ITEM 1.BUSINESS.
Overview and Recent Events
Abtech Holdings, Inc. (“Abtech Holdings,” the “Company,” “we” or the “registrant”) was incorporated in Nevada on February 13, 2007 under the name “Laural Resources, Inc.” and was initially engaged in the business of acquiring and developing mineral properties. Subsequent to its fiscal year ended May 31, 2010, Laural Resources, Inc. decided to change its business focus to clean technology products and services, specifically in the water clean-up sector. In furtherance of its business objectives, effective June 14, 2010, Laural Resources, Inc. merged with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Abtech Holdings, Inc., for the purpose of effecting a name change to “Abtech Holdings, Inc.” On October 21, 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors changed the Company’s fiscal year end from May 31 to December 31.
On February 10, 2011, the Company closed a merger transaction with AbTech Industries, Inc. (“AbTech Industries”), a Delaware corporation, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Abtech Holdings, Abtech Merger Sub, Inc., a Nevada corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Abtech Holdings and AbTech Industries (the “Merger”).
As a result of the Merger, (i) Abtech Holdings acquired all of the issued and outstanding common stock of AbTech Industries (through a reverse acquisition transaction) in exchange for the common stockholders of AbTech Industries acquiring an approximate 78% ownership interest in Abtech Holdings, (ii) AbTech Industries became a majority-owned subsidiary of Abtech Holdings, and (iii) Abtech Holdings acquired the business and operations of AbTech Industries.
The consolidated financial statements of Abtech Holdings for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 represent a continuation of the financial statements of AbTech Industries, with one adjustment, which is to retroactively adjust the legal capital of AbTech Industries to reflect the legal capital of Abtech Holdings. See Note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements on page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company, through its subsidiaries, AbTech Industries and AEWS Engineering (“AEWS”), provides solutions to water contamination issues that are caused by stormwater runoff, industrial processes, water produced in the extractive industries such as oil & gas drilling, and spills of oil-based fluids in marine environments. The Company’s total solutions and systems approach to addressing customer’s needs results in the Company providing services for the design and selection of water treatment systems, products sales of filtration and treatment systems, installation of the treatment technologies, and maintenance of the installed systems. Some of these activities are provided through subcontractors and on some projects the Company may act as a subcontractor to other entities.
AbTech Industries has developed a variety of products that leverage its cornerstone filtration media technology called Smart Sponge®. This patented technology’s oil absorbing capabilities make it highly effective as a filtration media to remove hydrocarbons and other pollutants from water. AbTech Industries is currently manufacturing its products and is marketing them into a variety of markets resulting in over 20,000 products installed in 46 states and 15 countries to date.
AEWS, a Delaware Limited Liability Company formed on October 31, 2011, operates as an independent civil and environmental engineering firm that provides engineering and technology innovation to the water infrastructure sector.
The Company’s business is subject to several significant risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results, financial condition, and the actual outcome of matters as to which it makes forward-looking statements. See “Risk Factors” at page 17 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Technologies
AbTech Industries maintains a core set of water treatment technologies with applications in all of its market sectors. While the Company has expanded to include a variety of services that are related to its “solutions” approach, it has maintained a strong focus on its heritage as an advanced technology company. Moreover, the Company is able to leverage its core technologies as discriminators to gain entry into markets where otherwise there would be prohibitive barriers to entry.
Smart Sponge®
AbTech Industries has developed and patented its core Smart Sponge technologies based on a proprietary blend of synthetic polymers aimed at the removal of hydrocarbons and oil derivatives from surface water. Smart Sponge products remove pollutants from water and encapsulate them so that they cannot be released back into the water, even under high pressure. The removal process starts with the physical contact between polymer and contaminant and the consequent adsorption (physical interaction, contaminant distributed on surface of adsorbing material) or absorption (contaminant distributed throughout the absorbing material). The absorption/adsorption process is determined by several polymer parameters (e.g., composition and structure, flexibility of the chain and molecular weight), as well as physical parameters (e.g., polymer physical form, contaminant molecule size and temperature). While polymer composition is the critical factor in defining the solubility, the polymer structure (amorphous or crystalline) is probably the most important factor in determining the process of absorption or adsorption.
AbTech Industries’ polymers are composed of amorphous products that are able to selectively absorb various hydrocarbons (contaminants) present in water, then stabilize and retain them in a gelified structure. Other traditional sorbent products, with more crystalline structures, can only adsorb the contaminants and don’t have the capability to totally retain them when the sorbent is removed from the water. AbTech Industries’ polymers, in order to selectively remove oil derivatives from water, are oleophilic (strong affinity for oils) and hydrophobic (repel water).
The adsorption/absorption process is also controlled by the physical size of the sorbent as diffusion is fairly proportional to the contact surface between fluid and sorbent. Finely powderized materials show the best absorption but, because of swelling, tend to gel quickly and block the contact of additional fluid with the remaining active sorbent, and are very difficult to handle. In order to overcome this problem and use the sorbent to the maximum capacity, AbTech Industries has developed a patented extrusion process that takes advantage of the different thermal behavior of the polymers used to create entanglements with the amorphous part of the other polymer, bonding the chains of the polymers in a flexible porous structure called Smart Sponge.
The porosity of the Smart Sponge allows the fluid containing the contaminant to penetrate into its structure, then the polymer chains selectively absorb the hydrocarbon contaminants and stably encapsulate them. Based on the level of contaminant, the entire structure begins to swell (but not collapse into a total gel) while maintaining absorption capabilities well beyond usual levels. Once reaching saturation, the Smart Sponge is easily recoverable and does not leach any of the absorbed contaminant, even in rough water or under pressure, giving it less expensive disposal options such as recycling through a waste-to-energy facility. The Smart Sponge can absorb, on average, 3.5 times its weight, depending on the contaminant absorbed and remains buoyant permitting it to remain in place until fully saturated. The malleable nature of the Smart Sponge material allows it to be formed into a variety of shapes for optimum effectiveness in a wide variety of contaminated water filtration applications.
The advantages of Smart Sponge based products over competing products include:
•absorbing rather than adsorbing water-borne hydrocarbons;
•reducing coliform bacteria found in stormwater, industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater (in the case of Smart Sponge Plus, described below);
•locking-up or encapsulating the hydrocarbons;
•transforming the encapsulated pollutant into a solid to prevent leaching;
•remaining buoyant after the encapsulation in order to permit recovery;
•oil-soaked product may be recycled as a waste-to-energy fuel source;
•simpler and less expensive disposal due to classification as a solid “non-hazardous waste”;
•easy deployment and retrieval; and
•possesses the ability to harvest energy from contaminated water thereby creating a sustainable media solution.
Due to the ability of Smart Sponge to capture and retain hydrocarbons and other contaminants within its highly porous structure, its performance can best be measured by an in-depth look at the spent material to analyze its composition and the quantity of the various contaminants retained. This type of data cannot be gleaned from the customary random sampling events typically used to test filters. Such tests are often misleading or erroneous due to the non-homogenous concentrations of pollutants in stormwater. Analyzing all contaminants entrapped in the filter over a period of time provides a better indicator of the filter’s true performance. Consequently, AbTech Industries took a more advanced approach and engaged a highly qualified, analytical laboratory to use complex analytical techniques to deconstruct used Smart Sponge polymer and selectively extract all the entrapped contaminants. This in-depth mapping and finger printing of contaminants (a first of its kind in stormwater treatment) is analogous to having a “Black Box” recording of the Ultra-Urban® Filter’s (“UUF’s”) filtration mechanisms and all the contaminants collected in the Smart Sponge material during the time that it is deployed. The results of this analysis were then compared to base tests performed on virgin Smart Sponge material. The difference between the two samples constitutes the contaminants collected by the field deployed Smart Sponge. By extrapolating these results, estimations were made of the total contaminants AbTech Industries’ products prevented from being discharged into open waters for entire installation projects such as those at Norwalk, Connecticut. In Norwalk, 275 UUFs using Smart Sponge filtration media were installed in storm drains to protect residential, commercial, waterside, and industrial manufacturing settings which flow into Norwalk Harbor. The deconstruction or meltdown of Smart Sponge media samples documented approximately 50 pounds per filter of total contaminants with the presence of several heavy metals (e.g., copper, titanium, and zinc) and a variety of hydrocarbons, (about 32 pounds per filter), including solvents, oils and cosmetic product components as well as chemical plasticizers.
The grand total of contaminants including hydrocarbons and heavy metals removed, extrapolated for the 275 filters, is an estimated 13,530 pounds. Essentially, the installation of the filters prevented the equivalent of an oil spill of 1,200 gallons from entering the Long Island Sound. This analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of AbTech Industries’ products with quantifiable data and added substantially to data provided by other tests that merely tested the difference between influents and effluents.
Smart Sponge Plus
The Company has expanded the original capability of Smart Sponge technology by adding an antimicrobial agent that has proven to be effective in reducing coliform bacteria found in stormwater, industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater while maintaining its oil-absorbing capability. This expanded technology, known as Smart Sponge Plus, provides an effective solution to municipalities and other entities faced with beach closures and other hazards of bacteria-laden stormwater. The presence of bacteria in stormwater is a serious problem and poses significant health risks that increasingly result in the contamination of water bodies. Water quality standards for bacteria counts are very strictly monitored in most coastal areas and small increases in bacteria counts can trigger beach closures. The best potential to reduce this bacteria count during rain events is the control and treatment of the stormwater runoff. This control can be achieved by expensive, heavy equipment, such as ultraviolet light or chlorine treatment systems that become cost prohibitive for most municipalities. AbTech Industries has developed a set of cost-effective systems for retrofit into existing stormwater infrastructure, leveraging the antimicrobial capabilities of Smart Sponge Plus. These systems require no electricity or moving parts and create no downstream toxicity effect (a problem that must be mitigated in alternative chemical treatment approaches).
This antimicrobial capability differentiates Smart Sponge Plus products from competitive stormwater treatment devices. It can be engineered to treat massive amounts of water runoff in end-of-pipe applications, such as drainage vaults or other configurations. Because of its antimicrobial properties, Smart Sponge Plus is characterized as a pesticide and is required to be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). In July 2010, AbTech Industries received conditional approval of its application to register Smart Sponge Plus as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”). (See “Regulatory” below in this item.) Under the EPA registration, AbTech Industries is allowed to make the claim that Smart Sponge Plus is capable of reducing coliform bacteria found in stormwater, industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater.
The technological breakthrough in creating Smart Sponge Plus occurred when AbTech Industries developed the capability to bind an antimicrobial agent to its proprietary polymers thereby modifying their surface and adding micro biostatic features while maintaining their oil absorbing capabilities. This enhanced filtration material provides a significant reduction in coliform bacteria and other pathogens frequently found in stormwater and other water streams. AbTech Industries believes that this breakthrough, coupled with additional advancements that have dramatically increased the antimicrobial strength of Smart Sponge Plus, will be key factors in penetrating the stormwater market. Accordingly, AbTech Industries has been issued three U.S. patents that protect the use of Smart Sponge Plus in stormwater filtration applications.
The anti-microbial agent used for this innovative technology is an organosilane derivative that is widely used in a variety of fields including medical, consumables, pool equipment and consumer goods. This anti-microbial agent is registered with the EPA for various applications and has been proven successful in those applications against a wide variety of microorganisms. As further discussed under “Regulatory” below in this item, AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge Plus has received conditional registration approval from the EPA under FIFRA as an antimicrobial pesticide. Smart Sponge Plus will also act as a fungistatic to control fungus and mildew odor.
The anti-microbial mechanism of Smart Sponge Plus is based on the agent’s electromagnetic interaction with the microorganism cell membrane, causing the disruption of the cell wall of the microorganism, but no chemical or physical change in the agent. Consequently, the anti-microbial agent is not depleted over time, maintains its long-term effectiveness and unlike any other technology (with the exception of ultra-violet light), doesn’t release any chemical or by-product into the treated water.
In manufacturing the Smart Sponge Plus material, the anti-microbial agent is chemically and permanently bound to the polymer surface. In the development process, AbTech Industries has been successful in increasing the amount of anti-microbial agent bound to the polymer thus increasing its antimicrobial potency 2,000% over its first generation strength. In laboratory testing, the current generation of Smart Sponge Plus material, has proven to be not only much more effective in destroying bacteria than the original generation of Smart Sponge Plus material, but also capable of reducing bacteria to meet EPA criteria for bathing and recreational waters in a much shorter period of time (residence time), a very important factor in filtration applications where the contaminated water is in contact with the Smart Sponge material for just a few minutes versus the hours required in a sanitary sewer system.
Smart Sponge versus Commonly Used Non-Advanced Media Filtration
AbTech Industries’ core technologies are highly-engineered advanced material that are chemically selective towards contaminants and, in the case of the antimicrobial material, create biostatic fields to disrupt the cellular membranes of pathogens. These advanced materials enable an entire set of engineered deployment systems that otherwise would be less effective or entirely ineffective using non-advanced materials.
Smart Sponge material has a distinct advantage over traditional polypropylene material for example. In the case of oils and hydrocarbons, once oil comes in contact with the Smart Sponge material it is permanently encapsulated in the structure of the polymer and cannot be released under any amount of pressure. In comparison, polypropylene materials adsorb or form a temporary attachment to water as well as oil, thus making them much heavier and messier to remove releasing both water and oil back into the environment.
Disposal Options
As local conditions, product use and exposure can vary widely, the end user must determine the most appropriate disposal method for a spent Smart Sponge or Smart Sponge Plus’ material. Smart Sponge samples saturated with hydrocarbons both in the lab and in the field have been tested according to the EPA’s Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (“TCLP”) by the following independent testing facilities: ABC Laboratories, Inc., Aculabs, Inc. and Turner Laboratories, Inc. These tests show that Smart Sponge is a “non-leaching” product. In addition, used Smart Sponge material can be recycled as an energy source with a British thermal unit, or BTU, value ranging from 10,000 to 18,000 based on the type of contaminant absorbed. As a result, Smart Sponge technology affords many cost effective and environmentally friendly disposal options. The following waste disposal and resource recovery industries have accepted spent Smart Sponge materials for disposal and/or recycling:
On-site Disposal. AbTech Industries has developed a method for recycling spent Smart Sponge® and its solidified hydrocarbons allowing for 100% recycling of the spent-media. The patent pending process converts solid Smart Sponge® media and absorbed hydrocarbons into a liquid that can be sold to a refinery, eliminating disposal costs and generating additional revenue.
Waste-to-Energy Facilities (“WTE”). A specialized segment of the solid waste industry has used spent Smart Sponge material as an alternative fuel in the production of electricity. WTE is acknowledged at the federal level as a renewable energy source under the Federal Power Act, Title IV of the Clean Air Act and is a participant in the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Program.
Cement Kilns. This industry has used the spent Smart Sponge material as an alternative fuel in the production process of Portland Cement. This process is considered a beneficial reuse of waste products. The British thermal unit value of spent Smart Sponge material is consistently above the average acceptable levels set for this high temperature process.
Landfills. Used Smart Sponge products have been classified as a solid waste and are commonly accepted at Subtitle D Landfills.
Engineered Systems and Smart Sponge-based Products Being Sold
In conjunction with developing advanced filtration media, AbTech Industries engineers have also developed a variety of deployment systems that can be retrofitted into existing stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. This solves a major problem for municipalities where aging water infrastructure and increasing enforcement of water quality standards (a result of increased awareness of the detrimental environmental and public health effects) pose one of the largest infrastructure headaches in the coming decades. Cities have already determined in the vast majority of cases that so-called centralized solutions are cost-prohibitive or infeasible. These solutions include rerouting combined sewer overflow water and/or even stormwater to sanitation treatment plants for purification (which would also require the construction of additional sanitation treatment plants) or building large central stormwater/wastewater treatment “tunnels” underneath cities. AbTech Industries’ products enable decentralized solutions at the point-of-entry (e.g. stormdrains, etc.) or at the end of stormwater/combined sewer overflow outfall pipes.
AbTech Industries has engineered a variety of point-of-entry systems that can be dropped into storm drains with little or zero infrastructure disruption and end-of-pipe treatment “vaults” that can be built into the existing water lines to treat the flowing water as it passes through.
The products described below incorporate the Smart Sponge or Smart Sponge Plus material in one or more of its various forms and are each designed to meet specific market needs. Each of these products is currently being marketed and sold by the Company. We manufacture the Smart Sponge material in our manufacturing facility using polymers procured from the petrochemical industry. We then use this material to complete the final assembly of each product using component parts produced to our specification by outside vendors. Each product has application in each of the Company’s targeted markets discussed further under “Markets” below in this item, although the UUFs and water treatment vaults are designed primarily for stormwater applications and the gravity and vessel filters have primary application in industrial and produced water markets.
Smart Sponge Popcorn
The Smart Sponge material can be formed into a variety of physical shapes to optimize its performance in a wide range of filtration applications. The Smart Sponge material is the cornerstone of AbTech Industries’ current products, and AbTech Industries continues to find new applications for its use. When produced in its “popcorn” form (clumps of polymer similar in shape to popcorn), Smart Sponge is an effective filtration media due to its high porosity and favorable hydraulic characteristics. AbTech Industries is currently pursuing the use of Smart Sponge popcorn in end-of-pipe applications such as vaults and other configurations. The Smart Sponge material can also be sold to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and other users to be integrated into many different filtration pressure vessels or gravity flow structures.
Ultra-Urban® Filter
The UUF with Smart Sponge is an innovative low-cost Best Management Practice (“BMP”) that helps meet National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) requirements with effective filtration, efficient application, and low maintenance. The UUF is a modular filtration unit (or Catch Basin Insert) designed in a variety of shapes and sizes for use in “curb opening” and “top down” storm drains and is used to treat stormwater runoff for new or retrofitted sites by absorbing oil and grease and capturing trash and sediment.
The UUF is ideal for municipal, industrial and construction applications ensuring compliance with stormwater regulations. The filter comes in three designs: the Curb Opening, Drain Insert, and Customized Drain Insert. The unique micro porosity of Smart Sponge allows the standard sized CO1414 UUF filter a hydraulic flow rate of more than 250 gallons per minute and has proven effective in removing more than 80% of hydrocarbons and total suspended solids (“TSS”) (300 microns or greater).
The unique design of the Curb Opening Series allows crews to easily hang the appropriate number of filters in each drain on a simple mounting bracket. The product is designed with a lateral bypass to utilize each box as well as an overflow capability to eliminate the potential for street flooding in the event of a plugged filter.
The UUF Drain Insert Series offers the same filtration characteristics of the Curb Opening series for stormwater filtration of hydrocarbons, trash and sediment. The unique micro porosity of Smart Sponge allows the DI2020 UUF a hydraulic flow rate of more than 500 gallons per minute, and has proven effective in removing more than 80% of hydrocarbons and TSS (300 microns or greater). These units are designed to be suspended beneath a collar installed under the stormwater grates. This simple design allows easy access for maintenance while eliminating the potential for street flooding in the event of a plugged filter.
Customized drain inserts are available for those customers with shallow drains or requiring deeper bed depths. AbTech Industries’ team of engineers will work with customers to understand the site characteristics, including hydraulics and contamination levels and will confirm the appropriate Smart Sponge bed depth to achieve the project’s filtration goals.
Water Treatment Vaults (using advanced filtration media like Smart Sponge)
AbTech Industries’ water treatment vaults with advanced filtration media such as Smart Paks® are an effective alternative to treating individual catch basins. These easily installed, typically pre-cast vaults are retrofitted into existing stormwater systems and are ideal for stormwater treatment at or near the end of pipe. Vault sizes can be adapted for various flow rates and contamination levels to solve a wide range of stormwater treatment issues.
AbTech Industries can engineer its water treatment vaults for large projects either as stand-alone applications or as part of a treatment train to polish water working with retention ponds or hydrodynamic separators. These engineered solutions can be direct or radial flow, and can easily be adapted to treat first flush while allowing the later flow of a major storm event to pass around the systems to achieve the hydraulic requirements of the watershed.
SMART PAK®
AbTech Industries' Smart Pak is designed for use in new or existing vaults that experience oil and grease pollution accompanied by sediment, trash/debris, hydrocarbons, and coliform bacteria (when specified with Smart Sponge Plus). Smart Paks help users meet and/or exceed stormwater NPDES permit requirements with effective filtration, absorption, life expectancy and maintenance costs. Smart Pak products are constructed out of AbTech Industries' patented Smart Sponge media which is a nonhazardous material, and can be specified for a variety of applications. AbTech Industries' Smart Pak allows Smart Sponge technology to be scaled to virtually any size required in an easy-to-maintain form.
Absorbent Boom and Line Skimmer
AbTech Industries' Tubular Absorbent Booms and Line Skimmers employ the Smart Sponge absorptive technology which rejects water while absorbing even sheen levels of hydrocarbons in low energy flow environments. Tubular Absorbent Booms and Line Skimmers are designed to absorb and permanently encapsulate hydrocarbons resulting in no dewatering of oily water during removal. These products remain completely buoyant, even after being saturated allowing long term deployment and conveniently scheduled removal.
Passive Skimmer
The Passive Skimmer is designed to absorb and encapsulate hydrocarbons by floating directly on the water in catch basins, sumps, oil/water separators, and marine fueling stations. Passive Skimmers are made with Smart Sponge, are packaged in flexible mesh containers, and are available in a variety of sizes.
Bilge Skimmer
The Smart Sponge Non-Leaching Bilge Skimmer is engineered and designed for permanently encapsulating the petroleum hydrocarbons that appear as oily sheen in the engine compartment during normal boat operation. The Bilge Skimmer will absorb the contaminant and allow the boater to discharge clean water from the bilge pump.
Industrial Process Water Systems
AbTech Industries has a variety of solutions for treating industrial process water including gravity filters and pressure vessel filters. Gravity filters are generally designed using Smart Paks which can be easily replaced once consumed. All solutions and media bed depths are determined based on flow rate and the level of contaminant in the water. AbTech Industries also uses a variety of third-party pressure vessels filled with Smart Sponge material as effective filtration devices. Depending on the design and size of the vessel, the Smart Sponge material may be deployed in convenient bag filters for ease of media change out, or it may be installed in loose form requiring change-out with the use of a vacuum truck.
Produced Water Products
AbTech Industries has developed de-oiling solutions for the produced water market. These solutions generally are combined with other treatment systems to address the full range of the problematic contaminants present at a given site. AbTech’s de-oiling solutions are designed to remove hydrocarbons as both a pre-filter to protect the other treatment systems in the treatment train, or as polishing agent at the end of the treatment process. One solution for the removal of free oil in produced water is AbTech Industries’ contactor(s) in a pretreatment position. These consist of contactor tanks that are sized based on flow rate, influent concentration of contaminant, the desired change out schedule, and space or size constraints. The contactors used are widely available ASME certified pressure vessels that are filled with loose Smart Sponge popcorn media. These systems can be implemented ranging from 300 to 3,000 gallons per minute.
Markets
AbTech Industries targets three major markets: stormwater/wastewater, industrial wastewater/process water, and produced water applications for the oil & gas industry. The Company’s products also have application in the spill prevention and control markets (including marine environments) although the Company is not currently focused on this market as a priority.
Stormwater Market/Wastewater
This market consists of municipalities and private sector entities that for regulatory or other reasons are seeking to control the quality of water and other fluids that run off roads and other paved surfaces during wet weather, cleaning or oil spill events. Current customers include municipalities, state agencies, federal agencies, private developers, industrial facilities and businesses. Stormwater discharges are generated during a rainfall event by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots and building rooftops. The runoff water picks up a variety of pollutants, in particular bacteria and hydrocarbons, in quantities that can adversely affect water quality, and carries those pollutants into nearby rivers, lakes and oceans.
·Regulatory Drivers to the Stormwater Market - Stormwater discharges are subject to regulation by the EPA, state and local regulatory bodies. Authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program requires permits for sources that discharge pollutants into waters. Obtaining and complying with NPDES permits requires implementation of stormwater control measures, such as AbTech Industries’ engineered solutions.
Regulation of stormwater is a relatively new occurrence. The first phase of the NPDES program was promulgated in 1990 but the permit requirement was limited to only select regulated entities. The second phase of the NPDES program expanded the permit requirement significantly but did not start until 2003.
Combined Sewer Overflows also must comply with the Clean Water Act and present an opportunity for AbTech Industries’ engineered treatment solutions. Combined sewer systems serve roughly 772 communities serving 40 million people. In periods of rainfall or snowmelt, the combined stormwater and wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. This leads to the direct discharge of untreated sewage, etc. to the environment.
Enforcement of stormwater/CSO standards have increased, with EPA compelling installation of stormwater control measures and water quality treatment systems through consent decrees. In recent years, billions of dollars of mandated spending on stormwater/CSO systems has been created through consent decrees.
·Health and Tourism Concerns Driving the Stormwater Market - One area of the stormwater market that is receiving increased publicity and attention is the water pollution caused by microorganisms (bacteria). Polluted stormwater runoff can expose boaters and swimmers to bacteria, viruses and protozoans. A Southern California epidemiological study revealed that individuals who swim in areas adjacent to flowing storm drain outfalls were 50 percent more likely to develop a variety of symptoms than those who swim further away from the same drains. These situations are the cause for thousands of beach closings every year, which affect public health and local economies dependent upon tourism and recreation. According to a the 2014 Testing the Waters report of the Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”), in 2012 there were 20,120 days of closings and advisories across the country at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches. NRDC reported that more than 80 percent of the closings and advisories in 2012 were issued because bacteria levels in the beachwater exceeded public health standards potentially indicating the presence of human or animal waste. This was the 8th time in the past 9 years that the number of beach closing and advisory days exceeded 20,000. Stormwater runoff was reported as the primary known source of known pollution nationwide, consistent with past years, indicating a lack of needed progress on the problem at the national level. NRDC's annual analysis of water quality data at 3,485 coastal U.S. beaches monitored in 2013 found that 10 percent of all monitoring samples exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's most protective benchmark for assessing swimmer safety, known as the Beach Action Value, or BAV.
·Going Green Initiatives - Knowing that polluted stormwater runoff is one of the leading causes of water pollution in the country, many companies are including on-site stormwater treatment in their environmental sustainability goals. AbTech Industries’ systems can help companies meet these goals. AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge technology not only treats polluted water, it is also recyclable, requires no electricity or other power source and can provide users with quantifiable results of its efficacy, thus helping companies demonstrate their “going green” stewardship.
Industrial Wastewater Market
The industrial market serves manufacturers seeking to control and clean wastewater generated in various processes. The market is comprised of both heavy industry such as oil refineries, steel mills, chemical plants, pulp and paper plants and more localized concerns such as mid-size manufacturers, refuse sites and shipping/receiving areas. This market also includes private developers, gas stations and owners of developed sites (i.e., parking lots) of over one acre.
Industry is placing increased emphasis on water recovery and reuse in order to conserve and protect scarce water resources and the environment. These efforts create the need for effective products and services to treat the water to reduce bacteria and remove unwanted contaminants such as oil derivatives and hydrocarbons.
Industrial customers are also required to comply with increasingly stringent discharge regulations creating the need for products to treat runoff water or discharge water before it leaves an industrial facility. The EPA has classified over 3,000 industrial and electric utility facilities as water pollution dischargers. Each of these facilities provides its own wastewater treatment prior to discharge into an open body of water. The size of many of these plants is equal to or greater than those of many municipalities, and in many instances their processes are more complex than those provided by a municipality because of the nature of the chemical pollutants being treated. The largest industrial spender on wastewater treatment processes is the chemical and petrochemical sector. There are more than 12,000 chemical/petrochemical plants in the United States and approximately 90% treat wastewater on-site. In addition, there are approximately 30 to 40 independent industrial off-site plants, most of which handle chemical and petrochemical effluent, principally from medium-sized and small companies.
In the industrial market, it is AbTech Industries’ intent to market its products through qualified and specialized national distributors, preferably operating in the water treatment business.
Produced Water and Frack Water Applications in the Oil & Gas Industry
Oil and gas exploration and production activities result in the production of significant volumes of contaminated water. On average, there is five times as much contaminated water generated as oil or gas. Approximately 75% of this water is re-injected into the formation to maintain pressure or deep well re-injected at another site. In a traditional oil production field this water is called “produced water.” In fracking operations this can include “frac flowback water” and in gas fields this could include “gas condensate water.” Approximately 25% of all water generated from the exploration and production activities must be treated for either reuse in operations or for discharge to the environment under an NPDES permit. According to the EPA, the Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of oil or oily waste into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or the waters of the contiguous zone if such discharge causes a film or sheen upon the surface of the water. Violators are subject to a monetary penalty. The attributes of AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge technology and its ability to remove “oily sheen” make it especially suited to service this market. Smart Sponge can be used as a pretreatment system to remove diesel range organics and free oils prior to additional treatment by downstream technologies to remove contaminants such as volatile organic compounds, dissolved solids, and bacteria.
Spill Prevention and Control Market
There are a number of applications related to rivers, lakes, and oceans that call for the use of floating or in-line filtration products to control and reduce the presence of hydrocarbons in the water or on board transiting vessels. Customers include the cruise ship industry, recreational boaters, marina owners, port authorities, spill response organizations and commercial shippers.
This market also comprises airports, airport fueling facilities, U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) bases, transfer stations, and others concerned about oil spills. Under the Federal Clean Water Act, the EPA has issued the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (“SPCC”) rule, which requires owners or operators of facilities that store, use, process, transfer, distribute or consume oil and oil products, including airports and military bases, to have minimum preventative systems in place. The risks of not adequately implementing such countermeasures are regulatory violations, fines and potential releases that result in contamination, clean-up and additional fines. The impact of these issues can result in significant costs to a facility owner/operator. There are more than 250 medium and large sized airports in the United States and more than 322 U.S. military facilities.
AbTech Industries’ systems can be deployed for the oil and fuel contamination problems facing airports and military facilities. These systems can not only be used to address such problems as stormwater runoff, but also provide effective SPCC solutions to limit potential liabilities to customers by providing a last line of defense or perimeter protection for fuel spills.
Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Support
During 2014, the Company continued a significant expansion of its business development efforts in order to capitalize on the expected growth in the stormwater, produced water and industrial waste water markets. The primary, ongoing activities in this effort are:
1.The re-branding of AbTech as a full-suite environmental technology solutions company for water treatment. This rebranding aims to highlight AbTech’s ability to provide solutions to water treatment issues using a variety of tools rather than just offering a single product or technology. These activities are intended to enhance customer engagement, increase product acceptance, and expand market opportunity by expanding the number and capabilities of product solutions offered. In late 2013, the Company signed a contract with the Nassau County in New York to design, build and operate (“DBO”) stormwater solutions at various stormwater outfall pipe locations throughout the county. The Company began work on this not-to-exceed $12 million contract in 2013 and during 2014 worked on the pre-construction engineering tasks outlined in the contract.
2.In 2014 the Company announced a collaboration effort with Corvias Solutions to develop large stormwater infrastructure projects, particularly under privately-financed public-private partnership models. AEWS is teaming with Corvias Solutions to provide engineering and design services to support a $100 million project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. AbTech and Corvias are jointly pursuing other similar contracts for DBO type projects.
3.Forming strategic alliances aimed at shaping and maximizing addressable markets. As the Company re-brands itself, a primary focus of that endeavor is to position the Company as a holistic stormwater technologies company with elite expertise. To achieve this objective, the Company is seeking to develop strategic working relationships with leading academic institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations in the stormwater, produced water and industrial waste water markets.
4.Continued development of AEWS Engineering, a stormwater engineering subsidiary, to provide consulting services to identify and design effective water treatment solutions and take advantage of the Company’s expertise in the water treatment field.
5.Adding personnel in a staged approach to support relationships with strategic partners, establish expertise in new or expanding markets and provide other administrative and marketing support.
6.Internal development of processes to support business growth and optimize resource allocation within the business pursuit organization.
All of these activities are expected to continue to expand as appropriate in future years to take advantage of market opportunities and amplify market successes.
Stormwater/Wastewater
AbTech Industries’ approach to the stormwater/wastewater market is focused on the public sector, primarily cities and municipalities, but also addresses commercial and industrial applications. For small companies, sales to the public sector have inherent challenges including long sales cycles and erratic budget allocations. To deal with these challenges, AbTech Industries is pursuing a strategy of establishing strategic relationships with market segment leaders that have expertise and market strengths that are complimentary to AbTech’s strengths in order to provide a complete solutions approach for stormwater customers. In 2011, AbTech Industries entered into a strategic relationship with Waste Management, Inc. (“WMI”) to pursue a comprehensive stormwater management approach to help municipalities tackle stormwater issues, including funding challenges, through public-private partnerships (“P3s”). Through this type of program, a public agency can work contractually with a private sector entity, such as WMI or AbTech, to deliver a stormwater treatment service that will benefit the general public. Many municipalities have implemented stormwater utilities or assess stormwater fees intended to provide the funding needed to implement effective stormwater treatment systems. While the relationship with WMI has not been successful to date, AbTech Industries has continued to develop the concept of establishing P3s to address stormwater issues and, despite the time it is taking to achieve success, this full-service approach with P3s is still viewed as a viable strategy to address this market. The collaborative effort announced in 2014 with Corvias Solutions to develop large stormwater infrastructure projects is consistent with this strategy of pursuing privately-financed P3 models. The Company intends to pursue other similar strategic relationships.
Industrial Wastewater Market
The industrial wastewater market is focused on the treatment of oily wastewater from industrial processes for either reuse or discharge. This market is serviced by many regional chemical and equipment supply companies that offer a catalog of solutions. Solutions may require little to no individual engineering, up to custom engineered solutions to address a customer need. AbTech Industries services this market by providing selling direct to industrial customers and providing engineering and sales support services to industrial chemical suppliers, equipment suppliers and consulting engineers.
Oil & Gas Market
Treatment of contaminated produced water for the oil & gas industry focuses on the water produced during oil and gas exploration and production. Oil services companies, oil and gas producers, and engineering firms are the main customers. Applications for this market are generally engineered solutions. AbTech Industries services this market with direct AbTech Industries’ sales representatives and engineering resources, including external engineering design resources when necessary. The Company also collaborates with other entities that provide complimentary technologies to complete an effective treatment train to meet the specific needs of customers. Through teaming agreements and other arrangements, the Company works with these entities to identify customers, design systems for specific treatment applications, deploy the treatment systems and provide operation support.
Collaboration With Consulting Firms, Academic Institutions and Public Advocacy Groups
AbTech Industries, both on its own, and with its distributors, has been active in seeking out and cooperating with a number of academic institutions and private groups that have interests that may advance the use of AbTech Industries’ products.
AbTech Industries has had an opportunity to have its products assessed by several consultants and institutions. The tests performed by these entities, along with the extensive testing completed by the Company, have involved various types of contaminants, contaminant concentrations, flow rates, filter residence times and other factors. These tests, conducted over many years, have led the Company to design its products for the applications where Smart Sponge material performs best and have provided the data needed to validate performance claims for each of the various applications for which such products are currently being marketed. Testing is an ongoing process for the Company as we continue to seek new ways to improve performance and expand efficacy. Consultants used in the past to assess our products include:
·Alden Labs. Alden, a recognized leader in the field of research and development, is the oldest continuously operating hydraulic laboratory in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Alden has completed a variety of tests on AbTech Industries’ SMART PAK for hydraulic conductivity and sediment removal in vault configurations.
·North America Science Associates (“NAMSA”). For over 40 years, NAMSA has been supporting the medical device and pharmaceutical industries through a wide variety of testing services, all designed to ensure safety, efficacy and regulatory compliance. NAMSA has completed extensive lab efficiency tests for Smart Sponge Plus materials using varied concentrations of bacteria and exposure times.
·Millsaps College. Millsaps is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Through the Department of Geology, Millsaps has cooperated with AbTech Industries to test the Smart Sponge’s absorption capability with different hydrocarbons, Smart Sponge porosity and performance claims for the UUF and other products designed for the aviation industry. Millsaps has completed testing for many other large corporations including 3M, Dow, Clorox and Ergon, a local supplier of polypropylene fibers and sorbents for oil spills.
·HydroQual Inc. HydroQual is an environmental engineering and science firm. With a staff of over 100 employees, HydroQual addresses issues dealing with water quality, TMDL analyses, floatables pollution, water and wastewater treatment. HydroQual has performed a variety of tests to validate AbTech Industries’ claims regarding the performance of the Smart Sponge.
·University of California, Los Angeles (“UCLA”). The UCLA Department of Engineering and Environmental Sciences provided independent validation of early versions of AbTech Industries’ Ultra-Urban Filter.
Competition
Stormwater Products
Four key factors differentiate AbTech Industries’ Ultra-Urban Filter from other filters in the stormwater market:
·Anti-microbial capability. AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge filtration media, when treated with an anti-microbial agent, can reduce bacteria and other microbes flowing through the filter. Smart Sponge products are available with or without the added anti-microbial agent.
·Structural Filter. AbTech Industries believes that the Ultra-Urban Filter is the only product designed so that the entire structure is involved in the filtration process. Other products have inserted pads or pillows that allow some hydrocarbon removal, but the Ultra-Urban Filter directs the entire water flow through the filtration media thus enhancing the effectiveness of the filter.
·Superior Filtration Media. An essential and superior feature of Smart Sponge filtration medium is its ability to absorb hydrocarbons and prohibit them from being released back into the water flow when there are subsequent rain events. The reason for this is that AbTech Industries’ proprietary blend of polymers is oleophilic - an absorbent - which means that hydrocarbons are bonded within its chemical matrix and cannot be washed off, squeezed out or leached out of the material during subsequent wetting or rain events. There are various materials used by competitors for stormwater filtration that do not have this absorbent characteristic, instead they feature an adsorbent capability that merely attracts hydrocarbons to their surface area, but cannot prevent them from leaching back into the environment during subsequent rain events. The most commonly used adsorbent in the market is polypropylene, which is currently used in many sorbent products used for oil spill clean-up. Although it is generally accepted that adsorbents are clearly inferior to absorbents in their ability to capture and remove hydrocarbons from stormwater flows, they are widely used because of the low comparative cost. Over the last ten years, AbTech Industries has performed numerous laboratory and field tests that verify its products’ absorption capabilities and other performance features dealing with the removal of trash, sediment, debris, and other contaminants. Central to these test data is the incontrovertible conclusion that AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge filtration medium is an absorbent.
·Porous Structure. AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge technology maximizes the effectiveness of the oil-absorbing polymers by forming them into an extremely porous structure that allows effective, long-lasting absorption without clogging or channeling which is common among filter media in a powder or particulate form.
There are three general categories of products that deal with the treatment of stormwater: hydrodynamic separators (“HDS”), catch basin inserts and ultra-violet light systems. To give a complete competitor profile, a brief explanation of HDS systems is given below since HDS systems are more often considered an alternative to catch basin inserts in new construction projects.
·Hydrodynamic Separators. HDS products use gravitational flow to spin the water in such a way that density differences cause sediment and other pollutants to be separated and skimmed-off the water. HDS units are large compared to catch basin inserts (smallest systems are about the size of an automobile) and are comprised of several large chambers or vaults, each designed to trap specific pollutants. These systems are much more expensive than catch basin inserts but also have the ability to handle more water flow. Unit costs for HDS systems range from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on size. These systems tend to be more cost effective in large new developments where the HDS can be designed into the stormwater system and large areas of run-off can be directed to each unit. In dealing with existing storm drains, HDS products are less desirable because they require streets and sidewalks to be torn-up, drainage redirected, and construction equipment to retrofit the drain and install the units. Catch basin inserts, on the other hand, are relatively easy to install because they fit into existing storm drain catch basins and require little or no construction.
Not only are HDS systems expensive, they also require significant maintenance to remove the trapped pollutants and ensure that the system continues to function properly. Some HDS vendors have purchased AbTech Industries’ Smart Sponge products to be used in conjunction with the HDS units to absorb the oil that is separated from the water, thus enhancing the performance of the systems and reducing the required maintenance. Another drawback of HDS systems is that they are designed to retain standing water after a rain or water flow event. Consequently, the HDS vaults become breeding grounds for mosquitoes (carrier of West Nile Virus), mold, mildew, bacteria and other undesirables.
The primary vendors of HDS systems are: ConTech (CDS Technologies, Vortechs), Stormceptor and Baysaver Technologies.
·Catch Basin Inserts. Competing products in this category include the following:
o“DrainPac” by United Storm Water, Inc.
o“StormBasin” by Fabco Industries
o	“Fossil Filter” and “Flow Guard” by Kristar	
o“Grate Inlet Skimmer Box” by Suntree Technologies
o“Aqua Guard” by AquaShield
o“Inceptor” by Stormdrain Solutions
o“Hydrocartridge” by Advanced Aquatic Products
o“Ultra HydroKleen” by Ultra Tech International
•Ultra Violet Light (“UVL”). For customers seeking effective antibacterial treatment of stormwater, UVL offers a potential solution. However, the economics of these products are far different from catch basin inserts or other vault systems offered by AbTech Industries. Because UVL systems require electricity and expensive equipment, they are very costly to implement and maintain. Consequently, they are not a viable option for many municipalities. Furthermore, these systems become less effective in turbid waters. While AbTech Industries does not compete directly with UVL systems, such systems do provide an alternative to AbTech Industries’ antimicrobial Smart Sponge products.
Another solution for the treatment of stormwater is the use of water retention systems and other ”green Infrastructure” solutions that are designed for infiltration of stormwater or redirection of such stormwater to areas where the water can be stored and allowed to naturally percolate into the ground without the use of any filtration technology or treatment system. These systems generally require a relatively large amount of land to be used effectively and therefore are often cost prohibitive or impractical where available land is scarce.
Other Markets
In the industrial, oil & gas and marine markets, competition primarily comes from traditional sorbent products and other particulate-based polymer adsorption products that are widely available through industrial supply vendors. AbTech Industries’ competitive advantage lies in:
•its patented technologies to form these polymers in shapes, such as the propellet, that greatly enhance performance and ease of use;
•its unique delivery systems, including in-line filtration cartridges and filtration vessels;
•the completely hydrophobic nature of its products;
•the capability to deal with more than one contaminant (i.e., hydrocarbons and microorganisms); and
•the high saturation capacity.
Competitive Position
AbTech Industries has a strong competitive position in the stormwater marketplace within the United States due to its product offerings and collaborative relationships with Corvias Solutions and WMI. There is significant competition for stormdrain insert filters in the marketplace, though AbTech has a competitive advantage due to the strength of its hydrocarbon absorption technology. This competitive advantage extends to customers such as industrial facilities, marinas/ports, airports, fueling stations, and any area where vehicle maintenance occurs. AbTech has a highly unique antimicrobial technology that requires EPA registration. Since the development of antimicrobial technology is complex, AbTech's approach is patented, and the EPA registration process is extensive and costly, there are high barriers to entry for competitors. This antimicrobial technology has enabled new engineering approaches towards water quality treatment. AbTech faces competitive forces from traditional approaches towards antimicrobial treatment. It is unclear whether AbTech's unique engineering and technology approach will gain significant market penetration. AbTech's relationships with Corvias Solutions and WMI are unique in the marketplace and provide AbTech with competitive advantages including customer access, the credibility of association with large, established market leaders, and the potential to bring economies of scale in manufacturing, distribution and systems maintenance. AbTech's competitive position is thus greatly enhanced, but also dependent in part, upon these collaborative relationships in the U.S. stormwater marketplace.
AbTech faces significant competitive forces in the industrial process and wastewater treatment market segment. This market segment is highly driven by price points and customer relationships. AbTech currently has or may have strong competitive potential for the following applications in this market segment: hydrocarbon removal and heavy metals removal. AbTech also has a unique produced water treatment offering for the oil & gas industry. AbTech is currently dependent upon the adoption by the industry of its Smart Sponge-based hydrocarbon removal system for produced water and currently is at the pilot testing stage with oil & gas industry customers.
Intellectual Property, Research, and Development
Intellectual Property
Patents
AbTech Industries endeavors to protect the intellectual property it develops through its research and development efforts. The United States Patent Office has issued AbTech Industries and its subsidiary 17 patents related to the Smart Sponge technology and products. Additionally, three of the patent applications have been pursued internationally with patents issued in Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Singapore. In 2014, AbTech Industries applied for another U.S. patent involving the process to recycle spent Smart Sponge® and its solidified hydrocarbons. This patent application is currently pending. AbTech Industries intends to pursue patent protection for new patentable technologies that it develops. AbTech Industries’ success depends, in part, on its ability to maintain trade secrecy protection and operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties. The following table lists the patents issued to the Company and their duration:
Patent Number
Issue Date
Expiration Date
US Pat. #5,863,440
1/25/1999
5/24/2016
US Pat. #6,344,519B1
2/5/2002
1/9/2018
US Pat. #6,099,723
8/8/2002
6/5/2018
US Pat. #6,080,307
6/27/2000
9/29/2018
US Pat. #6,106,707
8/22/2000
2/17/2019
US Pat. #6,541,569
4/1/2003
4/7/2018
US Pat. #6,143,172
11/7/2000
1/25/2019
US Pat. #6,231,758
5/15/2001
8/22/2020
US Pat. #6,531,059
3/11/2003
11/3/2020
US Pat. #6,712,976B2
3/30/2004
9/13/2021
US Pat. #6,723,791B2
4/20/2004
12/31/2021
US Pat. #7,094,338B2
8/22/2006
2/21/2023
US Pat #7,048,878B2
5/23/2006
3/24/2023
US Pat. #7,125,823B2
10/4/2006
1/29/2024
US Pat. #7,229,560B2
6/12/2007
12/6/2024
US Pat. #7,229,559B2
6/12/2007
2/27/2024
US Pat. #7,066,023B2 (issued to subsidiary - Environmental Security Corporation)
6/27/2006
7/14/2024
Singapore Pat. #66582
6/20/2000
1/9/2018
Singapore Pat. #103019
7/31/2006
9/13/2022
Patent Number
Issue Date
Expiration Date
Australia Pat. #732308
7/26/2001
1/9/2017
Australia Pat. #751991
12/19/2002
2/17/2019
Canada Pat. #2,277,163
5/10/2005
1/9/2018/
Canada Pat. #2321108
5/26/2009
2/17/2019
Canada Pat. #2460511
11/27/2012
9/13/2022
China Pat. #ZL98801774.1
4/19/2006
1/9/2018
Mexico Pat. #232768
12/05/2005
1/9/2018
Korea Pat. #0593867
6/20/2006
1/9/2018
Japan Pat. #4164707
8/8/2008
1/9/2018
Japan Pat. #4470133
3/12/2010
2/17/2019
Japan Pat. #4478866
3/26/2010
9/13/2022
Italy Pat. #1073610B1
1/4/2009
2/17/2019
EEU Pat. #0973593 (France, Great Britain, Italy)
12/01/2004
1/9/2018
EEU Pat, #1436470
7/3/2013
9/13/2022
Trademarks
AbTech Industries has registered three trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: (i) Smart Sponge®, which denotes the Smart Sponge material itself in its various shapes and sizes; (ii) Ultra-Urban® Filter, which denotes AbTech Industries’ line of storm drain filtration devices; and (iii) SMART PAK®, which describes Smart Sponge material compacted into blocks, bricks or other pre-shaped forms. AbTech Industries also trademarked, but does not currently use, the name OARS®, which denotes an oil aquatic recovery system encompassing Smart Sponge products.
Trade Secrets
In order to protect its trade secrets and un-patented proprietary information arising from its development activities, AbTech Industries requires its employees, consultants and contractors to enter into agreements providing for confidentiality, non-disclosure and Company ownership of any trade secret or other un-patented proprietary information developed by employees, consultants or contractors during their employment or engagement by AbTech Industries. AbTech Industries also requires all potential collaborative partners and distributors to enter into confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.
Research and Development
The current Smart Sponge technology has prompted the development of a robust line of products. However, to ensure future growth, new products and technologies must be developed. Research and development effort is expended only on projects that meet certain criteria. The project must have a reasonable commercial potential, both in terms of revenue and in terms of profit margins. The products developed from the work must inherently be differentiated from competing products, if any, or allow AbTech Industries to fill a critical gap in its products offering. The development time to achieve the new technology or product must also be reasonable.
AbTech Industries maintains active development programs focused on the treatment and removal of heavy metals, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) and phosphates from contaminated water. In 2014, AbTech Industries signed an exclusive license agreement for a highly effective heavy metals removal media that can be used in combination with Smart Sponge® filtration capabilities to target heavy metal contamination in the stormwater and mining industries, including removal of selenium VI, a highly toxic heavy metal. Work is currently underway with this technology to commercialize the application into effective product configurations.
AbTech Industries also has ongoing projects to evaluate Smart Sponge and other polymers to determine absorption performance under varying conditions and with a variety of contaminants. This testing not only provides independent verification of product performance but also allows AbTech Industries to provide more reliable information to customers about the product’s performance under various field conditions. In addition, AbTech Industries is evaluating various polymer combinations as the field of polymer science continues to evolve.
AbTech Industries’ strategy on all of these projects is to partner with third parties (universities, engineering companies and other commercial partners) for experimentation and validation of proposed concepts. AbTech Industries has worked cooperatively with North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute, West Virginia University National Environmental Service Center, Millsaps College, California State University at Fullerton, Alden Labs, APEX Laboratories, Brooks Rand, ABC Labs, NAMSA and Hydroqual, Inc. on various projects and is looking at other qualified partners for specific projects.
Manufacturing and Engineering
The polymer raw materials used by the Company to manufacture Smart Sponge are readily available from the petrochemical industry. These polymers are used extensively in other non-related consumer products, road paving materials and various component parts in the auto industry. The Company’s primary suppliers of these polymers are Harwick Standard Distribution Corp., LCY Elastomers, SK Global Chemicals and JS Tech, Ltd. The Company’s supplier of corrugated plastic used in the manufacture of UUFs is Numatech West (KMP) LLC. The antimicrobial agent used by the Company in manufacturing Smart Sponge Plus material is procured from Apollo Chemical Company and is available in sufficient quantities to meet anticipated demand.
As manufacturing volumes increase, AbTech Industries intends to maintain its core engineering competencies in the United States and create a manufacturing outsourcing network capable of supplying existing and future products around the world. The network will include some internal manufacturing (mainly assembly) capabilities but will largely comprise contract manufacturers and/or strategic partners with the required expertise and facilities to cost-effectively manufacture AbTech Industries’ products. Due to the nature of the product (very low specific gravity or density, therefore high unitary shipping cost), AbTech Industries expects to establish its manufacturing and warehousing sites in key geographic areas. The manufacturing network will have an integrated information system capable of effectively managing production orders and ensuring high quality products manufactured to consistent specifications around the world. This plan will be rolled out in two steps:
AbTech Industries will fully exploit its internal manufacturing capabilities at its 13,000 square foot facility in Phoenix, Arizona. While maximizing the capacity of this facility, AbTech Industries will search out and train outsourcing partners in the United States and other regions. Products not using the Smart Sponge material will be contracted to outside manufacturers. As production volumes increase, AbTech Industries intends to further evaluate the opportunities to outsource the manufacturing of all components and most of the finished products, focusing on total quality and consistency. Due to the very atypical process and equipment used in AbTech Industries’ manufacturing, it is unclear at this time if a suitable manufacturing partner exists. AbTech Industries would need to confirm a clear value proposition prior to outsourcing manufacturing.
Regulatory
In 2009, AbTech Industries filed an application with the EPA for registration of Smart Sponge Plus under FIFRA. In July 2010, AbTech Industries received notice of a time-limited registration under FIFRA from the EPA that contained certain conditions requiring AbTech Industries to submit additional acute aquatic toxicity data regarding the active ingredient in Smart Sponge Plus to the EPA by July 1, 2011. Subsequently, the EPA granted extensions of the time-limited registration to December 31, 2014. In December 2014, the Company received notice from the EPA that the conditional registration for its Smart Sponge Plus products is no longer subject to a time limitation and the pending submission of additional data, as required by the EPA’s original time-limited conditional registration approval, will not be required from AbTech until the agency requires all registrants of similar products to submit such data. Under the current registration, the Company is allowed to sell its Smart Sponge Plus products for the intended uses with EPA approved labeling. The EPA registration number for Smart Sponge Plus is 86256-1.
Employees
As of March 27, 2015, we had 20 full-time employees. Five of these individuals are involved in sales and marketing; three in production; two in research and development, three in engineering and seven in administrative functions.
Where You Can Find More Information
We are required to file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The public can obtain copies of these materials by visiting the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549, by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330, or by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Links to these reports can also be found on our website at www.abtechindustries.com, under the INVESTORS section of the website.
ITEM 1A.
ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS.
Our business and an investment in our common stock is subject to a variety of risks. The following risk factors describe the most significant events, facts or circumstances that could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations, ability to implement our business plan and the market price for our common stock. Many of these events are outside of our control. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors in our common stock could lose all or part of their investment.
The risk factors discussed below relate to our business and operations following the consummation of the Merger and, accordingly, relate primarily to Abtech Holdings and its subsidiaries, AbTech Industries and AEWS. As used in this “Risk Factors” section, the terms “Company,” “we,” our” and like words mean Abtech Holdings together with Abtech Industries, unless the context otherwise requires.
Risks Relating to Our Business
Our ability to generate revenue to support our operations is uncertain.
We are in the early growth stage of our business and have a limited history of generating revenues. We have a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our potential for future success, and we are subject to the additional risks affecting early-stage businesses. Rather than relying on historical information, financial or otherwise, to evaluate our Company, you should evaluate our Company in light of your assessment of the growth potential of our business and the expenses, delays, uncertainties, and complications typically encountered by early-stage businesses, many of which will be beyond our control. Early-stage businesses in rapidly evolving markets commonly face risks, such as the following:
•unanticipated problems, delays, and expenses relating to the development and implementation of their business plans;
•operational difficulties;
•lack of sufficient capital;
•competition from more advanced enterprises; and
•uncertain revenue generation.
Our limited operating history may make it difficult for us to forecast accurately our operating results.
Our planned expense levels are, and will continue to be, based in part on our expectations, which are difficult to forecast accurately based on our stage of development and factors outside of our control. We may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected developments. Further, business development expenses may increase significantly as we expand operations. To the extent that any unexpected expenses precede, or are not rapidly followed by, a corresponding increase in revenue, our business, operating results, and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
We have a history of losses that may continue, which may negatively impact our ability to achieve our business objectives.
We have incurred net losses since our inception. The Company had a net loss of approximately $6.5 million during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. We cannot assure you that we can achieve or sustain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis in the future. There can be no assurance that future operations will be profitable. We may not achieve our business objectives and the failure to achieve such goals would have an adverse impact on us.
Our success depends on our ability to expand, operate, and manage successfully our operations.
Our success depends on our ability to expand, operate, and manage successfully our operations. Our ability to expand successfully will depend upon a number of factors, including the following:
•signing with strategic partners, dominant in their field;
•the continued development of our business;
•the hiring, training, and retention of additional personnel;
•the ability to enhance our operational, financial, and management systems;
•the availability of adequate financing;
•competitive factors;
•general economic and business conditions; and
•the ability to implement methods for revenue generation.
If we are unable to obtain additional capital, our business operations could be harmed.
The development and expansion of our business will require additional funds. In the future, we may seek additional equity or debt financing to provide capital for our Company. Such financing may not be available or may not be available on satisfactory terms. If financing is not available on satisfactory terms, we may be unable to expand our operations. While debt financing will enable us to expand our business more rapidly than we otherwise would be able to do, debt financing increases expenses and we must repay the debt regardless of our operating results. Future equity financings could result in dilution to our stockholders.
The recent global financial crisis, which has included, among other things, significant reductions in available capital and liquidity from banks and other providers of credit, substantial reductions or fluctuations in equity and currency values worldwide, and concerns that the worldwide economy may enter into a prolonged recessionary period, may make it difficult for us to raise additional capital or obtain additional credit, when needed, on acceptable terms or at all.
Our inability to obtain adequate capital resources, whether in the form of equity or debt, to fund our business and growth strategies, may require us to delay, scale back, or eliminate some or all of our operations, which may adversely affect our financial results and ability to operate as a going concern.
You may suffer significant dilution if we raise additional capital.
If we raise additional capital, we expect it will be necessary for us to issue additional equity or convertible debt securities. If we issue equity or convertible debt securities, the price at which we offer such securities may not bear any relationship to our value, the net tangible book value per share may decrease, the percentage ownership of our current stockholders would be diluted, and any equity securities we may issue in such offering or upon conversion of convertible debt securities issued in such offering, may have rights, preferences, or privileges with respect to liquidation, dividends, redemption, voting, and other matters that are senior to or more advantageous than our common stock.
We have completed debt financings and face risks associated with financing our operations.
The Company has completed several debt financings and is subject to the normal risks associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest and the risk that we will not be able to renew, repay, or refinance our debt when it matures or that the terms of any renewal or refinancing will not be as favorable as the existing terms of that debt. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately $8.7 million of outstanding debt that matures in 2015 and accrued interest payable of $462,356.
We have debt outstanding that is secured by all of the assets of the Company.
During 2014 and 2013, we issued promissory notes that are secured by all of the assets of the Company, including its intellectual property. As of December 31, 2014, seven secured promissory notes, having a senior security interest in the assets of the Company and an aggregate principal amount of $2,000,000, were outstanding. In addition, twelve other secured promissory notes, having a junior security interest in the assets of the Company and an aggregate principal amount of $6,516,979, were outstanding. If we are unable to pay our obligations to our secured lenders, they could proceed against any or all of the collateral securing our indebtedness to them which could prevent the Company from continuing its operations in whole or in part.
You may suffer dilution if the Secured Notes are converted to common stock.
As of December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately $4.85 million of convertible notes outstanding that, if converted, would require the company to issue approximately 9.5 million shares of common stock. Such conversion would cause the percentage ownership of our current stockholders to be diluted.
Our independent auditors have expressed substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing.
In their report dated March 31, 2015, our independent registered public accounting firm included an emphasis-of-matter paragraph with respect to our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 concerning the Company’s assumption that it will continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern is an issue raised as a result of recurring losses from operations. To date, each of Abtech Holdings and AbTech Industries has only incurred net operating losses resulting in a significant accumulated deficit. Our ability to continue as a going concern is subject to our ability to obtain necessary funding from outside sources, including obtaining additional funding from the sale of our securities. Our continued net operating losses increase the difficulty in meeting such goals and there can be no assurances that such methods will prove successful. The Company plans to raise additional capital in the near term and is currently considering the various options available for raising such capital.
We depend on our officers and key employees who would be difficult to replace, and our business will likely be harmed if we lose their services or cannot hire additional qualified personnel.
Our success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our officers and other key employees. AbTech Industries has employment agreements with its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer, and certain key employees, but we do not think those agreements limit any employee’s ability to terminate his or her employment. We have key person life insurance on Glenn R. Rink, our president, chief executive officer and a director, but we do not have key person life insurance covering any of our other officers or other key employees. The loss of services of one or more of our officers or key employees or the inability to add key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business. Competition for experienced personnel in our industry is substantial. Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, hire, and retain qualified personnel. In addition, if any of our officers or other key employees join a competitor or form a competing company, we may lose some of our customers.
We depend on the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, and our failure to attract and retain such personnel could seriously harm our business.
Due to the specialized nature of our business, our future performance is highly dependent upon the continued services of current and future key personnel and managers. Our future business depends upon our ability to attract and retain qualified engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and management personnel for our operations. We may also have to compete with the other companies in our industry in the recruitment and retention of qualified managerial and technical employees. Competition for personnel is intense and confidentiality and non-compete agreements may restrict our ability to hire individuals employed by other companies. Therefore, we may not be successful in attracting or retaining qualified personnel. Our failure to attract and retain qualified personnel could seriously harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Furthermore, we may not be able to accurately forecast our needs for additional personnel, which could adversely affect our ability to grow.
The effects of the recent global economic downturn may adversely impact our business, operating results, or financial condition.
The recent global economic downturn has caused disruptions and volatility in global financial markets and increased rates of default and bankruptcy and has impacted levels of consumer and commercial spending. We are unable to predict the duration, severity or pace of recovery of this global economic and financial crisis. There can be no assurance that any actions we may take in response to further deterioration in general economic and financial conditions will be sufficient. A protracted continuation or worsening of the global economic downturn or disruptions in the financial markets could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
If we do not achieve broad market acceptance of our products and services, we may not be successful.
Although our products and services will serve existing needs, our delivery of these products and services is unique and subject to broad market acceptance. As is typical of any new product or service, the demand for and market acceptance of these products and services are highly uncertain. We cannot assure you that any of our products and services will be commercialized on a widespread basis. The commercial acceptance of our products and services may be affected by a number of factors, including the willingness of municipalities and other commercial and industrial entities to use our products and services to control the quality of water and other fluids. If the markets for our products and services fail to develop on a meaningful basis, if they develop more slowly than we anticipate, or if our products and services fail to achieve sufficient market acceptance, our business and future results of operations could be adversely affected.
Because our products may be designed to provide a solution which competes with existing methods, we are likely to face resistance to change, which could impede our ability to commercialize this business.
Our products may be designed to provide a solution to environmental challenges created by contaminated water and other fluids. Currently, large and well capitalized companies provide services in these areas. These competitors have strong relationships with their customers’ personnel, and there is a natural reluctance for businesses to change to new technologies, particularly in such industries as the oil and gas industries where our future products may be relevant. This reluctance is increased when potential customers make significant capital investments in competing technologies. Because of these obstacles, we may face substantial barriers to commercializing our business.
If we experience rapid growth and we are not able to manage this growth successfully, this inability to manage the growth could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Rapid growth places a significant strain on financial, operational, and managerial resources. While we engage in strategic and operational planning to adequately manage anticipated growth, there can be no assurance that we will be able to implement and subsequently improve operations and financial systems successfully and in a timely manner to fully manage our growth. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our growth and any inability to successfully manage growth could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operation.
We have no experience in manufacturing or assembling products on a large scale basis and, if we do not develop adequate manufacturing and assembly processes and capabilities to do so in a timely manner, we may be unable to achieve our growth and profitability objectives.
We have no experience manufacturing or assembling products on a large scale. We do not know whether our current or future manufacturing arrangements will be able to develop efficient, low-cost manufacturing capabilities and processes that will enable us to meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production standards, or production volumes required to successfully mass market such products. Even if we are successful in developing manufacturing capabilities and processes, we do not know whether we will do so in time to meet our product commercialization schedule or to satisfy the requirements of our target market. Our failure to develop these manufacturing processes and capabilities, if necessary, in a timely manner, could prevent us from achieving our growth and profitability objectives.
If we fail to continue to develop or acquire new products, adapt to rapid and significant technological change, and respond to introductions of new products, we will not be competitive.
Our growth strategy includes significant investment in and expenditures for product development. We intend to sell products, primarily in the water clean-up sector, which are characterized by rapid and significant technological changes, frequent new product and service introductions, and enhancements and evolving industry standards. Without the timely introduction of new products, services, and enhancements, our products and services may become technologically obsolete over time, in which case our revenue and operating results would suffer.
In addition, our competitors may adapt more quickly to new technologies and changes in customers’ requirements than we can. The products that we are currently developing or those that we will develop in the future may not be technologically feasible or accepted by the marketplace, and our products or technologies could become uncompetitive or obsolete.
The market for our products is highly competitive, and there can be no assurance that competitors will not emerge in the near to medium term with comparable products or technologies.
The markets for our products and services are expected to remain highly competitive. While we believe our products are unique and have, or will have, adequate patent protection for the underlying technologies, or unique trade secrets, there can be no assurance that competitors will not emerge in the near to medium term with comparable products or technologies. There are a number of large companies involved in the same businesses as us, but with larger more established sales and marketing organizations, technical staff, and financial resources. We may establish marketing and distribution partnerships or alliances with some of these companies, but there can be no assurance that such alliances will be formed.
Our business may become substantially dependent on contracts that are awarded through competitive bidding processes.
We may sell a significant portion of our products pursuant to contracts that are subject to competitive bidding, including contracts with municipal authorities. Competition for, and negotiation and award of, contracts present varied risks, including, but not limited to:
•investment of substantial time and resources by management for the preparation of bids and proposals with no assurance that a contract will be awarded to us;
•the requirement to certify as to compliance with numerous laws (for example, socio-economic, small business, and domestic preference) for which a false or incorrect certification can lead to civil and criminal penalties;
•the need to estimate accurately the resources and cost structure required to service a contract; and
•the expenses and delays that we might suffer if our competitors protest a contract awarded to us, including the potential that the contract may be terminated and a new bid competition may be conducted.
If we are unable to win contracts awarded through the competitive bidding process, we may not be able to operate in the market for products and services that are provided under those contracts for a number of years. If we are unable to consistently win new contract awards over any extended period, or if we fail to anticipate all of the costs and resources that will be required to secure and perform such contract awards, our growth strategy and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We will sell products and services to companies in industries which tend to be extremely cyclical; downturns in those industries would adversely affect our results of operations.
The growth and profitability of our business will depend on sales to industries that are subject to cyclical downturns. Slowdowns in these industries may adversely affect sales by our businesses, which in turn would adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. In particular, our products may be sold to and used by the oil and gas industry, which historically has realized significant shifts in activity and spending due to fluctuations in commodity prices. Our revenues may be dependent upon spending by oil and gas producers; therefore, a reduction in spending by producers may have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.
The industries in which we may sell our products are heavily regulated and costs associated with such regulation could reduce our profitability.
Federal, state, and local authorities extensively regulate the stormwater and oil and gas industries, which are primary industries in which we may sell our products and offer our services. Legislation and regulations affecting the industries are under constant review for amendment or expansion. State and local authorities regulate various aspects of stormwater and oil and gas activities that ultimately affect how customers use our products and how we develop and market our products. The overall regulatory burden on the industries increases the cost of doing business, which, in turn, decreases profitability.
International sales are also subject to rules and regulations promulgated by regulatory bodies within foreign jurisdictions, and there can be no assurance that such foreign regulatory bodies will not adopt laws or regulatory requirements that could adversely affect our Company.
If chemical companies engage in predatory pricing, we may lose customers, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Municipalities and other commercial and industrial entities traditionally have used chemicals to control the quality of water and other fluids. The chemical companies represent a significant competitive factor. The chemical companies who supply chemicals to such municipalities and other commercial and industrial entities may, in order to maintain their business relationship, drastically reduce their price and seek to undercut the pricing at which we can realistically charge for our products and services. While predatory pricing that is designed to drive us out of business may be illegal under the United States anti-trust and other laws, we may lose customers as a result of any future predatory pricing and be required to file lawsuits against any companies who engage in such improper tactics. Any such litigation may be very expensive which will further impact us and affect their financial condition. As a result, predatory pricing by chemical companies could materially and adversely affect us.
We are, or in the future may be, subject to substantial regulation related to quality standards applicable to our manufacturing and quality processes. Our failure to comply with applicable quality standards could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
The EPA regulates the registration, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of products in our industry, and those of our distributors and partners, in the United States. Significant government regulation also exists in overseas markets. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements is subject to continual review and is monitored through periodic inspections and other review and reporting mechanisms.
Failure by us or our partners to comply with current or future governmental regulations and quality assurance guidelines could lead to temporary manufacturing shutdowns, product recalls or related field actions, product shortages, or delays in product manufacturing. Specifically, with regard to the EPA’s conditional approval of the registration of our Smart Sponge Plus products under FIFRA, if the EPA makes additional information requests in the future that we are unable comply with, the EPA’s conditional approval of our registration of Smart Sponge Plus products under FIFRA could be suspended and the Company would then not be able to sell Smart Sponge Plus products. However, the expiration of the conditional approval of Smart Sponge Plus products would not affect our ability to continue to sell the regular Smart Sponge products that do not include an antimicrobial agent. (see Item 1. “BUSINESS - Regulatory” on page 16 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K). Efficacy or safety concerns and/or manufacturing quality issues with respect to our products or those of our partners could lead to product recalls, fines, withdrawals, declining sales, and/or our failure to successfully commercialize new products or otherwise achieve revenue growth.
If a natural or man-made disaster strikes our or a third-party’s manufacturing facility that we may use, we may be unable to manufacture our products for a substantial amount of time and our sales and profitability will decline.
The manufacturing facility and manufacturing equipment we use to produce our products will be costly to replace and could require substantial lead-time to repair or replace. Our facility or a third-party’s facility that we use may be affected by natural or man-made disasters. In the event they were affected by a disaster, we would be forced to set up alternative production capacity, or rely on third-party manufacturers to whom we would have to disclose our trade secrets. Although we possess insurance for damage to our property and the disruption of our business from casualties, such insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our potential losses, may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all, and may not address the marketing and goodwill consequences of our inability to provide products for an extended period of time.
We may decide to outsource manufacturing in the future. Dependence on contract manufacturing and outsourcing other portions of our supply chain may adversely affect our ability to bring products to market and damage our reputation.
As part of our efforts to streamline operations and to cut costs in the future, we may decide to outsource aspects of our manufacturing processes and other functions. If our contract manufacturers or other outsourcers fail to perform their obligations in a timely manner or at satisfactory quality levels, our ability to bring products to market and our reputation could suffer. For example, during a market upturn, our contract manufacturers may be unable to meet our demand requirements, which may preclude us from fulfilling our customers’ orders on a timely basis. The ability of these manufacturers to perform is largely outside of our control. Additionally, outsourcing may take place in developing countries and, as a result, may be subject to geopolitical uncertainty.
The success of our businesses will depend on our ability to effectively develop and implement strategic business initiatives.
We are currently implementing various strategic business initiatives. In connection with the development and implementation of these initiatives, we will incur additional expenses and capital expenditures to implement the initiatives. The development and implementation of these initiatives also requires management to divert a portion of its time from day-to-day operations. These expenses and diversions could have a significant impact on our operations and profitability, particularly if the initiatives prove to be unsuccessful. Moreover, if we are unable to implement an initiative in a timely manner, or if those initiatives turn out to be ineffective or are executed improperly, our business and operating results would be adversely affected.
Failure to successfully reduce our current or future production costs may adversely affect our financial results.
A significant portion of our strategy will rely upon our ability to successfully rationalize and improve the efficiency of our operations. In particular, our strategy relies on our ability to reduce our production costs in order to remain competitive. If we are unable to continue to successfully implement cost reduction measures, especially in a time of a worldwide economic downturn, or if these efforts do not generate the level of cost savings that we expect going forward or result in higher than expected costs, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
If we are unable to make necessary capital investments or respond to pricing pressures, our business may be harmed.
In order to remain competitive, we need to invest in research and development, manufacturing, customer service and support, and marketing. From time to time, we may have to adjust the prices of our products and services to remain competitive. We may not have available sufficient financial or other resources to continue to make investments necessary to maintain our competitive position.
Failure to obtain sufficient supply of component materials to conduct our business may have an adverse effect on our production and revenue targets.
Our component and materials’ suppliers may fail to meet our needs. We intend to manufacture our products using materials and components procured from a limited number of third-party suppliers. We do not currently have long-term supply contracts with our suppliers. This generally serves to reduce our commitment risk, but does expose us to supply risk and to price increases that we may have to pass on to our customers. In some cases, supply shortages and delays in delivery may result in curtailed production or delays in production, which can contribute to an increase in inventory levels and loss of profit. We expect that shortages and delays in deliveries of some components will occur from time to time. If we are unable to obtain sufficient components on a timely basis, we may experience manufacturing delays, which could harm our relationships with current or prospective customers and reduce our sales. We may also not be able to obtain competitive pricing for some of our supplies compared to our competitors. We also cannot assure that the component and materials from domestic suppliers will be of similar quality or quantity as those imported component and materials, which may lead to rejections of component and materials by our customers. In the event the domestic component and materials do not perform as well as the imported component and materials or do not perform at all, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We have limited product distribution experience and we expect to rely on third parties who may not successfully sell our products.
We have limited product distribution experience and currently rely and plan to rely on product distribution arrangements with third parties. We may also license our technology to certain third parties for commercialization of certain applications. We expect to enter into distribution agreements and/or licensing agreements in the future, and we may not be able to enter into these agreements on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. In addition, we may have limited or no control over the distribution activities of these third parties. These third parties could sell competing products and may devote insufficient sales efforts to our products. As a result, our future revenues from sales of our products, if any, will depend on the success of the efforts of these third parties.
We could face significant liabilities in connection with our technology, products, and business operations, which if incurred beyond any insurance limits, would adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We are subject to a variety of potential liabilities connected to our technology development and business operations, such as potential liabilities related to environmental risks. As a business which manufactures and/or markets products for use by consumers and institutions, we may become liable for any damage caused by our products, whether used in the manner intended or not. Any such claim of liability, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming and/or result in costly litigation. Although we have obtained insurance against certain of these risks, no assurance can be given that such insurance will be adequate to cover related liabilities or will be available in the future or, if available, that premiums will be commercially justifiable. If we were to incur any substantial liability and related damages were not covered by our insurance or exceeded policy limits, or if we were to incur such liability at a time when we are not able to obtain liability insurance, our business, financial conditions, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Our failure to protect our intellectual property rights may undermine our competitive position, and litigation to protect our intellectual property rights or defend against third-party allegations of infringement may be costly.
Our success will depend in part on our ability to develop patentable products and obtain and enforce patent protection for our products in the United States and other countries. We intend to file applications, as appropriate, for patents covering our products. Patents may not be issued for any pending or future patent applications owned by or licensed to us, and the claims allowed under any issued patents may not be sufficiently broad to protect our technology. Any issued patents owned by or licensed to us may be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented, and the rights under these patents may not provide us with competitive advantages. In addition, competitors may design around our technology or develop competing technologies. Intellectual property rights may also be unavailable or limited in some foreign countries, which could make it easier for competitors to capture increased market position. We could incur substantial costs to defend suits brought against us or suits in which we may assert our patent rights against others. An unfavorable outcome of any such litigation could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We may also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how with which we seek to protect our products, in part by confidentiality agreements with our collaborators, employees, and consultants. Nevertheless, these agreements afford only limited protection, and the actions we take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently developed by our competitors. As a result, third parties may infringe or misappropriate our proprietary technologies or other intellectual property rights, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or operating results.
In addition, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology can be difficult and expensive. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, protect our trade secrets, or determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. We cannot assure you that the outcome of any litigation will be in our favor. Intellectual property litigation may be costly and may divert management attention, as well as expend our other resources away from our business. An adverse determination in any such litigation will impair our intellectual property rights and may harm our business, prospects, and reputation. In addition, we have no insurance coverage against litigation costs and would have to bear all costs arising from such litigation to the extent we are unable to recover them from other parties. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Operational and Structural Risks
We can provide no assurances as to our future financial performance or the investment result of a purchase of our common stock.
Any projected results of operations involve significant risks and uncertainty, should be considered speculative, and depend on various assumptions which may not be correct. The future performance of our Company and the return on our common stock depends on a complex series of events that are beyond our control and that may or may not occur. Actual results for any period may or may not approximate any assumptions that are made and may differ significantly from such assumptions. We can provide no assurance or prediction as to our future profitability or to the ultimate success of an investment in our common stock.
The compensation we pay to our executive officers and employees will likely increase, which will affect our future profitability.
We believe that the compensation we have historically paid to our executive officers is within the lower quartile of compensation paid by peer companies. An increase in compensation and bonuses payable to our executive officers and employees could decrease our net income.
As a public reporting company, we are subject to corporate governance and internal control reporting requirements, and our costs related to compliance with, or our failure to comply with existing and future requirements, could adversely affect our business.
We may face new corporate governance requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”), as well as new rules and regulations subsequently adopted by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. These laws, rules, and regulations continue to evolve and may become increasingly stringent in the future. We are required to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of SOX (“Section 404”). We are a smaller reporting company as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. Section 404 requires us to include an internal control report with our Annual Report on Form 10-K. The report must include management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year. This report must also include disclosure of any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting that we have identified. Failure to comply, or any adverse results from such evaluation, could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports and have an adverse effect on the trading price of our securities. We strive to continuously evaluate and improve our control structure to help ensure that we comply with Section 404. The financial cost of compliance with these laws, rules, and regulations is expected to remain substantial. We cannot assure you that we will be able to fully comply with these laws, rules, and regulations that address corporate governance, internal control reporting, and similar matters. Failure to comply with these laws, rules, and regulations could materially adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, and the value of our securities.
As a public company, we will have significant operating costs relating to compliance requirements and our management is required to devote substantial time to compliance initiatives.
Our management has only limited experience operating the Company as a public company. To operate effectively, we will be required to continue to implement changes in certain aspects of our business and develop, manage, and train management level and other employees to comply with on-going public company requirements. Failure to take such actions, or delay in the implementation thereof, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
SOX, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, imposes various requirements on public companies, including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
A limited public trading market exists for our common stock, which makes it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their common stock in the public markets.
Although our common stock is quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “ABHD,” there is a limited public market for our common stock. No assurance can be given that an active market will develop or that a stockholder will ever be able to liquidate its shares of common stock without considerable delay, if at all. Many brokerage firms may not be willing to effect transactions in the securities. Even if a purchaser finds a broker willing to effect a transaction in these securities, the combination of brokerage commissions, state transfer taxes, if any, and any other selling costs may exceed the selling price. Furthermore, our stock price may be impacted by factors that are unrelated or disproportionate to our operating performance. These market fluctuations, as well as general economic, political, and market conditions, such as recessions, interest rates, or international currency fluctuations may adversely affect the market price and liquidity of our common stock.
Our stock price may be volatile.
The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:
•limited “public float” in the hands of a small number of persons whose sales (or lack of sales) could result in positive or negative pricing pressure on the market price for our common stock;
•actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly operating results;
•changes in our earnings estimates;
•our ability to obtain adequate working capital financing;
•changes in market valuations of similar companies;
•publication (or lack of publication) of research reports about us;
•changes in applicable laws or regulations, court rulings, enforcement and legal actions;
•loss of any strategic relationships;
•additions or departures of key management personnel;
•actions by our stockholders (including transactions in our shares);
•speculation in the press or investment community;
•increases in market interest rates, which may increase our cost of capital;
•changes in our industry;
•competitive pricing pressures;
•our ability to execute our business plan; and
•economic and other external factors.
In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our common stock may be subject to the penny stock rules which may make it more difficult to sell our common stock.
The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price, as defined, less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Our securities may be covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and accredited investors, such as institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or an individual with net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 jointly with his or her spouse. For transactions covered by this rule, the broker-dealers must make a special suitability determination for the purchase and receive the purchaser’s written agreement of the transaction prior to the sale. Consequently, the rule may affect the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and also affect the ability of our stockholders to sell their shares in the secondary market.
FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit a shareholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.
In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative, low priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative, low priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our stock and have an adverse effect on the market for our shares.
Our common shares are currently traded at low volume, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell or liquidate a substantial number of shares at one time.
We cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock will develop or be sustained. Our common shares are currently traded, but currently with low volume, based on quotations on the OTCQB, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common shares at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is still relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors, and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that trading levels will be sustained.
Shareholders should be aware that, according to SEC Release No. 34-29093, the market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include: (1) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (2) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (3) boiler room practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (4) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differential and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (5) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of those prices and with consequent investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market, and we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market. The occurrence of these patterns or practices could increase the future volatility of our share price.
We have historically not paid dividends and do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have historically not paid dividends to our stockholders, and management does not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock to our stockholders for the foreseeable future. Any determination we make regarding dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our results of operations, our financial condition, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law, and other factors our Board of Directors deem relevant. Even if the funds are legally available for distribution, we may nevertheless decide not to pay any dividends. We presently intend to retain future earnings, if any, for use in the operation and expansion of our business.
The elimination of monetary liability against our directors, officers, and employees under Nevada law and the existence of indemnification rights to our directors, officers, and employees may result in substantial expenditures by our Company and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers, and employees.
Our articles of incorporation contain a provision permitting us to eliminate the personal liability of our directors to our Company and shareholders for damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer to the extent provided by Nevada law. We may also have contractual indemnification obligations under our employment agreements with our officers. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in our Company incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors and officers, which we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resultant costs may also discourage our Company from bringing a lawsuit against directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties, and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our shareholders against our directors and officers even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit our Company and shareholders.
ITEM 1B.
ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 2.PROPERTIES.
We currently lease an administrative office of 6,066 square feet located at 4110 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 235, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251. The Company also leases a 13,000 square foot space for its manufacturing facility located at 3610-2 E. Southern Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85040. The Company’s AEWS Engineering subsidiary is located at 3100 Smoketree Court, Suite 1000, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 in a leased office space of 4,626 square feet. Our telephone number is (480) 874-4000.
ITEM 3.
ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
As previously disclosed, on February 28, 2013, the Company filed a complaint against Arctech, Inc. (“Arctech”) with the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona. The allegations in the complaint arose from the Company’s License, Supply and Distribution Agreement with Arctech, dated June 6, 2012 (the “Agreement”). In July 2014, the Company settled litigation with Arctech. As a result of the settlement, the Agreement has been terminated and declared void with AbTech and Arctech mutually relinquishing, releasing, and discharging any and all of their claims, rights, or interests of any kind or nature to the Agreement or any products or services previously provided pursuant to the Agreement. In addition, all claims in the litigation have been dismissed with prejudice.
ITEM 4.
ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5.
ITEM 5.MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
Our common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol “ABHD.” Our common stock has been listed on the OTCQB or OTCBB since June 2010. Prior to that time, there was no public market for our common stock.
The table below sets forth, for the calendar quarters indicated, the high and low stock prices for our common stock as reported by NASDAQ.com. These quotations may represent prices between dealers without adjustment for retail markups, markdowns, or commissions and may not represent actual transactions.
Stockholders
As of March 27, 2015 there were 198 stockholders of record of our common stock and approximately 2,300 additional “street name” holders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions. Our transfer agent is Worldwide Stock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 1 University Plaza, Suite 505, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. Our future payment of dividends will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, expansion plans, financial condition, and other relevant factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant. Our accumulated deficit currently limits our ability to pay dividends.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchases
There were no issuer purchases of our equity securities during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 6.
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
As a smaller reporting company, as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to provide the information required by this item.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITIONS AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
Forward-Looking Statements and Factors That May Affect Results
You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those set forth under Risk Factors.
Overview
Abtech Holdings was incorporated in the State of Nevada on February 13, 2007 under the name “Laural Resources, Inc.” On February 10, 2011, Abtech Holdings consummated the Merger with AbTech Industries, pursuant to the Merger Agreement. Prior to the Merger, Abtech Holdings was a development stage company engaged in the business of acquiring and developing mineral properties, and a public reporting “shell company,” as defined in SEC Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. As a result of the Merger, Abtech Holdings acquired all of the issued and outstanding common stock of AbTech Industries (through a reverse acquisition transaction) in exchange for the stockholders of AbTech Industries acquiring a 78% ownership interest in Abtech Holdings, AbTech Industries became Abtech Holdings’ majority-owned subsidiary, and Abtech Holdings acquired the business and operations of AbTech Industries.
Management is focused on establishing the Company as a reliable provider of water treatment solutions in the emerging markets for the treatment of stormwater, produced water and other industrial water applications. The Company is incurring significant costs as it seeks to gain traction in these markets and position itself with validated treatment solutions that, if accepted and adopted by the market, can generate significant revenues in the future. The Company’s operations reflect limited historical sales revenue as the Company attempts to engage is those business development activities that management believes have the greatest opportunity to generate future revenues. Key factors affecting the Company’s results of operations during the periods covered in this section include revenues, cost of revenues, operating expenses and income, and taxation.
Results of Operations
We generate revenues by selling water filtration products and services related to the treatment of contaminated water so that such water can either be discharged or reused. All of our current products include some form of Smart Sponge filtration media, which we manufacture. Our products include a variety of designs and sizes to effectively address many applications where water treatment is needed. In addition, through our subsidiary AEWS, we provide engineering services related to the design and operation of water treatment systems. In 2014, UUF products, Smart Pak products, and engineering services accounted for approximately 50%, 16% and 16%, respectively, of total revenues. We sell our products to distributors, contractors, OEM manufacturers and end-users.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013
Revenue
Revenues in 2014 of $606,885 increased by approximately 32% compared to revenues of $461,296 in 2013. The sales growth is attributed primarily to product sales for a variety of small stormwater projects in 2014. The Company also continued work on a project in Nassau County, New York with approximately $90,000 billed in 2014 compared to $55,000 billed for the project in 2013. The revenue recognized in 2014 on the Nassau County project is related to the engineering services rendered to complete the site selection and other engineering work that precedes the installation of the stormwater treatment systems which will account for the large majority of the not-to-exceed $12 million contract with Nassau County. Installation of the stormwater systems is now expected to begin in 2015, although the actual time schedule for installations will be determined by the county.
Going forward the Company continues to expect significant sales growth for stormwater projects as economic conditions improve, programs for public private partnerships are further developed and replicated, and opportunities to expand into new markets for produced water and other industrial applications of the Smart Sponge technology are pursued. The Company is actively pursuing other similar projects on the east coast of the United States with municipalities seeking to repair stormwater systems damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 or otherwise upgrade stormwater handling systems. In 2014 the Company announced a collaboration effort with Corvias Solutions to develop large stormwater infrastructure projects, particularly under privately-financed public-private partnership models. AEWS is teaming with Corvias Solutions to provide engineering and design services to support a $100 million project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. AbTech and Corvias are jointly pursuing other similar contracts for DBO type projects.
In 2014, the Nassau County project accounted for approximately 15% of revenues and products sold for a municipal project in Maryland accounted for approximately11% of revenue.
Gross Margins
The gross margin percentage increased to 21% in 2014 from 12% in 2013. This improvement in gross margins is the result of a sales product mix that included higher margin items in 2014 and the recognition of revenue from forfeited customer deposits that carried no corresponding cost. The gross margin in 2014 was adversely affected by the continuing cost of excess production capacity. The Company operated at approximately 2% of manufacturing capacity in both 2014 and 2013. If the Company can spread the overhead costs of operating the manufacturing facility over a larger base of produced products, the margins would be expected to improve significantly. Our current manufacturing facility is capable of producing approximately 75,000 pounds of Smart Sponge material per month. We estimate that this amount of Smart Sponge material could generate $10-20 million in revenue per year at current product prices. This revenue estimate is dependent on the mix of products actually sold and the portion of sales at distributor versus retail prices. We do not currently have plans to reduce manufacturing capacity and we anticipate that the excess capacity will continue to adversely affect gross margins for at least a portion of 2015. We are also exploring alternative manufacturing procedures that could significantly increase the production capacity of our existing facility.
As AbTech has evolved its business model to capture a greater portion of the value chain through a program management and total solutions approach, the Company's gross margin expectations will vary depending on whether a contract falls under this new model or under the traditional product sales model. As described above, the Company expects to see continually increasing margins for its product sales as it expands its volume to realize economies of scale. AbTech's comprehensive storm water program offering, which includes the Nassau County project, is expected to realize blended gross margin rates that vary from, at the low end, that of a typical Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management contractor, to at the high end, margins that can exceed 50% on sales of products that incorporate AbTech technologies. Although the Nassau County project is expected to have a relatively low gross margin overall due to the large portion of the contract that will involve subcontractor work, it is viewed internally by AbTech as a highly significant initial project under contract in the municipal stormwater programs/infrastructure market sector. As AbTech executes additional similar projects, the Company expects to be able to increase its margins through efficiencies and economies of scale.
The polymers we use to manufacture Smart Sponge material are produced by the petrochemical industry and use crude oil as a primary raw material. Accordingly, fluctuations in the price of crude oil can have a direct and significant impact on the cost of the polymers we use. For example, in a prior year, a large purchase of one of these polymers was made at a price that was 2.1 times the cost of the previous purchase of this same polymer. Before this price increase, the cost of these polymers represented approximately 5.1% of the list selling price of a typical UUF (2.5% for antimicrobial version) and approximately 6.3% of the list selling price of a typical Smart Pak insert (3.1% for antimicrobial version). After the price change, the cost of polymers as a percentage of list selling price increased to 9.2% for UUFs (4.5% for antimicrobial version) and 11.5% for Smart Pak inserts (5.7% for antimicrobial version). These percentages vary by product sold depending on the size of the product and the amount of Smart Sponge media used in the product. The Company establishes its list selling prices taking into consideration the cost of the component materials (including polymers), competitive factors and other market conditions. The cost of the polymers used in the Smart Sponge products accounted for approximately 8% and 18% of the total cost of revenues in 2014 and 2013, respectively. While the Company has no contractual right to pass along fluctuations in raw material costs to customers, it does have the right to change selling prices from time to time by giving distributors 30 days advance notice.
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $844,000 (17%) in 2014 compared to 2013. Payroll and employee benefit expenses, including costs for temporary workers, accounted for approximately $213,000 of the expense reduction as the Company decreased its staff slightly during the year. The reduction in headcount also accounted for a decrease of approximately $110,000 in travel related expenses during 2014. Investor and public relations expenses decreased by approximately $263,000 in 2014 as the Company discontinued some of the activities it pursued in 2013 to increase the Company’s name recognition in the financial and commercial markets. Similarly, the company reduced its expenditures in 2014 for promotional activities by $59,000, and for membership dues by $55,000. Legal and audit fees also decreased in 2014 by approximately $141,000 due primarily to the unusually high legal and audit fees experienced by the Company in 2013 when it completed two S-1 Registration Statement filings with the SEC. These cost savings were partially offset by increased costs in 2014 of approximately $84,000 for consultants and $43,000 for the Company’s AEWS subsidiary.
Research and development expenses
The Company’s primary research and development (“R&D”) focus in 2014 and 2013 has been new products using the Smart Sponge technology in applications for the treatment of produced water, and other industrial applications. In both years these efforts involved a significant amount of product testing in the lab and in the field with corresponding costs for personnel (employees and consultants), fees for lab analysis, equipment rental and travel costs. Total R&D costs were approximately $567,000 higher in 2014 than 2013, primarily due to approximately $309,000 of costs associated with field tests conducted by the Company on its produced water products. In addition, in 2014, the Company entered into an agreement that engaged a consultant to design and develop a new technology for use in the treatment of landfill leachate. Under the agreement, the Company incurred consulting fees of approximately $252,000 in 2014. In addition, the stormwater research and development projects being conducted by North Carolina State University for the Company had costs of $139,000 in 2014 compared to $109,000 in 2013.
Other income (expense)
Interest expense increased from $144,195 in 2013 to $1,022,546 in 2014. The increase is related to the interest accruing on the $3.5 million of debt issued by the Company at the end of 2013 and approximately $5 million of additional debt issued during 2014. Interest expense also includes imputed interest for note discounts, beneficial conversion features and deferred financing costs related to the offerings of the debt instruments. The various components of interest expense are summarized in the table below:
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
At December 31, 2014 the Company had a working capital deficiency of approximately $7,727,000 compared to a working capital surplus of $85,000 at December 31, 2013. The change from a working capital surplus to a deficiency is primarily attributable to the use of cash for operations during 2014, the $5 million of new short-term debt issued by the Company during the year and the $3.5 million of debt issued by the Company in 2013 that was classified as long term debt at December 31, 2013 and was classified as short-term debt at December 31, 2014.
To date, the Company has not generated sufficient revenue to cover its operating costs and continues to operate with negative cash flow. At December 31, 2014, our cash balance was $1,049,460, representing less than 3 months of historical negative cash flows from operations. While we expect to achieve significant sales growth over the long-term, continued negative cash flow from operations is expected in the short term.
The Company will require additional capital to maintain current operations until sales revenues grow sufficiently to provide such capital. The Company also has approximately $9,267,000 of debt that will become due at various stages during 2015. Unpaid interest accrued on notes payable as of December 31, 2014 was $462,356 compared to $36,062 at December 31, 2013. The Company will need to raise additional capital to retire or refinance this debt, although $4.1 million of this debt is convertible and may be converted to common stock of the Company at the holder’s discretion. In addition, rapid growth may require the Company to enter into working capital financing arrangements. The Company currently has no such financing commitments in place.
Operations in 2014 and 2013 were funded primarily by proceeds from the issuance of promissory notes, convertible secured promissory notes and unsecured promissory notes, all with accompanying warrants. The net proceeds from these notes amounted to $5,017,000 in 2014 and $5,270,000 in 2013.
Our balance sheet at December 31, 2014, shows approximately $498,000 of net inventory. We anticipate that a financing facility, secured by inventory and accounts receivable, will be a likely means the Company will use to finance inventory and accounts receivable if the Company experiences rapid sales growth. The Company does not currently have such a facility in place and there is no assurance that such a facility can be secured when needed. The current debt outstanding that is secured by the assets of the Company, allows the Company to pursue this type of financing without violating the security interests of the debt holders.
In 2013, the Company entered into an agreement (the “Investment Agreement” or “Equity Line of Credit”) with Dutchess Opportunity Fund, II, LP (“Dutchess”) whereby Dutchess is irrevocably committed to purchase up to $2 million of ABHD common stock from the Company over the course of 36 months. The aggregate number of shares issuable by the Company and purchasable by Dutchess under the Investment Agreement is limited by the dollar amount sold, in this instance no more than $2 million, and will depend upon the trading price of the Company’s shares. The purchase price will be set at ninety-seven percent (97%) of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the Company’s common stock during the five consecutive trading days beginning on the date of the applicable put. The Company may draw on the Equity Line of Credit from time to time, as and when it determines appropriate in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Investment Agreement. The Company has no obligation to utilize the full amount available under the Equity Line of Credit. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had made no draws on the Equity Line of Credit.
In April 2013, the Company facilitated a transaction (the “Transaction”) wherein a group of new investors purchased eleven outstanding convertible promissory notes (the “Notes”) issued by the Company’s subsidiary, AbTech. The Notes were all non-interest bearing with an aggregate principal amount of $1,856,000 and maturity dates ranging from March 31, 2013 to May 11, 2014. The investors purchased the notes, immediately exercised the Notes’ original conversion feature converting the Notes into shares of Series A Preferred Stock of AbTech Industries, Inc. and then further converted the shares of Series A Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock as provided for in the terms of the 2011 Merger with AbTech. No cash was paid or received by the Company in connection with the Transaction. As a result of the Transaction, the Company reduced its outstanding convertible debt by $1,856,000 and issued 2,649,640 shares of its common stock.
Operating Activities
The Company had negative cash flow from operations in 2014 of approximately $5.2 million compared to negative cash flows from operations of $5.1 million in 2013 reflecting comparable cash requirements for operations year to year. The Company’s negative cash flow from operations in 2014 and 2013 is the result of the Company incurring the costs of developing and marketing its products in various targeted markets in advance of the expected resultant sales revenues. Although the Company’s net loss for 2014 was approximately $531,000 greater than the net loss for 2013, the net cash used in operating activities was only $101,000 more in 2014 than in 2013. This is due to the significant non-cash expense items incurred by the Company. Of the net losses incurred by the Company in 2014 and 2013, approximately $590,000 and $50,000, respectively, was attributable to interest expense that did not, and will not, require the expenditure of cash because they represent charges to interest expense for the amortization of note discounts and deferred financing costs related to debt issued by the Company. Similarly, selling general and administrative expenses of $564,000 and $540,000 in 2014 and 2013, respectively, are related to the non-cash expense items for the value of common stock issued for services rendered and stock based compensation expense.
The Company believes that as distribution channels mature, economic conditions improve and targeted market applications are proven and accepted, the Company will be able to generate sufficient revenue to generate positive cash flow from operations, but can provide no such assurances.
Investing Activities
The Company had capital expenditures of $24,558 in 2014 and $17,149 in 2013. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had no commitments for future capital expenditures. However, if the Company is successful in achieving significant sales growth in 2015, it may need to expand its manufacturing capacity or outsource some of its manufacturing. The Company believes that developing activities with distributors and new market opportunities for its products make such sales growth possible in 2015 and that such growth may cause the Company to exceed its current manufacturing capacity. Accordingly, the Company is currently considering options for expanding manufacturing capacity with additional equipment and improved production efficiencies or outsourcing some of its manufacturing.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 amounted to $5,036,557 and $3,760,645, respectively. The net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes proceeds of $5,017,000 from debt financing which is comparable to the $5,270,000 in proceeds received from debt financing in 2013. However, in 2013, $1.5 million of these proceeds were used to repay other debt maturing during the year. In 2014, the Company also received $29,396 in proceeds from the exercise of various warrants and a stock option.
Going Concern and Management’s Plans
The accompanying December 31, 2014 consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. As discussed in Note 2 to the accompanying December 31, 2014 consolidated financial statements, we have not achieved a sufficient level of revenues to support our business and have suffered substantial recurring losses from operations since our inception, resulting in a significant accumulated deficit. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue operations as a going concern. As such, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, in their report dated March 31, 2015, included an emphasis-of-matter paragraph with respect to our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 concerning the Company’s assumption that we will continue as a going concern. The accompanying December 31, 2014 consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amount and classification of liabilities or any other adjustment that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. Management believes that the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern will be dependent on its ability to raise additional capital and/or generate significant sales growth in the short term. The Company’s ability to achieve these objectives cannot be determined at this time. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are described in Note 2 to the accompanying December 31, 2014 consolidated financial statements. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital and/or generate significant sales growth in the near term there is a risk that the Company could default on debt maturing during 2015, and could be required to significantly reduce the scope of its operations if no other means of financing operations are available.
Contractual Obligations
As a smaller reporting company, as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, Abtech Holdings is not required to provide the information required by this item.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any other financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. We have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s equity or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity, or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk, or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging, or research and development services with us.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations, including the discussion on liquidity and capital resources, are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these 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. On an ongoing basis, management re-evaluates its estimates and judgments. Management bases the estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. For any given individual estimate or assumption we make, it is possible that other people applying reasonable judgment to the same facts and circumstances could develop different estimates. Actual results may materially differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
The going concern basis of presentation assumes we will continue in operation throughout the next fiscal year and into the foreseeable future and will be able to realize our assets and discharge our liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. As discussed above, certain conditions currently exist, which raise substantial doubt upon the validity of this assumption. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of the uncertainty.
The methods, estimates, interpretations, and judgments we use in applying our most critical accounting policies can have a significant impact on the results that we report in our consolidated financial statements. The SEC considers an entity’s most critical accounting policies to be those policies that are both most important to the portrayal of the entity’s financial condition and results of operations and those that require the entity’s most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain when estimated.
The following discussion provides supplemental information regarding the significant estimates, judgments and assumptions made in implementing the Company’s critical accounting policies.
Fair value of warrant liability and note discount
The Company bifurcates the value of warrants sold with promissory notes. This bifurcation results in the establishment of a note discount with a corresponding charge to equity unless the terms of the warrant require it to be classified as a liability. The warrants and corresponding note discounts are valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model because there is no market price available for the warrants. This model uses estimates of volatility, risk free interest rate and the expected term of the warrants, along with the current market price of the Company’s common stock, to estimate the value of the outstanding warrants. The assumptions for expected dividend yield, expected volatility and expected term reflect management’s judgment and include consideration of historical experience. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the option.
Inventory valuation
The Company’s inventory is stated at the lesser of cost or market, with cost computed on an average cost method which approximates the first-in first-out basis. Provision is made for obsolete, slow-moving or defective items where appropriate. This estimated valuation requires that management make certain judgments about the likelihood that specific inventory items may have minimal or no realizable value in the future. These judgments are based on the current quantity of the item on hand compared to historical sales volumes, potential alternative uses of the products and the age of the inventory item.
Revenue recognition and allowance for doubtful accounts
There are four factors that the Company uses to determine the appropriate timing of the recognition of revenue. Three of these factors (evidence of arrangement exists, delivery occurs and fee is fixed or determinable) are generally factual considerations that are not subject to material estimates or assumptions. With regard to projects where revenue is earned for a variety of tasks including design, installation and maintenance activities, the Company accounts for the project using the percentage-of-completion method and makes estimates of the completion percentages based on the cost actually incurred to complete each project task. The fourth factor involves judgment regarding the collectability of the sales price. The Company only ships product when it has reasonable assurance that it will receive payment from the customer. When such assurance is not available, the Company will require payment in advance. The assessment of a customer’s credit-worthiness is reliant on management’s judgment regarding such factors as previous payment history, credit rating, credit references and market reputation. If any sales are made that ultimately become uncollectible, the Company charges the uncollected amount against a reserve for uncollectible accounts. This reserve is established and adjusted from time to time based on management’s assessment of each outstanding receivable and the likelihood of it being collected.
Stock-based compensation
The Company uses the Black-Sholes model to estimate the value of options and warrants issued to employees and consultants as compensation for services rendered to the Company. This model uses estimates of volatility, risk free interest rate and the expected term of the options or warrants, along with the current market price of the underlying stock, to estimate the value of the options and warrants on the date of grant. In addition, the calculation of compensation costs requires that the Company estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited during the vesting period. The fair value of the stock-based awards is amortized over the vesting period of the awards. For stock-based awards that vest based on performance conditions, expense is recognized when it is probable that the conditions will be met.
The following table summarizes the weighted average of fair value and the significant assumptions used in applying the Black-Scholes model for options granted in 2014 and 2013:
The assumptions for expected dividend yield, expected volatility and expected term reflect management’s judgment and include consideration of historical experience. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the option.
Accounting for conversion options and imputed interest
The convertible promissory notes issued by the Company provide the note holders an option to convert the notes into the Company’s common stock at a set price. The value of these options has not been bifurcated from the value of the related notes because management has determined that such bifurcation is not required under generally accepted accounting principles due to the specific terms of the conversion option and management’s estimate that the underlying shares would not be readily convertible into cash. However, whenever such conversion options represent a right to convert at a price that is less than the market price at the date of issuance, the Company imputes the value of such beneficial conversion feature and charges it to interest expense over the term of the notes.
ITEM 7A.
ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK.
As a smaller reporting company, as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, we are not required to provide the information required by this item.
ITEM 8.
ITEM 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
Reference is made to the financial statements, the report of our independent registered public accounting firm, and the notes thereto commencing at page of this report, which financial statements, report, and notes are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9.CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENT WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9A.CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) of the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered in this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required time periods and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)). Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework 2013. We have concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
March 31, 2015
Glenn R. Rink Lane J. Castleton
President, Chief Executive Officer Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During the quarter ended December 31, 2014, there were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B.
ITEM 9B.OTHER INFORMATION.
There were no items requiring reporting on Form 8-K that were not reported on Form 8-K during the fourth quarter of the year covered by this Form 10-K.
PART III
ITEM 10.
ITEM 10.DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or in a subsequent amendment to this report. All such information that is provided in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 11.EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or in a subsequent amendment to this report. All such information that is provided in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 12.SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or in a subsequent amendment to this report. All such information that is provided in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 13.CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or in a subsequent amendment to this report. All such information that is provided in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14.
ITEM 14.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or in a subsequent amendment to this report. All such information that is provided in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
PART IV
ITEM 15.
ITEM 15.EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULES.
(a)Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules
(1)Financial Statements are listed in the Index to Financial Statements on page of this report.
(b)Exhibits
2.1
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 17, 2010, by and among the Registrant, Abtech Merger Sub, Inc., and AbTech Industries, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on July 22, 2010)
2.2
Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated September 17, 2010, by and among the Registrant, Abtech Merger Sub, Inc., and AbTech Industries, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on September 22, 2010).
3.1
Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 filed on July 27, 2007, Registration No. 333-144923)
3.2
Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 filed on July 27, 2007, Registration No. 333-144923)
3.3
Bylaws (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 filed on July 27, 2007, Registration No. 333-144923)
3.4
Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on June 16, 2010)
Stock Specimen (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 filed on July 27, 2007, Registration No. 333-144923)
10.1
Transfer Agent Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference.)
10.2
Employment Agreement dated May 13, 2009, by and between Glenn R. Rink and AbTech Industries, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.3
Employment Agreement dated May 13, 2009, by and between Lane J. Castleton and AbTech Industries, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.4
Form of Indemnification Agreement between Abtech Holdings, Inc. and each member of its Board of Directors. (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.5
AbTech Industries, Inc. 2007 Stock Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.6 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.6
Form of AbTech Industries, Inc. 2007 Incentive Stock Option Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.7 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.7
Form of AbTech Industries, Inc. 2007 Non-qualified Stock Option Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.8 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.8
Form of AbTech Industries, Inc. Warrant Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.9 to our current report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.9
Contract for Services, dated October 8, 2013, between AbTech Industries, Inc., and Nassau County, a municipal corporation acting on behalf of the County Department of Public Works (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.10
Form of Secured Convertible Promissory Note and Warrant issued in the private placement that closed on December 6, 2013 (filed as Exhibit 10.11 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
10.11
Investment Agreement, dated June 25, 2013, between the Company and Dutchess Opportunity Fund, II, L.P. (filed as Exhibit 1.1 of the Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 as filed on July 29, 2013, Registration No. 333- 189587, and incorporated herein by reference)
10.12
Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 25, 2013, between the Company and Dutchess Opportunity Fund, II, L.P. (filed as Exhibit 1.2 of the Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 as filed on July 29, 2013, Registration No. 333- 189587, and incorporated herein by reference)
10.13
Contract for Services, dated October 8, 2013, between the Company’s subsidiary, AbTech Industries, Inc., and Nassau County, a municipal corporation acting on behalf of the County Department of Public Works. (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
21*
List of Subsidiaries
24.1
Power of Attorney (See Signature Page)
31.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
31.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
32**
Section 1350 Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
101.INS*
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
*Filed Herewith
**Furnished Herewith
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Glenn R. Rink and Lane J. Castleton such person's true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for such person and in such person's name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Form 10-K and to file the same with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each such attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ Glenn R. Rink
Glenn R. Rink
Chief Executive Officer,
President and Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ Lane J. Castleton
Lane J. Castleton
Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, Vice President, Secretary and
Treasurer
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ William S. Brennan
William S. Brennan, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ Olivia H. Farr
Olivia H. Farr, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ David Greenwald
David Greenwald, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ A. Judson Hill
A. Judson Hill, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ William C. McCartney
William C. McCartney, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ Karl Seitz
Karl Seitz, Director
Date: March 31, 2015 By: /s/ Jonathan Thatcher
Jonathan Thatcher, Director, Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2014 AND 2013
CONTENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Abtech Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Abtech Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity (deficiency), and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Abtech Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the results of its operations, changes in stockholders’ equity (deficiency), and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred substantial net losses in concurring years resulting in a significant accumulated deficit. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are described in Note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
/s/ Semple, Marchal & Cooper, LLP
Certified Public Accountants
Phoenix, Arizona
March 31, 2015
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
DECEMBER 31,
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1 - BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Organization and Description of Business
Abtech Holdings, Inc. (“ABHD” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on February 13, 2007, with authorized capital stock of 300,000,000 shares of common stock at $0.001 par value.
AbTech Industries, Inc. (“AbTech”), a Delaware corporation with an authorized capital of 15,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value common stock and 5,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value preferred stock, was acquired by ABHD in a reverse acquisition transaction (the “Merger”) on February 10, 2011.
The Company is an environmental technologies firm that provides innovative solutions to address issues of water pollution. The Company has developed and patented the Smart Sponge® polymer technology. This technology’s oil absorbing capabilities make it highly effective as a filtration media to remove hydrocarbons and other pollutants from flowing or pooled water. The Company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and has a manufacturing facility located in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 2012, the Company formed a subsidiary, AEWS Engineering, LLC (“AEWS”), an independent civil and environmental engineering firm, established to provide engineering and technology innovation to the water infrastructure sector. AEWS is owned 80% by the Company and 20% by Bjornulf White, the President of AEWS. Under the AEWS operating agreement, the Company is funding the developmental costs of AEWS. Any future profits will be allocated first to those members that have funded prior losses (AbTech) and then to members in proportion to their membership interests. Accordingly, the operations of AEWS for the periods reflected in these condensed consolidated financial statements are allocated 100% to the Company. AEWS has an office located in Raleigh, North Carolina and its operations since inception have been focused on setting up the business and pursuing new business development activities.
In 2013, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United Kingdom, AbTech Industries (UK) Limited (“AbTech UK”). The Company intends to use this subsidiary to conduct operations in the UK and potentially other European countries; however, as of December 31, 2014, AbTech UK had not initiated operations and had no financial transactions.
AbTech’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Environmental Security Corporation (“ESC”), was formed by the Company in 2003 to develop a sensor array technology designed to detect impurities in water flows. ESC owns a U.S. patent on this technology and has acquired rights to another monitoring technology, but otherwise had no operations during either 2014 or 2013.
The Company operates in one business segment which is the filtration and treatment of polluted water.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Financial Statement Presentation - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ABHD, AbTech, AEWS and ESC. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The shares of AbTech preferred stock that have not converted to shares of ABHD common stock represent the non-controlling interest shown on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents - The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with a maturity of three months or less when acquired to be cash and cash equivalents.
Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Significant estimates are used in determining the allowance for doubtful accounts and inventory allowance, in valuing stock-based compensation, in valuing warrants and in determining the classification of conversion options embedded in convertible promissory notes. Due to the uncertainties inherent in the formulation of accounting estimates, and the significance of these items, it is reasonable to expect that the estimates in connection with these items could be materially revised within the next year.
Concentration of Credit Risk - Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if counter parties failed completely to perform as contracted. Concentrations of credit risk that arise from financial instruments exist for groups of customers or counter parties when they have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions described below.
·Cash and cash equivalents - Financial instruments that subject the Company to credit risk are cash balances maintained in excess of federal depository insurance limits. At December 31, 2014, the Company had $608,886 in cash or cash equivalent balances which were not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes the exposure is minimal.
·Major customers and accounts receivable - Major customers represent any customer that accounts for more than 10% of revenues for the year. During 2014, the Company had two customers that accounted for 15% and 11%, respectively, of revenues and whose accounts receivable balances (unsecured) accounted for approximately 11% and 0%, respectively, of accounts receivable at December 31, 2014. During 2013, the Company had three customers that accounted for 15%, 13% and 12%, respectively, of revenues and whose accounts receivable balances (unsecured) accounted for approximately 34%, 31% and 19%, respectively, of accounts receivable at December 31, 2013.
·Supplier - Major suppliers represent any vendor that accounts for more than 10% of purchases for the year. During 2014, the Company had three vendors that accounted for 37%, 17% and 17%, respectively, of its purchases. These vendors had an accounts payable balance of $0, $3,690 and $0, respectively, at December 31, 2014. During 2013, the Company had three vendors that accounted for 32%, 14% and 13%, respectively, of its purchases. These vendors had an accounts payable balance of $0, $6,140 and $0, respectively, at December 31, 2013.
Fair Values of Financial Assets and Liabilities- The Company measures and discloses certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value. Authoritative guidance defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Authoritative guidance also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
Inventories - Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost computed on an average cost method which approximates the first-in, first-out basis. Inventory costs include raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. Provision is made for obsolete, slow-moving or defective items when appropriate. The amount of any provision is recognized as an expense in the period the provision occurs.
Warranty Accrual - The Company’s products are subject to warranty periods of one year or less. The warranty accrual is based on management’s best estimate of expected costs associated with product failure and historical product failures. The Company has not incurred any significant warranty claims to date.
Fixed Assets - Fixed assets, stated at cost, are depreciated on the straight-line method for financial statement reporting purposes, over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from three to ten years. Leasehold improvement costs are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term or their useful life. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Betterments or renewals are capitalized when they occur.
Deferred Charges - Deferred charges are costs incurred in connection with the issuance of debt. These costs are capitalized as an asset and amortized over the term of the debt using the effective interest method. Interest expense related to the amortization of these deferred charges totaled $162,971 in 2014 and $22,508 in 2013.
Revenue Recognition - The Company recognizes revenue only when all of the following criteria have been met:
•Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
•Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered;
•The fee for the arrangement is fixed or determinable; and
•Collectability is reasonably assured.
Persuasive Evidence of an Arrangement - The Company documents all terms of an arrangement in a quote signed or confirmed by the customer prior to recognizing revenue.
Delivery Has Occurred or Services Have Been Performed - The Company performs all services or delivers all products prior to recognizing revenue. Services are considered to be performed when the services are complete.
The Fee for the Arrangement is Fixed or Determinable - Prior to recognizing revenue, a customer’s fee is either fixed or determinable under the terms of the quote or accepted customer purchase order.
Collectability Is Reasonably Assured - Collectability is assessed on a customer by customer basis based on criteria outlined by management.
In 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized revenue from the sale of its Smart Sponge® and Smart Sponge Plus products, including Ultra-Urban® Filters, Line Skimmers, Passive Skimmers and Smart Paks®. The Smart Paks are usually sold as a component of an engineered system such as an end-of-pipe vault or other larger multi-product treatment train. The Company provides engineering design services on some engineered solutions. Revenue from design services are recognized at the time the engineering services are rendered.
In 2013, the Company entered into a contract arrangement whereby it earns revenue for multiple deliverables including engineering services, installation of stormwater treatment systems and maintenance activities. The Company accounts for the contract deliverables related to installation and construction using the percentage-of-completion method and makes estimates of the completion percentages based on the costs and hours actually incurred to complete each project task. The contract deliverables related to pre-construction engineering services and post-construction maintenance services are handled as separate units of accounting with the revenue allocated by the contract to each separate unit of accounting recognized as the respective services are actually performed. As of December 31, 2014, only pre-construction engineering services have been performed under the contract.
The Company recognizes shipping and handling fees as revenue and the related expenses as a component of cost of sales. All internal handling charges are charged to selling, general and administrative expenses.
The payment terms for sales made to customers vary based on the credit worthiness of the particular customer and the size of the order. Some orders require prepayment of up to 50% at the time the order is received, others require payment in full before shipping and others are made on terms requiring payment within 30 days of the date of shipment. Customers do not have a right of return for products purchased from the Company. The Company may on occasion allow a return under appropriate conditions to promote good business practices; however, such returns have been and are expected to be minimal. Regardless of when payment is received from the customer, revenues are recognized in accordance with the criteria for revenue recognition described above.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. The allowances are calculated based on a detailed review of individual customer accounts, historical rates and an estimation of the overall economic conditions affecting the Company’s customer base. The Company reviews a customer’s credit history before extending credit. If the financial condition of its customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. The Company charges off uncollectible receivables when all reasonable collection efforts have been taken. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $35,000 at December 31, 2014 and $25,000 at December 31, 2013.
Customer Deposits - The Company occasionally receives prepayments or deposits from customers for products they order or intend to order. In such cases the prepayment or deposit is initially recorded as a liability (customer deposits) and is only recognized as revenue when the ordered products are shipped and the risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the customer.
Cost Recognition - Cost of revenues includes all direct material and labor costs and those indirect costs of bringing raw materials to sale condition, including depreciation of equipment used in manufacturing and shipping and handling costs. Selling, general, and administrative costs are charged to operating expenses as incurred. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and are included in operating expenses. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Total advertising costs for 2014 and 2013 were $13,280 and $12,595, respectively.
Long-Lived Assets - The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amount, the Company measures the amount of such impairment by comparing the assets' carrying value to the assets' present value of the expected future discounted cash flows. Impairment charges, if any, are recorded in the period realized.
Income Taxes - Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future, based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established to reduce a deferred tax asset to the amount expected to be realized. The Company assesses its ability to realize deferred tax assets based on current earnings performance and on projections of future taxable income in the relevant tax jurisdictions. These projections do not include taxable income from the reversal of deferred tax liabilities and do not reflect a general growth assumption but do consider known or pending events, such as the passage of legislation. The Company’s estimates of future taxable income are reviewed annually. All tax positions are first analyzed to determine if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. After the initial analysis, the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Our income tax returns are subject to adjustment under audit for approximately the last four years.
If the Company is required to pay interest on the underpayment of income taxes, the Company recognizes interest expense in the first period the interest becomes due according to the provisions of the relevant tax law.
If the Company is subject to payment of penalties, the Company recognizes an expense for the amount of the statutory penalty in the period when the position is taken on the income tax return. If the penalty was not recognized in the period when the position was initially taken, the expense is recognized in the period when the Company changes its judgment about meeting minimum statutory thresholds related to the initial position taken.
Stock-Based Compensation - All share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are expensed based on their estimated fair values at grant date, in accordance with ASC 718.
Compensation expense for stock options is recorded over the vesting period using the estimated fair value on the date of grant, as calculated by the Company using the Black-Scholes model. The Company classifies all share-based awards as equity instruments and recognizes the expense of the awards ratably over their respective vesting periods.
See NOTE 11 for a description of the Company’s share-based compensation plan and information related to awards granted under the plan.
Fair Value of Warrants and Note Discount - The Company bifurcates the value of warrants sold with promissory notes. This bifurcation results in the establishment of a note discount with a corresponding charge to equity unless the terms of the warrant require it to be classified as a liability. The warrants and corresponding note discounts are valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model because there is no market price available for the warrants. This model uses estimates of volatility, risk free interest rate and the expected term of the warrants, along with the current market price of the Company’s common stock, to estimate the value of the outstanding warrants.
Net Loss Per Share - Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The Company has other potentially dilutive securities outstanding that are not shown in a diluted net loss per share calculation because their effect in both 2014 and 2013 would be anti-dilutive. These potentially dilutive securities include Series A Preferred Stock, options, warrants and convertible promissory notes (see Notes 10 and 11), and total 32,486,223 shares at December 31, 2014 and 31,602,641 shares at December 31, 2013.
Conversion Options - The Company will bifurcate conversion options embedded in financial instruments and account for them at fair value if required. Currently, the Company has determined that none of its embedded conversion options require bifurcation.
Imputed Interest - A note issued solely for cash equal to its face amount is presumed to earn the stated rate of interest. However, in some cases the parties may also exchange unstated (or stated) rights or privileges, which are given accounting recognition by establishing a note discount or premium account. In such cases, the Company imputes interest when required.
Reclassification of Prior Year Amounts - Certain prior year numbers have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the Company’s net loss or net loss per share.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
With the exception of those discussed below, there have been no recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the year ended December 31, 2014, that are of significance, or potential significance, to the Company.
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which provides guidance for revenue recognition. The guidance outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes the most current revenue recognition guidance. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The Company is currently evaluating this ASU and its potential impact on the Company’s financial statements.
In August 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern, Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” which provides guidance about management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning for the annual period ending December 31, 2016 and interim periods thereafter. The Company is currently evaluating this ASU and its potential impact on the Company’s financial statement footnote disclosures.
In June 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-12, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide that a Performance Target Could be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period" ("ASU 2014-12"). ASU 2014-12 provides explicit guidance on whether to treat a performance target that could be achieved after the requisite service period as a performance condition that affects vesting, or as a non-vesting condition that affects the grant-date fair value of an award. The update requires that compensation costs are recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. If the performance target becomes probable of being achieved before the end of the requisite service period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost should be recognized prospectively over the remaining requisite service period. This update is effective for the annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the financial statements and related disclosures.
NOTE 2 - GOING CONCERN
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. The Company has not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover its operating costs and has incurred net losses since its inception. These losses, with the associated substantial accumulated deficit, are a direct result of the Company’s product development activities and the costs of introducing its technologies to the market and pursuing market acceptance. In view of these matters, realization of a major portion of the assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is dependent upon continued operations of the Company which in turn is dependent upon the Company’s ability to meet its financing requirements, and the success of its future operations. The Company operates in a new, developing industry with a variety of competitors. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm included an emphasis-of-matter paragraph with respect to the accompanying consolidated financial statements expressing uncertainty regarding the Company’s assumption that it will continue as a going concern.
In order to continue as a going concern, the Company will need to generate additional revenue and obtain additional capital to fund its operating losses and service its debt. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are described as follows:
Sales and Marketing. Historically, the Company has generated revenues by selling its products directly to end customers and through distributors in key geographic markets. Over the past few years, the Company has redirected its focus on multiple market segments and has revised its go-to-market strategy by disengaging distributors with exclusive geographic territories, in favor of new alliances to penetrate key market segments such as municipal stormwater, federal facilities and industrial process water. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Company focused its efforts on the east coast of the United States where many municipalities are faced with significant rebuilding projects. In this regard, the Company, including its AEWS subsidiary, has pursued contracts that will enable it to bring its stormwater expertise to bear in all phases of rebuilding projects, including the design, installation and operation of water treatment systems. The Company signed its first contract for such a project with the County of Nassau in October 2013. Approximately 15% of the Company’s revenues in 2014 were attributable to the initial engineering work completed on this not-to-exceed $12 million contract. The Company is also continuing its efforts to develop other large projects and in 2014 announced a collaboration effort with Corvias Solutions to develop large stormwater infrastructure projects, particularly under privately-financed public-private partnership models. AEWS is teaming with Corvias Solutions to provide engineering and design services to support a $100 million project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition, through its research and development efforts the Company has made strides to develop products for new markets addressing the treatment of produced water in the mining and drilling (fracking) industries, the treatment of landfill leachate and a process for the filtration of heavy metals from water. These developments show promise for future revenues once the products and systems being developed for these markets are proven and refined.
Financing. To date, the Company has financed its operations primarily with loans from shareholders, private placement financings and sales revenue. During 2014, the Company raised $5 million from the sale of Secured Promissory Notes (see NOTE 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS). The Company also has available a $2 million equity line of credit from which it has not made any draws to date (see NOTE 13 - EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT). Management believes that with continued field validation successes, an improving economy, federal regulatory approval of the Company’s antimicrobial technologies, and success in implementing P3 stormwater programs for municipal customers, sales revenue can grow significantly, thus enabling the Company to reverse its negative cash flow from operations and raise additional capital as needed. However, there is no assurance that the Company’s overall efforts will be successful.
If the Company is unable to generate significant sales growth in the near term and raise additional capital, there is a risk that the Company could default on debt maturing during 2015, and could be required to significantly reduce the scope of its operations if no other means of financing operations are available. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amount and classification of liabilities or any other adjustment that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
NOTE 3 - INVENTORIES
Inventories consist of the following at December 31,:
NOTE 4 - FIXED ASSETS
Fixed assets consist of the following at December 31,:
Depreciation expense charged to operations during 2014 and 2013 was $28,151 and $29,707, respectively.
NOTE 5 - COMMITMENTS
Capital Leases - In 2012, the Company’s subsidiary, AEWS, entered into a capital lease for the purchase of telephone equipment valued at $11,599. Annual depreciation expense on this equipment was $3,864 in both 2014 and 2013 leaving an accumulated depreciation balance at December 31, 2014 of $8,694. The Company had no other capital leases at December 31, 2014. Minimum future lease payments and present values of the net minimum lease payments for this capital lease are as follows:
Operating Leases - The Company leases office and warehouse space, office equipment and an automobile under various noncancelable operating leases that extend through May 2018. Total rental expense charged to operations during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were $402,904 and $483,170, respectively. Because the Company’s leases contain escalating lease payments during their terms, the Company recognizes rental expense for these leases as a straight-line amortization of the total lease expense to be paid over the term of the leases. The difference between the amount of rent expensed and the amount of rent actually paid under the leases is included in accrued expenses as deferred rent (see NOTE 8 - ACCRUED EXPENSES). Future annual minimum lease payments for the next five years, under noncancelable operating leases with initial or remaining terms of one year or more, as of December 31, 2014, are as follows:
Indemnification Agreements - The Company enters into indemnification provisions under its agreements with officers and directors and companies in its ordinary course of business, typically with business partners, customers, landlords, lenders and lessors. Under these provisions the Company generally indemnifies and holds harmless the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party as a result of the Company’s activities or, in some cases, as a result of the indemnified party’s activities under the agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. The Company has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2014.
Other Commitments - The Company has commitments for telecommunications service and research and development activities with minimum future payments as follows:
NOTE 6 - LOANS FROM SHAREHOLDER
Loans from shareholders at December 31, 2014 and 2013 represent a $9,000 demand loan made by a prior Director of the Company to the Company’s subsidiary, ESC. This loan is unsecured and non-interest bearing.
NOTE 7 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Accounts payable; related party - At December 31, 2014, Accounts payable - related party represents advertising fees due to an environmental group for which the Company’s president serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. At December 31, 2013, Accounts payable - related party represents amounts owed to executives of the Company for travel expenses.
Related party loan - represents amounts owed to a related company for services provided in the form of office and clerical support, and cash advances. On December 31, 1998, the Company executed a loan document in the amount of $127,353, with an original maturity date of December 31, 2003 (extended to December 31, 2018), with interest accruing at the rate of 5% per annum until the loan is paid in full. The Company may repay the note in part or in full at any time prior to maturity. In the event of default of principal or interest, the entire unpaid balance, including principal and interest, will be due and payable without notice, with interest accruing at 8% from the date of default.
Stock Options - The Company granted 320,000 stock options to new directors of the Company in 2014 and 240,000 stock options to a new director of the Company in 2013. (see NOTE 11 - STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIENCY AND STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION).
Private Placements - One of the investors that participated in the private placements completed by the Company during 2014 is considered a related party because it has a beneficial ownership interest in the Company of greater than 5%. This investor purchased $1,025,000 of the Secured Notes issued in the $2 Million Offering, $1,762,979 of the notes issued in the $3 Million Offering and the $600,000 2014 Convertible Note (see NOTE 14 - Private Placements).
NOTE 8 - ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accrued expenses consist of the following at December 31,:
NOTE 9 - INCOME TAXES
There is no current or deferred tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 due to the Company’s loss position and the full reserve taken on the Company’s deferred tax asset in both years.
A reconciliation of statutory rates is as follows at December 31,:
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets (liabilities) are as follows at December 31,:
During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, net deferred tax benefit was approximately $1,898,000 and $1,987,000, respectively. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had federal loss carryforwards of approximately $43.7 million and $38.7 million, respectively, and state loss carryforwards of approximately $21.3 million and $18.6 million, respectively, which are available to reduce future taxes, if any. These net operating loss carryforwards expire through 2034. The net change in the total valuation allowance for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was a net increase of approximately $1,898,000 and $1,987,000, respectively. Based on the Company’s loss position and the uncertainty of the amount and timing of future taxable income, management believes that it is more likely than not that the Company will not fully realize the benefit of its net deferred tax assets. Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 382, annual utilization of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards may be limited if a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50% is deemed to occur within any three-year period. The Company has not fully analyzed whether such limitation has occurred at this time as the deferred tax asset is fully reserved.
NOTE 10 - CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTES AND OTHER DEBT
Convertible Promissory Notes
At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had convertible promissory notes outstanding of $4,850,000 and $3,750,000, respectively, convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock. The discount, interest rate, conversion rate and maturity dates of the notes outstanding at December 31, 2014, are shown in the table below:
Secured Convertible Notes are shown in the financial statements net of discounts of $283,102 related to the issuance of warrants and the beneficial conversion feature associated with the notes payable. The discount is amortized under the effective interest method over the term of the notes payable. Interest expense related to the amortization of the discount on the Secured Convertible Notes for 2014 was $252,641.
The conversion rate (stated in terms of the conversion rate into shares of ABHD common stock), interest rate and maturity dates of the notes outstanding at December 31, 2013, are shown in the table below:
The terms of the various types of convertible notes included in the tables above are described as follows:
·Convertible Notes - Represent two short-term notes issued in 2013. The original maturity date of these notes has been extended to June 2, 2015.
·Secured Convertible Notes - Represents two promissory notes issued in December 2013 and one promissory note issued in November 2014. These notes have a security interest in all of the personal property and other assets of the Company that is junior to the security interest of the Secured Promissory Notes issued by the Company in 2014. (see NOTE 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS).
Secured Promissory Notes
At December 31, 2014, the Company had sixteen Secured Promissory Notes outstanding aggregating $4,416,979. Five of these Secured Promissory Notes totaling $2,787,979 are held by a related party. These non-convertible, Secured Promissory Notes, issued in private placements in 2014 (see NOTE 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS), mature in 10-12 months from their issuance date, have an interest rate of 7.5% per annum and have a security interest in all of the personal property and other assets of the Company that is senior to any other security interest. The Company may extend the maturity date of the Secured Promissory Notes up to two times by 90 days each. If the first extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 9.5% per annum. If the second extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 11.5% per annum. The Secured Promissory Notes are shown in the December 31, 2014 financial statements as notes payable, net of discounts of $164,360 related to the warrants issued with the Secured Promissory Notes. The discount is amortized under the effective interest method over the 10-12 month terms of the Secured Promissory Notes. Interest expense related to the amortization of the discount on the Secured Promissory Notes for 2014 was $174,273. Use of the extension of the due dates was deemed unlikely by management as of December 31, 2014.
Other notes payable
In 2013, the Company issued to an investor who is a member of the Company’s Advisory Board, a Bridge Loan Promissory Note (the “Bridge Note”) with a principal amount of $500,000, an interest rate of 6.5% per annum and a maturity date of October 1, 2013 (later extended to June 2, 2015). The Bridge Note is a multi-advance loan facility pursuant to which the lender advanced loans to the Company aggregating $500,000. As of December 31, 2013, the full $500,000 principal amount of the Bridge Note was outstanding. In conjunction with the Bridge Note, the lender received a detachable warrant (the “Bridge Warrant”) for the purchase of 35,000 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $0.66 per share and a term of five (5) years. The Bridge Note was discounted by the value of the Bridge Warrant, determined to be $10,399 using the Black-Scholes model. The discount was amortized as interest expense over the original term of the Bridge Note. As of December 31, 2013, the Bridge Note discount was fully amortized. In 2014, the Bridge Note was amended to include a conversion feature allowing the note to be converted into shares of the Company’s common stock at the exercise price of $0.64 per share. At December 31, 2014, this note is included with Convertible Notes.
On August 9, 2013, the Company issued to an investor a secured convertible promissory note with a principal amount of $600,000, an interest rate of 6.5% per annum, a conversion rate of $0.70 per share and a maturity date of November 7, 2013. On September 30, 2013, the Company issued to the same investor a secured convertible promissory note with a principal amount of $420,000, an interest rate of 6.5% per annum, a conversion rate of $0.53 per share and a maturity date of December 1, 2013. The maturity date for each of these notes was later extended to January 31, 2014 and both notes were repaid in full on December 26, 2013.
Aggregate maturities of debt obligations commencing in 2015 are:
Bank Line of Credit
The Company has a bank line of credit with a credit limit of $100,000. This line of credit has an annual interest rate of prime plus 6.75% and requires monthly payment of any interest due plus approximately 1% of the outstanding balance. At December 31, 2014 the amount owed on the bank line of credit was zero and the full amount of the bank line of credit was available to the Company.
NOTE 11 - STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIENCY AND STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Options
The Company grants stock options to officers, directors, employees and consultants under stock plans.
AbTech’s 2007 Stock Plan - Prior to the Merger with ABHD, AbTech issued stock options under a plan (the “2007 Stock Plan”) that allowed up to 15% of the capital stock outstanding of AbTech to be available for awards granted under the plan. Options granted under the plan expire on the earlier of the stated expiration date or, in the case of incentive stock options, ninety days after the date employment ends or, in the case of non-statutory options, 30 days after the optionee ceases to be a service provider to the Company. The stated expiration dates occur between 2015 and 2020. Stock options were granted at the fair market value of the common stock as determined by the Board of Directors on the date of grant and are exercisable subject to vesting provisions and performance objectives. All stock options granted by AbTech outstanding as of the date of the reverse acquisition transaction with ABHD automatically converted into options for the purchase of shares of ABHD common stock at the rate of 5.32 shares of ABHD stock for each share of AbTech stock. Upon the exercise of any of these AbTech stock options, ABHD will issue new authorized shares of its common stock.
ABHD’s 2012 Incentive Stock Plan - In May 2012, the shareholders of ABHD approved the 2012 Incentive Stock Plan (the “2012 Plan”), which allows for up to 9,000,000 shares of common stock awards to be granted during the term of the plan. The exercise price of options granted under the 2012 Plan is determined by the 2012 Plan Committee and may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock of ABHD on the grant date. Options expire not more than 10 years from the date of grant.
For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, compensation expense of $377,051 and $338,223, respectively, for stock options accounted for under ASC 718 is included in Selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. There was no related tax benefit recognized due to the Company’s loss position. At December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately $416,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 0.8 years. During 2014, the Company received $6,500 from the exercise of stock options. No cash was received from the exercise of stock options during 2013.
Compensation expense was determined from the estimates of fair values of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The following table summarizes the weighted average of fair value and the significant assumptions used in applying the Black-Scholes model for options granted in 2014 and 2013:
The assumptions for expected dividend yield, expected volatility and expected term reflect management’s judgment and include consideration of historical experience. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the option.
The Company’s stock option activity for the years ending December 31, 2014 and 2013, is summarized below (all share amounts for options granted by AbTech have been restated to give effect to the merger exchange ratio and reflect the equivalent number of ABHD shares):
AbTech Options
As of December 31, 2014, there were 1,448,069 stock options outstanding and exercisable with a weighted average remaining life of 2.2 years and an intrinsic value of zero.
ABHD Options
As of December 31, 2014, the 5,471,833 stock options outstanding had an intrinsic value of zero. As of December 31, 2014, there were approximately 4,068,247 stock options exercisable with a weighted average remaining life of 5.9 years and an intrinsic value of zero. As of December 31, 2013, there were approximately 3,862,908 options exercisable with a weighted average remaining life of 5.0 years and an intrinsic value of zero. Of the non-exercisable stock options outstanding at December 31, 2014, 1,373,586 stock options vest over time between 2015 and 2017 and 30,000 stock options vest only upon the option holder achieving specific performance objectives prior to the expiration of the option.
The following table summarizes the activity of the shares and weighted-average grant date fair value of the Company’s non-vested common stock options during the years ending December 31, 2014 and 2013:
Common stock
During 2014, the Company issued 567,802 shares of common stock to Directors of the Company as payment in lieu of cash compensation that was due for their services as Directors during 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the Company issued 300,000 shares of common stock to two entities for services rendered to the Company. These shares issued in 2014 and 2013 were valued at the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the measurement date in accordance with the provisions of ASC 505-50-30. The resulting expense in 2014 and 2013 of $187,375 and $202,200, respectively, is included in Selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
During 2014 and 2013, the Company issued 91,321 and 136,912 shares, respectively, of ABHD common stock upon the exercise of warrants and options. The Company received cash proceeds of $29,396 from the exercise of warrants and options in 2014. The warrants exercised in 2013 were exercised using the cashless exercise feature of the warrants.
During 2013, the Company issued 2,702,119 shares of ABHD common stock for the conversion of debt in the principal amount of $1,856,000 and interest accrued thereon of $36,736.
Warrants
In 2014, the eleven participants in the private offerings of secured promissory notes (see Note 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS) received warrants to purchase 2,508,490 shares of ABHD common stock and the placement agent for these offerings received warrants to purchase 193,598 shares of ABHD common stock. The warrants issued in these offerings have an average exercise price of $0.39 per share and a term of 5 years.
The value of the warrants, used to determine the note discount for the corresponding notes, was calculated using the Black-Scholes valuation model. This model uses estimates of volatility, risk free interest rate and the expected term of the warrants, along with the current market price of the Company’s common stock, to estimate the value of the outstanding warrants. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of issuance for periods corresponding with the expected term of the warrant. The weighted average grant date fair value of the warrants issued in 2014 was $0.14 per share.
In 2013 the Company issued the following warrants:
·One investor providing a $500,000 loan to the Company received a warrant to purchase 35,000 shares of ABHD common stock. The warrant has an exercise price of $0.66 per share and a term of 5 years.
·Two investors participating in the December 2013 Offering (see Note 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS) received warrants to purchase 1,000,000 shares of ABHD common stock and the placement agent for the December 2013 Offering received warrants to purchase 200,000 shares of ABHD common stock. The warrants issued in the December 2013 Offering have an exercise price of $0.70 per share and a term of five years.
A summary of common stock warrants outstanding at December 31, is as follows:
The 892,266 exercisable AbTech warrants outstanding at December 31, 2014 expire at various dates through 2016 and have a weighted average remaining life of 0.3 years.
The 8,686,693 exercisable ABHD warrants outstanding at December 31, 2014 expire at various dates through 2019 and have a weighted average remaining life of 2.9 years.
AbTech Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
AbTech has designated 3,500,000 of its 5,000,000 authorized preferred shares as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Stock”) and has 1,212,947 of such shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2014. These shares represent the non-controlling interest in the Company’s subsidiary as shown on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Operations. Series A Stock has a par value of $0.01 and no liquidation or dividend preferences. During 2013, a holder of 20,000 shares of Series A Stock elected to convert their shares of Series A Stock into 106,476 of ABHD common stock as provided for under the 2011 Merger of AbTech and the Company.
The holders of Series A Stock may at any time elect to convert any or all such shares into common shares of AbTech at a conversion rate initially set at one share of AbTech common stock for each share of Series A Stock, subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments that protect Series A Stockholders if AbTech issues new shares at less than $3.75 per share. The Series A Stock will automatically convert into common shares upon either (a) the closing of a firm underwritten public offering, (b) subsequent listing on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Global Market, or (c) upon the sale or transfer of substantially all the assets or the consolidation or merger with an entity solely for cash or solely for cash and securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Global Market. While Series A Stockholders have no voting rights as ABHD stockholders, they do have specific rights pertaining to the governance of AbTech, ABHD’s subsidiary.
Common shares reserved for future issuance
As of December 31, 2014, ABHD common shares reserved for future issuance were as follows (all shares are stated in ABHD share equivalents):
NOTE 12 - ASSIGNMENT AND CONVERSION OF ABTECH NOTES
In April 2013, the Company facilitated a transaction (the “Transaction”) wherein a group of new investors purchased eleven outstanding convertible promissory notes (the “Notes”) issued by the Company’s subsidiary, AbTech. The Notes were all non-interest bearing with an aggregate principal amount of $1,856,000 and maturity dates ranging from March 31, 2013 to May 11, 2014. The investors purchased the notes, immediately exercised the Notes’ original conversion feature converting the Notes into shares of Series A Preferred Stock of AbTech Industries, Inc. and then further converted the shares of Series A Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock as provided for in the terms of the 2011 Merger with AbTech. No cash was paid or received by the Company in connection with the Transaction. As a result of the Transaction, the Company reduced its outstanding convertible debt by $1,856,000 and issued 2,649,640 shares of its common stock.
NOTE 13 - EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT
On June 25, 2013, the Company entered into an agreement (the “Investment Agreement” or “Equity Line of Credit”) with Dutchess Opportunity Fund, II, LP (“Dutchess”) whereby Dutchess is irrevocably committed to purchase up to $2 million of ABHD common stock from the Company over the course of 36 months. The aggregate number of shares issuable by the Company and purchasable by Dutchess under the Investment Agreement is limited by the dollar amount sold, in this instance no more than $2 million, and will depend upon the trading price of the Company’s shares. The purchase price will be set at ninety-seven percent (97%) of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the Company’s common stock during the five consecutive trading days beginning on the date of the applicable put. The Company may draw on the Equity Line of Credit from time to time, as and when it determines appropriate in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Investment Agreement. The Company has no obligation to utilize the full amount available under the Equity Line of Credit. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had made no draws on the Equity Line of Credit.
NOTE 14 - PRIVATE PLACEMENTS
The $2 Million Offering
In March, 2014, the Company initiated an offering for up to $2 million (the “$2 Million Offering”) in a multi-advance credit facility (the “Facility”). Participants in the $2 Million Offering received a secured promissory note (“Secured Note”) for each advance of funds made under the Facility and an accompanying warrant for the purchase of the number of shares of ABHD common stock equal to 20% of the amount advanced divided by a share price of $0.40. The Secured Notes have an interest rate of 7.5% per annum, mature on the 12-month anniversary of the issuance date and are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company. The warrants issued with the Secured Notes have an exercise price of $0.45 per share and expire five (5) years from the date of grant. The Company may extend the maturity date of the Secured Notes up to two times by 90 days each. If the first extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 9.5% per annum. If the second extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 11.5% per annum. The number of warrant shares that note holders will be entitled to under the terms of the warrants issued by the Company in connection with this offering will be increased by 10% for each extension option exercised by the Company.
The Company received the full $2 million of funding under the Facility for which it issued Secured Notes and accompanying warrants for the purchase of 1,000,000 shares of ABHD common stock. The value of the warrants was estimated to be $192,344 using the Black-Scholes valuation model, and was bifurcated from the value of the Secured Notes. The corresponding note discount is being amortized over the life of the Secured Notes using the effective interest method. The unamortized balance of the discount on the Secured Notes was $49,577 at December 31, 2014. The Company paid a placement agent involved with the $2 Million Offering a cash placement fee equal to $41,000 and a warrant to purchase 58,571 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “PA Warrant”). The PA Warrant has an exercise price of $0.45 per share, expires 5 years from the date of issuance and is in the same form as the warrants issued to investors in the Facility except that the PA Warrant includes a “net issuance” cashless exercise feature. The value of these warrants was estimated by applying the Black Scholes model and amounted to $8,797 upon grant, which amount was recorded as a deferred financing charge and is being amortized as interest expense over the term of the Secured Notes.
The $3 Million Offering
In August 2014, the Company initiated an offering for up to $3 million (the “$3 Million Offering”) of secured promissory notes (the “Junior Secured Notes”). Participants in the $3 Million Offering received a Junior Secured Note with a face amount equal to the amount invested and an accompanying warrant for the purchase of the number of shares of ABHD common stock equal to 20% of the amount advanced divided by a share price of $0.40. The Junior Secured Notes have the same terms as the Secured Notes sold in the $2 Million Offering except that they are junior to the Secured Notes in terms of security interest. The warrants issued with the Junior Secured Notes have an average exercise price of $0.36 per share, the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of issue, which was determined to be the average of the closing price of the Company’s common stock for the five trading days preceding the date of issuance. The warrants expire five (5) years from the date of grant.
Investors participating in the $3 Million Offering who participated in a prior offering of the Company received a special incentive right regarding the early exercise of any outstanding, valid warrants or stock options held by the investor (the “Prior Warrants”). The portion of the Prior Warrants held by the investor that was eligible for these special incentive exercise terms is equal to the percentage obtained by dividing the amount funded by the investor in the $3 Million Offering, by the amount invested by such investor in the last funding transaction completed with the Company. This incentive right allowed investors to exercise the eligible Prior Warrants at the incentive exercise price of $0.30 per share for a period of 30 days following the funding of their investment in the $3 Million Offering or, alternatively, at $0.36 per share for a period that ends on the later of the date that is (i) 180 days following the funding of their investment in the $3 Million Offering, or (ii) 18 months prior to the expiration date of the eligible Prior Warrant. After such incentive period, the discounted exercise price will expire and any unexercised Prior Warrants held by the investor will return to their original exercise terms. The special incentive terms extend to Prior Warrants held by any affiliates of the investor. The estimated value of the incentive terms was deemed to be immaterial.
During 2014, the Company received $2,416,979 of funding from the $3 Million Offering for which it issued Junior Secured Notes and accompanying warrants for the purchase of 1,208,490 shares of ABHD common stock. The value of the warrants was estimated to be $146,289 using the Black-Scholes valuation model, and was bifurcated from the value of the Junior Secured Notes. The corresponding note discount is being amortized over the life of the Junior Secured Notes using the effective interest method. The unamortized balance of the discount on the Junior Secured Notes was $114,784 at December 31, 2014. The Company also received $25,396 from the exercise of Prior Warrants under the incentive terms.
The 2014 Convertible Note
In November 2014, the Company sold to one investor in a private transaction a $600,000 secured convertible promissory note (the “2014 Convertible Note”), with an accompanying warrant for the purchase of 300,000 shares of ABHD common stock. The 2014 Convertible Note bears interest at 7.5% per annum and is convertible into shares of ABHD common stock at a rate of $0.3586 per share, which rate represents 110% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of issue based on the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the five trading days prior to the date of issuance of the 2014 Convertible Note. The 2014 Convertible Note matures on November 26, 2016 and has a security interest in the assets of the Company that is junior to the Junior Notes. The warrant issued with the 2014 Convertible Note has an exercise price of $0.326, the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of issue, which was determined to be the average of the closing price of the Company’s common stock for the five trading days preceding the date of issuance. The warrant expires five years from the date of grant. The value of the warrant was estimated to be $31,980 using the Black-Scholes valuation model, and was bifurcated from the value of the 2014 Convertible Note. The corresponding note discount is being amortized over the life of the 2014 Convertible Note using the effective interest method. The unamortized balance of the discount on the 2014 Convertible Note was $30,509 at December 31, 2014.
The Company paid a placement agent involved with the $3 Million Offering and the sale of the 2014 Convertible Note a cash placement fee equal to $94,519 and a warrant to purchase 135,027 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “PA Warrant”). The PA Warrant has an exercise price of $0.326 per share, expires five years from the date of issuance and is in the same form as the warrants issued to investors in the $3 Million Offering except that the PA Warrant includes a “net issuance” cashless exercise feature. The value of these warrants was estimated by applying the Black Scholes model and amounted to $14,394 upon grant, which amount was recorded as a deferred financing charge and is being amortized as interest expense over the terms of the Junior Secured Notes and the 2014 Convertible Note.
Private Placement in December 2013
On December 6, 2013, the Company sold $3,500,000 of secured convertible promissory notes (the “2013 Notes”) to two investors. The 2013 Notes bear interest at a rate of six and one-half percent (6.5%) per annum and are due on December 6, 2015. The 2013 Notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at the conversion rate of $0.53 per share. The 2013 Notes have a security interest in all of the personal property and other assets of the Company (the “Collateral”) that is junior to the security interest of the Secured Notes and the Junior Notes and is pari-passu with the security interest of the 2014 Convertible Note. Purchasers of the 2013 Notes also received warrants for the purchase of the number of shares of Company common stock equal to 20% of the principal amount of the 2013 Note purchased divided by $0.70, for a total of 1,000,000 warrant shares. These warrants have an exercise price of $0.70 per share and a term of five (5) years. The value of the warrants was estimated to be $204,599 using the Black-Scholes valuation model, and was bifurcated from the value of the 2013 Notes. The corresponding note discount is being amortized over the life of the 2013 Notes using the effective interest method. The unamortized balance of the discount on the 2013 Notes was $94,248 at December 31, 2014.
Settlement of Notes in 2013
Two secured notes issued by the Company in September 2011, totaling $480,000 remained outstanding at December 31, 2012 and, by mutual agreement between the Company and the holder, the maturity date of these two notes was extended to January 31, 2014 and the interest rate was reduced to 6% per annum beginning January 1, 2013. During 2013, $36,736 of interest due on these two notes was converted to 52,479 shares of common stock and the remaining principal and accrued interest due on the notes totaling $501,514 was repaid by the Company in December 2013.
NOTE 15 -FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, capital lease obligation, convertible notes payable and notes payable. It is management’s opinion that the Company is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments. The fair value of these financial instruments approximates their carrying values based on their short maturities or for long-term debt based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans with similar terms and maturities. Gains and losses recognized on changes in fair value of financial instruments are reported in other income (expense) as gain (loss) on change in fair value. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had no financial instruments outstanding that were estimated using level 1, level 2 or level 3 inputs.
NOTE 16 - CONTINGENCIES, LITIGATION, CLAIMS AND ASSESSMENTS
The Company experiences routine litigation in the normal course of its business. The Company is not aware of any pending or threatened litigation that would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
In July 2014, the Company settled litigation with Arctech, Inc. (“Arctech”) arising from the Company’s License, Supply and Distribution Agreement with Arctech, dated June 6, 2012 (the “Agreement”). As a result of the settlement, the Agreement has been terminated and declared void with AbTech and Arctech mutually relinquishing, releasing, and discharging any and all of their claims, rights, or interests of any kind or nature to the Agreement or any products or services previously provided pursuant to the Agreement. In addition, all claims in the litigation have been dismissed with prejudice.
In July 2010, AbTech received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) of a time limited registration of its antimicrobial Smart Sponge Plus material under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, which was conditioned upon AbTech Industries submitting additional data regarding the active ingredient in Smart Sponge Plus to the EPA by July 1, 2011. Subsequently, the EPA granted additional extensions of the time-limited registration to December 31, 2014. In December 2014, the Company received notice from the EPA that the conditional registration for its Smart Sponge Plus products is no longer subject to a time limitation and the pending submission of additional data, as required by the EPA’s original conditional registration approval, will not be required from AbTech until the agency requires all registrants of similar products to submit such data.
NOTE 17 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On February 5, 2015 the Company’s Board of Directors granted to the President of the Company’s subsidiary, AEWS Engineering, a stock option for 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock with 100 percent vesting occurring on December 31, 2015. This option has a ten-year term and an exercise price of $0.34 per share, which is the fair market value of the Company’s common shares on the date of grant.
On February 5, 2015 the Company’s Board of Directors also granted stock options to executive officers and directors of the Company with vesting conditioned upon the Company achieving a minimum gross profit on sales (sales less cost of goods sold) of $5 million during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. The stock options, if vested, will also have a ten-year term and an exercise price of $0.34 per share. The number of option shares granted to executives and directors under this grant was 1,085,000 and 240,000, respectively.
In March 2015, the Company issued a Secured Promissory Note to a related party investor for $950,000 (the “2015 Note”). The proceeds from the 2015 Note will be used to repay $875,000 of debt maturing in March 2015 plus accrued interest of approximately $68,000. The 2015 Note matures on March 23, 2016, has an interest rate of 7.5% per annum and has a security interest in the assets of the Company that is the same as the security interest of the Junior Secured Notes issued by the Company in the $3 Million Offering in 2014. The purchaser of the 2015 Note also received a warrant for the purchase of 475,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The warrant has an exercise price of $0.315 per share and expires five (5) years from the date of grant. The Company may extend the maturity date of the 2015 Note up to two times by 90 days each. If the first extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 9.5% per annum. If the second extension option is exercised, the interest rate will increase to 11.5% per annum. The number of warrant shares that the 2015 Note holder will be entitled to under the terms of the warrant issued by the Company with the 2015 Note will be increased by 10% for each extension option exercised by the Company.
In March 2015, the Company exercised the first extension option of a $1,025,000 Secured Note issued by the Company in the $2 Million Offering in 2014. Under the terms of the extension option, the maturity was extended from March 10, 2015 to June 8, 2015, the interest rate increased from 7.5% to 9.5%, effective March 10, 2015, and the number of warrant shares that the holder is entitled to under the terms of the warrant issued with the extended Secured Note was increased by 10% or 51,250 shares.
NOTE 18 - QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)