UNITED
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Copies
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Robert
Newman, Esq.
The
Newman Law Firm, PLLC
14 Wall
Street, 20th Floor
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NY 10005
Tel. (212)
618-1968 Fax: (212)
202-6055
SMARTHEAT INC.
A-1,
10, Street 7
Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone
Shenyang,
China 110027
+86 (24)
2519-7699
October
9, 2009
To The
Stockholders of SmartHeat Inc.:
You are
cordially invited to attend the 2009 annual meeting of stockholders of SmartHeat
Inc. on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 (China time) at our Corporate offices, A-1,
10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone,
Shenyang, China commencing at 10:00 a.m. (local time).
At the
annual meeting, you will be asked to vote to elect five directors to serve until
the 2010 annual meeting of shareholders and to ratify the appointment of Goldman
Parks Kurland Mohidin, LLP as our independent auditors.
The
notice of the annual meeting and proxy statement accompanying this letter
provide information concerning matters to be considered and acted upon at the
annual meeting. We are also including our annual report on Form 10-K for
2008. During the annual meeting we will provide a report on our
operations, followed by a time for questions and answers.
Whether
or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, we encourage you to sign and
return the enclosed proxy card as promptly as possible in the enclosed postage
paid envelope so that your shares are represented at the meeting.
Regardless of the number of shares you own, your vote is important.
Thank you
for your continued interest and support.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jun
Wang
Chairman
of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
Enclosures
SMARTHEAT
INC.
A-1,
10, Street 7
Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone
Shenyang,
China 110027
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 18, 2009 (China time)
October
9, 2009
NOTICE IS
HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of SmartHeat Inc. (the
“Company”) will be held on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
(China time) at our Corporate offices, A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and
Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China commencing at
10:00 a.m. (local time) for the purposes of considering and acting upon the
following proposals:
1. To
elect five directors to the board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) of the
Company to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders held to elect
directors and until their successors are elected and qualified;
2. To
ratify the appointment of Goldman Parks Kurland Mohidin, LLP as the Company’s
independent auditors; and
3. To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any
adjournment or postponement thereof.
A proxy
statement describing the matters to be considered at the annual meeting is
attached to this notice. Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
September 25, 2009 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting and
any adjournments thereof. By submitting your proxy by signing and returning the
enclosed proxy card, you authorize Jun Wang, SmartHeat's Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and President, and Zhijuan Guo, SmartHeat’s Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer, to represent you and vote your shares at the meeting in
accordance with your instructions. They also may vote your shares to adjourn the
meeting and will be authorized to vote your shares at any postponements or
adjournments of the meeting.
Whether
or not you plan to be present at the meeting, we urge you to vote your shares
promptly. You can vote your shares in advance of the meeting by completing and
returning the enclosed proxy card. This notice, the attached Proxy Statement,
the accompanying proxy card and our 2008 Annual Report (which is not part of the
proxy soliciting materials) are first being mailed to stockholders on or about
October 9, 2009.
By Order
of the Board of Directors
Mr. Jun
Wang,
Chairman
of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
October
9, 2009
IMPORTANT
NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 18, 2009 (China
time)
SmartHeat
Inc. notice of annual meeting, proxy statement, proxy card and the annual report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 are also available to you on
the Internet at www.smartheatinc.com.
SMARTHEAT INC.
A-1,
10, Street 7
Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone
Shenyang,
China 110027
PROXY
STATEMENT
2009
Annual Meeting of Shareholders
November
18, 2009 (China time)
The board
of directors of SmartHeat Inc. is soliciting proxies for use at the annual
meeting of shareholders to be held at our Corporate offices, A-1, 10, Street 7,
Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang
China commencing at 10:00 a.m., (local time), and at any adjournments
thereof. Distribution to shareholders of the attached notice of
annual meeting, this proxy statement, the enclosed proxy card, and our annual
report on Form 10-K for 2008 (which is not part of the proxy soliciting
materials) is scheduled to begin on or about October 9, 2009 to each shareholder
of record at the close of business on September 25, 2009, the "record date" set
for this meeting.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
WHO
MAY ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING?
All
stockholders who held shares of our common stock on September 25, 2009 may
attend. If your stock is held in the name of a broker, bank, or other
holder of record, often referred to as “in street name,” just bring a copy of
your brokerage account statement or a proxy card which you can get from your
broker, bank or other holder of record of your stock.
WHO
CAN VOTE AT THE MEETING?
The
record date for the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is September 25,
2009. The record date was established by our Board of
Directors. Stockholders of record at the close of business on the record
date are entitled to:
(a)
receive notice of the meeting; and
(b)
vote at the meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the
meeting.
On the
record date, 32,756,575 shares of our common stock were outstanding. Each
stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on the
record date, as further described under “Voting Securities,” in this Proxy
Statement.
HOW
DO I VOTE?
You may
vote in person at the meeting or you may appoint a proxy, by mail, to vote your
shares. If you return a signed card but do not provide voting
instructions, your shares will be voted FOR the proposal to be voted on at the
meeting.
WHAT
ARE THE DIFFERENT METHODS THAT I CAN USE TO VOTE MY SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK?
(a) By Written Proxy:
Stockholders of record can vote by marking, signing, and timely returning the
enclosed proxy card. Street name or beneficial holders must follow the
directions provided by their broker, bank, or other nominee in order to direct
such broker, bank, or nominee how to vote.
(b) In Person: All stockholders
may vote in person at the meeting. Street names or beneficial holders must
obtain a legal proxy from their broker, bank, or nominee prior to the meeting in
order to vote in person.
HOW
MANY VOTES MUST BE PRESENT TO HOLD THE MEETING?
At least
a majority of the holders of our outstanding shares of common stock, as of the
record date, must be present at the annual meeting in order to hold the annual
meeting and conduct business. This is called a quorum. Shares of our
common stock are counted as present at the annual meeting if the holder of such
shares:
(a) is
present and votes in person at the annual meeting; or
(b) has
properly submitted a proxy card.
Abstentions
are counted as present for the purpose of determining the presence of a
quorum.
CAN
I CHANGE MY VOTE AFTER I RETURN MY PROXY CARD?
Yes. You
may revoke your proxy card at any time before its exercise at the Annual Meeting
by giving our Secretary a written notice revoking your proxy card, or a duly
executed proxy bearing a later date, or by attendance at the Annual Meeting and
electing to vote in person.
WILL
MY STOCK BE VOTED IF I DO NOT PROVIDE MY PROXY?
Your
stock may be voted if it is held in the name of a brokerage firm, even if you do
not provide the brokerage firm with voting instructions. Brokerage firms
have the authority under the rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.,
or NASDAQ, to vote stock for which their customers do not provide voting
instructions on certain “routine” matters. We believe that the uncontested
election of directors is considered a routine matter for which brokerage firms
may vote stock that is held in the name of brokerage firms but does not have
voting instructions from you.
HOW
MANY VOTES ARE NEEDED TO APPROVE OUR PROPOSALS?
The
affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares of common stock present in person
or by proxy and entitled to vote is required
for the election of a director. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes
cast on Proposal No. 2 is required to ratify the appointment of our independent
auditors. Other matters that may properly come before the annual meeting may
require a majority or more than a majority vote under our By-laws, the laws of
the state of Nevada, our Articles of Incorporation, or other applicable
laws.
WHO
PAYS FOR THIS PROXY SOLICITATION?
We do. In
addition to sending you these materials, some of our employees may contact you
by telephone, by mail, by fax, by email, or in person. None of these employees
will receive any extra compensation for doing this.
WHY IS SMARTHEAT SEEKING STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL FOR
THESE PROPOSALS?
Proposal No. 1 : The
General Corporation Law of the State of Nevada and rules applicable to the
Company as a result of the listing of our common stock on The Nasdaq Stock
Market requires corporations to hold elections for directors each
year.
Proposal No. 2 : The
Company appointed Goldman Parks Kurland Mohidin, LLP to serve as the Company’s
independent auditors for the 2009 fiscal year. The Company elects to have its
stockholders ratify such appointment.
VOTING
SECURITIES
Our $.001
par value common stock is the only class of capital stock authorized to vote by
our Articles of Incorporation. The number of shares of our common stock
which may be voted at the meeting or any adjournment thereof is 32,756,575
shares, which was the number of shares outstanding as of September 25,
2009. Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of our
common stock held. Votes will be tabulated by an inspector of election appointed
by our Board of Directors.
DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS TO STOCKHOLDERS
SHARING AN ADDRESS
Only one
annual report and this proxy statement will be delivered to multiple
stockholders sharing an address unless we have
received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders. Upon
written or oral request, the Company will deliver a separate copy of the annual
report and this proxy statement to a stockholder at a shared address to which a
single copy of the annual report and proxy statement was delivered. If you wish
to receive a separate copy of the annual report or this proxy statement, please
notify the Company by calling or sending a letter to the Corporate Secretary of
the Company, SmartHeat Inc., A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and
Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China 110027. The Company’s
telephone number is +86 (24) 2519-7699. If requested, the Company will also
provide such persons with copies of any exhibit to the Annual Report on Form
10-K upon the payment of a fee limited to the Company’s reasonable expenses in
furnishing such exhibits.
PROPOSAL
FOR ACTION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING
Proposal
One:
Election
of Directors
Our
Articles of Incorporation and By-laws provide that the Board of Directors shall
consist of at least one but not more than ten directors, the exact number of
which may be fixed and changed from time to time by ordinary resolution of the
Board of Directors or the shareholders of the Corporation. The Board of
Directors has adopted a resolution establishing five (5) as the number of
directors of the Company.
Our
Articles of Incorporation and By-laws provide that the Board of Directors shall
be elected at each annual meeting.
Based on
the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the
Board of Directors has nominated its current members to be re-elected for
another term.
The
persons named in the accompanying proxy card intend to vote such proxy in favor
of the election of the nominees named below, who are currently directors, unless
authority to vote for the director is withheld in the proxy. Although the
Board of Directors has no reason to believe that the nominees will be unable to
serve as a director, if one of the nominees withdraws or otherwise becomes
unavailable to serve, the persons named as proxies will vote for any substitute
nominee designated by the Board of Directors, unless contrary instructions are
given on the proxy.
The
affirmative vote of a plurality of the shares of our common stock present in
person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote is required for the
election of directors. Proxies for which authority to vote for the nominee
is withheld and broker non-votes will be tabulated for the purpose of computing
the number of shares of our common stock present for purposes of determining the
presence of a quorum for the meeting. They will have no effect on the
outcome of the election of the directors.
Our
Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the nominees listed
below.
NOMINEES
Set forth
below is information with respect to the nominees for election as
directors.
Name
and Business Experience
Jun
Wang, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President,
Age 42
Mr. Wang
is one of the original founders of Taiyu in 2002. Prior to that, from
2000 to 2002, he was the Vice General Manager of Beijing HotNet
Company. From 1996 to 1999, he was a sales manager for Honeywell
International Inc. From 1994 to 1996, he was a sales manager for Alfa
Laval. Mr. Wang obtained his Master's degree in Engineering from
Tsinghua University in 1989.
Arnold
Staloff, Director, Age 64
Mr.
Staloff has served on the Boards of Directors of Exchange Lab Inc. since 2001,
AgFeed Industries, Inc. since 2007, Deer Consumer Products, Inc. since 2009, and
Shiner International Inc. since 2007. From December 2005 to May 2007, Mr.
Staloff served as Chairman of the Board of SFB Market Systems, Inc., a New
Jersey-based company that provides technology solutions for the management and
generation of options series data. From March 2003 to December 2005, Mr. Staloff
was an independent consultant. From June 1990 to March 2003, Mr. Staloff served
as President and Chief Executive Officer of Bloom Staloff Corporation, an equity
and options market-making firm and foreign currency options floor broker.
Additionally, Mr. Staloff served on the Board of Directors of Lehman Brothers
Derivative Products Inc. from 1998 until 2008 and Lehman Brothers Financial
Products Inc. from 1994 until 2008. Mr. Staloff holds a Bachelor of Business
Administration from the University of Miami. Mr. Staloff has been appointed to
each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee of SmartHeat.
Weiguo Wang,
Director, Age 45
Dr. Wang
serves as Assistant Secretary General of the China Standardization Committee on
Boilers and Pressure Vessels, a position he has held since March 2005.
Additionally, Dr. Wang has served as a Director of the China Special Equipment
Inspection and Research Agency since January 2007 and Deputy General Manager of
Boilers Standard (Beijing) Technology Services Center Co., Ltd. since March
2004. From July 2001 to December 2003, Dr. Wang was a teacher at Tianjin
University, China. Mr. Wang holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanics, a Master’s
degree in Fluid Mechanics and a PhD in Fluid Mechanics, all from Beijing
University. Dr. Wang has been appointed to each of the Audit Committee,
Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of
SmartHeat.
Wenbin
Lin, Director, Age 64
Mr. Lin
is one of the original founders of Taiyu in 2002. From December 2003 to October
2004, Mr. Lin served as Deputy Chairman and General Manager of Shenyang Huanggu
Thermoelectricity Heating Inc. From November 2002 to December 2003, Mr. Lin
served as Chairman and General Manager of Shenyang Heat Power Co. Ltd. From
September 1999 to May 2002, Mr. Lin served as Chairman of Shenyang
Thermoelectric Corp. From January 1991 to August 1999, Mr. Lin held a variety of
positions within the government of Shenyang City in the PRC, including Director
of the Economic Development & Reform Commission from February 1998 to August
1999, Director of Shenyang City’s Economics & Trade Commission from May 1995
to January 1998 and Deputy Director for the Economic Planning Commission from
January 1991 to April 1995. Mr. Lin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Press Machinery
from China's Anshan Steel Technical College. Mr. Lin has been appointed to each
of the Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
of SmartHeat.
Xin
Li, Director, Age 38
Mr. Li
brings more than a decade of corporate governance and industrial operations
management experience to SmartHeat. He is a renowned management consultant in
China. He is currently the general manager of Beijing ShengGao Consulting Co.,
Ltd, a strategic advisory firm founded by him more than 10 years ago that
focuses on providing strategic guidance and management training to global
companies. He also serves as an independent director and chairs the audit and
various governance committees at several large Chinese domestic companies not
listed in the United States. Mr. Li is a prolific writer in strategies and
management issues. He has authored several books in the areas of management
science and strategic planning. Mr. Li is proficient in Mandarin and English. He
has a MBA and is a Research Fellow at the Management Science Center of Beijing
University. Mr. Li has been appointed to each of the Compensation Committee and
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of SmartHeat.
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
Our
executive officers and their ages as of September 25, 2009 are as
follows:
Please
refer to the biography of Mr. Jun Wang set forth above.
Zhijuan
Guo, CFO & Treasurer, Age 44
Ms. Guo
was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Taiyu in 2002. Prior to that
time, from December 2000 to June 2002, she served as the Production Planning
Director of Shenyang Thermoelectric Co. Ltd. From March 1999 to
November 2000, she served as Auditing Director of Shenyang Dongyu Group
Corp. From July 1993 to February 1999, Ms. Guo served as Finance
Manager of Shenyang Dongyu Real Estate Development Company. Ms. Guo
obtained her MBA degree from Shenyang NorthEastern University in
2001.
Huajun
Ai, Corporate Secretary, Age 38
Ms. Ai
joined Taiyu in 2002 as Corporate Secretary. Prior to that time, from
December 2000 to October 2002, she served as an accountant at Shenyang Dongyu
International Trade Co., Ltd. From July 1994 to November 2000, Ms. Ai
served as an accountant at Northeast Jincheng Industrial Corp. Ms. Ai
obtained her Bachelor's degree in Foreign Trade Accounting from Shenyang North
Eastern University in 1994.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE
INDEPENDENCE
OF DIRECTORS
Subject
to certain exceptions, under the listing standards of NASDAQ, a listed company’s
board of directors must consist of a majority of independent directors.
Currently, our board of directors has determined that each of Messers. Staloff,
Li, and Dr. Wang are independent directors for purposes of the NASDAQ’s listed
company standards currently in effect and approved by the SEC and all applicable
rules and regulations of the SEC. We have established the following standing
committees of the board: Audit, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and
Nominating. All members of the Audit Committee and a majority of the members of
the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees satisfy the
“independence” standards applicable to members of each such committee. The board
of directors made this affirmative determination regarding these directors’
independence based on discussion with the directors and on its review of the
directors’ responses to a standard questionnaire regarding employment and
compensation history; affiliations, family and other relationships; and
transactions with the Company. The board of directors considered relationships
and transactions between each director or any member of his immediate family and
the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. The purpose of the board of
director’s review with respect to each director was to determine whether any
such relationships or transactions were inconsistent with a determination that
the director is independent under the NASDAQ rules.
MEETINGS
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our Board
of Directors held three regular meetings and no special meetings during fiscal
year 2008. Each director attended at least 75% of the meetings of the
Board of Directors and the Board committees on which he served in fiscal year
2008. Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, directors are expected to
attend meetings of our Board of Directors and committees of which he is a member
and to spend the time necessary to properly discharge his respective duties and
responsibilities.
COMMITTEES
OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Audit
Committee
We
established our Audit Committee in June of 2008. The Audit Committee consists of
Messrs. Staloff, Li and Dr. Wang, each of whom is an independent director. Mr.
Staloff, Chairman of the Audit Committee, is an “audit committee financial
expert” as defined under Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K. The purpose of the Audit
Committee is to represent and assist our board of directors in its general
oversight of our accounting and financial reporting processes, audits of the
financial statements and internal control and audit functions.
As more
fully described in its charter, the functions of the Audit Committee include the
following:
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appointment
of independent auditors, determination of their compensation and oversight
of their work;
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review
the arrangements for and scope of the audit by independent
auditors;
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review
the independence of the independent auditors;
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consider
the adequacy and effectiveness of the internal controls over financial
reporting;
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pre-approve
audit and non-audit services;
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establish
procedures regarding complaints relating to accounting, internal
accounting controls, or auditing matters;
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review
and approve any related party transactions; and
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discuss
with management and the independent auditors our draft quarterly interim
and annual financial statements and key accounting and reporting
matters.
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The board
of directors has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. A copy of
the Audit Committee Charter is posted on our website at
www.smartheatinc.com.
Compensation
Committee
We
established our Compensation Committee in June of 2008. The Compensation
Committee consists of Messrs. Staloff, Li, and Dr, Wang, each of whom is an
independent director, and Mr. Lin. Dr. Wang is the Chairman of the Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee is responsible for the design, review,
recommendation and approval of compensation arrangements for our directors,
executive officers and key employees, and for the administration of our equity
incentive plans, including the approval of grants under such plans to our
employees, consultants and directors. The Compensation Committee also reviews
and determines compensation of our executive officers, including our Chief
Executive Officer. The board of directors has adopted a written charter for the
Compensation Committee. A current copy of the Compensation Committee Charter is
posted on our website at www.smartheatinc.com.
The
compensation of our executive officers and other employees is composed of base
salaries. For 2008, compensation for our officers, including our named executive
officers, was determined by our executive officers prior to the establishment of
the compensation committee. The compensation committee will review base salaries
of the executives considering SmartHeat’s overall financial position and the
state of its business. The compensation committee will determine any increase in
compensation, with respect to each officer, based on individual performance,
level of responsibility, and skills and experience, taking into account the
anticipated level of difficulty in replacing such officers and employees with
persons of comparable experience, skill and knowledge.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
We
established our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in June of 2008.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of Messrs. Staloff,
Li and Dr. Wang, each of whom is an independent director, and Mr.
Lin. Mr. Li is the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists
in the selection of director nominees, approves director nominations to be
presented for shareholder approval at our annual general meeting and fills any
vacancies on our board of directors, considers any nominations of director
candidates validly made by shareholders, and reviews and considers developments
in corporate governance practices. The board of directors has adopted a written
charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A current copy of
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter is posted on our
website at
www.smartheatinc.com.
CODE
OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
Our board of directors has adopted a
Code of Conduct, which applies to all directors, officers and employees. The
purpose of the Code is to promote honest and ethical conduct. The Code is posted
on our website located at
www.smartheatinc.com, and
is available in print, without charge, upon written request to SmartHeat Inc. at
A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and Technological
Development Zone,
Shenyang, China 110027. We intend to post
promptly any amendments to or waivers of the Code on our
website.
STOCKHOLDER
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
You may communicate with our directors,
individually or as a group, by writing to Board of Directors, SmartHeat Inc.,
A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and Technological
Development Zone,
Shenyang, China 110027. All such communications will be
forwarded to the relevant director(s), except for solicitations or other matters
not related to the Company.
NOMINATION
PROCESS
The
members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, other than
incumbent director nominees, discuss the qualifications of the director nominees
and the needs of the Company. The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee will consider nominees recommended by our directors and
officers. In evaluating director candidates, the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee considers factors that are in the best interests of the
Company and its stockholders, including, but not limited to, the knowledge,
experience, integrity and judgment of possible candidates for nomination as
directors; the potential contribution of each candidate to the diversity of
backgrounds, experience and competencies which the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee desires to have represented on the Board of Directors,
including familiarity with and experience in our specific industry; the NASDAQ’s
requirements for directors, including any applicable independence standards and
other qualifications and experience; each candidate’s ability to devote
sufficient time and effort to his or her duties as a director of the Company
and, where applicable, prior service as a director of the Company. There
are, however, no stated minimum criteria for director nominees. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommends candidates to the Board
of Directors for election at the annual meeting of stockholders.
STOCKHOLDER
NOMINATIONS FOR DIRECTORS
Nominations
for the election of directors may only be made by the board of directors in
consultation with its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A
shareholder of record may recommend to the committee a candidate for
consideration as a nominee. The committee will consider a shareholder nominee
only if a shareholder provides written notice to: SmartHeat Inc., A-1, 10,
Street 7, Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China 110027,
Attention: Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee.
In order
to provide sufficient time to enable the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Comittee to evaluate candidates recommended by shareholders in connection with
selecting candidates for nomination in connection with SmartHeat’s annual
meeting of shareholders, the chairman must receive the shareholder’s
recommendation not less than sixty (60) days nor more than ninety
(90) days prior to the anniversary of the mailing of the proxy statement
for the annual meeting of shareholders for the preceding year. Each such notice
must include the following information about the candidate:
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Name;
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Age;
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Business
and current residence addresses, as well as residence addresses for the
past 20 years;
|
|
·
|
Principal
occupation or employment and employment history (name and address of
employer and job title) for the past 10 years (or such shorter period as
the candidate has been in the workforce);
|
|
·
|
Educational
background;
|
|
·
|
Permission
for SmartHeat to conduct a background investigation, including the right
to obtain education, employment and credit information;
|
|
·
|
The
number of shares of SmartHeat’s common stock beneficially owned by the
candidate, if any;
|
|
·
|
The
information that would be required to be disclosed by SmartHeat about the
candidate under the rules of the SEC in a proxy statement soliciting
proxies for the election of such candidate as a director (which currently
includes information required by Items 401, 404 and 405 of Regulation
S-K); and
|
|
·
|
A
signed consent of the nominee to serve as a director of SmartHeat, if
elected.
|
Nominees
properly proposed by eligible shareholders will be evaluated by the committee in
the same manner as nominees identified by the committee. To date, no shareholder
or group of shareholders has put forth any director nominees.
COMPENSATION
OF DIRECTORS (2008)
Name
|
|
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash ($)
|
|
|
Option Awards
($) (1)
|
|
|
Total ($)
|
|
Jun
Wang
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Wenbin
Lin
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Frederic
Rittereiser
|
|
|
20,000
|
|
|
|
2,806
|
(2)
|
|
|
22,806
|
|
Arnold
Staloff
|
|
|
25,000
|
|
|
|
2,806
|
(3)
|
|
|
27,806
|
|
Weiguo
Wang
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
Xin
Li
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
(1) The
amounts represented in the stock awards column reflect the compensation expense
recognized by the Company in fiscal year 2008 determined pursuant to SFAS 123R,
and no forfeitures are assumed.
(2) On
July 17, 2008, Mr. Rittereiser was awarded options to purchase 10,000 shares of
our common stock, expiring on July 17, 2013, at an exercise price of
$4.60 per share, with a three year vesting schedule. Mr. Rittereiser
voluntarily retired as a director of the Company on July 31, 2009.
(3) On
July 17, 2008, Mr. Staloff was awarded options to purchase 10,000 shares of our
common stock, expiring on July 17, 2013, at an exercise price of $4.60
per share, with a three year vesting schedule.
Narrative
Disclosure to Director Compensation Table.
On June
19, 2008, Messrs. Rittereiser, Staloff and Dr. Wang joined the board of
directors as an independent director, satisfying the definition of
“independence” as defined in Rule 4200 of the NASDAQ Rules. Additionally, Mr.
Lin joined the board of directors on June 19, 2008. Mr. Lin is not an
"independent" director. Mr. Li was appointed as a member of the board of
directors on July 29, 2009. Mr. Li is an “independent” director. Mr. Rittereiser
voluntarily retired as a director of the Company on July 31,
2009. We agreed to pay the following annual compensation to our
independent directors. Mr. Staloff is entitled to receive $50,000 in cash per
year, paid in equal quarterly installments. This fee includes $10,000 for
serving as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Rittereiser was entitled
to receive $40,000 in cash per year, paid in equal quarterly
installments. Messrs. Wang and Li are each entitled to receive $12,000 in
cash per year, paid in equal quarterly installments. In addition, on July 17,
2008, each of Messrs. Staloff and Rittereiser were awarded options to purchase
10,000 shares of our common stock, expiring on July 17, 2013, at an
exercise price of $4.60 per share, with a three year vesting schedule. Mr.
Rittereiser’s unleveled options as of July 31, 2009 were forfeited.
We have
not compensated, and will not compensate, our non-independent director, Mr. Lin,
for serving as our director, although he is entitled to reimbursements for
reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending our board
meetings.
The
directors may determine remuneration to be paid to the directors with interested
members of the board refraining from voting. The Compensation Committee will
assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for
the directors.
We do not
maintain a medical, dental or retirement benefits plan for the
directors.
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
No
bankruptcy petition has been filed by or against any business of which any
director was a general partner or executive officer either at the time of the
bankruptcy or within two years prior to that time. No director has been
convicted in a criminal proceeding and is not subject to a pending criminal
proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses).
No
director has been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently
reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction,
permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting
his involvement in any type of business, securities or banking
activities.
No
director has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil
action), the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a
federal or state securities or commodities law, that has not been reversed,
suspended, or vacated.
No
director, officer or affiliate of SmartHeat or any beneficial owner of 5% or
more of the registrant’s common stock, or any of such persons’ affiliates, is an
adverse party to the SmartHeat or any of its subsidiaries.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
We are
not a party to any transactions required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of
Regulation S-K, including any transaction between us and any officer, director
or affiliate of SmartHeat that has a value in excess of $120,000.
We have
adopted a written policy in connection with related party transactions involving
our company. The policy requires the prior approval by our Audit Committee for
any transaction, arrangement or relationship in which (i) the aggregate amount
involved will or may be expected to reach $50,000 in any calendar year, (ii) we
are a participant and (iii) any related person has or will have an interest.
Related persons include our executive officers, directors, greater than 5%
stockholders or immediate family members of any of the foregoing. Pursuant to
the policy, the Audit Committee, among other factors, is required to take into
account whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms
generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar
circumstances. In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee has the
authority to approve or ratify any interested transaction with a related person
in which the aggregate amount involved is expected to be less than
$25,000.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
During
fiscal year 2008, no member of the Compensation Committee was an officer or
employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. None of our executive
officers or members of our Board of Directors serves as a member of the board of
directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive
officers serving as a member of our Board of Directors or Compensation
Committee.
FAMILY
RELATIONSHIPS OF
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
None.
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
No
bankruptcy petition has been filed by or against any business of which such
executive officer was a general partner or executive officer either at the time
of the bankruptcy or within two years prior to that time. No executive
officer has been convicted in a criminal proceeding and is not subject to a
pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor
offenses).
No
executive officer has been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent
jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or
otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business, securities or
banking activities.
No
executive officer has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a
civil action), the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have
violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, that has not been
reversed, suspended, or vacated.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Summary
Compensation Table
As a
“Smaller Reporting Company,” we have elected to follow scaled disclosure
requirements for smaller reporting companies with respect to the disclosure
required by Item 402 of Regulation S-K. Under the scaled disclosure obligations,
the Company is not required to provide a Compensation Discussion and Analysis
and certain other tabular and narrative disclosures relating to executive
compensation.
The
following table sets forth information concerning the compensation for the years
ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 of the principal executive officer, principal
financial officer, in addition to our three most highly compensated officers
whose annual compensation exceeded $100,000, and up to two additional
individuals for whom disclosure would have been required but for the fact that
the individual was not serving as an executive officer of the registrant at the
end of the last fiscal year. A discussion of each of the principal elements
comprising this executive compensation follows this table.
Name and
Principal Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary ($) (1)
|
|
|
Other Annual
Compensation ($)
|
|
|
Total ($) (1)
|
|
Jun
Wang
|
|
2008
|
|
|
18,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
18,000
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
2007
|
|
|
18,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
18,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zhijuan
Guo
|
|
2008
|
|
|
10,684
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,684
|
|
Treasurer
and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
2007
|
|
|
10,684
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
10,684
|
|
(1)
based on an exchange rate of RMB7.3 = US$1.00
Narrative
Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table.
Employment
Agreements
On
January 1, 2008, SmartHeat entered into a three year employment agreement with
Mr. Jun Wang, which agreement may be renewed at the end of the initial term upon
mutual agreement between Mr. Jun Wang and SmartHeat. Either party
shall give written notice to the other party of its intention not to renew the
agreement at least 30 days prior to the end of the initial
term. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, Mr. Jun Wang
shall receive a salary in an amount that is not less than the lowest minimum
wage per month paid in Shenyang and shall be based on the uniform wage and
incentive system in Shenyang. In addition, Mr. Jun Wang shall be entitled to
overtime pay in accordance with the applicable law.
On
January 1, 2008, SmartHeat entered into a three year employment agreement with
Ms. Zhijuan Guo, at terms identical to the terms of the employment agreement
with Mr. Jun Wang.
Change-In-Control
Agreements
We do not
have any existing arrangements providing for payments or benefits in connection
with the resignation, severance, retirement or other termination of any of our
named executive officers, changes in their compensation or a change in
control.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
As of
December 31, 2008, there were no outstanding equity awards held by executive
officers of our company.
Stock
Incentive Plans
We had no
stock incentive plan during 2007 or 2008.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN
BENEFICIAL
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding ownership of our common
stock as of September 25, 2009:
·
|
all
those known by us to be beneficial owners of five percent or more of our
common stock;
|
·
|
each
of our current directors;
|
|
each
of our executive officers named in the summary compensation table
contained in this proxy statement; and
|
·
|
all
of our current directors and executive officers as a
group.
|
The
amounts and percentages of common stock beneficially owned are reported on the
basis of regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial
ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a
“beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,”
which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or
“investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the
disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner
of any securities of which that person has the right to acquire beneficial
ownership within 60 days of September 25, 2009. Under these
rules more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same
securities and a person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of securities as
to which such person has no economic interest. As of September 18, 2009
32,756,575 shares of our common stock were outstanding.
Unless
otherwise indicated, each of the shareholders named in the table below has sole
voting and investment power with respect to such shares of common
stock. Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each of the
shareholders listed below is: c/o SmartHeat Inc., A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China
110027.
Name of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned (1)
|
|
|
Percentage
Beneficially
Owned
|
|
5%
Shareholders:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beijing
YSKN Machinery & Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd (2)
Rm
1106, Huapu International Plaza No.19,
Chaowai
Street, Chaoyang District
Beijing,
China
|
|
|
6,808,000
|
|
|
|
20.78
|
%
|
Yang
In Cheol (3)
#630-5,
Namchon-Dong
Namdong-Yu
Incheon,
South Korea 302-405
|
|
|
3,848,000
|
|
|
|
11.75
|
%
|
ShenYang
ZhiCe Investment Co., Ltd (4)
No.
1 Yuebin Street
Shenhe
District
Shenyang,
China 110027
|
|
|
2,960,000
|
|
|
|
9.03
|
%
|
Directors
and Named Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jun
Wang, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO (2)
|
|
|
3,404,000
|
|
|
|
10.39
|
%
|
Zhijuan
Guo, CFO
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Frederic
Rittereiser, Director
|
|
|
3,333
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Arnold
Staloff, Director
|
|
|
14,833
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Weiguo
Wang, Director
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Wenbin
Lin, Director
|
|
|
473,600
|
(5)
|
|
|
1.45
|
%
|
Xin
Li, Director
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
Directors and named Executive Officers as a group
(6 persons)
|
|
|
3,889,100
|
|
|
|
11.84
|
%
|
|
*
|
Less
than 1% of shares outstanding.
|
(1) The
shares of our common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of
regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of
securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial
owner” of a security if that person has or shares voting power, which includes
the power to vote, or direct the voting of, such security, or investment power,
which includes the power to dispose of, or to direct the disposition of, such
security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of
which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within
60 days. Securities that can be so acquired are deemed to be outstanding
for purposes of computing such person’s ownership percentage, but not for
purposes of computing any other person’s percentage. Under these rules, more
than one person may be deemed beneficial owner of the same securities and a
person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of securities as to which such
person has no economic interest. Except as otherwise indicated in these
footnotes, each of the beneficial owners has, to our knowledge, sole voting and
investment power with respect to the indicated shares of common
stock.
(2) The
information for YSKN and Mr. Jun Wang is derived from Amendment No. 1 to
Schedule 13D, dated June 30, 2008, which was filed with the SEC to report
the shares beneficially owned by such persons as of May 7, 2008. The
Schedule 13D states that YSKN has sole power to vote and dispose of
6,808,000 shares owned by YSKN and that Messrs. Wang and Li each hold 50%
of the equitable and legal rights, title and interests in and to the share
capital of YSKN and, as a result of such ownership each of Messrs. Wang and Li
has shared power to vote and dispose of the shares owned directly by
YSKN.
(3) The
information for Yang In Cheol is derived from a Schedule 13G, dated April
25, 2008, which was filed with the SEC to report the shares beneficially owned
by him as of April 14, 2008. The Schedule 13G states that Yang In Cheol has
sole power to vote and dispose of 3,848,000 shares owned by
him.
(4) The
information for ShenYang ZhiCe Investment Co., Ltd is derived from a
Schedule 13G, dated April 25, 2008, which was filed with the SEC to report
the shares beneficially owned by it as of April 14, 2008. The Schedule 13G
states that ShenYang ZhiCe Investment Co., Ltd has sole power to vote and
dispose of 2,960,000 shares owned by it. ShenYang ZhiCe
Investment Co. is owned by Ms. Huiqin Wang, Ms. Dongmei Li and Mr. Zhaohui Lin,
with each of them having a voice in the voting and disposition of the shares
held by ShenYang ZhiCe Investment Co. Ms. Li and Mr. Lin are adult
children of Wenbin Lin, a director of SmartHeat. Neither Mr. Wenbin
Lin nor SmartHeat have any interest in, or other relationship with, ShenYang
ZhiCe Investment Co.
(5) Includes
473,600 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Lin's spouse through her ownership of
16% equity interest in ShenYang ZhiCe Investment Co., Ltd., which holds an
aggregate of 2,960,000 shares of common stock of SmartHeat. Mr. Lin disclaims
beneficial ownership of these shares.
SECTION 16
(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
REPORTING
COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”),
requires our officers and directors and persons who own more than ten percent
(10%) of our common stock to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and
reports of changes in ownership of our common stock. Such officers, directors
and ten percent (10%) shareholders are also required by applicable SEC rules to
furnish to us copies of all forms filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 16(a)
of the Exchange Act. Based solely on our review of copies of forms filed
pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and written representations from certain reporting persons, we believe that
during fiscal 2008 all reporting persons timely complied with all filing
requirements applicable to them
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
As a “Smaller Reporting Company,” the
we have elected to follow scaled disclosure requirements for smaller reporting
companies with respect to the disclosure required by Item 407 of Regulation S-K.
Under the scaled disclosure obligations, the Company is not required to provide
a Compensation Discussion and Analysis and Compensation Committee Report.
REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The information set forth in this
Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by
any general statement incorporating by reference this Proxy Statement into any
filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that
the Company specifically incorporates this information by reference, and
otherwise shall not be deemed “soliciting materials” or to be “filed” with the
SEC or subject to Regulations 14A or 14C of the SEC or subject to the
liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act.
The Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors is comprised of the three directors named
below. Each member of the Audit Committee is an independent director as
defined by NASDAQ rules. A written charter adopted by the Board of
Directors governs the Audit Committee’s activities. The Audit Committee
has reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements with management,
which has primary responsibility for the financial statements.
Goldman,
Parks, Kurland, Mohidin, LLP is responsible for expressing an opinion on
the conformity of our audited financial statements with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America. The Audit Committee
has discussed with Goldman, Parks, Kurland, Mohidin LLP the matters required to
be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, “Communication with
Audit Committees,” as amended, which includes, among other items, matters
relating to the conduct of an audit of our financial statements. The Audit
Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from Goldman,
Parks, Kurland, Mohidin LLP required by Independence Standards Board
Standard No. 1, “Independence Discussions with Audit Committees” and has
discussed with Goldman, Parks, Kurland, Mohidin LLP their independence from the
Company. Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit
Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial
statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2008 and in our fiscal year 2008 Annual Report to
Shareholders.
Submitted
by the members of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors,
Mr.
Arnold Staloff
|
Dr.
Weiguo Wang
|
Mr.
Xin Li
|
PROPOSAL
FOR ACTION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING
Proposal
Two
Ratification
of Appointment of Independent Auditors
The Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors has appointed Goldman, Parks, Kurland,
Mohidin LLP (“GPKM”) as our independent auditors for its fiscal year ending
December 31, 2009. GPKM has acted in such capacity since its appointment on
April 14, 2008. The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment,
retention, compensation and oversight of the work of our independent auditors
(including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent
auditors regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing
an audit report or related work. In making its determination regarding whether
to appoint or retain a particular firm of independent auditors the Audit
Committee takes into account the views of management. A representative of GPKM
is expected to be available telephonically at the annual meeting, with the
opportunity to make a statement if the representative desires to do so, and is
expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Stockholder
Ratification
We are
not required to submit the appointment of GPKM for ratification by our
stockholders. However, we are doing so as a matter of good corporate practice.
If the stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee will
reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is
ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a
different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the
year if they determine that such an appointment would be in our best interests
and that of our stockholders.
The
Board of Directors, based upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee,
unanimously recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the
appointment of GPKM as the independent registered public accounting firm to
serve as our auditors for 2009.
Change
in Company’s Accountant
On April
14, 2008, we dismissed Dale Matheson Carr Hilton Labonte LLP (“DMCHL”) as our
independent accountant. DMCHL had previously been engaged as the
principal accountant to audit our financial statements. The reason
for the dismissal of DMCHL was that, following the consummation of the Share
Exchange on April 14, 2008, i) the former stockholders of Taiyu own a
significant amount of the outstanding shares of our common stock and (ii) our
primary business became the business previously conducted by
Taiyu. The independent registered public accountant of Taiyu for US
accounting purposes was the firm of Goldman Parks Kurland Mohidin LLP. We
believe that it is in our best interest to have GPKM continue to work with our
business, and we therefore retained GPKM as our new principal independent
registered accounting firm, effective as of April 15, 2008. GPKM is
located at 16133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 880, Encino, CA 91436. The
decision to change accountants was approved by our board of directors on April
14, 2008.
During
our two most recent fiscal years and any subsequent interim period through to
the date of our engagement of GPKM, neither we nor anyone on its behalf, has
consulted with GPKM or any other auditor regarding any accounting or audit
concerns, including, without limitation, those stated in Item 304(a)(2) of
Regulation S-K.
The
report of DMCHL on our financial statements for the period from August 4, 2006
(inception) through our fiscal year ended October 31, 2007 did not contain an
adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor was it qualified or modified as to
uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles, except that the report was
qualified as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
From our
inception through April 15, 2008, there were no disagreements with DMCHL on any
matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or
auditing scope or procedure which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of DMCHL,
would have caused it to make reference to the matter in connection with its
reports.
From our
inception through April 14, 2008, we did not consult GPKM regarding either: (i)
the application of accounting principles to a specific completed or contemplated
transaction, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our
financial statements; or (ii) any matter that was the subject of a disagreement
as described in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K.
Audit
Fees
The firm
of Goldman Parks Kurland Mohidin LLP (“GPKM”) has been selected by the board of
directors as the independent registered certified public accounting firm to
audit the books and accounts of our company and its subsidiaries for the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2008. This firm has served as independent public
accountants for our company since April 14, 2008. Prior to September
3, 2008, we engaged Dale Matheson Carr Hilton Labonte LLP ("DMCHL") as our
independent accountants.
The
aggregate fees billed by GPKM, for professional services rendered for the audit
of our annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2008, for the
reviews of the financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q for the quarterly periods beginning March 31, 2008 and for consents issued
in connection with our registration statement on Form S-1, during the fiscal
year were $133,000.
The
aggregate fees billed by DMCHL for professional services rendered for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2007, which we refer to as fiscal 2007, in connection
with the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements for fiscal 2007 and
for the reviews of the financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for fiscal 2007 and for the Quarterly Report for the quarter
ended January 31, 2008 was $10,000.
Audit
Related Fees
We
incurred fees to auditors of $0, for audit related fees during the fiscal year
ended 2007, and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 audit related fees
were $0.
Tax
Fees
We did
not engage GPKM to provide advice or assistance in tax compliance/preparation
and other tax services for either fiscal 2008. DMCHL billed us an
aggregate of $1,000 for tax related fees in 2007.
All
Other Fees
We
incurred no fees to auditors for professional services other than the services
described above during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2008.
Audit
Committee’s Pre-Approval Policy
It is the
Audit Committee’s policy to approve in advance the types and amounts of audit,
audit-related, tax and any other services to be provided by our independent
auditors. In situations where it is not possible to obtain full Audit Committee
approval, the Committee has delegated authority to the Chairman of the Audit
Committee to grant pre-approval of auditing, audit-related, tax and all other
services. Any pre-approved decisions by the Chairman are required to be reviewed
with the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS
The
rules of the SEC govern when a company must include a stockholder’s
proposal in its proxy statement and identify the proposal in its form of proxy
when the company holds an annual or special meeting of stockholders. Under
these rules, proposals that stockholders would like to submit for inclusion in
our proxy statement for our 2010 annual meeting of stockholders should be
received by our Corporate Secretary no later than June 11, 2010 (which
is not more than 120 days prior to the anniversary of the mailing date of this
proxy statement), assuming that the date of the annual meeting to be held in
2010 is not changed by more than 30 days from the date of this annual meeting.
In such event, we will provide notice of the date by which such proposals must
be received in order to be included in our proxy statement in Item 5 of our
quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Our determination of whether we will oppose
inclusion of any proposal in our proxy statement and proxy will be made on a
case-by-case basis in accordance with our judgment and the rules and regulations
promulgated by the SEC.
In
addition, if a stockholder wishes to present a proposal at the 2010 annual
meeting that will not be included in our proxy statement and the Company is not
notified prior to August 25, 2010 (which is 45 days prior to the
anniversary of the mailing date of this proxy statement), then the proxies
solicited by our management for the 2010 annual meeting will include
discretionary authority to vote on the proposal in the event that it is properly
brought before the meeting.
As of the
date of this proxy statement, the board is not aware of any matters to come
before the annual meeting other than those set forth on the notice accompanying
this proxy statement. If any other matters come before the annual meeting, the
proxy card, if executed and returned, gives discretionary voting authority to
the persons named as proxy holders, Jung Wang and Zhijuan Guo, our president and
chief financial officer, respectively, with respect to such
matters.
ANNUAL
REPORT AND FORM 10-K
The proxy
statement is accompanied by the Annual Report of the Company for its fiscal year
ended December 31, 2008. Stockholders are referred to such Annual
Report for information about our business and activities.
Copies of
our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, will be
provided without charge to record or beneficial owners of shares of our common
stock entitled to vote at the meeting. Written requests for copies of said
report should be directed to the Chief Executive Officer, SmartHeat Inc., A-1,
10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone,
Shenyang, China 110027.
OTHER
MATTERS
Nevada
General Corporation Law, which governs SmartHeat, does not provide for either
appraisal rights or dissenter rights in connection with the passage of Proposal
One, Election of Directors, or Proposal Two, Ratification of Appointment of
Independent Auditors.
By
order of the Board of Directors
|
|
|
|
Mr.
Jun Wang
|
Chairman
of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and
President
|
October
9, 2009
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF SMARTHEAT INC.
TO
BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 18, 2009 (China time)
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR ALL OF THE
PROPOSALS
The
undersigned shareholder of SmartHeat Inc. a Nevada corporation (the “Company”),
acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy
Statement, dated October 9, 2009, and hereby constitutes and appoints Jun Wang
and Zhijuan Guo, or either of them acting singly in the absence of the other,
with full power of substitution in either of them, the proxies of the
undersigned to vote with the same force and effect as the undersigned all shares
of the Company’s Common Stock which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the
2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on November 18, 2009, and at any
adjournment thereof, hereby revoking any proxy or proxies heretofore given and
ratifying and confirming all that said proxies may do or cause to be done by
virtue thereof with respect to the following matters:
The
undersigned hereby instructs said proxies or their substitutes:
1.
|
Elect
as Directors the nominees listed below:
o
|
|
(1)
|
Jun
Wang
|
(4)
Arnold Staloff
|
|
(2)
|
Weiguo
Wang (5) Xin
Li
|
Withhold
authority for the following:
|
o
|
Jun
Wang o Arnold
Staloff
|
2.
|
Approve
the ratification of Goldman Parks Kurland Mohidin, LLP as the Company’s
accountantfor
fiscal year 2009.
|
FOR ¨
|
AGAINST ¨
|
ABSTAIN ¨
|
|
Note: The
proxies are authorized to vote in accordance with their judgment on any matters
other than those referred to herein that are properly presented for
consideration and action at the Annual Meeting.
PLEASE
MARK, SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY CARD AND PROMPTLY RETURN IT IN THE ENVELOPE
PROVIDED.
___________________________________
|
___________________________________
|
(SIGNATURE)
|
(DATE)
|
Please
sign exactly as you name appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign.
Executors, administrators, trustees, guardians or other fiduciaries should give
full title as such. If signing for a corporation, please sign in full corporate
name by a duly authorized officer.