Unassociated Document
The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not
sell these securities until the registration statement filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not
an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these
securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject
to Completion, dated November 17, 2010
Filed
Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration
No. 333-169967
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
(To
Prospectus dated November 2, 2010)
5,000,000
Shares
SMARTHEAT
INC.
Common
Stock
This is
an offering of 5,000,000 shares of the common stock of SmartHeat
Inc.
Our
common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HEAT.” The
last reported trading price of our common stock on November 16, 2010, was
$5.70.
Investing
in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-13 of
this prospectus supplement and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2009, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
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Per
Share
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Total
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Price
to the public
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$
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$
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Underwriting
discounts and commissions
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$
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$
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Proceeds
to SmartHeat Inc. (before expenses)
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$
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$
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We have
granted the underwriters the option to purchase 750,000 additional shares of
common stock on the same terms and conditions set forth above if the
underwriters sell more than 5,000,000 shares of common stock in this
offering.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of these securities or passed on the adequacy or
accuracy of this prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
Barclays
Capital, on behalf of the underwriters, expects to deliver the shares on or
about November , 2010.
Barclays
Capital
_________________________
Oppenheimer
& Co.
Prospectus Supplement dated November
, 2010
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Prospectus
Supplement
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Page
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About
this Prospectus Supplement
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S-1
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Cautionary
Statements Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
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S-2
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Prospectus
Supplement Summary
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S-4
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The
Offering
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S-12
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Risk
Factors
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S-13
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Summary
Consolidated Data
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S-31
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Use
of Proceeds
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S-32
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Capitalization
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S-32
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Price
Range of Common Stock and Dividend Policy
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S-33
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Underwriting
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S-34
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Validity
of the Securities
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S-42
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Experts
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S-42
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Where
You Can Find More Information
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S-42
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Incorporation
of Certain Documents by Reference
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S-43
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Prospectus
About
This Prospectus
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3
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Note
on Forward-Looking Statements
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3
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Prospectus
Summary
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4
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Risk
Factors
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9
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Use
of Proceeds
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9
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Plan
of Distribution
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9
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Description
of Securities We May Offer
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11
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Legal
Matters
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23
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Experts
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23
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Where
You Can Find More Information About Us
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23
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Incorporation
of Certain Documents by Reference
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23
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Disclosure
of Commission Position on Indemnification for Securities Act
Liabilities
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You should rely only on the information
or representations provided in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. We have not authorized anyone
else to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the
information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus or
any supplement hereto or thereto is accurate as of any date other than the date
on the front of those documents.
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Unless the context otherwise requires,
references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus to
“we,” “us,” “SmartHeat” or the “Company” refer to SmartHeat Inc. and its
subsidiaries.
This document is in two parts. The
first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of the
offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying
base prospectus. The second part is the accompanying base prospectus, which
provides more general information. To the extent there is a conflict between the
information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the
information contained in the accompanying base prospectus, on the other hand,
you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. It is also
important for you to read and consider all information contained in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, including the
documents we have referred you to in the section entitled “Where You Can Find
More Information” in this prospectus supplement. The information incorporated by
reference is considered part of this prospectus supplement.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus supplement contains forward-looking statements regarding SmartHeat
which include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our projected
revenues, expenses, gross profit and income, mix of revenue, demand for our
products, the benefits and potential applications for our products, the need for
additional capital, our ability to obtain and successfully perform additional
new contract awards and the related funding and profitability of such awards,
the competitive nature of our business and markets, and product qualification
requirements of our customers. These forward-looking statements are based on our
current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s
beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as “anticipates,”
“expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “potential,” “believes,” “seeks,”
“hopes,” “estimates,” “should,” “may,” “will,” “with a view to” and variations
of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are
subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.
Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those
expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such
factors include, but are not limited to the following:
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our
goals and strategies;
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our
future business development, financial conditions and results of
operations;
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the
expected growth of the market for PHE products and heat meters in
China;
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our
expectations regarding demand for our
products;
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our
expectations regarding keeping and strengthening our relationships with
key customers;
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our
ability to stay abreast of market trends and technological
advances;
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our
ability to effectively protect our intellectual property rights and not
infringe on the intellectual property rights of
others;
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our
ability to attract and retain quality
employees;
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our
ability to pursue strategic acquisitions and
alliances;
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competition
in our industry in China;
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general
economic and business conditions in the regions in which we sell our
products;
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relevant
government policies and regulations relating to our industry;
and
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market
acceptance of our products.
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Additionally, this prospectus
supplement contains statistical data that we obtained from various publicly
available government publications. Statistical data in these publications also
include projections based on a number of assumptions. The market for the PHEs,
PHE Units and heat meters may not grow at the rate projected by market data, or
at all. The failure of this market to grow at the projected rate may have a
material adverse effect on our business and the market price of our common
stock. In addition, the rapidly changing nature of our customers' industries
results in significant uncertainties in any projections or estimates relating to
the growth prospects or future condition of our market. Furthermore, if any one
or more of the assumptions underlying the market data is later found to be
incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these
assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements.
You are cautioned that, while
forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, they are not
guarantees of future performance and they involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The information
contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, including,
without limitation, the information set forth in Risk Factors in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, which we refer to as
the 2009 10-K, that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement,
identifies important factors that could cause such differences. We undertake no
obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to these
forward-looking statements that may reflect any future events or circumstances,
except as required by applicable law, rules or regulations.
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected
information from this prospectus supplement. The following summary information
is qualified in its entirety by the information contained elsewhere or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
base prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you
should consider prior to making your investment decision. You should read the
following summary in conjunction with the more detailed information contained
elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus,
and the financial statements and other information incorporated by reference in
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus before making an
investment decision. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,”
“us,” “our,” “SmartHeat” or the “Company” refer to SmartHeat Inc. and its
subsidiaries.
Our
Company
We are a
leading designer, manufacturer and seller of clean technology heat exchangers
and related systems in the People’s Republic of China (“China”). Our products
are used by our customers in the industrial, residential and commercial markets
in China to improve energy utilization and efficiencies and reduce pollution by
reducing the need for coal fired boilers. We design, manufacture, sell and
service plate heat exchangers (“PHEs”), PHE units, which combine PHEs with
various pumps, temperature sensors, valves and automated control systems (“PHE
Units”), and heat meters for use in commercial and residential buildings. We
also design, manufacture, and sell spiral heat exchangers and tube heat
exchangers. Our products and systems are an important element in providing
a clean technology, mission-critical solution to energy consumption and air
pollution problems in China and are commonly used in a wide variety of
industrial processes where heat transfer is required. Common applications
include energy conversion for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”)
and industrial use in petroleum refining, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food and
beverage and chemical processing. Our PHE Units are custom designed by our
own in-house engineers and sold under our Taiyu brand name, while our PHEs are
sold under both our Taiyu brand as well as the Sondex brand name.
A PHE is a device that transfers energy
from one fluid to another across a solid surface. PHEs are made of stainless
steel, titanium or nickel alloy plates that are sealed by gaskets and then
bolted together in a large metal frame that holds the plates together. Plates
come in a variety of sizes and wave patterns, and have large heat transfer
surfaces and high thermal conductivity. The quantity and size of the plates and
size of the PHEs and PHE Units vary according to particular application
requirements.
Among the primary advantages of plate
heat exchangers as compared to traditional shell and tube heat exchangers are
their efficiency, compact design and ease of customization. PHEs have larger
heat transfer surface areas and therefore greater thermal conductivity. As a
result, PHEs can transfer the same amount of heat as a traditional shell and
tube heat exchanger despite the smaller size of the PHE. In China, coal is the
predominant source of heat energy, and coal burning is a significant contributor
to carbon dioxide (“CO2”)
emissions. According to International Energy Statistics provided by the Energy
Information Administration, a subdivision of the United States Department of
Energy, in 2007, the consumption of coal accounted for 27% of the total primary
energy consumption in the world. China was the largest producer of CO2 from the
consumption of coal in 2008, accounting for 41.7% of the world
total.
The PRC government’s 11th
Five-Year Plan (the “11th
Five-Year Plan’’), announced in 2006, targeted a 20% reduction in energy
consumption per unit of GDP and a 10% reduction in industry expulsion of
pollutant particles by 2010. Management expects further reductions will be
included in the upcoming 12th
Five-Year Plan. As the Chinese government begins to require the use of machines
that produce more efficient heat transfer and utilize waste heat energy, PHEs
will be an increasingly important element in reducing overall coal consumption
in China, which will translate into lower heating costs, lower CO2 emissions
for users and less pollution to the environment. According to the Chinese
government, China has cut energy use per unit of GDP by 14.4% between 2006 and
2009 and it aims to cut carbon dioxide output per unit of GDP by at least 40% by
2020 compared with 2005 levels.
We currently focus predominantly on the
Chinese market. All designs of our PHEs and PHE Units are done in-house by our
engineers utilizing advanced software and our proprietary in-house CAD software.
In May of 2009, we acquired the production assets of Siping Beifang Heat
Exchanger, Manufacture Co., Ltd. (“Siping Beifang”), one of the major plate
heat exchanger manufacturers in China, and began a program to vertically
integrate our supply chain for our own PHE components and, at the same time,
supplement our relationship with our main supplier, Sondex. As a result, we now
manufacture our own plates, tubes, and gaskets and can design and
manufacture PHEs and PHE Units using either supply source for the component
plates. Our new plates provide solutions for a market segment with strong demand
for PHE products that are priced 10-15% lower than PHE products with Sondex
plates.
In early 2006 we launched a third
product line, heat meters, which utilize the same sales channels and allows us
to provide heat consumption information to users. Heat meters precisely measure
the volume of heat usage, which is an important revenue stream for utility
companies. While home owners commonly use heat meters in western countries,
widespread incorporation of heat meters has only recently taken hold in China.
In July 2003, heat meters were required nationally by law for new construction
installed with central heating; the requirement was extended in April 2008 by
the Energy Conservation Law, Article 38, to cover existing buildings being
retrofitted. We believe there are significant opportunities for strong
incremental growth as the Chinese government continues to focus on ways to cost
effectively monitor and conserve energy.
For the nine months ended September 30,
2010, we generated revenues of $83.6 million and net income of $16.2 million,
representing year-over-year growth rates of 47.9% and 29.4%, respectively. We
experienced similar growth rates from 2006 to 2009, during which period our
total revenue increased from $8.2 million to $82.6 million (a compound annual
growth rate (“CAGR”) of 116.0%), and our net income grew at a 168.0% CAGR from
$0.8 million in 2006 to $15.4 million in 2009.
Our
company is headquartered in Shenyang, China, where we have a 210,137 square foot
state-of-the-art production facility. We operate two other production and
assembly facilities in China. As of September 30, 2010, we had 712 full-time
employees, including 76 engineers dedicated to research and development, and 130
seasonal employees.
Our
principal offices are located at A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang Economic and
Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China 110027. Our telephone number is
86 (24) 2519-7699.
Our
Industry
We serve
the utility and industrial sectors throughout China. Participants in these
industries are large users of PHEs, PHE Units and related accessories. We also
serve the HVAC sector. Participants in this industry are large users of heat
meters. We also provide after-sales services on our PHEs, PHE Units and heat
meters to these industries. These services include maintenance, repair, and
supplying spare parts.
According
to the “China Heat Exchanger Industry Report” (hereinafter referred to as the
“Industry Report”) issued by Zero Power Intelligence Co., Ltd., an independent
market research firm in China, the world heat exchanger market has grown
significantly in the past several years. Global sales of heat exchangers grew
from $29.7 billion in 2005 to $38.6 billion in 2008, or 30%, and are expected to
grow to $55.3 billion in 2012, or 43% in the four-year period from 2009 to
2012.
According
to the Industry Report, China has become the second largest market and one of
the fastest growing markets for heat exchangers. The sales of heat exchangers in
China grew from $3.2 billion in 2005 to $5.4 billion in 2008, or 70%, and are
projected to grow to $11.0 billion in 2012, or 106% in the four-year period from
2009 to 2012.
Currently,
there are social, economic, environmental and regulatory factors driving demand
for environmentally friendly solutions, which reduce pollution and advance
energy efficiency, many of which utilize PHEs. These include:
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Environmental Conditions in
China. According to the report entitled “The Cost of Pollution in
China,” published in 2007 by the World Bank, the combined health and
non-health cost of air and water pollution in China amounts to an
estimated $100 billion a year. Moreover, the report found that air
pollution, especially in large Chinese cities, is leading to higher
incidences of lung diseases, cancer, and respiratory problems. According
to a report commissioned by the Energy Foundation published in 2008, these
problems are directly attributable to the fact that 80% of China’s carbon
dioxide emissions come from burning
coal.
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Growing Demand for Heating
Water. China currently provides households throughout 17 of its 34
northern provinces with heating water. As new cities grow along with the
emerging middle class, so does the demand to expand this supply into new
cities, industrial parks and other provinces. Heating water in China is
generated by local power plants which pump emitted hot water from the
power plant through a closed loop system to a water heating company and
then through a network of pipes up to a distance of 50 kilometers. These
systems of heating stations and sub-stations utilize numerous PHEs and PHE
Units, which provide a dual purpose: a cooling system for the power plants
and a heat source for residents and
factories.
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Heightened Environmental
Awareness. Management expects the PRC government’s upcoming 12th Five-Year Plan to
target a 40-45% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP from 2005
levels. The implementation of PHEs and PHE Units in new construction
facilities, and as replacements for legacy shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
can help meet these goals because of their increased energy
efficiency.
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Urbanization. According
to the CIA World Factbook, 43% of China’s population lived in urban
settings in 2008. Additionally, according to the National Bureau of
Statistics of China, 15 cities near and around SmartHeat’s sales and
service centers have a population of more than five million. Eight of
these Chinese cities are among the world’s fastest growing, increasing at
an annual rate of 2.5% or more. China’s urbanization has lead to new
infrastructure development and existing infrastructure improvements that
require ongoing investment in heating
solutions.
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Emerging Wealth. The
rapidly expanding middle class in China is now demanding access to quality
heating during the winter months. This demand is often met by using hot
water supplied from a power station and district heating network that
utilizes a system of PHEs and PHE
Units.
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Our
Competitive Strengths
We
believe we have the following competitive strengths:
Provider of Key Elements Used to
Improve Energy Efficiencies and Reduce Coal Pollution. We offer a full
line of PHEs, PHE Units and heat meters. The primary advantages of plate heat
exchanger technology, compared to traditional shell and tube heat exchanger
technology, are efficiency, compact design, and ease of customization. PHEs have
larger heat transfer surface areas and therefore also have greater thermal
conductivity. As a result, PHEs can transfer the same amount of heat as a
traditional shell and tube heat exchanger, but with the benefit of a smaller
size unit.
Established Leader and Brand Name in
the Growing China Heating Industry. We have established a leading brand
name in the fragmented Chinese heating industry and seek to utilize this
awareness to become the leading Chinese supplier of PHEs, PHE Units and related
products in the rapidly growing Chinese market. We are a leading domestic
producer of PHE Units under the Taiyu brand and management estimates that we
have approximately a 10-12% share of the PHE Unit market based on our internal
market research, which tracks PHE projects in China valued over $1.5 million. We
believe the Taiyu brand name is recognized for its quality and efficiency, which
we believe we can leverage to improve our reputation as a leading seller of high
quality PHE Units in China.
Quality Engineering, Research and
Development. We emphasize efficiency, durability and quality engineering
in all of our products. All of our products utilize the latest technologies, and
our designs are created using advanced software systems. We have nine registered
patents in China for PHE products and heat meters. We have two patents for our
plate heat exchangers, one for our heat transfer system for space heating and
domestic hot water, one for a heat meter cleaning pipe, two for our heat meter
testing system, one for an integrated heat transfer system, one for an
efficient-heat testing bench, and one for a filter. Five of our patents expire
in 2014, one expires in 2016, one expires in 2010, and two expire in 2017. To
maintain our competitive edge in the marketplace and keep pace with new
technologies, we fund research and development on an on-going basis to find
improved efficiencies in design, cost and energy capture. Research and
development costs for 2008, 2009 and the nine months ended September 30, 2010,
were $1,020,000, $1,360,000 and $1,698,000, respectively. We plan to continue to
invest in research and development to identify new industry applications for
PHEs, improve our product lines, develop multifunctional PHE Units and modify
PHE designs to meet current market demand.
Strong Technical Support. The
selection of PHEs and PHE Units requires technical knowledge regarding the
operating temperature, pressure, corrosivity, viscosity and purity of the fluid
as well as the pressure loss within the system. Our unique design software
enables us to provide high quality and timely technical support to ensure our
customers receive the right equipment for each project. We also provide a
streamlined and error free installation process to minimize project
complications.
Enterprise-Wide Design, Production
and Control Systems for Efficient Pricing and Streamlined Manufacturing.
Our technologically advanced CAD design systems are integrated with our
real-time enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) and finance systems. This
advanced, integrated platform allows our field salespeople to input orders,
obtain draft models, access quotes and confirm delivery dates within minutes.
The platform also enables inventory and production personnel to accurately
schedule and reduce lead production times to five days for PHEs and ten days for
PHE Units. We believe these lead times are some of the best in the industry and
provide an unparalleled level of customer service.
Focus on Quality. We have a
National Safety Certification for our PHE products, and are an ISO 9001
certified manufacturer.
First-Rate Customer Service and
Reliable Product Delivery. We believe that our employees provide
first-rate customer service, technical expertise and product knowledge to
streamline the selection, design and installation processes. We provide
after-sales service through our local service centers and deliver products on
time to meet tight project deadlines. Our focus on delivering premium service
separates us from our competitors and has been critical in helping us win a
number of projects for various multinational companies and local
governments.
Diversified End Markets and
Customers. Our PHEs and PHE Units are broadly used across a variety of
industrial end markets including the energy (i.e., conventional and nuclear
power plants), HVAC, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food and
beverage and chemical processing end markets. We also benefit from a diverse
customer mix. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, our ten largest
customers accounted for 31% of sales and our largest customer accounted for 7%
of sales. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, our ten largest customers
accounted for 47% of sales and our largest customer accounted for 7% of sales.
This end market and customer diversification helps to insulate us from sales
volatility that would occur if we concentrated in specific industries. The bulk
of our customers are utilities, engineering and construction companies and
industrial companies.
Proven Ability to Identify and
Acquire Strategic Targets. Over the past two years, we have completed two
strategic acquisitions. Each acquisition has accelerated our strategic plan by:
(i) adding manufacturing capacity; (ii) broadening our product offering to
include multiple heat exchange systems; (iii) facilitating access into new
geographic regions throughout China; (iv) improving our cost structure; (v)
enhancing our engineering capabilities; or (vi) helping us enter new and higher
growth end markets. We have proven our ability to complete successful
acquisitions and believe there are additional acquisition opportunities both in
the Chinese domestic market and internationally which we may potentially
pursue.
Experienced Management Team.
Our senior management team has extensive business and industry experience. Mr.
Jun Wang, our president and CEO, was the founder of Taiyu in 2002. He was a
sales manager for Honeywell International Inc. from 1996 to 1999 and was a sales
manager for Alfa Laval from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Wang obtained his Master’s degree
in Engineering from Tsinghua University in 1989. Ms. Zhijuan Guo, our CFO, has
14 years of finance and accounting experience and has been with the Company
since its inception in 2002. Mr. Xudong Wang, our VP of strategy and
development, previously served as the VP of an international financial firm. Mr.
Wen Sha, our VP of marketing, has extensive sales experience and industry
contacts. He joined SmartHeat as a Regional Sales Manager in 2005. Prior to
that, he served as the general manager of Nanjing Hui Dun Ltd. and as sales
director of APV Accessen in Shanghai, a leading international PHE firm. Mr. Feng
Chen, Ph.D., our CTO, joined SmartHeat in 2008 as part of our SanDeKe
acquisition. Prior to founding SanDeKe, he served in a leading engineering
position in China with Alfa Laval.
Our
Growth Strategy
Our goal
is to further penetrate the many market segments throughout China for PHEs, PHE
Units and related accessories, expand our PHE and PHE Unit sales both
domestically and internationally, promote the sale of heat meters and execute
strategic acquisitions that are accretive and synergistic to our
business.
Pursue High Growth Chinese End
Markets. We are targeting our sales efforts on a number of high growth
Chinese end markets such as power and petrochemical. We currently have a
presence in these segments but believe there are significant opportunities to
improve our market share by leveraging our premium product quality and high
quality service. Our solutions are commonly used in many of these industries and
customers continue to assess the cost savings and positive environmental
attributes of PHEs.
Continue Organic Growth
Initiatives. We believe that the current PHE market is fragmented and
represents an excellent opportunity for us to gain additional market share from
our competitors. We intend to continue to open new sales offices, hire
additional sales personnel, expand into new distribution channels and improve
the quality of our products. We also intend to continue to leverage our strong
brand, quality customer service, engineering and reliable product delivery to
gain incremental business with our existing clients. Finally, we believe that as
we continue to grow, economies of scale and improved cost control measures will
drive stronger profitability across all product lines.
Promote Heat Meters. In
response to rising energy costs and an increased focus on energy efficiency, the
Chinese government and local utility companies have made the use of heat meters
compulsory in China. In July 2003, heat meters were required nationally by law
for new buildings installed with central heating; the requirement was extended
in April 2008 by the Energy Conservation Law, Article 38, to cover existing
buildings being retrofitted. We are currently working with the General
Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine, an administrative organ
established under the PRC’s State Council, to establish a national heating
standard in China. We also intend to leverage the Taiyu brand and our reputation
in the PHE market to gain market share.
Expand Internationally. We
continue to seek additional opportunities to expand our business
internationally. We plan to cooperate with a number of international energy
contractors to help promote our products outside of China and will review
international acquisition opportunities and joint venture opportunities for
international growth.
Execute Strategic
Acquisitions. We intend to continue to selectively acquire domestic or
international targets that would enable us to enter new customer segments or
gain entry into new industries. For example, the acquisition of the plant and
machinery and land use rights from Siping Beifang in May 2009 provided us with
an entrance into the petrochemical and high pressure chemical end markets, which
were previously immaterial segments for us. We also acquired SanDeKe in
September 2008, which increased our PHE and PHE Unit production capacity. Due to
the high pressure and heat tolerance demands of the petrochemical industry, we
have also acquired valuable engineering expertise that may help us address the
nuclear energy segment in a meaningful way. Management believes it has a strong
track record of acquiring companies that fit our strategic goals of reducing
pollution and saving energy, and of successfully integrating their operations so
they are accretive to earnings and contribute to our rapid growth. We will
continue to identify and review targets that are accretive to our earnings,
easily integrated into our existing infrastructure and synergistic to our
operations.
Risk
Factors
Please
see “Risk Factors” starting on page S-13 to read about factors you should
consider carefully before deciding to invest in shares of our common
stock.
THE
OFFERING
The
following is a brief summary of certain terms of this offering. For a more
complete description of our common stock, see “Description of the Securities We
May Offer” in the accompanying base prospectus.
Issuer
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SmartHeat
Inc.
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Common
stock offered by us
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5,000,000
shares
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Underwriters’
option to purchase additional shares
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We
may sell up to an additional 750,000 shares of common stock if the
underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
shares.
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Common
stock outstanding immediately after this offering
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37,811,125
shares
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Use
of Proceeds
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We
intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate
purposes and potential acquisitions (although no specific acquisition
candidate has been identified to date).
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NASDAQ
Global Market Listing
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Our
common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HEAT.”
The last reported trading price on November 16, 2010, was
$5.70.
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Transfer
Agent
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Interwest
Transfer Company, Inc.
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Risk
Factors
|
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See “Risk Factors” beginning on
page S-13 of this prospectus supplement and in the 2009 10-K filed with
the SEC for a discussion of factors that you should consider
carefully before deciding to invest in our common
stock.
|
The
number of common stock outstanding immediately after the offering is based on
32,811,125 shares outstanding as of November 16, 2010, which excludes 96,775
shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of
September 30, 2010, at an exercise price of $6.00 per share; stock options
outstanding as of September 30, 2010, to purchase 63,333 shares of our common
stock at an exercise price of $10.32 per share; 500 shares of our common stock
to be issued pursuant to a one-year consulting service agreement with a
consultant; and 1,000,000 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under
our 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. Except as otherwise stated, the information in
this prospectus supplement does not take into account the exercise of the
underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of common stock in the event
the underwriter sells more than 5,000,000 shares.
RISK
FACTORS
Our
business and an investment in our common stock are subject to a variety of
risks. Before purchasing our common stock, you should carefully consider the
“Risk Factors” discussed below in this prospectus supplement and in our 2009
10-K. Those Risk Factors update and replace the Risk Factors identified in the
accompanying base prospectus under the caption “Risk Factors.” Each of the risks
described could result in a decrease in the value of our common stock and your
investment therein. Much of the business information as well as the financial
and operational data contained in our risk factors are updated in our periodic
reports, certain of which are also incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement. Although we have tried to discuss key factors, please be
aware that other risks may prove to be important in the future. New risks may
emerge at any time and we cannot predict such risks or estimate the extent to
which they may affect our financial performance.
Risks
Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Securities
The
market price for our common stock may be volatile.
The
trading price of our common stock may fluctuate widely in response to various
factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include, in
addition to the risk factors incorporated by reference herein, our quarterly
operating results or the operating results of other companies in our industry,
announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, new products, product
improvements, commercial relationships, intellectual property, legal, regulatory
or other business developments and changes in financial estimates or
recommendations by stock market analysts regarding us or our competitors. In
addition, the stock market in general, and the market for companies based in
China in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. This
volatility has had a significant effect on the market prices of securities
issued by many companies for reasons unrelated or disproportionate to their
operating performance. These broad market fluctuations may have a material
adverse effect on our stock price, regardless of our operating results. Further,
the market for our common stock is limited and we cannot assure you that a
larger market will ever be developed or maintained. Market fluctuations and
volatility, as well as general economic, market and political conditions, could
reduce our market price. As a result, these factors may make it more difficult
or impossible for you to sell our common stock for a positive return on your
investment.
Our
quarterly results may be volatile.
Our
operating results have varied on a quarterly basis during our operating history
and are likely to fluctuate significantly in the future. Many factors, including
the risk factors incorporated by reference herein, could cause our revenues and
operating results to vary significantly in the future. Many of these factors are
outside of our control. Accordingly, we believe that quarter-to-quarter
comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily meaningful. Investors
should not rely on the results of one quarter as an indication of our future
performance. If our results of operations in any quarter do not meet analysts’
expectations, our stock price could materially decrease.
Future
sales of our stock could depress the market price of our common
stock.
Future
sales of shares of our common stock could adversely affect the prevailing market
price of our stock. If our significant shareholders sell a large number of
shares, or if we issue a large number of shares, the market price of our stock
could significantly decline. Moreover, the perception in the public market that
shareholders might sell shares of our stock could depress the market for our
shares.
Purchasers
in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in net
tangible book value.
The
assumed public offering price will be substantially higher than the net tangible
book value per share of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result,
investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering will incur
immediate dilution of $1.86 per share, based on the public offering price of
$5.70 per share (the last reported share price of our common stock on the NASDAQ
Global Market on November 16, 2010) and our tangible net book value per share as
of September 30, 2010. Investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this
offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the book value of
our assets after subtracting our liabilities.
Our
management has broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this
offering and may allocate the net proceeds of this offering in ways that you or
other shareholders may not approve.
We have
not determined the specific amounts we plan to spend on any of the uses
described in “Use of Proceeds” or the timing of these expenditures. Failure by
our management to apply these funds effectively could adversely affect our
ability to maintain and expand our business. In the event management does not
apply these funds effectively, your investment in our common stock may not
result in a favorable return.
One
of our principal shareholders has the ability to exert significant control in
matters requiring a shareholder vote and could delay, deter or prevent a change
of control in the Company.
As of
September 30, 2010, Mr. Jun Wang, our Chief Executive Officer and one of our
largest shareholders, beneficially owned 10.37% of our outstanding shares.
Following completion of this offering, Mr. Wang will beneficially own
approximately 9.00% of our outstanding shares (8.83% if the underwriters’
over-allotment option is exercised in full). Mr. Wang possesses significant
influence over us, giving him the ability, among other things, to effectively
control the election of all or a majority of the Board of Directors and to
approve significant corporate transactions. Such stock ownership and control may
also have the effect of delaying or preventing a future change in control,
impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination, or
discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise
attempting to obtain control of our company. Without the consent of Mr. Wang, we
could be prevented from entering into potentially beneficial transactions if
they conflict with our major shareholder’s interests. The interests of this
shareholder may differ from the interests of our other
shareholders.
Provisions
in our articles of incorporation could make it very difficult for you to bring
any legal actions against our directors for violations of their fiduciary duties
or could require us to pay any amounts incurred by our directors in any such
actions.
Pursuant
to our articles of incorporation, members of our board of directors will have no
liability for violations of their fiduciary duty of care as a director, except
in limited circumstances. This means that you may be unable to prevail in a
legal action against our directors even if you believe they have breached their
fiduciary duty of care. In addition, our certificate of incorporation allows us
to indemnify our directors from and against any and all expenses or liabilities
arising from or in connection with their serving in such capacities with us.
This means that if you were able to enforce an action against our directors or
officers, in all likelihood we would be required to pay any expenses they
incurred in defending the lawsuit and any judgment or settlement they otherwise
would be required to pay.
We
have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the
future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common
stock.
We have
never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate doing so in
the foreseeable future. We presently do not intend to pay dividends in the
foreseeable future. Our management intends to follow a policy of retaining all
of our earnings to finance the development and execution of our strategy and the
expansion of our business. In addition, PRC law limits our ability to pay
dividends. (See “Risks Relating to Doing Business in China – Limitations on the
ability of our operating subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a
material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and fund our
operations.”)
Risks
Related to Our Business
Our
relationship with Sondex has substantially contributed to our business and its
growth.
We are an
authorized dealer of Sondex PHE plates in China. Sondex is one of the world’s
leading PHE and PHE plate manufacturers. We currently sell PHEs under our Taiyu
brand or upon demand under the Sondex brand, while our PHE Units are sold under
our Taiyu brand only. We believe our ability to provide Sondex-branded PHEs has
contributed to our reputation for high quality products. Prior to our
acquisition of Siping Beifang on May 27, 2009, we sourced all of our PHE plates,
important raw elements used in both PHEs and PHE Units, from Sondex. However,
our acquisition of the plant, machinery and land use rights of Siping Beifang,
along with our internal R&D efforts, now enable us to produce our own plates
for our heat exchangers, which we believe will significantly reduce our reliance
on Sondex-supplied plates. We cannot assure you our products will be as well
received in the marketplace or that we will be able to produce sufficient
quantities to meet demand. If our relationship with Sondex were to terminate, we
would be required to either manufacture plates ourselves and/or procure plates
from other third-party sources, of which we believe there are several alternate
suppliers that meet our volume and quality standards. Currently, we cannot
guarantee our ability to manufacture sufficient plates or that we will be able
to secure supply of plates from third party sources on acceptable terms and in a
timely fashion. Accordingly, termination of our Sondex relationship may present
risks to our business, revenues and operations until we secure alternate and
comparable sources of supply.
The
markets we serve are subject to seasonality and cyclical demand, which could
harm our business and make it difficult to project long-term
performance.
Demand
for our products depends in large part upon the level of capital and maintenance
expenditures of our customers and the end users. These expenditures have
historically been cyclical in nature and vulnerable to economic downturns.
Decreased capital and maintenance spending by our customers could have a
material adverse effect on the demand for our products and our business,
financial condition and results of operations. In particular, an economic
slowdown in the domestic economy may result in reduced orders for PHEs from the
steel processing and petrochemical sectors and lower orders for PHE Units from
the HVAC sector. To date, the Company has not been adversely affected by these
trends and, given the current demand visibility, we do not currently foresee
weakening in the demand for our products in the next year. However, the
historically cyclical nature of the demand for our products limits our ability
to make accurate long-term predictions about our performance. Changing world
economic and political conditions may also reduce the willingness of our
customers and prospective customers to purchase our products and services. The
seasonality of our business results in significant operational challenges to our
production and inventory control functions.
We
historically have derived a substantial part of our revenues from several major
customers. If we lose any of these customers or they reduce the amount of
business they do with us, our revenues may be seriously affected.
For the
nine months ended September 30, 2010, our ten largest customers accounted for
31% of our revenues and our largest customer accounted for 7% of our revenues.
For the year ended December 31, 2009, our ten largest customers accounted for
47% of our revenues and our largest customer accounted for 7% of our revenues.
These customers may not maintain the same volume of business with us in the
future. If we lose any of these customers or they reduce the amount of business
they do with us, our revenues and profitability may be seriously
affected.
Our
accounts receivables remain outstanding for a significant period of time, which
has a negative impact on our cash flow and liquidity.
Our
agreements with our customers generally provide that 30% of the purchase price
is due upon the placement of an order, 30% upon delivery and 30% upon
installation and acceptance of the equipment after customer testing. As a common
practice in the heating manufacturing business in China, payment of the final
10% of the purchase price is due no later than the termination date of the
standard warranty period, which ranges from 3 to 24 months from the acceptance
date. We may experience payment delays from time to time, which range from 1
month to 3 months from the due date. While these payment delays are very common
in the heating manufacturing industry in China and historically our collections
have been reasonably assured, such delays cause capital to be tied up in
inventories, which may result in pressure on our cash flows and liquidity. For
the nine months ended September 30, 2010, we had accounts receivable turnover of
2.58 on an estimated annualized basis, with days sales outstanding of 141 and
inventory turnover of 3.30 on an estimated annualized basis. For the year ended
December 31, 2009, we had accounts receivable turnover of 3.6 with days sales
outstanding of 146 and inventory turnover of 6.2 on an annualized basis. The low
accounts receivable turnover and high days outstanding is due to the seasonality
of the Company’s sales and postponement of payments from certain customers for
projects collected in the fourth quarter. The low inventory turnover for the
nine months ended September 30, 2010, compared to the year ended December 31,
2009, was due to increased inventory on hand for the readiness of the high
production season with an increased number of large orders in 2010.
Approximately 70% of the Company’s revenue is generated in the third and fourth
quarters.
We
acquire most of the components for the manufacture of our products from a
limited number of suppliers.
We
acquire most of the components for the manufacture of our products from a
limited number of suppliers. For us to have our products manufactured, these
components must be available when needed, at the right level of quality, and at
the right price. If we are unable to obtain these components accordingly, we
would experience delays in manufacturing our products and our financial results
could be adversely affected. Suppliers of some of these components require us to
place orders with significant lead-time to assure supply in accordance with our
requirements. Certain of these suppliers are currently the sole source of one or
more components upon which we are dependent and alternative sources would not be
available for those components unless we were to redesign our products. Other
components could be obtained from alternate suppliers without redesign, but only
at higher prices than we currently pay or for delivery later than required by
our production schedule. We maintain a relatively small inventory of component
parts for resale and our parts services business would suffer if the supply of
replacement parts was reduced or terminated by our suppliers. If suppliers are
not able to provide these critical components on the dates and at the prices
scheduled, we may not be able to promptly and cost-effectively manufacture our
products to meet customer orders, which could harm our credibility and the
market acceptance and sales of our products. Increased costs associated with
supplied materials or components could increase our costs and reduce our
profitability if we are unable to pass these cost increases on to our
customers.
We
are a major purchaser of certain goods and raw materials that we use in the
manufacturing process of our products, and price changes for the commodities we
depend on may adversely affect our profitability.
Our
profitability generally depends upon the margin between the cost to us of
certain goods used in the manufacturing process, such as plates, pumps, water
tanks, sensors, controlling systems and other raw materials as well as our
fabrication costs associated with converting such goods and raw materials
compared to the selling price of our products, and the overall supply of raw
materials. It is our intention to base the selling prices of our products upon
the associated raw materials costs to us. However, we may not be able to pass
all increases in raw material costs and ancillary acquisition costs associated
with taking possession of the raw materials through to our customers. Although
we are currently able to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials, it is
impossible to predict future availability or cost. With the rapid growth of
China’s economy, the demand for certain raw materials is great while the supply
may be more limited. This may affect our ability to secure the necessary raw
materials in a cost-effective manner for production of our products at the
volume of purchase orders that we anticipate receiving. The inability to offset
price increases of raw materials by sufficient product price increases, and our
inability to obtain raw materials, would have a material adverse effect on our
consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows.
We
may experience material disruptions to our manufacturing
operations.
While we
seek to operate our facilities in compliance with applicable rules and
regulations and take measures to minimize the risks of disruption at our
facilities, a material disruption at one of our manufacturing facilities could
prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales and/or negatively
impact our financial results. Any of our manufacturing facilities, or any of our
machines within an otherwise operational facility, could cease operations
unexpectedly due to a number of events, including:
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prolonged
power failures;
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disruptions
in the transportation infrastructure including roads, bridges, railroad
tracks;
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fires,
floods, earthquakes or other catastrophes;
and
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other
operational problems.
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We
cannot be certain that our product innovations and marketing successes will
continue.
We
believe our past performance has been based on, and our future success will
depend, in part, upon our ability to continue to improve our existing products
through product innovation and to develop, market and produce new products. We
cannot assure you we will be successful in introducing, marketing and producing
any new products or product innovations, or that we will develop and introduce
in a timely manner innovations to our existing products which satisfy customer
needs or achieve market acceptance. Our failure to develop new products and
introduce them successfully and in a timely manner could harm our ability to
grow our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
Our
technology may not satisfy the changing needs of our customers.
As with
any technology, including the technology of our current and proposed products,
there are risks that the technology may not successfully address all of our
customers' needs. While we have already established successful relationships
with our customers, their needs may change or vary. This may affect the ability
of our present or proposed products to address all of our customers' ultimate
technology needs in an economically feasible manner.
We
may not be able to keep pace with rapid technological changes and competition in
our industry.
While we
believe we have hired or engaged personnel and outside consultants who have the
experience and ability necessary to keep pace with advances in technology, and
while we continue to seek out and develop "next generation" technology through
our research and development efforts, there is no guarantee we will be able to
keep pace with technological developments and market demands in this evolving
industry and market. In addition, our industry is highly competitive. Although
we believe we have developed strategic relationships to best penetrate the China
market, we face competition from other manufacturers of products similar to our
products. Some of our competitors' advantages over us in the areas of products,
marketing and services include the following:
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Substantially
greater revenues and financial
resources;
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Stronger
brand names and consumer
recognition;
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The
capacity to leverage marketing expenditures across a broader portfolio of
products;
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Pre-existing
relationships with potential
customers;
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More
resources to make acquisitions;
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Lower
labor and development costs; and
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Broader
geographic presence.
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We will
face different market dynamics and competition if we expand our market to other
countries. In some international markets, our future competitors would have
greater brand recognition and broader distribution than we have. We may not be
as successful as our competitors in generating revenues in international markets
due to our inability to provide products that are attractive to the markets in
other countries, the lack of recognition of our brand, and other factors. As a
result, any international expansion efforts could be more costly and less
profitable than our efforts in the domestic market in China.
Our
products may contain defects, which could adversely affect our reputation and
cause us to incur significant costs.
Despite
testing, defects may be found in existing or new products. Any such defects
could cause us to incur significant return and exchange costs, re-engineering
costs, divert the attention of our engineering personnel from product
development efforts, and cause significant customer relations and business
reputation problems. Any such defects could force us to undertake a product
recall program, which could cause us to incur significant expenses and could
harm our reputation and that of our products. If we deliver products with
defects, our credibility and the market acceptance and sales of our products
could be harmed.
Due
to the nature of our business and products, we may be liable for damages based
on product liability and warranty claims.
Due to
the high pressures and temperatures at which many of our products are used, and
the fact that some of our products are relied upon by our customers or end users
in their facilities or operations, or are manufactured for relatively broad
consumer use, we face an inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event that
the failure, use or misuse of our products results, or is alleged to result, in
bodily injury, property damage or economic loss. We believe we meet or exceed
existing professional specification standards recognized or required in the
industries in which we operate. We have been subject to claims in the past, none
of which has had a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results
of operations, and we may be subject to claims in the future. Although we
currently maintain product liability coverage, which we believe is adequate for
the continued operation of our business, such insurance may become difficult to
obtain or may become unobtainable in the future on terms acceptable to us and
may not cover warranty claims. A successful product liability claim or series of
claims against us, including one or more consumer claims purporting to
constitute class actions, in excess of our insurance coverage or a significant
warranty claim or series of claims against us could materially decrease our
liquidity and impair our financial condition.
We
may experience delays in launching our products, which would negatively impact
our position in the marketplace.
We may
experience delays in bringing new products to market, due to design,
manufacturing or distribution problems. Such delays could adversely affect our
ability to compete effectively and may adversely affect our relationship with
our customers. Any such delays would adversely affect our revenues and our
ability to become profitable.
If
we are not able to manage our growth, we may not remain profitable.
Our
success will depend on our ability to expand and manage our operations and
facilities. There can be no assurance we will be able to manage our growth, meet
the staffing requirements for our business or for additional collaborative
relationships or successfully assimilate and train new employees. In addition,
to manage our growth effectively, we may be required to expand our management
base and enhance our operating and financial systems. If we continue to grow,
there can be no assurance that the management skills and systems currently in
place will be adequate or that we will be able to manage any additional growth
effectively. Failure to achieve any of these goals could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition or results of
operations.
Our
business could be subject to environmental liabilities.
As is the
case with manufacturers of similar products, we use certain hazardous substances
in our operations. Currently, we do not anticipate any material adverse effect
on our business, revenues or results of operations, as a result of compliance
with Chinese environmental laws and regulations. However, the risk of
environmental liability and charges associated with maintaining compliance with
environmental laws is inherent in the nature of our business, and there is no
assurance that material environmental liabilities and compliance charges will
not arise in the future.
If
we lose our key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional
qualified personnel, the quality of our services may decline and our business
may be adversely impacted.
We rely
heavily on the expertise, experience and continued services of our senior
management, including our president and chief executive officer. Loss of their
services could adversely impact our ability to achieve our business objectives.
We believe our future success will depend upon our ability to retain these key
employees and our ability to attract and retain other skilled personnel. The
rapid growth of the economy in China has caused intense competition for
qualified personnel. We cannot guarantee that any employee will remain employed
by us for any definite period of time or that we will be able to attract, train
or retain qualified personnel in the future and the loss of personnel could have
a material adverse effect on our business and company. Qualified employees
periodically are in great demand and may be unavailable in the time frame
required to satisfy our customers' requirements. We need to employ additional
personnel to expand our business. There is no assurance that we will be able to
attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled employees in the future.
The loss of personnel or our inability to hire or retain sufficient personnel at
competitive rates could impair the growth of our business.
If
we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control, we
may not be able to report our financial results accurately or to prevent fraud.
Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely
could harm our business and adversely impact the trading price of our common
stock.
We are
required to establish and maintain internal controls over financial reporting,
disclosure controls, and to comply with other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act and the rules promulgated by the SEC thereunder. Our management, including
our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, cannot guarantee our
internal controls and disclosure controls will prevent all possible errors or
all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can
provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the
control system are met. In addition, the design of a control system must reflect
the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefit of controls must be
relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control
systems, no system of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control
issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Corporation have been
detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in
decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple
error or mistake. Further, controls can be circumvented by individual acts of
some persons, by collusion of two or more persons, or by management override of
the controls. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon
certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no
assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all
potential future conditions. Over time, a control may become inadequate because
of changes in conditions or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures
may deteriorate. Because of inherent limitations in a cost-effective control
system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and may not be
detected.
We
may need additional capital to execute our business plan and fund operations and
may not be able to obtain such capital on acceptable terms or at
all.
Capital
requirements are difficult to plan for in our rapidly changing industry.
Although we currently expect to have sufficient funding for the next 12 months,
we expect we will need additional capital to fund our future
growth.
Our
ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms or at all is subject to
a variety of uncertainties, including:
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Investors'
perceptions of, and demand for, companies in our
industry;
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Investors'
perceptions of, and demand for, companies operating in
China;
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Conditions
of the U.S. and other capital markets in which we may seek to raise
funds;
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Our
future results of operations, financial condition and cash
flows;
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Governmental
regulation of foreign investment in companies in particular
countries;
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Economic,
political and other conditions in the United States, China, and other
countries; and
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Governmental
policies relating to foreign currency
borrowings.
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We may be
required to pursue sources of additional capital through various means,
including joint venture projects and debt or equity financings. There is no
assurance we will be successful in locating a suitable financing transaction in
a timely fashion or at all. In addition, there is no assurance we will be
successful in obtaining the capital we require by any other means. Future
financings through equity investments are likely to be dilutive to our existing
shareholders. Also, the terms of securities we may issue in future capital
transactions may be more favorable for our new investors. Newly issued
securities may include preferences, superior voting rights, the issuance of
warrants or other derivative securities, and the issuances of incentive awards
under equity employee incentive plans, which may have additional dilutive
effects. Further, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital
and/or financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting
fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We may also be
required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection with certain securities we
may issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which will adversely impact
our financial condition.
If we
cannot raise additional funds on favorable terms or at all, we may not be able
to carry out all or parts of our strategy to maintain our growth and
competitiveness or to fund our operations. If the amount of capital we are able
to raise from financing activities, together with our revenues from operations,
is not sufficient to satisfy our capital needs, even to the extent that we
reduce our operations accordingly, we may be required to cease
operations.
We
may be subject to claims that we have infringed the proprietary rights of
others, which could require us to obtain a license or change our
designs.
Although
we do not believe any of our products infringe the proprietary rights of others,
there is no assurance that infringement or invalidity claims (or claims for
indemnification resulting from infringement claims) will not be asserted or
prosecuted against us or that any such assertions or prosecutions will not
materially adversely affect our business. Regardless of whether any such claims
are valid or can be successfully asserted, defending against such claims could
cause us to incur significant costs and could divert resources away from our
other activities. In addition, assertion of infringement claims could result in
injunctions that prevent us from distributing our products. If any claims or
actions are asserted against us, we may seek to obtain a license to the
intellectual property rights that are in dispute. Such a license may not be
available on reasonable terms, or at all, which could force us to change our
designs.
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
Limitations
on the ability of our operating subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a
material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and fund our
operations.
We are a
holding company and conduct substantially all of our business through our
operating subsidiaries in China. We will of necessity rely on dividends paid by
our subsidiaries for our cash needs, including the funds necessary to pay
dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt
we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. The payment of dividends by
entities organized in China is subject to limitations. In particular,
regulations in China currently permit payment of dividends only out of
accumulated profits as determined in accordance with Chinese accounting
standards and regulations. We are also required to set aside at least 10% of our
operating subsidiaries’ after-tax profit based on Chinese accounting standards
each year to a statutory surplus reserve fund until the accumulative amount of
such reserve reaches 50% of the Company’s registered capital. These reserves are
not distributable as cash dividends. In addition, we are required to allocate a
portion of after-tax profit to a staff welfare and bonus fund at the discretion
of the Company. Moreover, if any of our subsidiaries incur debt on its own
behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict such
subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Any
limitation on the ability of one of our subsidiaries to distribute dividends and
other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to
make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our businesses, pay
dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
It
will be extremely difficult to acquire jurisdiction and enforce liabilities
against our officers, directors and assets based in China.
Our
executive officers and several of our directors, including the chairman of our
Board of Directors, are Chinese citizens. It may be difficult, if not
impossible, to acquire jurisdiction over these persons in the event a lawsuit is
initiated against us and/or our officers and directors by a shareholder or group
of shareholders in the United States. Also, because our operating subsidiaries
and assets are located in China, it may be extremely difficult or impossible for
you to access those assets to enforce judgments rendered against us or our
directors or executive offices by U.S. courts. In addition, the courts in China
may not permit the enforcement of judgments arising out of U.S. federal and
state corporate, securities or similar laws. Accordingly, U.S. investors may not
be able to enforce judgments against us for violation of U.S. securities
laws.
Substantially
all of our assets are located in China and all of our revenue is derived from
our operations in China. Accordingly, our results of operations and prospects
are subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political and legal
developments in China.
While
China's economy has experienced significant growth in the past twenty years,
such growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of
the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to
encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these
measures benefit the overall economy of China, but they may also have a negative
effect on us. For example, our operating results and financial condition may be
adversely affected by the government control over capital investments or changes
in tax regulations. The economy of China has been changing from a planned
economy to a more market-oriented economy. In recent years China has implemented
measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform and
the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of
corporate governance in business enterprises. However, a substantial portion of
productive assets in China are still owned by the government. In addition, the
government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry
development by imposing industrial policies. It also exercises significant
control over China's economic growth through the allocation of resources, the
control of payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, the setting of
monetary policy and the provision of preferential treatment to particular
industries or companies.
PRC
regulations relating to mergers, offshore companies and Chinese shareholders, if
applied to us, may limit our ability to operate our business as we see
fit.
PRC
regulations govern the process by which we may participate in an acquisition of
assets or equity interests. Depending on the structure of the transaction, these
regulations require Chinese parties to make a series of applications and
supplemental applications to various government agencies. In some instances, the
application process may require the presentation of economic data concerning a
transaction, including appraisals of the target business and evaluations of the
acquirer, which are designed to allow the government to assess the transaction.
Government approvals will have expiration dates by which a transaction must be
completed and reported to the government agencies. Compliance with the new
regulations is likely to be more time consuming and expensive than in the past
and the government can now exert more control over the combination of two
businesses. Accordingly, due to PRC regulations, our ability to engage in
business combination transactions in China through our Chinese subsidiaries has
become significantly more complicated, time consuming and expensive, and we may
not be able to negotiate transactions that are acceptable to us or sufficiently
protective of our interests.
We
must comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
We are
required to comply with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which
prohibits U.S. companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments
to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Foreign
companies, including some of our competitors, are not subject to these
prohibitions. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other
fraudulent practices occur from time-to-time in mainland China. If our
competitors engage in these practices, they may receive preferential treatment
from personnel of some companies, giving our competitors an advantage in
securing business or from government officials who might give them priority in
obtaining new licenses, which would put us at a disadvantage. Although we inform
our personnel that such practices are illegal, we cannot assure you 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.
If
the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or CSRC, or another PRC regulatory
agency determines that its approval is required in connection with this
offering, this offering may be delayed or cancelled, or we may become subject to
penalties.
On August
8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC, promulgated the
Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign
Investors, or the M&A Rule, which became effective on September 8, 2006. The
M&A Rule, among other things, has certain provisions that require offshore
special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, formed for the purpose of acquiring PRC
domestic companies and controlled by PRC individuals, to obtain the approval of
the CSRC prior to listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. We
believe, based on the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, the Beijing Rondos Law
Firm, that while the CSRC generally has jurisdiction over overseas listings of
SPVs like us, CSRC’s approval is not required for the offerings of our
securities because our current corporate structure was established before the
new regulation became effective. However, there remains some uncertainty as to
how this regulation will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an
overseas offering. If the CSRC or another PRC regulatory agency subsequently
determines that its approval is required for our public offerings, we may face
sanctions by the CSRC or another PRC regulatory agency. If this happens, these
regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC,
limit our operating privileges in the PRC, delay or restrict the repatriation of
the proceeds from this offering or other of our offerings into the PRC, restrict
or prohibit payment or remittance of dividends by our PRC subsidiaries to us or
take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as
the trading price of our ordinary shares. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory
agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to
delay or cancel this offering before settlement and delivery of the ordinary
shares being offered by us.
We
operate in the PRC through our Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (“WFOE”) status
initially approved by the local office of the PRC Ministry of Commerce
(“MOFCOM”). However, we cannot warrant that such approval procedures have been
completely satisfied due to a number of reasons, including changes in laws and
government interpretations. If we lose our WFOE status for any reason, our
business in China may be negatively impacted.
Our
operating entities in the PRC have received initial MOFCOM approval as WFOEs and
there may be conditions subsequent to complete and maintain such status. We
believe we have satisfied MOFCOM’s approval procedures for having obtained such
status. However, MOFCOM’s approval procedures or interpretations of its approval
procedures may be different from our understanding or may change. As a result,
if we lose our WFOE status for any reason, there may be a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation
and prospects, as well as the trading price of our shares.
If
we fail to satisfy an enlarged contribution of capital requirement at our PRC
subsidiaries, our business in China will be adversely affected.
As of
September 30, 2010, we have contributed a total of $61.1 million to our PRC
subsidiaries. We are committed to contribute an additional $40 million of
capital by April 2015 to one of our PRC subsidiaries, SmartHeat (China)
Investment Co., Ltd, an investment holding company in Shenyang. Under PRC laws,
shareholders of a foreign-invested enterprise are required to contribute capital
to satisfy the registered capital requirement of the foreign-invested enterprise
within a period of not more than two years from the date when the
foreign-invested enterprise’s license to conduct business is initially granted.
The relevant PRC government agencies may grant an additional three-month grace
period. If the shareholders are unable to complete the capital contribution
within the grace period, the PRC government may revoke the business license of
the foreign-invested enterprise. Further, until such contribution of capital is
satisfied, the foreign-invested enterprise is not allowed to repatriate profits
to its shareholders, unless otherwise approved by the State Administration for
Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”).
We
are subject to economic and political risks in China over which we have little
or no control and may be unable to alter our business practice in time to avoid
the possibility of reduced revenues.
Our
business is conducted in China. Doing business outside the U.S., particularly in
China, subjects us to various risks, including changing economic and political
conditions, major work stoppages, exchange controls, currency fluctuations,
armed conflicts and unexpected changes in U.S. and foreign laws relating to
tariffs, trade restrictions, transportation regulations, foreign investments and
taxation. We have no control over most of these risks and may be unable to
anticipate changes in international economic and political conditions and,
therefore, unable to alter our business practice in time to avoid the
possibility of reduced revenues.
We
may have difficulty establishing adequate management, legal and financial
controls in China.
China
historically has not adopted a Western style of management and financial
reporting concepts and practices, or modern banking, computer or other control
systems. We may have difficulty in hiring and retaining a sufficient number of
qualified employees to work in China. As a result of these factors, we may
experience difficulty 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.
Our
bank accounts are not insured or protected against loss.
We
maintain our cash with various banks and trust companies located in China. Our
cash accounts are not insured or otherwise protected. Should any bank or trust
company holding our cash deposits become insolvent, or if we are otherwise
unable to withdraw funds, we would lose the cash on deposit with that particular
bank or trust company.
As
we have limited business insurance coverage in China, any loss which we suffer
may not be insured or may be insured to only a limited extent.
The
insurance industry in China is still in an early stage of development and
insurance companies located in China offer limited business insurance products.
In the event of damage or loss to our properties, our insurance may not provide
as much coverage as if we were insured by insurance companies in the United
States.
Tax
laws and regulations in China are subject to substantial revision, some of which
may adversely affect our profitability.
The
Chinese tax system is in a state of flux, and it is anticipated that China's tax
regime will change in the coming years. Tax benefits we presently enjoy may not
be available in the wake of these changes, and we could incur tax obligations to
our government that are significantly higher than anticipated. These increased
tax obligations could negatively impact our financial condition and our
revenues, gross margins, profitability and results of operations may be
adversely affected as a result.
Certain
tax exemptions that we presently enjoy in China are scheduled to expire over the
next several years.
As a
substantial portion of our operations are located in a privileged economic zone,
we are entitled to certain tax benefits. When these exemptions expire, our
income tax expenses will increase, reducing our net income below what it would
be if we continued to enjoy these exemptions.
We
may face judicial corruption in China.
The
political, governmental and judicial systems in China are sometimes impacted by
corruption. There is no assurance we will be able to obtain recourse in any
legal disputes with suppliers, customers or other parties with whom we conduct
business, if desired, through China's poorly developed and sometimes corrupt
judicial systems.
If
relations between the United States and China worsen, investors may be unwilling
to hold or buy our stock and our stock price may decrease.
At
various times during recent years, the U.S. and China have had significant
disagreements over political and economic issues. Controversies may arise in the
future between these two countries. Any political or trade controversies between
the U.S. and China, whether or not directly related to our business, could
reduce the price of our common stock.
China
could change its policies toward private enterprise or even nationalize or
expropriate private enterprises.
Our
business is subject to significant political and economic uncertainties and may
be affected by political, economic and social developments in China. Over the
past several years, the Chinese government has pursued economic reform policies
including the encouragement of private economic activity and greater economic
decentralization. The Chinese government may not continue to pursue these
policies or may significantly alter them to our detriment from time to time with
little, if any, prior notice.
Uncertainties
with respect to the Chinese legal system could limit legal protections available
to us.
Our
operating subsidiaries, which conduct most of their operations in China, are
generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in
China. The Chinese legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court
decisions may be cited for reference but have no precedential value. Since 1979,
legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded
to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since these laws and
regulations are relatively new and the legal system in China continues to evolve
rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always
uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve
uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to us. In addition,
any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and
diversion of resources and management attention.
Chinese
regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies
by Chinese residents and registration requirements for employee stock ownership
plans or share option plans may subject our China resident shareholders to
personal liability and limit our ability to acquire Chinese companies or to
inject capital into our operating subsidiaries in China, limit our subsidiaries’
ability to distribute profits to us, or otherwise materially and adversely
affect us.
The SAFE
issued a public notice in October 2005, requiring PRC residents, including both
legal persons and natural persons, to register with the competent local SAFE
branch before establishing or controlling any company outside of China, referred
to as an “offshore special purpose company,” for the purpose of acquiring any
assets of or equity interest in PRC companies and raising funds from overseas.
In addition, any PRC resident that is the shareholder of an offshore special
purpose company is required to amend his or her SAFE registration with the local
SAFE branch, with respect to that offshore special purpose company in connection
with any increase or decrease of capital, transfer of shares, merger, division,
equity investment or creation of any security interest over any assets located
in China. To clarify the implementation of Circular 75 further, the SAFE issued
Circular 124 and Circular 106 on November 24, 2005 and May 29, 2007,
respectively. Under Circular 106, PRC subsidiaries of an offshore special
purpose company are required to coordinate and supervise the filing of SAFE
registrations by the offshore holding company’s shareholders who are PRC
residents in a timely manner. If these shareholders fail to comply, the PRC
subsidiaries are required to report to the local SAFE authorities. If the PRC
subsidiaries of the offshore parent company do not report to the local SAFE
authorities, they may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds
from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to their offshore
parent company and the offshore parent company may be restricted in its ability
to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to
comply with the above SAFE registration requirements could result in liabilities
under PRC laws for evasion of foreign exchange restrictions. Some of our PRC
resident beneficial owners have not registered with the local SAFE branch as
required under SAFE regulations. The failure or inability of these PRC resident
beneficial owners to comply with the applicable SAFE registration requirements
may subject these beneficial owners or us to fines, legal sanctions and
restrictions described above.
On March
28, 2007, SAFE released detailed registration procedures for employee stock
ownership plans or share option plans to be established by overseas listed
companies and for individual plan participants. Any failure to comply with the
relevant registration procedures may affect the effectiveness of our employee
stock ownership plans or share option plans and subject the plan participants,
the companies offering the plans or the relevant intermediaries, as the case may
be, to penalties under PRC foreign exchange regime. These penalties may subject
us to fines and legal sanctions, prevent us from being able to make
distributions or pay dividends, as a result of which our business operations and
our ability to distribute profits to you could be materially and adversely
affected.
In
addition, the NDRC promulgated a rule in October 2004 (the “NDRC Rule”), which
requires NDRC approvals for overseas investment projects made by PRC entities.
The NDRC Rule also provides that approval procedures for overseas investment
projects of PRC individuals must be implemented with reference to this rule.
However, there exist extensive uncertainties in terms of interpretation of the
NDRC Rule with respect to its application to a PRC individual’s overseas
investment, and in practice, we are not aware of any precedents that a PRC
individual’s overseas investment has been approved by the NDRC or challenged by
the NDRC based on the absence of NDRC approval. Our current beneficial owners
who are PRC individuals did not apply for NDRC approval for investment in us. We
cannot predict how and to what extent this will affect our business operations
or future strategy. For example, the failure of our shareholders who are PRC
individuals to comply with the NDRC Rule may subject these persons or our PRC
subsidiaries to certain liabilities under PRC laws, which could adversely affect
our business.
Regulation
of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies to Chinese entities
may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to
our operating subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our
liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
As an
offshore holding company of our Chinese operating subsidiaries, we may need to
make loans to them, or we may need to make additional capital contributions to
them. Any loans to our operating subsidiaries are subject to Chinese
regulations. For example, loans by us to our subsidiaries in China, which are
foreign-invested enterprises, to finance their activities cannot exceed
statutory limits and must be registered with the SAFE.
We may
also decide to finance our subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These
capital contributions must be approved by MOFCOM or its local counterpart. We
cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain these government approvals on a
timely basis, if at all, with respect to future capital contributions by us to
our subsidiaries.
Restrictions
on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our revenues
effectively.
The
Renminbi is currently convertible under the “current account,” which includes
dividends, trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not
under the “capital account,” which includes foreign direct investment and loans.
Currently, our Chinese subsidiaries may purchase foreign currencies for
settlement of current account transactions, including payments of dividends to
us, without the approval of SAFE. However, the relevant Chinese government
authorities may limit or eliminate their ability to purchase foreign currencies
in the future. Since a significant amount of our future revenues will be
denominated in Renminbi, any existing and future restrictions on currency
exchange may limit our ability to utilize revenues generated in Renminbi to fund
our business activities outside China that are denominated in foreign
currencies.
Foreign
exchange transactions by our Chinese subsidiaries under the capital account
continue to be subject to significant foreign exchange controls and require the
approval of or need to register with Chinese governmental authorities, including
SAFE. In particular, if our Chinese subsidiaries borrow foreign currency loans
from us or other foreign lenders, these loans must be registered with SAFE, and
if we finance our Chinese subsidiaries by means of additional capital
contributions, these capital contributions must be approved by certain
government authorities, including the NDRC, MOFCOM, or their respective local
counterparts. These limitations could affect the ability of our Chinese
subsidiaries to obtain foreign exchange through debt or equity
financing.
We
face risks associated with currency exchange rate fluctuations; any adverse
fluctuation may adversely affect our operating margins.
Almost
all of our revenues are denominated in Renminbi. Conducting business in
currencies other than U.S. dollars subjects us to fluctuations in currency
exchange rates that could have a negative impact on our reported operating
results. Fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other
currencies impact our revenues, cost of revenues and operating margins and
result in foreign currency translation gains and losses. If the exchange rate of
the Renminbi is affected by lowering its value as against the U.S. dollar, our
reported profitability when stated in U.S. dollars will decrease. Historically,
we have not engaged in exchange rate hedging activities and have no current
intention of doing so.
We
may not be able to adequately protect our technology and other proprietary
rights.
Our
success will depend in part on our ability to obtain and protect our products,
methods, processes and other technologies, to preserve our trade secrets, and to
operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties both
domestically and abroad. We have patents and patent applications pending in
China, and have worked and continue to work closely with Chinese patent
officials to preserve our intellectual property rights. Despite these efforts,
any of the following occurrences may reduce the value of our intellectual
property:
|
·
|
Our
applications for patents and trademarks relating to our business may not
be granted and, if granted, may be challenged or
invalidated;
|
|
·
|
Issued
patents and trademarks may not provide us with any competitive
advantages;
|
|
·
|
Our
efforts to protect our intellectual property rights may not be effective
in preventing misappropriation of our
technology;
|
|
·
|
Our
efforts may not prevent the development and design by others of products
or technologies similar to or competitive with, or superior to those we
develop; or
|
|
·
|
Another
party may obtain a blocking patent and we would need to either obtain a
license or design around the patent in order to continue to offer the
contested feature or service in our
products.
|
SUMMARY
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The
following table sets forth our summary financial data for the periods indicated.
You should read this information together with “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial
statements and related notes incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement. Historical financial information may not be indicative of our future
performance and the results for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, are
not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full
fiscal year.
Consolidated Statement of Income
Data:
|
|
Nine months ended
September 30,
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
sales
|
|
$ |
83,613,250 |
|
|
$ |
56,541,795 |
|
|
$ |
82,563,869 |
|
|
$ |
32,676,082 |
|
Cost
of sales
|
|
|
54,177,914 |
|
|
|
36,562,363 |
|
|
|
53,467,805 |
|
|
|
21,717,735 |
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
29,435,336 |
|
|
|
19,979,432 |
|
|
|
29,096,064 |
|
|
|
10,958,347 |
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
10,595,119 |
|
|
|
4,952,245 |
|
|
|
10,920,865 |
|
|
|
3,416,670 |
|
Income
from operations
|
|
|
18,840,217 |
|
|
|
15,027,187 |
|
|
|
18,175,199 |
|
|
|
7,541,677 |
|
Total
(other expenses) other income
|
|
|
403,259 |
|
|
|
(203,161
|
) |
|
|
113,835 |
|
|
|
93,289 |
|
Income
before provision for income taxes
|
|
|
19,243,476 |
|
|
|
14,824,026 |
|
|
|
18,289,034 |
|
|
|
7,634,966 |
|
Provision
for income taxes
|
|
|
3,059,182 |
|
|
|
2,304,672 |
|
|
|
2,858,186 |
|
|
|
1,293,660 |
|
Minority
interest
|
|
|
16,962 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
11,681 |
|
|
|
(5,966
|
) |
Net
income
|
|
$ |
16,201,256 |
|
|
$ |
12,519,354 |
|
|
$ |
15,442,529 |
|
|
$ |
6,335,340 |
|
Other
comprehensive income – foreign currency translation
adjustments
|
|
|
1,931,721 |
|
|
|
270,399 |
|
|
|
(14,641
|
) |
|
|
510,770 |
|
Comprehensive
income
|
|
|
18,132,977 |
|
|
|
12,789,753 |
|
|
|
15,427,888 |
|
|
|
6,846,110 |
|
Weighted
average number of common shares – basic
|
|
|
32,804,292 |
|
|
|
24,430,806 |
|
|
|
26,535,502 |
|
|
|
22,176,322 |
|
Weighted
average number of common shares – diluted
|
|
|
32,846,171 |
|
|
|
24,513,092 |
|
|
|
26,592,066 |
|
|
|
22,176,432 |
|
Earnings
per share – basic
|
|
$ |
0.49 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.58 |
|
|
$ |
0.29 |
|
Earnings
per share – diluted
|
|
$ |
0.49 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.58 |
|
|
$ |
0.29 |
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheet Data:
|
|
As of September 30,
2010
|
|
Cash
& cash equivalents
|
|
$ |
14,724,091 |
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
142,459,504 |
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
23,385,736 |
|
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
|
|
119,073,768 |
|
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We expect
to receive net proceeds of approximately $26,725,000 from the sale
of 5,000,000 shares of our common stock in this offering, assuming a public
offering price of $5.70 per share (the last reported share price of our common
stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on November 16, 2010), or $30,786,250 if the
underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, after deducting the
estimated expenses related to this offering and the underwriting discounts and
commissions payable by us.
We intend
to use the net proceeds from this offering for potential acquisitions, although
no specific acquisition candidate has been identified to date, and general
corporate purposes including the expansion of our product offerings and capital
expenditures. The amounts and timing of the expenditures will depend on numerous
factors, such as growth in our markets, technological advances and the
competitive environment for our products.
CAPITALIZATION
The
following table sets forth our capitalization as of September 30,
2010:
|
·
|
on
an actual basis; and
|
|
·
|
on
an as-adjusted basis to reflect the receipt of the estimated net proceeds
from our sale of 5,000,000 shares of common stock in this offering, based
on the closing price of $5.70 per share on November 16, 2010, and after
deducting underwriting commissions and estimated offering expenses paid or
payable by us.
|
This
table should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the
related notes, which are incorporated by reference to this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus.
|
|
September
30, 2010
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
As-Adjusted
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
Payable - Bank Acceptances
|
|
|
1,516,865 |
|
|
|
1,516,865 |
|
Loans
Payable
|
|
|
4,476,877 |
|
|
|
4,476,877 |
|
|
|
|
5,993,742 |
|
|
|
5,993,742 |
|
Stockholders'
Equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
stock, $.001 par value, 75,000,000 shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
authorized,
32,811,125 shares issued and outstanding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
at
September 30, 2010, and 37,811,125 shares issued and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
outstanding
on an as adjusted basis at September 30, 2010
|
|
|
32,811 |
|
|
|
37,811 |
|
Additional
Paid-in Capital
|
|
|
75,163,813 |
|
|
|
101,883,813 |
|
Accumulated
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
|
|
|
2,901,709 |
|
|
|
2,901,709 |
|
Statutory
Reserves
|
|
|
4,613,151 |
|
|
|
4,613,151 |
|
Retained
Earnings
|
|
|
35,673,363 |
|
|
|
35,673,363 |
|
Total
Stockholders' Equity
|
|
|
118,384,847 |
|
|
|
145,109,847 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Controlling
Interest
|
|
|
688,921 |
|
|
|
688,921 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Capitalization
|
|
|
125,067,510 |
|
|
|
151,792,510 |
|
(1) The number of shares of common
stock shown in the preceding table to be outstanding after this offering is
based on 32,811,125 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2010, which excludes
96,775 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding
as of September 30, 2010, at an exercise price of $6.00 per share; stock options
outstanding as of September 30, 2010, to purchase 63,333 shares of our common
stock at an exercise price of $10.32 per share; 500 shares of our common stock
to be issued pursuant to a one-year consulting service agreement with a
consultant; and 1,000,000 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under
our 2010 Equity Incentive Plan.
PRICE
RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DIVIDEND POLICY
On
April 22, 2008, our common stock became eligible for quotation on the
OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”) under the symbol “SMHT.” On January 29, 2009,
our common stock commenced trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol
“HEAT” and was subsequently listed on the NASDAQ Global Market on March 10,
2009. The following table sets forth the range of the high and low bid
prices per share of our common stock for each quarter (or portion thereof)
beginning on April 22, 2008, and ending on November 16, 2010, as reported by the
OTCBB for the period beginning on April 22, 2008, to January 28, 2009, and as
reported on the Nasdaq Stock Market from January 29, 2009, to March 9, 2009, and
on the Nasdaq Global Market thereafter. These quotations represent inter-dealer
prices, without retail mark-up, markdown, or commission and may not represent
actual transactions.
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
Second
Quarter 2008 (April 22, 2008 – June 30, 2008)
|
|
$ |
4.60 |
|
|
$ |
2.00 |
|
Third
Quarter 2008 (through September 30, 2008)
|
|
$ |
4.75 |
|
|
$ |
4.50 |
|
Fourth
Quarter 2008 (through December 31, 2008)
|
|
$ |
6.50 |
|
|
$ |
2.25 |
|
First
Quarter 2009 (through March 31, 2009)
|
|
$ |
6.20 |
|
|
$ |
5.50 |
|
Second
Quarter 2009 (through June 30, 2009)
|
|
$ |
8.00 |
|
|
$ |
5.01 |
|
Third
Quarter 2009 (through September 30, 2009)
|
|
$ |
10.36 |
|
|
$ |
5.83 |
|
Fourth
Quarter 2009 (through December 31, 2009)
|
|
$ |
17.27 |
|
|
$ |
8.60 |
|
First
Quarter 2010 (through March 31, 2010)
|
|
$ |
18.60 |
|
|
$ |
10.21 |
|
Second
Quarter 2010 (through June 30, 2010)
|
|
$ |
10.93 |
|
|
$ |
5.32 |
|
Third
Quarter 2010 (through September 30, 2010)
|
|
$ |
7.39 |
|
|
$ |
5.11 |
|
Fourth
Quarter 2010 (through November 16, 2010)
|
|
$ |
8.11 |
|
|
$ |
5.70 |
|
On
November 16, 2010, the closing sales price of our common stock was
$5.70.
As of
November 16, 2010, there were 49 shareholders of record of our common
stock. Since some of our shares of common stock are held in street or
nominee name, it is believed that there are a substantial number of additional
beneficial owners of our common stock.
Dividend
Policy
We have
not paid and do not expect to declare or pay any cash dividends on our common
stock in the foreseeable future, and we currently intend to retain future
earnings, if any, to finance the expansion of our business. The decision whether
to pay cash dividends on our common stock will be made by our board of
directors, in their discretion, and will depend on our financial condition,
operating results, capital requirements and other factors that the board of
directors considers significant.
UNDERWRITING
Barclays
Capital Inc. is acting as the representative of the underwriters and is the sole
book-running manager of this offering. Under the terms of an underwriting
agreement, which we will file as an exhibit to our current report on Form 8-K
and be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus, each of the underwriters named below has severally
agreed to purchase from us the respective number of common stock shown opposite
its name below:
Underwriters
|
|
Number of
Shares
|
|
Barclays
Capital Inc.
|
|
|
|
Oppenheimer
& Co. Inc.
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
The
underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters’ obligation to purchase
shares of common stock depends on the satisfaction of the conditions contained
in the underwriting agreement including:
|
·
|
the
obligation to purchase all of the shares of common stock offered hereby
(other than those shares of common stock covered by their option to
purchase additional shares as described below), if any of the shares are
purchased;
|
|
·
|
the
representations and warranties made by us to the underwriters are
true;
|
|
·
|
there
is no material change in our business or in the financial markets;
and
|
|
·
|
we
deliver customary closing documents to the
underwriters.
|
Commissions
and Expenses
The
following table summarizes the underwriting discounts and commissions we will
pay to the underwriters. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and
full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The
underwriting fee is the difference between the initial price to the public and
the amount the underwriters pay to us for the shares.
|
|
No
Exercise
|
|
|
Full
Exercise
|
|
Per
Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
representative of the underwriters has advised us that the underwriters propose
to offer the shares of common stock directly to the public at the public
offering price on the cover of this prospectus supplement and to selected
dealers, which may include the underwriters, at such offering price less a
selling concession not in excess of $
per share. After the offering, the representative may change the offering price
and other selling terms. Sales of shares made outside of the United States may
be made by affiliates of the underwriters.
The
expenses of the offering that are payable by us are estimated to be $350,000 (excluding
underwriting discounts and commissions).
Option
to Purchase Additional Shares
We have
granted the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days after the date of
the underwriting agreement, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part,
up to an aggregate of 750,000 shares at the public offering price less
underwriting discounts and commissions. This option may be exercised if the
underwriters sell more than 5,000,000 shares in connection with this offering.
To the extent that this option is exercised, each underwriter will be obligated,
subject to certain conditions, to purchase its pro rata portion of these
additional shares based on the underwriter’s percentage underwriting commitment
in the offering as indicated in the table at the beginning of this Underwriting
section.
Lock-Up
Agreements
We, all
of our directors and executive officers and three of our large shareholders have
agreed that, subject to certain exceptions, without the prior written consent of
Barclays Capital Inc., we and they will not directly or indirectly (1) offer for
sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or
device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition
by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of common stock
(including, without limitation, shares of common stock that may be deemed to be
beneficially owned by us or them in accordance with the rules and regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and shares of common stock that may be
issued upon exercise of any options or warrants) or securities convertible into
or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock; (2) enter into any swap or
other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part,
any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock; (3) make any
demand for or exercise any right or file or cause to be filed a registration
statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of
any shares of common stock or securities convertible, exercisable or
exchangeable into common stock or any of our other securities; or (4) publicly
disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 90 days after
the date of this prospectus supplement.
The
90-day restricted period described in the preceding paragraph will be extended
if:
|
·
|
during
the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period we issue an earnings
release or material news or a material event relating to us occurs;
or
|
|
·
|
prior
to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, we announce that we
will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the
last day of the 90-day period;
|
in which
case the restrictions described in the preceding paragraph will continue to
apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the
earnings release or the announcement of the material news or occurrence of
material event, unless such extension is waived in writing by Barclays Capital
Inc.
Barclays
Capital Inc., in its sole discretion, may release the common stock and other
securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part
at any time with or without notice. When determining whether or not to release
common stock and other securities from lock-up agreements, Barclays Capital Inc.
will consider, among other factors, the holder’s reasons for requesting the
release, the number of shares of common stock and other securities for which the
release is being requested and market conditions at the time.
Indemnification
We have
agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the
underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.
Stabilization,
Short Positions and Penalty Bids
The
representative may engage in stabilizing transactions, short sales and purchases
to cover positions created by short sales, and penalty bids or purchases for the
purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock, in
accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934:
|
·
|
Stabilizing
transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as
the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified
maximum.
|
|
·
|
A
short position involves a sale by the underwriters of shares in excess of
the number of shares the underwriters are obligated to purchase in the
offering, which creates the syndicate short position. This short position
may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a
covered short position, the number of shares involved in the sales made by
the underwriters in excess of the number of shares they are obligated to
purchase is not greater than the number of shares that they may purchase
by exercising their option to purchase additional shares. In a naked short
position, the number of shares involved is greater than the number of
shares in their option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters may
close out any short position by either exercising their option to purchase
additional shares and/or purchasing shares in the open market. In
determining the source of shares to close out the short position, the
underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares
available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at
which they may purchase shares through their option to purchase additional
shares. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the
underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the
price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely
affect investors who purchase in the
offering.
|
|
·
|
Syndicate
covering transactions involve purchases of the common stock in the open
market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover
syndicate short positions.
|
|
·
|
Penalty
bids permit the representatives to reclaim a selling concession from a
syndicate member when the common stock originally sold by the syndicate
member is purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to
cover syndicate short positions.
|
These
stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may
have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock
or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock. As
a result, the price of the common stock may be higher than the price that might
otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the
NASDAQ Global Market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any
time.
Neither
we nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the
direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may
have on the price of the common stock. In addition, neither we nor any of the
underwriters make representation that the representative will engage in these
stabilizing transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be
discontinued without notice.
Passive
Market Making – NASDAQ Follow-On
In
connection with the offering, underwriters and selling group members may engage
in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the NASDAQ Global
Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the period before the commencement of offers or sales of
common stock and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive
market maker must display its bids at a price not in excess of the highest
independent bid of the security. However, if all independent bids are lowered
below the passive market maker’s bid that bid must be lowered when specified
purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic
Distribution
A
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic format may
be made available on the Internet sites or through other online services
maintained by one or more of the underwriters and/or selling group members
participating in this offering, or by their affiliates. In those cases,
prospective investors may view offering terms online and, depending upon the
particular underwriter or selling group member, prospective investors may be
allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a
specific number of shares for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such
allocation for online distributions will be made by the representative on the
same basis as other allocations.
Other
than the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic
format, the information on any underwriter’s or selling group member’s web site
and any information contained in any other web site maintained by an underwriter
or selling group member is not part of the prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus forms a part, has not been approved
and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter or selling group member in its capacity
as underwriter or selling group member and should not be relied upon by
investors.
Stamp Taxes
If you
purchase shares of common stock offered in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other
charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to
the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus.
Relationships
Certain
of the underwriters and their related entities have engaged, and may in the
future engage, in commercial and investment banking transactions with us in the
ordinary course of their business. They have received, and expect to receive,
customary compensation and expense reimbursement for these commercial and
investment banking transactions.
Selling
Restrictions
European
Economic Area
In
relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented
the Prospectus Directive (each, a relevant member state), with effect from and
including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that
relevant member state (the relevant implementation date), an offer of securities
described in this prospectus supplement may not be made to the public in that
relevant member state other than:
|
·
|
to
any legal entity that is authorized or regulated to operate in the
financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate
purpose is solely to invest in
securities;
|
|
·
|
to
any legal entity that has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250
employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of
more than €43,000,000 and (3) an annual net turnover of more than
€50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated
accounts;
|
|
·
|
to
fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as
defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior
consent of the representative; or
|
|
·
|
in
any other circumstances that do not require the publication of a
prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus
Directive,
|
provided
that no such offer of securities shall require us or any underwriter to publish
a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For
purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of securities to the
public” in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by
any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities
to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the
securities, as the expression may be varied in that member state by any measure
implementing the Prospectus Directive in that member state, and the expression
“Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant
implementing measure in each relevant member state.
We have
not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of securities
through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by
the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the securities as
contemplated in this prospectus supplement. Accordingly, no purchaser of the
securities, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer
of the securities on behalf of us, or the underwriters.
United
Kingdom
This
prospectus supplement is only being distributed to, and is only directed at,
persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of
Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive (“Qualified Investors”) that are
also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or
(ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be
communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such
persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This prospectus
supplement and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed,
published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any
other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is
not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its
contents.
Australia
No
prospectus supplement or other disclosure document (as defined in the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia (“Corporations Act”)) in relation to
the common stock has been or will be lodged with the Australian Securities &
Investments Commission (“ASIC”). This document has not been lodged with ASIC and
is only directed to certain categories of exempt persons. Accordingly, if you
receive this document in Australia:
|
(a)
|
you
confirm and warrant that you are
either:
|
|
(i)
|
a
“sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the
Corporations Act;
|
|
(ii)
|
a
“sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the
Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to
us which complies with the requirements of Section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of
the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been
made;
|
|
(iii)
|
a
person associated with the company under Section 708(12) of the
Corporations Act; or
|
|
(iv)
|
a
“professional investor” within the meaning of Section 708(11)(a) or (b) of
the Corporations Act,
|
and to
the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt
sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the
Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable
of acceptance; and
(b) you
warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares of common stock for
resale in Australia within 12 months of those shares being issued unless any
such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document
under Section 708 of the Corporations Act.
Hong
Kong
The
common stock may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document,
other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and
Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made under that
Ordinance or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document
being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of
Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning
of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the
common stock may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the
purpose of the issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at,
or the contents of which are likely to be read by, the public in Hong Kong
(except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with
respect to the common stock which are intended to be disposed of only to persons
outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the
Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) or any rules made
under that Ordinance.
India
This
prospectus supplement has not been and will not be registered as a prospectus
with the Registrar of Companies in India or with the Securities and Exchange
Board of India. This prospectus supplement or any other material relating to
these securities is for information purposes only and may not be circulated or
distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public or any members of the public
in India and in any event to not more than 50 persons in India. Further, persons
into whose possession this prospectus supplement comes are required to inform
themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. Each prospective investor
is advised to consult its advisors about the particular consequences to it of an
investment in these securities. Each prospective investor is also advised that
any investment in these securities by it is subject to the regulations
prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India and the Foreign Exchange Management Act
and any regulations framed thereunder.
Japan
No
securities registration statement (“SRS”) has been filed under Article 4,
Paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25
of 1948, as amended) (“FIEL”) in relation to the common stock. The common stock
are being offered in a private placement to “qualified institutional investors”
(tekikaku-kikan-toshika) under Article 10 of the Cabinet Office Ordinance
concerning Definitions provided in Article 2 of the FIEL (the Ministry of
Finance Ordinance No. 14, as amended) (“QIIs”), under Article 2, Paragraph 3,
Item 2 i of the FIEL. Any QII acquiring the common stock in this offer may not
transfer or resell those shares except to other QIIs.
Korea
The
common stock may not be offered, sold and delivered directly or indirectly, or
offered or sold to any person for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly,
in Korea or to any resident of Korea except pursuant to the applicable laws and
regulations of Korea, including the Korea Securities and Exchange Act and the
Foreign Exchange Transaction Law and the decrees and regulations thereunder. The
common stock have not been registered with the Financial Services Commission of
Korea for public offering in Korea. Furthermore, the common stock may not be
resold to Korean residents unless the purchaser of the common stock complies
with all applicable regulatory requirements (including but not limited to
government approval requirements under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Law and
its subordinate decrees and regulations) in connection with the purchase of the
common stock.
Singapore
This
prospectus supplement has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary
Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement and any other
document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for
subscription or purchase, of the common stock may not be circulated or
distributed, nor may the common stock be offered or sold, or be made the subject
of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly,
to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under
Section 274 of the Securities and Future Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the
“SFA”), (ii) to a “relevant person” as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or
any person pursuant to Section 275 (1A), and in accordance with the conditions,
specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in
accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the
SFA.
Where the
common stock are subscribed and purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a
relevant person, which is:
|
(a)
|
a
corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A
of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the
entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of
whom is an accredited investor; or
|
|
(b)
|
a
trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in
Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole whole purpose is to hold investments
and each beneficiary is an accredited
investor,
|
shares,
debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the
beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not
be transferable within six months after that corporation or that trust has
acquired the common stock under Section 275 of the SFA except:
|
(i)
|
to
an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant
person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) and in accordance with
the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the
SFA;
|
|
(ii)
|
(in
the case of a corporation) where the transfer arises from an offer
referred to in Section 275(1A) of the SFA, or (in the case of a trust)
where the transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such
rights or interests are acquired at a consideration of not less than
S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction,
whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities
or other assets;
|
|
(iii)
|
where
no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;
or
|
|
(iv)
|
where
the transfer is by operation of
law.
|
By
accepting this prospectus supplement, the recipient hereof represents and
warrants that he is entitled to receive it in accordance with the restrictions
set forth above and agrees to be bound by limitations contained herein. Any
failure to comply with these limitations may constitute a violation of
law.
VALIDITY
OF THE SECURITIES
The
validity of the shares of common stock offered in this prospectus supplement has
been passed upon for us by Holland & Hart LLP, Reno, Nevada. The Newman
Law Firm, PLLC has acted as corporate and securities counsel for the Company
and, in connection with this offering, the Beijing Rondos Law Firm has acted as
the PRC counsel for the Company. Morrison & Foerster LLP, New York, New York
has acted as U.S. counsel for the underwriters.
EXPERTS
The
consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2009, incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the 2009 10-K have been
audited by Goldman Kurland & Mohidin, LLP, an independent certified
public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is incorporated herein
by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such
firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are
subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, which requires us
to file reports and other information with the SEC. You can inspect and copy
reports, proxy statements and other information filed by us at the Public
Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549.
You can
obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the
SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can obtain copies of this material by mail from the
Public Reference Room of the SEC at 1580, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549, at prescribed rates. You can also obtain such reports, proxy statements
and other information from the web site that the SEC maintains at http://www.sec.gov.
Reports,
proxy statements and other information concerning us may also be obtained
electronically at our website, http://www.smartheatinc.com,
and through a variety of databases, including, among others, the SEC’s
Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval (EDGAR) program, Knight-Ridder
Information Inc., Federal Filing/Dow Jones and Lexis/Nexis. None of the
information on those websites that is not otherwise expressly set forth in or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement is a part of this
prospectus supplement.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The
Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as 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 supplement, and information that we file later with the SEC will
automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference
the documents listed below and any future filings we will make with the SEC
under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, which is commonly referred to as the Exchange Act:
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Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2009;
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Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2010, June 30, 2010,
and September 30, 2010;
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Current
Reports on Form 8-K filed on August 12, 2010, May 26, 2010, May 5, 2010,
March 31, 2010, and February 4, 2010;
and
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Our
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated April 16,
2010.
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You may
request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the
following address:
Ms. Jane
Ai, Corporate Secretary
SmartHeat
Inc.
Tel:
011-86-24-25363366
Email:
info@SmartHeatinc.com
You
should rely only on the information or representations provided in or
incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
base prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with
different information. You should not assume that the information in this
prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus or any supplement hereto
or thereto is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those
documents.
PROSPECTUS
$100,000,000
SMARTHEAT,
INC.
Common
Stock
Warrants
Debt
Securities
Units
Rights
We may from time to time, in one or
more offerings at prices and on terms that we will determine at the time of each
offering, sell common stock, warrants, debt securities, rights or a combination
of these securities, or units, for an aggregate initial offering price of up to
$100,000,000. This prospectus describes the general manner in which our
securities may be offered using this prospectus. Each time we offer and sell
securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will contain
specific information about the terms of that offering. Any prospectus supplement
may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. You
should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement
as well as the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
in this prospectus before you purchase any of the securities offered
hereby.
This prospectus may not be used to
offer and sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus
supplement.
Our common stock is currently traded on
the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HEAT.” On October 13, 2010, the
last reported sales price for our common stock was $7.05 per share. We will
apply to list any shares of common stock sold by us under this prospectus and
any prospectus supplement on the NASDAQ Global Market. The prospectus supplement
will contain information, where applicable, as to any other listing of the
securities on the NASDAQ Global Market or any other securities market or
exchange covered by the prospectus supplement.
As of October 13, 2010, the
aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates
was approximately $135,254,426, based on 32,811,125 shares of outstanding common
stock, of which approximately 19,185,025 shares are held by non-affiliates, and
a per share price of $7.05, based on the closing sale price of our common stock
on October 13, 2010.
The securities offered by this
prospectus involve a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page
9, in addition to Risk Factors contained in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
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.
We may offer the securities directly or
through agents or through underwriters or dealers. If any agents or
underwriters are involved in the sale of the securities, their names, and any
applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or
among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set
forth, in an accompanying prospectus supplement. We can sell the securities
through agents, underwriters or dealers only with delivery of a prospectus
supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.
This
prospectus is dated November 2, 2010
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
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3
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NOTE
ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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3
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PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
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4
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RISK
FACTORS
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9
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USE
OF PROCEEDS
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9
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PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
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9
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DESCRIPTION
OF SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
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11
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LEGAL
MATTERS
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23
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EXPERTS
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WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US
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23
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INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
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23
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DISCLOSURE
OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT
LIABILITIES
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24
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a
registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration
process, we may offer from time to time securities having a maximum aggregate
offering price of $100,000,000. Each time we offer securities, we will prepare
and file with the SEC a prospectus supplement that describes the specific
amounts, prices and terms of the securities we offer. The prospectus supplement
also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or the
documents incorporated herein by reference. You should read carefully both this
prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information
described below under the caption “Where You Can Find More Information,” before
making an investment decision.
This prospectus does not contain all
the information provided in the registration statement we filed with the SEC.
For further information about us or our securities offered hereby, you should
refer to that registration statement, which you can obtain from the SEC as
described below under “Where You Can Find More Information.”
You should rely only on the information
contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or a prospectus
supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with
different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent
information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus is not an offer to sell
securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities, in any
jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that
the information appearing in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, as
well as information we have previously filed with the SEC and incorporated by
reference, is accurate as of the date of those documents only. Our business,
financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since
those dates.
We may sell securities through
underwriters or dealers, through agents, directly to purchasers or through a
combination of these methods. We and our agents reserve the sole right to accept
or reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of securities. The
prospectus supplement, which we will prepare and file with the SEC each time we
offer securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, agents or others
involved in the sale of securities, and any applicable fee, commission or
discount arrangements with them. See “Plan of Distribution.”
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless
the context requires otherwise, when used in this prospectus, the terms
“SmartHeat,” “Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to SmartHeat Inc.
(“SmartHeat”) and its subsidiaries. “China” and the “PRC” refer to
the People’s Republic of China.
NOTE
ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus or any accompanying
prospectus supplement, including the documents that we incorporate by reference,
may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation,
intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are
not statements of historical fact. Any forward-looking statements are based on
our current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to
risks and uncertainties known and unknown that could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such
statements.
In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by terminology, such as “expects,” “anticipates,”
“intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “should”, “could”
or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, these
statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any
forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the
risk factors described herein and those included in any accompanying prospectus
supplement or in any document incorporated by reference into this
prospectus.
You should read this prospectus and any
accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents that we reference herein
and therein and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which
this prospectus is part, completely and with the understanding that our actual
future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. You
should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any
accompanying prospectus supplement and any document incorporated herein by
reference is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to
above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you
should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we
undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect
events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to
time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In
addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the
extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We
qualify all of the information that constitutes forward-looking statements
presented in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any
document incorporated herein by reference, by these cautionary
statements.
These
forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements relating
to:
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our goals and
strategies;
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our future business development,
financial conditions and results of
operations;
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the expected growth of the market
for PHE products and heat meters in
China;
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our expectations regarding demand
for our products;
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our expectations regarding
keeping and strengthening our relationships with key
customers;
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our ability to stay abreast of
market trends and technological
advances;
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our ability to effectively
protect our intellectual property rights and not infringe on the
intellectual property rights of
others;
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our ability to attract and retain
quality employees;
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our ability to pursue strategic
acquisitions and alliances;
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competition in our industry in
China;
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general economic and business
conditions in the regions in which we sell our
products;
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relevant government policies and
regulations relating to our industry;
and
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market acceptance of our
products.
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PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
The
following summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this
prospectus, and the documents incorporated herein by reference. This summary
does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in
our securities. Before deciding to invest in our securities, you should read
this entire prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and the documents
incorporated herein and therein, including the discussion of “Risk Factors” and
our consolidated financial statements and the related notes. Moreover, the
information contained in this prospectus includes “forward-looking statements,”
which are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future
developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that
future developments actually affecting us will be those anticipated. Please see
page 3 of the accompanying prospectus for cautionary information regarding
forward-looking statements.
Our
Company
We are a
leading designer, manufacturer and seller of clean technology heat exchangers
and related systems in the People’s Republic of China (“China”). Our products
are used by our customers in the industrial, residential and commercial markets
in China to improve energy utilization and efficiencies and reduce pollution by
reducing the need for coal fired boilers. We design, manufacture, sell and
service plate heat exchangers (“PHEs”), PHE units, which combine PHEs with
various pumps, temperature sensors, valves and automated control systems (“PHE
Units”), and heat meters for use in commercial and residential buildings. We
also design, manufacture, and sell spiral heat exchangers and tube heat
exchangers. Our products and systems are an important element in providing
a clean technology, mission-critical solution to energy consumption and air
pollution problems in China and are commonly used in a wide variety of
industrial processes where heat transfer is required. Common applications
include energy conversion for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”)
and industrial use in petroleum refining, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food and
beverage and chemical processing. Our PHE Units are custom designed by our
own in-house engineers and sold under our own Taiyu brand name, while our PHEs
are sold under both our Taiyu brand as well as the Sondex brand
name.
A PHE is
a device that transfers energy from one fluid to another across a solid surface.
PHEs are made of stainless steel, titanium or nickel alloy plates that are
sealed by gaskets and then bolted together in a large metal frame that holds the
plates together. Plates come in a variety of sizes and wave patterns; have large
heat transfer surfaces and high thermal conductivity. The quantity and size of
the plates and size of the PHEs and PHE Units vary according to particular
application requirements.
Among the primary advantages of plate
heat exchangers as compared to traditional shell and tube heat exchangers are
their efficiency, compact design and ease of customization. PHEs have larger
heat transfer surface areas and therefore greater thermal conductivity. As a
result, PHEs can transfer the same amount of heat as a traditional shell and
tube heat exchanger despite the small size of the PHE. In China, coal is the
predominant source of heat energy, and coal burning is a significant contributor
to carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emissions. According to
International Energy Statistics provided by the Energy Information
Administration, a subdivision of the United States Department of Energy, in
2007, the consumption of coal accounted for 27% of the total primary energy
consumption in the world. China was the largest producer of CO2 from the consumption of coal in 2008,
accounting for 41.7% of the world total.
The PRC
government’s 11th
Five-Year Plan (the “11th
Five-Year Plan’’), announced in 2006, targeted a 20% reduction in energy
consumption per unit of GDP and a 10% reduction in industry expulsion of
pollutant particles by 2010. Management expects further reductions will be
included in the upcoming 12th
Five-Year Plan. As the Chinese government begins to require the use of machines
that produce more efficient heat transfer and utilize waste heat energy, PHEs
will be an important element in reducing overall coal consumption in China,
which will translate into lower heating costs, lower CO2 emissions
for users and less pollution to the environment. According to the Chinese
government, China has cut energy use per unit of GDP by 14.38 percent between
2006 and 2009 and it aims to cut carbon dioxide output per unit of GDP by at
least 40 percent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.
We
currently focus predominantly on the Chinese market. All designs of our PHEs and
PHE Units are done in-house by our engineers utilizing advanced software and our
proprietary in-house CAD software. In May of 2009, we acquired the production
assets of Siping Beifang Heat Exchanger, Manufacture Co., Ltd. (“Siping
Beifang”), one of the major plate heat exchanger manufacturers in China, and
began a program to vertically integrate our supply chain for our own PHE
components and, at the same time, supplement our relationship with our main
supplier, Sondex. As a result, we now manufacture our own plates, tubes,
and gaskets and can design and manufacture PHEs and PHE Units using either
supply source for the component plates. Our new plates provide solutions for a
market segment with strong demand for PHE products that are priced 10-15% lower
than PHE products with Sondex plates.
In early
2006 we launched a third product line, heat meters, which utilize the same sales
channels and allow us to provide heat consumption information to users. Heat
meters precisely measure the volume of heat usage, which is an important revenue
stream for utility companies. While home owners commonly use heat meters in
western countries, widespread incorporation of heat meters has only recently
taken hold in China. As of July 2003, heat meters were required nationally by
law for new construction installed with central heating and the law was extended
in April of 2008 by the Energy Conservation Law, Article 38, to existing
buildings being retrofitted. This law implies that heat meters be installed in
new residential construction and retrofitted buildings. We believe there are
significant opportunities for strong incremental growth as the Chinese
government continues to focus on ways to cost effectively monitor and conserve
energy.
Source:
The Company
From 2006
to 2009, our total revenue increased from $8.2 million to $82.6 million, a
compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 116.0%. Our net income has grown at a
168.0% CAGR from $0.8 million in 2006 to $15.4 million in 2009.
Our
company is headquartered in Shenyang China where we have a 210,137 square foot
state of the art production facility. We operate two other production and
assembly facilities in China. As of September 24, 2010 we had approximately 744
regular full-time employees and approximately 149 seasonal
employees.
Our principal offices are located at A-1, 10, Street 7, Shenyang
Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China 110027. Our
telephone number is 86 (24) 2519-7699
Our
Industry
We address the utility and industrial
sectors throughout China. Participants in these industries are large users of
PHEs, PHE Units and related accessories. We also address the HVAC sector.
Participants in this industry are large users of heat meters. We also provide
after sale services on our PHEs, PHE Units and heat meters to these industries.
These services include maintenance, repair, and supplying spare
parts.
According to “China Heat Exchanger Industry
Report” (hereinafter referred to as the “Industry Report”) issued by Zero
Power Intelligence Co., Ltd., an independent market research firm in China, the
world heat exchanger market has grown significantly in the past several years.
Global sales of heat exchangers grew from $29.7 billion in 2005 to $38.6 billion
in 2008, or 30%, and are expected to grow to $55.3 billion in 2012, or 43% in
the four-year period from 2009 to 2012.
According to the Industry Report, China
has become the second largest market and one of the fastest growing markets for
heat exchangers. The sales of heat exchangers in China grew from $3.2 billion in
2005 to $5.4 billion in 2008, or 70%, and are projected to grow to $11.0 billion
in 2012, or 106% in the four-year period from 2009 to 2012.
Currently, there are social, economic,
environmental, regulatory and government stimulus-related factors driving demand
for environmentally-friendly solutions which reduce pollution and advance energy
efficiency, many of which utilize PHEs. These include:
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Environmental
Conditions in China. According to the report entitled
“The Cost of Pollution in China,” published in 2007 by the World Bank, the
combined health and non-health cost of air and water pollution in China
amounted to an estimated $100 billion a year. Moreover, the report found
that air pollution, especially in large Chinese cities, is leading to
higher incidences of lung diseases, cancer, and respiratory problems.
According to a report commissioned by the Energy Foundation published in
2008, these problems are directly attributable to the fact that 80% of
China’s carbon dioxide emissions come from burning
coal.
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Growing
Demand for Heating Water. China currently provides
households throughout 17 of its 34 northern provinces with heating water.
As new cities grow along with the emerging middle class, so does the
demand to expand this supply into new cities, industrial parks and other
provinces. Heating water in China is generated by local power plants which
pump emitted hot water from the power plant through a closed loop system
to a water heating company and then through a network of pipes up to a
distance of 50 kilometers. These systems of heating stations and
sub-stations utilize numerous PHEs and PHE Units, which provide a dual
purpose: a cooling system for the power plants and a heat source for
residents and factories.
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Heightened
Environmental Awareness. Management expects the PRC
government’s upcoming 12th Five Year Plan to target a
40-45% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP from 2005 levels.
The implementation of PHEs and PHE Units in new construction facilities,
and as replacements for legacy shell-and-tube heat exchangers, can help
meet these goals because of their increased energy
efficiency.
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Urbanization. According to the CIA World
Factbook, 43% of China’s population lived in urban settings in 2008.
Additionally, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, 15
cities near and around SmartHeat’s sales and service centers have a
population of more than five million. Eight of these Chinese cities are
among the world’s fastest growing, increasing at an annual rate of 2.5% or
more. China’s urbanization has lead to new infrastructure development and
existing infrastructure improvements that require ongoing investment in
heating solutions.
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Government
Stimulus. On
November 5,
2008, China’s State Council approved a $586 billion plan to invest in
infrastructure and social welfare. On March 6, 2009, China’s National
Development and Reform Commission revised this plan to include $31 billion
to be partially allocated to energy-saving projects. These funds are
required to be spent by the end of 2010. In addition, on April 2, 2010 the
Chinese National Development and Reform Commission issued an Opinion on
Expediting the Implementation of Energy Performance Contracting for
Promoting Energy Saving Service Industry Development which directed all local
governments to budget funds to invest in and support energy saving
industries.
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Emerging
Wealth. The rapidly
expanding middle class in China is now demanding access to quality heating
during the winter months. This demand is often met by using hot water
supplied from a power station and district heating network that utilizes a
system of PHEs and PHE
Units.
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Our
Competitive Strengths
We
believe we have the following competitive strengths:
Provider of Key Elements Used to
Improve Energy Efficiencies and Reduce Coal Pollution. We offer a full
line of PHEs, PHE Units and heat meters. The primary advantages of plate heat
exchanger technology, compared to traditional shell and tube heat exchanger
technology, are efficiency, compact design, and ease of customization. PHEs have
larger heat transfer surface areas and therefore also have greater thermal
conductivity. As a result, PHEs can transfer the same amount of heat as a
traditional shell and tube heat exchanger, but with the benefit of a smaller
size unit.
Established Leader and Brand Name in
the Growing China Heating Industry. We have established a leading brand
name in the fragmented Chinese heating industry and seek to utilize this
awareness to become the leading Chinese supplier of PHEs, PHE Units and related
products in the rapidly growing Chinese market. We are a leading domestic
producer of PHE Units under the Taiyu brand and management estimates that we
have approximately a 10-12% share of the PHE Unit market based on our internal
market research which tracks PHE projects in China valued over $1.5 million. We
believe the Taiyu brand name is recognized for its quality and efficiency, which
we believe we can leverage to improve our reputation as a leading seller of high
quality PHE Units in China.
Quality Engineering, Research and
Development. We emphasize efficiency, durability and quality engineering
in all of our products. All of our products utilize the latest technologies, and
our designs are created using advanced software systems. We have nine registered
patents in China for PHE products and heat meters. We have two patents for our
plate heat exchangers, one for our heat transfer system for space heating and
domestic hot water, one for a heat meter cleaning pipe, two for our heat meter
testing system, one for an integrated heat transfer system, one for an
efficient-heat testing bench, and one for a filter. Five of our patents expire
in 2014, one expires in 2016, one expires in 2010, and two expire in 2017. To
maintain our competitive edge in the marketplace and keep pace with new
technologies, we fund research and development on an on-going basis to find
improved efficiencies in design, cost and energy capture. Research and
development costs for 2008 and 2009 were $1,020,000 and $1,360,000,
respectively. We plan to continue to invest in research and development to
identify new industry applications for PHEs, improve our product lines, develop
multifunctional PHE Units and modify PHE designs to meet current market
demand.
Strong Technical Support. The
selection of PHEs and PHE Units requires technical knowledge regarding the
operating temperature, pressure, corrosivity, viscosity and purity of the fluid
as well as the pressure loss within the system. Our unique design software
enables us to provide high quality and timely technical support to ensure our
customers receive the right equipment for each project. We also provide a
streamlined and error free installation process to minimize project
complications.
Enterprise-Wide Design, Production
and Control Systems for Efficient Pricing and Streamlined Manufacturing.
Our technologically advanced CAD design systems are integrated with our
real-time enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) and finance systems. This
advanced, integrated platform allows our field salespeople to input orders,
obtain draft models, access quotes and confirm delivery dates within minutes.
The platform also enables inventory and production personnel to accurately
schedule and reduce lead production times to five days for PHEs and ten days for
PHE Units. We believe these lead times are some of the best in the industry and
provide an unparalleled level of customer service.
Focus on Quality. We have a
National Safety Certification for our PHE products, and are an ISO 9001
certified manufacturer.
First Rate Customer Service and
Reliable Product Delivery. We believe that our employees provide first
rate customer service, technical expertise and product knowledge to streamline
the selection, design and installation processes. We provide after sale service
through our local service centers and deliver products on time to meet tight
project deadlines. Our focus on delivering premium service separates us from our
competitors and has been critical in helping us win a number of projects for
various multinational companies and local governments.
Diversified End Markets and
Customers. Our PHEs and PHE Units are broadly used across a variety of
industrial end markets including the energy (i.e., conventional and nuclear
power plants), HVAC, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food and
beverage and chemical processing end markets. We also benefit from a diverse
customer mix. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, our ten largest
customers accounted for 47% of sales and our largest customer accounted for 7%
of sales. This end market and customer diversification helps to insulate us from
sales volatility that would occur if we concentrated in specific industries. The
bulk of our customers are utilities, engineering and construction companies and
industrial companies.
Proven Ability to Identify and
Acquire Strategic Targets. Over the past 24 months, we have completed two
strategic acquisitions. Each acquisition has accelerated our strategic plan by:
(i) adding manufacturing capacity; (ii) broadening our product offering to
include multiple heat exchange systems; (iii) facilitating access into new
geographic regions throughout China; (iv) improving our cost structure; (v)
enhancing our engineering capabilities; or (vi) helping us enter new and higher
growth end markets. We have proven our
ability to complete successful acquisitions and believe there are additional
acquisition opportunities both in the Chinese domestic market and
internationally which we may potentially pursue.
Experienced Management Team.
Our senior management team has extensive business and industry
experience. Mr. Jun Wang, our president and CEO, was the founder of Taiyu
in 2002. He was a sales manager for Honeywell International Inc. from 1996 to
1999 and was a sales manager for Alfa Laval from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Wang
obtained his Master’s degree in Engineering from Tsinghua University in 1989.
Ms. Zhijuan Guo, our CFO, has 14 years of finance and accounting experience
and has been with the Company since its inception in 2002. Mr. Xudong
Wang, our VP of strategy and development has served as the VP of an
international financial firm. Mr. Wen Sha, our VP of marketing, has
extensive sales experience and industry contacts. He joined SmartHeat as a
Regional Sales Manager in 2005. Prior to that, he served as the General Manager
of Nanjing Hui Dun Ltd. and as sales director of APV Accessen in Shanghai, a
leading international PHE firm. Mr. Feng Chen, Ph.D., our CTO, joined
SmartHeat in 2008 as part of our SanDeKe acquisition. Prior to founding SanDeKe,
he served in a leading engineering position in China with Alfa
Laval.
Our
Growth Strategy
Our goal
is to further penetrate the many market segments throughout China for PHEs, PHE
Units and related accessories, expand our PHE Unit sales both domestically and
internationally, promote the sale of heat meters and execute strategic
acquisitions that are accretive and synergistic to our business.
Pursue High Growth Chinese End
Markets. We are targeting our sales efforts on a number of high growth
Chinese end markets such as power and petrochemical. We currently have a
presence in these segments but believe there are significant opportunities to
improve our market share by leveraging our premium product quality and high
quality service. Our solutions are commonly used in many of these industries and
customers continue to assess the cost savings and positive environmental
attributes of PHEs.
Continue Organic Growth Initiatives.
We believe that the current PHE market is fragmented and represents an
excellent opportunity for us to gain additional market share from our
competitors. We intend to open new sales offices, hire additional sales
personnel, expand into new distribution channels and improve the quality of our
products. We also intend to leverage our strong brand, quality customer service,
engineering and reliable product delivery to gain incremental business with our
existing clients. Finally, we believe that as we continue to grow, economies of
scale and improved cost control measures will drive stronger profitability
across all product lines.
Promote Heat Meters. In
response to rising energy costs and an increased focus on energy efficiency, the
Chinese government and local utility companies have made the use of heat meters
compulsory in China. As of July 2003, heat meters were required nationally by
law for new buildings installed with central heating and the law was extended in
April of 2008 by the Energy Conservation Law, Article 38, to buildings being
retrofitted. We are currently working with the General Administration of Quality
Supervision and Quarantine, an administrative organ established under the PRC’s
State Council, to establish a national heating standard in China. We also intend
to leverage the Taiyu brand and our reputation in the PHE market to gain market
share.
Expand Internationally. We
are continuing to seek additional opportunities to expand our business
internationally. We plan to cooperate with a number of international energy
contractors to help promote our products outside of China and will review
international acquisition opportunities and joint venture opportunities for
international growth.
Execute Strategic Acquisitions.
We intend to continue to selectively acquire domestic or international
targets that would enable us to enter new customer segments or gain entry into
new industries. For example, the acquisition of the plant and machinery and land
use rights from Siping Beifang in May of 2009 provided us with an entrance into
the petrochemical and high pressure chemical end markets, which were previously
immaterial segments for us. We also acquired SanDeKe in September of
2008 which increased our PHE and PHE Unit production capacity. Due to the high
pressure and heat tolerance demands of the petrochemical industry, we have also
acquired valuable engineering expertise that may help us address the nuclear
energy segment in a meaningful way. Management believes it has a strong track
record of acquiring companies that fit our strategic goals of reducing pollution
and saving energy, and of successfully integrating their operations so they are
accretive to earnings and contribute to our rapid growth. We will continue to
identify and review targets that are accretive to our earnings, easily
integrated into our existing infrastructure and synergistic to our
operations.
RISK
FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves
risk. The prospectus supplement applicable to a particular offering of
securities will contain a discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in
the Company and to the particular types of securities that we are offering under
that prospectus supplement. Before making an investment decision, you should
carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in the applicable
prospectus supplement and the risks described in our most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K, or any updates to our risk factors in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q, together with all of the other information appearing in or
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus
supplement, in light of your particular investment objectives and financial
circumstances. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could
be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our
securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part
of your investment.
RATIO
OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Not applicable to smaller reporting
companies.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
Except as otherwise provided in the
applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the
sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for capital expenditures and
acquisitions of new technologies or businesses. While we have not identified any
specific acquisition candidates at this time, we believe that we will require
additional financing to complete acquisitions that fit our strategic
objectives. The precise amount, use and timing of the application of
such proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and
cost of other capital. Additional information on the use of net proceeds from an
offering of securities covered by this prospectus may be set forth in the
prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering.
PLAN OF
DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the securities described in
this prospectus to or through underwriters, through dealers, through agents, or
directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of these methods.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of
the securities, including:
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the
name or names of any underwriters, if any, and if required, any dealers or
agents;
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the
public offering price or purchase price of the securities and the net
proceeds to us from the sale of the
securities;
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any
underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters’
compensation;
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any
discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;
and
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any
securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed or
traded.
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We may
distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions
at:
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a
fixed price or prices, which may be
changed;
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market
prices prevailing at the time of
sale;
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prices
related to such prevailing market prices;
or
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Sales
Through Underwriters or Dealers
Only underwriters named in the
prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by the
prospectus supplement.
If underwriters are used in an
offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and
will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction
(including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation
of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. The securities
may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented
by managing underwriters or directly by one or more investment banking firms or
others, as designated. If an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing
underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If
underwriters are used in the sale, the offered securities will be acquired by
the underwriters for their own accounts 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. Any public
offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers may be changed from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in the
prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the
offered securities will be subject to conditions precedent, and the underwriters
will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities, if any are
purchased.
We may grant to the underwriters
options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at
the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or
discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of
any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for
those securities.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the
securities we will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer
may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined
by the dealer at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of
the transaction will be specified in a prospectus supplement.
In connection with the sale of the
securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or
from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents, in the form of
discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to
or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of
discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from
the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents
that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional
investors or others that purchase securities directly for the purpose of resale
or distribution, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or
commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the common
stock by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under
the Securities Act. Pursuant to a requirement by the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum commission or discount to be
received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer may not be greater
than eight percent (8%) of the gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any
securities being registered pursuant to SEC Rule 415 under the Securities
Act of 1933.
Direct
Sales and Sales Through Agents
We may sell the securities directly or
through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved
in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we
will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus
supplement states otherwise, any agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the
period of its appointment.
Delayed Delivery
Contracts
We may authorize agents or underwriters
to solicit offers by 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 the prospectus
supplement.
Market
Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions
To facilitate the public offering of a
series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in
transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of
the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the
securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of
more securities than have been sold to them by us. In addition, those
persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or
purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby
selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such
offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in
connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may
be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above
that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if
commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or
prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions
described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our
securities.
Unless otherwise specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement, any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus
supplement will be eligible for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market, subject to
official notice of issuance. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us
for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such
underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market
making at any time without notice.
Derivative
Transactions
In addition, we may enter into
derivative transactions with third parties (including the writing of options),
or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately
negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in
connection with such a transaction, the third parties may, pursuant to this
prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by
this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party
may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use
securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may
also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable
prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or,
in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities
pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The third
party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in
the applicable prospectus supplement or in a post-effective
amendment.
Electronic
Auctions
We may also make sales through the
Internet or through other electronic means. Since we may from time to time elect
to offer securities directly to the public, with or without the involvement of
agents, underwriters or dealers, utilizing the Internet or other forms of
electronic bidding or ordering systems for the pricing and allocation of such
securities, you will want to pay particular attention to the description of that
system we will provide in a prospectus supplement.
Such electronic system may allow
bidders to directly participate, through electronic access to an auction site,
by submitting conditional offers to buy that are subject to acceptance by us,
and which may directly affect the price or other terms and conditions at which
such securities are sold. These bidding or ordering systems may present to each
bidder, on a so-called “real-time” basis, relevant information to assist in
making a bid, such as the clearing spread at which the offering would be sold,
based on the bids submitted, and whether a bidder’s individual bids would be
accepted, prorated or rejected. Of course, many pricing methods can and may
also be used.
Upon completion of such an electronic
auction process, securities will be allocated based on prices bid, terms of bid
or other factors. The final offering price at which securities would be sold and
the allocation of securities among bidders would be based in whole or in part on
the results of the Internet or other electronic bidding process or
auction.
General
Information
We may provide agents, underwriters and
other purchasers with indemnification against particular civil liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to
payments that the agents, underwriters or other purchasers may make with respect
to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or
perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
In order to comply with the securities
laws of some states, if applicable, the securities offered pursuant to this
prospectus will be sold in those states only through registered or licensed
brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states securities may not be sold
unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state
or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available
and complied with.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
General
We, directly or through agents, dealers
or underwriters designated from time to time, may offer, issue and sell,
together or separately, up to $100,000,000 in the aggregate
of
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shares of our common
stock;
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debt securities, in one or more
series;
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warrants to purchase our debt or
equity securities; or
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rights
to purchase our debt, equity securities, or units consisting of one or
more of the foregoing; or
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any combination of the foregoing,
either individually or as units consisting of one or more of the
foregoing, each on terms to be determined at the time of
sale.
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We may issue debt securities that are
exchangeable for or convertible into shares of our common stock. When a
particular series of securities is offered, a supplement to this prospectus will
be delivered with this prospectus, which will set forth the terms of the
offering and sale of the offered securities, as well as complete descriptions of
the security or securities to be offered pursuant to the prospectus supplement.
The summary descriptions of securities included in this prospectus are not meant
to be complete descriptions of each security. This prospectus may not be used to
consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus
supplement.
Common
Stock
The following description of common
stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable
prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the
common stock that we may offer under this prospectus. For the complete terms of
our common stock, please refer to our articles of incorporation, as may be
amended from time to time, and our bylaws, as amended from time to time. The
Nevada Business Corporation Act may also affect the terms of these securities.
While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future
common stock that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any
series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus
supplement. If we so indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any
common stock we offer under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms
we describe below.
As of October 13, 2010, our authorized
capital stock consists of 75,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001
per share, of which 32,811,125 shares are issued and
outstanding. The authorized and unissued shares of common stock are
available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such
action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which
our securities may be listed. Unless approval of our stockholders is so
required, our board of directors will not seek stockholder approval for the
issuance and sale of our common stock.
The holders of our common stock are
entitled to one vote for each share held of record. The affirmative vote of a
majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of
stockholders that commences with a lawful quorum is sufficient for approval of
matters upon which stockholders may vote, including questions presented for
approval or ratification at the annual meeting. Our common stock does not carry
cumulative voting rights, and holders of more than 50% of our common stock have
the power to elect all directors and, as a practical matter, to control our
company. Holders of our common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights,
conversion rights, and no redemption provisions are applicable to our common
stock. Any action other than the election of directors shall be authorized by a
majority of the votes cast, except where the Nevada Business Corporation Act
prescribes a different percentage of votes and/or exercise of voting
power.
After the satisfaction of requirements
with respect to preferential dividends, if any, holders of our common stock are
entitled to receive, pro rata, dividends when and as declared by our board of
directors out of funds legally available therefore. Upon our liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up, after distribution in full of the preferential
amount, if any, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in our
assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders. All outstanding
shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.
As of October 13, 2010 we had
outstanding warrants to purchase a total of 96,775 shares of our Common Stock
and we had outstanding options to purchase 63,333 shares of our Common
Stock.
Our common stock is listed on The
NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HEAT” The transfer agent and registrar
for our common stock is Interwest Transfer Company, Inc., located at 1981 Murray
Holladay Road, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84117. Their telephone number is
(801) 272-9249.
Debt
Securities
The following description, together
with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus
supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the debt securities
that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have
summarized below will generally apply to any future debt securities we may offer
under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt
securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus
supplement. The terms of any debt securities we offer under a prospectus
supplement may differ from the terms we describe below. As of the date of this
prospectus, we have no outstanding registered debt securities.
As used in this prospectus, debt
securities means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of
indebtedness that we may issue from time to time. The debt securities may be
either secured or unsecured and will either be senior debt securities or
subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under one or
more separate indentures between us and a trustee to be specified in an
accompanying prospectus supplement. Senior debt securities will be issued under
a new senior indenture. Subordinated debt securities will be issued under a
subordinated indenture. Together, the senior indentures and the subordinated
indentures are sometimes referred to in this prospectus as the indentures. This
prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, will describe
the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
The indentures will be qualified under
the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. We use the term “debenture trustee” to
refer to either the senior trustee or the subordinated trustee, as
applicable.
The following summaries of material
provisions of the senior debt securities, the subordinated debt securities and
the indentures are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to,
all the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt
securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement
related to the debt securities that we sell under this prospectus, as well as
the complete indentures that contain the terms of the debt securities.
Except as we may otherwise indicate, the terms of the senior and the
subordinated indentures are identical.
General
The terms of each series of debt
securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of
directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in an officers’
certificate or by a supplemental indenture. Debt securities may be issued in
separate series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. We may
specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the debt securities of any
series. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described
in a prospectus supplement relating to such series, including any pricing
supplement.
The
prospectus supplement will set forth:
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the
name of the trustee(s) and the nature of any material relationship with
the registrant or with any of its
affiliates;
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the
principal amount being offered, and, if a series, the total amount
authorized and the total amount
outstanding;
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any
limit on the amount that may be
issued;
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whether
or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form and, if
so, the terms and who the depositary will
be;
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whether
and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional amounts on
any debt securities held by a person who is not a U.S. person for tax
purposes, and whether we can redeem the debt securities if we have to pay
such additional amounts;
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the
annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for
determining the rate, the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates
interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment
dates or the method for determining such
dates;
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whether
or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of
any secured debt;
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the
terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated
debt;
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the
place where payments will be
payable;
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restrictions
on transfer, sale or other assignment, if
any;
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our
right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any
such deferral period;
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the
date, if any, after which, the conditions upon which, and the price at
which we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant
to any optional or provisional redemption provisions, and any other
applicable terms of those redemption
provisions;
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the
date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant
to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise,
to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt
securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities
are payable;
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whether
the indenture will restrict our ability and/or the ability of our
subsidiaries to, among other
things,:
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incur
additional indebtedness;
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issue
additional securities;
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pay
dividends and make distributions in respect of our capital stock and the
capital stock of our subsidiaries;
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place
restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make
distributions or transfer assets;
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make
investments or other restricted
payments;
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sell
or otherwise dispose of assets;
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enter
into sale-leaseback transactions;
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engage
in transactions with stockholders and
affiliates;
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issue
or sell stock of our subsidiaries;
or
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effect
a consolidation or merger;
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whether
the indenture will require us to maintain any interest coverage, fixed
charge, cash flow-based, asset-based or other financial
ratios;
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a
discussion of any material or special U.S. federal income tax
considerations applicable to the debt
securities;
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information
describing any book-entry features;
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provisions
for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund, if
any;
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whether
the debt securities are to be offered at a price such that they will be
deemed to be offered at an “original issue discount” as defined in
paragraph (a) of Section 1273 of the Internal Revenue
Code;
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the
procedures for any auction and remarketing, if
any;
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the
denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if
other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof;
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if
other than dollars, the currency in which the series of debt securities
will be denominated; and
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any
other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or
restrictions on, the debt securities, including any events of default that
are in addition to those described in this prospectus or any covenants
provided with respect to the debt securities that are in addition to those
described above, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable
under applicable laws or regulations or advisable in connection with the
marketing of the debt securities.
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Conversion
or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the prospectus
supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible
into or exchangeable for common stock or other securities of ours or a third
party, including the conversion or exchange rate, as applicable, or how it will
be calculated, and the applicable conversion or exchange period. We will
include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the
option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant
to which the number of our securities or the securities of a third party that
the holders of the series of debt securities receive upon conversion or exchange
would, under the circumstances described in those provisions, be subject to
adjustment, or pursuant to which those holders would, under those circumstances,
receive other property upon conversion or exchange, for example in the event of
our merger or consolidation with another entity.
Consolidation,
Merger or Sale
The indentures in the forms initially
filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a
part do not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or
consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or
substantially all of our assets. However, any successor of ours or the
acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the indentures
and the debt securities.
If the debt securities are convertible
for our other securities, the person with whom we consolidate or merge or to
whom we sell all of our property must make provisions for the conversion of the
debt securities into securities that the holders of the debt securities would
have received if they had converted the debt securities before the
consolidation, merger or sale.
Events
of Default Under the Indenture
The
following are events of default under the indentures in the forms initially
filed as exhibits to the registration statement with respect to any series of
debt securities that we may issue:
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if
we fail to pay interest when due and payable and our failure continues for
90 days and the time for payment has not been extended or
deferred;
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if
we fail to pay the principal, sinking fund payment or premium, if any,
when due and payable and the time for payment has not been extended or
delayed;
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if
we fail to observe or perform any other covenant contained in the debt
securities or the indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating
to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90
days after we receive notice from the debenture trustee or holders of at
least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities
of the applicable series; and
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if
specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization
occur.
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If an event of default with respect to
debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of
default specified in the last bullet point above, the debenture trustee or the
holders of at least 35% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt
securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the debenture
trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of,
premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable
immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point
above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest,
if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and
payable without any notice or other action on the part of the debenture trustee
or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal
amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any
default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences,
except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if
any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in
accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event
of default.
Subject to the terms of the indentures,
if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the
debenture trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or
powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of
the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the
debenture trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the
right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any
remedy available to the debenture trustee, or exercising any trust or power
conferred on the debenture trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that
series, provided that:
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the
direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the
applicable indenture; and
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subject
to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the debenture trustee
need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or
might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the
proceeding.
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A holder
of the debt securities of any series will only have the right to institute a
proceeding under the indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek
other remedies if:
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the
holder has given written notice to the debenture trustee of a continuing
event of default with respect to that
series;
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the
holders of at least 35% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of that series have made written request, and such holders
have offered reasonable indemnity, to the debenture trustee to institute
the proceeding as trustee; and
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the
debenture trustee does not institute the proceeding and does not receive
from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions
within 90 days after the notice, request and
offer.
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These limitations do not apply to a
suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of
the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt
securities.
We will periodically file statements
with the debenture trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in
the indentures.
Modification
of Indenture; Waiver
We and
the debenture trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders
with respect to specific matters, including:
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to
fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the
indenture;
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to
comply with the provisions described above under “—Consolidation, Merger
or Sale”;
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to
comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the
qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939;
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to
evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a
successor trustee;
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to
provide for uncertificated debt securities and to make all appropriate
changes for such purpose;
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to
add to, delete from, or revise the conditions, limitations and
restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issuance,
authorization and delivery of debt securities or any series, as set forth
in the indenture;
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to
provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and
conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided under “—General” to establish
the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the
terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the
rights of the holders of any series of debt
securities;
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to
add to our covenants such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or
provisions for the protection of the holders, to make the occurrence, or
the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional
covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default, or
to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;
or
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to
change anything that does not materially adversely affect the interests of
any holder of debt securities of any
series.
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In
addition, under the indentures, the rights of holders of a series of debt
securities may be changed by us and the debenture trustee with the written
consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However,
we and the debenture trustee may only make the following changes with the
consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
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extending
the fixed maturity of the series of debt
securities;
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reducing
the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of
payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption
of any debt securities; or
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reducing
the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to
consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or
waiver.
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Discharge
Each
indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with
respect to one or more series of debt securities, except that the following
obligations survive until the maturity date or the redemption date:
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register
the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the
series;
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replace
stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the
series;
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maintain
paying agencies;
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hold
monies for payment in trust; and
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appoint
any successor trustee;
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and the
following obligations survive the maturity date or the redemption
date:
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recover
excess money held by the debenture trustee;
and
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compensate
and indemnify the debenture
trustee.
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In order to exercise our rights to be
discharged, we must deposit with the debenture trustee money or government
obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and
interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are
due.
Form,
Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of
each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we
otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of
$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indentures provide that we
may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and
as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The
Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, known as DTC, or another
depositary named by us and identified in a prospectus supplement with respect to
that series. See “Legal Ownership of Securities” for a further description
of the terms relating to any book-entry securities.
At the option of the holder, subject to
the terms of the indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities
described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt
securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt
securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor
and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indentures
and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt
securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with
the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the
security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of
any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise
provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or
exchange, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or
exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental
charges.
We will name in the applicable
prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition
to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt
securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or
rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office
through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to
maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of
each series.
If we
elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required
to:
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issue,
register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of any series
being redeemed in part during a period beginning at the opening of
business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of
any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the
close of business on the day of the mailing;
or
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register
the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for
redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt
securities we are redeeming in
part.
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Information
Concerning the Debenture Trustee
The debenture trustee, other than
during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture,
undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the
applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the
debenture trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would
exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this
provision, the debenture trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the
powers given it by the indentures at the request of any holder of debt
securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the
costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment
and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the
applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any
debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the
debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the
close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any
premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office
of the paying agents designated by us, except that, unless we otherwise indicate
in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may make interest payments by check
that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders.
Unless we otherwise indicate in a prospectus supplement, we will designate the
corporate office of the debenture trustee in the City of New York as our sole
paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents
that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular
series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the
debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or
the debenture trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or
interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years
after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be
repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us
for payment thereof.
Governing
Law
The indentures and the debt securities
will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is
applicable.
Subordination
of Subordinated Debt Securities
The subordinated debt securities will
be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to certain of our other
indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement. The
indentures in the forms initially filed as exhibits to the registration
statement of which this prospectus is a part do not limit the amount of
indebtedness that we may incur, including senior indebtedness or subordinated
indebtedness, and do not limit us from issuing any other debt, including secured
debt or unsecured debt.
Warrants
The following description, together
with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus
supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we
may offer under this prospectus and any related warrant agreement and warrant
certificate. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any
warrants that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any series of
warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate
in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that
prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific
warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and
will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement
that includes this prospectus or as an exhibit to a report filed under the
Exchange Act.
General
We may issue warrants for the purchase
of common stock, and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue
warrants independently or together with common stock and/or debt securities, and
the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.
We will evidence each series of
warrants by warrant certificates that we may issue under a separate agreement.
We may enter into a warrant agreement with a warrant agent. Each warrant agent
may be a bank that we select which has its principal office in the United
States. We may also choose to act as our own warrant agent. We will indicate the
name and address of any such warrant agent in the applicable prospectus
supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.
We will describe in the applicable
prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants,
including:
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the offering price and aggregate
number of warrants offered;
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if applicable, the designation
and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the
number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount
of such security;
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if applicable, the date on and
after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately
transferable;
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in the case of warrants to
purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities
purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in
which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such
exercise;
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in the case of warrants to
purchase common stock, the number or amount of shares of common stock or
preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one
warrant and the price at which and currency in which these shares may be
purchased upon such
exercise;
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the manner of exercise of the
warrants, including any cashless exercise
rights;
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the warrant agreement under which
the warrants will be issued;
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the effect of any merger,
consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant
agreement and the warrants;
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anti-dilution provisions of the
warrants, if any;
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the terms of any rights to redeem
or call the warrants;
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any provisions for changes to or
adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon
exercise of the
warrants;
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the dates on which the right to
exercise the warrants will commence and expire or, if the warrants are not
continuously exercisable during that period, the specific date or dates on
which the warrants will be
exercisable;
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the manner in which the warrant
agreement and warrants may be
modified;
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the identities of the warrant
agent and any calculation or other agent for the
warrants;
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federal income tax consequences
of holding or exercising the
warrants;
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the terms of the securities
issuable upon exercise of the
warrants;
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any securities exchange or
quotation system on which the warrants or any securities deliverable upon
exercise of the warrants may be listed or quoted;
and
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any other specific terms,
preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the
warrants.
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Before exercising their warrants,
holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities
purchasable upon such exercise, including:
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in the case of warrants to
purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of,
or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon
exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture;
or
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in the case of warrants to
purchase common stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or,
payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise
voting rights, if any.
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Exercise
of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to
purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement
at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of
the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to 5:00 P.M. Eastern time
on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus
supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised
warrants will become void.
Holders of the warrants may exercise
the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to
be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required
exercise price by the methods provided in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate, and in the
applicable prospectus supplement, the information that the holder of the warrant
will be required to deliver to the warrant agent.
Upon receipt of the required payment
and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the
corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the
applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities
purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by
the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant
certificate for the remaining amount of warrants.
Enforceability
of Rights By Holders of Warrants
Any warrant agent will act solely as
our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any
obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A
single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of
warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any
default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any
duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to
make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the
related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate
legal action the holder’s right to exercise, and receive the securities
purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants in accordance with their
terms.
Warrant
Agreement Will Not Be Qualified Under Trust Indenture Act
No warrant agreement will be qualified
as an indenture, and no warrant agent will be required to qualify as a trustee,
under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of warrants issued under a
warrant agreement will not have the protection of the Trust Indenture Act with
respect to their warrants.
Governing
Law
Each warrant agreement and any warrants
issued under the warrant agreements will be governed by New York
law.
Calculation
Agent
Any calculations relating to warrants
may be made by a calculation agent, an institution that we appoint as our agent
for this purpose. The prospectus supplement for a particular warrant will name
the institution that we have appointed to act as the calculation agent for that
warrant as of the original issue date for that warrant, if any. We may appoint a
different institution to serve as calculation agent from time to time after the
original issue date without the consent or notification of the holders. The
calculation agent’s determination of any amount of money payable or securities
deliverable with respect to a warrant will be final and binding in the absence
of manifest error.
Rights
The following description, together
with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus
supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the rights that we
may offer under this prospectus and the related rights agreements. While the
terms summarized below will apply generally to any rights that we may offer
under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of
rights that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any rights offered
under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below.
However, no prospectus supplement shall fundamentally change the terms that are
set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and
described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. Specific rights
agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be
incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement that
includes this prospectus or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange
Act.
General
We may issue rights to purchase common
stock, debt securities, warrants, or units. These rights may be issued
independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may
not be transferable by the stockholder receiving the rights in such offering. In
connection with any offering of such rights, we may enter into a standby
arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which
the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities
remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.
Each series of rights will be issued
under a separate rights agreement which we may enter into with a bank or trust
company, as rights agent, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus
supplement. We may also choose to act as our own rights agent. The rights agent
will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the
rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust
with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. We will
file the rights agreement and the rights certificates relating to each series of
rights with the SEC, and incorporate them by reference as an exhibit to the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part on or before the time
we issue a series of rights.
We will describe in the applicable
prospectus supplement the terms of the series of rights,
including:
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the date of determining the
stockholders entitled to the rights
distribution;
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the number of rights issued or to
be issued to each
stockholder;
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the exercise price payable for
each share of common stock, preferred stock or other securities upon the
exercise of the rights;
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the number and terms of the
shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities which may be
purchased per each
right;
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the extent to which the rights
are transferable;
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the date on which the holder’s
ability to exercise the rights shall commence, and the date on which the
rights shall expire;
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the extent to which the rights
may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed
securities;
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if applicable, the material terms
of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement entered into by us in
connection with the offering of such rights;
and
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any other terms of the rights,
including the terms, procedures, conditions and limitations relating to
the exchange and exercise of the
rights.
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The
description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any rights that we may
offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by
reference to the applicable rights certificate, which will be filed with the
SEC.
Exercise
of Rights
Each
right will entitle the holder of the right to purchase for cash such amount of
shares of common stock, debt securities, warrants or units at such exercise
price as shall in each case be set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in,
the prospectus supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights may be
exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for
such rights set forth in the prospectus supplement. After the close of business
on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.
Rights
may be exercised as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the
rights offered thereby. Upon receipt of payment and the rights certificate
properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights
agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will
forward, as soon as practicable, the shares of common stock, debt securities,
warrants or units purchasable upon such exercise. We may determine to offer any
unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to
or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such
methods, including pursuant to standby underwriting arrangements, as set forth
in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Governing
Law
The
rights and rights agreements will be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.
Units
We may issue units comprised of one or
more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination.
Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of
each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the
rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement
under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the
unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time
before a specified date or occurrence.
The applicable prospectus supplement
may describe:
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the designation and terms of the
units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and
under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred
separately;
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any provisions for the issuance,
payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the
securities comprising the units;
and
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any unit agreement under which
the units will be issued;
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whether the units will be issued
in fully registered or global
form.
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The applicable prospectus supplement
will describe the terms of any units. The preceding description and any
description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement does not purport to
be complete and is subject to and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
the unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depository
arrangements relating to such units.
LEGAL
MATTERS
Certain legal matters governed by the
laws of the State of Nevada with respect to the validity of the offered
securities will be passed upon for us by Holland & Hart LLP, Reno,
Nevada.
EXPERTS
The consolidated balance sheet of
SmartHeat Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2009 and 2008 and the related
consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, changes in
stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2009 and
2008 incorporated by reference herein have been audited by Goldman Kurland
Mohidin LLP, independent registered public accountants, as stated in their
report, and have been incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of
such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT US
We have filed a registration statement
on Form S-3 with the SEC for the securities we are offering by this prospectus.
This prospectus does not include all of the information contained in the
registration statement. You should refer to the registration statement and its
exhibits for additional information. We will provide to each person, including
any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of
the information that has been incorporated by reference in the prospectus but
not delivered with the prospectus. We will provide this information
upon oral or written request, free of charge. Any requests for this
information should be made by calling or sending a letter to the Secretary of
the Company, c/o SmartHeat Inc., at our office located at A-1, 10, Street 7,
Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang, China 110027.
Our telephone number is (86) (24) 2519-7699.
We are required to file annual and
quarterly reports, current reports, proxy statements, and other information with
the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, on
the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You also may read and copy any document
we file with the SEC at its public reference facility at:
Public
Reference Room
100 F
Street N.E.
Washington,
DC 20549.
Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330
for further information on the operation of the public reference
facilities.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The
following documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission are
incorporated by reference in this prospectus:
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Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, filed on
March 31, 2010;
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Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2010, filed on
May 11, 2010, and for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2010,
filed on August 11, 2010; and
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Current
Reports on Form 8-K, filed on February 4, 2010, March 31, 2010, May 11,
2010, May 26, 2010, and August 12, 2010;
and
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The
description of our Common Stock set forth in our Registration Statement on
Form 8-A (Registration No. 001-3426) filed with the SEC on
January 27, 2009, including any amendments thereto or reports filed for
the purpose of updating such
description.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing,
information furnished under Items 2.02 and 7.01 of any Current Report on Form
8-K, including the related exhibits, is not incorporated by reference in this
prospectus.
All documents subsequently filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date of the initial registration
statement (other than current reports or portions thereof furnished under
Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K), prior to the termination of this offering,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be part of this
prospectus from the respective dates of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes
hereof or of the related prospectus supplement to the extent that a
statement in any other subsequently filed document which is also
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated 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 this
prospectus.
DISCLOSURE
OF COMMISSION POSITION ON
INDEMNIFICATION
FOR SECURITIES LAW VIOLATIONS
Under Sections 78.7502 and 78.751
of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the Company has broad powers to indemnify and
insure its directors and officers against liabilities they may incur in their
capacities as such. The Company’s By-laws implement the indemnification and
insurance provisions permitted by Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes
by providing that:
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The
Company shall indemnify all its directors and officers to the fullest
extent permitted by Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes or any
other law then in effect or as it may hereafter be amended. The Company
shall indemnify each of its present and future directors and officers who
becomes a party or is threatened to be made a party to any suit or
proceeding, against expenses, including, but not limited to, attorneys’
fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by him in connection with the action, suit, proceeding
or settlement, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner
which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest
of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was
unlawful.
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The
expenses of directors and officers incurred in defending a civil or
criminal action, suit, or proceeding may be paid by the Company as they
are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of the foregoing
actions, if such person undertakes to repay said expenses if it is
ultimately determined by a court that he is not entitled to be indemnified
by the Company, meaning, a final adjudication establishes that the
person’s acts or omissions involved a breach of any fiduciary duties,
where applicable, intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of
the law which was material to the cause of
action.
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These indemnification provisions may be
sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the Company’s directors and
officers for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising
under the Securities Act.
Insofar as indemnification for
liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors,
officers or controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have
been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore
unenforceable.
5,000,000
Shares
SMARTHEAT
INC.
Common
Stock
Prospectus
Supplement
November
, 2010
Barclays
Capital
Oppenheimer
& Co.