UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
Form
10-Q
x
QUARTERLY REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For the
quarterly period ended September 30, 2009
or
¨
TRANSITION REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For the
transition period from ______________ to ______________
Commission
File No.
GLOBAL ENERGY HOLDINGS
GROUP, INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware
|
|
84-1169517
|
(State
or Other Jurisdiction of
|
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
|
Incorporation
or Organization)
|
|
Identification
No.)
|
|
|
|
3348
Peachtree Road NE
Tower
Place Building 200, Suite 250
Atlanta, Georgia
|
|
30326
|
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
|
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(404)
814-2500
(Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Former
Name, Former Address and Formal Fiscal Year, If Changed Since Last
Report)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.
x
Yes
¨
No
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit and post such files).
¨
Yes
¨
No
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,”
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
o
|
|
Accelerated
filer
o
|
|
|
|
Non-accelerated
filer
o
(Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
|
Smaller reporting company
x
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
¨
Yes
x
No
As of
November 23, 2009 there were 28,921,103 shares of the registrant’s common stock,
$0.001 par value, outstanding.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
|
PAGE
|
|
|
|
NOTE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
|
3
|
|
|
|
PART
I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
ITEM
1.
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
|
4
|
|
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 (UNAUDITED)
AND DECEMBER 31, 2008
|
4
|
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
2009 AND 2008 (UNAUDITED)
|
5
|
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
2009 (UNAUDITED)
|
6
|
|
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 AND
2008 (UNAUDITED)
|
7
|
|
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
8
|
|
|
|
ITEM
2.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
19
|
|
|
|
ITEM
3.
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
|
27
|
|
|
|
ITEM
4T.
|
CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
|
27
|
|
|
|
PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
ITEM
1.
|
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM 1A.
|
RISK
FACTORS
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM
2.
|
UNREGISTERED
SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM
3.
|
DEFAULTS
UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM
4.
|
SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM
5.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
28
|
|
|
|
ITEM
6.
|
EXHIBITS
|
29
|
NOTE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. These statements relate to future economic performance, plans
and objectives of management for future operations and projections of revenues
and other financial items that are based on the beliefs of our management, as
well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our
management.
The words
“may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “future,”
“intend,” “could,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or the
negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements
relate to our intent, belief or expectation regarding our strategies and plans,
including the following:
|
·
|
development of our renewable
energy business, including landfill gas-to-energy
projects;
|
|
·
|
our investments in strategically
relevant, early stage energy
companies;
|
|
·
|
the possible sale of one or more
of our properties; and
|
|
·
|
the ways we may finance our
future development and investment
activities.
|
Other
forward-looking statements relate to trends affecting our financial condition
and results of operations, our anticipated capital needs and expenditures, and
how we may address these needs.
These
statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including industry and
economic conditions, competition and other factors discussed in this report and
our other filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those that
are anticipated in the forward-looking statements. See Part II, Item
1A, “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Item 1A, “Risk
Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008
for a description of some of the important factors that may affect actual
outcomes.
For these
forward-looking statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for
forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. The cautionary statements made in this report are
intended to be applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever
they may appear in this report. You should not place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this
report. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements
attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in
their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this
section. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
PART
I - Financial Information
Item
1. Financial Statements
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc.
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
(in
thousands, except share data)
|
|
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
117
|
|
|
$
|
443
|
|
Short-term
marketable securities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,153
|
|
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
|
|
532
|
|
|
|
520
|
|
Total
current assets
|
|
|
649
|
|
|
|
4,116
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property
and equipment, net
|
|
|
132
|
|
|
|
2,110
|
|
Property
held for sale
|
|
|
4,918
|
|
|
|
3,500
|
|
Property
previously held for development
|
|
|
700
|
|
|
|
966
|
|
Intangible
assets landfill gas purchase rights held for sale
|
|
|
3,350
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other
assets
|
|
|
547
|
|
|
|
1,619
|
|
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
|
$
|
10,296
|
|
|
$
|
12,311
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
|
$
|
4,296
|
|
|
$
|
2,647
|
|
Accrued
expenses– related party
|
|
|
280
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Notes
payable – related party
|
|
|
362
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Security
deposits
|
|
|
330
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
|
5,268
|
|
|
|
2,647
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note
payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
279
|
|
Minority
interest
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
116
|
|
Capitalized
lease obligation
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
5,268
|
|
|
|
3,047
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments
and contingencies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders'
equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred
stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Common
stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized;
28,921,103 and 29,070,103 shares issued and outstanding in 2009 and
2008, respectively
|
|
|
29
|
|
|
|
29
|
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
|
89,414
|
|
|
|
89,318
|
|
Accumulated
deficit
|
|
|
(84,415
|
)
|
|
|
(80,083
|
)
|
Total
stockholders' equity
|
|
|
5,028
|
|
|
|
9,264
|
|
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
$
|
10,296
|
|
|
$
|
12,311
|
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
(in
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
sales
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
3,721
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
21
|
|
Cost
of sales, including depreciation of $0 and $346 for nine months ended
September 30, 2009 and 2008 and $0 and $116 for three months ended
September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
5,077
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
306
|
|
Gross
loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(1,356
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(285
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
4,473
|
|
|
|
6,197
|
|
|
|
1,287
|
|
|
|
2,505
|
|
Stock
compensation expense
|
|
|
96
|
|
|
|
106
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
(68
|
)
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
Impairment
losses on property held for development and research and license
agreements
|
|
|
752
|
|
|
|
972
|
|
|
|
522
|
|
|
|
972
|
|
Gain
on sale of intangible assets-landfill gas purchase rights
|
|
|
(150
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Research
and development
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
235
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
65
|
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
5,223
|
|
|
|
7,565
|
|
|
|
1,833
|
|
|
|
3,492
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss
from operations before other income (expense)
|
|
|
(5,223
|
)
|
|
|
(8,921
|
)
|
|
|
(1,833
|
)
|
|
|
(3,777
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
170
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
38
|
|
Interest
expense
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(40
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(12
|
)
|
Gain
on sale of grain inventory
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
318
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
177
|
|
Gain
on sale of interest in Southeast Biofuels, LLC
|
|
|
395
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Gain
on sale of investment in New Generation Biofuels Holdings,
Inc.
|
|
|
583
|
|
|
|
1,978
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
154
|
|
Equity
in net loss of New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(618
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(201
|
)
|
Other
than temporary impairment loss on investment in Carbon Motors
Corp.
|
|
|
(30
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Other
than temporary impairment loss on investment in Consus
Ethanol
|
|
|
(250
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(250
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Other
income
|
|
|
142
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
19
|
|
|
|
15
|
|
Total
other income (expense)
|
|
|
891
|
|
|
|
1,824
|
|
|
|
(217
|
)
|
|
|
171
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss
|
|
$
|
(4,332
|
)
|
|
$
|
(7,097
|
)
|
|
$
|
(2,050
|
)
|
|
$
|
(3,606
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
and diluted net loss per share
|
|
$
|
(0.15
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.25
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.07
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.13
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
average number of shares outstanding
|
|
|
28,609,103
|
|
|
|
28,609,103
|
|
|
|
28,609,103
|
|
|
|
28,609,103
|
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(Unaudited)
(in
thousands)
|
|
Common Stock
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Paid-in
Capital
|
|
|
Accumulated
Deficit
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Balance
at December 31, 2008 (See Note 2)
|
|
$
|
29,070
|
|
|
$
|
29
|
|
|
$
|
89,318
|
|
|
$
|
(80,083
|
)
|
|
$
|
9,264
|
|
Stock
compensation expense
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
96
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
96
|
|
Forfeiture
of restricted common stock under 2005 Incentive Compensation
Plan
|
|
|
(149
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net
loss
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4,332
|
)
|
|
|
(4,332
|
)
|
Balance
at September 30, 2009
|
|
|
28,921
|
|
|
$
|
29
|
|
|
$
|
89,414
|
|
|
$
|
(84,415
|
)
|
|
$
|
5,028
|
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
(in
thousands)
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
Cash flows
from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(4,332
|
)
|
|
$
|
(7,097
|
)
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss
to net cash used in operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and
amortization
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
596
|
|
Issuance of common stock, stock
options and warrants for services rendered
|
|
|
96
|
|
|
|
106
|
|
Gain on sale of stock in New
Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
(583
|
)
|
|
|
(1,978
|
)
|
Gain on sale of interest in
Southeast Biofuels, LLC
|
|
|
(394
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Gain
on sale of intangible assets - landfill gas purchase
rights
|
|
|
(150
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Impairment
loss on investment in Carbon Motors Corp.
|
|
|
30
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Equity in net loss of New
Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
618
|
|
Impairment
loss on investment in Consus Ethanol
|
|
|
250
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Loss
on sale of assets
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Impairment
losses on property held for development and research and license
agreements
|
|
|
752
|
|
|
|
972
|
|
Changes in operating assets and
liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
564
|
|
Inventories
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
181
|
|
Other assets
|
|
|
248
|
|
|
|
264
|
|
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
|
|
1,648
|
|
|
|
(1,037
|
)
|
Accounts payable – related
parties
|
|
|
280
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net cash used in operating
activities
|
|
|
(2,098
|
)
|
|
|
(6,811
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows
from investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of property
and equipment
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
(40
|
)
|
Purchase of intangible
assets
|
|
|
(3,050
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from sale of
shares in Carbon Motors Corp.
|
|
|
132
|
|
|
|
(250
|
)
|
Deposits
received on sale of Blairstown
|
|
|
330
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Investment in note receivable
Consus Ethanol, LLC
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(500
|
)
|
Proceeds
from sale of intangible assets - landfill gas purchase
rights
|
|
|
250
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds from redemption of
short-term marketable securities
|
|
|
3,153
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Reclassification
from cash and cash equivalents to short-term marketable
securities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(3,153
|
)
|
Proceeds from sale of investment
in New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
583
|
|
|
|
1,853
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in)
investing activities
|
|
|
1,
415
|
|
|
|
(2,090
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows
from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds of issuance of notes
payable-related party
|
|
|
387
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payment
of notes payable-related party
|
|
|
(25
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payment of notes payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(12
|
)
|
Payment of capitalized lease
obligation
|
|
|
(5
|
)
|
|
|
(6
|
)
|
Net cash provided by (used in)
financing activities
|
|
|
357
|
|
|
|
(18
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net decrease
in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
(326
|
)
|
|
|
(8,919
|
)
|
Cash and cash
equivalents - beginning of period
|
|
|
443
|
|
|
|
12,322
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents - end of period
|
|
$
|
117
|
|
|
$
|
3,403
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
Disclosures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest paid
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non cash
investing and financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cancellation of note
payable and minority interest payable relating to the sale of
Southeast Biofuels,
LLC
|
|
$
|
395
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1.
|
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS,
ORGANIZATION AND GOING
CONCERN
|
Global
Energy Holdings Group, Inc. (the “Company”) is a diversified renewable energy
company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Company’s principal operating
division is Global Energy Systems, Inc. (“GES”).
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that
the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization
of assets and the liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of
business. However, the Company has reported net losses of $13.3
million and $31.3 million and negative cash flows from operations of $10.3
million and $9.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the
Company has reported a net loss of $4.3
million and negative
cash flows from operations of $2.1 million. The Company will need
substantial additional cash to pursue its plans and projects, and given the
current economic and financial climate, the Company can give no assurance that
it will be able to raise the additional capital it needs on commercially
acceptable terms, or at all. The Company will need to reduce costs
and raise additional financing to fund operations and long term business
objectives. The Company’s continued existence is dependent upon
several factors, including obtaining additional debt or equity financing, and
developing and completing renewable energy projects. In the event
Management is unsuccessful in these efforts, the Company is likely to seek
relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This relief may include (i)
seeking bankruptcy court approval for the sale of most or substantially all of
our assets pursuant to section 363(b) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code; (ii) pursuing
a plan of reorganization; or (iii) seeking another form of bankruptcy relief,
all of which involve uncertainties, potential delays and litigation
risks. As a result of the preceding factors, there is a substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The
Company’s consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that
might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
The
Company’s properties and investments currently include the
following:
|
·
|
a former pharmaceutical plant in
Augusta, Georgia and a former fiberboard manufacturing facility in Spring
Hope, North Carolina, both of which the Company is seeking to
sell;
|
|
·
|
the rights to purchase landfill
gas produced at the Hickory Ridge landfill in Conley, Georgia;
and
|
|
·
|
minority investments in other
renewable energy or clean tech
businesses.
|
The
Company’s only source of operating revenue had been from its sales of ethanol
and related products at its Blairstown corn-based ethanol plant, which due to
the high prices for corn and natural gas, ceased production of ethanol on May 1,
2008 to reduce operating losses. On August 31, 2009 the Company’s
wholly owned subsidiary, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, entered into an agreement for
the sale of this facility to Fiberight, LLC for a purchase price of $1.65
million, and the sale was completed on November 17, 2009.
NOTE 2.
|
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES
|
Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements and related footnotes should be
read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related
footnotes contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2008 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) on April 15, 2009.
The
consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the
rules and regulations of the SEC related to interim statements. The financial
information contained herein is unaudited; however, in the opinion of
management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of such financial
information have been included. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring
nature. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2009 and 2008 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the
full year. The balance sheet presented as of December 31, 2008 is derived from
audited financial statements.
The
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its
wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and
transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Subsequent
Events
The
Company evaluated subsequent events through the time of filing this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q on November 23, 2009. The following events occurred
subsequent to the balance sheet date but prior to the filing of this report that
could have a material impact on our consolidated financial
statements.
Completion of Sale of the
Blairstown, Iowa Ethanol Facility
. On August 31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels,
LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an agreement for the
sale of the Company’s Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility to Fiberight, LLC for a
purchase price of $1.65 million. Fiberight paid to the Company an
earnest money deposit of $165,000. The parties expected the
transaction to close on or before September 30, 2009, but Fiberight extended the
closing date to November 15, 2009 with an additional deposit of
$165,000. The sale of the Blairstown, Iowa facility to Fiberight, LLC
was completed on November 17, 2009. Net proceeds to the Company on
November 17, 2009 (exclusive of the deposit amounts and other disbursements and
costs relating to the transaction) were $950,000.
Settlement of Legal Dispute
.
The Company recently reached settlement of a legal dispute for $250,000 in favor
of the Company. After legal fees, the Company expects to receive
$135,000 from this settlement on or about November 25, 2009, at which time a
gain will be recognized equal to the cash proceeds received.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of
contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates include the
valuation of shares and options issued for services or in connection with
acquisitions, the valuation of investments, fixed assets and
intangibles, write-downs related to impairments, estimated useful lives of
long-lived assets and accruals for litigation and other
contingencies. The Company evaluates its estimates on an ongoing
basis. Actual results could differ from those estimates in the near
term under different assumptions or conditions.
Classifications
and Adjustments
During
the first quarter of 2009, the Company corrected the presentation of
stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2008. The correction to
stockholders’ equity related to restricted common stock which was issued in
October 2008 and initially classified as stock options in our Form 10-K filed on
April 15, 2009. While preparing our first quarter 2009 Form 10-Q, we
discovered this error which did not impact any stockholders’ equity balances,
but increased our common stock outstanding. The discovery of the
error increased common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2008 from 28,609,103
to 29,070,103, an increase of 461,000 shares. The common stock
underlying the restricted stock grant is considered legally issued but is not
included in the calculation of basic earnings per share as the stock has not
vested. Since this correction had no effect to the balance of
stockholders’ equity or basic earnings per share as of and for the period ending
December 31, 2008, the Company does not consider this correction material to any
previously reported consolidated financial statements.
Certain
other immaterial prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the
current year presentation.
Cash,
Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Marketable Securities
The
Company invests its excess cash in money market funds and in highly liquid debt
instruments of the U.S. government and its agencies. All highly
liquid investments with stated maturities of three months or less from date of
purchase are classified as cash equivalents; all investments with stated
maturities of greater than three months are classified as marketable
securities.
Approximately $3,153,000 of the
Company’s cash as of December 31, 2008 was held in the Reserve U.S. Government
Fund (a money market fund). In September 2008, redemptions were
temporarily suspended from the reserve fund so that an orderly liquidation could
be effected for the protection of the reserve fund’s
investors. Accordingly, the Company reclassified the fair value of
its $3,153,000 held in this fund from cash and cash equivalents to short-term
marketable securities on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2008
because the investment in the reserve fund did not then meet the definition of
cash equivalent. During the three months ended March 31, 2009, the
Company received all of its current holdings in the reserve fund at no
loss.
Restricted
Investments
The
Company has an investment of $220,000 with Wells Fargo Bank related to the
alcohol producers license administered by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and
Firearms. This investment is restricted through March 2010 and is
recorded within prepaid expenses and other current assets on the balance
sheets.
Loss
per Common Share
Loss per
share (“EPS”) is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares
outstanding and excludes any potential dilution. Diluted EPS reflects
the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to
issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in
the issuance of common stock, which would then share in the earnings of the
Company. The shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and
warrants are excluded from the calculation of net loss per share, as their
effect would be antidilutive.
During
the periods presented, the Company had securities outstanding that could
potentially dilute earnings per share in the future, but were excluded from the
computation of diluted earnings per share, as their effect would have been
antidilutive. The antidilutive securities are as follows (in
thousands):
|
|
Balance at September 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Employee
stock options
|
|
|
5,358
|
|
|
|
5,320
|
|
Unvested
restricted stock
|
|
|
312
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Series
A warrants
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,517
|
|
Series
B warrants
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
759
|
|
Placement
agent warrants
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
607
|
|
Other
warrants
|
|
|
545
|
|
|
|
1,213
|
|
|
|
|
6,215
|
|
|
|
9,416
|
|
Concentration
of Credit Risk
Cash that
is deposited with major financial institutions or invested in money market funds
is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Costs
Associated with Issuance of Stock
Investment
banking fees and related costs associated with the sale of stock are charged to
stockholders’ equity.
Stock
Issued for Non-Cash Consideration
Shares of
common stock issued for services, and in connection with acquisitions, have been
valued at the estimated fair value of the shares at the time they were
issued.
Investments
The
Company accounts for its investments in variable interest entities in accordance
with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) accounting
standards. A variable interest entity (“VIE”) is a corporation,
partnership, trust, or any other legal structure used for business purposes
where equity investors do not provide sufficient financial resources for the
entity to support its activities. The FASB accounting standards
require a VIE to be consolidated by a company if that company is the primary
beneficiary of the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is an entity
that is subject to a majority of the risk of loss from the VIE’s activities, or
entitled to receive a majority of the entity’s residual returns, or
both.
The
Company's investments consist of both equity method and cost method investments.
Investments are accounted for under the equity method if the Company has the
ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies,
generally representing an ownership interest between 20% and 50%, and under the
cost method if this significant influence does not exist. The cost method
investments are carried at cost on the consolidated balance sheets and dividend
income is recognized when dividends are declared. The equity method investments
are carried at an amount adjusted each year for the appropriate percentage of
the income/loss on the investment. The Company periodically reviews all
investments for impairment and writes investments down as
necessary.
Costs
of Start-up Activities
Start-up
activities are defined broadly in FASB guidance, as those one-time activities
related to opening a new facility, introducing a new product or service,
conducting business in a new territory, conducting business with a new class of
customer or beneficiary, initiating a new process in an existing facility, or
commencing some new operation or activities related to organizing a new
entity. The Company’s start-up activities consist primarily of costs
associated with new or potential sites for renewable energy projects, including
biomass gasification and landfill gas-to-energy projects. All the
costs associated with a potential site are expensed, until the site is
considered viable by management, at which time costs would be considered for
capitalization based on authoritative accounting literature. These
costs are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in the
consolidated statement of operations.
Property,
Plant and Equipment
Property,
plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Major additions are
capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful
lives. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as
incurred. Depreciation is computed using straight-line and
accelerated methods over the estimated useful lives of the
assets. The range of useful lives for each category of fixed assets
is as follows: buildings and land improvements – 20 years, process equipment –
10 years, lab equipment – 7 years, office equipment – 5 years, and computers – 3
years.
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
The
Company evaluates the impairment of long-lived assets, including property and
equipment and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not
be recoverable. The asset impairment review assesses the fair value
of the assets based on the future cash flows the assets are expected to
generate. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated
undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset plus
net proceeds expected from the disposition of the asset (if any) are less than
the related asset’s carrying amount. Impairment losses are measured
as the amount by which the carrying amounts of the assets exceed their fair
values. Property held for sale is recorded at the lower of its
carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Estimates of future
cash flows are judgments based on management’s experience and knowledge of the
Company’s operations and the industries in which the Company
operates. These estimates can be significantly affected by future
changes in market conditions and the economic environment. See Note 3,
Note 5, Note 6 and Note 8 for further discussion.
Intangible
Assets-Landfill Gas Purchase Rights
The
Company evaluates the impairment of intangible assets whenever events or changes
in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable.
The
Company’s intangible assets at September 30, 2009 consist of landfill gas
purchase rights at the Hickory Ridge landfill in Conley (DeKalb County), Georgia
(the “Hickory Ridge Landfill”) acquired during the three months ended March 31,
2009 for $3,350,000, of which $400,000 was paid in 2008. The
Company’s board of directors has decided to seek a buyer or significant equity
partner for the landfill gas rights at the Hickory Ridge
Landfill. The Company is currently in negotiations with potential
buyers and equity partners for the landfill gas rights with respect to its
Hickory Ridge Landfill project. The Company is classifying the
landfill gas rights as held for sale as the Company is no longer planning to
self-develop the gas rights.
The
Company purchased the rights to purchase the landfill gas at the Zemel Road
landfill in Port Charlotte, Florida (the “Zemel Road Landfill”) during the three
months ended March 31, 2009. The Company agreed to pay an aggregate
purchase price of $350,000 to acquire the landfill gas purchase rights at the
Zemel Road Landfill, with $100,000 already paid by the Company, and the
remaining $250,000 was payable by the Company when certain milestones with
respect to the Zemel Road Landfill gas project were met. The Zemel
Road Landfill gas purchase rights were held by the Company’s indirect
wholly-owned subsidiary, GES-Port Charlotte, LLC. On June 18, 2009,
the Company sold all of its equity interests in GES-Port Charlotte, LLC,
together with the Zemel Road Landfill gas purchase rights, to MAS Energy LFG 1,
LLC (“MAS”) for $250,000 in cash plus the assumption of the $250,000 in
milestone payables. The Company recorded a $150,000 gain on the sale
and has no further obligations on the project.
Revenue
Recognition
Revenue
is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of
products or services has occurred, the price is fixed and determinable, and
collectibility is reasonably assured. The Company considers these elements to be
met once a signed purchase order contract is accepted by both parties and the
delivery of products or services have been completed in accordance with the
terms of the agreement.
Research
and Development
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and
development costs were
$0 and
$65,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively,
and
$0 and $235,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and
2008, respectively. The research and development costs for the nine
months ended September 30, 2008 consisted of amortization expense relating to a
research agreement acquired in connection with the Company’s acquisition of
Advanced Biomass Gasification Technologies, Inc. in 2006.
Income
Taxes
Deferred
tax assets and liabilities are computed based on the difference between the book
and income tax bases of assets and liabilities using the enacted marginal tax
rate. Deferred income tax expenses or credits are based on changes in
the assets and liabilities from period to period. These differences
arise primarily from the Company’s net operating losses. Valuation
allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the
amount expected to be realized.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
The
carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued
expenses approximate fair value because of the short-term nature of these
instruments.
Segment
Reporting
The
Company has operated as a single segment. The Company’s only source
of revenue had been from its sales of ethanol and related products at its
Blairstown corn-based ethanol plant, which ceased ethanol production as of May
1, 2008.
Recently
Issued Accounting Standards
In
July 2009, the FASB issued the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the
“Codification”). The Codification became the single source of authoritative
nongovernmental U.S. GAAP, superseding existing FASB, American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) and
related literature. The Codification eliminates the previous US GAAP hierarchy
and establishes one level of authoritative GAAP. All other literature is
considered non-authoritative. The Codification was effective for interim and
annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. These
codification standards will have no impact on the Company’s financial condition,
result of operations or cash flows.
In
June 2009, the FASB issued amendments to the accounting rules for
variable interest entities and for transfers of financial assets. The new
guidance for variable interest entities eliminates the quantitative approach
previously required for determining the primary beneficiary of a variable
interest entity and requires ongoing qualitative reassessments of whether an
enterprise is the primary beneficiary. In addition, qualifying special purpose
entities are no longer exempt from consolidation under the amended guidance. The
amendments also limit the circumstances in which a financial asset, or a portion
of a financial asset, should be derecognized when the transferor has not
transferred the entire original financial asset to an entity that is not
consolidated with the transferor in the financial statements being presented,
and/or when the transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred
financial asset. This guidance is effective as of the beginning of the first
annual reporting period that begins after November 15, 2009. The Company does
not expect the adoption of these amendments to have a material impact on the
Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
In
May 2009, the FASB issued guidelines on subsequent event accounting which
sets forth: the period after the balance sheet date during which management of a
reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur for
potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements; the
circumstances under which an entity should recognize events or transactions
occurring after the balance sheet date in its financial statements; and the
disclosures that an entity should make about events or transactions that
occurred after the balance sheet date. The Company adopted the new disclosure
requirement beginning with the June 30, 2009 consolidated financial statements,
with no impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or
cash flows.
In
April 2008, the FASB issued new requirements regarding the determination of
the useful lives of intangible assets. In developing assumptions about renewal
or extension options used to determine the useful life of an intangible asset,
an entity needs to consider its own historical experience adjusted for
entity-specific factors. In the absence of that experience, an entity shall
consider the assumptions that market participants would use about renewal or
extension options. The new requirements apply to intangible assets acquired
after January 1, 2009. The Company adopted the requirement with no impact
on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash
flows.
In March
2008, the FASB issued guidance that requires enhanced disclosures about an
entity’s derivative and hedging activities and thereby improves the transparency
of financial reporting. This guidance requires that objectives for
using derivative instruments be disclosed in terms of underlying risk and
accounting designation. This disclosure better conveys the purpose of derivative
use in terms of the risks that the entity is intending to manage. Disclosing
information about credit-risk-related contingent features provides information
on the potential effect on an entity’s liquidity from using derivatives. The
guidance requires cross-referencing within the footnotes, which should help
users of financial statements locate important information about derivative
instruments. Requiring enhanced disclosures enables investors to better
understand their effects on an entity’s financial position, results of
operations and cash flows. The adoption of this guidance did not have
a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or
cash flows.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued new guidance on noncontrolling interests
(previously referred to as minority interest) in consolidated financial
statements. This guidance requires that the noncontrolling interest in the
equity of a subsidiary be accounted for and reported as equity, not as a
liability or other item outside of permanent equity; provides revised guidance
on the treatment of net income and losses attributable to the noncontrolling
interest and changes in ownership interests in a subsidiary; and requires
additional disclosures that identify and distinguish between the interests of
the controlling and noncontrolling owners. The adoption of the new guidance did
not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of
operations or cash flows.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued guidance on business combinations that broadens
the guidance of previously issued statements, extending its applicability to all
transactions and other events in which one entity obtains control over one or
more other businesses. It broadens the fair value measurement and
recognition of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and interests transferred
as a result of business combinations; and stipulates that acquisition related
costs be expensed rather than included as part of the basis of the
acquisition. This guidance expands required disclosures to improve
the ability to evaluate the nature and financial effects of business
combinations. This guidance is effective for all business
combinations entered into by the Company on or after January 1,
2009. This standard could materially impact the Company’s future
financial results to the extent that the Company makes significant acquisitions,
as related acquisition costs will be expensed as incurred compared to the
Company’s previous practice of capitalizing those costs and amortizing them over
the estimated useful life of the assets acquired.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued guidance on fair value, which defines fair
value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted
accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.
This guidance emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an
entity-specific measurement. Therefore, a fair value measurement should be
determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in
pricing the asset or liability. This guidance became effective for
our financial assets and liabilities on January 1, 2008. The FASB
initially deferred the implementation of provisions relating to certain
nonfinancial assets and liabilities, which we were required to adopt on January
1, 2009. The adoption of this fair value guidance did not materially affect how
the Company determines fair value.
Site
in Spring Hope, North Carolina
On
November 7, 2006, the Company purchased all of the fixed assets of a former
fiberboard manufacturing facility in Spring Hope, North Carolina from Carolina
Fiberboard Corporation LLC. The assets include 212 acres of land,
manufacturing and office space, and machinery and equipment. The
Company has determined that the Spring Hope facility does not fit within its
long-term corporate strategy, and on March 20, 2008, the Company’s board of
directors authorized the Company’s management to pursue the sale of the
facility, which it is doing. Before the Company sells the property
(or as a term of its sale), the Company expects that it will have to resolve
certain liens on the property filed by companies that performed, or have claimed
to have performed, environmental remediation and demolition work on the
property. The Company accrued $500,000 to settle claims and $450,000
for environmental clean-up at December 31, 2008. During 2009, the
Company completed an environmental study and the contaminated soils at the site
were remediated. The asbestos within the building has also been
contained as long as there is no further disturbance of the structures.
During the nine months
ended September 30, 2009 the Company adjusted the estimates to $350,000 for
environmental clean-up based on work performed during the Company’s
environmental remediation and $25,000 to settle claims through established
agreements.
These
adjustments were recorded in general and administrative expenses in the
consolidated income statements.
The Company can offer no assurance
regarding how long it will take to sell the facility or the price the Company
might receive. The carrying value of this property at September 30,
2009 and December 31, 2008 is $700,000 and $856,000, respectively, after the
recognition of an impairment charge of $156,000 for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2009 and is classified as property
previously held for development. The Company recognized the
impairment charge after determining that impairment indicators were present
based upon continued volatility in the real estate market and the low volume of
similar real estate transactions in Spring Hope, North Carolina. The
fair value used to determine the impairment was based upon prices for similar
properties sold in the area and also considered the condition of the related
fixed assets.
Site
in Augusta, Georgia
The
Company owns a former pharmaceutical manufacturing complex located in Augusta,
Georgia. The Company has determined that the Augusta facility does not fit
within its long-term corporate strategy, and on March 20, 2008, the Company’s
board of directors authorized the Company’s management to pursue the sale of the
facility, which it is currently doing. The Company can offer no
assurance regarding how long it will take to sell the facility or the price the
Company might receive. The carrying value of this property at
September 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008 was $3.4 million and $3.5 million,
respectively, after an impairment charge of $100,000 in the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2009 and was classified as property held for sale.
The Company recognized the impairment charge after determining that impairment
indicators were present based upon continued volatility in the real estate
market and the low volume of similar real estate transactions in Augusta,
Georgia. The fair value used to determine the impairment was based
upon prices for similar properties sold in the area and also considered the
condition of the related fixed assets.
NOTE 4.
|
PROPERTY AND
EQUIPMENT
|
Property
and equipment at the Company’s ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa, consists of
the following:
|
|
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
Land
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
28,000
|
|
Buildings
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
732,000
|
|
Machinery
and equipment
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
2,162,000
|
|
Land
improvements
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
569,000
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,491,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less
accumulated depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,587,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
1,904,000
|
|
On August
31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company,
entered into an agreement for the sale of its Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility
to Fiberight, LLC. Therefore, the property and equipment at the
Blairstown ethanol facility has been reclassified as property held for
sale. The sale of the Blairstown facility was completed on November
17, 2009.
Property
and equipment at the Company’s corporate office consists of the
following:
|
|
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
Furniture,
fixtures and equipment
|
|
$
|
293,000
|
|
|
$
|
324,000
|
|
Less
accumulated depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
161,000
|
|
|
|
118,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
132,000
|
|
|
$
|
206,000
|
|
NOTE 5.
|
PROPERTY HELD FOR
SALE
|
Property
held for sale consists of the following fixed assets at:
|
|
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
Land
|
|
$
|
509,000
|
|
|
$
|
371,000
|
|
Buildings,
machinery and equipment
|
|
|
4,409,000
|
|
|
|
3,129,000
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,918,000
|
|
|
$
|
3,500,000
|
|
The
Company has decided that its facility in Augusta, Georgia does not fit within
its long-term corporate strategy. The Company’s board of directors has decided
to seek a buyer for the facility. The Company can offer no assurance regarding
how long it will take to sell the facility or the price the Company might
receive. The carrying value of this property at September 30, 2009 is $3.4
million and at December 31, 2008, is $3.5 million.
On August
31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company,
entered into an agreement for the sale of its Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility
to Fiberight, LLC. Therefore, the property and equipment at the
Blairstown ethanol facility and property adjacent to the Blairstown ethanol
facility previously held for development (such property held for development
referred to as “Blairstown II”) were reclassified as property held for sale
during 2009. The carrying value of the ethanol plant assets and
Blairstown II land at September 30, 2009 is $1.4 million and $110,000,
respectively. Based on the agreed upon sale price in the executed
agreement with Fiberight, LLC of $1.65 million, less the estimated cost to sell,
the Company reduced the carrying value of the Blairstown property by $266,000
for the three months ended September 30, 2009.
For
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the Company recorded an
impairment loss totaling $496,000 on the Blairstown property.
The sale of
the Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility to Fiberight, LLC was completed on
November 17, 2009.
During
the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company recorded an impairment charge of
$554,000 on the fixed assets purchased in connection with the proposed citrus
waste-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Bartow, Florida. The carrying
value of this property at December 31, 2008 was $0. On January 19,
2009, the Company sold its majority interest in these assets to Renewable
Spirits, LLC in return for cancellation of the remaining balance on the note the
Company issued to Renewable Spirits in connection with the acquisition of the
assets. The remaining balance on the note at the time of the
agreement was $279,000. As a result of this agreement, the Company
recorded a gain on the sale of $395,000 during the three months ended March 31,
2009 representing the cancellation of the debt and minority interest payable of
$279,000 and $116,000, respectively. The Company no longer has an
interest in these assets.
NOTE 6.
|
PROPERTY PREVIOUSLY HELD FOR
DEVELOPMENT
|
Property
previously held for development at the Blairstown II and Spring Hope sites
consists of the following :
|
|
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
December 31,
2008
|
|
Land
|
|
$
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
966,000
|
|
On August
31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company,
entered into an agreement for the sale of its Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility
to Fiberight, LLC. Therefore, the Blairstown II property previously
held for development at December 31, 2008, with a carrying value of
$110,000, was reclassified as property held for sale during
2009. The sale of the Blairstown, Iowa ethanol facility to Fiberight,
LLC was completed on November 17, 2009.
As
discussed in Note 3, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $156,000 for
the land at the Spring Hope site as of September 30, 2009.
NOTE 7.
|
INTANGIBLE ASSETS – LANDFILL GAS
PURCHASE RIGHTS
|
On
February 2, 2009, the Company acquired, pursuant to a Landfill Gas Sale and
Purchase Agreement dated November 14, 2008 (as amended, the “Hickory Ridge
Agreement”), the right to purchase from a subsidiary of Republic Services, Inc.
(“Republic”) all of the landfill gas generated at Republic’s Hickory Ridge
Landfill through December 31, 2029. The Company’s board of directors
has decided to seek a buyer or significant equity partner for this landfill gas
purchase right and project. The Company is currently in negotiations
with potential buyers and equity partners for the landfill gas purchase rights
and project at the Hickory Ridge Landfill. The Company paid an
aggregate purchase price of $3,350,000, of which $400,000 was paid in 2008, to
acquire the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas purchase rights in the first quarter of
2009.
On
January 20, 2009, GES-Port Charlotte, LLC, then an indirect wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company, entered into a project assignment agreement (the
“Port Charlotte Project Assignment Agreement”) with North American Natural
Resources-Southeast, LLC (“NANR”). Under the Port Charlotte Project
Assignment Agreement, the Company acquired (a) all of NANR’s rights to purchase
from Charlotte County, Florida all the landfill gas generated by or at the Zemel
Road Landfill and (b) the exclusive right to construct and operate a landfill
gas-to-energy project at the Zemel Road Landfill. At the closing, the
Company paid NANR $100,000, which included a credit for the Company’s previous
non-refundable deposit of $10,000. In addition, the Company agreed to
pay the remaining balance of $250,000 to NANR in cash upon certain events or
milestones.
On June
18, 2009, the Company completed the sale of all of its equity interests in
GES-Port Charlotte, LLC, including the gas purchase rights at the Zemel Road
Landfill, to MAS. The Company recorded a gain on sale of intangible
assets of $150,000. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the
Company received $250,000 in cash and MAS assumed certain liabilities of the
Company. The only asset included in the sale was the Company’s right
to the landfill gas at the Zemel Road Landfill.
NOTE 8.
|
OTHER
INVESTMENTS
|
In
January 2008, the Company invested $250,000 in Carbon Motors Corporation, a
development stage American automaker developing a specially-built law
enforcement vehicle featuring a clean diesel engine that can operate on
biodiesel fuel. For its investment, the Company received 200,000
shares of Carbon Motors Series B Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series B Stock")
and a warrant that is initially exercisable for 30,000 shares of Series B Stock
at a price of $1.05 per share with a term of five years. Based upon
discussions with a potential buyer of the Company’s investment in Carbon Motors,
the Company recorded a $30,000 impairment loss on its investment in Carbon
Motors at June 30, 2009. This investment is included in “other
assets” in the consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2009 and December
31, 2008. On July 23, 2009, the Company sold 120,000 shares of Series
B Stock and a warrant to purchase 18,000 shares of Series B Stock for a total
purchase price of $132,000 to Ariel Savannah Angel Partners, LLC, a related
party through a relationship of a board member of the Company. The
$132,000 purchase price consisted of a $1.10 per share price assigned to the
Series B Stock and a de minimis value assigned to the warrants. As a
result of the July 23, 2009 transaction, the Company now holds 80,000 shares of
Series B Stock and a warrant to purchase 12,000 shares of Series B Stock for
$1.05 per share. The Company accounts for its investment in Carbon
Motors Corporation under the cost method.
In
January 2008, the Company made a $500,000 investment in Consus Ethanol, LLC, a
development stage company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pursuant to a
convertible promissory note. Consus Ethanol has a permitted site in
western Pennsylvania where it plans to build the first of several ethanol
plants. Its business model calls for a cogeneration plant using waste
coal to power the companion ethanol plant. The note bears interest at
the rate of 10% per annum and had an initial term of six
months. During July 2008, the Company and Consus agreed to extend the
note an additional six months through December 31, 2008. At December
31, 2008, the Company and Consus agreed to extend the note, including accrued
interest to date, with a combined balance of $548,493, until December 31,
2009. An additional 160,000 warrants were issued with an exercise
price of $1.25 per unit and an expiration date four years from the signing of
the note. The Company may also convert the outstanding principal and accrued
interest to shares of common stock by providing 30 days written notice to Consus
before the maturity date or in the event that Consus proposes to enter into
certain transactions. Northeast Securities, Inc. is a financial
advisor to Consus Ethanol, and the chairman of the Company’s board of directors
was also vice chairman of Northeast Securities until September
2008. The Company’s investment in Consus is included in “other
assets” in the consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2009 and December
31, 2008. Due to the Company’s uncertainty of collection of the
promissory note, the Company recognized an impairment loss of $250,000 for the
three months and nine months ended September 30, 2009. The Company
accounts for its investment in Consus Ethanol under the cost
method.
NOTE 9.
|
GAIN ON SALE OF NEW GENERATION
BIOFUELS HOLDINGS, INC.
SHARES
|
The
Company considered its investment in New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
(“NGBF”), formerly named H2Diesel Holdings, Inc., as a variable interest in a
VIE. NGBF is the licensee of a proprietary vegetable oil-based diesel
biofuel to be used as a substitute for conventional petroleum diesel and
biodiesel, heating and other fuels under an exclusive license agreement with the
inventor of the biofuel. NGBF had in turn sublicensed this technology
to the Company. Because the Company was not the primary beneficiary
of the VIE, the Company had accounted for its investment in NGBF under the
equity method of accounting. At December 31, 2008, the Company owned
5,301,300 shares of NGBF common stock. On March 18, 2009, the Company
sold its remaining 5,301,300 shares of NGBF common stock, which represented
26.1% of the outstanding common stock of NGBF, based on 20,280,614 shares
reported to be outstanding as of January 14, 2009 in NGBF’s Pre-Effective
Amendment No.1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on
January 15, 2009, to 2020 Energy, LLC, an Arizona limited liability
company, for an aggregate purchase price of $583,143. In connection
with the March 18, 2009 stock sale, the Company agreed to assign its rights in
the sublicense for the NGBF additive technology to 2020 Energy, LLC, conditioned
upon 2020 Energy, LLC obtaining the written consent of NGBF to the
assignment.
NOTE 10.
|
INCENTIVE COMPENSATION
PLAN
|
The
Company’s 2005 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) provides for grants of
stock options, stock appreciation rights, or SARs, restricted or deferred stock,
other stock-related awards and performance awards that may be settled in cash,
stock or other property. On February 12, 2008, at the Company’s
annual meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment to the Plan to
increase the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the
Plan from 4,000,000 to 6,500,000, which covered options that were previously
granted under the Plan, subject to stockholder approval. Persons
eligible to receive awards under the Plan are the officers, directors, employees
and consultants to the Company and its subsidiaries.
On
January 30, 2009, the compensation committee granted to directors, options to
purchase 345,000 shares of common stock under the Plan at a purchase price per
share equal to the closing price of the common stock on the NYSE Amex exchange
on the date of grant (which was $0.25 per share). Using a
Black-Scholes option pricing model, the fair value of these options on the date
of grant was $56,000 using a closing price of the common stock on the date of
grant, or $0.25 per share, and is being amortized as compensation expense over
the estimated vesting period of the options. The options have a term of ten
years and vest in two equal installments: 50% of the shares vested on March 31,
2009 and the remaining 50% of the shares vested on June 16,
2009. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009,
total compensation expense related to options and restricted common stock
awarded under the Plan was $8,000 and $96,000, respectively.
As of
September 30, 2009 and 2008, options to purchase 5,358,000 and 5,320,000 shares
of common stock were outstanding under the Plan, respectively. As of
September 30, 2009, 629,070 shares of common stock were outstanding under the
Plan, and a total of 512,930 shares were available for future awards under the
Plan.
The
weighted average fair value of stock options is estimated at the grant date
using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average
assumptions:
|
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Exercise price
|
|
$
|
0.25
|
|
|
$
|
0.42
|
|
Risk-free
interest rate
|
|
|
1.73
|
%
|
|
|
2.36
|
%
|
Expected life of options (in
years)
|
|
|
6.5
|
|
|
|
6.5
|
|
Expected
dividend yield
|
|
|
0
|
%
|
|
|
0
|
%
|
Expected
volatility
|
|
|
55.0
|
%
|
|
|
55.0
|
%
|
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, the Company issued no
warrants. Warrants to purchase 3,525,834 shares of common stock
expired during the nine months ended September 30, 2009. At September
30, 2009 and 2008, there were outstanding warrants to purchase 545,000 and
4,095,834 shares of common stock, with weighted average exercise prices of $5.27
and $5.80, respectively.
NOTE 12.
|
JOINT VENTURE AND
ACQUISITIONS
|
Landfill
Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement
.
On February 2, 2009,
the Company acquired the right to purchase from Republic all of the landfill gas
generated at Republic’s Hickory Ridge Landfill through December 31, 2029 for
$3,350,000, of which $400,000 was paid in 2008. Subsequent to this
acquisition, the Company’s board of directors has decided to seek a buyer or
significant equity partner for the landfill gas purchase rights at the Hickory
Ridge Landfill. The Company is currently in negotiations with potential buyers
and equity partners for the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas purchase
rights.
Pursuant
to the Hickory Ridge Agreement, the Company’s original intent was to lease a
portion of the Hickory Ridge Landfill property on which the Company would, at
the Company’s cost, acquire or construct a processing facility to process the
landfill gas collected at the Hickory Ridge Landfill. If at any time
the Company decided to proceed as originally intended, the Company would be
required, at the Company’s cost, to obtain all necessary permits and to
construct all required pipelines and ancillary facilities to transport the
collected landfill gas to the processing facility and the processed gas to any
purchaser, as well as to install all metering and measuring
equipment. If the Company does not complete the processing facility,
pipelines and ancillary facilities by December 31, 2010, subject to the
Company’s right to extend the completion date through December 31, 2012 under
certain circumstances, Republic will have the right to terminate the Hickory
Ridge Agreement.
If the
Company proceeds as originally intended and acquires or constructs a processing
facility at the Hickory Ridge Landfill, once the Company’s processing facility
commences commercial operation, the Company will pay Republic for landfill gas
received from the Hickory Ridge Landfill at the processing facility a percentage
royalty on the sum of the revenue that the Company collects from the sale of gas
from the processing facility plus the value of certain environmental allowances,
credits and offsets attributable to the Company’s processing facility’s
displacement of conventional energy generation. If the Company is unsuccessful
in obtaining financing to complete this project, it could lose its rights under
the Hickory Ridge Agreement.
North
American Natural Resources-Southeast, LLC Agreement.
On January 20,
2009, GES-Port Charlotte, LLC, then an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Company, entered into the Port Charlotte Project Assignment Agreement with
NANR. Under the Port Charlotte Project Assignment Agreement, the
Company acquired (a) NANR’s rights to purchase from Charlotte County, Florida
all the landfill gas generated by or at its Zemel Road Landfill and (b) the
exclusive right to construct and operate a landfill gas-to-energy project at the
Zemel Road Landfill.
NANR
transferred and assigned to the Company all of its rights related to the Zemel
Road Landfill gas project, which it had previously acquired from Charlotte
County in July 2008, pursuant to an Agreement between Charlotte County and North
American Natural Resources-Southeast for Landfill Gas Purchase and a Site Lease
Agreement (the “assigned contracts”). The Company, Charlotte County
and NANR subsequently approved the assignment and executed a novation agreement
substituting GES-Port Charlotte for NANR as the party to each of the assigned
contracts.
On June
18, 2009, the Company completed the sale of all of its equity interests in
GES-Port Charlotte, LLC, including its Zemel Road Landfill gas purchase rights,
to MAS. The Company recorded a gain on sale of intangible assets of
$150,000. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Company
received $250,000 in cash and MAS assumed certain liabilities of the
Company. The only asset included in the sale was the Company’s right
to the landfill gas at the Zemel Road Landfill.
Sale of
Southeast Biofuels Interest
.
On January 19,
2009, the Company entered into an agreement with Renewable Spirits, LLC to
exchange the Company’s 78% interest in Southeast Biofuels, LLC in return for
cancellation of the remaining balance on the note the Company issued to
Renewable Spirits in connection with the 2006 acquisition of Renewable Spirits’
assets. The remaining balance on the note at the time of the 2008
agreement was $279,000. As a result of this agreement and
transaction, the Company no longer has an interest in Southeast
Biofuels.
NOTE 13.
|
RELATED PARTY
TRANSACTIONS
|
For the
nine months ended September 30, 2009, the Company borrowed an aggregate of
$397,000 from David Ames, a director of the Company and the Company’s former
president and chief executive officer. Mr. Ames received promissory
notes from the Company bearing interest at 8% per annum. The
promissory notes have a maturity date of December 31, 2009. The notes
payable totaled $362,000 at September 30, 2009.
The
Company was previously a party to an equity interest purchase agreement, dated
January 28, 2009 (the “WoodTech Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the
Company agreed to purchase a wood fuel and landscape materials processing
business, WoodTech LLC and certain affiliated companies (the “WoodTech
Companies”). An owner-operator of the WoodTech Companies, Jimmy L.
Bobo, became the Company’s Chief Executive Officer on May 14,
2009. The Company did not complete the acquisition of the WoodTech
Companies, and the WoodTech Purchase Agreement was terminated effective May 13,
2009 pursuant to a termination agreement entered into by the Company and the
other parties to the WoodTech Purchase Agreement (the “Termination
Agreement”). Under the Termination Agreement, the Company has agreed
to pay to WoodTech, LLC up to $280,000 as reimbursement for legal fees and fees
relating to the financial audit of certain of the WoodTech Companies incurred by
WoodTech, LLC in contemplation of closing the acquisition of the WoodTech
Companies under the WoodTech Purchase Agreement. The $280,000
reimbursement is payable immediately upon the closing of the sale of any asset
of the Company resulting in net proceeds to the Company of at least
$1,000,000. The Company granted a security interest in its Augusta,
Georgia facility to secure this reimbursement obligation.
As
described in Note 8, the Company’s investment in Consus Ethanol is considered a
related party transaction due to the former position of the chairman of the
board of directors of our Company in Northeast Securities, Inc., a financial
advisor to Consus Ethanol. Additionally, the sale of a portion of the
Company’s investment in Carbon Motors Corporation to Ariel Savannah Angel
Partners, LLC is considered a related party transaction through a relationship
of a board member of the Company.
As of
September 30, 2009, the Company owed various members of the Board of Directors a
total of $166,000 and employees a total of $14,000 for travel and entertainment
expenses that are to be reimbursed by the Company. The amounts payable are
included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the balance
sheet.
NOTE 14.
|
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
|
The
Company is a party to the Jacoby Energy Development and the Global Energy
Management lawsuits as described below. An adverse result in
either litigation matter could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s
business, results of operations and financial condition.
Jacoby Energy Development, Inc.
Lawsuit
. On July 28, 2008, Jacoby Energy Development, Inc.
(“JEDI”), Geoplasma, LLC and Georecover-Live Oak, LLC filed an action in the
Superior Court of Fulton County of the State of Georgia against the Company, its
subsidiary Global Energy Systems, Inc. (“GES”), and six current or former
officers and employees of the Company. The six individual defendants are
Romilos Papadopoulos, the Company’s former Chief Operating Officer, former Chief
Financial Officer, former Executive Vice President and former Secretary; Michael
Ellis, the Company’s former Chief Operating Officer and former President of GES;
and four other employees of GES. The complaint alleges, among other
things, that the Company breached a mutual nondisclosure agreement related to
previous negotiations for a possible merger between the Company and JEDI and its
affiliates. The plaintiffs allege that the Company breached the agreement
by soliciting and hiring the six individual defendants, who were previously
employed by the plaintiffs, and by using the plaintiffs’ confidential and
proprietary information for its own business purposes. The plaintiffs also
allege that the Company tortiously interfered with the plaintiffs’ business and
misappropriated the plaintiffs’ trade secrets. The plaintiffs seek, among
other things, a permanent injunction, unspecified compensatory damages plus
costs and expenses incurred in connection with the litigation, including
attorneys’ fees, and general and punitive damages in an amount not less than $10
million. The Company denied the allegations in the complaint, and the
individual defendants have asserted counterclaims against the
plaintiffs. Pursuant to a scheduling order entered by the court on
December 30, 2008, discovery was scheduled to end on July 31, 2009, and
dispositive motions, including motions for summary judgment, was required to be
filed by August 17, 2009. The parties have refrained from conducting
discovery while they attempt to reach a business resolution of the issues, but
as of the date of this report, the parties have not yet reached a
settlement. The parties are continuing their discussions, but the
discovery may resume shortly if a resolution is not reached.
Global Energy and Management, LLC
Lawsuit.
In December 2007, Global Energy and Management, LLC
(“GEM”) filed an action in the federal court for the Southern District of New
York against the Company and nine of the Company’s current or former officers,
directors and affiliates entitled Global Energy and Management v. Xethanol
Corporation, et al. The lawsuit alleges fraud by the defendants in
connection with GEM’s alleged investment of $250,000 in NewEnglandXethanol, LLC,
a joint venture of the Company and GEM. Initially, GEM sought more
than $10,000,000 in damages plus pre-judgment interest and
costs. After the Company asked the District Court in May 2008 for
leave to move to dismiss the complaint, GEM served the Company with its third
amended complaint, seeking damages of only $250,000. Upon the
Company’s motion, the Court dismissed that complaint on February 23, 2009,
holding that GEM could file an amended complaint only upon payment to the
Company of $5,000 towards its legal fees. On March 17, 2009, GEM paid
the Company $5,000 and filed its Fourth Amended Complaint against the Company
and four former directors and officers seeking in damages repayment of its
alleged $250,000 investment, lost profits, consequential damages, interest and
costs. The Company has asked the Court for leave to move to dismiss
the Fourth Amended Complaint and intends to defend against this action
vigorously.
NOTE
15.
|
FAIR
VALUE MEASUREMENTS
|
We
adopted the FASB’s new fair value guidance for our financial assets and
financial liabilities on January 1, 2008 and for our non-financial assets
and non-financial liabilities on January 1, 2009 (see Note 2 —
Recently Issued Accounting Standards). Under this guidance, fair value is
defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer
a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the
measurement date (an exit price). This guidance outlines a valuation framework
and creates a fair value hierarchy in order to increase the consistency and
comparability of fair value measurements and the related
disclosures.
The Company
determined its fair values based on the fair value hierarchy established in FASB
accounting guidance which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable
inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.
The FASB accounting guidance describes three levels of inputs that may be used
to measure fair value.
Level 1:
quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets
Level 2:
inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and
liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or
liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the
instrument
Level 3:
inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable for the asset or
liability
The
following table shows the fair value of our non-financial assets that were
required to be measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of
September 30, 2009. These non-financial assets, which included our property
held for sale, property previously held for development, and cost method
investment, were required to be measured at fair value in connection with the
interim impairment test we performed.
|
|
|
|
|
Fair Value Measurements Using
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at
September 30,
2009
|
|
|
Quoted
prices in
active
markets
(Level 1)
|
|
|
Significant
other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
|
|
|
Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
|
|
|
Total
(Losses)
|
|
Property
held for sale
|
|
$
|
5,142,000
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
5,142,000
|
|
|
$
|
(250,000
|
)
|
Property
previously held for development
|
|
$
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
700,000
|
|
|
$
|
(156,000
|
)
|
Cost
method investment
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
250,000
|
|
|
$
|
(250,000
|
)
|
ITEM 2.
|
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATION.
|
This
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations contains forward-looking statements that involve future events, our
future performance and our expected future operations and actions. In
some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such
as “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “future,”
“intend,” “could,” “estimate,” “predict,” “hope,” “potential,” “continue,” or
the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These
forward-looking statements are only our predictions and involve numerous
assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our actual results or actions
may differ materially from these forward-looking statements for many reasons,
including the matters referred to in this report under the caption “Risk
Factors.” We urge you not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this
report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward
looking-statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
You
should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of
operation in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes
included in this report.
Overview
Change
in Name and New Corporate Structure
On
October 27, 2008, we changed our name to Global Energy Holdings Group, Inc. from
Xethanol Corporation. The Company’s principal operating division is
Global Energy Systems, Inc. (“GES”).
Source
of Revenue until May 1, 2008
Our only
source of operating revenue had been from our sales of ethanol and related
products at our corn-based ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa. As a
result of high prices for corn and natural gas, on May 1, 2008 we ceased
production of ethanol at our Blairstown plant to reduce our operating
losses. On August 31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Company, entered into an agreement for the sale of the
Blairstown plant to Fiberight, LLC, and this sale was completed on November 17,
2009. As of September 30, 2009, we had no source of operating
revenue. It is anticipated that our future revenues, if any, will be
generated from the purchase and sale of assets and businesses that we acquired
in 2009, and from service contracts related to landfill gas-to-energy projects
and energy efficiency.
Cash
and Liquidity Position
We had
cash of approximately $117,000 as of September 30, 2009 and $51,000 as of
November 1, 2009.
Investment
Activities
For the
nine months ended September 30, 2009, net cash of $1,415,000 was provided by
investing activities. During 2009, we have received $3,153,000 from
the redemption of short-term marketable securities, $583,000 from the sale of
NGBF common stock, $250,000 from the sale of landfill gas purchase rights,
$132,000 from the sale of shares of Series B Stock and warrants to purchase
Series B Stock of Carbon Motors Corporation, $330,000 in cash deposits from the
planned sale of the Blairstown facility and we purchased intangible assets of
$3,050,000.
On July
23, 2009, we completed the sale of 120,000 shares of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock of Carbon Motors Corporation and a warrant to purchase 18,000
shares of the Series B Stock at $1.05 per share for a total purchase price of
$132,000. On March 17, 2009, the Company entered into a Stock
Purchase Agreement (the “NGBF Purchase Agreement”) with 2020 Energy, LLC, an
Arizona limited liability company (“2020 Energy”), pursuant to which the Company
sold to 2020 Energy, in a private transaction, all of the Company’s 5,301,300
shares of common stock of NGBF. We completed the sale of the NGBF
shares to 2020 Energy on March 18, 2009, and 2020 Energy paid us an aggregate
purchase price of $583,143 for the NGBF shares.
In
addition to the sale of the NGBF shares described above, under the NGBF Purchase
Agreement, we agreed to assign to 2020 Energy all of our interest in and rights
under that certain Amended and Restated Sublicense Agreement, dated as of June
15, 2006, between us and NGBF (the “Sublicense Agreement”), pursuant to which
NGBF granted us a sublicense to certain technology and rights related to the
manufacture of a vegetable oil based biodiesel product. The
assignment of the Sublicense Agreement, however, is conditioned on 2020 Energy
obtaining the written consent of NGBF to the assignment.
Asset
Sale and Possible Asset Sale
We have
reevaluated our Augusta, Georgia and Spring Hope, North Carolina facilities and
have decided that they no longer fit within our long-term corporate
strategy. On March 20, 2008, our board authorized management to
pursue the sale of each facility, which we are currently doing. We
can offer no assurance regarding how long it will take to sell any of these
facilities or the price we might receive for them.
The
Company’s board of directors has decided to seek a buyer or significant equity
partner for its landfill gas purchase rights at the Hickory Ridge Landfill
acquired during 2009. The Company is currently in negotiations with
potential buyers and equity partners for the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas purchase
rights. The Company previously paid an aggregate purchase price of
$3,350,000, of which $400,000 was paid in 2008, to acquire the Hickory
Ridge Landfill gas purchase rights in the first quarter of 2009.
On June
18, 2009, we completed the sale of the Company’s landfill gas purchase rights at
the Zemel Road Landfill to MAS for $250,000 in cash. The Company
recorded a $150,000 gain on the sale and has no further obligations on the
project. We had paid $100,000 to acquire the Zemel Road Landfill gas
rights (with obligations to pay an additional $250,000 if certain milestones
were met).
On July
23, 2009 the Company sold 120,000 shares of Carbon Motors Corporation Series B
Stock and a warrant to purchase 18,000 shares of the Series B Stock for $1.05
per share for a total purchase price of $132,000 to Ariel Savannah Angel
Partners, LLC, a related party through a relationship of a board member of the
Company. As a result of the July 23
rd
sale
transaction, the Company now holds 80,000 shares of Carbon Motors Series B Stock
and a warrant to purchase 12,000 shares of the Series B Stock for $1.05 per
share.
On August
31, 2009, Xethanol BioFuels, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company,
entered into an agreement for the sale of the Company’s Blairstown, Iowa ethanol
facility to Fiberight, LLC for a purchase price of $1.65
million. Fiberight paid to the Company an earnest money deposit of
$165,000. The parties expected the transaction to close on or before
September 30, 2009, but Fiberight extended the closing date to November 15, 2009
with an additional deposit of $165,000. The sale of the Blairstown,
Iowa facility to Fiberight, LLC was completed on November 17, 2009.
Going
Concern and Anticipated Funding Needs
The
Company needs substantial additional capital to pursue its plans and projects,
and given the current economic and financial climate, the Company can give no
assurance that it will be able to raise the additional capital that it needs on
commercially acceptable terms, or at all. The Company needs to reduce
costs and raise additional financing to fund operations and long term business
objectives. The Company’s continued existence is dependent upon
several factors, including obtaining additional debt or equity financing and
developing and completing renewable energy projects. In the event
Management is unsuccessful in these efforts, the Company is likely to seek
relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This relief may include (i)
seeking bankruptcy court approval for the sale of most or substantially all of
our assets pursuant to section 363(b) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code; (ii) pursuing
a plan of reorganization; or (iii) seeking another form of bankruptcy relief,
all of which involve uncertainties, potential delays and litigation
risks. As a result of the preceding factors, there is a substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern.
As
discussed above, in June 2008, we formed a new operating division, Global Energy
Systems, Inc. (“GES”). We will need substantial additional capital to
pursue our plans, which, among other things, include the construction of a
landfill gas capture and processing facility at the Hickory Ridge Landfill, if
we do not sell the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas project. We have
decided not to pursue our previously announced plans to construct a
demonstration plant for converting citrus peel waste into ethanol, and we sold
the remaining fixed assets associated with the demonstration plant project to
our lender, Renewable Spirits, LLC, in exchange for the forgiveness of $279,000
in debt on January 19, 2009. We also ceased production of ethanol at
our Blairstown ethanol plant in May 2008 to reduce our operating losses, and we
completed the sale of the Blairstown ethanol plant on November 17,
2009. Our capital requirements, however, remain substantial in order
to pursue our business strategy.
The
Company generated no operating revenues during the nine months ended September
30, 2009. As discussed above, we ceased production of ethanol at our
Blairstown ethanol plant in May 2008, which was our only revenue producing
facility, and we currently have no operating source of revenue. We
also currently have no commitments for additional financing. Our only
recent sources of cash were from (1) the sale of all of our 5,301,300 shares of
NGBF common stock on March 18, 2009 to 2020 Energy for an aggregate purchase
price of $583,143, (2) the sale of shares of Carbon Motors Corporation Series B
Convertible Preferred Stock and a related warrant for $132,000, (3) the sale of
the Company’s landfill gas purchase rights at the Zemel Road Landfill to MAS for
$250,000
and (4)
the sale of the Company’s Blairstown, Iowa facility for $1.65 million on
November 17, 2009, of which $330,000 was received during the three months ended
September 30, 2009
. There can be no assurance that we will be
able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on commercially acceptable
terms, or at all, when needed. In addition, on June 4, 2009, the
Company received a notice from NYSE Amex, LLC (“NYSE Amex”) notifying the
Company that it is not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the NYSE Amex
Company Guide. The notice informed the Company that to maintain its
listing on the exchange, it must submit a plan to regain
compliance. The Company submitted a plan of compliance, and on August
18, 2009, NYSE Amex notified the Company that it accepted the Company’s plan of
compliance and granted the Company an extension until December 3, 2009 to regain
compliance with the continued listing standards of the Company
Guide. If the Company fails to make progress consistent with the
compliance plan or to regain compliance with the Company Guide’s continued
listing standards by December 3, 2009, then the Company could be subject to
delisting procedures from NYSE Amex. If our stock is delisted from
the NYSE Amex exchange, it may become more difficult for us to raise
capital.
If we are
unable to access the capital markets to finance our various projects, we will be
unable to continue our operations. We are pursuing the sale of our
facilities in Augusta, Georgia and Spring Hope, North Carolina, as discussed
above, although we can provide no assurance regarding how long it will take to
sell these facilities or the price we will receive for them.
Acquisitions and Terminated
Acquisition
On June
18, 2009, we completed the sale of all of the Company’s equity interests in
GES-Port Charlotte, LLC, a subsidiary of the company holding the Zemel Road
Landfill gas purchase rights, to MAS for $250,000. The Company
recorded a $150,000 gain on the sale and has no further obligations on the
project. The Company purchased the Zemel Road Landfill gas purchase
rights pursuant to an agreement entered into on January 20, 2009 with NANR to
acquire (1) rights to purchase from Charlotte County, Florida all the landfill
gas generated by or at its Zemel Road Landfill and (2) the exclusive right to
construct and operate a landfill gas-to-energy project at the Zemel Road
Landfill.
On
February 2, 2009, we acquired the right to purchase from a subsidiary of
Republic Services, Inc. (“Republic”) all of the landfill gas generated at
Republic’s Hickory Ridge Landfill through December 31, 2029. The
Company had intended to process and convert the landfill gas collected at the
Hickory Ridge Landfill into a saleable energy product. Subsequent to
the acquisition of these rights, the Company’s board of directors has decided to
seek a buyer or equity partner for this landfill gas purchase right and
project. The Company is currently in negotiations with potential
buyers and equity partners for the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas rights and
project. The Company previously paid an aggregate purchase
price of $3,350,000 to acquire the Hickory Ridge Landfill gas purchase
rights.
On
January 28, 2009, we entered into an agreement to acquire the WoodTech
Companies, which include a wood fuel recycler and landscape materials
manufacturing business that recycles wood waste into mulch, topsoil, potting
soils and fuel for industrial customers and the generation of renewable
energy. Under the agreement, either we or the WoodTech Companies
could terminate the agreement under certain circumstances if the acquisition was
not completed on or prior to February 17, 2009. The Company did not
complete the acquisition of the WoodTech Companies due to capital constraints,
and on May 13, 2009, the Company entered into a termination agreement (the
“Termination Agreement”) with respect to the WoodTech Companies acquisition
agreement. Under the terms of the Termination Agreement, the Company
agreed to reimburse the WoodTech Companies for up to $280,000 in legal fees and
financial audit fees incurred by the WoodTech Companies in contemplation of a
closing of the WoodTech acquisition agreement, payable by the Company upon the
closing of the sale of any asset of the Company resulting in net proceeds paid
to the Company in an amount of at least $1 million. The Company’s
obligation to reimburse the WoodTech Companies for these fees is secured by a
security interest in the Company’s Augusta, Georgia
facility.
Possible
Effects of Current Business Climate
The
continuing “credit crunch” has affected or may affect us in several
ways. We face difficulties in obtaining the necessary debt and equity
capital we need to pursue our business plan. The difficult credit
environment may also affect our plans to sell one or more of our facilities to
the extent that purchasers need to finance the purchase of those facilities with
debt. The substantial and rapid decline in the price of natural gas
and other traditional energy sources, including coal and oil, may also affect
our business adversely by causing our landfill gas products to become
uncompetitive from a pricing standpoint and given that the business viability
of, and political support for, renewable energy has generally in the past been
inversely correlated with the price of traditional energy fuels. In
summary, like many businesses in America, we face a difficult and uncertain
market.
Results
of Operations
Three
Months Ended September 30, 2009 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30,
2008
Net Loss.
We
incurred a net loss of $2.0 million, or $0.07 per share, for the three months
ended September 30, 2009 versus a net loss of $3.6 million, or $0.13 per share,
for the three months ended September 30, 2008.
The
decrease in net loss of $1.6 million for the three months ended September 30,
2009 as compared to the prior year resulted primarily from:
|
·
|
a $0.3 million decrease in gross
loss on sales;
|
|
·
|
a
$1.2 million decrease in general and administrative expenses;
and
|
|
|
a
$0.1 million decrease related to other gains and
losses.
|
Net Sales.
There
were no net sales for the three months ended September 30, 2009 as compared to
$21,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2008. This decrease
was due to the May 1, 2008 cessation of ethanol production at our Blairstown
plant.
Cost of Sales.
Cost of sales was comprised of direct materials, direct labor and
factory overhead. Included in factory overhead are energy costs,
depreciation, and repairs and maintenance. There was no cost of sales
for the three months ended September 30, 2009. Cost of sales for the three
months ended September 30, 2008 was $306,000. The decrease in cost of sales was
due to the cessation of ethanol production at our Blairstown, Iowa facility
effective May 1, 2008.
Gross Loss.
There was no gross
profit or loss on sales for the three months ended September 30,
2009. Gross loss for the three months ended September 30, 2008 was
$0.3 million.
General and Administrative
Expenses.
General and administrative expenses (“G&A”)
were $1.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2009 compared to $2.5
million for the three months ended September 30, 2008, reflecting a $1.2
million decrease from the prior year. The primary components of
2009 G&A expenses were:
|
·
|
$0.4 million for payroll expenses
or 33% of G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.5 million of accounting and
legal expenses or 42% of
G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.1
million for outside services or 8% of
G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.1
million for insurance expenses or 8% of G&A;
and
|
|
·
|
$0.1 million for rent expense or
8% of G&A.
|
Significant
increases and decreases in components of G&A in 2009 compared to 2008 were
primarily attributable to:
|
·
|
$0.4 million decrease in payroll
due to a downsizing of corporate
staff;
|
|
·
|
$0.1 million decrease in
accounting and legal expenses due to the settlement of the class action
lawsuit against the Company in October
2008;
|
|
·
|
$0.2 million decrease in
consulting and outside service expenses due to management policies
curtailing the use of consultants;
and
|
|
·
|
$0.3 million decrease in travel
and entertainment expenses due to management policies restricting
travel.
|
Equity Compensation.
Equity compensation for the three months ended September 30, 2009
was $8,000 compared to ($68,000) for the three months ended September 30,
2008. The significant items in equity compensation
include:
|
·
|
$8,000 in compensation expense
for the three months ended September 30, 2009 related to stock options
granted to employees and consultants under the 2005 Incentive Compensation
Plan, representing an increase of $95,000 in similar expenses from
($87,000) in the prior year due to a forfeiture of the former Chief
Financial Officer’s stock options in the three months ended September 30,
2008; and
|
|
·
|
$0 in compensation expense for
the three months ended September 30, 2009 related to stock options granted
to outside directors under the 2005 Incentive Compensation Plan,
representing a decrease from $19,000 in the prior
year.
|
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation expense for the three months ended September 30, 2009
was $16,000 compared to $18,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2008,
resulting in a $2,000 decrease for the period.
This
decrease is attributable to the sale of fixed assets during the three months
ended September 30, 2009.
Research and Development.
Research and development expenses for the three months ended
September 30, 2009 decreased by $65,000 to $0 from $65,000 for the three months
ended September 30, 2008. Our research and development expenses in
2008 were due to amortization on our research agreements and payments made under
consulting arrangements. We have fully satisfied all financial
obligations due under these research agreements and consulting
arrangements.
Interest Income.
Interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2009 was
$14,000, representing a decrease of $24,000 from $38,000 for the three months
ended September 30, 2008. This decrease is primarily due to the
decrease in our average cash and cash equivalent balances compared to the prior
year.
Interest Expense.
Interest expense was $0 for the three months ended September 30,
2009, a decrease from $12,000 for the prior year.
Gain on Sale of Investment in New
Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
We recorded no gains on
the sale of New Generation Biofuels common stock for the three months ended
September 30, 2009, compared to a gain of $154,000 for the three months ended
September 30, 2008.
Equity in Net Loss of New Generation
Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
The Company recorded no net loss for
the equity owned in New Generation Biofuels for the three months ended September
30, 2009, compared to a loss of $201,000 in the three months ended September 30,
2008.
Gain on Sale of
Grain Inventory.
We had no sales of grain
inventory in the current year quarter. We recorded a gain of $177,000 on the
sale of grain inventory during the three months ended September 30,
2008.
Impairment Loss on Investment in
Consus Ethanol.
Based upon the heightened credit risk of our
investment in Consus Ethanol in the form of a convertible note payable, we
recognized an impairment loss of $250,000 for the three months ended September
30, 2009.
Other Income.
Other income for the three months ended September 30, 2009 was $19,000 versus
other income of $15,000 recorded in the three months ended September 30,
2008.
Nine
Months Ended September 30, 2009 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30,
2008
Net Loss.
We
incurred a net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.15 per share, for the nine months
ended September 30, 2009 versus a net loss of $7.1 million, or $0.25 per share,
for the nine months ended September 30, 2008.
The
decrease in net loss of $2.8 million for the nine months ended September 30,
2009 as compared to the prior year resulted primarily from:
|
·
|
$1.4 million decrease in gross
loss on sales;
|
|
·
|
$1.8 million decrease in general
and administrative expenses;
|
|
·
|
$0.4 million gain on sale of
interest in Southeast Biofuels,
LLC;
|
|
·
|
$0.3
million decrease in other gains and losses;
and
|
|
·
|
$0.6 million decrease in the
equity in net loss of New Generation
Biofuels;
|
partially
offset by
|
·
|
a
$1.4 million decrease in gain on sale of investment in New Generation
Biofuels Holdings, Inc.; and
|
|
·
|
a
$0.3 million decrease in grain
sales.
|
Net Sales.
There
were no net sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 as compared to
$3.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008. This
decrease was due to the May 1, 2008 cessation of ethanol production at our
Blairstown plant.
Cost of Sales.
Cost of sales was comprised of direct materials, direct labor and
factory overhead. Included in factory overhead are energy costs,
depreciation, and repairs and maintenance. There was no cost of sales
for the nine months ended September 30, 2009. Cost of sales for the nine months
ended September 30, 2008 was $5.1 million. The decrease in cost of sales was due
to the cessation of ethanol production at our Blairstown, Iowa facility
effective May 1, 2008.
Gross Loss.
There was no gross
profit or loss on sales for the nine months ended September 30,
2009. Gross loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 was
$1.4 million.
General and Administrative
Expenses.
General and administrative expenses (“G&A”)
were $4.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 compared to $6.2
million for the nine months ended September 30, 2008, reflecting a $1.8
million decrease from the prior year. The primary components of
2009 G&A expenses were:
|
·
|
$1.8 million for payroll expenses
or 41% of G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.9 million of accounting and
legal expenses or 20% of
G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.2 million of acquisition fees
or 5% of G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.3 million for insurance
expenses or 7% of G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.2
million for expenses of our Augusta facility or 5% of
G&A;
|
|
|
$0.2
million for consulting and outside services or 5% of
G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.2 million for expenses related
to our Blairstown facility or 5% of
G&A;
|
|
·
|
$0.2
million for rent expense or 5% of G&A;
and
|
|
·
|
$0.2
million for various other G&A expenses or 5% of
G&A.
|
Significant
increases and decreases in components of G&A in 2009 compared to 2008 were
primarily attributable to:
|
·
|
$0.3 million decrease in expenses
of our Spring Hope facility due to the reversal of accrued expenses
related to legal and environmental clean-up issues due to successful
environmental remediation efforts and negotiated claims
settlements;
|
|
·
|
$0.7 million decrease in
accounting and legal expenses due to the settlement of the Company’s class
action lawsuit in October
2008;
|
|
·
|
$0.5 million decrease in
consulting and outside service expenses due to management policies
allowing minimal consulting services
; and
|
|
·
|
$0.5 million decrease in travel
and entertainment expenses due to management policies allowing minimum
travel;
|
partially
offset by
|
·
|
$0.3 million increase in payroll
expenses due principally to a new management team hired in June 2008;
and
|
|
·
|
$0.2 million increase in
acquisition fees.
|
Equity Compensation.
Equity compensation for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was
$96,000 compared to $106,000 for the nine months ended September 30,
2008. The significant items in equity compensation
include:
|
·
|
$24,000 in compensation expense
for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 related to stock options
granted to employees and consultants under the 2005 Incentive Compensation
Plan, representing an increase of $6,000 in similar expenses from $18,000
in the prior year; and
|
|
·
|
$72,000 in compensation expense
for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 related to stock options
granted to outside directors under the 2005 Incentive Compensation Plan,
representing a decrease of $16,000 from $88,000 in the prior
year.
|
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2009
was $52,000 compared to $55,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2008,
resulting in a $3,000 decrease for the period.
This
decrease is attributable to the sale of fixed assets during the nine month
period ended September 30, 2009.
Research and Development.
Research and development expenses for the nine months ended
September 30, 2009 decreased by $235,000 to $0 from $235,000 for the nine months
ended September 30, 2008. Our research and development expenses in
2008 were due to amortization on our research agreements and payments made under
consulting arrangements. We have fully satisfied all financial
obligations due under these research agreements and consulting
arrangements.
Interest Income.
Interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was
$51,000, representing a decrease of $119,000 from $170,000 for the nine months
ended September 30, 2008. This decrease is primarily due to the
decrease in our average cash and cash equivalent balances compared to the prior
year.
Interest Expense.
Interest expense was $0 for the nine months ended September 30,
2009, a decrease from $40,000 for the prior year.
Gain on Sale of Interest in Southeast
Biofuels, LLC.
We recorded a gain of $395,000 on the sale of
our remaining interest in Southeast Biofuels, for the nine months ended
September 30, 2009.
Gain on Sale of Investment in New
Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc.
We recorded a gain
$583,000 on the sale of New Generation Biofuels common stock for the nine months
ended September 30, 2009, compared to a gain of $2.0 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2008.
Gain on Sale of Intangible
Assets.
We recorded a $150,000 gain on the sale of
landfill gas purchase rights during the nine months ended September 30, 2009 as
compared to $0 for the prior year.
Gain on Sale of
Grain Inventory.
We had no sales of grain
inventory in the current period. We recorded a gain of $318,000 on the sale of
grain inventory during the nine months ended September 30,
2008.
Impairment Loss on Investment in
Carbon Motors Corp.
Based upon discussions with a potential
buyer, we recorded a $30,000 impairment loss on our investment in Carbon Motors
Corp. during the nine months ended September 30, 2009.
Impairment Loss on Investment in
Consus Ethanol.
Based upon the heightened credit risk of our
investment in Consus Ethanol in the form of a convertible note payable, we
recognized an impairment loss of $250,000 for the nine months ended September
30, 2009.
Other Income.
Other income for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 increased by $126,000
to $142,000 from $16,000 for the corresponding period in 2008. The
nine months ended September 30, 2009 includes amounts billed in a shared service
arrangement that were not billed or recorded in 2008
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
We had
cash of approximately $117,000 as of September 30, 2009 and approximately
$51,000
as of
November 1, 2009. Our working capital deficit as of September 30,
2009 was $4.6 million, representing a decrease in working capital of $6.1
million compared to $1.5 million of positive working capital at December
31, 2008.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we used net cash of $2.1 million for
operating activities. During the nine months ended September 30,
2009, $1.4 million in net cash was provided by investing
activities. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we
received cash of $3.2 million from the redemption of short-term marketable
securities; received $0.6 million in cash from the sale of our investment in
NGBF; received $250,000 from the sale of intangible assets; and purchased
intangible assets for $3.1 million. During the nine
months ended September 30, 2009, we received $387,000 from the issuance of notes
payable, made a $25,000 payment on a note payable and made $5,000 in capitalized
lease payments.
In
December 2006, we formed a joint venture to invest in a research project to
produce ethanol from citrus waste. We agreed to pay $600,000 to our
joint venture partner over the next ten years. We have decided not to
pursue the construction of a demonstration plant for converting citrus peel
waste into ethanol. On January 19, 2009, we sold our fixed assets
associated with this project, and the buyer, our joint venture partner,
cancelled the remaining $279,000 of debt we had outstanding.
We need
substantial additional capital to fund the business of the Company, including
the development of energy-related projects and the funding of any other growth
opportunities we pursue. If we are unable to obtain sufficient
additional capital, we are likely to lose our investments in our energy-related
projects, including our Hickory Ridge Landfill gas project. The
Company is seeking a buyer or a significant equity partner for the landfill gas
rights and project at the Hickory Ridge Landfill. Due to capital
constraints, the Company did not complete the acquisition of the WoodTech
Companies pursuant to the purchase agreement entered into on January 28,
2009. The Company entered into a termination agreement, terminating the
WoodTech Companies acquisition agreement on May 13, 2009, and pursuant to which
the Company agreed to reimburse the WoodTech Companies up to $280,000 for
certain expenses incurred by them in preparation to close the now terminated
acquisition. For more information regarding the termination
agreement, see our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on May 15, 2009.
We
anticipate our primary sources of capital to be the sale of certain assets of
the Company. We completed the sale of the Company’s Blairstown, Iowa
ethanol facility to Fiberight, LLC on November 17, 2009 pursuant to an agreement
for the sale of the facility dated August 31, 2009 between Xethanol BioFuels,
LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Fiberight, LLC. We
have reevaluated the Company’s Augusta, Georgia and Spring Hope, North Carolina
facilities and have decided that they no longer fit within our long-term
corporate strategy. On March 20, 2008, the Company’s board of
directors authorized management to pursue the sale of these facilities, which we
are currently doing. As discussed above, the Company is also
currently in negotiations with potential buyers and equity partners for the
landfill gas rights with respect to its Hickory Ridge Landfill
project. We can offer no assurance regarding our ability to complete
these transactions, the proceeds we may receive from any such sale or the timing
of any such sale.
To
conserve our cash and cash equivalents or generate positive cash flow, we have
taken or expect to take several actions, including:
|
·
|
If we are successful in selling
our Augusta, Georgia facility, we estimate that such sale would reduce our
annual overhead by approximately
$500,000.
|
|
·
|
If we are successful in selling
our Spring Hope, North Carolina facility, we estimate that such
sale would reduce our annual overhead by approximately
$150,000.
|
|
·
|
We are pursuing the sale of all
or a portion of our Hickory Ridge Landfill gas
rights.
|
|
·
|
In August 2009, we laid off over
50% of our corporate workforce in order to reduce annual overhead by
$600,000.
|
We
currently have no commitments for any additional financing, and we can give no
assurance that we will be able to raise the additional capital we need on
commercially acceptable terms or at all. Our only recent sources of funding have
been: (i) the sale of our 5,301,300 shares of NGBF common stock to 2020 Energy,
LLC for a purchase price of $583,143, (ii) the sale of 120,000 shares of Carbon
Motors Corporation Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and a warrant to
purchase 18,000 shares of the Series B Stock owned by the Company for $132,000,
(iii) the sale of all of our equity interests in GES-Port Charlotte, LLC,
together with the Zemel Road Landfill gas purchase rights, to MAS Energy LFG 1,
LLC (“MAS”) for $250,000,
and (iv)
the sale of the Company’s Blairstown, Iowa facility for $1.65 million on
November 17, 2009, of which $330,000 was received prior to September 30,
2009.
Our failure to raise capital as needed would significantly
restrict our growth and hinder our ability to continue as a viable
business. We will need to curtail expenses further, reduce
investments we would otherwise make and defer or forgo business
opportunities. Additional equity financings may be dilutive to
holders of our common stock, and debt financing, if available, may involve
significant payment obligations and covenants that restrict how we operate our
business.
On June
4, 2009, the Company received a notice from NYSE Amex, LLC (“NYSE Amex”)
notifying the Company that it is not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of
the NYSE Amex Company Guide. The notice informed the Company that to
maintain its listing on the exchange, it must submit a plan to regain
compliance. The Company submitted a plan of compliance, and on August
18, 2009, NYSE Amex notified the Company that it accepted the Company’s plan of
compliance and granted the Company an extension until December 3, 2009 to regain
compliance with the continued listing standards of the Company
Guide. If the Company fails to make progress consistent with the
compliance plan or to regain compliance with the Company Guide’s continued
listing standards by December 3, 2009, then the Company could be subject to
delisting procedures from NYSE Amex. If our stock is delisted from
the NYSE Amex exchange, it may become more difficult for us to raise
capital.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We have
not entered into any transactions with unconsolidated entities in which we have
financial guarantees, subordinated retained interests, derivative instruments or
other contingent arrangements that expose us to material continuing risks,
contingent liabilities or any other obligations under a variable interest in an
unconsolidated entity that provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or
credit risk support.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make
estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities,
revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and
liabilities. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including
those related to valuation of intangible assets, investments, property and
equipment, contingencies and litigation, and the valuation of shares issued for
services or in connection with acquisitions. We base our estimates on
historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are
reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for
making 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. The
accounting policies that we follow are described in Note 2 to our consolidated
financial statements included in this report.
With
regard to our policies surrounding the valuation of shares issued for services
or in connection with acquisitions, we rely on the fair value of the shares at
the time they were issued. After considering various trading aspects
of our stock, including volatility, trading volume and public float, we believe
that the price of our stock as reported on NYSE Amex exchange (formerly known as
the American Stock Exchange) is the most reliable indicator of fair
value. The fair value of options and warrants issued for services is
determined at the grant date using a Black-Scholes option pricing model and is
expensed over the respective vesting periods. A modification of the
terms or conditions of an equity award is treated as an exchange of the original
award for a new award in accordance with FASB accounting
guidance.
We
evaluate impairment of long-lived assets in accordance with FASB accounting
guidance. We assess the impairment of long-lived assets, including
property and equipment and purchased intangibles subject to amortization,
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of
an asset may not be recoverable. The asset impairment review assesses
the fair value of the assets based on the future cash flows the assets are
expected to generate. We recognize an impairment loss when estimated
undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset plus
net proceeds expected from the disposition of the asset (if any) are less than
the related asset’s carrying amount. Impairment losses are measured
as the amount by which the carrying amounts of the assets exceed their fair
values. Property held for sale is recorded at the lower of its
carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Estimates of future
cash flows are judgments based on management’s experience and knowledge of our
operations and the industries in which we operate. These estimates
can be significantly affected by future changes in market conditions, the
economic environment, capital spending decisions of our customers and
inflation.
Item
3.
|
Quantitative and Qualitative
Disclosures About Market
Risk.
|
Not
required for smaller reporting companies.
Item
4T.
|
Controls and
Procedures.
|
(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls
and Procedures
Regulations
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) require public
companies to maintain “disclosure controls and procedures”, which are defined as
controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by the issuer in the reports that it files or submits
under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within
the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and
forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without
limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required
to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the
Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer’s management,
including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons
performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding
required disclosure.
We
conducted an evaluation, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of September 30, 2009. Based on that evaluation, our
Chief Executive Office and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of
September 30, 2009, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective
due to the material weakness described below. A material weakness is a
deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material
misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented
or detected on a timely basis.
We do not
have sufficient segregation of duties within accounting functions due to a lack
of economic resources. This material weakness restricts our ability
to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or
submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management
and that information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the
time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
The
Company has developed plans to remediate this material weakness. The
Company’s remediation efforts consist of hiring additional employees and
reallocating duties, including responsibilities for financial reporting, among
the Company's employees as soon as the Company has the financial resources to do
so.
(b) Changes in Internal
Controls
Other than the actions mentioned above,
there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting.
PART
II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings.
|
The
Company is a party to the Jacoby Energy Development and Global Energy Management
lawsuits described in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2008, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2009, and our Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, filed with the SEC on
May 20, 2009. There have been no material developments in these
lawsuits since our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2009.
In
addition to the other information set forth in this quarterly report and the
risk factor set forth below, you should carefully consider the factors discussed
in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2008. These risk factors could materially
affect our business, financial condition or future
results. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us
or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect
our business, financial condition and/or operating results.
If
the Company fails to regain compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the NYSE Amex
Company Guide, the Company may be subject to delisting procedures, and if the
Company’s stock is delisted from the NYSE Amex Exchange, the value of our stock
could drop significantly in value, become illiquid, and the Company could
encounter further difficulties in raising additional capital.
On June
4, 2009, the Company received a notice from NYSE Amex that the Company was not
in compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the NYSE Amex Company Guide in that it
has sustained losses that are so substantial in relation to its overall
operations or its existing financial resources, or its financial condition has
become so impaired that it appears questionable, in the opinion of NYSE Amex, as
to whether the Company will be able to continue operations and/or meet its
obligations as they mature. The notice from the exchange required the Company to
submit a plan to regain compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the Company
Guide, which the Company has done. NYSE Amex notified the Company on August 18,
2009 of its acceptance of the Company’s compliance plan and granted the Company
an extension until December 3, 2009 to regain compliance with the continued
listing standards of the Company Guide. However, if the Company fails
to make progress consistent with the compliance plan or to regain compliance
with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the Company Guide by December 3, 2009, the Company’s
common stock could become subject to delisting procedures. If the Company’s
common stock is delisted from the NYSE Amex Exchange, it will likely be more
difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares of stock, as there may be no
easily accessible market to sell such shares. Consequently, the value of our
common stock could decrease significantly. In addition, delisting of our common
stock from the NYSE Amex exchange would likely increase the difficulties of the
Company in raising additional capital or otherwise obtaining
financing.
The
Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as
of September 30, 2009.
We do not
have sufficient segregation of duties within accounting functions due to a lack
of economic resources. This material weakness restricts our ability to ensure
that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted
under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management and that
information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time
periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. The Company plans to remediate
this material weakness by hiring additional employees and reallocating duties,
including responsibilities for financial reporting, among the Company’s
employees if and when the Company has the financial resources to do so. These
efforts, however, may not result in an improvement to our internal controls over
financial reporting. We may not be able to obtain the financial resources to
implement these measures, and we cannot be certain that any measures we take
will ensure that we implement and maintain adequate internal controls in the
future. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or
difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating
results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting
obligations.
Item
2.
|
Unregistered Sales of Equity
Securities and Use of
Proceeds.
|
None.
Item
3.
|
Default Upon Senior
Securities.
|
None.
Item
4.
|
Submission of Matters to a Vote
of Security Holders.
|
None.
Item
5.
|
Other
Information.
|
None.
Exhibit No.
|
|
Description of Exhibit
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
Contract
for the Purchase and Sale of Real and Personal Property by and between
Xethanol BioFuels, LLC and Fiberight, LLC, dated August 31, 2009
[Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our current report on Form
8-K dated August 31, 2009 and filed with the SEC on November 3,
2009.]
|
|
|
|
31.1
|
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
31.2
|
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
32
|
|
Joint
Certifications of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial
Officer Pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 1350, Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized.
|
GLOBAL
ENERGY HOLDINGS GROUP, INC.
|
|
|
|
Date:
November 23, 2009
|
By:
|
/s/ Jimmy L.
Bobo
|
|
|
Jimmy
L. Bobo
Chief
Executive Officer
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|
|
|
Date:
November 23, 2009
|
By:
|
/s/ Steven
Paulik
|
|
Steven
Paulik
Interim
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal
Financial
Officer)
|
Global Energy (AMEX:GNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2024 to Nov 2024
Global Energy (AMEX:GNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2023 to Nov 2024