satisfaction, would have caused Robison to make reference to the
subject matter of the disagreement(s) in connection with its reports; or (ii)
“reportable events” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation
S-K.
A.G.
Volney provided Robison with a copy of the above disclosures and requested that
Robison furnish A.G. Volney with a letter addressed to the Securities and
Exchange Commission stating whether or not it agrees with the above statement. A
copy of Robison’s letter, dated April 27, 2010 was filed as Exhibit 16.1 to A.G.
Volney’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 27, 2010.
New
independent registered public accounting firm
On April
27, 2010, the Board of Directors of the A.G. Volney engaged Friedman LLP, New
York, New York (“Friedman”), as its new independent registered public accounting
firm.
99
During
the recent fiscal years ending December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, and the
subsequent interim period prior to the engagement of Friedman, A.G. Volney has
not consulted Friedman regarding (i) the application of accounting principles to
any specified transaction, either completed or proposed, (ii) the type of audit
opinion that might be rendered on A.G. Volney’s financial statements, or (iii)
any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement (as defined in Item
304(a)(1)(iv)) or a reportable event (as defined in Item
304(a)(1)(v)).
Experts
Financial
statements as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and for the years then ended
appearing in this prospectus, have been included herein and in the registration
statement in reliance upon the report of Friedman LLP, an independent registered
public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of
that firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel
No expert
or counsel named in this prospectus as having prepared or certified any part of
this prospectus or having given an opinion upon the validity of the securities
being registered or upon other legal matters in connection with the registration
or offering of the common stock was employed on a contingency basis, or had, or
is to receive, in connection with the offering, a substantial interest, direct
or indirect, in our company or any of subsidiaries or affiliates. Nor was any
such person connected with our company or any of subsidiaries or
affiliates as a promoter, managing or principal underwriter, voting
trustee, director, officer or employee
Certain
matters as to Delaware law and U.S. federal law in connection with this offering
will be passed upon for us by Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. Certain legal
matters relating to the offering as to Chinese law will be passed upon for us by
AllBright Law Offices, Citigroup Tower, 14th Floor,
33 Hua Yuan Shi Qiao Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 200120, People’s Republic
of China. Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. may rely upon AllBright Law Offices,
with respect to matters governed by PRC law.
We have
filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act
with respect to our Units offered by this prospectus. This prospectus does not
contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the
exhibits to the registration statement. For further information regarding us,
our common stock and the Units offered hereby, please refer to the registration
statement and the exhibits filed as part of the registration
statement.
In
addition, we file periodic reports with the SEC, including quarterly reports and
annual reports which include our audited financial statements. This registration
statement, including exhibits thereto, and all of our periodic reports may be
inspected without charge at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at
100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain copies of the
registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, and all of our periodic
reports after payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC. For additional
information regarding the operation of the Public Reference Room, you may call
the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website which provides
on-line access to reports and other information regarding registrants that file
electronically with the SEC at the address: http://www.sec.gov.
100
BUDDHA
STEEL, INC.
(FORMERLY
A.G. VOLNEY CENTER, INC.)
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
JUNE
30, 2010
(UNAUDITED)
F-1
BUDDHA
STEEL, INC.
(FORMERLY
A. G. VOLNEY CENTER, INC.)
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2010 (Unaudited) and December
31, 2009
|
F-3 | |||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for the Six
Months ended June 30, 2010 and 2009 (Unaudited)
|
F-4 | |||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months ended June 30,
2010 and 2009 (Unaudited)
|
F-5 | |||
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
|
F-6 - F-17 |
F-2
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A. G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As
of
|
||||||||
June
30,
2010 |
December
31,
2009 |
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Assets
|
||||||||
Current
assets
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ | 2,031,867 | $ | 7,609,826 | ||||
Restricted
cash
|
29,018,602 | 17,182,807 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
9,948,255 | 7,704,160 | ||||||
Inventory
|
62,992,013 | 20,386,511 | ||||||
Due
from shareholders
|
- | 358,774 | ||||||
Advances
to suppliers
|
17,956,142 | 35,760,307 | ||||||
Value
added tax recoverable
|
- | 322,754 | ||||||
Other
current assets
|
103,040 | 403,616 | ||||||
Total
current assets
|
122,049,919 | 89,728,755 | ||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
|
||||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
|
33,172,595 | 33,869,949 | ||||||
Construction-in-progress
|
709,738 | 657,877 | ||||||
Total
property, plant and equipment
|
33,882,333 | 34,527,826 | ||||||
Other
assets
|
||||||||
Intangible
assets, net
|
1,108,359 | 1,122,949 | ||||||
Long-term
investments
|
220,310 | 219,716 | ||||||
Total
other assets
|
1,328,669 | 1,342,665 | ||||||
Total
assets
|
$ | 157,260,921 | $ | 125,599,246 | ||||
Liabilities
and stockholders' equity
|
||||||||
Current
liabilities
|
||||||||
Bank
notes payable
|
$ | 46,821,314 | $ | 29,580,781 | ||||
Short-term
debts
|
27,164,175 | 28,270,104 | ||||||
Accounts
payable
|
17,642,929 | 11,360,335 | ||||||
Advances
from customers
|
38,858,341 | 39,152,737 | ||||||
Taxes
payable
|
1,299,709 | 1,455,116 | ||||||
Other
payables
|
462,838 | 475,266 | ||||||
Due
to related parties
|
- | 131,830 | ||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
132,249,306 | 110,426,169 | ||||||
|
||||||||
Stockholders'
equity
|
||||||||
Series
A convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 10,000,000 shares
authorized, 10,000 shares issued, -0- shares outstanding at June 30, 2010
and December 31, 2009, respectively
|
- | - | ||||||
Common
Stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 10,000,041 and
9,875,001 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2010 and December 31,
2009, respectively
|
10,000 | 9,875 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
21,756,575 | 22,310,663 | ||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(2,438,701 | ) | (2,516,801 | ) | ||||
Retained
earnings/(Accumulated deficits)
|
5,683,741 | (4,630,650 | ) | |||||
Total
stockholders' equity
|
25,011,615 | 15,173,077 | ||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders' equity
|
$ | 157,260,921 | $ | 125,599,246 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated
financial statements.
F-3
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income
(Unaudited)
For
the Six Months
ended June 30, |
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Revenue
|
$ | 139,053,010 | $ | 101,250,677 | ||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
||||||||
Depreciation
|
1,942,351 | 1,901,087 | ||||||
Cost
of revenue
|
123,988,173 | 93,917,290 | ||||||
Gross
profit
|
13,122,486 | 5,432,300 | ||||||
Operating
expenses
|
||||||||
Selling
expenses
|
805,356 | 547,433 | ||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
1,002,962 | 726,568 | ||||||
Depreciation
|
62,847 | 62,769 | ||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
1,871,165 | 1,336,770 | ||||||
Income
from operations
|
11,251,321 | 4,095,530 | ||||||
Other
income (expenses)
|
||||||||
Other
income
|
93,379 | 216,620 | ||||||
Other
expenses
|
(181,920 | ) | (82,514 | ) | ||||
Interest
expenses
|
(848,389 | ) | (922,410 | ) | ||||
Total
other expenses
|
(936,930 | ) | (788,304 | ) | ||||
Net
income before income tax
|
10,314,391 | 3,307,226 | ||||||
Provision
for income tax
|
- | (58,480 | ) | |||||
Net
income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | ||||
Other
comprehensive income (loss)
|
||||||||
Foreign
currency translation gain/(loss)
|
78,100 | (12,706 | ) | |||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$ | 10,392,491 | $ | 3,236,040 | ||||
Basic
and diluted income per common share
|
||||||||
Basic
and Diluted
|
$ | 1.05 | $ | 0.33 | ||||
Weighted
average number of common shares outstanding
|
||||||||
Basic
and Diluted
|
9,919,214 | 9,875,001 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated
financial statements.
F-4
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
For
the Six Months
ended June 30, |
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Cash
flow from operating activities
|
||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | ||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating
activities
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
2,022,755 | 1,981,392 | ||||||
Net
changes in assets and liabilities
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(2,214,772 | ) | (5,265,358 | ) | ||||
Other
assets
|
(13,965 | ) | 76,716 | |||||
Inventories
|
(42,387,671 | ) | 31,146,758 | |||||
Advances
to suppliers
|
17,832,343 | (9,396,312 | ) | |||||
Value
added tax recoverable
|
322,388 | 6,625,269 | ||||||
Accounts
payable
|
6,227,982 | 268,257 | ||||||
Advances
from customers
|
(398,674 | ) | (47,417,706 | ) | ||||
Taxes
payable
|
(158,730 | ) | (14 | ) | ||||
Other
payables
|
(13,661 | ) | 729,654 | |||||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(8,467,614 | ) |
(18,002,598)
|
|||||
|
||||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities
|
||||||||
Purchase
of fixed assets and addition of construction-in-progress
|
(1,269,224 | ) |
(701,729)
|
|||||
Collection
on loans to officers
|
314,479 | - | ||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(954,745 | ) |
(701,729)
|
|||||
|
||||||||
Cash
flow from financing activities
|
||||||||
Restricted
cash
|
(11,835,795 | ) | (2,670,844 | ) | ||||
Repayment
to related parties
|
(327,376 | ) | ||||||
Advance
from related parties
|
2,333,693 | |||||||
Proceeds
from short-term debts
|
1,463,113 | 11,836,516 | ||||||
Repayment
of short-term debts
|
(2,640,920 | ) | - | |||||
Proceeds
from long-term debts
|
- | 438,389 | ||||||
Proceeds
from bank notes payable
|
17,094,960 | 5,471,011 | ||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
3,753,982 | 17,408,765 | ||||||
|
||||||||
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
90,418 | (103,220 | ) | |||||
Net
decrease in cash and cash equivalent
|
(5,577,959 | ) | (1,398,782 | ) | ||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
7,609,826 | 2,232,473 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of period
|
$ | 2,031,867 | $ | 833,691 | ||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information
|
||||||||
Interest
paid
|
$ | 1,137,778 | $ | 922,337 | ||||
Income
taxes paid
|
$ | - | $ | - |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated
financial statements.
F-5
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1.
|
Organization
and Basis of Presentation
|
Buddha
Steel Inc. (“Buddha
Steel”) was originally incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on
March 6, 1997 under the name “Lottlink Technologies, Inc.” From
December 1997 until July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was suspended for non-payment
of franchise taxes. In July 2003, Lottlink’s charter was renewed and its
certificate of incorporation was amended to change its name to “A.G. Volney
Center, Inc” (“A.G. Volney”). A.G. Volney was primarily in the
business of purchasing and reselling clothing overruns. It was a
development-stage company, had commenced only limited business operations, and
was looking to find a suitable merger candidate and/or alternative
financing.
On
October 19, 2006, A.G. Volney filed a Registration Statement on Form 10SB (File
No.: 0-52269) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), to register
its common stock under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Registration Statement was declared
effective by operation of law on December 18, 2006, at which point A.G. Volney
became a reporting company under the Exchange Act. Nonetheless, it
continued to operate at that time only as a shell company
Gold
Promise Group Co. Ltd. (“Gold Promise”) was established in Hong Kong on January
8, 2010 to serve as an intermediate holding company, with the intention that its
shareholders would enter into the reverse transaction with Buddha Steel and then
that Buddha Steel and its affiliates (including Gold Promise, HAIC and Baosheng
Steel) would undertake a public offering.
Hebei
Anbang Investment Consultation Co. Ltd (“HAIC”) was established in the PRC on
April 2, 2010. On March 29, 2010, the local government of the PRC issued a
certificate of approval regarding the foreign ownership of HAIC by Gold Promise,
a Hong Kong entity.
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co. Ltd. (“Baosheng Steel”), our
operating affiliate, was established in the PRC on September 9, 1999 in Dachang
County, Hebei Province, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). Baosheng Steel
has registered capital of $6,040,398 and is primarily engaged in the business of
manufacturing, marketing and sales of high precision, ultra thin cold-rolled
steel products.
On April
2, 2010, prior to the reverse acquisition transaction, HAIC and Baosheng Steel
as well as its shareholders entered into a series of variable interest
agreements (“VIE Agreements”) pursuant to which Baosheng Steel became the
controlled affiliate of HAIC. The use of such control agreements is a
common structure used to control PRC corporations, particularly in certain
industries in which foreign investment is restricted or forbidden by the PRC
government. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide HAIC a level
of control over Baosheng Steel that is functionally equivalent to the level of
control HAIC would have if it instead owned the equity of Baosheng
Steel. Pursuant to the VIE Agreements, Buddha Steel (by virtue of its
ownership of Gold Promise and Gold Promise’s ownership of HAIC) controls
Baosheng Steel.
Buddha
Steel Inc. its subsidiaries and Baosheng Steel are collectively referred to
herein as “the company,” “we,” “us” and “our.”
On April
28, 2010, A.G. Volney entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Gold Promise,
the shareholders of Gold Promise, and Baosheng Steel. This Share
Exchange Agreement effected a reverse acquisition by which A.G. Volney acquired
all of the shares of Gold Promise, and the shareholders of Gold Promise became
the controlling shareholders of A.G. Volney. Since Gold Promise
controls HAIC and, through a series of contractual arrangements, Baosheng Steel,
the reverse acquisition resulted in A.G. Volney acquiring control over the
operations of Baosheng Steel. Thus, as a result of the reverse
acquisition of Gold Promise, we are no longer a shell company and now engaged in
an active steel manufacturing business. Consequently, A.G. Volney changed
its name to “Buddha Steel, Inc.” to properly reflect our new
business.
The
accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in
order to present the financial position and results of operations in accordance
with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America (“US GAAP”) and are expressed in the U.S. Dollars. In the opinion of the
management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals)
considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating
results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the
results that may be expected for the full years.
F-6
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
|
(1)
|
Use of
Estimates
|
In
preparing the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America, management makes estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial
statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting year. Significant estimates, required by management, include the
recoverability of long-lived assets and the valuation of inventories.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.
(2)
|
Principle of
Consolidation
|
The
consolidated unaudited financial statements include the accounts of the Company
and its affiliates, Gold Promise, HAIC, and HAIC’s VIE, Baosheng Steel. All
inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in
consolidation.
(3)
|
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
|
The Company considers all
highly liquid debt instruments purchased with maturity periods of three months
or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amounts reported in the
accompanying balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents approximate their fair
value.
(4)
|
Accounts Receivables
and Other Receivables
|
Accounts
receivable consists of balances due from customers for the sale of the Company’s
steel products. Accounts receivable are recorded at net realizable value
consisting of the carrying amount less an allowance for uncollectible
amounts.
The
Company performs periodic reviews as to whether the carrying values of accounts
have become impaired. The assets are considered to be impaired if the
collectability of the balances become doubtful, accordingly, the management
estimates the valuation allowance for anticipated uncollectible receivable
balances. When facts subsequently become available to indicate that the
allowance provided requires an adjustment, then the adjustment will be
classified as a change in estimate. The management of the Company determined
that no allowance for doubtful accounts was necessary as of June 30, 2010 and
December 31, 2009 since all accounts receivable and other receivables are
considered fully collectible.
(5)
|
Inventory
|
Inventory
is stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the
weighted average method. Market value represents the estimated selling price in
the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs necessary to complete
the sale.
The cost
of inventory comprises all costs of purchases, costs of conversion and other
costs incurred in bringing the inventory to its present location and
condition. The costs of conversion of inventory include fixed and variable
production overheads, taking into account the stage of completion. No allowance
for obsolete inventory is considered necessary as of June 30, 2010 and December
31, 2009.
(6)
|
Advances to
Suppliers
|
In order
to insure a steady supply of raw materials, the Company is required from time to
time to make cash advances when placing its purchase orders. Management
determined that no reserve was necessary for advances to suppliers as of June
30, 2010 and December 31, 2009.
F-7
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
(7)
|
Property, Plant and
Equipment
|
Property,
plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. The
cost of an asset comprises its purchase price and any directly attributable
costs of bringing the asset to its present working condition and location for
its intended use.
Depreciation
is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the
related assets and assumes a 10% salvage value at the end of the assets useful
life. The estimated useful lives for significant property and equipment are
as follows:
Buildings
|
20
years
|
Machineries
|
10
years
|
Office
equipment
|
5
years
|
Motor
vehicles
|
5
years
|
Repairs
and maintenance costs are normally charged to the statement of operations in the
year in which they are incurred. In situations where it can be clearly
demonstrated that the expenditure has resulted in an increase in the future
economic benefits expected to be obtained from the use of the asset, the
expenditure is capitalized as an additional cost of the asset.
(8)
|
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.
(9)
|
Intangible
Assets
|
Intangible
assets consist of land use rights only. All the land in the PRC is owned by the
government and cannot be sold to any individual or company. The Company acquired
three land use rights between the years 2000 and 2003 which will be amortized
over 50 years on a straight-line basis. The Company didn’t purchase any new
intangibles during the quarter ended June 30, 2010, and the amortization
expense for the six months ended June 30, 2010 and 2009 was $17,557 and
$17,536, respectively. As of June 30, 2010, amortizable intangible
assets net of accumulated amortization were $1,108,359.
(10)
|
Long-term
Investment
|
Long-term
investments are accounted for using the cost method and are evaluated annually
for any impairment in value.
(11)
|
Advances from
Customers
|
Advances
from customers consist of amounts received from customers relating to the sales
of the Company’s steel products. The Company recognizes these funds as a
current liability until the revenue can be recognized.
(12)
|
Revenue
Recognition
|
The
Company recognizes revenues under FAS Codification Topic 605 (“ASC 605”). Sales
revenue is recognized when all of the following have occurred: (i) persuasive
evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred or services have
been rendered, (iii) the price is fixed or determinable, and (iv) the
ability to collect is reasonably assured. These criteria are generally satisfied
at the time of delivery for sales when risk of loss and title passes to the
customer. Revenue is reported net of all value added taxes. Other
income is recognized when it is earned.
F-8
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
(13)
|
Cost of
Sales
|
Costs of
sales include costs of the products sold, inbound freight costs, cost of direct
labor and overhead. Write-down of inventory to lower of cost or market value is
also recorded in cost of sales.
(14)
|
Foreign Currency
Translation
|
The
Company’s financial information is presented in U.S. dollars. The functional
currency of the Company is Renminbi (“RMB”), the currency of the PRC. The
Company’s transactions which are denominated in currencies other than RMB are
translated into RMB at the exchange rate quoted by the People’s Bank of China
prevailing at the dates of the transactions. Exchange gains and losses resulting
from transactions denominated in a currency other than the RMB are included in
statements of operations as exchange gains. The financial statements of the
Company have been translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with ASC 830,
“Foreign Currency Matters”. The financial information is first prepared in RMB
and then is translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates as to
assets and liabilities and average exchange rates as to revenue and expenses.
Capital accounts are translated at their historical exchange rates when the
capital transactions occurred. The effects of foreign currency translation
adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive
income (loss) in shareholders’ equity.
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||||
RMB:
US$ exchange rate as of June 30, 2010 and December 31,2009
|
6.8086 | 6.8270 | ||||||
Average
RMB: US$ exchange rate from January 1 to June 30
|
6.8347 | 6.8432 | ||||||
Average
RMB: US$ exchange rate from April 1 to June 30
|
6.8335 | 6.8399 |
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
dollars at the rates used in translation.
(15)
|
Income
Taxes
|
The
Company accounts for income tax under the provisions of Financial
Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
No.740 “Income Taxes”, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and
liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of the events that have
been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred income
taxes are recognized for all significant temporary differences between tax and
financial statements bases of assets and liabilities. Valuation allowances are
established against net deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that
some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The
Company had no deferred tax as of June 30, 2010 and December 31,
2009.
(16)
|
Value added
tax
|
The
Provisional Regulations of the People’s Republic of China Concerning Value Added
Tax (“VAT”) promulgated by the State Council came into effect on January 1,
1994. Under these regulations and the Implementing Rules of the Provisional
Regulations of the People’s Republic of China Concerning Value Added Tax, VAT is
imposed on goods sold in or imported into the PRC and on processing, repair and
replacement services provided within the PRC.
VAT
payable in the PRC is charged on an aggregated basis at a rate of 13% or 17%
(depending on the type of goods involved) on the full price collected for the
goods sold or, in the case of taxable services provided, at a rate of 17% on the
charges for the taxable services provided, but excluding, in respect of both
goods and services, any amount paid in respect of VAT included in the price or
charges, and less any deductible VAT already paid by the taxpayer on purchases
of goods and services in the same financial year. Certain offshore and overseas
sales are not subject to VAT tax.
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company’s VAT recoverable amounted to
$0 and $322,754, respectively.
F-9
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
(17)
|
Fair Value of
Financial Instruments
|
Fair
value of financial instruments is the amount at which the financial instruments
could be exchanged for in a current transaction between willing
parties. The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments, including
cash, accounts receivable, other receivables, accounts payable, short-term debts
and other payables approximate their fair values as at June 30, 2010
and December 31, 2009 because of the relatively short-term maturity of
these instruments.
(18)
|
Impairment of
Long-lived Assets
|
Long-lived
assets, which include property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and
long-term investments, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable.
Recoverability
of long-lived assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the
carrying amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows
expected to be generated by the assets. If the carrying amount of an asset
exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is
recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the
fair value of the assets. Fair value is generally determined using the
asset’s expected future discounted cash flows or market value, if readily
determinable.
(19)
|
Comprehensive
income
|
Comprehensive
income and loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise
during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from
non-owner sources. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) arose from the
changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
(20)
|
Statement of
Cash
Flows
|
Cash
flows from the Company’s operations is calculated based upon the local
currencies using the average
translation rate. As a result, amounts related to assets and liabilities
reported on the statements of cash flows will not necessarily agree with changes
in the corresponding balances on the balance sheets.
(21)
|
Commitments and
Contingencies
|
In the
normal course of business, the Company is subject to contingencies, including
legal proceedings and claims arising out of the normal course of businesses that
relate to a wide range of matters, including among others, product liability.
The Company records accruals for such contingencies based upon the
assessment of the probability of occurrence and where determinable, an estimate
of the liability. Management may consider many factors in making these
assessments including past history, scientific evidence and the specifics of
each matter. As management has not become aware of any product liability claims
arising from any incident over the years, the Company has not recognized a
liability for product liability claims.
(22)
|
Shipping
costs
|
Shipping
costs are expensed as incurred. Shipping costs were included in selling
expenses and amounted to $268,220 for the six months ended June 30, 2010, and
$227,711 for the six months ended June 30, 2009.
(23)
|
Advertising
|
Advertising
is expensed as incurred and is included in selling expenses. There was no
advertising expense for the six months ended June 30, 2010 or the six months
ended June 30, 2009.
F-10
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
(24)
|
Earnings per
Share
|
In
February 2010, the Company entered into a share exchange transaction which has
been accounted for as a reverse merger under the purchase method of accounting
since there has been a change of control. The Company computes the
weighted-average number of common shares outstanding in accordance with ASC 805,
Business Combinations, which states that in calculating the weighted average
shares when a reverse merger takes place in the middle of the year, the number
of common shares outstanding from the beginning of that period to the
acquisition date shall be computed on the basis of the weighted-average number
of common shares of the legal acquiree (the accounting acquirer) outstanding
during the period multiplied by the exchange ratio established in the merger
agreement. The number of common shares outstanding from the acquisition date to
the end of that period shall be the actual number of common shares of the legal
acquirer (the accounting acquiree) outstanding during that period.
Basic
earnings per share are computed by dividing income available to common
shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during
the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed similar to basic earnings per
share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of
additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential
common shares had been issued and if the additional common shares were dilutive.
There are no such additional common shares available for dilution purposes for
six-month periods ended June 30, 2010 and 2009.
(25)
|
Risks and
Uncertainties
|
The
operations of the Company are located in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company’s
business, financial condition, and results of operations may be influenced by
the political, economic, and legal environments in the PRC, as well as 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.
(26)
|
Risks of
Losses
|
The
Company is potentially exposed to risks of losses that may result from business
interruptions, injury to others (including employees) and damage to
property. These losses may be uninsured, especially due to the fact that
the Company’s operations are in China, where business insurance is not readily
available. If: (i) information that is available before the Company’s
financial statements are issued or are available to be issued indicates that
such loss is probable and (ii) the amount of the loss can be reasonably
estimated, an estimated loss will be accrued by a charge to income.
If such loss is probable but the amount of loss cannot be reasonably estimated,
the loss shall be charged to the income of the period in which the loss can be
reasonably estimated and shall not be charged retroactively to an earlier
period. As of June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company has not
experienced any uninsured losses from injury to others or other
losses.
(27)
|
Recent Accounting
Pronouncements
|
In
February 2010, FASB issued new standards in ASC 855, Subsequent Event. This
amendment removes the requirement for an SEC filer to disclose a date through
which subsequent events have been evaluated in both issued and revised financial
statements. Revised financial statements include financial statements revised as
a result of either correction of an error or retrospective application of GAAP.
All of the amendments are effective upon issuance of the final update, except
for the use of the issued date for conduit debt obligors. That amendment is
effective for interim or annual periods ending after June 15, 2010. The Company
does not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a material impact on its
consolidated financial statements.
In
January 2010, FASB amended ASC 820 Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements.
This update provides amendments to Subtopic 820-10 that require new disclosure
as follows: (1) Transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2. A
reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers
in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the
reasons for the transfers. (2) Activity in Level 3 fair value
measurements. In the reconciliation for fair value measurements using
significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reporting entity should present
separately information about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements (that
is, on a gross basis rather than as one net number). The new disclosures and
clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual
reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the disclosures
about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements in the roll forward of
activity in Level 3 fair value measurements. Those disclosures are effective for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within
those fiscal years. The Company has determined the adoption of this rule does
not have a material impact on its financial statements.
F-11
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
3.
|
Restricted
Cash
|
This
restricted cash was required by the lenders to maintain a minimum 30% - 100% of
the balance of the bank notes (see Note 9) as collateral to ensure future credit
availability. The Company earns interest at a variable rate per month on
this restricted cash.
4. Concentrations
of Business and Credit Risk
For the
six months ended June 30, 2010, the Company had three major suppliers who each
contributed over 10% of the Company’s total purchases respectively. The
biggest supplier provided about 35% of the total purchases for the six-month
period ended June 30, 2010, which was approximately $53 million and
accounted for about 30% of total accounts payable as of June 30, 2010. The
second supplier accounted for roughly 17% of total purchases for the
six-month period ended June 30, 2010 and the third supplier accounted
for 14% of the total purchases for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010.
Additionally, the Company had a more diversified customer base compared to its
suppliers, with the biggest customer accounting for 10% of the total sales
during the six month period ended June 30, 2010.
For the
six months ended June 30, 2009, the biggest supplier provided about 35% of the
total purchases, which was approximately $20 million. While the second and
the third biggest suppliers provided about 21% and 10% of the total purchases
for the six-month ended June 30, 2009, which were approximately $12 million and
$6 million, respectively. Additionally, the Company had a more diversified
customer base compared to its suppliers, with the biggest customer accounting
for 5% of the total sales during the six month period ended June 30,
2009.
The
Company’s operations are carried out in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company’s
business, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced by
political, economic and legal environments in the PRC as well as by the general
state of the PRC’s economy. The Company’s business may be influenced by changes
in governmental policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary
measures, currency conversion and rates and methods of taxation, among other
things.
5.
|
Inventory
|
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, inventory consisted of the
following:
June
30, 2010
|
|
December
31, 2009
|
||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||
Raw
materials
|
|
$
|
34,701,403
|
|
$
|
10,275,786
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Work
in progress
|
|
|
2,611,064
|
|
|
2,631,074
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finished
goods
|
|
|
25,679,546
|
|
|
7,479,651
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
62,992,013
|
|
$
|
20,386,511
|
F-12
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
6. Property,
Plant and Equipment
Property,
plant and equipment, stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, consisted of
the following:
June
30, 2010
|
December
31, 2009
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Plant
and building
|
$ | 4,364,756 | $ | 4,352,992 | ||||
Machinery
and equipment
|
41,597,746 | 41,203,594 | ||||||
Motor
vehicles
|
1,057,025 | 120,940 | ||||||
Office
equipment
|
170,396 | 164,497 | ||||||
Subtotal
|
47,189,923 | 45,842,023 | ||||||
Accumulated
depreciation
|
(14,017,328 | ) | (11,972,074 | ) | ||||
Construction
in progress
|
709,738 | 657,877 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 33,882,333 | $ | 34,527,826 |
Depreciation
expense for the six months ended June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009
was $2,005,198 and $1,963,856, respectively.
7. Intangible
Assets
Intangible
assets consist of land use rights only. The Company acquired three Rights for
the aggregate amount of RMB8,895,838 (currently US$1,306,559).
The land
use rights at June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009 were as follows:
June
30, 2010
|
December
31, 2009
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Cost
|
$ | 1,306,559 | $ | 1,303,038 | ||||
Less:
Accumulated amortization
|
(198,200 | ) | (180,089 | ) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 1,108,359 | $ | 1,122,949 |
8.
|
Bank
Notes Payable
|
The
balance of bank notes payable represents the outstanding and used notes that are
guaranteed to be paid by the banks and usually for a short-term period of six
months. As of June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the unused and available
borrowings under bank note facilities were $0 and $1,183,830,
respectively. In addition, the Company is required to maintain cash
deposits at a minimum 30% to 100% of the total balance of the bank acceptance
notes with the banks in order to ensure future credit availability. These bank
notes are interest-free and no collateral or guarantees are
required.
9.
|
Short-term
Debts
|
In order
to provide working capital for operations, the company entered into the
following short-term loan agreements as of June 30, 2010 and December 31,
2009.
Lenders
|
June
30, 2010
|
December
31, 2009
|
||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Xiadian
City Rural Credit Cooperative
|
$ | 1,468,731 | $ | 2,636,590 | ||||
Agricultural
Bank of China, Dachang Branch
|
12,924,830 | 15,819,540 | ||||||
Huaxia
Bank, Shijiazhuang Branch
|
5,874,923 | 7,323,861 | ||||||
Shenzhen
Zengshun Import and Export Co., Ltd.
|
3,965,573 | 2,490,113 | ||||||
Rural
Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch
|
2,930,118 | - | ||||||
Total
Short-term Debts
|
$ | 27,164,175 | $ | 28,270,104 |
F-13
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
The loans
from the Xiadian City Rural Credit Cooperative are loans with fixed terms of
twelve months or less. The interests were at a fixed rate per annum of 9.9403%
for 2010, 8.496% for 2009. The loans were guaranteed by the Company’s own
assets.
The loans
from the Agricultural Bank, Dachang Branch are loans with fixed terms of twelve
months or less. The interest rate was fixed at 5.841% for 2009 and the Company
repaid a total estimated value of $7,359,651 in April 2010. By the end of June
2010, the Company acquired a new loan with a one year term at a fixed rate
of 5.841% per annum, with a value of $4,464,941. These loans were secured by the
Company’s land use rights and fixed assets in the total value of
$32,656,097.
As of
December 31, 2009, the loan from the Huaxia Bank, Shijiazhuang Branch
represented a loan with a one year term, maturing in April 2010. The loan bore
an annual fixed rate of interest of 5.841% and the Company repaid the loan in
April 2010. In the beginning of May 2010, the Company acquired a new loan with a
one year term at a fixed rate of 5.841% per annum. The loan was guaranteed by
Shanghai Chengtong Precision Strip Co.,Ltd., an unrelated company.
The loan
borrowed from Shenzhen Zengshun Import and Export Co., Ltd., an unrelated
company, has no fixed repayment terms. This loan is unsecured, interest-free and
due upon demand.
The loan
from Rural Credit Cooperative, Dachang Hui Autonomous County Branch represents
fixed term loans of twelve months received by the Company in January 2010 at an
annual fixed interest rate of 9.027%. This loan was secured by the Company’s
plant building in the total value of $4,714,141.
10.
|
Pension
Cost
|
As
stipulated by the PRC regulations, the Company maintains a defined contribution
retirement plan for all of its employees who are residents of the PRC. All
retired PRC employees of the Company are entitled to an annual pension
equivalent to their basic annual salary upon retirement. The Company contributed
to a state sponsored retirement plan approximately 20% of the basic salary of
its PRC employees and has no further obligations for the actual pension payments
or post-retirement benefits beyond the annual contributions. The state sponsored
retirement plan is responsible for the entire pension obligation payable to all
employees. The pension expenses were $92,145 and $65,561 for the six months
ended June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009, respectively.
11.
|
Related
Party Transactions
|
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the balance due from related parties was as
follows:
June
30, 2010
|
December
31, 2009
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||
Xianmin
Meng
|
$ | - | $ | 171,208 | ||||
Hongzhong
Li
|
- | 187,566 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | - | $ | 358,774 |
F-14
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
Mr.
Hongzhong Li is the Chairman and the 96% shareholder of Baosheng Steel and the
husband of Xianmin Meng, who holds the remaining 4% of Baosheng
Steel.
The
balances due from Mr. Li and Mrs. Meng were settled by March 2010.
As of
December 31, 2009, the balance due to related parties represents the loan
borrowed from Hebei Buddha Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliated
company also owned by Hongzhong Li. This loan was repaid in May,
2010.
12.
|
Income
Tax
|
The
Company did not generate any taxable income outside of the PRC for the six-month
periods ended June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009. The Company is governed by
the Income Tax Law of the PRC concerning the private-run enterprises, which are
generally subject to tax at a new statutory rate of 25% and were, until
January 2008, subject to tax at a statutory rate of 33% (30% state income
tax plus 3% local income tax) on income reported in the statutory financial
statements after appropriate tax adjustments.
As
approved by the local tax authority of Dachang County, the Company’s corporate
income tax (“CIT”) was assessed annually at a pre-determined fixed rate as an
incentive to stimulate the local economy and encourage entrepreneurship. The
Company’s assessed income taxes were $0 for the six-month period ended June
30, 2010 and were $58,480 for the six months ended June 30,
2009.
Although
the possibility exists for reinterpretation of the application of the tax
regulations by higher tax authorities in the PRC, potentially overturning the
decision made by the local tax authority, the Company has not experienced any
reevaluation of its income taxes for prior years. Management believes that the
possibility of any reevaluation of income taxes is remote based on the fact that
the Company has obtained the written tax clearance from the local tax authority.
Thus, no additional taxes payable has been recorded for the difference between
the taxes due based on taxable income calculated according to the statutory
taxable income method and the taxes due based on the fixed rate method. It is
the Company’s policy that if such reevaluation of income taxes becomes
probable and the amount of additional taxes due can be reasonably estimated,
additional taxes shall be recorded in the period in which the amount can be
reasonably estimated and shall not be charged retroactively to an earlier
period.
13.
Weighted Average Number of Shares
In
February 2010, the Company entered into a share exchange transaction which has
been accounted for as a reverse merger under the purchase method of accounting
since there has been a change of control. The Company computes the
weighted-average number of common shares outstanding in accordance with ASC 805,
Business Combinations, which states that in calculating the weighted average
shares when a reverse merger takes place in the middle of the year, the number
of common shares outstanding from the beginning of that period to the
acquisition date shall be computed on the basis of the weighted-average number
of common shares of the legal acquiree (the accounting acquirer) outstanding
during the period multiplied by the exchange ratio established in the merger
agreement. The number of common shares outstanding from the acquisition date to
the end of that period shall be the actual number of common shares of the legal
acquirer (the accounting acquiree) outstanding during that period.
F-15
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
14.
|
Earnings
Per Share
|
The
following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per
share for the periods presented:
For
the Six months ended June 30,
|
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||
Numerator
used in basic net income per share:
|
||||||||
Net
(loss) / income
|
$ | 10,314,391 | $ | 3,248,746 | ||||
Shares
(denominator):
|
||||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
|
9,919,214 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Plus:
weighted average incremental shares from assumed exercise of
warrants
|
- | - | ||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding used in computing diluted net income per
common share
|
9,919,214 | 9,875,001 | ||||||
Earnings
per ordinary share-basic and diluted
|
$ | 1.05 | $ | 0.33 |
15.
|
Commitment
and Contingency
|
As of
June 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company had no operating leases,
pending litigation, or potential overdue charges for bank loans as the Company
normally repaid interest and loan principal based on the contractual
terms.
16.
|
Segment
Reporting
|
The
Company operates in only one industry segment and in only one geographic region,
which is the PRC. In terms of products type, there were six major products
including cold-rolled coil, cold-rolled sheet, black strip, bright strip,
tin-plated sheet and welded pipe. These products had different margins for
interim periods presented which were disclosed in detail in Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.
17.
|
Stockholders’
Equity
|
On April
28, 2010, A. G. Volney Center, Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of
the State of Delaware (“AGVO” or the “Company”) and its majority shareholder,
Mr. Joseph C. Passalaqua, entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Gold
Promise Group (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. (“Gold Promise”), a company incorporated in
Hong Kong, and its shareholders. Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, the
shareholders of Gold Promise transferred and assigned to the Company all of its
issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of Gold Promise, in exchange
for 10,000 newly issued shares of the Company’s Series A Convertible
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, (the “Share Exchange”), representing, in the
aggregate, 98.75% of our issued and outstanding common shares on an as-converted
to common stock basis. As a result of this Share Exchange, Gold Promise
became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
F-16
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
(Formerly
A.G. Volney Center, Inc.)
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
Subsequent
to Closing of the Share Exchange, the new management of Volney affected a
1-for-186 stock reverse split of our outstanding shares of common stock (the
“Reverse Split”). Immediately subsequent to the Reverse Split, the 10,000
newly issued Series A Convertible Preferred Stock were automatically converted
into 9,875,001 shares of common stock (“Converted Common Shares”) in accordance
with the Certificate of Designation of the Series A Convertible Preferred
Stock. In addition, prior holders of 125,040 shares of common stock
continued to hold those shares.
As of
June 30, 2010, there were 10,000,041 shares of common stock issued and
outstanding.
F-17
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2009 AND 2008
F-18
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
F-20
|
|
Balance
Sheets as of December 31, 2009 and 2008
|
F-21
|
|
Statements
of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008
|
F-22
|
|
Statements
of Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years ended December 31, 2009
and 2008
|
F-23
|
|
Statements
of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008
|
F-24
|
|
Notes
to Financial Statements
|
F-25
- F-37
|
F-19
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the
Board of Directors and
Stockholders
of Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.
We have
audited the accompanying balance sheets of Dachang Hui Autonomous County
Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd. as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the
related statements of income, stockholders’ equity and comprehensive income, and
cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31,
2009. Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co.,
Ltd.’s management is responsible for these financial statements. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audit.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. The company is not required to
have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over
financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over
financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are
appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an
opinion on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial
reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes
examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in
the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of Dachang Hui Autonomous County
Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd. as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the
results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the
two-year period ended December 31, 2009 in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
/s/
Friedman LLP
Friedman LLP
Marlton,
New Jersey
April 6,
2010
F-20
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.
Balance
Sheets
As of December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Assets
|
||||||||
Current
assets
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ | 7,609,826 | $ | 2,232,473 | ||||
Restricted
cash
|
17,182,807 | 29,043,582 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
7,704,160 | 757,625 | ||||||
Other
receivables
|
314,835 | 365,362 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
88,781 | 202,301 | ||||||
Inventory
|
20,386,511 | 103,754,750 | ||||||
Due
from shareholders
|
358,774 | 886,676 | ||||||
Advances
to suppliers
|
35,760,307 | 23,836,795 | ||||||
Value
added tax recoverable
|
322,754 | 17,005,754 | ||||||
Total
current assets
|
89,728,755 | 178,085,318 | ||||||
Property,
plant and equipment
|
||||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
|
33,869,949 | 37,520,342 | ||||||
Construction-in-progress
|
657,877 | 494,285 | ||||||
Total
property, plant and equipment
|
34,527,826 | 38,014,627 | ||||||
Other
assets
|
||||||||
Intangible
assets, net
|
1,122,949 | 1,149,768 | ||||||
Long-term
investments
|
219,716 | 219,860 | ||||||
Total
other assets
|
1,342,665 | 1,369,628 | ||||||
Total
assets
|
$ | 125,599,246 | $ | 217,469,573 | ||||
Liabilities
and shareholders' equity
|
||||||||
Current
liabilities
|
||||||||
Bank
notes payable
|
$ | 29,580,781 | $ | 38,021,253 | ||||
Short-term
debts
|
28,270,104 | 19,347,746 | ||||||
Accounts
payable
|
11,360,335 | 6,823,496 | ||||||
Advances
from customers
|
39,152,737 | 146,273,280 | ||||||
Taxes
payable
|
1,455,116 | 187 | ||||||
Other
payables
|
475,266 | 365,375 | ||||||
Due
to related parties
|
131,830 | 1,587,234 | ||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
110,426,169 | 212,418,571 | ||||||
Long-term
debt
|
- | 1,685,599 | ||||||
Shareholders'
equity
|
||||||||
Paid-in
capital
|
6,040,398 | 6,040,398 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
16,280,130 | 16,280,130 | ||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(2,516,801 | ) | (2,521,671 | ) | ||||
Accumulated
deficits
|
(4,630,650 | ) | (16,433,454 | ) | ||||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
15,173,077 | 3,365,403 | ||||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders' equity
|
$ | 125,599,246 | $ | 217,469,573 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial
statements
F-21
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.
Statements
of Income
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Revenue
|
$ | 275,779,038 | $ | 185,810,277 | ||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
||||||||
Depreciation
|
4,018,384 | 2,190,747 | ||||||
Cost
of sales
|
255,383,515 | 172,505,368 | ||||||
Total
cost of goods sold
|
259,401,899 | 174,696,115 | ||||||
Gross
profit
|
16,377,139 | 11,114,162 | ||||||
Operating
expenses
|
||||||||
Selling
expenses
|
1,211,272 | 1,232,176 | ||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
1,357,014 | 1,402,207 | ||||||
Depreciation
|
125,837 | 125,920 | ||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
2,694,123 | 2,760,303 | ||||||
Income
from operations
|
13,683,016 | 8,353,859 | ||||||
Other
income (expenses)
|
||||||||
Other
income
|
327,620 | 439,544 | ||||||
Other
expenses
|
(174,976 | ) | (157,472 | ) | ||||
Interest
expenses
|
(1,974,300 | ) | (2,167,062 | ) | ||||
Total
other income (expenses)
|
(1,821,656 | ) | (1,884,990 | ) | ||||
Net
income before income tax
|
11,861,360 | 6,468,869 | ||||||
Provision
for income tax
|
(58,556 | ) | (144,891 | ) | ||||
Net income
|
$ | 11,802,804 | $ | 6,323,978 | ||||
Other
comprehensive income (loss)
|
||||||||
Foreign
currency translation gain (loss)
|
4,870 | (1,114,220 | ) | |||||
Comprehensive income
|
$ | 11,807,674 | $ | 5,209,759 | ||||
Basic
and diluted income per common share
|
||||||||
Basic
|
$ | 1.95 | $ | 1.05 | ||||
Diluted
|
$ | 1.95 | $ | 1.05 | ||||
Weighted
average number of common shares outstanding
|
||||||||
Basic
|
6,040,398 | 6,040,398 | ||||||
Diluted
|
6,040,398 | 6,040,398 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial
statements
F-22
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.
Statements
of Shareholders' Equity
Additional
|
Accumulated Other
|
Retained
|
||||||||||||||||||
Paid-in Capital
|
Paid-in Capital
|
Comprehensive loss
|
Earnings
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31,2007
|
$ | 6,040,398 | $ | 59,007 | $ | (1,407,451 | ) | $ | (22,757,432 | ) | $ | (18,065,478 | ) | |||||||
Additional
capital contributed
|
16,221,123 | 16,221,123 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net
income of the year
|
6,323,978 | 6,323,978 | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign
currency translation loss
|
(1,114,220 | ) | (1,114,220 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2008
|
6,040,398 | 16,280,130 | (2,521,671 | ) | (16,433,454 | ) | 3,365,403 | |||||||||||||
Net
income for the year
|
11,802,804 | 11,802,804 | ||||||||||||||||||
Foreign
currency translation gain
|
4,870 | 4,870 | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2009
|
$ | 6,040,398 | $ | 16,280,130 | $ | (2,516,801 | ) | $ | (4,630,650 | ) | $ | 15,173,077 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial
statements
F-23
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.
Statements
of Cash Flows
For the Years Ended December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Cash
flow from operating activities
|
||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 11,802,804 | $ | 6,323,978 | ||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used
|
||||||||
in)
operating activities
|
||||||||
Depreciation
- cost of goods sold
|
4,018,384 | 2,190,747 | ||||||
Depreciation
- operating expenses
|
125,837 | 125,920 | ||||||
Amortization
of land use right
|
26,045 | 25,606 | ||||||
Net
changes in assets and liabilities
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(6,942,865 | ) | 226,415 | |||||
Other
receivables
|
79,241 | (64,543 | ) | |||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
113,318 | (145,707 | ) | |||||
Inventories
|
83,249,853 | (42,292,089 | ) | |||||
Advances
to suppliers
|
(11,932,058 | ) | (9,564,683 | ) | ||||
Value
added tax recoverable
|
16,661,784 | (8,662,934 | ) | |||||
Accounts
payable
|
4,538,611 | (10,896,696 | ) | |||||
Advances
from customers
|
(106,959,891 | ) | 72,007,675 | |||||
Taxes
payable
|
1,454,056 | (286 | ) | |||||
Other
payables
|
110,066 | 11,674 | ||||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
(3,654,815 | ) | 9,285,077 | |||||
Cash
flows from investing activities
|
||||||||
Purchase
of fixed assets and addition of construction-in-progress
|
(684,555 | ) | (4,285,305 | ) | ||||
Lending
to officers
|
(28,985 | ) | - | |||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(713,540 | ) | (4,285,305 | ) | ||||
Cash
flow from financing activities
|
||||||||
Restricted
cash
|
11,860,775 | (11,303,164 | ) | |||||
Repayments
of related party loans
|
(926,484 | ) | (1,031,915 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from short-term debts
|
8,929,748 | - | ||||||
Repayment
of short-term debts
|
- | (5,631,305 | ) | |||||
Repayment
of long-term debts
|
(1,683,477 | ) | (863,521 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from bank notes payable
|
- | 13,139,905 | ||||||
Repayment
of bank notes payable
|
(8,410,359 | ) | - | |||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
9,770,203 | (5,690,001 | ) | |||||
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
(24,495 | ) | 1,520,325 | |||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalent
|
5,377,353 | 830,097 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of year
|
2,232,473 | 1,402,376 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of year
|
$ | 7,609,826 | $ | 2,232,473 | ||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information
|
||||||||
Interest
paid
|
$ | 1,797,356 | $ | 2,168,018 | ||||
Income
taxes paid
|
$ | 58,556 | $ | 144,891 | ||||
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash transactions
|
||||||||
Capital
contributed by shareholders in form of fixed assets
|
$ | - | $ | (15,946,347 | ) |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial
statements
F-24
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
1.
|
Basis
of Presentation and
Organization
|
Dachang
Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd. (“the Company”) was
registered on September 9, 1999 in Dachang County, Hebei Province, the People’s
Republic of China (“PRC”). The Company has registered capital of
$6,040,398 and is primarily engaged in the business of manufacturing, marketing
and sales of high precision, ultra thin cold-rolled steel products.
The
financial statements have been prepared in order to present the financial
position and results of operations in accordance with the accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and are expressed
in the U.S. Dollars.
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
|
Use
of Estimates
In
preparing the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America, management makes estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial
statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting year. Significant estimates, required by management, include the
recoverability of long-lived assets and the valuation of
inventories. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
Cash
and Equivalents
The Company considers all
highly liquid debt instruments purchased with maturity period of three months or
less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amounts reported in the
accompanying balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents approximate their fair
value.
Accounts
Receivables and Other Receivables
Accounts
receivable consists of balances due from customers for the sale of the Company’s
steel products. Accounts receivable are recorded at net realizable value
consisting of the carrying amount less an allowance for uncollectible
amounts.
The
Company performs periodical reviews as to whether the carrying values of
accounts have become impaired. The assets are considered to be
impaired if the collectability of the balances become doubtful, accordingly, the
management estimates the valuation allowance for anticipated uncollectible
receivable balances. When facts subsequently become available to indicate that
the allowance provided requires an adjustment, then the adjustment will be
classified as a change in estimate. The management of the Company determined
that no allowance for doubtful accounts was necessary for the years ended
December 31, 2009 and 2008 since all accounts receivables and other receivables
are considered fully collectible.
Long-term
Investment
Long-term
investments are accounted for using the cost method and are evaluated annually
for any impairment in value.
F-25
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Inventory
Inventory
is stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using
the weighted average method. Market value represents the estimated selling price
in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs necessary to
complete the sale.
The cost
of inventory comprises all costs of purchases, costs of conversion and other
costs incurred in bringing the inventory to their present location and
condition. The costs of conversion of inventory include fixed and
variable production overheads, taking into account the stage of
completion.
Advances
to Suppliers
In order
to insure a steady supply of raw materials, the Company is required from time to
time to make cash advances when placing its purchase orders. The management
determined that no reserve was necessary for advance to suppliers for the years
ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.
Property,
Plant and Equipment
Property,
plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated
depreciation. The cost of an asset comprises its purchase price and
any directly attributable costs of bringing the asset to its present working
condition and location for its intended use.
Depreciation
is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the
related assets and assumes a 10% salvage value at the end of the assets useful
life. The estimated useful lives for significant property and
equipment are as follows:
Buildings
|
20
years
|
Machineries
|
10
years
|
Office
equipment
|
5
years
|
Motor
vehicles
|
5
years
|
Repairs
and maintenance costs are normally charged to the statement of operations in the
year in which they are incurred. In situations where it can be
clearly demonstrated that the expenditure has resulted in an increase in the
future economic benefits expected to be obtained from the use of the asset, the
expenditure is capitalized as an additional cost of the asset.
Property,
plant and equipment are evaluated annually for any impairment in
value. Where the recoverable amount of any property and equipment is
determined to have declined below its carrying amount, the carrying amount is
reduced to reflect the decline in value. There were no property and
equipment impairments recognized during the years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008.
F-26
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
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.
Advances
from Customers
Advance
from customers consist of amounts received from customers relating to the sales
of the Company’s steel products. The Company recognizes these funds
as a current liability until the revenue can be recognized.
Revenue
Recognition
The
Company recognizes revenues under the FAS Codification Topic 605 (“ASC 605”).
Sales revenue is recognized when all of the following have occurred: (i)
persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred or
services have been rendered, (iii) the price is fixed or determinable, and (iv)
the ability to collect is reasonably assured. These criteria are generally
satisfied at the time of delivery for sales when risk of loss and title passes
to the customer. Revenue is reported net of all value added
taxes. Other income is recognized when it is earned.
Cost
of sales
Costs of
sales include costs of the products sold, inbound freight costs, cost of direct
labor and overhead. Write-down of inventory to lower of cost or market is also
recorded in cost of sales.
Foreign
Currency Translation
The
Company’s financial information is presented in US dollars. The functional
currency of the Company is Renminbi (“RMB”), the currency of the PRC.
Transactions at the Company which are denominated in currencies other than RMB
are translated into RMB at the exchange rate quoted by the People’s Bank of
China prevailing at the dates of the transactions. Exchange gains and losses
resulting from transactions denominated in a currency other than that RMB are
included in statements of operations as exchange gains. The financial statements
of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 52, “Foreign
Currency Translation”, which was subsequently codified within ASC 830, “Foreign
Currency Matters”. The financial information is first prepared in RMB and then
is translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates as to assets and
liabilities and average exchange rates as to revenue and expenses. Capital
accounts are translated at their historical exchange rates when the capital
transactions occurred. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments
are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in
shareholders’ equity.
December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
RMB:
US$ exchange rate
|
6.8270 | 6.8225 | ||||||
Average
RMB: US$ exchange rate
|
6.8311 | 6.9483 |
F-27
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2. Summary of Significant
Accounting Policies (Continued)
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
dollars at the rates used in translation
Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income tax under the provisions of Financial
Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
No.740 "Income Taxes", which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and
liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of the events that have
been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred
income taxes are recognized for all significant temporary differences between
tax and financial statements bases of assets and liabilities. Valuation
allowances are established against net deferred tax assets when it is more
likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be
realized. The Company had no deferred tax as of December 31, 2009 and
2008.
Value
added tax
The
Provisional Regulations of the People’s Republic of China Concerning Value Added
Tax (“VAT”) promulgated by the State Council came into effect on January 1,
1994. Under these regulations and the Implementing Rules of the
Provisional Regulations of the People’s Republic of China Concerning Value Added
Tax, value added tax is imposed on goods sold in or imported into the PRC and on
processing, repair and replacement services provided within the
PRC.
Value
added tax payable in the PRC is charged on an aggregated basis at a rate of 13%
or 17% (depending on the type of goods involved) on the full price collected for
the goods sold or, in the case of taxable services provided, at a rate of 17% on
the charges for the taxable services provided, but excluding, in respect of both
goods and services, any amount paid in respect of value added tax included in
the price or charges, and less any deductible value added tax already paid by
the taxpayer on purchases of goods and services in the same financial year.
Certain offshore and overseas sales are not subject to VAT tax.
As of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company’s VAT recoverable amounted to US$322,754
and $17,005,754, respectively.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
Fair
value of financial instruments is the amount at which the financial instruments
could be exchanged for in a current transaction between willing parties. The
carrying amounts of certain financial instruments, including cash, accounts
receivable, other receivables, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other
payables approximate their fair values as at December 31, 2009 and
2008 because of the relatively short-term maturity of these
instruments.
F-28
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Impairment
of Long-lived Assets
Long-lived
assets, which include property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and
long-term investments, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable.
Recoverability
of long-lived assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the
carrying amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows
expected to be generated by the assets. If the carrying amount
of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment
charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset
exceeds the fair value of the assets. Fair value is generally
determined using the asset’s expected future discounted cash flows or market
value, if readily determinable.
Comprehensive
income
Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards ("FAS") No. 130, “Reporting Comprehensive
Income”, which was subsequently codified within ASC 220, “Comprehensive Income”,
requires disclosure of all components of comprehensive income and loss on an
annual and interim basis. Comprehensive income and loss is defined as the change
in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other
events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Accumulated other comprehensive
income (loss) arose from the changes in foreign currency exchange
rates.
Statement
of Cash Flows
In
accordance with SFAS 95, "Statement of Cash Flows," which was subsequently
codified within ASC 230, “Statement of Cash Flows”, cash flows from the
Company's operations is calculated based upon the local currencies. As a result,
amounts related to assets and liabilities reported on the statements of cash
flows will not necessarily agree with changes in the corresponding balances on
the balance sheets.
Commitments
and Contingencies
In the
normal course of business, the company is subject to contingencies, including
legal proceedings and claims arising out of the normal course of businesses that
relate to a wide range of matters, including among others, product liability.
The company records accruals for such contingencies based upon the assessment of
the probability of occurrence and where determinable, and estimate of the
liability. Management may consider many factors in making these assessments
including past history, scientific evidence and the specifics of each matter. As
management has not become aware of any product liability claims arising from any
incident over the years, the company has not recognized a liability for product
liability claims
F-29
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Shipping
costs
Shipping
costs are expensed as incurred. Shipping costs were included in selling expenses
and amounted to $391,347 and $331,695 for the years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008, respectively.
Advertising
Advertising
is expensed as incurred and is included in selling expenses. There was no
advertising expense for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.
Subsequent
Events
The
Company has evaluated subsequent events that have occurred through the date of
this financial statement issuance.
Earnings
per Share
Basic
earnings per share are computed by dividing income available to common
shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during
the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed similar to basic earnings per
share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of
additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential
common shares had been issued and if the additional common shares were dilutive.
There are no such additional common shares available for dilution purposes for
years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.
Risks
and Uncertainties
The
operations of the Company are located in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company's
business, financial condition, and results of operations may be influenced by
the political, economic, and legal environments in the PRC, as well as 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.
Segments
The
Company operates in only one segment and in only one geographic region, which is
the PRC, thereafter segment disclosure is not presented.
F-30
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Risks
of Losses
The
Company is potentially exposed to risks of losses that may result from business
interruptions, injury to others (including employees) and damage to
property. These losses may be uninsured, especially due to the fact that
the Company’s operations are in China, where business insurance is not readily
available. If: (i) information is available before the Company’s financial
statements are issued or are available to be issued indicates that such loss is
probable and (ii) the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, an
estimated loss will be accrued by a charge to income. If such loss is
probable but the amount of loss cannot be reasonably estimated, the loss shall
be charged to the income of the period in which the loss can be reasonably
estimated and shall not be charged retroactively to an earlier period. As
of December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company has not experienced any uninsured
losses from injury to others or other losses.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In April
2009, the FASB updated the accounting standards to provide guidance on
estimating the fair value of a financial asset or liability when the trade
volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly
decreased relative to historical levels. The standard requires entities to
disclose the inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value and any
changes in valuation inputs or techniques. In addition, debt and equity
securities as defined by GAAP shall be disclosed by major category. This
standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June
15, 2009, with early adoption permitted for periods ending after March 15, 2009,
and is to be applied prospectively. The adoption did not have a material effect
on the Company's results of operations and financial condition.
In May
2009, the FASB issued guidance related to subsequent events under ASC 855-10,
Subsequent Events. This guidance sets forth the period after the balance sheet
date during which management or a reporting entity should evaluate events or
transactions that may occur for potential recognition or disclosure, the
circumstances under which an entity should recognize events or transactions
occurring after the balance sheet date, and the disclosures that an entity
should make about events or transactions that occurred after the balance sheet
date. It requires disclosure of the date through which an entity has evaluated
subsequent events and the basis for that date, whether that date represents the
date the financial statements were issued or were available to be issued. This
guidance is effective for interim and annual periods ending after June 15, 2009.
We have included the required disclosures in our consolidated condensed
financial statements.
In June
2009, the FASB issued an amendment to ASC 810-10, Consolidation. This guidance
amends ASC 810-10-15 to replace the quantitative-based risks and rewards
calculation for determining which enterprise has a controlling financial
interest in a VIE with a primarily qualitative approach focused on identifying
which enterprise has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most
significantly impact the entity’s economic performance. It also requires ongoing
assessments of whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of a VIE and
requires additional disclosures about an enterprise’s involvement in VIEs. This
guidance is effective as of the beginning of the reporting entity’s first annual
reporting period that begins after November 15, 2009 and earlier adoption is not
permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the
adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated condensed financial
statements.
F-31
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
2.
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
In June
2009, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2009-01 which amends ASC
105, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. This guidance states that the ASC
will become the source of authoritative U.S. GAAP recognized by the FASB to be
applied by nongovernmental entities. Once effective, the Codification’s content
will carry the same level of authority. Thus, the U.S. GAAP hierarchy will be
modified to include only two levels of U.S. GAAP: authoritative and
non-authoritative. This is effective for financial statements issued for interim
and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. We adopted ASC 105 as
of September 30, 2009 and thus have incorporated the new Codification citations
in place of the corresponding references to legacy accounting
pronouncements.
In August
2009, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2009-05, Measuring
Liabilities at Fair Value, which amends ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and
Disclosures. This Update provides clarification that in circumstances in which a
quoted price in an active market for the identical liability is not available, a
reporting entity is required to measure the fair value using one or more of the
following techniques: a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the
identical liability or similar liabilities when traded as an asset, which would
be considered a Level 1 input, or another valuation technique that is consistent
with ASC 820. This Update is effective for the first reporting period (including
interim periods) beginning after issuance. Thus, we adopted this guidance as of
September 30, 2009, which did not have a material impact on our consolidated
condensed financial statements.
In
September 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amended existing
authoritative guidance to improve financial reporting by enterprises involved
with variable interest entities and to provide more relevant and reliable
information to users of financial statements. The amended guidance is effective
for fiscal annual reporting periods beginning after November 15, 2009, for
interim periods within that first annual reporting period, and for interim and
annual reporting periods thereafter. The Company is currently assessing the
impact, if any, of adoption may have on its financial statements or
disclosures.
3.
|
Restricted
Cash
|
As of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company has restricted cash of $17,182,807 and
$29,043,582, respectively. These restricted cash was required by the lenders to
maintain a minimum 50% - 100% of the balance of the acceptance notes (see Note
11) as collateral to ensure future credit availability. The Company
earns interest at a variable rate per month on these restricted
cash.
4.
|
Concentrations
of Business and Credit Risk
|
The
Company provides credit sales in the normal course of business. The
Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and clients and
maintains allowances for doubtful accounts based on factors surrounding the
credit risk of specific customers and clients, historical trends, and other
information. Accounts receivable totaled $7,704,160 and
$757,625 and other receivables were $314,835 and $365,362 as of December
31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. There are no allowances recorded by
the Company as all receivables are considered fully collectible.
F-32
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
5.
|
Inventory
|
As of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, inventory consisted of the following:
December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Raw
materials
|
$ | 10,275,786 | $ | 56,335,115 | ||||
Work
in progress
|
2,631,074 | 2,582,354 | ||||||
Finished
goods
|
7,479,651 | 44,837,281 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 20,386,511 | $ | 103,754,750 |
6.
|
Property,
Plant and Equipment
|
Property,
plant and equipment, stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, consisted of
the following:
December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Plant and
building
|
$ | 4,352,992 | $ | 4,355,863 | ||||
Machinery
and equipment
|
41,203,594 | 40,722,478 | ||||||
Motor
vehicles
|
120,940 | 114,776 | ||||||
Office
equipment
|
164,497 | 157,751 | ||||||
Subtotal
|
45,842,023 | 45,350,868 | ||||||
Accumulated
depreciation
|
(11,972,074 | ) | (7,830,526 | ) | ||||
Construction
in progress
|
657,877 | 494,285 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 34,527,826 | $ | 38,014,627 |
Depreciation
expense for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 were $4,144,221 and
$2,316,667, respectively.
7.
|
Advances
to Suppliers
|
As a
normal practice of doing business in China, the Company is frequently required
to make advance payments to suppliers for purchases of raw materials. Such
advance payments are interest free. The balances of advances to suppliers were
$35,760,307 and $23,836,795 as of December 31, 2009 and 2008,
respectively.
F-33
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
8.
|
Long-term
Investment
|
The
balance of long-term investment represents the Company’s equity investment in
Dachang Xiadian Rural Credit Cooperative (“DRCC”). The Company holds 3.75% of
the total interest of DRCC. The purpose of the investment is to facilitate the
Company’s financing for working capital needs. Long-term investments are
accounted for using the cost method. The management determined that no
impairment was needed for the years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008.
9.
|
Intangible
Assets
|
Intangible
asset consists of land use rights only. All land in the People’s Republic of
China is government owned and cannot be sold to any individual or company.
Instead, the government grants the user a “Land use right” (the “Right”) to use
the land. The Company acquired three Rights during the period from year 2000 to
2003 for the aggregate amount of RMB8,895,838 (currently US$1,303,038). The
Company has the right to use these lands for 50 years and amortizes the Right on
a straight-line basis over 50 years.
The land
use rights at December 31, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:
December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Cost
|
$ | 1,303,038 | $ | 1,303,898 | ||||
Less:
Accumulated amortization
|
(180,089 | ) | (154,130 | ) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 1,122,949 | $ | 1,149,768 |
The
amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 was $26,035
and $25,606, respectively.
10.
|
Bank
Notes Payable
|
The
balance of bank notes payable represents the outstanding and used notes that are
guaranteed to be paid by the banks and usually for a short-term period of six
months. For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, the unused and available
borrowings under bank notes facilities were $1,183,830 and $-0-,
respectively. In addition, the Company is required to maintain cash
deposits at a minimum 50% to 100% of the total balance of the bank acceptance
notes with the banks in order to ensure future credit availability.
F-34
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
11.
|
Short-term
Debts
|
In order
to provide working capital for operations, the company entered into the
following short- term loan agreements as of December 31, 2009 and
2008.
December 31,
|
||||||||
Lenders
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||
Xiadian City
Rural Credit Cooperative
|
$ | 2,636,590 | $ | 4,397,215 | ||||
Agricultural Bank of China,
Dachang Branch
|
15,819,540 | 14,071,088 | ||||||
Huaxia Bank, Shijiazhuang
Branch
|
7,323,861 | - | ||||||
Shenzhen Zengshun Import and
Export Co., Ltd.
|
2,490,113 | - | ||||||
China Development Bank, Hebei
Branch
|
- | 879,443 | ||||||
Total Short-term
Debts
|
$ | 28,270,104 | $ | 19,347,746 |
The loans
from the Xiadian City Rural Credit Cooperative are loans with fixed terms of
twelve months or less. The interest was at fixed rate per annum 8.496% for 2009,
but varied from 7.44% to 7.47% per annum for 2008.
The loans
from the Agricultural Bank, Dachang Branch are loans with fixed terms of twelve
months or less. The interest was at fixed rate per annum 5.842% for 2009, and
varied from 7.668% to 9.711% per annum for 2008.
The above
loans are secured by the Company’s land use right and building with the total
estimated value of $30,996,821.
The loans
borrowed from Shenzhen Zengshun Import and Export Co., Ltd., an unrelated
company, has no fixed repayment terms. This loan is unsecured, interest-fee and
due upon demand.
The loan
from the Huaxia Bank, Shijiazhuang Branch has a one year term, maturing on April
29, 2010. The loan bears an annual fixed interest of 5.841%. This loan is
secured by the Company’s production line with the total value of
$22,484,254
The loan
from China Development Bank Branch represents the current portion of a long-term
loan the company borrowed in 2006 (see Note 12).
F-35
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
12.
|
Long-Term
Debts
|
The
balance of long-term debt represents the non-current portion of a loan from
China Development Bank. The loan term is from May 15, 2006 to May 14, 2011 with
a fixed interest rate of 6.732% per annum for the first year, adjustable
annually based on prevailing lending rate of the People’s Bank of China plus 10%
afterwards. The loan was guaranteed by an unrelated party and was repaid in full
in November 2009.
13.
|
Advances
from Customers
|
Advances
from customers represent advance cash receipts from new customers and for which
goods have not been delivered as of the balance sheets
dates. Advances from customers for goods to be delivered in the
subsequent year are carried forward. As of December 31, 2009 and 2008, there were advances from
customers of $39,152,737 and $146,273,280, respectively.
14.
|
Related
Party Transactions
|
As of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, the balance of due from related
parties is as follows:
December 31,
|
||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||
Xianmin
Meng
|
$ | 171,208 | $ | 171,320 | ||||
Hongzhong
Li
|
187,566 | 715,356 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 358,774 | $ | 886,676 |
Mr.
Hongzhong Li is the Chairman and the 96% shareholder of the Company and the
husband of Xianmin Meng. And Xianmin holds the rest 4% of the
Company.
As of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, the balance of due to related
parties represents the loan borrowed from Hebei Buddha Engineering Technology
Co., Ltd., an affiliated company also owned by Hongzhong Li.
The
balances with the related parties have no fixed repayment terms. These balances
are unsecured, interest-fee and due upon demand.
F-36
DACHANG
HUI AUTONOMOUS COUNTY BAOSHENG STEEL PRODUCTS CO., LTD
NOTES
TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009 AND 2008
15.
|
Income
Tax
|
The
Company did not generate any taxable income outside of the PRC for the years
ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. The Company is governed by the Income Tax Law
of the PRC concerning the private-run enterprises, which are generally subject
to tax at a new statutory rate of 25% and were, until January 2008, subject to
tax at a statutory rate of 33% (30% state income tax plus 3% local income tax)
on income reported in the statutory financial statements after appropriate tax
adjustments.
On March
16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of China approved the Corporate Income
Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China (the New CIT Law), which is effective
from January 1, 2008. Under the new law, the corporate income tax rate
applicable to all Companies, including both domestic and foreign-invested
companies, will be 25%, replacing the current applicable tax rate of
33%. However, pending the detailed implementation rulings from the
tax authorities, we believe that some of the tax concession granted to eligible
companies prior to the new CIT laws will be grand fathered.
As
approved by the local tax authority of Dachang County, the Company’s CIT was
assessed annually at a pre-determined fixed rate as an incentive to stimulate
local economy and encourage entrepreneurship. For the years ended December 31,
2009 and 2008, the Company’s assessed income taxes were $58,556 and $144,891,
respectively.
Although
the possibility exists for reinterpretation of the application of the tax
regulations by higher tax authorities in the PRC, potentially overturning the
decision made by the local tax authority, the Company has not experienced any
reevaluation of the income taxes for prior years. Management believes that the
possibility of any reevaluation of income taxes is remote based on the fact that
the Company has obtained the written tax clearance from the local tax authority.
Thus, no additional taxes payable has been recorded for the difference between
the taxes due based on taxable income calculated according to statutory taxable
income method and the taxes due based on the fixed rate method. It is the
Company’s policy that if such reevaluation of income taxes becomes probable and
the amount of additional taxes due can be reasonably estimated, additional taxes
shall be recorded in which period the amount can be reasonably estimated and
shall not be charged retroactively to an earlier period.
16.
|
Shareholders’
Equity
|
The
Company was incorporated under the laws of the PRC in September 1999 with a
total registered capital of $6,040,398. The capital was fully paid in as of
August 30, 2004 from two shareholders of the Company.
The
industry practice in the PRC does not require the issuance of stock certificates
to the shareholders, nor a third party transfer agent to maintain the records.
For the purpose of financial reporting, the Company elected to designate one (1)
share of common stock for each US$ contributed. Accordingly, there were
6,040,398 shares of common stock issued and outstanding for the years ended
December 31, 2009 and 2008.
In September 2008, the Board of
Directors of the Company approved the shareholders’ capital contribution in form of fixed
assets to expand the Company’s production capacity. The total amount
of the capital contribution was $15,946,347 and was recorded in additional
paid-in capital.
F-37
|
_____________
Units
Each
Unit Consisting of Two Shares of
Common
Stock and One Warrant
Prospectus
Ladenburg
Thalmann & Co. Inc.
We have
not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to provide any
information or make any representations about Buddha Steel, Inc. except the
information or representations contained in this prospectus. You should not rely
on any additional information or representations if made.
This
prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer
to buy any securities:
|
·
|
except
the securities offered by this
prospectus;
|
|
·
|
in
any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not
authorized;
|
|
·
|
in
any jurisdiction where the dealer or other salesperson is not qualified to
make the offer or solicitation;
|
|
·
|
to
any person to whom it is unlawful to make the offer or solicitation;
or
|
|
·
|
to
any person who is not a United States resident or who is outside the
jurisdiction of the United States.
|
The
delivery of this prospectus or any accompanying sale does not imply
that:
|
·
|
there
have been no changes in the affairs of Buddha Steel, Inc. after the date
of this prospectus; or
|
|
·
|
the
information contained in this prospectus is correct after the date of this
prospectus.
|
PART
II
INFORMATION
NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13.
|
Other
Expenses of Issuance and
Distribution.
|
The
estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in
this registration statement (other than the underwriting discounts and
commissions) will be as follows. With the exception of the filing fees for the
U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, FINRA and NASDAQ, all amounts are
estimates.
U.S. Securities Exchange Commission registration fee
|
$ | 2,754 | ||
FINRA
filing fee
|
$ | 4,363 | ||
NASDAQ
listing fee
|
$ | 125,000 | ||
Legal
fees and expenses
|
$ |
200,000
|
||
Accounting
fees and expenses
|
$ |
30,000
|
||
Printing
fees
|
$ |
30,000
|
||
Miscellaneous
|
$ |
7,883
|
||
Total
|
$ |
400,000
|
Item 14.
|
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
|
Section
145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation’s board of
directors to grant, and authorizes a court to award, indemnity to officers,
directors and other corporate agents.
As
permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our
company’s certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the
personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of their
fiduciary duty as directors. To the extent Section 102(b)(7) is interpreted, or
the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended, to allow similar protections
for officers of a corporation, such provisions of our company’s certificate of
incorporation shall also extend to those persons. In addition, we have entered
into Indemnification Agreements with our Directors, which provide for similar
rights.
In
addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law,
the bylaws, certificate of incorporation and Indemnification Agreements of our
company provide that:
|
·
|
The
Company shall indemnify its directors and officers for serving our company
in those capacities or for serving other business enterprises at our
company’s request, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
Delaware law provides that a corporation may indemnify such person if such
person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of our company and, with
respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
such person’s conduct was unlawful.
|
|
·
|
The
Company may, in its discretion, indemnify employees and agents in those
circumstances where indemnification is permitted by applicable
law.
|
|
·
|
The
Company is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and
officers in connection with defending a proceeding, except that such
director or officer shall undertake to repay such advances if it is
ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to
indemnification.
|
|
·
|
The
Company will not be obligated pursuant to the bylaws to indemnify a person
with respect to proceedings initiated by that person, except with respect
to proceedings authorized by our company’s board of directors or brought
to enforce a right to
indemnification.
|
|
·
|
The
rights conferred in the bylaws are not exclusive, and our company is
authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with its directors,
officers, employees and agents and to obtain insurance to indemnify such
persons.
|
|
·
|
The
Company may not retroactively amend the bylaw provisions to reduce its
indemnification obligations to directors, officers, employees and
agents.
|
These
indemnification provisions may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification
of our company’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement
of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933. The
Company may at the discretion of the board of directors purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who holds or who has held any position
identified in the paragraph above against any and all liability incurred by such
person in any such position or arising out of his status as such.
II-1
Insofar
as indemnification by us for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling the company pursuant
to provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws, 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.
In the event that a claim for indemnification by such director, officer or
controlling person of us in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being offered, we will, unless in the opinion of
our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a
court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 15.
|
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
|
On April 28, 2010, Buddha issued 10,000
shares of Series A Preferred Stock to the shareholders of Gold Promise.
The total consideration for
the 10,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock was 10,000 common shares of Gold
Promise, which is all the issued and outstanding capital stock of Gold
Promise. The number of Buddha shares issued to the shareholders of Gold
Promise was determined based on an arm’s-length negotiation. The issuance of
Buddha Series A Preferred Stock to the shareholders of Gold Promise was made in
reliance on the exemption provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act for the
offer and sale of securities not involving a public offering and Regulation D
promulgated thereunder.
On April 28, 2010, Buddha issued
5,920,027 shares of its Common Stock to Joseph C. Passalaqua in consideration
for Mr. Passalaqua retiring approximately $187,000 in liabilities of A.G.
Volney immediately prior to
the Share Exchange. The issuance of Buddha shares to Mr. Passalaqua was
made in reliance on the exemption provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act
for the offer and sale of securities not involving a public offering and
Regulation D promulgated
thereunder.
Buddha issued securities in reliance
upon Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act. These shareholders who
received the securities in such instances made representations that (a) the
shareholder is acquiring the securities for his, her or its own account
for investment and not for the account of any other person and not with a view
to or for distribution, assignment or resale in connection with any distribution
within the meaning of the Securities Act, (b) the shareholder agrees not to sell or otherwise
transfer the purchased shares unless they are registered under the Securities
Act and any applicable state securities laws, or an exemption or exemptions from
such registration are available, (c) the shareholder has knowledge and experience in financial and
business matters such that he, she or it is capable of evaluating the merits and
risks of an investment in us, (d) the shareholder had access to all of our
documents, records, and books pertaining to the investment and was provided the opportunity ask
questions and receive answers regarding the terms and conditions of the offering
and to obtain any additional information which we possessed or were able to
acquire without unreasonable effort and expense, and (e) the shareholder has no need for the liquidity in
its investment in us and could afford the complete loss of such investment.
Management made the determination that the investors in instances where Buddha
relied on Regulation D are accredited investors (as defined in Regulation D) based upon
management’s inquiry into their sophistication and
net worth. In addition, there was no general solicitation or advertising for
securities issued in reliance upon Regulation D.
In instances described above where
Buddha indicates that it
relied upon Section 4(2) of the Securities Act in issuing securities,
Buddha’s reliance was based upon the following
factors: (a) the issuance of the securities was an isolated private transaction
by us which did not involve a public offering; (b) there were only a limited number of
offerees; (c) there were no subsequent or contemporaneous public offerings of
the securities by Buddha; (d) the securities were not broken down into smaller
denominations; and (e) the negotiations for the sale of the stock took place directly between the
offeree and Buddha.
Shares of Series A Preferred Stock
automatically converted into shares of common stock on the basis of one share of
Series A Preferred Stock for 987.5 shares of common stock upon the effectiveness
of a 1-for-186 reverse
split of our outstanding common stock (the “Reverse Split”). Upon the Reverse Split, the
10,000 outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock automatically converted
into 9,875,001 shares of common stock, which constitute 98.75% of the outstanding post-Reverse Split
common stock of Buddha.
II-2
Item 16.
|
Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules
|
(a)
Exhibits
The
following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus:
Exhibit
Number
|
Document
|
|
1.1
|
Form
of Underwriting Agreement(1)
|
|
2.1
|
Share
Exchange Agreement, dated as of April 28, 2010, among A.G. Volney
Center, Inc., Gold Promise Group (Hong Kong) Co., Limited (“Gold
Promise”), the shareholders of Gold Promise, Joseph C. Passalaqua, Carl E.
Worboys and Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products
Co., Ltd.(2)
|
|
3.1
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation(3)
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
and Restated Bylaws(3)
|
|
4.1
|
Form
of Common Stock Certificate(1)
|
|
4.2
|
Form
of Warrant(1)
|
|
4.3
|
Form
of Underwriter Warrant(1)
|
|
5.1
|
Form
of Opinion of Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.(1)
|
|
10.1
|
Consulting
Services Agreement, dated April 2, 2010, between Hebei Anbang Investment
Consultation Co., Ltd. and Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel
Products Co., Ltd.(2)
|
|
10.2
|
Operating
Agreement, dated April 2, 2010, among Hebei Anbang Investment Consultation
Co., Ltd. and Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co.,
Ltd. and its shareholders(2)
|
|
10.3
|
Voting
Rights Proxy Agreement, dated April 4, 2010, among Hebei Anbang
Investment Consultation Co., Ltd. and Dachang Hui Autonomous County
Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd. and its
shareholders(2)
|
|
10.4
|
Option
Agreement, dated April 2, 2010, among Hebei Anbang Investment Consultation
Co., Ltd. and Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel Products Co.,
Ltd. and its shareholders(2)
|
|
10.5
|
Equity
Pledge Agreement, dated April 2, 2010, among Hebei Anbang Investment
Consultation Co., Ltd. and Dachang Hui Autonomous County Baosheng Steel
Products Co., Ltd. and its shareholders(2)
|
|
10.6
|
Lease
Agreement, dated November 11, 2005, between Dachang Hui Autonomous County,
Xiadian Town, Xiaodingfu Village Committee and Dachang Hui Autonomous
County Baosheng Steel Products Co., Ltd.(2)
|
|
10.7
|
Form
of Warrant Agreement between our company and Pacific Stock Transfer
Company(1)
|
|
10.8
|
Employment
Agreement with Yuanmei Ma(3)
|
|
10.9
|
Employment
Agreement with Hongzhong Li(3)
|
|
10.10 | Form of Purchase Agreement with Sinosteel Company(3) | |
10.11 | Form of Purchase Agreement with Tangshan Guofeng Steel Company(3) | |
14.1
|
|
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics(3)
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of Registrant(3)
|
|
23.1
|
Consent
of Friedman LLP(3)
|
II-3
23.2
|
Consent
of Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. (included in Exhibit
5.1)(1)
|
|
23.3
|
Consent of AllBright Law Firm (1) | |
24.1
|
|
Power
of Attorney (included at page S-1)(3)
|
99.1
|
Consent
of director appointees to serve on board of
directors(3)
|
|
99.2
|
Form
of Opinion of AllBright Law Firm(1)
|
|
99.3
|
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance Policy (3) |
(1) To
be filed by amendment.
(2) Incorporated
by reference to Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 30, 2010 (SEC Accession
No. 0001144204-10-023596).
(3) Filed
herewith.
(4) Incorporated
by reference to Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 27, 2010 (SEC Accession
No. 0000939802-10-000135).
(b)
Financial Statement Schedules
None.
Item 17.
|
Undertakings
|
The
Registrant hereby undertakes:
|
(a)
|
to
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement
to:
|
(i)
|
include
any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities
Act;
|
(ii)
|
reflect
in the prospectus any facts or events which, individually or together,
represent a fundamental change in the information in the registration
statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities
offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from
the low- or high-end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule
424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no
more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth
in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective
registration statement; and
|
(iii)
|
include
any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change
to such information in the registration
statement.
|
(b)
|
that,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act,
each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
offering thereof.
|
(c)
|
to
file a post-effective amendment to remove from registration any of the
securities that remain unsold at the end of the
offering.
|
(d)
|
that
insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registration of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person to the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such
issue.
|
II-4
(e)
|
that,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any
purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a
registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration
statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in
reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the
registration statement as of the date it is first used after
effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration
statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made
in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the
registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration
statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to
such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the
registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration
statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of
first use.
|
(f)
|
that,
for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the
Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the
securities, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the
securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such
purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the Registrant
will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell
such securities to such purchaser:
|
(i)
|
any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the Registrant relating to the
offering filed pursuant to Rule
424;
|
(ii)
|
any
free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf
of the Registrant or used or referred to by the
Registrant;
|
(iii)
|
the
portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering
containing material information about the Registrant or its securities
provided by or on behalf of the Registrant;
and
|
(iv)
|
any
other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the
Registrant to the purchaser.
|
II-5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-1 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the People’s Republic of China, on September 17,
2010.
Buddha
Steel, Inc.
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Hongzhong Li
|
Name:
|
Hongzhong Li
|
Title:
|
(Chief
Executive Officer)
|
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|
Date:
|
September
17, 2010
|
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL
PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does
hereby constitute and appoint Hongzhong Li as his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution,
for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any
and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration
Statement and sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by
this Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and all
post-effective amendments thereto and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting
unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection
therewith and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he
might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact and agent, or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Date:
|
September
17, 2010
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated:
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
/S/ Hongzhong Li
|
Chief
Executive Officer (Principal Executive
|
September
17, 2010
|
||
Hongzhong
Li
|
Officer)
and Director
|
|||
/S/ Yuanmei Ma
|
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial and
|
September
17, 2010
|
||
Yuanmei
Ma
|
Accounting
Officer)
|
|||
/S/ Xianmin Meng
|
Director
|
September
17, 2010
|
||
Xianmin
Meng
|
||||
/S/ Zhenqi Chen
|
Director
|
September
17, 2010
|
||
Zhenqi
Chen
|