Convergence Ethanol, Inc.
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934
Filed
by
the Registrant x
Filed
by
a Party other than the Registrant o
Check
the
appropriate box:
x
Preliminary
Proxy
Statement
o
Confidential,
For Use of the
Commission Only (as permitted by 14a-6(e)(2))
o
Definitive
Proxy
Statement
o
Definitive
Additional
materials
o
Soliciting
Material Pursuant To
Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL, INC.
(Name
of
Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(Name
of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
Payment
of filing fee (Check the appropriate box):
x
No
fee required.
o Fee
computed on table below
per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.
(1) Title
of
each class of securities to which transaction applies:
(2) Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
(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:
(5) Total
fee
paid:
o
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.:
(3) Filing
party:
(4) Date
filed:
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
Be Held On , 2007
To
Our
Stockholders:
The
Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Convergence Ethanol, Inc. will be held on
,
2007, at 7:30 a.m., Pacific Time, at 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100,
Westlake Village, California, the offices of the Company, for the following
purposes:
1.
|
To
elect a Director to hold office until the year 2010 Annual Meeting
or
until such Director’s successor is elected and
qualified;
|
2.
|
To
ratify the selection of Kabani & Company, Inc. as independent auditors
for the year ending September 30, 2007;
and
|
3.
|
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting
or
any adjournment(s) thereof.
|
Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on February 15, 2007 are
entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting.
All
stockholders are urged to attend the Annual Meeting in person or by proxy.
YOUR
VOTE IS IMPORTANT. WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN
PERSON, PLEASE SIGN AND SUBMIT YOUR PROXY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOUR
SHARES CAN BE VOTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR INSTRUCTIONS.
The
proxy
is revocable and will not affect your right to vote in person in the event
you
attend the Annual Meeting.
Daniel
K.
Moscaritolo, a stockholder of the Company and former Chief Operating, Chief
Technology Officer and director of the Company has initiated a proxy
solicitation to elect a slate of three persons selected by them to the Board
of
Directors.
Your
Board believes that Mr. Moscaritolo’s actions are not in your best interests and
urges you not to sign or return any proxy card sent to you by or on behalf
of
Mr. Moscaritolo. If you have any questions or need assistance in voting your
shares, please call the Company at (818) 735-4750.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors
/s/
James A. Latty
James
A.
Latty, PhD, PE
Chief
Executive Officer
Westlake
Village, California
________________,
2007
Notice
of 2007
Annual
Meeting
and
Proxy
Statement
March
23,
2007
Dear
Shareholder:
We
of
Convergence Ethanol, Inc. sincerely appreciate your investment in our company.
Thank you.
We
have
scheduled our first shareholders meeting to be held at our company’s offices in
Westlake Village, California at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, April 16, 2007. The
enclosed materials contain information to be reviewed before deciding on
how you
will vote on the two important measures being proposed by company management.
We
have also enclosed a brief company overview to give you additional insight
into
the company’s future plans and prospects, particularly in the exciting
bio-renewable alternative energy market.
We
encourage you to vote concerning the propositions on the enclosed proxy ballots
that address Steve Newsom remaining a member of the board of directors and
affirming Kanbani & Company as the company’s independent outside auditors.
We
look
forward to your attendance at the shareholders meeting. If you will be unable
to
attend, we encourage you to vote your proxy and mail it back promptly to
the
company for your vote to count on these important issues.
Sincerely,
Convergence
Ethanol, Inc.
James
A.
Latty, PhD, PE
President,
CEO and Chairman
5701
Lindero Canyon Road, Bldg. 2-100, Westlake Village, CA 91362
(818)
735-4750, fax (818) 735-4753
PROXY
STATEMENT
ANNUAL
MEETING TO BE HELD ON _____________, 2007
5701
Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100
Westlake
Village, California 91362
(818)
735-4750
This
Proxy Statement contains information related to the solicitation of proxies
by
and on behalf of the Board of Directors of CONVERGENCE ETHANOL, INC. (the
"Company") for use in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to
be
held on , 2007, beginning at 7:30 a.m., Pacific Time, at the offices of the
Company located at 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100, Westlake Village,
California 91362, and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof.
This
Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy are being mailed to stockholders
on
or about , 2007.
The
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2006, as filed with the SEC, is provided with this Proxy Statement.
INFORMATION
CONCERNING SOLICITATION AND VOTING
Record
Date
Only
holders of record of voting stock at the close of business on February 15,
2007
(the "Record Date") are entitled to notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote
at
the Annual Meeting. On that date, the Company had outstanding 20,367,593 shares
of voting common stock.
Revocability
of Proxies
Any
proxy
given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it
at
any time before its use by delivering to the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, at or before the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting, a written
notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or by
attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.
Voting
and Solicitation
Each
share of common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters presented at the
Annual Meeting. Stockholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes
in
the election of directors.
Shares
of
common stock represented by properly executed proxies will, unless such proxies
have been previously revoked, be voted in accordance with the instructions
indicated thereon. In the absence of specific instructions to the contrary,
properly executed proxies will be voted: (i) FOR the election of the
Company's nominee for director, and (ii) FOR the ratification of the
selection of Kabani & Company, Inc. as independent auditors of the Company
for the year ending September 30, 2007. No business other than that set forth
in
the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders is expected to come
before the Annual Meeting. Should any other matter requiring a vote of
stockholders properly arise, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy
will vote such proxy in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of
Directors.
If
you
will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting to vote in person, you may vote
your shares by completing and returning the accompanying proxy card. To vote
by
mail, please mark, sign and date the accompanying proxy card and return it
promptly in the enclosed postage paid envelope.
This
solicitation of proxies is made by the Company and all related costs, including
expenses in connection with preparing and mailing this proxy statement, will
be
borne by the Company. Copies of solicitation material will be furnished to
brokerage firms and other persons representing beneficial owners of shares.
In
addition, if asked, the Company will reimburse brokerage firms and other persons
representing beneficial owners of shares for their expenses in forwarding
solicitation material to such beneficial owners. The Company has requested
brokerage firms and other persons representing beneficial owners of shares
to
forward all solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of the shares they
hold of record. Proxies may also be solicited by certain of the Company’s
directors, officers and regular employees, without additional compensation.
The
original solicitation by mail may also be supplemented by telephone, facsimile,
e-mail and personal solicitation by these directors, officers and employees,
but
stockholders will not be asked to submit proxies by telephone or the Internet.
Such persons are listed on Annex A to this proxy statement.
Because
of the possible solicitation of opposition proxies as a result of the matters
discussed below under the heading “Possible Dissident Stockholder Solicitation,”
the Company’s expenses related to its solicitation of proxies from its
stockholders will exceed those normally spent for an annual meeting. Such
additional costs excluding the cost of litigation, if any, are expected to
aggregate $ , of which approximately $ has been spent to date. Such additional
solicitation costs are expected to include the fees of outside counsel to advise
the Company in connection with a contested solicitation of proxies, increased
mailing costs, such as the costs of additional mailings of solicitation
materials to stockholders, including printing costs, mailing costs and the
reimbursement of reasonable expenses of banks, brokerage houses and other agents
incurred in forwarding solicitation materials to beneficial owners of the
Company’s stock, as described above, and the costs of retaining an independent
inspector of election. The Company will bear the cost of these
expenses.
Quorum;
Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes
The
required quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting is a
majority of the votes eligible to be cast by holders of shares of common stock
issued and outstanding on the Record Date. Shares that are voted "FOR" or
"AGAINST" a matter are treated as being present at the meeting for purposes
of
establishing a quorum and are also treated as shares entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting with respect to such matter.
The
Company believes that abstentions should be counted for purposes of determining
both the presence and absence of a quorum for the transaction of business and
the total number of votes cast with respect to a proposal (other than the
election of directors). In the absence of controlling precedent to the contrary,
the Company intends to treat abstentions in this manner. Accordingly,
abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against a proposal (other than
the election of directors).
Broker
non-votes are shares held in street name for which a broker returns a proxy
card
but indicates that instructions have not been received from the beneficial
owners or other persons entitled to vote and for which the broker does not
have
discretionary voting authority. Broker non-votes will not have any effect on
the
proposals.
Deadline
for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals
Any
stockholder who intends to present a proposal pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of
Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, at the 2008
Annual Meeting of Stockholders must ensure that the proposal is received by
the
Chief Executive Officer at Convergence Ethanol, Inc., 5701 Lindero Canyon Road,
Suite 2-100, Westlake Village, California 91362 no later than November 20,
2007
in order to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials for the 2008
Annual Meeting.
PROPOSAL
ONE
ELECTION
OF DIRECTOR
The
Board
of Directors currently consists of three persons: Dr. James A. Latty, Mr. Steven
Newsom and Mr. John C. Fitzgerald. Pursuant to the Company’s Bylaws, each
director holds office for staggered terms of three years or until their
successors have been duly elected and qualified. When there are three Directors,
one Director is elected at each Annual Meeting or any adjournments or
postponements thereof. This year, Mr. Steven Newsom’s term is up and he must be
re-elected. If elected, Mr. Newsom will serve until the year 2010 Annual Meeting
or until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Assuming Mr. Newsom
is
elected, the Company will have three directors serving terms as
follows:
Name
|
Age
|
Director
Term
|
Steven
Newsom
|
47
|
April
16, 2010
|
Dr.
James A. Latty
|
61
|
April
16, 2008
|
John
C. Fitzgerald
|
65
|
April
16, 2009
|
The
accompanying proxy grants to the holder the power to vote the proxy for
substitute nominees in the event that any nominee becomes unavailable to serve
as a Director. Management presently has no knowledge that any nominee will
refuse or be unable to serve as a Director for the prescribed term.
Required
Vote
Directors
are elected by a “plurality” of the shares voted. Plurality means that the
nominee with the largest number of votes is elected, up to the maximum number
of
directors to be chosen (in this case, two directors). Stockholders can either
vote “for” the nominee or withhold authority to vote for the nominee. However,
shares that are withheld will have no effect on the outcome of the election
for
directors. Broker
non-votes also will not have any effect on the outcome of the election of the
directors.
Board
Recommendation
THE
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR"
MR.
NEWSOM.
Stockholder
Communications with Directors
Stockholders
who want to communicate with the board or with a particular director may send
a
letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at Convergence Ethanol,
Inc., 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100, Westlake Village, California 91362.
The mailing envelope should contain a clear notation indicating that the
enclosed letter is a "Board Communication" or "Director Communication." All
such
letters should state whether the intended recipients are all members of the
board or just certain specified individual directors. The Chief Executive
Officer will circulate the communications (with the exception of commercial
solicitations) to the appropriate director or directors. Communications marked
"Confidential "will be forwarded unopened.
Board
Meetings and Committees
During
the last full fiscal year, our Board of Directors held a total of five meetings.
The Board of Directors schedules four meetings a year at which it reviews and
discusses reports by management on the performance of the company, its plans
and
prospects, as well as immediate issues facing the company. Directors are
expected to attend all scheduled board and committee meetings. In addition
to
its general oversight of management, the board also performs a number of
specific functions, including:
a.
selecting, evaluating and compensating the CEO and overseeing CEO succession
planning;
b.
providing counsel and oversight on the selection, evaluation, development and
compensation of senior management;
c.
reviewing, monitoring and, where appropriate, approving fundamental financial
and business strategies and major corporate actions;
d.
assessing major risks facing the company and reviewing options for their
mitigation; and
e.
ensuring processes are in place for maintaining the integrity of the company,
the integrity of the financial statements, the integrity of compliance with
law
and ethics, the integrity of relationships with customers and suppliers, and
the
integrity of relationships with other stakeholders.
The
Board
currently has under review three committees: (i) Audit, (ii) Compensation,
and
(iii) Corporate Governance.
Non-Employee
Director Compensation
At
the
present time, non-employee directors have negotiated compensation on an
individual basis for serving as directors of the Company. We have engaged
certain members of our Board of Directors to perform services on our behalf
and
will compensate such persons for the services that they perform. All directors
receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses in attending Board of Directors
meetings, as well as hourly compensation for work performed for the Company
over
and above time spent on trips to attend meetings.
Pursuant
to his appointment, Mr. Newsom and the Company entered into a Consulting
Agreement. Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Newsom shall receive the
following: (i) the sum of $20,000, (ii) the sum of $4,000 per month payable
on
the first day of each month during his tenure as a member of the Company’s Board
of Directors, (iii) an additional $2,000 per trip, if Mr. Newsom makes more
than
three trips (per quarter) to attend meetings on the Company’s business, (iv)
$250 per hour for work performed for the Company over and above time spent
on
trips to attend meetings on the Company’s business, (v) travel expenses for
trips to attend meetings on the Company’s business, and (vi) options for the
purchase of up to 300,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise
price of $0.51 per share. The option period shall be 60 months from October
18,
2006.
Pursuant
to his appointment, Mr. Fitzgerald and the Company entered into a Consulting
Agreement which is similar to what was provided to Mr. Newsom. Pursuant to
the
Consulting Agreement, Mr. Fitzgerald shall receive: (i) $20,000 worth of Company
common stock, based on the exercise price being equal to 85% of the fair market
value of the Company common stock on Mr. Fitzgerald’s election date, which
equates to 33,613 shares, (ii) the sum of $4,000 per month during his tenure
as
a member of the Board of Directors, (iii) an additional $2,000 per trip, if
Mr.
Fitzgerald makes more than three trips per year to attend meetings on Company
business (outside of the greater Los Angeles area), (iv) $250 per hour for
work
performed for the Company over and above time spent on trips to attend meetings,
(v) travel expenses for trips to attend Company meetings, and (vi) options
for
the purchase of up to 300,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an
exercise price of $0.595 per share. The option period shall be 60 months from
February 1, 2007.
There
are
no family relationships between directors and executive officers of the
Company.
Possible
Dissident Shareholder Solicitation
On
March
29, 2007, Daniel K. Moscaritolo, former Chief Operating Officer, Chief
Technology Officer and director of the Company and the beneficial owner of
an
aggregate of 2,462,887 shares (12.1%) of the Company’s Common Stock, notified
the Company of his intention to nominate 3 persons for election as directors
of
the Company Mr. Moscaritolo”s currently-proposed are: himself, Charles L.
Christensen and Thomas Hemingway.
The
following discussion summarizes the interactions between the Company and Mr.
Moscaritolo since the termination of his employment with the Company.
On
December 12, 2006, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange
Commission disclosing the resignation and termination of Daniel Moscaritolo
as a
director and officer of the Company.
On
December 13, 2006, Mr. Moscaritolo presented management with a purported action
by written consent of the shareholders of the Company indicating that the
shareholders had elected to remove the current board of directors and elect
Daniel Moscaritolo and Thomas Hemingway as directors in their place. Mr.
Moscaritolo also presented management with two separate purported actions by
written consent of the new purported board of directors indicating that the
Company's current officers, James A. Latty and Richard W. York, were terminated
and that Mr. Moscaritolo was elected to serve as Secretary of the Company and
Mr. Hemingway was elected to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer
of
the Company. The Company rejected the purported shareholder action on the
grounds that, on its face, the purported action showed an insufficient number
of
votes had been obtained to approve the requested action, and on the further
grounds that the consent of shareholders was solicited and obtained in violation
of the proxy rules set forth in Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Act”). As a consequence of the invalidity of the
purported shareholder action, the Company also rejected the actions of the
new
purported board of directors terminating and replacing the officers of the
Company.
On
December 14, 2006, the Company filed a lawsuit in the United States District
Court, Central District of California, Western Division (Case No.: CV06-07971)
against Daniel Moscaritolo for violations of the Act, declaratory relief, breach
of fiduciary duty, intentional interference with contract, and conversion (the
“Company Action”). Specifically, the Company alleged that Mr. Moscaritolo's
actions to wrest control of the board of directors were invalid and unlawful.
On
February 8, 2007, a default was entered against Mr. Moscaritolo after he failed
to timely file a responsive pleading to the Complaint. On February 12, 2007,
the
Court entered an Order granting the Company’s Motion for a Preliminary
Injunction. Pursuant to the Order, the Court ruled that: (1) the attempted
shareholder action initiated by Mr. Moscaritolo and his purported proxies was
void as the proxies were solicited and obtained in violation of federal
securities laws; (2) Mr. Moscaritolo and those acting in his control or
direction were enjoined from (a) attempting to vote any of the illegally
obtained proxies; (b) purporting to act as directors of officers of the Company
or its subsidiaries; (c) further soliciting shareholder proxies in violation
of
federal securities laws; and (d) disclosing any confidential or proprietary
information of the Company.
On
December 15, 2006, Mr. Moscaritolo and Mr. Hemingway, individually, and
purporting to act derivatively on behalf of the shareholders of the Company,
filed a lawsuit in Nevada State Court, County of Washoe (Case No.: CV0603002)
against Mr. Latty and Mr. York for injunctive relief, declaratory relief,
receivership, and accounting relating to the failed effort to remove them from
the Board of Directors of the Company and seeking a court order approving their
removal (the “Moscaritolo Action”). In January 2007, Mr. Moscaritolo and Mr.
Hemingway voluntarily dismissed the Moscaritolo Action.
On
January 10, 2007, Mr. Moscaritolo and Charles L. Christensen filed a lawsuit
in
the First Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in and for Carson
City
(Case No.: 07-00035A) against the Company, Dr. Latty, and Mr. Newsom for
injunctive relief to hold an Annual Shareholders Meeting. On February 9, 2007,
the Company filed a Motion to Dismiss or Stay the Action based upon the Company
Action pending in the United States District Court, Central District of
California, Western Division. On February 23, 2007 the court issued an order
to
the Company requiring the Company to give notice to stockholders and hold its
Annual Meeting on or before April 15, 2007.
Mr.
Moscaritolo filed a Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower complaint (No. 9-3290-07-019)
on January 29, 2007, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
under Section 806 of the Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability Act of
2002, and Title VIII of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C.
1514A.
Mr.
Moscaritolo filed a Schedule 13D with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on
March 22, 2007 describing his beneficial ownership of the Company’s stock and
his intentions with respect to seeking proxies from the Company’s
stockholders.
THE
BOARD
WILL OPPOSE MR. MOSCARITOLO’S CANDIDATES AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE
AGAINST MR. MOSCARITOLO’S CANDIDATES. YOU MAY RECEIVE A PROXY CARD SOLICITING
YOUR VOTE FOR MR. MOSCARITOLO’S CANDIDATES. WE URGE YOU TO DISREGARD ANY SUCH
PROXY SOLICITATION AND TO SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN
IT
TODAY IN THE ENCLOSED PRE-ADDRESSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.
PROPOSAL
TWO
RATIFICATION
OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The
Board
of Directors has selected Kabani & Company, Inc., an independent registered
public accounting firm, to audit the financial statements of the Company for
the
year ending September 30, 2007. The Board of Directors is submitting its
selection to the shareholders for ratification. Kabani & Company, Inc. has
served as the Company’s auditor since June 20, 2005 and has no financial
interest of any kind in the Company except the professional relationship between
auditor and client. A representative of Kabani & Company, Inc. is expected
to attend the meeting, will be afforded an opportunity to make a statement
if he
or she desires to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate
questions by stockholders.
Required
Vote
Proposal 2
requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the proposal.
Stockholders may vote “for” or “against” the proposal, or they may abstain from
voting on the proposal. Abstentions will have effect of voting “against” the
proposal, but broker non-votes will not have any effect on the outcome of this
proposal. In the event the stockholders do not approve this proposal, the Board
of Directors will reconsider the appointment of Kabani & Company, Inc. as
the independent auditors.
Board
Recommendation
THE
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR”
THIS
PROPOSAL.
DIRECTORS
AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The
following table sets forth the names and ages of all of our directors and
executive officers as of February 15, 2007. Also provided herein is a brief
description of the business experience of each director, executive officer
and
significant employee during the past five years and an indication of
directorships held by each director in other companies subject to the reporting
requirements under the Federal securities laws.
There
are
no family relationships among directors or executive officers. Within the past
five years, our directors and executive officers have not been (i) involved
in
any bankruptcy petition filed by or against any business of which such person
was a general partner or executive officer either at the time of the bankruptcy
or within two years prior to that time, (ii) convicted of any criminal
proceeding, (iii) been permanently or temporarily enjoined, barred, suspended
or
otherwise limited from involvement in any type of business, securities or
banking activities, or (iv) convicted of violating a federal or state securities
or commodities law.
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Director
Term
|
Dr.
James A. Latty
|
61
|
Chief
Executive Officer, President
and
Chairman of the Board of Directors
|
April
16, 2008
|
Steven
Newsom
|
47
|
Director
|
April
16, 2007
|
John
C. Fitzgerald
|
65
|
Director
|
April
16, 2009
|
Richard
W. York
|
58
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
N/A
|
James
A.
Latty, Ph.D., PE was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the
Board
on July 1, 2005, in addition to the position of President, which Dr. Latty
has
held since September of 2004. Since 1992, Dr. Latty has been president of JAL
Engineering, an engineering services provider wholly-owned by Dr. Latty
specializing in power and petro-chemical process technologies. >From April
2000 to September 2004, Dr. Latty was a director of business development for
Rockwell Scientific, Inc. Dr. Latty earned his doctorate in Chemical Engineering
from the University of California, Berkeley, is a licensed Professional Chemical
Engineer (PE) in the State of California and earned a Bachelor of Science degree
in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla.
Mr.
Newsom joined us as a director and consultant in October 2006. He received
his
undergraduate degree in Maritime Systems Engineering from Texas A&M
University, a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Houston
at Clear Lake, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston. Mr. Newsom
has been an attorney in Houston, Texas since June 19, 1997. His practice
consists of general civil practice and real estate transactions.
Mr.
Fitzgerald joined us as a director and consultant on February 1, 2007. He
received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Management from the California
State University of Sacramento and a Master’s of Business Administration with an
emphasis in Finance and Transportation from Cornell University. Since 2002,
Mr.
Fitzgerald has been the Managing Director of a full service investment bank
and
securities firm serving a broad spectrum of investors and issuers.
Mr.
York
has served as our chief financial officer since November 2004. Mr. York served
as controller of PTI technologies, Inc. from 2000 through October 2004 and
Rantec Microwave & Electronics, Inc. from 1992 through 2000. PTI and Rantec
are both subsidiaries of ESCO Technologies, Inc., a NYSE-listed producer of
engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial
applications.
VOTING
SECURITIES OF PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of the Company's common
stock as of February 15, 2007, by (i) each person known by the Company to be
the
beneficial owner of more than five percent (5%) of the Company's common stock,
(ii) by each director, (iii) by each of the executive officers named in the
table under "Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table," and (iv) all
directors and executive officers as a group. Except as otherwise indicated
in
the footnotes to the table, the persons and entities named in the table have
sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned,
subject to community property laws, where applicable. In computing the number
of
shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percent ownership
of that person, we deemed outstanding shares of common stock subject to warrants
or options held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable
within 60 days of February 15, 2007. We did not deem these shares outstanding
for purposes of computing the percent ownership of any other
person.
Name
and Address (1) |
Number
of Shares |
Percentage
Owned (2) |
|
|
|
Dr. James A. Latty |
3,464,468 (3) |
16.2 % |
|
|
|
Steve Newsom |
300,000 (4) |
1.5 % |
|
|
|
Richard W. York |
96,336 (5) |
0.5 % |
|
|
|
Mark Trumble |
1,569,902 |
7.7 % |
|
|
|
Daniel K. Moscaritolo |
2,462,887 (7) |
12.09 % |
|
|
|
John C. Fitzgerald |
333,613 (6) |
1.6 % |
|
|
|
All Directors & Executive Officers as a
Group (4 persons) |
4,194,417 |
19.04 % |
(1)
Address is 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100, Westlake Village, California
91362.
(2)
The
calculations of percentage of beneficial ownership are based on 20,367,593
shares of common stock outstanding on February 15, 2007.
(3)
Includes options granted to Dr. Latty to purchase 1,000,000 shares of our common
stock exercisable within
60
days of February 15, 2007.
(4)
All
represent shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February
15,
2007.
(5)
Includes shares underlying 65,000 options granted to Mr. York exercisable within
60 days of February 15, 2007.
(6)
Includes
shares underlying 300,000 options granted to Mr. Fitzgerald exercisable within
60 days of February 15, 2007.
(7)
Mr.
Moscaritolo has yet to provide the Company with written evidence that as of
October 19, 2004 he had paid “the full purchase price” for these
shares.
EXECUTIVE
OFFICER COMPENSATION
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table sets forth summary information concerning compensation paid
by
or accrued for services rendered to the Company in all capacities during the
past three fiscal years to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and to the four
other most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as executive
officers at September 30, 2006 and whose total annual salary and bonus exceeded
$100,000.
|
|
Annual
Compensation
|
Long-Term
Compensation
|
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary
($)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Other
Annual Compensation ($)
|
Securities
Underlying Options (#)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James
A. Latty
|
2006
|
240,000
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
2005
|
240,000
|
—
|
5,950
|
1,000,000
|
—
|
|
2004
|
240,000
|
—
|
—
|
1,284,343
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel
K. Moscaritolo (1)
|
2006
|
240,000
|
—
|
9,350
|
—
|
—
|
Chief
Operations Officer,
|
2005
|
240,000
|
—
|
10,200
|
—
|
—
|
Chief
Technical Officer
|
2004
|
240,000
|
—
|
94,770
|
1,284,343
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard
York (2)
|
2006
|
93,000
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
2005
|
93,000
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
2004
|
15,500
|
—
|
—
|
50,000
|
—
|
______________________________
(1)
|
Mr.
Moscaritolo was terminated as COO and CTO on November 17,
2006.
|
(2)
|
Effective
November 1, 2006, Mr. Richard York’s annual compensation was $120,000. In
2004, Mr. York worked a partial year; he began work for us on November
1,
2004.
|
Aggregated
Option/SAR Exercises in 2006 Fiscal Year
and
FY-End Option/SAR Values
Name
|
Shares
Acquired
On
Exercise
(#)
|
Value
Realized
($)
|
Number
of Securities
Underlying
Options/SARs
at
FY-End (#)
Exercisable/Unexercisable
|
Value
of Unexercised
In-the-Money
Options/SARs
at
FY-End ($)
Exercisable/Unexercisable
|
James
A. Latty
|
-
|
-
|
1,000,000/0
|
$0/$0
(1)
|
Daniel
K. Moscaritolo
|
-
|
-
|
-0-
/ -0-
|
$0/$0
|
Richard
York
|
-
|
-
|
35,000/15,000
|
$0/$0
|
____________________________
(1)
|
Based
on a closing price of $1.00 per share for our common stock as quoted
on
the OTC Bulletin Board on September 29,
2006.
|
Employment
Agreements
Our
Chairman, President and CEO, Dr. Latty, had a written employment agreement
with
us dated as of July 1, 2002. We assumed this agreement pursuant to the January
2004 reverse acquisition transaction. It provides for annual compensation of
$240,000. Options were granted with the original agreement which did not vest.
Dr. Latty’s employment agreement, which expired July 1, 2006, is currently up
for renewal. Dr. Latty is still being paid at the rate set forth in the
agreement. Ratification of a new three-year agreement by the Board of Directors
is anticipated.
Our
CFO,
Mr. York, had an employment agreement with us dated as of November 1, 2004.
The
agreement was for a term of three years and provided for annual compensation
of
$93,000. Mr. York was granted an option to purchase 50,000 shares of our common
stock at an exercise price of $1.92 per share. These options shall vest as
follows: 10% upon execution of the agreement; and thirty percent (30%) per
annum
on each anniversary date.
On
November 1, 2006, Mr. York’s employment agreement was renewed for an additional
three-year term, annual compensation was increased to $120,000 per year plus
a
$500 per month car allowance. Mr. York was granted an option to purchase 300,000
shares of our common stock at $0.45 per share. The options vest as follows:
10%
upon execution of the agreement; and thirty percent (30%) per annum on each
anniversary date. If Mr. York terminates his employment for good reason or
if he
is terminated by us for any reason other than for cause, Mr. York shall be
entitled to a lump sum cash payment equal to 12 months salary, payable no later
than thirty days following termination.
Pursuant
to his appointment, Mr. Newsom and the Company entered into a Consulting
Agreement. Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Mr. Newsom shall receive the
following: (i) the sum of $20,000, (ii) the sum of $4,000 per month payable
on
the first day of each month during his tenure as a member of the Company’s Board
of Directors, (iii) an additional $2,000 per trip, if Mr. Newsom makes more
than
three trips (per quarter) to attend meetings on the Company’s business, (iv)
$250 per hour for work performed for the Company over and above time spent
on
trips to attend meetings on the Company’s business, (v) travel expenses for
trips to attend meetings on the Company’s business, and (vi) options for the
purchase of up to 300,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise
price of $0.51 per share. The option period shall be 60 months from October
18,
2006.
Pursuant
to his appointment, Mr. Fitzgerald and the Company entered into a Consulting
Agreement which is similar to what was provided to Mr. Newsom. Pursuant to
the
Consulting Agreement, Mr. Fitzgerald shall receive: (i) $20,000 worth of Company
common stock, based on the exercise price being equal to 85% of the fair market
value of the Company common stock on Mr. Fitzgerald’s election date, which
equates to 33,613 shares, (ii) the sum of $4,000 per month during his tenure
as
a member of the Board of Directors, (iii) an additional $2,000 per trip, if
Mr.
Fitzgerald makes more than three trips per year to attend meetings on Company
business (outside of the greater Los Angeles area), (iv) $250 per hour for
work
performed for the Company over and above time spent on trips to attend meetings,
(v) travel expenses for trips to attend Company meetings, and (vi) options
for
the purchase of up to 300,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an
exercise price of $0.595 per share. The option period shall be 60 months from
February 1, 2007.
Our
former Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer, Mr. Daniel K.
Moscaritolo, had an employment agreement with us dated as of July 1, 2002.
The
agreement was for a term of four years and provided for annual compensation
of
(i) $20,000 monthly for full time employment ($240,000 per annum), (ii) $15,000
monthly for 3/4 time employment, (iii) $10,000 per month for 1/2 time
employment, and (iv) $5,000 per month for 1/4 time employment. We assumed this
agreement pursuant to the January 2004 reverse acquisition transaction between
us and MEMS USA, Inc., a California corporation. Options were granted with
the
original agreement which did not vest. The agreement expired on July 1, 2006
and
was not renewed.
Equity
Compensation Plans
The
following table sets forth certain information as
of September 30, 2006 concerning our equity compensation plans:
Plan
Category
|
|
Number
of
Common
Shares
to Be
Issued
Upon
Exercise
of
Outstanding
Options
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
of
Outstanding
Options
|
|
Number
of
Common
Shares
Remaining
Available
for
Issuance
Under
Equity
Compensation
Plan
|
Equity compensation plan approved
by
shareholders |
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
Equity compensation plan not approved
by
shareholders(1) |
|
2,453,167
|
|
$2.53
|
|
863,715
|
(1) |
Represents (a) 1,435,167 shares
of common
stock issuable upon exercise of options granted to officers and employees
under our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan which has not been approved by
shareholders and (b) 1,000,000 shares of common stock stock issuable
upon
exercise of options issued outside the 2004 Plan to our Chairman
Mr.
Latty.
|
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers,
directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of a registered class
of our equity securities to file reports of securities ownership and changes
in
such ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners are also required
by
rules promulgated by the SEC to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a)
forms they file.
Our
current officers and directors have filed the reports required by Section 16(a).
All reports were timely except: (1) Form 3 and Form 4 filed by James A. Latty
on
December 6, 2006 which was late; (2) Form 3 and Form 4 filed by Richard York
on
December 7, 2006 which was late; and, (3) Form 3 and Form 4 filed by Steven
Newsom on December 11, 2006 which was late. We have requested that all former
officers, directors and 10% stockholders file all required reports.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
No
interlocking relationship exists between the Company's Board of Directors and
the compensation committee of any other company, and no such interlocking
relationship has existed in the past.
FEES
PAID TO INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The
Board
of Directors regularly reviews and determines whether specific non-audit
projects or expenditures with our independent auditors, Kabani & Company,
Inc., potentially affect their independence. The Board of Directors’ policy is
to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by Kabani
& Company, Inc. Pre-approval is generally provided by the Board of Directors
for up to one year, as detailed as to the particular service or category of
services to be rendered, as is generally subject to a specific budget. The
Board
of Directors may also pre-approve additional services of specific engagements
on
a case-by-case basis.
The
following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to us by Kabani &
Company, Inc. for the year ended September 30, 2006 and primarily to Stonefield
Josephson, Inc. for the year ended September 20, 2005:
|
Year
Ended September 30,
|
|
2006
|
2005
|
Audit
Fees (1)
|
$75,000
|
$110,920
|
Audit-related
fees (2)
|
$22,500
|
$0
|
Tax
fees
|
$0
|
$0
|
All
other fees
|
$0
|
$0
|
Total
|
$97,500
|
$110,920
|
__________________________
(1)
|
Included
fees for professional services rendered for the audit of the Company’s
annual financial statements and review of our annual report on Form
10-KSB
and for reviews of the financial statements included in our quarterly
reports on Form 10-QSB for the first three quarters of the years
ended
September 30, 2006 and 2005. Includes $0 of fees for professional
services
rendered in the years ended September 30, 2006 and $0 in the year
ended
September 30, 2005, in connection with SEC registration statements.
Audit
fees for 2005 included billings of approximately $7,000 by Stonefield
Josephson, Inc., our current auditors.
|
(2)
|
Includes
fees for professional services rendered in connection with our evaluation
of internal controls.
|
CERTAIN
TRANSACTIONS
There
are
no material relationships between us and our directors or executive officers
except as disclosed herein. In the ordinary course of business and from time
to
time, we and our affiliates and subsidiaries may do business with each other.
In
September 2005, our Chairman, President and CEO, Dr. Latty, loaned the Company
$105,800. The terms of the note require repayment of the principal and interest,
which accrues at a rate of ten percent (10%) per annum. The note is accompanied
by security agreements that grant him certain security interests in Company
property. The outstanding note balance at September 30, 2006 was $93,187.
In
September 2005, Daniel Moscaritolo, our then COO, CTO and director loaned the
Company $105,800 under the same terms as Dr. Latty. The balance outstanding
at
September 30, 2006 was $53,976. Mr. Moscaritolo’s balance plus interest accrued
was paid in full on October 31, 2006.
FORM
10-KSB
A
copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2006, as filed with the SEC, is included with this Proxy
Statement.
Investor
Information
All
reports filed by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge via
EDGAR
through the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
In
addition, the public may read and copy materials filed by the Company with
the
SEC at the SEC’s public reference room located at 450 Fifth St., N.W.,
Washington, D.C., 20549. You can obtain information about the operation of
the
SEC’s Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Company
also provides copies of its Forms 8-K, 10-KSB, 10-QSB, Proxy, Annual Report
and
press releases to investors upon request. Requests should be sent to Grass
Roots
Investor Relations, attention: Scott Robbins, phone: 570.472.2287, email:
wsr2000@ptd.net.
The
Company knows of no other matters properly submitted for consideration at the
Annual Meeting. If any other matters properly come before the meeting, it is
the
intention of the persons named in the enclosed proxy card to vote the shares
they represent as the Board of Directors may recommend.
BY
ORDER
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
/s/
James A. Latty
James
A.
Latty, PhD, PE
Chief
Executive Officer
Westlake
Village, California
________________,
2007
ANNEX
A
INFORMATION
CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY CONVERGENCE ETAHOL,
INC.
Under
applicable SEC regulations, directors, the Board’s nominee for election and
certain officers and employees of the Company may be deemed to be “participants”
with respect to the Company’s solicitation of proxies in connection with its
2007 annual meeting of stockholders. The following sets forth the name and
the
present principal occupation or employment, and the name and principal business
address of the corporation or other organization in which such employment is
carried on, if any, of the persons who may be deemed “participants.”
DIRECTORS
AND NOMINEES
The
principal occupations of the Company’s directors and director nominees who are
participants in the Company’s solicitation are set forth in Proposal No. 1 under
the “Election of Director” section of this proxy statement. The name and
business addresses of the organizations of employment of the Company’s directors
and director nominees are as follows:
Name
|
|
Business
Address
|
Steven
Newsom
|
|
Self-employed
P.O.
Box 33
Barker,
TX, 77413-0033
|
|
|
Dr.
James A. Latty
|
|
Convergence
Ethanol, Inc.
5701
Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100
Westlake
Village, California 91362
|
|
|
John
C. Fitzgerald
|
|
John
C. Fitzgerald & Associates
545
S Figueroa Street, Suite 1234
Los
Angeles, CA 90071
|
|
|
Richard
W. York
|
|
Convergence
Ethanol, Inc.
5701
Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100
Westlake
Village, California 91362
|
OFFICERS
AND EMPLOYEES
The
principal occupations of the Company’s executive officers and other officers and
employees who may be deemed “participants” in the Company’s solicitation of
proxies are set forth below. The principal occupation refers to such person’s
position with the Company, and the business address is Convergence Ethanol,
Inc., 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Suite 2-100, Westlake Village, California 91362.
Name
|
|
Principal
Occupation
|
Dr.
James A. Latty
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
Richard
W. York
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
INFORMATION
REGARDING OWNERSHIP OF COMPANY SECURITIES BY PARTICIPANTS
Except
as
described in this Annex A or the proxy statement, none of the persons listed
above under “Directors and Nominees” and “Officers and Employees” owns any
Convergence Ethanol securities of record which they do not own beneficially.
The
number of shares of the Company common stock held by directors, the Board’s
nominees for election, the named executive officers as of February 15, 2007,
and
any associate of the foregoing persons, is set forth in the “Voting Securities
of Principal Stockholders and Management” section of the proxy
statement.
INFORMATION
REGARDING TRANSACTIONS IN COMPANY SECURITIES BY PARTICIPANTS
The
following table sets forth purchases and sales during the past two years of
shares of the Company’s common stock by the persons listed above under
“Directors and Nominees” and “Officers and Employees.” All transactions were in
the public market or pursuant to the Company’s equity compensation plans, and
none of the purchase price or market value of those shares is represented by
funds borrowed or otherwise obtained for the purpose of acquiring or holding
such securities. Except where otherwise indicated, the transactions were
effected by means on the open market.
PURCHASES
AND SALES OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK BY STEVEN NEWSOM:
Date
|
|
Transaction Type
|
|
Number of Shares
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
PURCHASES
AND SALES OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK BY DR. JAMES A. LATTY:
Date
|
|
Transaction Type
|
|
Number of Shares
|
May
10, 2005
|
|
Disposed;
Gift / Bonus to Employees
|
|
10,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
16, 2005
|
|
Disposed;
Proceeds Loaned to Company
|
|
105,800
|
PURCHASES
AND SALES OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK BY JOHN C. FITZGERALD:
Date
|
|
Transaction Type
|
|
Number of Shares
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
PURCHASES
AND SALES OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK BY RICHARD W. YORK:
Date
|
|
Transaction
Type
|
|
Number
of Shares
|
May
10, 2005
|
|
Acquired;
Gift / Bonus from J. A. Latty
|
|
5,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
April
13, 2006
|
|
Acquired
|
|
26,336
|
MISCELLANEOUS
INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS
Except
as
described in this Annex A or the proxy statement, neither any participant nor
any of their respective associates or affiliates (together, the “Participant
Affiliates”), is either a party to any transaction or series of transactions
since September 30, 2004, or has knowledge of any currently proposed transaction
or series of proposed transactions, (i) to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries was or is to be a party, (ii) in which the amount involved exceeds
$8,257, and (iii) in which any participant or Participant Affiliate had, or
will
have, a direct or indirect material interest. Furthermore, except as described
in this Annex A or the proxy statement, no participant or Participant Affiliate
directly or indirectly beneficially owns any securities of the Company or any
securities of any subsidiary of the Company.
Except
as
described in this Annex A or the proxy statement, no participant or Participant
Affiliate has entered into any agreement or understanding with any person
respecting any future employment by the Company or any of its affiliates or
any
future transactions to which the Company or any of its affiliates will or may
be
a party. Except as described in this Annex A or the proxy statement, there
are
no contracts, arrangements or understandings by any participant or Participant
Affiliate within the past year with any person with respect to any securities
of
the Company.
Employment
Agreements
The
employment agreements held by the Company’s executive officers and other
officers and employees who may be deemed participants are set forth in the
“Executive Officer Compensation—Employment Agreements” section of the proxy
statement.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL™ INC.
BUSINESS
SUMMARY
March
23, 2007
Convergence
Ethanol Inc.
5701
Lindero Canyon Road, Bldg. 2-100
Westlake
Village, CA 91362
(818)
735-4750
Convergence
EthanolÔ
Inc.
(CETH) aspires to fulfill the world’s need for clean, low-cost fuels - improving
our natural environment and quality of life, while developing a profitable
and
significant alternative energy enterprise.
Our
passion is for humanity: clean energy enables economies to grow; clean energy
allows societies to develop; clean energy improves lives.
We
believe that Ethanol is the only alternative clean energy on the technology
horizon that offers: easy integration into the existing fuel distribution
system; global availability; and practical cost.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
CETH
is a
publicly traded engineered products and services company headquartered in
Westlake Village, California. CETH is a supplier to the energy industry
supporting the production of cleaner-burning fuels. The company operates
in
three main business areas:
1. |
Development
of a woodwaste-to-ethanol project to profitably convert an abundant
cellulosic feedstock into biorenewable ethanol, the most widely used
alternative to fossil fuels.
|
2. |
Sale
of engineered products that enable its energy industry customers
to
produce cleaner-burning fuels and deliver power safely. Operating
divisions in this business area have been serving a wide range of
customers, including the energy industry, since 1952.
|
3. |
Engineering,
design and fabrication of energy industry process
systems.
|
BUSINESS
OBJECTIVES
CETH
strives to maximize long-term shareholder value. Our objectives are consistent
with this purpose:
Growth
·
|
Complete
development of HEO, our keystone bio-energy project
|
|
|
·
|
Develop
its leadership team qualified to rapidly expand the company into
the
alternative
energy market
|
|
|
·
|
Expand
domestic and international sales of engineered systems and on-site
oil
recycling solutions
|
|
|
·
|
Add
new customer accounts through enhanced customer relationship management
(CRM)
|
|
|
·
|
Increase
sales by communicating the benefits of the company’s full range of
products to customers
|
|
|
·
|
Develop
technically expert sales teams with diversified skills
|
Profitability
·
|
Continue
CETH’s Profit Improvement Initiative - increasing efficiency,
productivity
and motivation
|
|
|
·
|
Enhance
internal controls and accounting
|
|
|
·
|
Increase
profit margins
|
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(BUSINESS
OBJECTIVES CONT’D)
Value
Recognition
·
|
Achieve
recognition as market leader in alternative energy
|
·
|
Maintain
reputation as provider of quality products and services with a
high
degree
of customer satisfaction
|
·
|
Maintain
ISO9000:2001 certification
|
·
|
Improve
communication with investment community through enhanced website
|
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
COMPANY
OVERVIEW
CETH
is a
small company serving a supportive role in the energy industry. But demand
and
opportunity offer the potential for the company to lead the way in the
high-growth alternative energy market, forecasted to become a
multi-billion-dollar industry. CETH is dedicated to ecologically sound energy
solutions and the development of cost-effective alternative energy.
CETH
has
been investing heavily to develop a woodwaste-to-ethanol alternative fuels
business. As a result, the company has not shown a profit. Management believes
that this opportunity warrants investment because of the future profit
potential. Conversion of inexpensive, cellulosic feedstocks like woodwaste
is
now described as the “second generation” of ethanol production. High-profile
predictors that this is the future of biorenewable energy can be seen in
politics (President Bush’s 2006 state-of-the-union address) and academia (a
recent study by the UC Berkeley Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory).
While
investing heavily, CETH strives to maximize long-term shareholder value.
Evidence of this includes recent implementation of its Profitably Improvement
Initiative; recovery of over 15% of outstanding stock, a significant
anti-dilution event; and relief of virtually all original company debt through
a
temporary convertible debenture vehicle, instead of issuing additional
stock.
In
2006
CETH began development of Hearst Ethanol One, Inc. (HEO), the company’s keystone
bio-energy project, which targets annual production of 120 million gallons
of
ethanol. HEO's goal remains to produce ethanol at the lowest possible cost,
as
soon as possible.
Recent
HEO milestones include: completion of the initial HEO project plan and cost
estimates; acquisition of a 720-acre refinery site and licensed woodwaste
repository; securing permission from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
to remove and process woodwaste from near by government 'Crown Land' at no
cost,
with no overhanging environmental liability (effectively securing HEO's source
of woodwaste); and final ethanol refinery zoning approval.
CETH
is
committed to selecting the best financing from among both domestic and
international funding sources.
CETH’s
Profit Improvement Initiative targets delivering annualized savings of $1.2
million through a combination of overhead cost reductions and improved labor
productivity. The initiative greatly increased the percentage of our employees
directly providing valuable products, systems and services to our
customers.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(COMPANY
OVERVIEW CONT’D)
In
the
first quarter of 2007, CETH drove sales to the highest level in company history,
up 50.3% over the previous year’s first quarter. This increase was primarily due
to the launch of the company’s new product line: Intelligent Filtration
SystemÔ
(IFS),
the first of which was sold to Chevron. As a result of a successful IFS launch,
CETH is developing new IFS sales prospects with oil refineries around the
world
seeking cost-effective processes to help minimize hazardous waste volumes
and
improve production of ecologically sound fuels.
CETH
owns
two Texas-based subsidiaries, Bott Equipment and Gulfgate Equipment, both
of
which are experiencing strong energy-industry customer demand for their products
and services.
LEADERSHIP
Under
the
guidance of President and Chief Executive Officer, James
A. Latty,
PhD,
PE,
company
leadership has successful experience with providing ecologically sound
petrochemical and oil refining processes and equipment. Dr. Latty has process
engineering experience at refineries and ethanol-related facilities throughout
the world, working with companies such as CF Braun & Company Engineers and
Constructors, Rohm & Haas Company, BP-AMACO, Chevron and Rockwell
International. He has successfully solved many leadership challenges in energy
and high growth companies. Dr. Latty earned his doctorate in Chemical
Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His other relevant
experience includes:
·
|
Business
leadership and P&L responsibilities as an officer of high growth
public companies (V.P. at Armor-All Products Corporation, and
others);
|
·
|
Process
industry intellectual property
experience;
|
·
|
Leadership
in a wide range of energy and fuels
businesses;
|
·
|
International
marketing and sales of specialty chemicals and technical
services;
|
·
|
Leadership
of the process engineering & design of a billion-dollar oil refinery
designed for Petro-Canada;
|
·
|
Process
engineering of one of the world’s largest synthetic ethylene plants in
Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia;
|
·
|
Process
engineering for SASOL II, a major synthetic fuels (including ethanol)
plant expansion in South Africa; and
|
·
|
Engineering
for a major US Department of Energy gasifier/reformer
project.
|
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
Richard
W. York,
Chief
Financial Officer, is experienced in international financial management,
turnarounds and financial controls. His experience includes managing financial
controls, analysis, forecasting, accounting, reporting, planning, cost
containment, and financial software systems. Before joining CETH, he served
as
the Controller of PTI Technologies, where he initiated successful
profit-improvement and cost-reduction programs; introduced a rigorous,
profit-driven review procedure for company proposals; managed annual external
audits; and helped relocate an offshore manufacturing
operation.
Miriam
Yin-Wolverton,
Controller, received her degree from the University of Southern California.
She
is a Certified Public Accountant and financial professional with experience
in
public accounting and industry. As a CPA, she has extensive experience preparing
financial statements and designing and maintaining effective internal accounting
controls.
Chuck
Martin,
Vice
President and General Manager of Bott Equipment and Gulfgate Equipment, has
worked at every level in the pump business from the ground up. With over
19
years of experience in the domestic and international pump and equipment
industry, Mr. Martin leads these engineered equipment sales and services
companies. Previously, he was a regional manager for Roper Pumps and
Southwestern Regional Manager at Netzsch Pumps. He has led high-quality service
and sales businesses, plant commissioning, distribution and manufacturer
sales,
and has had full P&L responsibilities as an entrepreneur in a successful
start-up pump parts company.
Steven
Newsom,
Board
Member, received his undergraduate degree in Maritime Systems Engineering
(Mechanical Engineering) from Texas A&M University, a Master’s of Business
Administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake, and a Juris
Doctorate from the University of Houston. Mr. Newsom has been an attorney
in
Houston, Texas since 1997. His practice consists of general civil practice
and
real estate transactions. He is also a licensed patent attorney.
John
Fitzgerald,
Board
Member, received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Management from the
California State University of Sacramento and a Master’s of Business
Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Transportation from Cornell
University. Since 2002, Mr. Fitzgerald has been the Managing Director of
a full
service investment bank and securities firm serving a broad spectrum of
investors and issuers.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(LEADERSHIP
CONT'D)
Richardson
& Patel,
general
counsel. With extensive experience representing emerging companies and a
dedication to understanding the emerging alternative energy market, R&P
provide CETH with highly coordinated legal and business advice. The firm
serves
a diverse base of clients focusing on corporate and securities law, mergers
and
acquisitions, corporate finance and business, securities and employment
litigation. R&P offices are located in New York and Los
Angeles.
Kabani
& Company,
external auditor, is a public accounting and consulting firm based in Los
Angeles. The company performs audits and reviews of CETH and HEO financial
statements in compliance with SEC requirements. Hamid Kabani, president,
is a
Certified Public Accountant in the United States as well as a Chartered
Accountant in Canada with over 24 years of audit and accounting experience.
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGES
We
believe
that CETH possesses certain competitive advantages over other alternative
energy
companies:
§ |
In-depth
knowledge of both the conventional and alternative energy
industries.
|
§ |
Strong
history of successfully marketing to the refining and marketing (R&M)
segments of the oil industry.
|
§ |
Already
integrated within the energy industry as trusted provider of engineered
systems, products and services to energy industry customers. History
serving the industry dates back to 1952.
|
§ |
Regional
distribution agreements with high quality pump and equipment manufacturers
in the number one region for energy equipment in the
world.
|
§ |
Positioned
to be “first to market” with its ethanol refinery to use proven
(non-developmental) catalytic process technology to synthetically
convert
woodwaste into ethanol. Synthetic processes, similar to those already
commercially used in oil refineries, have the capacity to convert
a much
broader range of organic molecules, with a much larger production
volume,
than common fermentation methods of making ethanol.
|
§ |
Extensive
oil & petrochemical engineering leadership experience in the process
engineering for the oil & petrochemical industries, which have a broad
scope of alcohol production processes.
|
§ |
Knowledge
that woodwaste-to-ethanol can be profitable without the need for
by-product sales or tax incentives.
|
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGES CONT’D)
§ |
Strong
political relationships with Canadian Government officials for its
keystone bio-energy refinery located near the most plentiful supply
of
woodwaste in the world. Federal and Provincial government representatives
describe CETH’s ethanol refinery development as the “highest and best use”
of forest resources for the country and are providing “fast-track”
permitting.
|
§ |
Targets
the market in Ontario, Canada where demand for ethanol is strong:
ethanol
demand is growing much faster than in the US; fewer competitors make
ethanol; there is currently a shortage of ethanol production; and
a Kyoto
Protocol signatory obligation mandates the reduction of greenhouse
gas
emissions nearly 35% by the year 2012.
|
§ |
Developing
its project in Ontario, where tax incentives for ethanol use are
high and
where Federal and Provincial mandates for the use of ethanol in motor
fuel
are escalating.
|
§ |
Targets
multiple eco-benefits because its use of woodwaste feedstock would:
(1)
convert biomass wastes - a source of water and air pollution - into
biorenewable alternative fuel; (2) reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
(3)
reduce exhaust emissions; and (4) displace fossil fuel consumption.
|
§ |
Contribution
to North American and U.S. national security. Canada is one of the
United
States’ top crude oil suppliers. A barrel of crude oil saved anywhere in
North America contributes to U.S. national security.
|
OUR
ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY MARKET
The
energy industry is under pressure. Political mandates, public sentiment and
declining crude oil reserves have combined to create an unprecedented demand
for
energy independence and environmental improvement. Clearly, most major oil
companies now want to progress from using only crude oil and other fossil
fuels
as their raw materials and to reduce their environmental “footprint.”
Fortunately, advancements are creating a unique opportunity for simultaneous
progress in alternative energy economics and environmental
conservation.
The
demand for alternative fuels will continue to grow as the world’s proven
reserves of crude oil continue to decline. Worldwide annual discoveries of
crude
oil peaked in 1960 and have been declining ever since. The balance between
annual new crude oil discoveries and annual crude oil production has been
unfavorable since 1983, particularly now that the Chinese and Indian economies
are expanding and seeking oil resources.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY MARKET ANALYSIS CONT’D)
Fuel-grade
ethanol/alcohol - made in many countries including the U.S., Brazil, South
Africa and Canada - is the world’s most widely used alternative liquid fuel.
Hydrogen and compressed natural gas, two other potential alternatives to
fossil
fuel derived transportation fuels, both require huge infrastructure investments
before they can be widely economically viable. Whereas worldwide demand for
ethanol - a virtual ‘plug and play’ substitute - is now growing at over 25% per
year, and current demand is more than double production
capacity.
Biorenewable
feedstocks to make ethanol are distributed resources. Unlike oil reservoirs,
bio-renewables are spread out over the surface of the earth. Consequently,
the
most economical place to use them is near where they are produced. In the
ideal
alternative energy market, ethanol is made from the locally available
biorenewable resources and used locally. This minimizes the cost and ecological
impact of gathering and transporting distributed feedstock.
The
most
important long-term challenge facing North American ethanol producers is
economic. Fermentation based ethanol production costs remain high and are
rising. This is primarily due to the current high cost of food-crop feedstocks,
like corn. Inevitably, major ethanol producers (e.g. ADM) are subject to
the
long-term commodity risk of corn. These producers have multi-million dollar
investments in corn futures contracts. The more corn they use to make ethanol,
the higher the price of corn. At present, with corn near $4.25 per bushel
or
$170 per metric ton, the cost of fermenting corn to make ethanol is over
$1.90
per gallon. The cost of the corn alone is almost 90% of the overall cost
of the
ethanol produced.
Conversion
of a non-food crop raw material into ethanol holds economically superior
prospects. The overabundance and low cost of woodwaste feedstock in Canada
are
enduring economic advantages to woodwaste-to-ethanol production. The cost
of
woodwaste raw material for conversion into ethanol would be approximately
$7.80/
metric ton of woodwaste, meaning as little as only 12% of the total ethanol
cost
could be the cost of the woodwaste. Woodwaste has few economic uses to compete
with ethanol production. Consequently, converting woodwaste into ethanol
should
have no bearing on the price or availability of woodwaste.
As
corn
prices rise, particularly if crude oil prices remain steady, ethanol will
become
a buyer’s market. The producers that have the lowest costs and the best
capability to market products to the refining and marketing (R&M) parts of
the oil industry will thrive. Marketing to these parts of the oil industry
is
one of CETH’s historic strengths.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
(ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY MARKET ANALYSIS CONT’D)
The
long
term viability of the biorenewable fuel market will depend on the emerging
ethanol industry’s success in converting low-cost, overabundant raw materials
like woodwaste which can provide the energy industry with high volume, low
cost
sources of high-octane, clean-burning liquid transportation fuels. This boils
down to supplying the energy industry with cost-effective means of producing
cleaner-burning fuels.
Statements
in this business summary about future expectations, plans and prospects for
CETH, including statements containing the words "expects," "will," “prospects,”
and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We may not achieve the plans, intentions
or
expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and investors should
not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results
may
differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements
as a
result of various factors, including: market acceptance of our products and
other market factors, competition, protection of our intellectual property,
and
other factors discussed in Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report
on Form
10-QSB filed with the SEC. Investors are advised to read CETH’s Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB, quarterly reports on Form 10-QSB and current reports on Form
8-K
filed after our most recent annual or quarterly report. The forward-looking
statements included in this press release represent our current views and
we
specifically disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements
in the future.
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL BUSINESS SUMMARY - 2007
DETACH
HERE
PROXY
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CONVERGENCE
ETHANOL, INC.
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
______________,
2007
The
undersigned stockholder of CONVERGENCE ETHANOL, INC., a Nevada corporation,
hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
and
Proxy Statement, each dated March 15, 2007, and hereby appoints James A. Latty
proxy and attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution, on behalf and in
the
name of the undersigned, to represent the undersigned at the Annual Meeting
of
Stockholders of Convergence Ethanol, Inc. to be held on at 7:30 a.m., local
time, at the offices of Convergence Ethanol, Inc., located at 5701 Lindero
Canyon Road, Suite 2-100, Westlake Village, California and at any adjournment
or
adjournments thereof, and to vote all shares of capital stock that the
undersigned would be entitled to vote if then and there personally present,
on
the matters set forth on the reverse side.
[SEE
REVERSE SIDE] CONTINUED
AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE
[SEE
REVERSE SIDE]
[BACK
OF
PROXY]
DETACH
HERE
[X] Please
mark votes as in this example
1.
TO
ELECT
ONE DIRECTOR.
Nominees:
STEVEN NEWSOM
o
FOR MR.
NEWSOM
|
o
WITHHELD FROM MR.
NEWSOM
|
2.
PROPOSAL
TO RATIFY THE SELECTION OF
KABANI & COMPANY, INC. AS INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS OF THE COMPANY FOR THE YEAR ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007.
|
FOR
[ ]
|
AGAINST
[
]
|
ABSTAIN
[ ]
|
As
to any
other matters that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments
thereof, the proxy holders are authorized to vote in accordance with their
best
judgment.
MARK
HERE
FOR ADDRESS CHANGE AND NOTE AT LEFT
[
]
PLEASE
CHECK HERE IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING [
]
(This
Proxy should be marked, dated and signed by the stockholder(s) exactly as his
or
her name appears hereon, and returned promptly in the enclosed envelope. Persons
signing in a fiduciary capacity should so indicate. If shares are held by joint
tenants or as community property, both should sign.)
Signature:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:__________________
Signature:_____________________________________________________________________ Date:__________________
THIS
PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED, OR IF NO CONTRARY DIRECTION IS INDICATED,
WILL
BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF MR. NEWSOM TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND FOR THE
RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KABANI & COMPANY, INC. AS INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS OF THE COMPANY FOR THE YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2007, AND AS THE
PROXY
HOLDERS DEEM ADVISABLE ON SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE
MEETING.