Prospectus
Supplement
To
prospectus dated August 1, 2008
|
Filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration
No. 333-151648
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6,200,000
shares
Common
Stock
China
Direct Industries, Inc.
You should carefully read this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before you
invest. Both documents contain information you should consider before
making your investment decision.
This prospectus supplement relates to
the issuance and sale of up to 6,200,000 shares of common stock from time to
time through our sales agent(s) who will be identified in a later supplement to
this prospectus. These sales, if any, will be made pursuant to the
terms of a sales agreement we may enter into with our sales agent(s), the form
of which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under a
Current Report on Form 8-K. Our sales agreement will be limited to
the sale of common stock with gross proceeds aggregating $9,486,000 assuming a
purchase price of $1.53, the closing price of our common stock on June 4,
2009.
Our
common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol
"CDII". On June 4, 2009, the closing price of our common stock as
reported on NASDAQ was $1.53 per share. Sales of shares of our common
stock under this prospectus supplement, if any, may be made in privately
negotiated transactions and/or any other method permitted by law, including
sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933 which includes sales made directly on the NASDAQ Global
Market, the existing trading market for our common stock, or sales made to or
through a market marker other than on an exchange. The sales agent
will make all sales using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its
normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreeable terms between the
sales agent and us.
The
aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock which is our only class
of voting securities held by non-affiliates of our company was $28,682,406 on
June 4, 2009. During the prior 12 calendar month period from the date
of this prospectus we did not sell any of our securities pursuant to the
original prospectus dated August 1, 2008 to which this prospectus is a
supplement.
Unless we
and our sales agent otherwise agree, the commission to the sales agent for sales
of common stock sold pursuant to the sales agreement will be 4% of the gross
proceeds of the sales price per share. If different than 4%, the
amount of any compensation to be received by the sales agent will be disclosed
in a separate prospectus supplement for such shares. The net proceeds
to us that we receive from the sales of our common stock will depend upon the
number of shares actually sold and the offering price for such
shares. If all 6,200,000 shares of common stock were sold at the June
4, 2009 closing sales price, we would receive $9,486,000 in gross proceeds, or
$9,106,560 of aggregate net proceeds assuming a sales agent fee of
4%. The actual proceeds to us may vary.
In
connection with the sale of common stock on our behalf, the sales agent may be
deemed an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, and
the compensation of the sales agent may be deemed to be underwriting commissions
or discounts.
Investing in our common stock involves
a high degree of risk. Risks associated with an investment in our
common stock are described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on
page S-6 of this prospectus supplement, which supersede in their entirety the
risk factors beginning on page 5 of the accompanying prospectus. You
should carefully consider these risk factors before making an investment
decision.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is
truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date
of this prospectus supplement is June 5, 2009
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Prospectus
supplement
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Page
No.
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Prospectus
Supplement Summary
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S-2
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The
Offering
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S-3
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Risk
Factors
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S-4
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Use
of Proceeds
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S-11
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Plan
of Distribution
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S-11
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Legal
Matters
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S-13
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Experts
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S-13
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Limitations
of Liability and Indemnification for Securities Act
Liabilities
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S-13
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Available
Information
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S-13
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Information
Incorporated by Reference
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S-14
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Prospectus
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About
this Prospectus
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2
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Available
Information
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2
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The
Company
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3
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Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
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4
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Risk
Factors
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5
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Use
of Proceeds
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11
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Description
of Capital Stock
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11
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Description
of Warrants
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13
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Material
Federal Income Tax Consequences
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14
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Selling
Shareholders
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14
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Plan
of Distribution
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16
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Legal
Matters
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18
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Experts
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18
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Information
Incorporated by Reference
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18
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Limitation
of Directors’ and Officers’ Liability and Commission on Indemnification
for Securities Act Liabilities
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19
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You
should rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not
authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained
or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent
information you should not rely on it. You should assume that the
information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus, as well as the information that we have filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and incorporated by reference herein and
therein, is accurate only as of the date of the applicable
document. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
does not constitute an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in
which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making
an offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or to anyone to whom it is
unlawful to make an offer or solicitation.
This
prospectus supplement contains the terms of this offering. This
prospectus supplement, along with the documents incorporated by reference in
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, may add, update or
change information in the accompanying prospectus. If information in
this prospectus supplement, or the documents incorporated by reference in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, is inconsistent with the
accompanying prospectus, this prospectus supplement or the document incorporated
by reference in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will
apply and supersede the information in the accompanying prospectus
supplement.
The
information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus is correct only as of the date on the cover page, regardless of the
date of this prospectus supplement was delivered to you or the date on which you
acquired any of the shares.
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
AND
FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS
This
prospectus supplement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. The SEC encourages companies to disclose forward-looking
information so that investors can better understand a company’s future prospects
and make informed investment decisions. This prospectus supplement and other
written and oral statements that we make from time to time contain such
forward-looking statements that set out anticipated results based on
management’s plans and assumptions regarding future events or performance. We
have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such
as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,”
“will” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future
operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements
relating to future actions, future performance or results of current and
anticipated sales efforts, expenses, the outcome of contingencies, such as legal
proceedings, and financial results. A list of factors that could cause our
actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially is set
forth below, and these factors are discussed in greater detail under “Risk
Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement:
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Continued
global economic weakness is expected to reduce demand for our products in
each of our segments;
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Fluctuations
in the availability of magnesium and in levels of customer
demand;
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Changes
in the prices of magnesium and magnesium-related
products;
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Fluctuations
in the cost or availability of coke gas and coal;
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Loss
of orders from any of our major customers;
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The
value of the equity securities we accept as compensation is subject to
adjustment which could result in losses to us in future
periods;
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Our
ability to effectively integrate our acquisitions and to manage our growth
and our inability to fully realize any anticipated benefits of acquired
business;
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Our
need for additional financing which we may not be able to obtain on
acceptable terms, the dilutive effect additional capital raising efforts
in future periods may have on our current shareholders and the increased
interest expense in future periods related to additional debt
financing;
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Our
dependence on certain key personnel;
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Our
ability to establish adequate management, cash, legal and financial
controls in the PRC;
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The
lack of various legal protections in certain agreements to which we are a
party and which are material to our operations which are customarily
contained in similar contracts prepared in the United
States;
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Potential
impact of PRC regulations on our intercompany loans;
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Our
ability to assure that related party transactions are fair to our
company;
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The
number of related party transactions in which we engage and potential
conflicts of interest including, but not limited to, the fact that Yuwei
Huang, our Executive Vice President – Magnesium, director and an officer
of several of our magnesium subsidiaries is also an owner and executive
officer of several companies which directly compete with our magnesium
business;
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Our
ability to comply with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
which could subject us to penalties and other adverse
consequences;
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Limits
under the Investment Company Act of 1940 on the value of securities we can
accept as payment for our business consulting services;
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Our
acquisition efforts in future periods may be dilutive to our then current
shareholders;
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The
risks and hazards inherent in the mining industry on the operations of our
basic materials segment;
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The
effect of changes resulting from the political and economic policies of
the Chinese government on our assets and operations located in the
People’s Republic of China, or PRC;
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The
impact of Chinese economic reform policies;
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The
influence of the Chinese government over the manner in which our Chinese
subsidiaries must conduct our business activities;
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The
impact on future inflation in China on economic activity in
China;
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The
impact of any recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SAR’s,
or another widespread public health problem;
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The
limitation on our ability to receive and use our revenues effectively as a
result of restrictions on currency exchange in China;
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Our
ability to enforce our rights due to policies regarding the regulation of
foreign investments in China;
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Recent
substantial declines in the market price for shares of our common stock
and continued highly volatile and wide market price fluctuations;
and
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The
impact on our stock price due to sales of our stock by existing
shareholders and stock option exercises and sales of those shares of
stock.
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We
caution that the factors described herein and other factors could cause our
actual results of operations and financial condition to differ materially from
those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make and that investors
should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further,
any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement
is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement
to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is
made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or
circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for
us to predict all of such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each
such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or
combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in any forward-looking statements.
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This
summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in
this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents
incorporated by reference herein and therein. It may not contain all
of the information that may be important to you. To fully understand
the investment you are contemplating, you should read carefully this entire
prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the detailed information
incorporated into each of them by reference before you decide to make an
investment. You should pay special attention to the “Risk Factors”
section of this prospectus supplement beginning on page S-7 to determine whether
an investment in our common stock is appropriate for you.
When used
herein, "China Direct", "we", "us" or "our" refers to China Direct Industries,
Inc., a Florida corporation, and our subsidiaries.
China
Direct Industries, Inc.
We are a
U.S. company that manages a portfolio of Chinese entities. We also
provide consulting services to Chinese businesses. We operate in
three identifiable business segments:
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Magnesium;
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Basic
Materials; and
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Consulting.
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Beginning
in 2005, we began operating as a management and advisory services organization
to provide consulting services to private companies in the PRC. In the fourth
quarter of 2006, we established our Magnesium and Basic Materials segments which
have grown in 2007 and 2008 through acquisitions of controlling interests of
Chinese private companies. We consolidate these acquisitions as
either our wholly or majority owned subsidiaries. Through this ownership
control, we provide management advice, business development services, strategic
planning, macroeconomic industry analysis and financial management seeking to
improve the quality and performance of each portfolio company. We
also provide our subsidiaries with investment capital to expand their
businesses. In an effort to augment the growth and expand the business
opportunities of our subsidiaries, through March 2009 we have invested $23.5
million to acquire a controlling interest in our subsidiaries and provided them
approximately $8.9 million in working capital since 2006.
As we
have grown our Magnesium and Basic Materials segments in 2007 and 2008, we have
devoted a significant amount of our capital and human resources to these aspects
of our operations and will continue to do so in the future. We
believe these changes strengthen our ability to effectively grow our business in
our Magnesium and Basic Materials segments in a challenging worldwide economic
environment as we seek to become the global leader in the production and
distribution of pure magnesium.
In our
Magnesium segment, our largest segment, we operate five entities which produce,
sell and distribute pure magnesium ingots, magnesium powders and magnesium
scraps. Revenues from this segment were approximately $169.8 million in 2008,
including revenues of approximately $16.8 from related parties, and represented
approximately 71 % of our total consolidated revenues. Revenues from
this segment were approximately $100.9 million in 2007, including revenues of
approximately $2.8 million from related parties, and represented approximately
60% of our total consolidated revenues.
In our
Basic Materials segment, we operate five entities which sell and distribute a
variety of products including:
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industrial
grade synthetic chemicals;
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steel
products;
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non
ferrous metals; and
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recycled
materials.
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This
segment also includes our zinc mining property which has not commenced
operations. In 2008 our Basic Materials segment generated revenues of
approximately $53.8 million, representing approximately 22% of our total
consolidated revenues, and in 2007 our Basic Materials segment generated
revenues of approximately $55.3 million, representing approximately 33% of our
total consolidated revenues.
In our
Consulting segment, we provide a suite of consulting services to U.S. public
companies that operate primarily in China. The consulting fees we charge vary
based upon the scope of the services we provide. In 2008 our Consulting segment
generated revenues of approximately $16.4 million, representing approximately
6.8% of our total consolidated revenues. In 2007 our Consulting
segment generated revenues of approximately $11.3 million, including revenues of
approximately $1.76 million from related parties, representing approximately 7%
of our total consolidated revenues.
In 2007
we launched a Clean Technology segment. We discontinued this segment
in the third quarter of 2008 when we completed the sale in October 2008 of an
81% interest in CDI Clean Technology and its subsidiaries, CDI Wanda and Yantai
CDI Wanda to PE Brothers Corp. for $1,240,000 paid in the form of a promissory
note and recorded a gain on the sale of $238,670. We plan to maintain the 19%
ownership interest in CDI Clean Technology we retained using the cost method of
accounting.
Corporate
Information
We were
incorporated in Delaware in July 1999. In June 2007 we domesticated
the company in the State of Florida under the name China Direct,
Inc. On May 29, 2009, we changed our name to China Direct Industries,
Inc. to more accurately reflect our operations in the production of magnesium
and distribution of basic materials. Our corporate headquarters and
principal executive offices are located at 431 Fairway Drive, Suite 200,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441 which houses the U.S. executive and
administrative team that guides our overall operations. Our telephone
number at those offices is (954) 363-7333. Our U.S. office employs
both English and Chinese speaking business, legal and accounting staff. These
professionals focus on due diligence, finance, accounting and compliance with
the reporting requirements of the SEC and other applicable laws in the U.S. and
the PRC. The contents of our website are not part of this prospectus
supplement or accompanying prospectus.
THE
OFFERING
Issuer:
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China
Direct Industries, Inc.
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Common
stock to be offered by us pursuant to this prospectus
supplement:
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Common
stock to be outstanding after this offering if all shares are
sold:
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Up
to 29,862,521 shares.
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Manner
of offering:
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Sales
of shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement, if any,
may be made in privately negotiated transactions and/or any other method
permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering
as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, which includes
sales made directly on the NASDAQ Global Markets, the existing trading
market for our common stock, or sales made to or through a market marker
other than on an exchange. The sales agent will make all sales
using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading
and sales practices, on mutually agreeable terms between the sales agent
and us. See “Plan of Distribution.”
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Sales
agent:
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One
or more agents who will be identified in a supplemental
prospectus.
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NASDAQ
symbol:
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CDII
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Use
of proceeds:
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The
net proceeds of this offering will be added to our general funds and used
for working capital.
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_________________________
1 The
number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based
on 23,662,521 shares outstanding as of June 4, 2009.
RISK
FACTORS
Risks
Related to Our Business
The
metals industry is highly cyclical. Fluctuations in the availability of
magnesium and in levels of customer demand have historically been severe, and
future changes and/or fluctuations could cause us to experience lower sales
volumes and revenues, which would negatively impact our profit
margins.
The
metals industry is highly cyclical. The length and magnitude of
industry cycles have varied over time and by product, but generally reflect
changes in macroeconomic conditions, levels of industry capacity and
availability of usable raw materials. The overall levels of demand
for our magnesium and magnesium-based products reflect fluctuations in levels of
end-user demand, which depend in large part on general macroeconomic conditions
worldwide which then impact the level of production in China. For
example, many of the principal uses of magnesium and magnesium-related products
are for the production of structural metal, steel and aluminum manufacturing,
production of alloys used in aircraft and automobile parts, the manufacture of
electronic equipment such as computers, cameras, and cell phones and the use of
magnesium powder in flares, flashes and pyrotechnics. The market for
these products are heavily dependent on general economic conditions, including
the availability of affordable energy sources, employment levels, interest
rates, consumer confidence and construction demand. These cyclical
shifts in our customers’ industries tend to result in significant fluctuations
in demand and pricing for our products. As a result, in periods of recession,
such as the one we are currently experiencing, or low economic growth, metals
companies, including ours, have generally tended to under-perform compared to
other industries. We generally have high fixed costs, so changes in
industry demand that impact our production volume also can significantly impact
our profit margins and our overall financial condition. Economic
downturns in the worldwide economy or a prolonged decline in demand in our
Magnesium segment has had a negative impact on our operations and a continuation
or further deterioration of current economic conditions could have a negative
impact on our future financial condition or results of operations.
Changes
in the prices of magnesium, magnesium-related products, zinc and zinc-related
products will have a significant impact on our operating results and financial
condition.
We derive
most of our revenue from the sale of magnesium and magnesium-based
products. Changes in the market price of magnesium and zinc impact
the selling prices of our products, and therefore our profitability is
significantly affected by decreased magnesium prices and to a lesser extent by
decreased zinc prices. Market prices of magnesium and zinc are
dependent upon supply and demand and a variety of factors over which we have
little or no control, including:
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world
economic conditions;
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availability
and relative pricing of metal substitutes;
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labor
costs;
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energy
prices;
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environmental
laws and regulations;
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weather;
and
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import
and export restrictions.
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Declines
in the price of magnesium, and to a lesser extent a decrease in zinc prices,
have had a negative impact on our operations commencing in September 2008, and
further or future declines could have a negative impact on our future financial
condition or results of operations. Market conditions beyond our
control determine the prices for our products, and the price for any one or more
of our products may fall below our production costs, requiring us to either
incur short-term losses, delay completion of construction of our planned zinc
mining and production facility and recycling of aluminum wire facility and/or
idle or permanently shut down production capacity. Market prices for
magnesium may decrease even further, and therefore our operating results may be
significantly harmed.
Fluctuations
in the cost or availability of electricity, coke, coal and/or natural gas would
lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing our margins and limiting
our cash flows from operations.
Energy is
one of our most significant costs. Most of our entities within the Magnesium
segment utilize coke gas as energy, only Baotou Changxin Magnesium utilizes
coal. Energy prices, particularly for coal and coke gas, have been
volatile in recent years and currently exceed historical
averages. These fluctuations impact our manufacturing costs and
contribute to earnings volatility. In 2008 we witnessed rising energy
costs. In expectation of the Olympics, electricity was routed to Beijing from
nearby Hebei, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia to ensure adequate power supply for the
Olympics. In the event of an interruption in the supply of coke gas
or coal to our magnesium facilities, production at our manufacturing facilities
would have to be shut down. In addition, we do not
maintain
sources of secondary power at our facilities that only use coke gas, and
therefore any prolonged interruptions in the supply of energy to our facilities
could result in lengthy production shutdowns, increased costs associated with
restarting production and waste of production in progress. We have
experienced shortages of coke waste gas in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the
plants that produce this gas slowed production due to reduced demand for
products they supply to steel smelters. These shortages and any future shortages
reduce our production capacity, reducing our net sales and potentially impacting
our ability to deliver products to our customers.
If
we were to lose order volumes from any of our major customers, our sales could
decline significantly and our cash flows may be reduced.
In 2008,
our five largest customers in our Magnesium segment were responsible for
19.2% of our total revenues in this segment. A loss of order
volumes from any major customer could negatively affect our financial condition
and results of operations by lowering sales volumes, increasing costs and
lowering profitability.
In
addition, approximately 35% by volume of our magnesium product shipments in 2008
were to customers who do not have long-term contractual arrangements with
us. These customers purchase products from us on a spot basis and may
choose not to continue to purchase our products. The loss of these
customers or a significant reduction in their purchase orders could have a
negative impact on our operations.
The
value of the equity securities we accept as compensation is subject to
adjustment which could result in losses to us in future periods.
In our
Consulting segment, historically we have accepted equity securities of our
clients as compensation for services. These securities are reflected on our
balance sheet as “investment in marketable securities held for sale” and
“investment in marketable securities held for sale - related
party”. At the end of each period, we evaluate the carrying value of
the marketable securities for a decrease in value. We evaluate
the company underlying these marketable securities to determine whether a
decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis is other than
temporary. If the decline in fair value is judged to be other than
temporary, the cost basis of the individual security shall be written down to
fair value as a new cost basis and the amount of the write-down is charged to
earnings. At December 31, 2008 we recognized an impairment of $4,127,555 related
to these marketable securities. In the future, should we identify additional
impairments, this would adversely affect our operating results for the
corresponding periods in that we might be required to reduce the carrying value
of these investments. In addition, if we are unable to liquidate these
securities, we will be required to write off the investments which would
adversely affect our financial position.
Our
management may be unable to effectively integrate our acquisitions and to manage
our growth and we may be unable to fully realize any anticipated benefits of
these acquisitions.
We are
subject to various risks associated with our growth strategy, including the risk
that we will be unable to identify and recruit suitable acquisition candidates
in the future or to integrate and manage the acquired companies. We
face particular challenges in that our acquisition strategy is based on
companies located in and operating within China. Acquired companies’ histories,
the geographical location, business models and business cultures will be
different from ours in many respects. Even if we are successful in
identifying and closing acquisitions of companies, our directors and executive
management will face significant challenges in their efforts to integrate the
business of the acquired companies or assets and to effectively manage our
continued growth. Any future acquisitions will be subject to a number
of challenges, including:
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the
diversion of management time and resources and the potential disruption of
our ongoing business;
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difficulties
in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and
policies;
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unexpected
costs and time associated with upgrading both the internal accounting
systems as well as educating each of their staff as to the proper methods
of collecting and recording financial data;
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potential
unknown liabilities associated with acquired
businesses;
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the
difficulty of retaining key alliances on attractive terms with partners
and suppliers; and
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the
difficulty of retaining and recruiting key personnel and maintaining
employee morale.
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There can
be no assurance that our efforts to integrate the operations of any acquired
assets or companies will be successful, that we can manage our growth or that
the anticipated benefits of these proposed acquisitions will be fully
realized.
We
may need additional financing to fund acquisitions and our operations which we
may not be able to obtain on acceptable terms. Additional capital raising
efforts in future periods may be dilutive to our then current shareholders or
result in increased interest expense in future periods.
We may
need to raise additional working capital to continue to make acquisitions and
fund our operations. In an effort to augment growth and expand business
opportunities, from 2006 through December 31, 2008 we have provided
approximately $8.9 million in working capital to our
subsidiaries. Our future capital requirements depend, however, on a
number of factors, including our operations, the financial condition of an
acquisition target and its need for capital, our ability to grow revenues from
other sources, our ability to manage the growth of our business and our ability
to control our expenses. During 2009, we plan to use our magnesium
holdings as a basis for raising capital and expansion of our magnesium
holdings. If we raise additional capital through the issuance of
debt, this will result in increased interest expense. If we raise
additional capital through the issuance of equity or convertible debt
securities, the percentage ownership of our company held by existing
shareholders will be reduced and those shareholders may experience significant
dilution. As we will generally not be required to obtain the consent
of our shareholders before entering into acquisition transactions, shareholders
are dependent upon the judgment of our management in determining the number of,
and characteristics of, stock issued as consideration in an
acquisition. In addition, new securities may contain certain rights,
preferences or privileges that are senior to those of our common
stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to raise the working
capital as needed in the future on terms acceptable to us, if at all, as the
current capital markets have been adversely affected by the severe liquidity
crisis. If we do not raise capital as needed, we will be unable to
fully implement our acquisition expansion strategy.
We
are dependent on certain key personnel and the loss of these key personnel could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
Our
success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and
marketing, and operational expertise of key personnel of our subsidiaries in
China who perform key functions in the operation of our business as well as our
U.S. based management team. We do not exercise any substantive day to
day supervision over the activities of key members of our China based management
team which includes Messrs. Jingdong Chen, Chen Chi, and Xiaowen Zhuang. The
loss of one or more of these key employees or our senior management, including
Dr. Wang, our Chief Executive Officer, or Yuwei Huang, our Executive Vice
President - Magnesium, could have a material adverse effect upon our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
We
may have difficulty establishing adequate management, legal and financial
controls in the PRC.
PRC
companies have in some cases, been resistant to the adoption of Western styles
of management and financial reporting concepts and practices, which include
sufficient corporate governance, cash management and other internal
controls and, computer, financial and other control systems. In
addition, we may have difficulty in hiring and retaining a sufficient number of
qualified employees to work in the PRC. As a result of these factors,
we may experience difficulties in establishing management, legal and financial
controls, collecting financial data and preparing financial statements, books of
account and corporate records and instituting business practices that meet
western standards with our subsidiaries and our future
acquisitions. Therefore, we may, in turn, experience difficulties in
implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls. Any such
deficiencies, weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
If we fail to
maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we
may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current
and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting,
which would harm our business and the trading price of our
stock.
Our
management has determined that as of March 31, 2009, we did not maintain
effective internal controls over financial reporting based on criteria set forth
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”)
in Internal Control-Integrated Framework as a result of identified material
weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting related to cash
management and related party transactions and control deficiencies at one of our
subsidiaries that resulted in a delay in the preparation of its financial
statements. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of
deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a
reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or
interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely
basis. If the result of our remediation of the identified material
weaknesses is not successful, or if additional material weaknesses are
identified in our internal control over financial reporting, our management will
be unable to report favorably as to the effectiveness of our internal control
over financial reporting and/or our disclosure controls and procedures, and we
could be required to further implement expensive and time-consuming remedial
measures and potentially lose investor confidence in the accuracy and
completeness of our financial reports which could have an adverse effect on our
stock price and potentially subject us to litigation.
Certain
agreements to which we are a party and which are material to our operations lack
various legal protections which are customarily contained in similar contracts
prepared in the United States.
Our
subsidiaries include companies organized under the laws of the PRC and all of
their business and operations are conducted in China. We are a party to certain
contracts related to our operations in China. While these contracts
contain the basic business terms of the agreements between the parties, these
contracts do not contain certain clauses which are customarily contained in
similar contracts prepared in the U.S., such as representations and warranties
of the parties, confidentiality and non-compete clauses, provisions outlining
events of defaults, and termination and jurisdictional clauses. Because our
contracts in China omit these customary clauses, notwithstanding the differences
in Chinese and U.S. laws, we may not have the same legal protections as we would
if the contracts contained these additional clauses. We anticipate that our
Chinese subsidiaries will likely enter into contracts in the future which will
likewise omit these customary legal protections. While we have not been subject
to any adverse consequences as a result of the omission of these customary
clauses, and we consider the contracts to which we are a party to contain all
the material terms of our business arrangements with the other party, future
events may occur which lead to a dispute which could have been avoided if the
contracts included customary clauses in conformity with U.S. standards.
Contractual disputes which may arise from this lack of legal protection could
divert management’s time from the operation of our business, require us to
expend funds attempting to settle a possible dispute, limit the time our
management would otherwise devote to the operation of our business, and have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Intercompany
loans may be subject to PRC regulations.
We
currently have several inter-company loans between our PRC subsidiaries and we
may continue to enter into inter-company financing arrangements to meet our
internal capital needs. PRC laws generally do not permit companies that do not
possess a financial service business license to extend loans directly to other
companies, including affiliates, without proceeding through a financial agency.
The enforcement of these restrictions remains unpredictable, and government
authorities may declare these loans void, require the forfeiture of any interest
paid and levy fines or other penalties upon the parties involved, among
other remedies.
From
time to time we engage in related party transactions. There are no assurances
that these transactions are fair to our company.
From time
to time our subsidiaries enter into transactions with related parties which
include purchases from or sales to a related party, advancing related parties
significant sums as prepayments for future goods or services and working capital
and the payment of fees for consulting services, among other transactions. We
are in the process of adopting policies and procedures which will require the
pre-approval of loans between related parties and have adopted a related person
transaction policy that requires the pre-approval or ratification transactions
between the company or one or more of our subsidiaries and any related person in
amounts and under terms to be established by the board of directors upon
completion of a study to determine amounts that are appropriate given the
relationship we have with the related party. Notwithstanding these policies, we
cannot assure you that in every instance the terms of the transactions with
related parties are on terms as fair as we might receive from or extend to third
parties.
Yuwei
Huang, our Executive Vice President – Magnesium, an officer of several of our
magnesium subsidiaries and a director is also an owner and executive officer of
several companies which directly compete with our magnesium
business.
Mr. Yuwei
Huang who serves as our Executive Vice President – Magnesium, an executive
officer of several of our Magnesium segment subsidiaries and a director of our
company is also an owner and the Chairman of a competitor of ours, YiWei
Magnesium. YiWei Magnesium, a minority owner of two of our Magnesium segment
subsidiaries, owns interests in several other magnesium factories, a magnesium
alloy factory and a magnesium powder desulphurization reagent factory, all
located in China. Due to Mr. Huang’s interest in our competitors and his
position as an officer and director of our company, he is subject to certain
inherent conflicts of interest and there can be no assurances that our business
and operations will not be adversely impacted as a result of these
conflicts.
Failure
to comply with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could subject us
to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are
subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which generally
prohibits United States companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited
payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining
business. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent
practices occur from time-to-time in the PRC. We can make no assurance, however,
that our employees or other agents will not engage in such conduct for
which we might be held responsible. If our employees or other agents are found
to have engaged in such practices, we could suffer severe penalties and other
consequences that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
The
Investment Company Act of 1940 will limit the value of securities we can accept
as payment for our business consulting services which may limit our future
revenues.
We have
historically accepted securities as payment for our services and will likely
continue to do so in the future, but only to the extent that it does not cause
us to become classified as an investment company under the Investment Company
Act 1940. To the extent that we are required to reduce the amount of
securities we accept as payment for our consulting services to avoid becoming an
investment company, our future revenues from our business consulting services
may substantially decline if our clients cannot pay our fees in cash. A
reduction in the amount of our consulting fees will materially adversely affect
our financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Any future
change in our fee structure for our consulting services could also severely
limit our ability to attract business consulting clients in the
future.
The
acquisition of new businesses is costly and such acquisitions may not enhance
our financial condition.
A
significant element of our growth strategy is to acquire controlling interests
in companies that operate in China and that offer services, products,
technologies, industry specializations or geographic coverage that extend or
complement our existing business. The process to undertake a potential
acquisition is time-consuming and costly. We expect to expend significant
resources to undertake business, financial and legal due diligence on our
potential acquisition targets and there is no guarantee that we will acquire the
company after completing due diligence. The process of identifying and
consummating an acquisition could result in the use of substantial amounts of
cash and exposure to undisclosed or potential liabilities of acquired companies.
In addition, even if we are successful in acquiring additional companies, there
are no assurances that the operations of these businesses will enhance our
future financial condition. To the extent that a business we acquire does not
meet the performance criteria used to establish a purchase price, some or all of
the goodwill related to that acquisition could be charged against our future
earnings, if any.
The
operations of our basic materials segment will be subject to risks and hazards
inherent in the mining industry.
Our Basic
Materials segment, if and when mining operations commence, will be engaged
in the mining and processing of zinc. These operations will be subject to risks
and hazards inherent in the mining industry, including, but not limited to,
ground fall, flooding, environmental hazards and the discharge of toxic
chemicals, explosions and other accidents, unanticipated variations in grade and
other geological problems, water conditions, surface or underground conditions,
metallurgical and other processing problems, mechanical equipment performance
problems, the lack of availability of materials and equipment, the occurrence of
accidents, labor force disruptions, force majeure factors, unanticipated
transportation costs, and weather conditions. Any of these risks could result in
work stoppages, delays in production, the development of properties, production
commencement dates and production quantities, increased production costs and
rates, damage to or destruction of mines and other production facilities, injury
or loss of life, damage to property, environmental damage, and possible legal
liability for such damages. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we
have not established a reserve on this property. Presently we do not have a
timetable for when our operations will commence.
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
Substantially
all of our assets and operations are located in the PRC and are subject to
changes resulting from the political and economic policies of the Chinese
government.
Our
business operations could be restricted by the political environment in the PRC.
The PRC has operated as a socialist state since 1949 and is controlled by the
Communist Party of China. In recent years, however, the government has
introduced reforms aimed at creating a socialist market economy and policies
have been implemented to allow business enterprises greater autonomy in their
operations. Changes in the political leadership of the PRC may have a
significant effect on laws and policies related to the current economic reform
programs, other policies affecting business and the general political, economic
and social environment in the PRC, including the introduction of measures to
control inflation, changes in the rate or method of taxation, the imposition of
additional restrictions on currency conversion and remittances abroad, and
foreign investment. Moreover, economic reforms and growth in the PRC have been
more successful in certain provinces than in others, and the continuation or
increases of such disparities could affect the political or social stability of
the PRC.
Although
we believe that the economic reform and the macroeconomic measures adopted by
the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the economic development of
China, the future direction of these economic reforms is uncertain and the
uncertainty may decrease the attractiveness of our company as an investment,
which may in turn result in a decline in the trading price of our common
stock.
We
cannot assure you that the current Chinese policies of economic reform will
continue. Because of this uncertainty, there are significant economic risks
associated with doing business in China.
Although
the majority of productive assets in China are owned by the Chinese government,
in the past several years the government has implemented economic reform
measures that emphasize decentralization and encourages private economic
activity. In keeping with these economic reform policies, the PRC has been
openly promoting business development in order to bring more business into the
PRC. Because these economic reform measures may be inconsistent or ineffective,
there are no assurances that:
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the
Chinese government will continue its pursuit of economic reform
policies;
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the
economic policies, even if pursued, will be successful;
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economic
policies will not be significantly altered from time to time;
or
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business
operations in China will not become subject to the risk of
nationalization.
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We cannot
assure you that we will be able to capitalize on these economic reforms,
assuming the reforms continue. Because our business model is dependent upon the
continued economic reform and growth in China, any change in Chinese government
policy could materially adversely affect our ability to continue to implement
our business model. China’s economy has experienced significant growth in the
past decade, but such growth has been uneven across geographic and economic
sectors and has recently been slowing. Even if the Chinese government continues
its policies of economic reform, there are no assurances that economic growth in
that country will continue or that we will be able to take advantage of these
opportunities in a fashion that will provide financial benefit to
us.
The
Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which our
Chinese subsidiaries must conduct our business activities.
The PRC
only recently has permitted provincial and local economic autonomy and private
economic activities. The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to
exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy
through regulation and state ownership. Accordingly, government actions in the
future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic
reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local
variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant
effect on economic conditions in the PRC or particular regions of the PRC, and
could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in our Chinese
subsidiaries.
Any
recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, or another widespread
public health problem, could interrupt our operations
A renewed
outbreak of SARS or another widespread public health problem in China could have
a negative effect on our operations. Our operations may be impacted by a number
of health-related factors, including the following:
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quarantines
or closures of some of our offices which would severely disrupt our
operations;
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the
sickness or death of our key management and employees;
or
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a
general slowdown in the Chinese
economy.
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An
occurrence of any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen consequences of
public health problems could result in a loss of revenues in future periods and
could impact our ability to conduct the operations of our Chinese subsidiaries
as they are presently conducted. If we were unable to continue the
operations of our Chinese subsidiaries as they are now conducted, our revenues
in future periods would decline and our ability to continue as a going concern
could be in jeopardy. If we were unable to continue as a going concern, you
could lose your entire investment in our company.
Restrictions
on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively. We may not have ready access to cash on deposit in banks in the
PRC.
Because a
substantial portion of our revenues are in the form of Renminbi (RMB), the main
currency used in China, any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit
our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business
activities outside China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S.
Dollars. Although the Chinese government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow
greater convertibility of the RMB for current account transactions, significant
restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that
foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell or remit foreign currencies,
after providing valid commercial documents, at those banks authorized to conduct
foreign exchange business. In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account
items, including direct investment and loans, is subject to government approval
in China, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign
exchange accounts for capital account items. At March 31, 2009 our PRC
subsidiaries had approximately $6.97 million on deposit in banks in China, which
represented approximately 60% of our cash. We cannot be certain that we could
have ready access to that cash should we wish to transfer it to bank accounts
outside the PRC nor can we be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities
will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB,
especially with respect to foreign exchange transactions.
We
may be unable to enforce our rights due to policies regarding the regulation of
foreign investments in China.
The PRC’s
legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes in which decided
legal cases have little value as precedent, unlike the common law system
prevalent in the United States. The PRC does not have a well-developed,
consolidated body of laws governing foreign investment enterprises. As a result,
the administration of laws and regulations by government agencies may be subject
to considerable discretion and variation, and may be subject to influence by
external forces unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter. China’s
regulations and policies with respect to foreign investments are evolving.
Definitive regulations and policies with respect to such matters as the
permissible percentage of foreign investment and permissible rates of equity
returns have not yet been published. Statements regarding these evolving
policies have been conflicting and any such policies, as administered, are
likely to be subject to broad interpretation and discretion and to be modified,
perhaps on a case-by-case basis. The uncertainties regarding such regulations
and policies present risks which may affect our ability to achieve our stated
business objectives. If we are unable to enforce any legal rights we may have
under our contracts or otherwise, our ability to compete with other companies in
our industry could be limited which could result in a loss of revenue in future
periods which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Common Stock and this Offering
The
market price for shares of our common stock has declined substantially in recent
months and may continue to be highly volatile and subject to wide
fluctuations.
The
market for common stock has recently been subject to significant disruptions
that have caused substantial volatility in the prices of these securities, which
may or may not have corresponded to the business or financial success of the
particular company. The market price for shares of our common stock has declined
substantially in recent months and could decline further if our future operating
results fail to meet or exceed the expectations of market analysts and investors
and/or current economic or market conditions persist or worsen.
Some
specific factors that may have a significant effect on the future market price
of our shares of common stock include:
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actual
or expected fluctuations in our operating results;
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variance
in our financial performance from the expectations of market
analysts;
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changes
in general economic conditions or conditions in our industry
generally;
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changes
in conditions in the financial markets;
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announcements
of significant acquisitions or contracts by us or our
competitors;
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our
inability to raise additional capital;
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changes
in applicable laws or regulations, court rulings and enforcement and legal
actions;
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additions
or departures of key management personnel;
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actions
by our stockholders;
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changes
in market prices for our products or for our raw
materials; and
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changes
in stock market analyst research and recommendations regarding the shares
of our common stock, other comparable companies or our industry
generally.
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In
addition, the stock market in general, and the Nasdaq and the market for
companies with China based operations in particular, have experienced extreme
price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate
to the operating performance of the affected companies. These broad market and
industry factors may materially harm the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of
volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities
class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such
litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a
diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
As a
result of these and other factors, you may be unable to resell your shares of
our common stock at or above the price you paid for such shares.
The
sale of our common stock in this offering will result in the reset of the
exercise price of certain outstanding warrants.
Included
in our outstanding warrants are warrants to purchase 143,750 shares of our
common stock with an exercise price of $8.00 per share. The terms of
these warrants provide that if we sell common stock at a price per share less
than the then exercise price, or securities which are convertible or exercisable
into shares of common stock at an effective per share price less than the then
exercise price, then we are required to reduce the exercise price of those
warrants to the lower price of the subsequent sale. Because the
market price of our common stock is less than the exercise price, the sale of
shares of our common stock in this offering will result in a reduction of the
exercise price of those outstanding warrants which will reduce the proceeds we
might receive from their possible exercise.
Possible
Claim for Underwriting Fees and Expenses.
In addition to any
fees we pay an agent from time to time, we may be obligated to pay additional
fees associated with this offering to our former investment
banker. If our former investment banker makes a claim for a fee in
connection with this offering, we intend to dispute such claim. If we
are unsuccessful in disputing such claim, the costs of this offering may be
higher than the amounts set forth in this prospectus supplement.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We
currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general
corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures,
development costs, strategic investments and possible
acquisitions. We have not allocated any portion of the net proceeds
for any particular use at this time. The net proceeds may be invested
temporarily until they are used for their stated purpose. Our
management will retain broad discretion as to the allocation of the net proceeds
from this offering. Pending application of the net proceeds, we
intend to invest the proceeds in highly liquid, investment-grade securities and
money market funds.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We may
sell the securities being offered hereby from time to time in one or more of the
following ways:
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through
one or more underwriters;
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through
dealers, who may act as agents or principal (including a block trade in
which a broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the shares as
agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to
facilitate the transaction);
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directly
to one or more purchasers;
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through
agents;
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in
privately negotiated transactions; and
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in
any combination of these methods of
sale.
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We will
set forth in a prospectus supplement the terms of the offering of securities,
including:
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the
name or names of any agents, underwriters or dealers;
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the
terms of the securities being offered, including the purchase price and
the proceeds we will receive from the sale;
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any
underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items
constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;
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any
over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional
securities from us; and
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any
discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers.
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The
distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more
transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices
prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market
prices, or at negotiated prices.
Underwriters,
dealers, agents and others that participate in the distribution of the
securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “Securities Act”) and any discounts or commissions they receive
from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as
underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. We will
identify in the applicable prospectus supplement any underwriters, dealers,
agents and others and will describe their compensation. We may have agreements
with underwriters, dealers, agents and others to indemnify them against
specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Underwriters, dealers, agents and others may engage in transactions with or
perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses. We have not
entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any
underwriters, broker-dealers or other parties regarding the sale of securities.
As of the date of this prospectus, there were no special selling arrangements
between any broker-dealer or other person and the company. No period of time has
been fixed within which the securities will be offered or sold. Under no
circumstances will the fee, commission or discount received by any placement
agent or any other FINRA member or independent broker-dealer exceed eight
percent of the gross proceeds to us in this offering or any other offering
pursuant the Prospectus.
If
required under applicable state securities laws, we will sell the securities
only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some
states, we may not sell securities unless they have been registered or qualified
for sale in the applicable state or unless we have complied with an exemption
from any registration or qualification requirements.
Agents
We may
designate agents who agree to solicit purchases for the period of their
appointment or to sell securities on a continuing basis. Unless the prospectus
supplement provides otherwise, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the
period of their appointment. Agents may receive compensation in the form of
commissions, discounts or concessions from us. Agents may also receive
compensation from the purchasers of the securities for whom they sell as
principals. Each particular agent will receive compensation in amounts
negotiated in connection with the sale, which might be in excess of customary
commissions.
Underwriters
If we use
underwriters for a sale of securities, the underwriters will acquire the
securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in
one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public
offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The
obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to
the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. Unless the
prospectus supplement provides otherwise, underwriters will be obligated to
purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. We may
change from time to time any initial public offering price and any discounts or
concessions the underwriters allow or reallow or pay to dealers. We may use
underwriters with whom we have a material relationship, and we may offer the
securities to the public through an underwriting syndicate or through a single
underwriter. We will describe in the prospectus supplement naming the
underwriter the nature of any such relationship and underwriting
arrangement.
Dealers
We also
may sell securities to a dealer as principal. If we sell our securities to a
dealer as a principal, then the dealer may resell those securities to the public
at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale. The
name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions will be set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement.
Direct Sales and Institutional
Purchases
We may
also sell securities directly to one or more purchasers, in which case
underwriters or agents would not be involved in the transaction.
Further,
we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain
types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public
offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed
delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the
future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions
we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in an applicable prospectus
supplement.
Stabilization
Activities
Any
underwriter may engage in overallotment, stabilizing transactions, short
covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M
under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Overallotment
involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position.
Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long
as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering
transactions involve purchases in the open market after the distribution is
completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to
reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold
by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions.
Such activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than they
would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the
activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NASDAQ Global
Market or otherwise.
Passive Market
Making
Any
underwriters who are qualified market makers on the NASDAQ Global Market may
engage in passive market making transactions on the NASDAQ Global Market in
accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M, during the business day
prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or
sales. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price
limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a
passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the
highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered
below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid
must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.
Costs
We will
bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the
securities, as well as the expense of all commissions and discounts, if any,
attributable to sales of the securities by us.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The
validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us
by Schneider Weinberger & Beilly LLP.
EXPERTS
Our
audited consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the
related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash
flows for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 appearing in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 which is incorporated
by reference in this prospectus supplement have been audited by Sherb & Co.,
LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as indicated in their report
with respect thereto, and have been so included in reliance upon the report of
such firm given on their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
LIMITATIONS
ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES
Under our
articles of incorporation, our directors are not liable for monetary damages for
breach of fiduciary duty, except in connection with:
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a
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to us or our
shareholders;
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acts
or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct,
fraud or a knowing violation of law;
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a
transaction from which our director received an improper benefit;
or
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an
act or omission for which the liability of a director is expressly
provided under Florida law.
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In
addition, our bylaws provides that we must indemnify our officers and directors
to the fullest extent permitted by Florida law for all expenses incurred in the
settlement of any actions against such persons in connection with their having
served as officers or directors. We also maintain an insurance policy
under which coverage is provided to our directors and officers to insure against
certain liabilities that such persons may incur in their capacities as directors
and officers of the company.
Insofar
as the limitation of, or indemnification for, liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, or persons
controlling us pursuant to the foregoing, or otherwise, we have been advised
that, in the opinion of the SEC, such limitation or indemnification is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore,
unenforceable.
AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
We file
annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with
the SEC. You may read and copy any materials that we file at the
SEC's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public
Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also
maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information regarding issuers such as our company that
file electronically with it. In addition, because our stock is listed
for trading on the NASDAQ Global Market, you can read and copy reports and other
information concerning us at the offices of the NASDAQ Stock Market located at
One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway, New York, New York 10006.
Our
Internet address is www.cdii.net. We make available free of charge,
through the investor relations section of our website, annual reports on Form
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable
after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the
SEC. The information which appears on this web site is not part of
this prospectus.
INFORMATION
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC
allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information we file with them, which
means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to
those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be
part of this prospectus, and later information filed with the SEC will update
and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below, any of such documents filed since the date this
registration statement was filed and any future filings with the SEC under
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 until
the termination of the offering of securities covered by this
prospectus:
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our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2008;
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a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on April 22, 2009;
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a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 12, 2009;
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a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 15, 2009;
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our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2009;
and
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a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 28,
2009.
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We will
provide without charge to any person to whom this prospectus is delivered, on
the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the
foregoing documents incorporated by reference, excluding exhibits, unless we
have specifically incorporated an exhibit in the incorporated
document. Written requests should be directed to: Corporate
Secretary, China Direct Industries, Inc., 431 Fairway Drive, Suite 200,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441.
Each
document or report subsequently filed by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after the date hereof and prior
to the termination of the offering of the securities shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part of this
prospectus from the date of filing of such document, unless otherwise provided
in the relevant document.
PROSPECTUS
$70,000,000
China
Direct, Inc.
COMMON
STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK AND WARRANTS
We may
offer common stock, preferred stock and warrants consisting of a combination of
any of these securities at an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed
$70,000,000 and certain selling shareholders referred to in this prospectus and
identified in supplements to this prospectus may sell up to 1,000,000 shares of
our common stock under this prospectus issuable upon the exercise of options
held by such shareholders with an exercise price of $.01 per share. The warrants
that we may offer will consist of warrants to purchase any of the other
securities that may be sold under this prospectus. The securities offered under
this prospectus may be offered separately, together, or in separate series, and
in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of sale. A
prospectus supplement that will set forth the terms of the offering of any
securities will accompany this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and
any supplement carefully before you invest.
Our
common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “CDS”. On
July 14, 2008, the closing price of our common stock was $6.79 per share. As of
the date of this prospectus, none of the other securities that we may offer by
this prospectus are listed on any national securities exchange nor are they
quoted on any automated quotation system.
INVESTING
IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. SEE “RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING
ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS FOR A DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN MATTERS THAT YOU SHOULD
CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is
truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
This
prospectus may not be used to consummate the sale of any securities unless
accompanied by a prospectus supplement relating to the securities
offered.
The date
of this prospectus is August 1, 2008
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This
prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission utilizing a “shelf” registration, or
continuous offering, process. Under the shelf registration process, we may issue
and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one
or more offerings with a maximum offering price of up to $70,000,000 and certain
selling shareholders referred to in this prospectus and identified in
supplements to this prospectus may sell up to 1,000,000 shares of our common
stock under this prospectus upon the exercise of options held by such
shareholders with an exercise price of $.01 per share. We will not receive any
of the proceeds from any sale of shares by the selling
shareholders.
This
prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may
offer. Each time we sell securities under this shelf registration, we will
provide a prospectus supplement that will contain certain specific information
about the terms of that offering, including a description of any risks related
to the offering, if those terms and risks are not described in this prospectus.
In addition, these shares of common stock were registered to permit the selling
shareholders to sell the shares from time to time, in amounts and at prices and
on terms determined at the time of the offering. The selling shareholders may
sell the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus in a number of
different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how the
selling shareholders may sell the shares in the section entitled “Plan of
Distribution” beginning on page 16 of this prospectus. A prospectus supplement
may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If
there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the
applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the
prospectus supplement. The registration statement we filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission includes exhibits that provide more details on the
matters discussed in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the
related exhibits filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
accompanying prospectus supplement together with additional information
described under the headings “Available Information” and “Information
Incorporated by Reference” before investing in any of the securities
offered.
We may
sell securities to or through underwriters or dealers, and also may sell
securities directly to other purchasers or through agents. To the extent not
described in this prospectus, the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents
employed by us in the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus, the
principal amounts or number of shares or other securities, if any, to be
purchased by such underwriters or dealers and the compensation, if any, of such
underwriters, dealers or agents will be set forth in the accompanying prospectus
supplement.
The
information in this prospectus is accurate as of the date on the front cover.
Information incorporated by reference into this prospectus is accurate as of the
date of the document from which the information is incorporated. You should not
assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any
other date.
When used
herein, “China Direct”, “we”, “us” or “our” refers to China Direct, Inc., a
Florida corporation, and our subsidiaries.
AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
We file
annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy statements and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any materials that
we file at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room, 100 F
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the
operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Securities and Exchange
Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Securities and Exchange Commission also
maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements, and other information regarding issuers such as our company that
file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition,
because our stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Market, you can
read and copy reports and other information concerning us at the offices of the
NASDAQ Stock Market located at One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway, New York, New
York 10006.
We have
filed a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the securities to be sold by
pursuant to this prospectus. This prospectus has been filed as part of the
registration statement. This prospectus does not contain all of the information
set forth in the registration statement because certain parts of the
registration statement are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should refer to the registration
statement, including the exhibits, for further information about us and the
securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. Statements in this
prospectus regarding the provisions of certain documents filed with, or
incorporated by reference in, the registration statement are not necessarily
complete and each statement is qualified in all respects by that reference. You
may:
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• inspect
a copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules,
without charge at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference
Room;
• obtain
a copy from the Securities and Exchange Commission upon payment of the fees
prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission; or
• obtain
a copy from the Securities and Exchange Commissions’ website.
Our
Internet address is www.chinadirectinc.com. We make available free of charge,
through the investor relations section of our website, annual reports on Form
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable
after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The information which appears on this web
site is not part of this prospectus. Our principal executive offices are located
at 431 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441. Our telephone number at
this location is (954) 363-7333.
THE
COMPANY
We are a
management and advisory services organization which owns and consults with
business entities operating in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Our company
was created in recognition of the market need for both investment capital and
management acumen for small to medium size business entities in the PRC with
annual revenues under $100 million. Our mission is to provide a platform to
support, develop and nurture these businesses which we believe play a vital role
in the ongoing expansion of the Chinese economy.
We
operate in two primary divisions:
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Management
Services, and
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Advisory
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Our
Management Services division includes our wholly and majority owned subsidiaries
operating in China. Our Management Services division acquires controlling
interests of Chinese business entities which we consolidate as either our wholly
or majority owned subsidiaries. We refer to these subsidiaries as our
“portfolio” companies. Through this ownership control, we provide management
advice as well as investment capital, and our goal is to enable these portfolio
companies to successfully expand their operations. We are committed to improving
the quality and performance of each portfolio company by providing an array of
resources to augment their efficiency and growth. We provide these services
through management teams in both the United States and China. As of the date
hereof, our Management Services division has over 1,200 employees in the
PRC.
Within
our Management Services division, we maintain and report three business
segments, including:
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Magnesium. Revenues
from this segment were approximately $100.9 million in 2007, including
revenues of approximately $2.8 million from related parties, and
represented approximately 57.9% of our total consolidated revenues.
Revenues from this segment were approximately $44.7 million in the first
quarter of 2008, including revenues of approximately $734,000 from related
parties, and represented approximately 74.5% of our total consolidated
revenues;
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Basic Materials.
Revenues from this segment were approximately $55.3 million in 2007,
representing approximately 31.7% of our total consolidated revenues.
Revenues from this segment were approximately $12.9 million in the first
quarter of 2008, representing approximately 21.4% of our total
consolidated revenues; and
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Clean Technology.
Revenues from this segment were approximately $6.7 million and represented
approximately 3.8% of our total consolidated revenues. Revenues from this
segment were approximately $117,000 in the first quarter of 2008 and
represented less than 1% of our total consolidated
revenues.
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Our
Advisory Services division provides consulting services to both Chinese entities
seeking access to the U.S. capital markets and North American entities seeking
business opportunities in the PRC. Our Advisory Services division offers a suite
of consulting services tailored to meet the needs of each individual client. We
currently have service contracts with various clients who conduct business
within China or seek to conduct business with companies based in China. Our
Advisory Services division generated revenues of approximately $11.3 million in
2007, including approximately $1.8 million from related parties, and represented
approximately 6.6% of our total consolidated revenues. For the first quarter of
2008, our Advisory Services division generated revenues of approximately $2.3
million and represented approximately 3.9% of our total consolidated
revenues.
We were
incorporated in Delaware in July 1999. In June 2007 we domesticated the company
in the State of Florida.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This
prospectus contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements
other than historical information or statements of current condition and are
based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. When
used in this prospectus, the words ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘intend’’,
‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘will’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘may’’ and similar expressions,
or the negative of such words and expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain
such words or expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual
results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements were based on
various factors and were derived utilizing numerous assumptions and other
factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:
our ability to acquire operating companies in China in a cost effective manner
that enhance our financial condition; our need for additional financing which we
may not be able to obtain on acceptable terms, the dilutive effect additional
capital raising efforts in future periods may have on our current shareholders
and the increased interest expense in future periods related to additional debt
financing; our ability to effectively integrate our acquisitions and to manage
our growth and our inability to fully realize any anticipated benefits of
acquired business; the value of the equity securities we accept as compensation
is subject to adjustment which could result in losses to us in future periods;
the Investment Company Act of 1940 which limits the value of securities we can
accept as payment for our business consulting services which may limit our
future revenues; our dependence on certain key personnel; the lack various legal
protections in certain agreements to which we are a party and which are material
to our operations which are customarily contained in similar contracts prepared
in the United States; our ability to assure that related party transactions are
fair to our company; Yuwei Huang an executive officer of several of our
magnesium subsidiaries is also an owner and executive officer of several
companies which directly compete with our magnesium business; the risks and
hazards inherent in the mining industry on the operations of our basic materials
segment; the effect of changes resulting from the political and economic
policies of the Chinese government on our assets and operations located in the
PRC; the influence of the Chinese government over the manner in which our
Chinese subsidiaries must conduct our business activities; the impact on future
inflation in China on economic activity in China; the impact of any recurrence
of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SAR’s, or another widespread public
health problem; the limitation on our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively as a result of restrictions on currency exchange in China; our
ability to enforce our rights due to policies regarding the regulation of
foreign investments in China; our ability to comply with the United States
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which could subject us to penalties and other
adverse consequences; and our ability to establish adequate management, legal
and financial controls in the PRC. Most of these factors are difficult to
predict accurately and are generally beyond our control. You should consider the
areas of risk described in connection with any forward-looking statements that
may be made herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements and readers should carefully review this report in
its entirety, including the risks described in “Risk Factors.” Except for our
ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the Federal
securities laws, we undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to
any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of
unanticipated events. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
of this prospectus, and you should not rely on these statements without also
considering the risks and uncertainties associated with these statements and our
business.
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RISK
FACTORS
An
investment in our securities involves a significant degree of risk. You should
not invest in our securities unless you can afford to lose your entire
investment. You should consider carefully the following risk factors and other
information in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our securities. If
any of the following risks and uncertainties develops into actual events, our
business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially
adversely affected and you could lose your entire investment in our
company.
RISKS
RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
THE
SUCCESS OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS DEPENDENT UPON OUR ABILITY TO ACQUIRE OPERATING
COMPANIES IN CHINA. THE ACQUISITION OF NEW BUSINESSES IS COSTLY AND SUCH
ACQUISITIONS MAY NOT ENHANCE OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Our
primary business and operational focus is on our Management Services division.
Our growth strategy is to acquire companies or controlling interests in
companies that operate in China and that have services, products, technologies,
industry specializations or geographic coverage that extend or complement our
existing business. The process to undertake a potential acquisition is
time-consuming and costly. We expect to expend significant resources to
undertake business, financial and legal due diligence on our potential
acquisition targets and there is no guarantee that we will acquire the company
after completing due diligence. The process of identifying and consummating an
acquisition could result in the use of substantial amounts of cash, potentially
dilutive issuances of equity securities and exposure to undisclosed or potential
liabilities of acquired companies. In addition, even if we are successful in
acquiring additional companies, there are no assurances that the operations of
these businesses will enhance our future financial condition. To the extent that
a business we acquire does not meet the performance criteria used to establish a
purchase price, some or all of the goodwill related to that acquisition could be
charged against our future earnings, if any.
WE
MAY NEED ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO FUND ACQUISITIONS AND OUR OPERATIONS WHICH WE
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ON ACCEPTABLE TERMS. ADDITIONAL CAPITAL RAISING
EFFORTS IN FUTURE PERIODS MAY BE DILUTIVE TO OUR THEN CURRENT SHAREHOLDERS OR
RESULT IN INCREASED INTEREST EXPENSE IN FUTURE PERIODS.
We may
need to raise additional working capital to continue to make acquisitions and
fund our operations. Our future capital requirements depend, however, on a
number of factors, including our operations, the financial condition of an
acquisition target and its needs for capital, our ability to grow revenues from
other sources, our ability to manage the growth of our business and our ability
to control our expenses. If we raise additional capital through the issuance of
debt, this will result in increased interest expense. If we raise additional
capital through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the
percentage ownership of our company held by existing shareholders will be
reduced and those shareholders may experience significant dilution. As we will
generally not be required to obtain the consent of our shareholders before
entering into acquisition transactions, shareholders are dependent upon the
judgment of our management in determining the number of, and characteristics of
stock issued as consideration in an acquisition. In addition, new securities may
contain certain rights, preferences or privileges that are senior to those of
our common stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to raise the working
capital as needed in the future on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we do
not raise capital as needed, we will be unable to fully implement our business
model, fund our ongoing operations or grow our company.
OUR
MANAGEMENT MAY BE UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATE OUR ACQUISITIONS AND TO MANAGE
OUR GROWTH AND WE MAY BE UNABLE TO FULLY REALIZE ANY ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF
THESE ACQUISITIONS.
We are
subject to various risks associated with our growth strategy, including the risk
that we will be unable to identify and recruit suitable acquisition candidates
in the future or to integrate and manage the acquired companies. We face
particular challenges in that our acquisition strategy is based on companies
located in and operating within China. Acquired companies’ histories, the
geographical location, business models and business cultures will be different
from ours in many respects. Even if we are successful in identifying and closing
acquisitions of companies, our directors and executive management will face
significant challenges in their efforts to integrate the business of the
acquired companies or assets and to effectively manage our continued growth. Any
future acquisitions will be subject to a number of challenges,
including:
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the
diversion of management time and resources and the potential disruption of
our ongoing business;
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difficulties
in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and
policies;
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unexpected
costs and time associated with upgrading both the internal accounting
systems as well as educating each of their staffs as to the proper methods
of collecting and recording financial data;
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potential
unknown liabilities associated with acquired
businesses;
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the
difficulty of retaining key alliances on attractive terms with partners
and suppliers; and
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the
difficulty of retaining and recruiting key personnel and maintaining
employee morale.
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There can
be no assurance that our efforts to integrate the operations of any acquired
assets or companies will be successful, that we can manage our growth or that
the anticipated benefits of these proposed acquisitions will be fully
realized.
THE
VALUE OF THE EQUITY SECURITIES WE ACCEPT AS COMPENSATION IS SUBJECT TO
ADJUSTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSSES TO US IN FUTURE PERIODS.
Historically
we have accepted equity securities of our consulting clients as compensation for
services. These securities are reflected on our balance sheet as “investment in
marketable securities held for sale” and “investment in marketable securities
held for sale - related party”. We evaluate quarterly the carrying value of each
investment for a possible increase or decrease in value. Because we do not want
to be considered an investment company, it is to our benefit to keep the
carrying values of these securities as low as possible. This quarterly
evaluation may result in an adjustment to the carrying value of our investment
in marketable securities which could adversely affect our operating results for
the corresponding quarters in that we might be required to reduce the carrying
value of these investments. In addition, if we are unable to liquidate these
securities, we will be required to write off the investments which would
adversely affect our financial position.
THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 WILL LIMIT THE VALUE OF SECURITIES WE CAN ACCEPT
AS PAYMENT FOR OUR BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES WHICH MAY LIMIT OUR FUTURE
REVENUES.
We have
historically accepted stock as payment for our services and will likely continue
to do so in the future, but only to the extent that it does not cause us to
become classified as an investment company under the Investment Company Act
1940. To the extent that we are required to reduce the amount of stock we accept
as payment for our business consulting services to avoid becoming an investment
company, our future revenues from our business consulting services may
substantially decline if our client companies cannot pay our fees in cash. A
reduction in the amount of our consulting fees will materially adversely affect
our financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Any future
change in our fee structure for our business consulting services could also
severely limit our ability to attract business consulting clients in the
future.
WE
ARE DEPENDENT ON CERTAIN KEY PERSONNEL AND THE LOSS OF THESE KEY PERSONNEL COULD
HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS.
Our
success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and
marketing, and operational expertise of key personnel of our subsidiaries in
China who perform key functions in the operation of our business as well as our
U.S. based management team. We do not exercise any substantive day to day
supervision over the activities of key members of our China based management
team which includes Messrs. Wuliang Zhang, Yuwei Huang and Jingdong Chen.
The loss of one or more of these key employees or our senior management,
including our chief executive officer and president could have a material
adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, and results of operations
and the results of operations.
CERTAIN
AGREEMENTS TO WHICH WE ARE A PARTY AND WHICH ARE MATERIAL TO OUR OPERATIONS LACK
VARIOUS LEGAL PROTECTIONS WHICH ARE CUSTOMARILY CONTAINED IN SIMILAR CONTRACTS
PREPARED IN THE UNITED STATES.
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Our subsidiaries include companies
organized under the laws of the PRC and all of their business and operations are
conducted in China. We are a party to certain contracts related to our
operations in China. While these contracts contain the basic
business terms of the agreements between the parties, these contracts do not
contain certain clauses which are customarily contained in similar contracts
prepared in the U.S., such as representations and warranties of the parties,
confidentiality and non-compete clauses, provisions outlining events of
defaults, and termination and jurisdictional clauses. Because our contracts in
China omit these customary clauses, notwithstanding the differences in Chinese
and U.S. laws, we may not have the same legal protections as we would if the
contracts contained these additional clauses. We anticipate that our Chinese
subsidiaries will likely enter into contracts in the future which will likewise
omit these customary legal protections. While we have not been subject to any
adverse consequences as a result of the omission of these customary clauses, and
we consider the contracts to which we are a party to contain all the material
terms of our business arrangements with the other party, future events may occur
which lead to a dispute which could have been avoided if the contracts included
customary clauses in conformity with U.S. standards. Contractual disputes which
may arise from this lack of legal protection could divert management’s time from
the operation of our business, require us to expend funds attempting to settle a
possible dispute, limit the time our management would otherwise devote to the
operation of our business, and have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
FROM
TIME TO TIME WE ENGAGE IN RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS. THERE ARE NO ASSURANCES
THAT THESE TRANSACTIONS ARE FAIR TO OUR COMPANY.
From time
to time our subsidiaries enter into transactions with related parties which
include the payment of fees for consulting services, purchases from or sales to
a related party, and advancing related parties significant sums as prepayments
for future goods or services and working capital, among other transactions. We
have policies and procedures in place which require the pre-approval of loans
between related parties. Notwithstanding these policies, we cannot assure you
that in every instance the terms of the transactions with related parties are on
terms as fair as we might receive from or extend to third parties.
YUWEI
HUANG AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SEVERAL OF OUR MAGNESIUM SUBSIDIARIES IS ALSO AN
OWNER AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SEVERAL COMPANIES WHICH DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH OUR
MAGNESIUM BUSINESS.
Mr. Yuwei
Huang who serves as an executive officer of several of our Magnesium segment
subsidiaries is also the Chairman of a competitor of ours, Taiyuan YiWei
Magnesium Industry Co., Ltd. (“YiWei Magnesium”). YiWei Magnesium, a minority
owner of two of our Magnesium segment subsidiaries, owns interests in several
other magnesium factories, a magnesium alloy factory and a magnesium powder
desulphurization reagent factory, all located in China. Due to Mr. Huang’s
interest in our competitors, he is subject to certain inherent conflicts of
interest and there can be no assurances that our business and operations will
not be adversely impacted as a result of these conflicts.
THE
OPERATIONS OF OUR BASIC MATERIALS SEGMENT ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND HAZARDS
INHERENT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY.
Our Basic
Materials segment is engaged in the mining and processing of zinc. These
operations are subject to risks and hazards inherent in the mining industry,
including, but not limited to, ground fall, flooding, environmental hazards and
the discharge of toxic chemicals, explosions and other accidents, unanticipated
variations in grade and other geological problems, water conditions, surface or
underground conditions, metallurgical and other processing problems, mechanical
equipment performance problems, the lack of availability of materials and
equipment, the occurrence of accidents, labor force disruptions, force majeure
factors, unanticipated transportation costs, and weather conditions. Any of
these risks could result in work stoppages, delays in production, the
development of properties, production commencement dates and production
quantities, increased production costs and rates, damage to or destruction of
mines and other production facilities, injury or loss of life, damage to
property, environmental damage, and possible legal liability for such
damages.
7
RISKS
RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA
A
SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR ASSETS AND OPERATIONS ARE LOCATED IN THE PRC AND ARE
SUBJECT TO CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES OF THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
Our
business operations could be restricted by the political environment in the PRC.
The PRC has operated as a socialist state since 1949 and is controlled by the
Communist Party of China. In recent years, however, the government has
introduced reforms aimed at creating a “socialist market economy” and policies
have been implemented to allow business enterprises greater autonomy in their
operations. Changes in the political leadership of the PRC may have a
significant effect on laws and policies related to the current economic reform
programs, other policies affecting business and the general political, economic
and social environment in the PRC, including the introduction of measures to
control inflation, changes in the rate or method of taxation, the imposition of
additional restrictions on currency conversion and remittances abroad, and
foreign investment. Moreover, economic reforms and growth in the PRC have been
more successful in certain provinces than in others, and the continuation or
increases of such disparities could affect the political or social stability of
the PRC.
Although
we believe that the economic reform and the macroeconomic measures adopted by
the Chinese government have had a positive effect on the economic development of
China, the future direction of these economic reforms is uncertain and the
uncertainty may decrease the attractiveness of our company as an investment,
which may in turn result in a decline in the trading price of our common
stock.
WE
CANNOT ASSURE YOU THAT THE CURRENT CHINESE POLICIES OF ECONOMIC REFORM WILL
CONTINUE. BECAUSE OF THIS UNCERTAINTY, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC RISKS
ASSOCIATED WITH DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA.
Although
the majority of productive assets in China are owned by the Chinese government,
in the past several years the government has implemented economic reform
measures that emphasize decentralization and encourages private economic
activity. In keeping with these economic reform policies, the PRC has been
openly promoting business development in order to bring more business into the
PRC. Because these economic reform measures may be inconsistent or ineffective,
there are no assurances that:
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the
Chinese government will continue its pursuit of economic reform
policies;
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the
economic policies, even if pursued, will be successful;
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economic
policies will not be significantly altered from time to time;
or
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business
operations in China will not become subject to the risk of
nationalization.
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We cannot
assure you that we will be able to capitalize on these economic reforms,
assuming the reforms continue. Because our business model is dependent upon the
continued economic reform and growth in China, any change in Chinese government
policy could materially adversely affect our ability to continue to implement
our business model. China’s economy has experienced significant growth in the
past decade, but such growth has been uneven across geographic and economic
sectors and has recently been slowing. Even if the Chinese government continues
its policies of economic reform, there are no assurances that economic growth in
that country will continue or that we will be able to take advantage of these
opportunities in a fashion that will provide financial benefit to
us.
THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT EXERTS SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE OVER THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR
CHINESE SUBSIDIARIES MUST CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES.
The PRC
only recently has permitted provincial and local economic autonomy and private
economic activities. The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to
exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy
through regulation and state ownership. Accordingly, government actions in the
future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic
reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local
variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant
effect on economic conditions in the PRC or particular regions of the PRC, and
could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in our Chinese
subsidiaries.
8
FUTURE
INFLATION IN CHINA MAY INHIBIT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN CHINA.
In recent
years, the Chinese economy has experienced periods of rapid expansion and high
rates of inflation. During the past 10 years, the rate of inflation in China has
been as high as 20.7% and as low as -2.2%. These factors have led to the
adoption by the PRC government, from time to time, of various corrective
measures designed to restrict the availability of credit or regulate growth and
contain inflation. While inflation has been more moderate since 1995, high
inflation in the future could cause the PRC government to impose controls on
credit and/or prices, or to take other action, which could inhibit economic
activity in China. Any actions by the PRC government to regulate growth and
contain inflation could have the effect of limiting our ability to grow our
revenues in future periods.
ANY
RECURRENCE OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME, OR SARS, OR ANOTHER WIDESPREAD
PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM, COULD INTERRUPT OUR OPERATIONS.
A renewed
outbreak of SARS or another widespread public health problem in China could have
a negative effect on our operations. Our operations may be impacted by a number
of health-related factors, including the following:
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quarantines
or closures of some of our offices which would severely disrupt our
operations;
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the
sickness or death of our key management and employees;
or
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a
general slowdown in the Chinese
economy.
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An
occurrence of any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen consequences of
public health problems could result in a loss of revenues in future periods and
could impact our ability to conduct the operations of our Chinese subsidiaries
as they are presently conducted. If we were unable to continue the operations of
our Chinese subsidiaries as they are now conducted, our revenues in future
periods would decline and our ability to continue as a going concern could be in
jeopardy. If we were unable to continue as a going concern, you could lose your
entire investment in our company.
RESTRICTIONS
ON CURRENCY EXCHANGE MAY LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND USE OUR REVENUES
EFFECTIVELY. WE MAY NOT HAVE READY ACCESS TO CASH ON DEPOSIT IN BANKS IN THE
PRC.
Because a
substantial portion of our revenues are in the form of Renminbi (RMB), the main
currency used in China, any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit
our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business
activities outside China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S. Dollars.
Although the Chinese government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater
convertibility of the RMB for current account transactions, significant
restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that
foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell or remit foreign currencies,
after providing valid commercial documents, at those banks authorized to conduct
foreign exchange business. In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account
items, including direct investment and loans, is subject to government approval
in China, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign
exchange accounts for capital account items. At March 31, 2008 our PRC
subsidiaries had approximately $14.4 million on deposit in banks in China, which
represented approximately 54% of our cash. We cannot be certain that we could
have ready access to that cash should we wish to transfer it to bank accounts
outside the PRC nor can we be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities
will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB,
especially with respect to foreign exchange transactions.
WE
MAY BE UNABLE TO ENFORCE OUR RIGHTS DUE TO POLICIES REGARDING THE REGULATION OF
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN CHINA.
The PRC’s
legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes in which decided
legal cases have little value as precedent, unlike the common law system
prevalent in the United States. The PRC does not have a well-developed,
consolidated body of laws governing foreign investment enterprises. As a result,
the administration of laws and regulations by government agencies may be subject
to considerable discretion and variation, and may be subject to influence by
external forces unrelated to the legal merits of a particular matter. China’s
regulations and policies with respect to foreign investments are evolving.
Definitive regulations and policies with respect to such matters as the
permissible percentage of foreign investment and permissible rates of equity
returns have not yet been published. Statements regarding these evolving
policies have been conflicting and any such policies, as administered, are
likely to be subject to broad interpretation and discretion and to be modified,
perhaps on a case-by-case basis. The uncertainties regarding such regulations
and policies present risks which may affect our ability to achieve our stated
business objectives. If we are unable to
9
enforce
any legal rights we may have under our contracts or otherwise, our ability to
compete with other companies in our industry could be limited which could result
in a loss of revenue in future periods which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
FAILURE
TO COMPLY WITH THE UNITED STATES FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT COULD SUBJECT US
TO PENALTIES AND OTHER ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.
We are
subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which generally
prohibits United States companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited
payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining
business. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent
practices occur from time-to-time in the PRC. We can make no assurance, however,
that our employees or other agents will not engage in such conduct for which we
might be held responsible. If our employees or other agents are found to have
engaged in such practices, we could suffer severe penalties and other
consequences that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
WE
MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT, LEGAL AND FINANCIAL
CONTROLS IN THE PRC.
PRC
companies have in some cases, been resistant to the adoption of Western styles
of management and financial reporting concepts and practices, which include
sufficient corporate governance, internal controls and, computer, financial and
other control systems. In addition, we may have difficulty in hiring and
retaining a sufficient number of qualified employees to work in the PRC. As a
result of these factors, we may experience difficulties in establishing
management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data and
preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records and
instituting business practices that meet Western standards with future
acquisitions. Therefore, we may, in turn, experience difficulties in
implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls. Any such deficiencies,
weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
RISKS
RELATED TO OUR SECURITIES
OUR
CONTROLLING STOCKHOLDERS MAY TAKE ACTIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH YOUR
INTERESTS.
All of
our officers and directors beneficially own approximately 56.9% of our common
stock and will be able to exercise control over all matters requiring
stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our
certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions,
and they will have significant control over our management and policies. The
directors elected by these stockholders will be able to significantly influence
decisions affecting our capital structure. This control may have the effect of
delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in management, or limiting
the ability of our other stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem
to be in their best interest. For example, our controlling stockholders will be
able to control the sale or other disposition of our operating businesses and
subsidiaries to another entity.
THE
PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK MAY FLUCTUATE SUBSTANTIALLY AND YOUR INVESTMENT MAY
DECLINE IN VALUE.
The
market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and may
fluctuate substantially due to many factors, including:
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actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to
quarter;
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variance
in our financial performance from the expectations of market
analysts;
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conditions
and trends in the end markets we serve and changes in the estimation of
the size and growth rate of these markets;
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announcements
of significant acquisitions or contracts by us or our
competitors;
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loss
of one or more of our significant customers;
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legislation;
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changes
in market valuation or earnings of our competitors;
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the
trading volume of our common stock; and
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general
economic conditions.
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10
In
addition, the stock market in general, and the Nasdaq and the market for
companies with China based operations in particular, have experienced extreme
price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate
to the operating performance of the affected companies. These broad market and
industry factors may materially harm the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of
volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities
class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such
litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a
diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
FUTURE
SALES OF COMMON STOCK BY SOME OF OUR EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS OR HOLDERS OF OUR
WARRANTS AND STOCK OPTIONS COULD CAUSE OUR STOCK PRICE TO DECLINE.
As of the
date of this prospectus, our Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief
Operating Officer beneficially own approximately 49.7% of our outstanding common
stock or options to purchase our common stock. In addition, holders of our
warrants have the right to purchase 4,668,312 shares of our common stock as
follows: 50,000 shares at $ 2.50 per share; 523,750 shares at $4.00 per share;
60,000 shares at $7.50 per share; 2,050,000 shares at $8.00 per share; 1,869,562
shares at $10.00 per share; 25,000 shares at $11.00 per share and 90,000 shares
at $15.00 per share. Holders of options to purchase shares of our common stock,
including the selling shareholders, have the right to purchase 6,513,920 shares
of our common stock as follows: 1,050,000 shares at $0.01 per share; 400 shares
at $2.25 per share; 279,690 shares at $2.50 per share; 50,000 shares at $3.00
per share; 1,352,000 shares at $5.00 per share; 1,502,000 shares at $7.50 per
share; 1,375,000 shares at $10.00 per share; 500 shares at $15.00 per share;
760,000 shares at $30.00 per share and 80 shares at $56.25 per share. Sales of
such shares in the public market, as well as shares we may issue upon the
exercise of outstanding options, could cause the market price of our common
stock to decline significantly. The perception among investors that these sales
may occur could produce the same effect.
PROVISIONS
OF OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS MAY DELAY OR PREVENT A TAKEOVER
WHICH MAY NOT BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR SHAREHOLDERS.
Provisions
of our articles of incorporation and bylaws may be deemed to have anti-takeover
effects, which include when and by whom special meetings of our shareholders may
be called, and may delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt. In addition,
certain provisions of Florida law also may be deemed to have certain
anti-takeover effects which include that control of shares acquired in excess of
certain specified thresholds will not possess any voting rights unless these
voting rights are approved by a majority of a corporation’s disinterested
shareholders. In addition, our articles of incorporation authorizes the issuance
of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such rights and preferences
as may be determined by our Board of Director, of which 12,950 shares have been
designated as our series A convertible preferred stock and the remaining
9,987,050 shares remain without designation. Our board of directors may, without
shareholder approval, issue preferred stock with dividends, liquidation,
conversion or voting rights that could adversely affect the voting power or
other rights of our common shareholders.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Unless
otherwise indicated in an accompanying prospectus supplement, the net proceeds
from the sale of the securities offered hereby will be used for general
corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures,
development costs, strategic investments and possible acquisitions. We have not
allocated any portion of the net proceeds for any particular use at this time.
The net proceeds may be invested temporarily until they are used for their
stated purpose. Specific information concerning the use of proceeds from the
sale of any securities will be included in the prospectus supplement relating to
such securities.
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK
Our
authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par
value $.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.0001
per share, of which 12,950 shares have been designated as Series A convertible
preferred stock. The following description of our common stock and our preferred
stock is a summary. You should refer to our articles of incorporation and our
bylaws for the actual terms of our capital stock.
11
Common
Stock
As of
July 11, 2008 there were 23,503,916 outstanding shares of our common stock.
Holders of shares of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all
matters to be voted on by the shareholders. Holders of common stock do not have
cumulative voting rights. Holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably
in dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of
directors in its discretion from funds legally available therefor. In the event
of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, the holders of
common stock are entitled to share pro rata all assets remaining after payment
in full of all liabilities. All of the outstanding shares of common stock are
fully paid and non-assessable. Holders of common stock have no preemptive rights
to purchase our common stock. There are no conversion or redemption rights or
sinking fund provisions with respect to the common stock.
Preferred
Stock
The board
of directors is authorized to provide for the issuance of shares of preferred
stock in series and, by filing an amendment pursuant to the applicable law of
Florida, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in
each such series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of
the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions thereof without any further vote or action by the shareholders. Any
shares of preferred stock so issued would have priority over the common stock
with respect to dividend or liquidation rights. Any future issuance of preferred
stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in
control of our company without further action by the shareholders and may
adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. At
present, we have no plans to issue any preferred stock nor adopt any series,
preferences or other classification of preferred stock.
The
issuance of shares of preferred stock, or the issuance of rights to purchase
such shares, could be used to discourage an unsolicited acquisition proposal.
For instance, the issuance of a series of preferred stock might impede a
business combination by including class voting rights that would enable the
holder to block such a transaction, or facilitate a business combination by
including voting rights that would provide a required percentage vote of the
shareholders. In addition, under certain circumstances, the issuance of
preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of the
common stock. Although the board of directors is required to make any
determination to issue such stock based on its judgment as to the best interests
of our shareholders, the board of directors could act in a manner that would
discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority,
of the shareholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which
shareholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then market price
of such stock. The board of directors does not at present intend to seek
shareholder approval prior to any issuance of currently authorized stock, unless
otherwise required by law or stock exchange rules. We have no present plans to
issue any preferred stock.
Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock
As of
July 11, 2008 there were 1,006.25 shares of our Series A convertible preferred
stock outstanding. The designations, rights and preferences of the Series A
convertible preferred stock include:
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the
stated value of each share is $1,000;
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the
shares have no voting rights;
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the
shares pay quarterly dividends in arrears at the rate of 8% per annum
beginning on April 1, 2008 and on each conversion date. Subject to certain
conditions, the dividends are payable at our option in cash or shares of
our common stock valued at the lower of the conversion price or the
average of the weighted average price of our common stock on the 10
consecutive trading days immediately preceding the dividend
date;
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each
share is convertible into shares of our common stock at a conversion price
of $7.00 per share, subject to adjustment in the event of default as
specified in the Series A convertible preferred stock. In the event of a
default, the conversion price will be 90% of the lower of the conversion
price or $7.45 until the default has been
cured;
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the
conversion price of the Series A convertible preferred stock is subject to
proportional adjustment in the event of stock splits, stock dividends and
similar corporate events. In addition, the conversion price is subject to
adjustment if we issue or sell shares of our common stock for a
consideration per share less than the conversion price then in effect, or
issue options, warrants or other securities convertible or exchange for
shares of our common stock at a conversion or exercise price less than the
conversion price of the Series A convertible preferred stock then in
effect. If either of these events should occur, the conversion price is
reduced to the lowest price at which these securities were issued or are
exercisable;
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the
Series A convertible preferred stock are not convertible to the extent
that (a) the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by
the holder and (b) the number of shares of our common stock issuable upon
the conversion of the Series A convertible preferred stock or otherwise
would result in the beneficial ownership by the holder of more than 4.99%
of our then outstanding common stock. This ownership limitation can be
increased to 9.99% by the holder upon 61 days notice to
us;
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whenever
a holder converts all or any portion of the Series A convertible preferred
stock, if we should redeem the shares, or if the holder requests
redemption, we are required to issue the holder a number of shares a
number of shares (the “Make Whole Amount”) equal to the product of the
dividend rate and the stated value of the shares, subject to certain
instances in which we are required to pay that amount in cash;
and
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the
shares are redeemable by us under certain conditions, and the holders may
also require us to redeem the shares upon the occurrence of certain
events.
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Transfer
agent
Computer
Share Trust Co., Inc. is the transfer agent for our common stock.
DESCRIPTION
OF WARRANTS
We may
issue warrants for the purchase of preferred stock or common stock or debt
securities, or any combination of these securities. Warrants may be issued
independently or together with other securities and may be attached to or
separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued
under a separate warrant agreement. The following outlines some of the general
terms and provisions of the warrants that we may issue from time to time.
Additional terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreement will be
set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The
following descriptions, and any description of the warrants included in a
prospectus supplement, may not be complete and is subject to and qualified in
its entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the applicable warrant
agreement, which we will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in
connection with any offering of warrants.
General
The
prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants will describe
the terms of the warrants, including the following:
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the
title of the warrants;
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the
offering price for the warrants, if any;
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the
aggregate number of the warrants;
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the
terms of the security that may be purchased upon exercise of the
warrants;
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if
applicable, the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants
are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each
security;
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if
applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any securities
issued with the warrants will be separately
transferable;
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the
dates on which the right to exercise the warrants commence and
expire;
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if
applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be
exercised at any one time;
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if
applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax
considerations;
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anti-dilution
provisions of the warrants, if any;
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redemption
or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants;
and
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any
additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and
limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the
warrants.
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Exercise
of Warrants
Each
warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase the securities that
we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we
describe in the applicable prospectus supplement Holders may exercise warrants
at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration
date, unexercised warrants will be void. Holders may exercise warrants as set
forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being
offered.
Until a
holder exercises the warrants to purchase any securities underlying the
warrants, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of the underlying
securities by virtue of ownership of warrants.
MATERIAL
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
A summary
of any material United States federal income tax consequences to persons
investing in the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in any
applicable prospectus supplement. The summary will be presented for
informational purposes only, however, and will not be intended as legal or tax
advice to prospective purchasers. Prospective purchasers of securities are urged
to consult their own tax advisors prior to any purchase of
securities.
SELLING
SHAREHOLDERS
The
shares of common stock offered by the selling shareholders are issuable upon the
exercise of options held by the selling shareholders with an exercise price of
$.01 per share. These options were granted to each selling shareholder under the
terms of an employment agreement entered into in August 2006. We are registering
the shares of common stock in order to permit the selling shareholders to offer
the shares for resale from time to time. The selling shareholders may sell all,
some or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of
Distribution.”
The
selling shareholders are affiliates of our company. Dr. James Wang and
Mr. Marc Siegel are executive officers and members of our board of
directors and Mr. David Stein is an executive officer. None of the selling
shareholders are broker-dealers or affiliates of broker-dealers.
The table
below lists the selling shareholders and other information regarding the
beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock by each of the selling
shareholders. The first column lists the number of shares of common stock
beneficially owned by each selling shareholder as of July 11, 2008. The second
column lists the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus by the
selling shareholders. The third and fourth columns assume the sale of all of the
shares offered by the selling shareholders pursuant to this
prospectus.
We have
agreed to pay full costs and expenses, incentives to the issuance, offer, sale
and delivery of the shares, including all fees and expenses in preparing, filing
and printing the registration statement and prospectus and related exhibits,
amendments and supplements thereto and mailing of those items. We will not pay
selling commissions and expenses associated with any sale by the selling
shareholders.
14
Name
of Selling Shareholder
|
|
Number
of Shares
of
Common Stock
Owned
Prior to
Offering
|
|
|
Maximum
Number
of
Shares of Common
Stock
to be Sold
Pursuant
to this
Prospectus
|
|
|
Number
of
Shares
of
Common
Stock
Owned
After
Offering
|
|
|
Percentage
to
be owned
after
offering
|
|
Dr. James
Wang
|
|
|
5,327,400 |
(1) |
|
|
400,000 |
(2) |
|
|
4,927,400 |
|
|
|
19.84 |
% |
Marc
Siegel
|
|
|
5,300,000 |
(3) |
|
|
400,000 |
(4) |
|
|
4,900,000 |
|
|
|
19.75 |
% |
David
Stein
|
|
|
2,733,115 |
(5) |
|
|
200,000 |
(6) |
|
|
2,533,115 |
|
|
|
10.49 |
% |
(1) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Dr. Wang includes:
|
•
|
4,000,000
shares of common stock held by Dragon Fund Management LLC, an entity in
which Dr. Wang owns 1% of the membership interests and holds 50% of
the voting control;
|
|
•
|
400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with at an exercise price of
$.01 expiring on February 1, 2010;
|
|
•
|
27,400
shares of common stock underling options with an exercise price of $2.50
expiring on January 1, 2011;
|
|
•
|
400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
|
|
•
|
500,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1, 2013, which vested on January 1,
2008.
|
The
number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by Dr. Wang excludes
500,000 shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of
$10.00 expiring on January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(2) The
number of shares offered by Dr. Wang includes 400,000 shares of our common
stock underlying options held by Dr. Wang with an exercise price of $0.01
per share.
(3) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Siegel includes:
|
• |
|
4,000,000
shares of common stock;
|
|
• |
|
400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $.01
expiring on February 1, 2010;
|
|
• |
|
400,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
|
|
• |
|
500,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1,
2013.
|
The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Siegel excludes 500,000 shares
of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $10.00 expiring on
January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(4) The
number of shares offered by Mr. Siegel includes 400,000 shares of our
common stock underlying options held by Mr. Siegel with an exercise price
of $0.01 per share.
(5) The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Stein includes:
|
•
|
|
2,000,000
shares of common stock;
|
15
|
• |
|
83,115
shares of common stock in the name of Jeda Services Corp. over which
Mr. Stein holds voting and dispositive control;
|
|
• |
|
200,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $.01
expiring on February 1, 2010;
|
|
• |
|
200,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $5.00
expiring on January 1, 2012; and
|
|
• |
|
250,000
shares of common stock underlying options with an exercise price of $7.50
expiring on January 1, 2013, which vested on January 1,
2008.
|
The
number of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Stein excludes 250,000 shares of
common stock underlying options held by Mr. Stein with an exercise price of
$10.00 expiring on January 1, 2014, which vest on January 1, 2009.
(6) The
number of shares offered by Mr. Stein includes 200,000 shares of our common
stock underlying options with an exercise price of $0.01 per share.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We may
sell the securities in one or more of the following ways from time to
time:
|
• |
|
through
underwriters or dealers for resale to the public or to institutional
investors;
|
|
• |
|
directly
to a limited number of institutional purchasers or to a single
purchaser;
|
|
• |
|
through
agents; or
|
|
• |
|
if
indicated in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery
contracts, by remarketing firms or by other
means.
|
Any
dealer or agent, in addition to any underwriter, may be deemed to be an
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts
or commissions they receive from us and any profit on the resale of the offered
securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions
under the Securities Act of 1933. The terms of the offering of the securities
with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered will be set forth in
the applicable prospectus supplement and will include:
|
• |
|
the
name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;
|
|
• |
|
the
purchase price of such securities and the proceeds to us from such
sale;
|
|
• |
|
any
underwriting discounts, agency fees and other items constituting
underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;
|
|
• |
|
the
public offering price;
|
|
• |
|
any
discounts or concessions that may be allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers and any securities exchanges on which the securities may be
listed; and
|
|
• |
|
the
securities exchange on which the securities may be listed, if
any.
|
If
underwriters are used in the sale of securities, such securities will be
acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time
to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a
fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale.
The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting
syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more
underwriters acting alone. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the
securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement will be subject to
certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase
all such securities if any are so purchased by them. Any public offering price
and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be
changed from time to time.
16
The
securities may be sold directly by us or through agents designated by us from
time to time. Any agents involved in the offer or sale of the securities in
respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, and any commissions payable
by us to such agents, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any such
agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its
appointment.
If
dealers are utilized in the sale of any securities, we will sell the securities
to the dealers, as principals. Any dealer may resell the securities to the
public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
The name of any dealer and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the
prospectus supplement with respect to the securities being offered.
If we
grant warrants as compensation to a dealer, agent or underwriter in connection
with any particular offering, the warrants issued as compensation will be
substantially on the same terms as the warrants offered to investors in such
offering, except that the warrants issued as compensation will comply with FINRA
Rule 2710(g)(1) in that for a period of six months after the issuance date of
those warrants (which shall not be earlier than the closing date of the offering
pursuant to which the warrants issued as compensation are being issued), neither
the warrants issued as compensation nor any warrant shares issued upon exercise
of those warrants shall be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or
hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or
call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the
securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the date
of effectiveness or commencement of sales of the offering pursuant to which the
warrants issued as compensation are being issued, except the transfer of any
security:
|
• |
|
by
operation of law or by reason of our reorganization;
|
|
• |
|
to
any FINRA member firm participating in this offering and the officers or
partners thereof, if all securities so transferred remain subject to the
lock-up restriction described above for the remainder of the time
period;
|
|
• |
|
if
the aggregate amount of our securities held by such agent or related
person do not exceed 1% of the securities being
offered;
|
|
• |
|
that
is beneficially owned on a pro-rata basis by all equity owners of an
investment fund, provided that no participating member manages or
otherwise directs investments by the fund, and participating members in
the aggregate do not own more than 10% of the equity in the fund;
or
|
|
• |
|
the
exercise or conversion of any security, if all securities received remain
subject to the lock-up restriction set forth above for the remainder of
the time period.
|
Under no
circumstances will the fee, commission or discount received by dealer, agent or
underwriter or any other FINRA member firm or independent broker-dealer exceed
eight percent of the gross proceeds to us in this offering or any other offering
in the United States pursuant this prospectus.
Securities
may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus
supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance
with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or
more firms, which we refer to herein as the “remarketing firms,” acting as
principals for their own accounts or as our agents, as applicable. Any
remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with
us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
Remarketing
firms may be deemed to be underwriters, as that term is defined in the
Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the securities remarketed
thereby.
If so
indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents,
underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain specified institutions to
purchase the securities to which this prospectus and the applicable prospectus
supplement relates from us at the public offering price set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement, plus, if applicable, accrued interest pursuant
to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified
date in the future. Such contracts will be subject only to those conditions set
forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the applicable prospectus
supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of such
contracts.
17
Underwriters
will not be obligated to make a market in any securities. We can give no
assurance regarding the activity of trading in, or liquidity of, any
securities.
Agents,
dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be entitled, under agreements
entered into with us, to indemnification by us, as applicable, against certain
civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to
contribution to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof.
Agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be customers of, engage
in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of
business.
Each
series of securities will be a new issue and, other than the common stock, which
is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market, will have no established trading market.
We may elect to list any series of securities on an exchange, and in the case of
the common stock, on any additional exchange, but, unless otherwise specified in
the applicable prospectus supplement, we shall not be obligated to do so. Any
underwriters to whom securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a
market in the securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so
and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The securities
may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange or a foreign
securities exchange. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the
trading market for any of the securities.
The
place, time of delivery and other terms of the offered securities will be
described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The
validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us
by Schneider Weinberger & Beilly LLP.
EXPERTS
Our
audited consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the
related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash
flows for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 incorporated by reference
in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part have been
audited by Sherb & Co., LLP, independent registered public accounting firm,
as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and have been so included in
reliance upon the report of such firm given on their authority as experts in
accounting and auditing.
INFORMATION
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The
Securities and Exchange Commission allows us to “incorporate by reference” the
information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important
information to you by referring you to those documents. The information
incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later
information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission will update and
supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed
below, any of such documents filed since the date this registration statement
was filed and any future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
until the termination of the offering of securities covered by this
prospectus:
|
• |
|
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2007;
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on March 31, 2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
second Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on March 31,
2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on April 2, 2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 1,
2008;
|
18
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 8, 2008;
|
|
• |
|
our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31,
2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 12, 2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
second Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 12,
2008;
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 20, 2008;
and
|
|
• |
|
a
Current Report on Form 8-K as filed on June 3,
2008.
|
We will
provide without charge to any person to whom this prospectus is delivered, on
the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the
foregoing documents incorporated by reference, excluding exhibits, unless we
have specifically incorporated an exhibit in the incorporated document. Written
requests should be directed to: Corporate Secretary, China Direct, Inc., 431
Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441.
Each
document or report subsequently filed by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after the date hereof and prior
to the termination of the offering of the securities shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part of this
prospectus from the date of filing of such document, unless otherwise provided
in the relevant document. Any statement contained herein, or in a document all
or a portion of which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the
registration statement and this prospectus to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of the registration
statement or this prospectus.
The
information relating to our company contained in this prospectus and the
accompanying prospectus supplement is not comprehensive, and you should read it
together with the information contained in the incorporated
documents.
LIMITATIONS
ON DIRECTORS’ AND OFFICERS’ LIABILITY AND COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION
FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES
Under our
articles of incorporation, our directors are not liable for monetary damages for
breach of fiduciary duty, except in connection with:
|
• |
|
a
breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our
shareholders;
|
|
• |
|
acts
or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct,
fraud or a knowing violation of law;
|
|
• |
|
a
transaction from which our director received an improper benefit;
or
|
|
• |
|
an
act or omission for which the liability of a director is expressly
provided under Florida law.
|
In
addition, our bylaws provides that we must indemnify our officers and directors
to the fullest extent permitted by Florida law for all expenses incurred in the
settlement of any actions against such persons in connection with their having
served as officers or directors. We also maintain an insurance policy under
which coverage is provided to our directors and officers to insure against
certain liabilities that such persons may incur in their capacities as directors
and officers of the company.
Insofar
as the limitation of, or indemnification for, liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, or persons
controlling us pursuant to the foregoing, or otherwise, we have been advised
that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such limitation
or indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.
19
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page
|
|
|
|
|
About
this Prospectus
|
2
|
|
Available
Information
|
2
|
$70,000,000
|
The
Company
|
3
|
|
Cautionary
Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
|
4
|
|
Risks
Factors
|
5
|
CHINA
DIRECT, INC.
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
11
|
|
Description
of Capital Stock
|
11
|
|
Description
of Warrants
|
13
|
COMMON
STOCK, PREFERRED STOCK AND
WARRANTS
|
Material
Federal Income Tax Consequences |
14
|
|
|
14 |
|
|
16
|
|
|
18
|
PROSPECTUS
|
|
18
|
|
Information
Incorporated by Reference
|
18
|
|
Limitation
on Directors’ and Officers’ Liability and Commission Position on
Indemnification for Securities Act
Liabilities
|
19
|
August
1, 2008
|
|
|
|