jva_def14a.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange
Act of 1934
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Definitive
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Definitive
Additional Materials
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Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
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COFFEE HOLDING CO.,
INC. |
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(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) |
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(Name of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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Date
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March 1,
2010
Dear
Stockholder:
You are
cordially invited to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Coffee
Holding Co., Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”) which will be held on Thursday, April
22, 2010 at 3:30 p.m., local time, at The Staten Island Hotel located at 1415
Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10314.
The
following Notice of Annual Meeting and proxy statement describe the formal
business that we will transact at the Annual Meeting. In addition to
the formal items of business, management will report on the operations and
activities of Coffee Holding and you will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Directors and officers of Coffee Holding will be present to respond to any
questions stockholders may have.
The Board
of Directors of Coffee Holding has determined that a vote for the election of
each of the nominees as directors is in the best interests of Coffee Holding and
its stockholders and unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” each of the
nominees.
Please
vote over the Internet by following the instructions provided to you in the
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, which we will send to you on
or before March 12, 2010, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.
Alternatively, please complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy
card if you requested a paper copy and prefer not to vote over the
Internet. Your vote
is important regardless of the number of shares you own. Voting by
proxy will not prevent you from voting in person (provided you follow the
revocation procedures described in the accompanying proxy statement) at the
Annual Meeting but will assure that your vote is counted if you cannot
attend.
On behalf
of the Board of Directors and the employees of Coffee Holding, we thank you for
your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the Annual
Meeting.
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Sincerely
yours, |
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Andrew
Gordon |
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President and Chief Executive
Officer |
Notice of Annual Meeting of
Stockholders |
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Date: |
Thursday, April 22,
2010
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Time:
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3:30 p.m., Local
Time
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Place: |
The
Staten Island Hotel
1415
Richmond Avenue
Staten
Island, New York 10314
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At our
2010 Annual Meeting, we will ask you to:
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1.
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Elect
two directors to serve for a three-year term to expire at the 2013 Annual
Meeting. The following directors have been nominated by the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of
Directors:
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● |
Gerard
DeCapua |
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● |
Robert M.
Williams |
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2.
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Transact
any other business as may properly come before the Annual
Meeting.
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The Board
of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of
each of the nominees to the Board.
You may
vote at the Annual Meeting (or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual
Meeting) if you were a stockholder of Coffee Holding at the close of business on
February 22, 2010, the record date. Only stockholders of record at
the close of business on the record date are entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Annual Meeting.
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By Order of the
Board of Directors, |
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David
Gordon |
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Secretary |
Staten
Island, New York
March 1,
2010
You
are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. To be sure
your vote counts and assure a quorum, it is important that you vote your
shares regardless of the number of shares you own. The Board of
Directors urges you to vote over the Internet following the instructions
in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or, if you
requested a paper copy, to sign, date and mark the enclosed proxy card
promptly and return it to Coffee Holding. Voting over the
Internet or returning the proxy card will not prevent you from voting in
person if you attend the Annual
Meeting.
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GENERAL
INFORMATION
General
Coffee
Holding Co., Inc. (“Coffee Holding”) is a Nevada corporation. As used
in this proxy statement, “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Coffee
Holding. The term “Annual Meeting” as used in this proxy statement
refers to the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and includes any adjournment
or postponement of the meeting.
Pursuant to the notice and access rules
adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), Coffee Holding has
elected to provide its proxy statement and annual report to stockholders over
the Internet through a “notice only” option. Accordingly, we will mail a notice
of Internet availability (the “Internet Availability Notice”) on or prior to
March 12, 2010 to our stockholders of record and beneficial owners. The Internet
Availability Notice provides instructions on how you may access this Proxy
Statement and our 2009 Annual Report on the Internet at http://www.transfer.com/proxy_materials
or request a printed copy at no charge. In addition, our
proxy materials provide instructions on how you may request to receive, at no
charge, all future proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically by
email. Your election to receive proxy materials by mail or email will remain in
effect until you revoke it. Choosing to receive future proxy materials by email
will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to stockholders and will
reduce the impact of its annual meetings on the environment.
The Board
of Directors (the “Board”) is soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2010 Annual
Meeting. This proxy statement summarizes the information you will
need to know to cast an informed vote at the Annual Meeting. You do
not need to attend the Annual Meeting to vote your shares. You may
simply complete, sign and return the enclosed proxy card and your votes will be
cast for you at the Annual Meeting. This process is described below
in the section entitled “Voting Rights.”
The proxy
statement and the Notice of Annual Meeting are dated March 1,
2010. If you owned shares of common stock of Coffee Holding at the
close of business on February 22, 2010, the record date, you are entitled to
vote at the Annual Meeting. On the record date, there were 5,440,823
shares of common stock of Coffee Holding outstanding.
Purpose
Of Annual Meeting
At the
Annual Meeting, you will be asked to vote to elect three directors, each to
serve for a three-year term that will expire at the 2013 Annual
Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be held on April 22, 2010 at 3:30
p.m., local time, at The Staten Island Hotel located at 1415 Richmond Avenue,
Staten Island, New York 10314. If you need to obtain directions to
the Annual Meeting, please contact Leslie Lutz in our Investor Relations
Department at (718) 832-0800.
Quorum
A quorum
of stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. If the holders
of at least a majority of the total number of the outstanding shares of common
stock entitled to vote are represented in person or by proxy at the Annual
Meeting, a quorum will exist. We will include proxies marked as
abstentions and broker non-votes to determine the number of shares present at
the Annual Meeting.
Voting
Rights
You are
entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting for each share of the common stock of
Coffee Holding that you owned as of record at the close of business on February
22, 2010. The number of shares you own (and may vote) is listed on
your proxy card.
You may
vote your shares at the Annual Meeting in person, over the Internet or by
proxy. To vote in person, you must attend the Annual Meeting and obtain and
submit a ballot, which we will provide to you at the Annual
Meeting. To vote over the Internet, follow the instructions
provided in the Internet Availability Notice. To vote by proxy,
you must request a paper copy and then complete, sign and return the enclosed
proxy card. If you properly complete your proxy card and send it to
us in time to vote, your “proxy” (one of the individuals named on your proxy
card) will vote your shares as you have directed. If you sign the proxy card but do not
make specific choices, your proxy will vote your shares FOR each of the proposals identified in
the Notice of the Annual Meeting. If any other matter is
presented, your proxy will vote your shares as a majority of the Board
determines. As of the date of this proxy statement, we know of no
other matters that may be presented at the Annual Meeting, other than those
listed in the Notice of the Annual Meeting.
If you
hold your shares through a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, you should
vote your shares in accordance with the steps required by such bank, brokerage
firm or other nominee.
Vote
Required
Election of Directors
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The
nominees for director who receive the most votes will be
elected. So, if you indicate “withhold authority” for any
nominee on your proxy card, your vote will not count “for” or “against”
the nominee. You may not vote your shares cumulatively for the
election of directors.
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The Board
has determined that a vote for the election of each of the nominees as directors
is in the best interests of Coffee Holding and its stockholders and unanimously
recommends a vote FOR
each of the nominees.
Stockbroker
voting and Effect of Broker Non-Votes
Under the rules of the New York Stock
Exchange (“NYSE”), member stockbrokers who hold shares of common stock in
“street name” for customers are required to obtain directions from their
customers on how to vote the shares. The NYSE rules permit brokers to
vote shares on certain proposals when they have not received direction from
their clients. The staff of the NYSE, prior to each annual meeting of Coffee
Holding, informs stockbrokers of those proposals on which they are entitled to
vote the undirected shares. Member stockbrokers are not permitted to
vote on Proposal 1 to elect two directors unless provided with specific
instructions by their clients.
If your stockbroker does not vote on a
proposal, this will constitute a “broker non-vote.” A broker non-vote
would have no effect on the outcome of Proposal 1 because only a plurality of
votes cast is required to elect a director. However, broker non-votes
will count towards determining the number of shares present at the Annual
Meeting for the purpose of establishing a quorum.
Confidential
Voting Policy
We
maintain a policy of keeping stockholder votes confidential. We only
let our Inspector of Election examine the voting materials. We will
not disclose your vote to management unless it is necessary to meet legal
requirements. We will, however, forward any written comments that you
may have to management.
Changing
Your Vote after Voting over the Internet or Revoking Your Proxy
You may
change your vote by voting in person at the Annual Meeting even if you
previously voted over the Internet. Alternatively, you may change your vote by
contacting OTR Transfer, whose contact information will be provided in the
Internet Availability Notice, and then re-voting over the Internet
following the instructions provided.
You may
revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by:
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filing with our Secretary a letter revoking the
proxy;
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submitting another signed proxy with a later date;
or
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attending
the Annual Meeting and voting in person, provided you file a written
revocation with the Secretary of the Annual Meeting prior to the voting of
such proxy.
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If your shares are not registered in
your own name, you will need appropriate documentation from your stockholder of
record to vote personally at the Annual Meeting. Examples of
such documentation include a broker’s statement, letter or other document that
will confirm your ownership of shares of Coffee Holding.
Solicitation
of Proxies
Coffee
Holding will pay the costs of soliciting proxies from its
stockholders. Directors, officers or employees of Coffee Holding may
solicit proxies by mail, telephone or other forms of
communication. We will also reimburse banks, brokers, nominees and
other fiduciaries for the expenses they incur in forwarding the proxy materials
to you.
Obtaining
Copies of the Proxy Materials or the Annual Report on Form
10-K
If you
would like a full set copy of the proxy materials in the future or if you would
like a copy our Annual Report on Form 10-K and audited financial statements for
the year ended October 31, 2009 (without exhibits), which was filed with the SEC
on January 28, 2010, we will send you a copy free of charge via mail or
email. Please write to or call:
David
Gordon, Secretary
Coffee
Holding Co., Inc.
3475
Victory Boulevard
Staten
Island, New York 10314
(718)
832-0800
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table shows the number of shares of Coffee Holding’s common stock, par
value $0.001 per share, beneficially owned by (i) each person known to be the
owner of 5% or more of our common stock (ii) each director and nominee, (iii)
the named executive officers identified in the Summary Compensation Table
included elsewhere in this proxy statement and (iv) all directors and executive
officers of Coffee Holding as a group, as of February 22, 2010. The
percent of common stock outstanding was based on a total of 5,440,823 shares of
Coffee Holding’s common stock outstanding as of February 22,
2010. Except as otherwise indicated, each person shown in the table
has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock
listed next to his or her name. The address for each person shown in
the table is c/o Coffee Holding Co., Inc., 3475 Victory Boulevard, Staten
Island, New York 10314.
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Amount
and Nature
of
Beneficial Ownership
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Percent
of
Common
Stock Outstanding
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Andrew
Gordon
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President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Director
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1,154,908 |
(1) |
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21.23 |
% |
David
Gordon
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Senior Vice President – Operations, Secretary and Director
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1,204,908 |
(2) |
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22.15 |
% |
Gerard
DeCapua
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Director
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100 |
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* |
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Daniel
Dwyer
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Director
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700 |
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* |
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Barry
Knepper
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Director
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6,000 |
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0.11 |
% |
John
Rotelli
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Director
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100 |
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* |
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Robert
M. Williams
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Director
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681 |
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* |
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Rachelle
Gordon
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619,784 |
(3) |
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11.39 |
% |
Sterling
Gordon
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619,784 |
(4) |
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11.39 |
% |
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 persons)
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2,367,397 |
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43.51 |
% |
(1)
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Includes
784,939 shares owned by Mr. Gordon directly, 249,969 shares owned by the
Andrew Gordon Grantor Retained Annuity Trust of which Andrew Gordon is the
grantor, beneficiary and trustee, with sole power to vote and dispose of
the shares, and 120,000 shares held by Mr. Gordon as custodian for his
minor children.
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(2)
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Includes
1,024,908 shares owned by Mr. Gordon directly and 180,000 shares held by
Mr. Gordon as custodian for his minor
children.
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(3)
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Includes
210,092 shares owned by Mrs. Gordon directly and 409,692 shares owned by
Mrs. Gordon’s husband, Sterling A. Gordon. Mrs. Gordon is the
mother of Andrew Gordon and David
Gordon.
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(4)
|
Includes 409,692 shares owned by Mr. Gordon directly and 210,092
shares owned by Mr. Gordon’s wife, Rachelle L. Gordon. Mr.
Gordon is the father of Andrew Gordon and David
Gordon.
|
DISCUSSION
OF PROPOSAL RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
___________________________________
Proposal
1
Election
of Directors
___________________________________
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board has nominated two
persons for election as directors at the Annual Meeting. Each nominee
is currently serving on Coffee Holding’s Board. If you elect the
nominees, they will hold office until the annual meeting in 2013, until their
successors have been elected and qualified or they are otherwise unable to
complete their term.
Nominees:
We know
of no reason why either nominee may be unable to serve as a
director. If either nominee is unable to serve, your proxy may be
voted for another nominee proposed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee. If for any reason these nominees prove unable or unwilling
to stand for election, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will
nominate alternates or reduce the size of the Board to eliminate the
vacancy.
The
Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” both of the
nominees for election as directors.
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INFORMATION
ABOUT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT
Individuals
Serving on the Board of Directors
Coffee
Holding’s Board currently consists of seven members. Coffee Holding’s
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that the Board shall be divided
into three classes. The Board has nominated two directors for
election at the 2010 Annual Meeting.
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Position(s)
Held With Coffee Holding
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Nominees:
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Gerard
DeCapua
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48
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2010
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Director
|
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1997
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Robert
M. Williams
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50
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2010
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Director
|
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2005
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Continuing
Directors:
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Daniel
Dwyer
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53
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2012
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Director
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1998
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Andrew
Gordon
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48
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2012
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President,
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and
Director
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1997
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David
Gordon
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45
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2011
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Executive
Vice President – Operations, Secretary and Director
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1995
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Barry
Knepper
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59
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2012
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Director
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2005
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John
Rotelli
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51
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2011
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Director
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2005
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__________________
(1)
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As
of January 31, 2010.
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The
principal occupation and business experience of each nominee for election as
director and each continuing director are set forth below. Unless
otherwise indicated, each of the following persons has held his present position
for at least the last five years.
Gerard
DeCapua has served as a director of Coffee Holding since
1997. Mr. DeCapua has had his own law practice in Rockville Centre,
New York since 1986. Mr. DeCapua received his law degree from Pace
University.
Daniel
Dwyer has served as a director of Coffee Holding since
1998. Mr. Dwyer has been a senior coffee trader at Rothfos
Corporation, a green coffee bean supplier, since 1995. Mr. Dwyer is
responsible for our account with Rothfos. We paid Rothfos
approximately $15.4 million, $24.2 million and $16.7 million for green coffee
purchases in fiscal 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively, and expect to pay Rothfos
a similar amount in fiscal 2010. All purchases are made on arms’
length terms.
Andrew
Gordon has been the Chief Executive Officer, President, Treasurer and a
director of Coffee Holding since 1997 and its Chief Financial Officer since
November 2004. He is responsible for managing Coffee Holding’s
overall business and has worked for Coffee Holding for over 23 years, previously
as a Vice President from 1993 to 1997. Mr. Gordon has worked in all
capacities of Coffee Holding’s business and serves as the direct contact with
its major private label accounts. Mr. Gordon received his Bachelor of
Business Administration degree from Emory University. He is the
brother of David Gordon.
David
Gordon has been the Executive Vice President – Operations, Secretary and
a director of Coffee Holding since 1995. He is responsible for
managing all aspects of Coffee Holding’s roasting and blending operations,
including quality control, and has worked for Coffee Holding for over 25 years,
previously as an Operating Manager from 1989 to 1995. He is a charter
member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Mr. Gordon
attended Baruch College in New York City. He is the brother of Andrew
Gordon.
Barry
Knepper has served as a director of Coffee Holding since
2005. From July 2004 to the present, Mr. Knepper has been the
President and Chief Executive Officer of CFO Business Solutions, a management
consulting firm. Mr. Knepper was the Chief Financial Officer for
TruFoods Corporation, a growth oriented franchise management company from April
2001 through June 2004. From January 2000 through March 2001 he was
the Chief Financial Officer of Offline Entertainment, an early stage television
and motion picture production company. From 1982 through 1999 he
served as the Chief Financial Officer of Unitel Video, Inc., a publicly-traded
nationwide high tech service company in the television, film and new media
fields.
John
Rotelli has served as a director of Coffee Holding since
2005. Mr. Rotelli has over thirty-two years of experience in the
coffee industry and is currently Vice President of L.J. Cooper Company, one of
the largest green coffee brokers and agents in North America. He is
also Vice Chairman of the Green Coffee Association.
Robert M.
Williams has served as a director of Coffee Holding since
2005. Mr. Williams has been a principal of R. Madison, Inc., a
national sales, distribution, sourcing and business development firm, since
2003. From 2002 to 2003, he was the Executive Vice President, Sales
& Marketing for Lodis Corporation, a fine leather goods
manufacturer. From May 2001 to January 2002, he was the Vice
President of Sales, Central & Eastern North America, of Hartmann, Inc., the
leather and luggage goods division of Brown-Forman Corporation, and from 1997 to
May 2001 he served as its Director, Personal Leather Goods &
Accessories. Mr. Williams received a Bachelor of Science, Business
Administration, Marketing from the University of South Carolina, Columbia in
1981.
Board
of Directors Operations and Meetings
The Board
oversees our business and monitors the performance of our
management. In accordance with our corporate governance procedures,
the Board does not involve itself in the day-to-day operations of Coffee
Holding. Our executive officers and management oversee our day-to-day
operations. Our directors fulfill their duties and responsibilities
by attending regular meetings of the Board, which are held on a quarterly
basis. Our directors also discuss business and other matters with
other key executives and our principal external advisers (legal counsel,
auditors, financial advisors and other consultants).
The Board
held two meetings during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. Each
director attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board, plus meetings of
committees on which that particular director served during this
period.
Corporate
Governance
Coffee Holding is committed to
establishing and maintaining high standards of corporate
governance. Our executive officers and the Board have worked together
to construct a comprehensive set of corporate governance initiatives that we
believe will serve the long-term interests of our stockholders and
employees. We believe these initiatives comply fully with the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations of the SEC adopted
thereunder. In addition, we believe our corporate governance
initiatives fully comply with the rules of the American Stock
Exchange. The Board will continue to evaluate, and improve upon as
appropriate, our corporate governance principles and policies.
Code
of Ethics
The Board has adopted a Code of Conduct
and Ethics that applies to each of our directors, officers and employees. The
Code of Conduct and Ethics sets forth our policies and expectations on a number
of topics, including:
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financial responsibility regarding both personal and business
affairs, including transactions with Coffee
Holding;
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personal conduct, including ethical behavior and outside employment
and other activities;
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affiliated transactions, including separate identities and usurpation
of corporate opportunities;
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preservation and accuracy of Coffee Holding’s
records;
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●
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compliance with laws, including insider trading
compliance;
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●
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preservation of confidential information relating to our business and
that of our clients;
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the safeguarding and proper use of our assets and institutional
property;
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code administration and enforcement;
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reporting, investigating and resolving of all code violations;
and
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code-related training, certification of compliance and maintenance of
code-related records.
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The Audit
Committee of our Board reviews the Code of Conduct and Ethics on a regular
basis, and will propose or adopt additions or amendments to the Code of Conduct
and Ethics as appropriate. The Code of Conduct and Ethics is
available on our website at www.coffeeholding.com under “Investor Relations -
Corporate Governance.” A copy of the Code of Conduct and Ethics may
also be obtained free of charge by sending a written request to:
David
Gordon, Secretary
Coffee
Holding Co., Inc.
3475
Victory Boulevard
Staten
Island, NY 10314
Independent Directors
We use the American Stock Exchange’s
definition of independence to determine the independence of our
directors. For a director to be “independent” under The American
Stock Exchange’s rules, the director must not be an officer or employee of
Coffee Holding or any of its subsidiaries, and must not have a relationship
that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of
independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a
director. The American Stock Exchange’s rules also expressly provide
that the following persons cannot be considered independent:
● |
a director who is, or during the past three years was, employed by
Coffee Holding or by any subsidiary of Coffee Holding;
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● |
a director who accepts or who has a family member who accepts any
payments from Coffee Holding or any subsidiary of Coffee Holding in excess
of $120,000 during the current fiscal year or any of the past three fiscal
years, other than (1) payments for Board service, (2) payments arising
solely from investments in Coffee Holding’s securities, (3) compensation
paid to a family member who is a non-executive employee of Coffee Holding,
(4) compensation received for former service as an interim Chairman or
Chief Executive Officer, (5) benefits under a tax-qualified retirement
plan, (6) non-discretionary compensation or (7) loans permitted under
Section 13(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
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● |
a director who is a family member of an individual who is, or during
the past three years was, employed by Coffee Holding or by any subsidiary
of Coffee Holding as an executive officer;
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● |
a director who is, or has a family member who is, a partner in, or a
controlling stockholder or an executive officer of, any organization to
which Coffee Holding made, or from which Coffee Holding received, payments
for property or services (other than those arising solely from investments
in Coffee Holding’s securities or payments under non-discretionary
charitable contribution matching programs) that exceed 5% of the
recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000,
whichever is more, in the current fiscal year or any of the past three
fiscal years;
|
● |
a director of Coffee Holding who is employed, or has a family member
who is employed, as an executive officer of another entity where any of
the executive officers of Coffee Holding serve on the compensation
committee of such other entity, or if such relationship existed during the
past three years; or
|
● |
a director who is, or has a family member who is, a current partner
of Coffee Holding’s registered independent public accountants, or was a
partner or employee of Coffee Holding’s registered independent public
accountants, and worked on Coffee Holding’s audit during the past three
years.
|
The Board
has determined that Gerard DeCapua, Barry Knepper, John Rotelli and Robert M.
Williams, a majority of the Board, are “independent” directors under the
American Stock Exchange’s rules.
Consistent with the American Stock
Exchange’s rules, independent directors meet in regularly scheduled executive
sessions without non-independent directors. The independent directors
have selected Barry Knepper to serve as the presiding director at the executive
sessions for the 2010 fiscal year. The presiding director will take a
lead role in the Board’s self-evaluation process.
The American Stock Exchange’s rules, as
well as SEC rules, impose additional independence requirements for all members
of the Audit Committee. Specifically, in addition to the
“independence” requirements discussed above, “independent” audit committee
members must: (1) not accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory,
or other compensatory fees from Coffee Holding or any subsidiary of Coffee
Holding other than in the member’s capacity as a member of the Board and any
Board committee; (2) not be an affiliated person of Coffee Holding or any
subsidiary of Coffee Holding; and (3) not have participated in the preparation
of the financial statements of Coffee Holding or any current subsidiary of
Coffee Holding at any time during the past three years. In addition,
the American Stock Exchange’s rules require that all audit committee members be
able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including Coffee
Holding’s balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow
statement. The Board believes that the current members of the Audit
Committee meet these additional standards.
Furthermore, at least one member of the
Audit Committee must be financially sophisticated, in that he or she has past
employment experience in finance or accounting, requisite professional
certification in accounting, or any other comparable experience or background
which results in the individual’s financial sophistication, including but not
limited to being or having been a chief executive officer, chief financial
officer, other senior officer with financial oversight
responsibilities. Additionally, the SEC requires that Coffee Holding
disclose whether the Audit Committee has, and will continue to have, at least
one member who is a “financial expert.” The Board has determined that
Barry Knepper meets the SEC’s definition of an audit committee financial
expert.
Committees
of the Board
The Board
of Coffee Holding has established the following committees:
Audit
Committee. The Audit Committee oversees and monitors our
financial reporting process and internal control system, reviews and evaluates
the audit performed by our registered independent public accountants and reports
to the Board any substantive issues found during the audit. The Audit
Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and
oversight of the work of our registered independent public
accountants. The Audit Committee reviews and approves all
transactions with affiliated parties. The Board has adopted a written
charter for the Audit Committee, which is available on our website at
www.coffeeholding.com under
“Investor Relations - Corporate Governance.” All members of
the Audit Committee are independent directors as defined under the American
Stock Exchange listing standards. Gerard DeCapua, Barry Knepper and
Robert M. Williams serve as members of the Audit Committee with Barry Knepper
serving as its chairman. The Board has determined that Barry Knepper
qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as that term is defined by SEC
regulations. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal
2009.
Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee provides advice and
makes recommendations to the Board in the areas of employee salaries, benefit
programs and director compensation. The Compensation Committee also
reviews the compensation of the President and Chief Executive Officer of Coffee
Holding and makes recommendations in that regard to the Board as a
whole. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Compensation
Committee, which is available on our website at www.coffeeholding.com under
“Investor Relations - Corporate Governance.” All members of the
Compensation Committee are independent directors as defined under the American
Stock Exchange listing standards. Barry Knepper, John Rotelli and
Robert M. Williams serve as members of the Compensation Committee, with John
Rotelli serving as its chairman. The Compensation Committee held one
meeting during fiscal 2009.
Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee nominates individuals to be elected to the full Board by
our stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
considers recommendations from stockholders if submitted in a timely manner in
accordance with the procedures set forth in Article II, Section 11 of our bylaws
and applies the same criteria to all persons being considered. All
members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent
directors as defined under the American Stock Exchange listing
standards. Gerard DeCapua, John Rotelli and Robert M. Williams serve
as members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, with Gerard
DeCapua serving as its chairman. The Board has adopted a written
charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, which is
available on our website at www.coffeeholding.com under “Investor Relations -
Corporate Governance.” The Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee held one meeting during fiscal 2009.
There are
no minimum qualifications that must be met by a Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee-recommended nominee. It is the policy of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee to recommend individuals as director nominees who
have the highest personal and professional integrity, who have demonstrated
exceptional ability and judgment and who will be most effective, in conjunction
with the other members of the Board, in collectively serving the long-term
interests of our stockholders.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of
the members of the Compensation Committee of Coffee Holding were at any time
during or prior to fiscal year 2009 an officer or employee of Coffee Holding or
had any relationship requiring disclosure under Item 404 (Transactions with
Related Persons, Promoters and Certain Control Persons) of Regulation
S-K. None of the executive officers of Coffee Holding served as a
member of another entity’s Board or as a member of the Compensation Committee
(or other Board committee performing equivalent functions) during fiscal year
2009, which entity had an executive officer serving on the Board or as a member
of the Compensation Committee of Coffee Holding. There are no
interlocking relationships between Coffee Holding and other entities that might
affect the determination of the compensation of our executive
officers.
Stockholder
Communication with the Board of Directors and Attendance at Annual
Meetings
The Board
maintains a process for stockholders to communicate with the Board and its
committees. Stockholders of Coffee Holding and other interested
persons may communicate with the Board or the chairperson of the Audit
Committee, Compensation Committee or Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee by writing to the Secretary of Coffee Holding at 4401 First Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11232. All communications that relate to matters that
are within the scope of the responsibilities of the Board will be presented to
the Board no later than the next regularly scheduled
meeting. Communications that relate to matters that are within the
responsibility of one of the Board committees will be forwarded to the
chairperson of the appropriate committee. Communications that relate
to ordinary business matters that are not within the scope of the Board’s
responsibilities, such as customer complaints, will be forwarded to the
appropriate officer. Solicitations, junk mail and obviously frivolous
or inappropriate communications will not be forwarded, but will be made
available to any director who wishes to review them.
Directors are expected to prepare
themselves for and attend all Board meetings, the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
and the meetings of the committees on which they serve, with the understanding
that, on occasion, a director may be unable to attend a meeting. All
of our directors attended the 2009 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders.
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Overview
of Compensation Program
Our
Compensation Committee has responsibility for establishing, implementing and
monitoring adherence with our compensation philosophy. In that regard, the
Compensation Committee provides advice and makes recommendations to the Board in
the areas of employee salaries and benefit programs. The Compensation
Committee ensures that the total compensation paid to our executive leadership
team is fair and reasonable. Generally, the types of compensation and
benefits provided to members of the executive leadership team, including the
named executive officers, are similar to those provided to our other officers
and employees. Throughout this proxy statement, the individuals who
served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Andrew
Gordon) and Executive Vice President-Operations and Secretary (David Gordon)
during fiscal year 2009, are referred to as the “named executive
officers.”
Compensation
Components
Our
compensation program for executive officers consists generally of base salary
and annual bonuses. These elements are intended to provide an overall
compensation package that is commensurate with our financial resources, that is
appropriate to assure the retention of experienced management personnel, and
that aligns their financial interests with those of our
stockholders. We pay our named executive officers commensurate with
their experience and responsibilities. Because each of our named
executive officers already owns a substantial number of shares of Coffee Holding
common stock, the Compensation Committee does not believe that stock-based
awards provide them with additional incentives or further align their interests
with our stockholders.
Base
Salary. Each of our named executive officers receives a base
salary to compensate him for services performed during the year. The
base salaries of our named executive officers are established annually by the
Board upon recommendation by the Compensation Committee. When
determining the base salary for each of our named executive officers, the
Compensation Committee considers the performance of the executive officer, the
duties of the executive officer, the experience of the executive officer in his
position and salary levels of the companies in our peer group. Salary
levels are also intended to reflect our financial performance. We
have entered into employment agreements with each of the named executive
officers that provide for minimum annual base salaries. The named
executive officers are eligible for annual increases in their base salaries as a
result of company performance, individual performance and any added
responsibility since the last salary increase.
Annual Bonus.
Our named executive officers are eligible to receive annual cash
bonuses. These bonuses are intended to reward the achievement of
corporate goals and individual performance objectives. The bonus levels are
intended to be competitive with those typically paid by the companies in our
peer group and commensurate with the executive officers’ successful execution of
duties and responsibilities.
Implementation
for Fiscal Year 2009
For the 2009 fiscal year, Andrew Gordon
received a base salary of $350,000 and a cash bonus of $99,000. David
Gordon received a base salary of $250,000 and a cash bonus of $65,000. Due to
one fewer pay period occurring in fiscal year 2009, as compared to prior fiscal
years, Andy Gordon and David Gordon waived their minimum base salaries of
$356,730 and $254,196, respectively, as are required under these officers’
employment agreements.
Compensation
Decision-Making Policies and Procedures.
Decision-Making
and Policy-Making. As an American Stock Exchange listed company, we must
observe governance standards that require executive officer compensation
decisions to be made by the independent director members of our Board or by a
committee of independent directors. Consistent with these
requirements, our Board has established a Compensation Committee all of whose
members are independent directors.
The
Compensation Committee provides advice and makes recommendations to our Board in
the areas of employee salaries and benefit programs. The Compensation
Committee has established a formal charter. Compensation consists of
three components: (1) base salary; (2) bonuses; and (3) long-term incentives
(e.g., stock options,
deferred compensation and fringe benefits).
The
Compensation Committee generally meets at least once each
year. During fiscal 2009, the Compensation Committee met one
time. It considers the expectations of the Chief Executive Officer
with respect to his own compensation and his recommendations with
respect to the compensation of more junior executive officers, as well as
empirical data on compensation practices at peer group companies. The Compensation
Committee does not delegate its duties to others.
Use
of Outside Advisors and Survey Data. The Compensation Committee
uses its own criteria coupled with empirical peer group data to
establish the chief executive officer’s base salary. In
2009, the peer group consisted of five coffee roasting
companies. Among other things, the Compensation Committee analyzed
the net sales, net income and overall executive compensation of each of the peer
group companies in determining the appropriate salary levels for the chief
executive officer.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
The
Compensation Committee has reviewed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
included in this proxy statement and has discussed it with
management. Based on such review and discussion, the Compensation
Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion
and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.
|
Compensation
Committee of
Coffee
Holding Co., Inc.
|
|
John
Rotelli, Chairman
Barry
Knepper
Robert
M. Williams
|
COMPENSATION
OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Director
Compensation
Non-employee
directors receive $800 per Board meeting and committee meeting attended in
person and $400
per each Board meeting and committee meeting attended
telephonically. Non-employee directors are also reimbursed for travel
expenses and other out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with attendance at
Board and committee meetings. Non-employee directors are also
eligible to participate in our stock option plan, the terms of which are
discussed elsewhere in this proxy statement. No stock options were
granted to non-employee directors in fiscal 2009.
Total
directors’ meeting and committee fees for fiscal year 2009 were $9,600. We do not
compensate our employee directors for service as directors. Directors
are also entitled to the protection of certain indemnification provisions in our
Articles of Incorporation and bylaws.
The
following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned by our
non-employee directors during the 2009 fiscal year.
Director
Compensation Table
|
|
Fees
Earned or Paid in Cash ($)(1)
|
|
All
Other Compensation ($)
|
|
|
Gerard
DeCapua
|
|
2,800
|
|
—
|
|
2,800
|
Daniel
Dwyer
|
|
1,200
|
|
—
|
|
1,200
|
Barry
Knepper
|
|
2,400
|
|
18,750(2)
|
|
21,150
|
John
Rotelli
|
|
1,200
|
|
—
|
|
1,200
|
Robert
M. Williams
|
|
2,000
|
|
—
|
|
2,000
|
(1)
|
Meeting
fees earned during the fiscal year, whether such fees were paid currently
or deferred.
|
(2)
|
As we
have previously disclosed, on February 17, 2009, Coffee Holding entered
into a Loan and Security Agreement with Sterling National Bank
(“Sterling”) for a new credit facility. Mr. Knepper received a
finder’s fee in the amount of $18,750 from Coffee Holding for
recommending to Coffee Holding that it contact Sterling regarding the new
credit facility.
|
Executive
Compensation
The table
below sets forth the compensation of each of our named executive officers for
fiscal years 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Summary
Compensation Table
Name
and Principal Positions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
|
|
|
Change
in Pension Value and Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings(2)
($)
|
|
|
All
Other
Compensation(3)
($)
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Gordon, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
|
2009 |
|
$ |
350,000 |
|
|
$ |
99,000 |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
43,058 |
|
|
$ |
492,058 |
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
356,730 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
19,381 |
|
|
|
376,111 |
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
350,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
37,902 |
|
|
|
12,078 |
|
|
|
399,980 |
|
David Gordon, Executive
Vice President - Operations and Secretary |
|
2009 |
|
$ |
250,000 |
|
|
$ |
65,000 |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
– |
|
|
$ |
38,387 |
|
|
$ |
353,387 |
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
254,196 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
28,121 |
|
|
|
282,317 |
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
17,801 |
|
|
|
407,801 |
|
(1)
|
The
figures shown represent amounts earned for the fiscal year, whether or not
actually paid during such year.
|
(2)
|
Includes
the amount of interest accrued on defined contribution deferred
compensation balances at a rate in excess of 120% of the applicable
federal mid-term rate under section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (the “Code”) and dividends or dividend equivalents on balances
denominated in Coffee Holding Co., Inc. common stock in excess of the
dividends paid to stockholders generally during the fiscal
year.
|
(3)
|
The
named executive officers participate in certain group life, health,
disability insurance and medical reimbursement plans, not disclosed in the
Summary Compensation Table, that are generally available to salaried
employees and do not discriminate in scope, terms and
operation. The figure shown for Andrew Gordon includes $14,519
for a business car lease in 2009; $16,800, $9,200 and $8,778 in employer
contributions to the 401(k) plan and health insurance premiums of $11,739,
$10,181 and $3,300 for fiscal years
2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The figure shown for David
Gordon includes $16,800, $9,000 and $7,098 in employer contributions to
the 401(k) plan, life insurance premiums of $3,000, $3,000 and $7,403 and
health insurance premiums of $18,587, $16,121 and $3,300 for fiscal years
2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
|
Employment
Agreements. We have entered into employment agreements with Andrew Gordon
to secure his continued service as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer and with David Gordon to secure his continued service as Executive
Vice President ― Operations and Secretary. These employment
agreements have rolling five-year terms that began on May 6,
2005. These agreements may be converted to a fixed five-year term by
the decision of our Board or the executive. These
agreements provide for minimum annual salaries of $356,730 for Andrew Gordon and
$254,196 for David Gordon, discretionary cash bonuses, and participation on
generally applicable terms and conditions in other compensation and fringe
benefit plans. They also guarantee customary corporate
indemnification and errors and omissions insurance coverage throughout the
employment term and thereafter for so long as the executives are subject to
liability for such service to the extent permissible by the Nevada Revised
Statutes.
The terms
of the employment agreements provide that each executive will be entitled to
severance benefits if his employment is terminated without “cause” or if he
resigns for “good reason” or following a “change in control” (as such terms will
be defined in the employment agreements) equal to the value of the cash
compensation and fringe benefits that he would have received if he had continued
working for the remaining unexpired term of the agreement. The
employment agreements also provide uninsured disability
benefits. During the term of the employment agreements and, in case
of discharge with “cause” or resignation without “good reason,” for a period of
one year thereafter, the executives are subject to (1) restrictions on
competition with us; and (2) restrictions on the solicitation of our
customers and employees. For all periods during and after the term of
the employment agreements, the executives are subject to nondisclosure and
restrictions relating to our confidential information and trade
secrets.
If we
experience a change in ownership, a change in effective ownership or control or
a change in ownership of a substantial portion of our assets as contemplated by
Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code, a portion of any severance payments
under the employment agreements might constitute an “excess parachute payment”
under current federal tax laws. Federal tax laws impose a 20% excise
tax, payable by each executive, on excess parachute payments. Under
the terms of the employment agreements, we will reimburse the executives for the
amount of this excise tax and will make an additional gross-up payment so that,
after payment of the excise tax and all income and excise taxes imposed on the
reimbursement and gross-up payments, the executives will retain approximately
the same net-after tax amounts under the employment agreement that they would
have retained if there were no 20% excise tax. The effect of this
provision is that we, and not the executives, bear the financial cost of the
excise tax and we could not claim a federal income tax deduction for an excess
parachute payment, excise tax reimbursement or gross-up payment.
Deferred
Compensation Plan for Executive Officers. In January 2005,
we established the Coffee Holding Co., Inc. Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Plan for Executive Officers. Currently, Andrew Gordon is the only
participant in the plan. Each executive officer who participates in
the plan may defer receipt of all or a portion of his or her annual cash
compensation received from Coffee Holding. The deferred amounts are
allocated to a deferral account and credited with interest according to the
investment classifications made available by the Board. The plan is
an unfunded, non-qualified plan that provides for distribution of the amounts
deferred to participants or their designated beneficiaries upon the occurrence
of certain events. The amounts deferred, and related investment
earnings, are held in a rabbi trust for the benefit of participating executives
until such amounts are distributed pursuant to the terms of the
plan.
The
following table sets forth information regarding nonqualified deferred
compensation earned by our named executive officers during the last fiscal year
under non-qualified defined contribution plans.
Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Table
|
|
Executive
Contributions in Last FY(1)
($)
|
|
|
Registrant
Contributions in Last FY(2)
($)
|
|
|
Aggregate
Earnings in Last FY(3)
($)
|
|
|
Aggregate
Withdrawals/ Distributions
($)
|
|
|
Aggregate
Balance at Last FYE
($)
|
|
Andrew
Gordon
|
|
$ |
127,884 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
$ |
9,261 |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
$ |
489,782
|
|
David
Gordon
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
(1)
|
Executive
contributions are included in the Summary Compensation Table under the
captions “Salary,” “Bonus” and “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation,”
as applicable.
|
(2)
|
Company
contributions are included under the caption “All Other Compensation” in
the Summary Compensation Table.
|
(3)
|
Earnings
did not accrue at above-market or preferential rates and are not reflected
in the Summary Compensation Table.
|
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The Audit
Committee of the Board has appointed ParenteBeard LLC to serve as our
independent registered public accounting firm for
2010. Representatives of ParenteBeard LLC, successor to Parente
Randolph, LLC and Lazar Levine & Felix, LLP, are expected to attend the
Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to
do so and will be available to answer questions. During the fiscal
years ended October 31, 2009 and 2008, Coffee Holding retained ParenteBeard
LLC, Parente Randolph, LLC and Lazar Levine & Felix, LLP to provide audit and other services and incurred
fees as follows:
|
|
Fiscal
Year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
fees(1)
|
|
$ |
123,960 |
|
|
$ |
112,250 |
|
Audit
related fees
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Tax
fees
|
|
|
21,000 |
|
|
|
– |
|
All
other fees
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
– |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
144,960 |
|
|
$ |
112,250 |
|
(1)
|
Audit fees consisted of work performed in
connection with the audit of the consolidated financial statements as well
as work generally only the independent auditors can reasonably be expected
to provide, such as quarterly reviews and review of the annual Form 10-K
filings.
|
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy
The Audit Committee, or a designated member of the Audit
Committee, shall preapprove all auditing services and permitted non-audit
services (including the fees and terms) to be performed for Coffee Holding by
our registered independent public accountants, subject to the de minimis
exceptions for non-audit services that are approved by the Audit Committee prior
to completion of the audit, provided that: (1) the aggregate amount of all such
services provided constitutes no more than five percent of the total amount of
revenues paid by Coffee Holding to its registered independent public accountant
during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (2) such services
were not recognized by Coffee Holding at the time of the engagement to be
non-audit services; and (3) such services are promptly brought to the attention
of the Audit Committee and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the
Audit Committee or by one or more members of the Audit Committee who are members
of the Board to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the
Audit Committee. Of the services set forth in the table above, all
were preapproved by the Audit Committee.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE REPORT
The
following Audit Committee Report is provided in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pursuant to
such rules and regulations, this report shall not be deemed “soliciting
materials,” filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, subject to
Regulation 14A or 14C of the Securities and Exchange Commission or subject to
the liabilities of section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
The Audit
Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with
management.
The Audit
Committee has also reviewed and discussed with ParenteBeard LLC, Coffee
Holding’s independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to
be discussed by Auditing Standards No. 61, as may be modified or
supplemented.
The Audit
Committee also has received the written disclosures and the letter from
ParenteBeard LLC required by applicable requirements of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications
with the Audit Committee covering independence, and has discussed with
ParenteBeard LLC its independence.
Based on
the foregoing discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of
Directors of Coffee Holding Co., Inc. that the audited financial statements be
included in Coffee Holding Co. Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2009.
|
Audit
Committee of
Coffee
Holding Co., Inc.
|
|
Barry
Knepper, Chairman
Gerard
DeCapua
Robert
M. Williams
|
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
REPORTING COMPLIANCE AND TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our directors
and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of our common stock,
to report to the SEC their initial ownership of Coffee Holding’s common stock
and any subsequent changes in that ownership. We are required to
disclose in this proxy statement any late filings or failures to
file.
To our
knowledge, the following report was the only report of our executive officers
and directors required by Section 16(a) not timely filed during the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2009: On March 3, 2009, Mr. Dwyer filed a report on Form 4 to
report a sale of 500 shares of common stock of Coffee Holding which sale was
deemed to have occurred on February 24, 2009. Mr. Dwyer’s Section
16(a) reports are now current and correct.
TRANSACTIONS
WITH RELATED PERSONS, PROMOTERS
AND
CERTAIN CONTROL PERSONS
The Company has engaged Generations
Coffee Company, LLC (“GCC”), with which the Company has a joint venture, as an
outside contractor. Coffee Holding is the 60% equity owner of the
joint venture and GCC owns the other 40% equity interest. Payments to
GCC during the year ended October 31, 2009 amounted to $274,058 for the
processing of finished goods.
Mr. Dwyer
is a senior coffee trader for Rothfos Corporation, a coffee trading company
(“Rothfos”). Mr. Dwyer is responsible for our account with
Rothfos. We paid Rothfos approximately $15.4 million, $24.2 million
and $16.7 million for green coffee purchases in fiscal 2007, 2008 and 2009,
respectively. Rothfos accounted for approximately $829,000 and
$1,282,000 of the Company’s accounts payable at October 31, 2009 and 2008,
respectively. All purchases are made on arms’ length
terms.
We
believe that the transactions set forth above were made on terms no less
favorable to us than could have been obtained from unaffiliated third
parties. All transactions between us and our officers, directors and
principal stockholders and their affiliates are subject to approval by an
independent committee of our Board of Directors.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Information
About Stockholder Proposals
Stockholders
may submit proposals for consideration at the 2011 Annual Meeting. In
order to be included in our proxy statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting, we must
receive such proposal no later than November 1, 2010. Proposals
should be addressed to David Gordon, Secretary, Coffee Holding Co., Inc., 3475
Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314. SEC rules contain
standards as to whether stockholder proposals are required to be included in the
proxy statement. Any such proposal will be subject to 17 C.F.R. §
240.14a-8 of the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.
In
addition, if you wish to submit a proposal to the 2011 Annual Meeting without
including such proposal in the proxy statement for that meeting, that proposal
will be considered untimely, and the proxies solicited by the Board will confer
discretionary authority to vote on the proposal as the proxies solicited see
fit, unless you have given notice in writing to the Secretary of Coffee Holding,
mailed David Gordon, Secretary, Coffee Holding Co., Inc., 3475 Victory
Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314, and such notice is received by January 24,
2011.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors,
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David
Gordon |
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Secretary
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Staten
Island, New York
March
1, 2010
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To
assure that your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting, please
either a) vote over the Internet following the instructions provided to
you in the Internet Availability Notice or b) if you
requested a paper copy of the proxy materials, complete,
sign, date and promptly return the accompanying proxy card to Coffee
Holdings.
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Coffee Holding Co.,
Inc. |
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REVOCABLE
PROXY |
This
proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors of Coffee Holding Co.,
Inc.
for
the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 22, 2010.
The undersigned stockholder of Coffee
Holding Co., Inc. hereby appoints Andrew Gordon and David Gordon, or either of
them, with full powers of substitution, to represent and to vote as proxy, as
designated, all shares of common stock of Coffee Holding Co., Inc. held of
record by the undersigned on February 22, 2010, at the Annual Meeting of
Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at
3:30 p.m., Eastern time, at The Staten Island Hotel located at 1415 Richmond
Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10314, or at any adjournment or postponement
thereof. The undersigned hereby revokes all prior
proxies.
This Proxy, when properly executed,
will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned
shareholder. If no
direction is given, this Proxy will be voted FOR the election of nominees listed
in Item 1. In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such
other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment
or postponement thereof. As of the date of the Proxy Statement for
the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors is not aware of any such other
business.
PLEASE
MARK, SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY ON THE REVERSE SIDE AND RETURN IT
PROMPTLY
IN THE ENVELOPE WITH THE INTERNET AVAILABILITY NOTICE.
The
Board of Directors of Coffee Holding Co., Inc. unanimously recommends a
vote “FOR” all nominees in Item 1.
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I
Will Attend the Annual Meeting o
Please
Mark Your Choice Like This þ
in
Blue or Black Ink.
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1. Election
of Directors to a term set forth below:
Nominees
Term
Expires
Gerard
DeCapua 2013
Robert
M.
Williams
2013
Instruction: To withhold
authority for any individual nominee, write that nominee's name in the
space
provided: ______________________________________
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For
all Withhold
for all
Nominees
Nominees
o o
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The
undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of
Stockholders and the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting.
___________________________________
___________________________________
Signature(s)
Dated:
______________________, 2010
Please
sign exactly as your name appears on this proxy. Joint owners should each
sign personally. If signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee
or guardian, please include your full title. Corporate or
partnership proxies should be signed by an authorized
officer.
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