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x
|
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
|
o
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|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT
|
Argan,
Inc.
|
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Its
Charter)
|
Delaware
|
13-1947195
|
(State
or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation
or
Organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
|
One
Church Street, Suite 401, Rockville Maryland
20850
|
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip
Code)
|
(301)
315-0027
|
(Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area
Code)
|
____________________________________
|
(Former
Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year,
if
Changed since Last Report)
|
Large accelerated filer | o | Accelerated filer | o | Non-accelerated filer | o | Smaller reporting company | þ |
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Page
No.
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PART
I.
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FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
|
|
3
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|
Item
1.
|
|
Financial
Statements (unaudited)
|
|
3
|
|
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|
|
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|
|
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets - April 30, 2008 and January 31,
2008
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended
April 30,
2008 and 2007
|
|
4
|
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|
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||
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|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended
April 30,
2008 and 2007
|
|
5
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||
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|
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
|
|
6
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|
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|
Item
2.
|
|
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operation
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
3.
|
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
|
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
4.
|
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
|
21
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|
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|
|
|
||
PART
II.
|
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
|
22
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|
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|
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|
||
Item
1.
|
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
|
22
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|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
1A.
|
|
Risk
Factors
|
|
22
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
2.
|
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
|
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
3.
|
|
Defaults
upon Senior Securities
|
|
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
4.
|
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
|
23
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|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
5.
|
|
Other
Information
|
|
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Item
6.
|
|
Exhibits
|
|
23
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|
|
|
|
|
||
SIGNATURES
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
CERTIFICATIONS
|
|
|
|
|
April
30,
|
January
31,
|
|||||
ASSETS
|
2008
|
2008
|
|||||
CURRENT
ASSETS
|
|
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
66,645,000
|
$
|
66,827,000
|
|||
Escrowed
cash
|
10,315,000
|
14,398,000
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
|
31,053,000
|
30,239,000
|
|||||
Estimated
earnings in excess of billings
|
329,000
|
242,000
|
|||||
Inventories,
net of reserve for obsolescence
|
2,921,000
|
2,808,000
|
|||||
Current
deferred tax assets
|
913,000
|
406,000
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
1,419,000
|
1,330,000
|
|||||
TOTAL
CURRENT ASSETS
|
113,595,000
|
116,250,000
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation
|
2,706,000
|
2,892,000
|
|||||
Goodwill,
net of impairment losses
|
20,337,000
|
20,337,000
|
|||||
Other
intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization
|
4,524,000
|
5,296,000
|
|||||
Deferred
tax assets
|
1,372,000
|
828,000
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
230,000
|
260,000
|
|||||
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
$
|
142,764,000
|
$
|
145,863,000
|
|||
|
|||||||
CURRENT
LIABILITIES
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
34,687,000
|
$
|
35,483,000
|
|||
Accrued
expenses
|
6,782,000
|
9,370,000
|
|||||
Billings
in excess of cost and earnings
|
51,217,000
|
52,313,000
|
|||||
Current
portion of long-term debt
|
2,566,000
|
2,581,000
|
|||||
TOTAL
CURRENT LIABILITIES
|
95,252,000
|
99,747,000
|
|||||
Long-term
debt
|
3,503,000
|
4,134,000
|
|||||
Other
liabilities
|
93,000
|
116,000
|
|||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES
|
98,848,000
|
103,997,000
|
|||||
COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES (Note
12)
|
|||||||
STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, par value $0.10 per share; 500,000 shares
authorized;
|
|||||||
no
shares issued and outstanding
|
--
|
--
|
|||||
Common
stock, par value $0.15 per share;
|
|||||||
30,000,000
shares authorized; 11,123,259 and 11,113,534 shares issued and
|
|||||||
11,120,026
and 11,110,301 shares outstanding at 4/30/08 and 1/31/08,
respectively
|
1,668,000
|
1,667,000
|
|||||
Warrants
outstanding
|
834,000
|
834,000
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
58,331,000
|
57,861,000
|
|||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(83,000
|
)
|
(107,000
|
)
|
|||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(16,801,000
|
)
|
(18,356,000
|
)
|
|||
Treasury
stock at cost; 3,233 shares at 4/30/08 and 1/31/08
|
(33,000
|
)
|
(33,000
|
)
|
|||
TOTAL
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
43,916,000
|
41,866,000
|
|||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
$
|
142,764,000
|
$
|
145,863,000
|
|
Three
Months Ended April 30,
|
||||||
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
Net
sales
|
|
|
|||||
Power
industry services
|
$
|
44,008,000
|
$
|
43,354,000
|
|||
Nutritional
products
|
2,399,000
|
4,949,000
|
|||||
Telecommunications
infrastructure services
|
1,999,000
|
2,129,000
|
|||||
Net
sales
|
48,406,000
|
50,432,000
|
|||||
Cost
of sales
|
|||||||
Power
industry services
|
38,576,000
|
43,245,000
|
|||||
Nutritional
products
|
2,323,000
|
4,166,000
|
|||||
Telecommunications
infrastructure services
|
1,774,000
|
1,843,000
|
|||||
42,673,000
|
49,254,000
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,733,000
|
1,178,000
|
|||||
|
|||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
4,011,000
|
4,561,000
|
|||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
1,722,000
|
(3,383,000
|
)
|
||||
|
|||||||
Interest
expense
|
(120,000
|
)
|
(204,000
|
)
|
|||
Interest
income
|
504,000
|
633,000
|
|||||
Income
(loss) from operations before income taxes
|
2,106,000
|
(2,954,000
|
)
|
||||
Income
tax (expense) benefit
|
(551,000
|
)
|
939,000
|
||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
1,555,000
|
$
|
(2,015,000
|
)
|
||
|
|||||||
Earnings
per share:
|
|||||||
Basic
net income (loss) per share
|
$
|
0.14
|
$
|
(0.18
|
)
|
||
Diluted
net income (loss) per share
|
$
|
0.14
|
$
|
(0.18
|
)
|
||
Weighted
average number of shares outstanding:
|
|||||||
Basic
|
11,118,000
|
11,094,000
|
|||||
Diluted
|
11,429,000
|
11,094,000
|
|
Three
Months Ended April 30,
|
||||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
1,555,000
|
$
|
(2,015,000
|
)
|
||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
|||||||
Amortization
of purchased intangibles
|
772,000
|
2,064,000
|
|||||
Depreciation
and other amortization
|
339,000
|
324,000
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(1,051,000
|
)
|
(1,048,000
|
)
|
|||
Non-cash
stock option compensation expense
|
397,000
|
14,000
|
|||||
Provision
for losses on accounts receivable
|
85,000
|
76,000
|
|||||
Provision
for inventory obsolescence
|
68,000
|
36,000
|
|||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|||||||
Escrowed
cash
|
4,083,000
|
(165,000
|
)
|
||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(899,000
|
)
|
(312,000
|
)
|
|||
Estimated
earnings in excess of billings
|
(87,000
|
)
|
7,867,000
|
||||
Inventories
|
(181,000
|
)
|
(289,000
|
)
|
|||
Prepaid
expenses and other assets
|
(95,000
|
)
|
(375,000
|
)
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
(1,384,000
|
)
|
(814,000
|
)
|
|||
Billings
in excess of cost and earnings
|
(1,096,000
|
)
|
2,064,000
|
||||
Other
|
5,000
|
(7,000
|
)
|
||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
2,511,000
|
7,420,000
|
|||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
|
|||||||
Payment
of contingent acquisition price (Note 2)
|
(2,000,000
|
)
|
--
|
||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
(117,000
|
)
|
(100,000
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from sale of investments
|
--
|
575,000
|
|||||
Proceeds
from sale of property and equipment
|
--
|
1,000
|
|||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by investing activities
|
(2,117,000
|
)
|
476,000
|
||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
|
|||||||
Net
proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants
|
70,000
|
--
|
|||||
Principal
payments on long-term debt
|
(646,000
|
)
|
(2,761,000
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from long-term debt
|
--
|
2,112,000
|
|||||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(576,000
|
)
|
(649,000
|
)
|
|||
NET
(DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
|
(182,000
|
)
|
7,247,000
|
||||
CASH
AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD
|
66,827,000
|
25,393,000
|
|||||
CASH
AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD
|
$
|
66,645,000
|
$
|
32,640,000
|
|||
SUPPLEMENTAL
CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
|
|||||||
Cash
paid for interest and income taxes as follows:
|
|||||||
Interest
|
$
|
120,000
|
$
|
204,000
|
|||
Income
taxes
|
$
|
1,430,000
|
$
|
1,131,000
|
|||
Non-cash
investing and financing activities are as follows:
|
|||||||
Net
increase (decrease) in the fair value of interest rate
swaps
|
$
|
24,000
|
$
|
(17,000
|
)
|
|
April
30,
2008
|
January
31,
2008
|
|||||
Raw
materials
|
$
|
2,842,000
|
$
|
2,846,000
|
|||
Work-in
process
|
138,000
|
43,000
|
|||||
Finished
goods
|
201,000
|
144,000
|
|||||
Less:
reserves
|
(260,000
|
)
|
(225,000
|
)
|
|||
Inventories,
net
|
$
|
2,921,000
|
$
|
2,808,000
|
|
April
30,
2008
|
January
31,
2008
|
|||||
Leasehold
improvements
|
$
|
1,063,000
|
$
|
1,051,000
|
|||
Machinery
and equipment
|
3,853,000
|
3,778,000
|
|||||
Trucks
and other vehicles
|
1,292,000
|
1,263,000
|
|||||
6,208,000
|
6,092,000
|
||||||
Less
- accumulated depreciation
|
(3,502,000
|
)
|
(3,200,000
|
)
|
|||
Property
and equipment, net
|
$
|
2,706,000
|
$
|
2,892,000
|
April
30, 2008
|
||||||||||||||||
Estimated
Useful Life
|
Gross
Carrying Amount
|
Accumulated
Amortization
|
Net
Amount
|
January
31, 2008
Net
Amount
|
||||||||||||
Intangible
assets being amortized:
|
||||||||||||||||
Contractual
customer relationships
- VLI and SMC
|
5-7
years
|
$
|
2,276,000
|
$
|
1,942,000
|
$
|
334,000
|
$
|
379,000
|
|||||||
Customer
relationships - GPS
|
1-2
years
|
6,678,000
|
6,411,000
|
267,000
|
904,000
|
|||||||||||
Proprietary
formulas - VLI
|
3
years
|
1,813,000
|
1,813,000
|
--
|
--
|
|||||||||||
Non-compete
agreements - GPS and VLI
|
5
years
|
1,731,000
|
1,336,000
|
395,000
|
424,000
|
|||||||||||
Trade
name - GPS
|
15
years
|
3,643,000
|
339,000
|
3,304,000
|
3,365,000
|
|||||||||||
Intangible
assets not being amortized:
|
||||||||||||||||
Trade
name - SMC
|
Indefinite
|
224,000
|
--
|
224,000
|
224,000
|
|||||||||||
Total
other intangible assets
|
$
|
16,365,000
|
$
|
11,841,000
|
$
|
4,524,000
|
$
|
5,296,000
|
||||||||
Goodwill
|
Indefinite
|
$
|
20,337,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
20,337,000
|
$
|
20,337,000
|
Options
|
Shares
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contract
Term (Years)
|
Weighted-
Average
Fair
Value
|
|||||||||
Outstanding,
January 31, 2008
|
426,000
|
$
|
6.07
|
||||||||||
Granted
|
110,000
|
$
|
11.90
|
||||||||||
Exercised
|
(6,000
|
)
|
$
|
6.85
|
|||||||||
Forfeited
or expired
|
(1,000
|
)
|
$
|
7.86
|
|||||||||
Outstanding,
April 30, 2008
|
529,000
|
$
|
7.28
|
7.3
|
$
|
4.23
|
|||||||
Exercisable,
April 30, 2008
|
229,000
|
$
|
4.09
|
6.7
|
$
|
2.16
|
|||||||
Exercisable,
January 31, 2008
|
235,000
|
$
|
4.16
|
6.9
|
$
|
2.19
|
Three
Months
Ended
April 30, 2008
|
||||
Dividend
yield
|
|
--
|
|
|
Expected
volatility
|
|
61%
|
||
Risk-free
interest rate
|
|
4.00%
|
||
Expected
life in years
|
5
|
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
Computed
expected income tax (expense) benefit
|
$
|
(716,000
|
)
|
$
|
1,004,000
|
||
State
income taxes, net
|
95,000
|
(47,000
|
)
|
||||
Permanent
differences
|
70,000
|
(18,000
|
)
|
||||
|
$
|
(551,000
|
)
|
$
|
939,000
|
Three
Months Ended April 30, 2008
|
Power
Industry Services
|
Nutritional
Products
|
Telecom
Infrastructure
Services
|
Other
|
Consolidated
|
|||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
44,008,000
|
$
|
2,399,000
|
$
|
1,999,000
|
$ |
--
|
$
|
48,406,000
|
||||||
Cost
of sales
|
38,576,000
|
2,323,000
|
1,774,000
|
--
|
42,673,000
|
|||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,432,000
|
76,000
|
225,000
|
--
|
5,733,000
|
|||||||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
1,842,000
|
715,000
|
343,000
|
1,111,000
|
4,011,000
|
|||||||||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
3,590,000
|
(639,000
|
)
|
(118,000
|
)
|
(1,111,000
|
)
|
1,722,000
|
||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(102,000
|
)
|
(18,000
|
)
|
--
|
--
|
(120,000
|
)
|
||||||||
Interest
income
|
504,000
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
504,000
|
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Income
(loss) before income taxes
|
$
|
3,992,000
|
$
|
(657,000
|
)
|
$
|
(118,000
|
)
|
$
|
(1,111,000
|
)
|
2,106,000
|
||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Income
tax expense
|
(551,000
|
)
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
1,555,000
|
||||||||||||||
Amortization
of purchased intangibles
|
$
|
724,000
|
$
|
22,000
|
$
|
26,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
772,000
|
||||||
Depreciation
and other amortization
|
$
|
48,000
|
$
|
148,000
|
$
|
142,000
|
$
|
1,000
|
$
|
339,000
|
||||||
Goodwill
|
$
|
18,476,000
|
$
|
921,000
|
$
|
940,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
20,337,000
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
116,926,000
|
$
|
7,378,000
|
$
|
4,249,000
|
$
|
14,211,000
|
$
|
142,764,000
|
||||||
Fixed
asset additions
|
$
|
49,000
|
$
|
56,000
|
$
|
12,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
117,000
|
Three
Months Ended April 30, 2007
|
Power
Industry Services
|
Nutritional
Products
|
Telecom
Infrastructure
Services
|
Other
|
Consolidated
|
|||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
43,354,000
|
$
|
4,949,000
|
$
|
2,129,000
|
$ |
--
|
$
|
50,432,000
|
||||||
Cost
of sales
|
43,245,000
|
4,166,000
|
1,843,000
|
--
|
49,254,000
|
|||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
109,000
|
783,000
|
286,000
|
--
|
1,178,000
|
|||||||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
2,552,000
|
1,170,000
|
358,000
|
481,000
|
4,561,000
|
|||||||||||
Loss
from operations
|
(2,443,000
|
)
|
(387,000
|
)
|
(72,000
|
)
|
(481,000
|
)
|
(3,383,000
|
)
|
||||||
Interest
expense
|
(167,000
|
)
|
(35,000
|
)
|
(2,000
|
)
|
--
|
(204,000
|
)
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
626,000
|
--
|
--
|
7,000
|
633,000
|
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Loss
before income taxes
|
$
|
(1,984,000
|
)
|
$
|
(422,000
|
)
|
$
|
(74,000
|
)
|
$
|
(474,000
|
)
|
(2,954,000
|
)
|
||
|
||||||||||||||||
Income
tax benefit
|
939,000
|
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(2,015,000
|
)
|
|||||||||||||
Amortization
of purchased intangibles
|
$
|
1,733,000
|
$
|
305,000
|
$
|
26,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
2,064,000
|
||||||
Depreciation
and other amortization
|
$
|
53,000
|
$
|
144,000
|
$
|
123,000
|
$
|
4,000
|
$
|
324,000
|
||||||
Goodwill
|
$
|
16,476,000
|
$
|
6,565,000
|
$
|
940,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
23,981,000
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
97,684,000
|
$
|
15,995,000
|
$
|
4,246,000
|
$
|
1,705,000
|
$
|
119,630,000
|
||||||
Fixed
asset additions
|
$
|
4,000
|
$
|
85,000
|
$
|
11,000
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
100,000
|
Three
Months Ended April 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Power
industry services
|
$
|
44,008,000
|
90.9
|
%
|
$
|
43,354,000
|
86.0
|
%
|
|||||
Nutritional
products
|
2,399,000
|
5.0
|
%
|
4,949,000
|
9.8
|
%
|
|||||||
Telecommunications
infrastructure services
|
1,999,000
|
4.1
|
%
|
2,129,000
|
4.2
|
%
|
|||||||
Net
sales
|
48,406,000
|
100.0
|
%
|
50,432,000
|
100.0
|
%
|
|||||||
Cost
of sales **
|
|||||||||||||
Power
industry services
|
38,576,000
|
87.7
|
%
|
43,245,000
|
99.7
|
%
|
|||||||
Nutritional
products
|
2,323,000
|
96.8
|
%
|
4,166,000
|
84.2
|
%
|
|||||||
Telecommunications
infrastructure services
|
1,774,000
|
88.7
|
%
|
1,843,000
|
86.6
|
%
|
|||||||
Cost
of sales
|
42,673,000
|
88.2
|
%
|
49,254,000
|
97.7
|
%
|
|||||||
Gross
profit
|
5,733,000
|
11.8
|
%
|
1,178,000
|
2.3
|
%
|
|||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
4,011,000
|
8.3
|
%
|
4,561,000
|
9.0
|
%
|
|||||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
1,722,000
|
3.5
|
%
|
(3,383,000
|
)
|
(6.7
|
)%
|
||||||
Interest
expense
|
(120,000
|
)
|
*
|
(204,000
|
)
|
*
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
504,000
|
1.0
|
%
|
633,000
|
1.3
|
%
|
|||||||
Income
(loss) from operations before
|
|||||||||||||
income
taxes
|
2,106,000
|
4.3
|
%
|
(2,954,000
|
)
|
(5.9
|
)%
|
||||||
Income
tax (expense) benefit
|
(551,000
|
)
|
(1.1
|
)% |
939,000
|
1.9
|
%
|
||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
1,555,000
|
3.2
|
%
|
$
|
(2,015,000
|
)
|
(4.0
|
)%
|
||||
|
|
Three
Months Ended April 30,
|
||||||
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
Net
income (loss), as reported
|
$
|
1,555,000
|
$
|
(2,015,000
|
)
|
||
Interest
expense
|
120,000
|
204,000
|
|||||
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
551,000
|
(939,000
|
)
|
||||
Amortization
of purchased intangible assets
|
772,000
|
2,064,000
|
|||||
Depreciation
and other amortization
|
339,000
|
324,000
|
|||||
Stock
option compensation expense
|
397,000
|
14,000
|
|||||
EBITDA
|
$
|
3,734,000
|
$
|
(348,000
|
)
|
1) |
On
March 22, 2005, WFC filed a civil action against the Company and
its
executive officers. The suit was filed in the Superior Court of the
State
of California for the County of Los Angeles. WFC purchased the capital
stock of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Puroflow Incorporated,
pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement dated October
31,
2003. WFC alleged that the Company and its executive officers breached
the
Stock Purchase Agreement between WFC and the Company and engaged
in
misrepresentations and negligent conduct with respect to the Stock
Purchase Agreement. WFC sought declaratory relief, compensatory and
punitive damages in an amount to be proven at trial as well as the
recovery of attorney's fees. This action was removed to the United
States
District Court for the Central District of California. The Company
and its
officers deny that any breach of contract or that any misrepresentations
or negligence occurred on their
part.
|
2) |
On
August 27, 2007, Kevin Thomas, the former owner of VLI, filed a lawsuit
against the Company, VLI and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the
“CEO”) in the Circuit Court of Florida for Collier County. The Company
acquired VLI by way of merger on August 31, 2004. Mr. Thomas alleges
that
the Company, VLI and the CEO breached various agreements regarding
his
compensation and employment package that arose from the acquisition
of
VLI. Mr. Thomas has alleged contractual and tort-based claims arising
from
his compensation and employment agreements and seeks rescission of
his
covenant not to compete against VLI. The Company, VLI and the CEO
deny
that any breach of contract or tortious conduct occurred on their
part.
The Company and VLI have also asserted four counterclaims against
Mr.
Thomas for breach of the merger agreement, breach of his employment
contract, breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with
contractual relations for the violation of his non-solicitation,
confidentiality and non-compete obligations after he left VLI (the
“VLI
Merger Litigation”). The Company intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit
and prosecute its counterclaims.
|
3) |
On
March 4, 2008, Vitarich Farms, Inc. (“VFI”) filed a lawsuit against VLI
and its current president in the Circuit Court of Florida for Collier
County. VFI, which is owned by Kevin Thomas, supplied VLI with certain
organic raw materials used in the manufacture of VLI products. VFI
has
asserted a breach of contract claim against VLI and alleges that
VLI
breached a supply agreement with VFI by acquiring the organic products
from a different supplier. VFI also asserted a claim for defamation
against VLI’s president alleging that he made false statements regarding
VFI’s organic certification to one of VLI's customers. VLI and its
president filed their Answer and Affirmative Defenses on May 8, 2008.
VLI
and its president deny that VLI breached any contract or that its
president defamed VFI. The defendants intend to continue to vigorously
defend this lawsuit.
|
4) |
On
March 4, 2008, Mr. Thomas filed a lawsuit against VLI's president
in the
Circuit Court of Florida for Collier County. Mr. Thomas has filed
this new
lawsuit against VLI’s president for defamation. Mr. Thomas alleges that
VLI’s president made false statements to third-parties regarding Mr.
Thomas' conduct that is the subject of counterclaims by the Company
and
VLI in the VLI Merger Litigation discussed above and that these statements
have caused damage to his business reputation. VLI’s president filed his
answer with the court on May 8, 2008 denying that he defamed Mr.
Thomas.
He intends to continue to vigorously defend this
lawsuit.
|
Exhibit
No.
|
|
Title
|
Exhibit:
31.1
|
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(c) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
|
Exhibit:
31.2
|
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(c) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
|
Exhibit:
32.1
|
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section
1350
|
Exhibit:
32.2
|
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section
1350
|
|
|
|
|
ARGAN,
INC.
|
|
|
|
|
June
12, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/ Rainer
Bosselmann
|
|
Rainer
Bosselmann
Chairman
of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
June
12, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/ Arthur
F.
Trudel
|
|
Arthur
F. Trudel
Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
and
Secretary
|
|
|