£
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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£
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Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
x
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Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
£
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
£
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Soliciting
Material under
Section 240.14a-12
|
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(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
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(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of
transaction:
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(5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
£
|
Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
|
£
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
|
|
(1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
|
(2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:
|
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(3)
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Filing
Party:
|
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(4)
|
Date
Filed:
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Sincerely,
|
|
William
J. Gervais
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer and President
|
|
1.
|
To
elect six directors to serve one year terms expiring at the next Annual
Meeting of Shareholders, or until their successors have been duly elected
and qualified;
|
|
2.
|
To
approve the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent
registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008;
and
|
|
3.
|
To
transact any other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting
and any adjournment thereof.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors
|
|
Richard
A. Nelson
|
|
Secretary
|
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. THEREFORE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING YOU SHOULD COMPLETE, SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD, AND RETURN IT IN THE PREADDRESSED ENVELOPE PROVIDED. NO POSTAGE IS NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. |
Name and
Age
|
|
Business
Experience During Last Five
Years and Other Directorships |
William
J. Gervais (65)
|
William J. Gervais is a
founder of Qualstar, has been our President and a director since our
inception in 1984, and was elected Chief Executive Officer in January
2000. From 1984 until January 2000, Mr. Gervais also served as
our Chief Financial Officer. From 1981 until 1984, Mr. Gervais
was President of Northridge Design Associates, Inc., an engineering
consulting firm. Mr. Gervais was a co-founder, and served as
Engineering Manager from 1976 until 1981, of Micropolis Corporation, a
former manufacturer of hard disk drives. Mr. Gervais earned a
B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State Polytechnic
University in 1967.
|
Richard
A. Nelson (64)
|
Richard A. Nelson is a
founder of Qualstar and has been our Vice President of Engineering,
Secretary and a director since our inception in 1984. From 1974
to 1984, Mr. Nelson was self employed as an engineering consultant
specializing in microprocessor technology. Mr. Nelson earned a
B.S. in Electronic Engineering from California State Polytechnic
University in 1966.
|
Stanley
W. Corker (56)
|
Stanley W. Corker has
served as a director of Qualstar since January 26, 2006. Since
1996, Mr. Corker has been the Director of Technology Research and a
partner of Emerald Asset Management, a diversified investment management
firm. Prior to joining Emerald Asset Management, Mr. Corker
obtained over 20 years experience in the computer storage industry from
key roles in engineering and marketing at several manufacturers of tape
drives, and as an industry analyst with International Data Corporation
(IDC). Mr. Corker received a B.S. degree in Computer Science
from the University of Essex, England in 1972, where he later conducted
five years of postgraduate research in computer networking
systems.
|
Carl
W. Gromada (66)
|
Carl W. Gromada has
served as a director of Qualstar since March 2005. From 2000 to
the present, Mr. Gromada has been a consultant and a private investor.
From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Gromada served as Chief Executive Officer, and
a member of the board of directors of Computer Resources Unlimited, Inc.,
a company involved in the design, manufacture and sale of a broad line of
products for the computer storage industry. Mr. Gromada
received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Temple University
in 1965.
|
Robert
A. Meyer (63)
|
Robert A. Meyer has
served as a director of Qualstar since March 16, 2006. Mr.
Meyer is currently retired. From 1994 until June 2005, Mr.
Meyer was employed in various management positions by United States Filter
Corporation, a company engaged in the water treatment industry serving
industrial, commercial and residential customers. His positions
at United States Filter Corporation included Director of Finance, Business
Development from 2000 to 2002, and Vice President of Internal Audit from
2003 until he retired in June 2005. Mr. Meyer received a B.S.
degree in Accounting from C.W. Post College in 1972, and he is a Certified
Public Accountant.
|
Robert
E. Rich (57)
|
Robert E. Rich has
served as a director of Qualstar since January 2000. Mr. Rich
has been engaged in the private practice of law since 1975 and has been a
shareholder of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, legal counsel to
Qualstar, since 1984. Mr. Rich received a B.A. degree in
Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1972 and his
J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in
1975.
|
|
·
|
each
person (or group of affiliated persons) who we know beneficially owns more
than 5% of our common stock;
|
|
·
|
each
of our directors and nominees for election to the
Board;
|
|
·
|
each
of the named executive officers;
and
|
|
·
|
all
of our directors and executive officers as a
group.
|
Common
|
Options
Exercisable
Within
60
|
Beneficial Ownership
|
||||||||||||||
Name
|
Shares Owned
|
Days (1)
|
Number
|
Percent
|
||||||||||||
William
J. Gervais
|
2,938,550 | — | 2,938,550 | 24.0 | % | |||||||||||
Richard
A. Nelson
|
1,906,560 | — | 1,906,560 | 15.6 | % | |||||||||||
Wells
Capital Management Inc.(2)
525
Market Street, 10th
Floor
San
Francisco, CA 94105
|
1,496,698 | — | 1,496,698 | 12.2 | % | |||||||||||
Microcapital
LLC (3)
623
Fifth Avenue, Suite 2502
New
York, NY 10022
|
1,069,754 | — | 1,069,754 | 8.7 | % | |||||||||||
Stanley
W. Corker
|
3,940 | 6,000 | 9,940 | * | ||||||||||||
Carl
Gromada
|
48,271 | 6,000 | 54,271 | * | ||||||||||||
Robert
A. Meyer
|
— | 6,000 | 6,000 | * | ||||||||||||
Robert
E. Rich
|
131,400 | 6,000 | 137,400 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||
Robert
K. Covey
|
48,280 | 20,000 | 68,280 | * | ||||||||||||
Andrew
A. Farina
|
— | 12,500 | 12,500 | * | ||||||||||||
David
L. Griffith
|
— | 80,000 | 80,000 | * | ||||||||||||
Robert
C. King
|
— | 37,500 | 37,500 | * | ||||||||||||
Frederic
T. Boyer (4)
|
— | — | — | * | ||||||||||||
All
directors and officers as a group (11 persons)
|
5,077,001 | 174,000 | 5,251,001 | 42.3 | % |
(1)
|
Represents
shares that may be acquired upon exercise of stock options which are
either currently vested or will vest within 60 days of February 11,
2008.
|
(2)
|
Based
on information contained in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Wells Fargo & Company, as the parent holding company
of Wells Capital Management Incorporated, an investment adviser,
beneficially owns 1,496,698 shares as of December 31,
2007.
|
(3)
|
Based
on information contained in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Microcapital LLC beneficially owns 1,1,069,754 shares as of
September 30, 2007.
|
(4)
|
Frederic
T. Boyer resigned as Chief Financial Officer and as an employee effective
as of August 18, 2006.
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
Fiscal
2007
Base
Salary
|
Percent Increase
versus Fiscal
2006
Base Salary
|
Fiscal 2008
Base Salary
|
Percent Increase
versus Fiscal
2007
Base Salary
|
||||||||||||
William
J. Gervais
Chief
Executive Officer and President
|
$ | 195,000 | 5.4 | % | $ | 195,000 |
─
|
|||||||||
Andrew
A. Farina (1)
Vice
President and Chief Financial
Officer
|
$ | 165,000 | (1 | ) | $ | 170,000 | 3.0 | % | ||||||||
Richard
A. Nelson
Vice
President of Engineering
|
$ | 170,000 | 16.4 | % | $ | 170,000 |
─
|
|||||||||
Robert
K. Covey
Vice
President of Marketing
|
$ | 172,000 | 3.0 | % | $ | 172,000 |
─
|
|||||||||
Robert
C. King
Vice
President of Sales
|
$ | 171,000 | (2) | 3.0 | % | $ | 171,000 | (2) |
─
|
|
(1)
|
Mr.
Farina’s employment commenced on November 27,
2006.
|
|
(2)
|
The
amounts shown for Mr. King includes an allowance of $6,000 per year for
automobile expenses.
|
Submitted
by the members of the Compensation Committee
|
||
Stanley
W. Corker (Chairman)
|
||
Carl
W. Gromada
|
||
Robert
A. Meyer
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary (1)
($)
|
Bonus (1)
($)
|
Option
Awards (2)
($)
|
All
Other Compensation (3)
($)
|
Total
($)
|
||||||||||||||||
William
J.
Gervais
Chief
Executive Officer and President
|
2007
|
$ | 193,000 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 3,868 | $ | 196,868 | |||||||||||
Andrew
A. Farina (4)
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer
|
2007
|
92,000 | — | 6,017 | 286 | 98,303 | ||||||||||||||||
Richard
A.
Nelson
Vice
President of Engineering
|
2007
|
164,000 | — | — | 6,545 | 170,545 | ||||||||||||||||
Robert
K.
Covey
Vice
President of Marketing
|
2007
|
171,000 | — | — | 3,962 | 174,962 | ||||||||||||||||
Robert
C.
King
Vice
President of Sales
|
2007
|
169,000 | 14,000 | 21,894 | 5,724 | 210,618 | ||||||||||||||||
Frederic
T. Boyer (5)
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer
|
2007
|
42,000 | — | (30,146 | ) | 2,866 | 14,720 |
(1)
|
The
amounts shown in these columns reflect salary and bonuses earned by the
named executive officers during fiscal year 2007 and include amounts which
the executives elected to defer, on a discretionary basis, pursuant to
Qualstar’s 401(k) savings plan.
|
(2)
|
The
amounts shown in this column represent the compensation expense recognized
by Qualstar in fiscal year 2007 for financial statement reporting purposes
with respect to the fair value of stock options granted during fiscal 2007
and in prior fiscal years. The compensation expense is computed
in accordance with SFAS 123R, and does not necessarily correspond to the
actual value that will be realized by the named executive
officers. Stock options granted to the named executive officers
vest over four years at the rate of 25% of the shares as of each
anniversary of the date of grant. As a result of Mr. Boyer’s
resignation as of August 18, 2006, he forfeited stock options for 100,000
shares. The compensation expense with respect to Mr. Boyer’s
options that vested in fiscal 2007, less the reversal of amounts
previously accrued relating to his forfeited options, resulted in a net
credit of $30,146 recognized by Qualstar in fiscal 2007. This
amount is included in the table above. Pursuant to SEC rules,
the dollar amounts shown in the table exclude the impact of estimated
forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions. Under
SFAS 123R, the fair value of stock options is calculated using the closing
price of Qualstar common stock on the date of grant. For additional
information regarding the calculation of the fair value of stock options,
refer to note 7 of the Qualstar financial statements included in Item 8 of
this report.
|
(3)
|
The
amounts shown above under “All Other Compensation” represent matching
contributions under our 401(k) plan, and premiums for disability and life
insurance.
|
(4)
|
Mr.
Farina’s employment commenced as of November 27,
2006
|
(5)
|
Mr.
Boyer resigned effective as of August 18,
2006.
|
Name
|
Grant
Date
|
All Other
Option Awards:
Number
of
Securities
Underlying
Options (1)
(#)
|
Exercise or Base
Price of Option
Awards ($ / Sh)
|
Grant Date Fair
Value of Stock and
Option Awards (2)
($)
|
||||||||||||
William
J. Gervais
|
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Andrew
A. Farina
|
12/14/2006
|
50,000 | $ | 2.88 | $ | 56,152 | ||||||||||
Richard
A. Nelson
|
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Robert
K.
Covey
|
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Robert
C.
King
|
12/14/2006
|
50,000 | 2.88 | 56,152 | ||||||||||||
Frederic
T.
Boyer
|
— | — | — | — |
(1)
|
The
amounts shown in this column represent the number of shares of common
stock underlying stock options granted in fiscal year 2007 to each named
executive officer. Stock options granted to the named executive
officers vest over four years at the rate of 25% of the number of shares
as of each anniversary of the date of grant, provided that the executive
is still employed by Qualstar on the vesting
date.
|
(2)
|
The
amounts shown in this column represent the full grant date fair value of
stock options granted in fiscal year 2007, computed in accordance with
SFAS 123R, and does not necessarily correspond to the actual value that
will be realized by the named executive officers. Under SFAS
123R, the grant date fair value of stock options is calculated using the
closing price of Qualstar common stock on the date of
grant. This amount is then recognized by the Company as
compensation expense for financial statement reporting purposes ratably
over the vesting period. The amount recognized as compensation
expense in fiscal 2007 is included in the Summary Compensation Table above
in the column headed “Option Awards.” For additional
information regarding the calculation of the grant date fair value of
stock options, refer to note 7 of the Qualstar financial statements
included in Item 8 of its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 2007, as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
|
Option
Awards
|
||||||||||||||||
Number
of Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
|
Option
Expiration
|
||||||||||||||
Name
|
Exercisable
|
Unexercisable (1)
|
($)
|
Date
|
||||||||||||
William
J.
Gervais
|
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Andrew
A.
Farina
|
— | 50,000 | $ | 2.88 |
12/14/2016
|
|||||||||||
Richard
A.
Nelson
|
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Robert
K.
Covey
|
20,000 | — | 5.94 |
01/03/2012
|
||||||||||||
Robert
C.
King
|
25,000 | 25,000 | 3.71 |
06/15/2015
|
||||||||||||
— | 50,000 | 2.88 |
12/14/2016
|
|||||||||||||
Frederic
T. Boyer (2)
|
— | — | — | — |
|
(1)
|
Stock
options granted to the named executive officers vest over four years at
the rate of 25% of the options as of each anniversary of the date of
grant, provided that the executive is still employed by Qualstar on the
vesting date. The amounts shown in this column represent the
remaining unvested portion of each option
grant.
|
|
(2)
|
Frederic
T. Boyer resigned effective as of August 18,
2006.
|
Option
Awards
|
||||||||
Name
|
Number of Shares
Acquired on Exercise
(#)
|
Value Realized
on
Exercise (1)
($)
|
||||||
William
J.
Gervais
|
— | — | ||||||
Andrew
A.
Farina
|
— | — | ||||||
Richard
A.
Nelson
|
— | — | ||||||
Robert
K.
Covey
|
— | — | ||||||
Robert
C.
King
|
— | — | ||||||
Frederic
T.
Boyer
|
— | — |
|
(1)
|
The
value realized on exercise of option awards represents the market price
per share of common stock on the date of exercise, less the stock option
exercise price per share, multiplied by the number of stock options
exercised.
|
Fees Earned or
|
Option
|
|||||||||||
Name
|
Paid in Cash (1)
($)
|
Awards (2)(3)
($)
|
Total
($)
|
|||||||||
Stanley
W. Corker
|
$ | 19,250 | $ | 5,760 | $ | 25,010 | ||||||
Carl
W. Gromada
|
19,250 | 5,760 | 25,010 | |||||||||
Robert
A. Meyer
|
17,500 | 5,760 | 23,260 | |||||||||
Robert
E. Rich
|
11,250 | 5,760 | 17,010 |
|
(1)
|
The
amounts shown in this column represent the amount of cash compensation
earned in fiscal year 2007 for service on the Board of Directors and any
committees of the Board on which the director was a member in fiscal
2007.
|
|
(2)
|
The
amounts shown in this column represent the compensation expense recognized
by Qualstar in fiscal year 2007 for financial statement reporting purposes
with respect to the fair value of stock options granted in prior fiscal
years. No stock options were granted to our directors during
fiscal 2007. The compensation expense is computed in accordance
with SFAS 123R, and does not necessarily correspond to the actual value
that will be realized by the directors. Stock options granted
to our directors vest over four years at the rate of 25% of the shares as
of each anniversary of the date of grant. Pursuant to SEC
rules, the dollar amounts shown in the table exclude the impact of
estimated forfeitures related to service-based vesting
conditions. Under SFAS 123R, the fair value of stock options is
calculated using the closing price of Qualstar common stock on the date of
grant. For additional information regarding the calculation of the fair
value of stock options, refer to note 7 of the Qualstar financial
statements included in Item 8 of this
report.
|
|
(3)
|
As
of June 30, 2007, each of our non-employee directors named in the above
table held unexercised stock options for 24,000 shares of our common
stock.
|
Name
|
Option
Awards (1)
|
|||
William
J. Gervais
|
— | |||
Andrew
A. Farina
|
$ | 38,500 | ||
Richard
A. Nelson
|
— | |||
Robert
K. Covey
|
— | |||
Robert
C. King
|
$ | 38,500 | ||
Frederic
T. Boyer
|
— |
|
(1)
|
The
amounts in this column represent the aggregate gain each named executive
officer would have realized if all unvested stock options granted under
the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan that were held by him on June 29, 2007
accelerated and became immediately vested in full on that
date. The amount of gain was calculated based on the difference
between the exercise price of each unvested option and the closing price
of our common stock on that date, which was $3.65 per
share.
|
Fiscal
2006
|
Fiscal
2007
|
|||||||
Audit
Fees
|
$ | 156,653 | $ | 189,400 | ||||
Audit-related
fees
|
9,457 | 2,784 | ||||||
Tax
fees
|
78,235 | 87,637 | ||||||
All
other fees
|
— | — | ||||||
Total
fees
|
$ | 244,345 | $ | 279,821 |
February
18, 2008
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors
|
Richard
A. Nelson
|
|
Secretary
|
1.
|
Election
of Directors:
|
¨
|
FOR
|
¨
|
WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY
|
|
all
nominees listed below (except
|
to
vote for all nominees listed below
|
|||
as
indicated to the contrary below)
|
Dated:
|
Signature
|
|
Signature
if held jointly
|
|
Please date this Proxy and sign
it exactly as your name or names appear hereon. When shares are
held by two or more persons, both should sign. When signing as
an attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give
full title as such. If shares are held by a corporation, please
sign in full corporate name by the President or other authorized
officer. If shares are held by a partnership, please sign in
partnership name by an authorized
person.
|