Blueprint
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
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Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Definitive Proxy Statement
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Definitive Additional Materials
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss.240.14a-12
Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name
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Registrant)
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PHARMA-BIO SERV, INC.
Pharma-Bio Serv Building
#6 Road 696
Dorado, Puerto Rico, 00646
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To be held on May 26, 2017
To our
Stockholders:
The
Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. (the
"Company") will be held on Friday, May 26, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. local
time at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing located at 201
South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19106 for the following purposes:
1.
The election of one
(1) director as a Class I director to serve for a term until the
2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until a successor is duly
elected and qualified;
2.
The ratification of
the selection of Horwath Velez & Co. PSC as the Company's
independent certified public accountants for the fiscal year ending
October 31, 2017; and
3.
The transaction of
such other and further business as may properly come before the
meeting or any, adjournments or postponements of the
meeting.
The
Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on April 18,
2017 as the record date for the determination of stockholders
entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual
meeting.
The
enclosed proxy statement contains information pertaining to the
matters to be voted on at the annual meeting. A copy of the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2016 is being mailed with this proxy
statement.
By
order of the Board of Directors,
By:
/s/ Pedro J. Lasanta
Pedro
J. Lasanta
Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President -
Finance
and Administration and Secretary
Dorado,
Puerto Rico
April
26, 2017
IMPORTANT NOTICE
REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 26,
2017
The
Company's proxy statement and the 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K
are available at
http://www.pharmabioserv.com
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU ARE URGED
TO COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE
ACCOMPANYING PRE-ADDRESSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE OR USE THE
INTERNET VOTING SYSTEM AS DESCRIBED ON THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD.
YOUR PROXY, GIVEN THROUGH THE RETURN OF THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD OR
BY USE OF THE INTERNET VOTING SYSTEM, MAY BE REVOKED PRIOR TO ITS
EXERCISE BY FILING WITH OUR SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE MEETING A
WRITTEN NOTICE OF REVOCATION OR A DULY EXECUTED PROXY BEARING A
LATER DATE, OR BY ATTENDING THE MEETING AND VOTING IN
PERSON.
PROXY
STATEMENT
|
1
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PROPOSAL 1:
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
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2
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PROPOSAL 2:
SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
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8
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REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
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9
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MANAGEMENT
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10
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EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
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11
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BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES AND SECURITY OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
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13
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SECTION 16(A)
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
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15
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CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
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15
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FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
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16
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OTHER
MATTERS
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16
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PHARMA-BIO SERV, INC.
Pharma-Bio Serv Building
#6 Road 696
Dorado, Puerto Rico, 00646
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To be held on May 26, 2017
General
We are
providing these proxy materials in connection with the solicitation
by the Board of Directors of Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. of proxies to be
voted at our 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and at any and all
postponements or adjournments thereof. Our Annual Meeting will be
held on Friday, May 26, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. local time at the Hilton
Philadelphia at Penn's Landing located at 201 South Christopher
Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106. This proxy
statement and the enclosed form of proxy are first being sent to
stockholders on or about April 26, 2017. In this proxy statement
Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. and its subsidiaries are referred to as the
''Company,'' ''we,'' ''our'' or ''us."
Purposes of the Meeting
At the
Annual Meeting, our stockholders will consider and vote upon the
following matters:
(1)
The election of one
(1) director as a Class I director to serve for a term until the
2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until a successor is duly
elected and qualified (the "Election of Directors
Proposal");
(2)
The ratification of
the selection of Horwath Velez & Co. PSC as the Company's
independent certified public accountants for the fiscal year ending
October 31, 2017 (the "Auditor Ratification Proposal");
and
(3)
The transaction of
such other and further business as may properly come before the
meeting or any, adjournments or postponements of the
meeting.
Outstanding Securities and Voting Rights
Only
holders of record of the Company's common stock at the close of
business on April 18, 2017, the record date, will be entitled to
notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. On that date, we had
23,103,931 shares of common stock outstanding. Each share of common
stock is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting.
A
majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock constitutes
a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
Abstentions and broker non-votes will be included in determining
the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting. A broker non-vote
occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does
not vote on a particular proposal because the nominee does not have
discretionary voting power with respect to that item and has not
received instructions from the beneficial owner. Under New York
Stock Exchange rules, a broker does not have the discretion to vote
on Proposal 1 – Election of Directors Proposal. As
a result, any broker that is a member of the NYSE will not have the
discretion to vote Proposal 1. A broker non-vote or an
abstention will have no effect on Proposal 1.
Proxy Voting
Shares
for which proxy cards are properly executed and returned will be
voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the directions given
or, in the absence of directions, will be voted "FOR" Proposal 1 – the Election of
Directors Proposal and "FOR"
Proposal 2 – the Auditor Ratification
Proposal. If, however, other matters are properly
presented, the person named in the proxies in the accompanying
proxy card will vote in accordance with their discretion with
respect to such matters.
The
manner in which your shares may be voted depends on how your shares
are held. If you own shares of record, meaning that your shares are
represented by certificates or book entries in your name so that
you appear as a stockholder on the records of American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, our transfer agent, a proxy card for
voting those shares will be included with this proxy statement. If
you own shares in street name, meaning that your shares are held by
a bank or brokerage firm or other nominee, you may instead receive
a voting instruction form from that institution with this proxy
statement to instruct it how to vote your shares.
The
Board of Directors urges you to promptly date, sign and mail your
proxy or to use the internet voting system set forth in the proxy,
in the form enclosed with this proxy statement, to make certain
that your shares are voted at the Annual Meeting. Proxies in the
enclosed or other acceptable form that are received in time for the
Annual Meeting will be voted. However, you may revoke your proxy at
any time prior to its use by a revocation in writing to the
Corporate Secretary at the Company's principal executive offices at
#6 Road 696 Dorado, Puerto Rico, 00646 or a later dated proxy that
is received in sufficient time by the Company prior to the Annual
Meeting; and, if you attend the Annual Meeting, you may vote your
shares in person.
Attendance and Voting at the Annual Meeting
If you
own common stock of record, you may attend the Annual Meeting and
vote in person, regardless of whether you have previously voted by
proxy card or by internet. If you own common stock in street name,
you may attend the Annual Meeting but in order to vote your shares
at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain a "legal proxy" from the
bank or brokerage firm that holds your shares. You should contact
your bank or brokerage account representative to learn how to
obtain a legal proxy. We encourage you to vote your shares in
advance of the Annual Meeting, even if you plan on attending the
Annual Meeting. If you have already voted prior to the Annual
Meeting, you may nevertheless change or revoke your vote at the
Annual Meeting in the manner described below. To obtain directions
to the annual meeting, please visit the hotel's website at
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/pennsylvania/hilton-philadelphia-at-penns-landing-PHLPNHH/maps-directions/index.html#.
Revocation
If you
own common stock of record, you may revoke a previously granted
proxy at any time before it is voted by delivering to Pedro J.
Lasanta, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President - Finance and
Administration and Secretary of the Company, a written notice of
revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or by
attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. Any stockholder
owning common stock in street name may change or revoke previously
granted voting instructions by contacting the bank or brokerage
firm holding the shares or by obtaining a legal proxy from such
bank or brokerage firm and voting in person at the Annual
Meeting.
PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our
Board of Directors is currently comprised of five (5) directors
divided into three separate classes, as nearly equal in number as
possible, with one class being elected each year to serve a
staggered three-year term.
At the
2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our stockholders approved an
amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, which phased-in the
classification of our Board of Directors which began at the 2013
Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Pursuant to this amendment, the
director initially elected in Class I stood for election at the
2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders for a term expiring at the 2017
Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The directors initially elected in
Class II stood for election at the 2015 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders for a term expiring at the 2018 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders and the directors initially elected in Class III stood
for election at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders for a term
expiring at the 2019 Annual Meeting of stockholders. At
this Annual Meeting of Stockholders and each Annual Meeting of
Stockholders thereafter, the successors to the class of directors
whose terms expire at that meeting would be elected for a term of
office to expire at the third succeeding Annual Meeting of
Stockholders after their election, and until their successors have
been duly elected and qualified.
Our
Class I director is Irving Wiesen; our Class II directors are Kirk
Michel and Dov Perlysky; and our Class III directors are Elizabeth
Plaza and Howard Spindel.
Our
Board of Directors is recommending that Irving Wiesen, our Class I
director, be re-elected to serve for a term until the 2020 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders or until a successor is duly elected and
qualified. If Mr. Wiesen becomes unavailable for any
reason, a situation which is not anticipated, a substitute nominee
may be proposed by the board, and any shares represented by proxy
will be voted for the substitute nominee, unless the board reduces
the number of directors.
The
following table sets forth certain information concerning the
nominee for director and each of the other members of the Board of
Directors:
Name
|
Age
|
Positions with
the Company
|
Director
Since
|
Year Term
Expires and Class
|
Elizabeth
Plaza (3)
|
53
|
Chairman
of the Board
|
2006
|
2019
Class III
|
Kirk
Michel (1),(2)
|
61
|
Director
|
2006
|
2018
Class II
|
Dov
Perlysky (2),(3)
|
54
|
Director
|
2004
|
2018
Class II
|
Howard
Spindel (1)
|
71
|
Director
|
2006
|
2019
Class III
|
Irving
Wiesen (1),(2),(3)
|
62
|
Director
|
2006
|
2017
Class I
|
_________________________
(1)
Member of the Audit
Committee and Compensation Committee.
(2)
Member of the
Mergers and Acquisition Committee.
(3)
Member of the
Nominating Committee.
CLASS I - TERM EXPIRING AT 2017 ANNUAL MEETING
Irving Wiesen, a director since January
25, 2006, has practiced as an attorney specializing in food and
drug law and regulation in the pharmaceutical and medical device
industries for over thirty years. For more than the past five years
he has been of counsel to the New York law firms, Ullman, Shapiro
and Ullman, LLP and Cohen, Tauber, Spievack & Wagner. Prior to
that, Mr. Wiesen was a partner in the New York food and drug
law firm, Bass & Ullman, and also served as division counsel of
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Wiesen represents
pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies in all
aspects of FDA regulation, corporate practice and compliance,
litigation and allied commercial transactions. Mr. Wiesen received
his J.D. degree from the New York University School of Law and
holds an M.A. in English Literature from Columbia University and a
B.A., cum laude, from Yeshiva University.
Mr.
Wiesen brings extensive leadership, business, and legal experience
to the Board. He has practiced as an attorney specializing in food
and drug law and regulation in the pharmaceutical and medical
device industries for over thirty years. His experience as a
practicing lawyer in the pharmaceutical and medical device
industries has given him broad understanding and expertise,
particularly relating to legal and industry matters impacting the
Company.
CLASS II - TERM EXPIRING AT 2018 ANNUAL MEETING
Kirk Michel, a director since January
25, 2006, has been a managing director of KEMA Advisors, Inc., a
boutique investment banking firm located in Hillsborough, North
Carolina since 2000. KEMA Advisors provides corporate finance
advisory services to middle market companies and governmental
agencies. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Michel was the co-founder and a
managing director of Bahia Group Holdings, LLC which provided
corporate finance, public finance and merger and acquisition
services to middle market companies and governmental agencies. Mr.
Michel holds a M.B.A. degree from the Columbia University Graduate
School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern
University.
Mr.
Michel brings extensive leadership, business, and finance
experience to the Board. His experience as a managing director of
an investment banking firm has given him broad understanding and
expertise, particularly relating to business and finance
matters.
Dov Perlysky, a director since 2004, has
been the managing member of Nesher, LLC a private investment firm
since 2000. On January 25, 2006, in connection with the
Company’s acquisition of Pharma-Bio Serv PR, Inc., Mr.
Perlysky resigned as president of the Company. From 1998 until
2002, Mr. Perlysky was a vice president in the private client group
of Laidlaw Global Securities, a registered broker-dealer. He
received his B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from the
University of Illinois in 1985 and a Masters in Management from the
JL Kellogg Graduate School of Northwestern University in 1991. Mr.
Perlysky is currently a director of Enzo Biochem, Inc., a
growth-oriented life sciences and clinical laboratory company
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Engex, Inc., a closed-end
mutual fund, and Highlands Bancorp, Inc., a New Jersey community
bank.
Mr.
Perlysky brings extensive leadership and business experience, as
well as an in-depth understanding of the Company's history and
tremendous knowledge of our business and the pharmaceutical
industry, to the Board. His experience as the former president of
the Company has given him broad understanding and expertise,
particularly relating to the Company's business and
industry.
CLASS III - TERM EXPIRING AT 2019 ANNUAL MEETING
Elizabeth Plaza has served as the
Chairman of the Board since January 2006. Also, Ms. Plaza assumed
the role of Senior Strategic Consultant of the Company on January
1, 2013. Ms. Plaza served as our president and chief executive
officer from January 2006 to December 2012, and as our principal
executive officer from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Ms.
Plaza founded Pharma Serv, a division of Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc. on
February, 1993. Prior to founding her own company, she worked for
Warner Lambert, Inc, and McNeil Pharmaceutical, a Johnson &
Johnson company, as a Pharmaceutical Scientist. Ms. Plaza graduated
from the University of Puerto Rico, Magna Cum Laude with a degree
in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Also, Ms. Plaza has attended the
Executive Development program of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) and the Kellogg Management Development Program for
Minority CEO's at Northwestern University in Illinois.
Ms.
Plaza is a member of numerous professional organizations. She is a
member of the US Department of Commerce, MBDA, and Washington DC
National Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprise since
2010; Active Board of Directors Member of the Puerto Rico
Manufacturers Association, leading the Industrial Promotions
Committee; served on the Export Commerce Advisory Council for
Puerto Rico Government from 2009-2012. She is also a QA Committee
Member of the Pharmaceutical Industrial Association (PIA) as well
as the Global Competitiveness Committee of PIA. She also serves
other Board of Directors, including the Labor Development Local
Board for Manatí-Dorado. In addition, she is an active member
of professional organizations including the Parenteral Drug
Association (PDA), where she was one of the authors of the
Technical Report on the new FDA Process Validation Guidance. She is
a member of the Delaware Valley International Society of
Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE), the American Society for Quality
Control (ASQC) and the American Association of Pharmaceutical
Scientists (AAPS).
Ms.
Plaza brings extensive leadership and business experience, as well
as an in-depth understanding of the Company's history and
tremendous knowledge of our business and the pharmaceutical
industry, to the Board. Her experience as an entrepreneur in the
pharmaceutical industry has given her broad understanding and
expertise, particularly relating to business and industry
matters.
Howard Spindel, a director since January
25, 2006, has been a consultant with Integrated Management
Solutions, a securities industry consulting and recruitment firm
which he founded, since 1985. In this capacity, he has also acted
as a financial and operations principal, general securities
principal, registered representative and options principal for
several broker-dealers during this period. He is also a director of
Engex, Inc., a closed-end investment company, and Oak Tree
Educational Partners, Inc., a training company. Mr. Spindel
received a B.S (Accounting) degree from Hunter College and is a
Certified Public Accountant.
Mr.
Spindel brings extensive leadership, business, and accounting
experience to the Board. His experience as a consultant, certified
public accountant and board member to other companies has given him
broad understanding and expertise, particularly relating to
business, accounting and finance matters.
Family Relationships
There
are no family relationships among our executive officers and
directors.
Vote Required and Recommendation
Directors will be
elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person
or represented by proxy at the annual meeting and entitled to vote
on the election of directors. Stockholders do not have the right to
cumulate their votes for directors.
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" the nominee listed
above.
Directors' Compensation
Effective January
1, 2014, the Compensation Committee of the Board approved the
following compensation to our non-employee directors (i) a $10,000
quarterly retainer fee and (ii) an automatic annual stock option
grant of 20,000 shares to be granted on the tenth day of January
each year. Also, each non-employee director received an option to
purchase 25,000 shares of the Company's common stock on the date of
his first election. Ms. Plaza received consulting fees during the
year ended October 31, 2016 as set forth below. Ms. Plaza did not
receive compensation as a director for the year ended October 31,
2016.
The
following table summarizes the compensation paid to our directors
for the year ended October 31, 2016.
Name
|
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash(1)
|
|
|
|
Elizabeth
Plaza
|
$-
|
-
|
417,936(4)
|
$417,936(4)
|
Kirk
Michel
|
$40,000
|
$8,134
|
-
|
$48,134
|
Dov
Perlysky
|
$40,000
|
$8,134
|
-
|
$48,134
|
Howard
Spindel
|
$40,000
|
$8,134
|
-
|
$48,134
|
Irving
Wiesen
|
$40,000
|
$8,134
|
-
|
$48,134
|
(1)
All amounts were
earned and paid during fiscal 2016.
(2)
Amounts shown do
not reflect compensation actually received by the directors.
Instead, the amounts shown are the compensation costs recognized by
us in fiscal year 2016 for option grants that were made to
directors as determined pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718. The
assumptions used to calculate the value of option awards are set
forth under Note I - Stock Options and Stock Based Compensation in
our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October
31, 2016, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2016.
(3)
The options grants
have a term of five years from the grant date and an exercise price
equal to the fair market value on the date of grant. The options
are exercisable as to 50% of the shares six months from the date of
grant and as to the remaining 50% 18 months from the date of
grant.
(4)
Represents
consulting fees and company lease payments for the vehicle under
Elizabeth Plaza's use for the year ended October 31, 2016 in the
amount of $399,000 and $18,936, respectively. For additional
information regarding these consulting fees, see Employment
Agreements and Consulting Agreement- Elizabeth Plaza - Consulting
Agreement below.
As of
October 31, 2016, our directors held the following number of
options to purchase shares of common stock:
Messrs.
Perlysky, Spindel, Michel, and Wiesen
|
Grant
Date
|
|
|
1/03/2012
|
10,000
|
$0.70
|
1/02/2013
|
10,000
|
$0.75
|
1/10/2014
|
20,000
|
$2.05
|
1/10/2015
|
20,000
|
$1.28
|
1/10/2016
|
20,000
|
$0.95
|
Board Meetings; Annual Meeting Attendance;
Independence
The
Board oversees our business and affairs and monitors the
performance of management. The Board met regularly during the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2016 ("fiscal 2016") and continues to
meet regularly to review matters affecting our Company and to act
on matters requiring Board approval. The Board also holds special
meetings whenever circumstances require and may act by unanimous
written consent. During fiscal 2016, the Board of Directors held
three meetings, and took one action by written consent. During
fiscal 2016, all directors attended at least 75% of all Board and
committee meetings held during this period. The Board of Directors
encourages, but does not require, its directors to attend the
Company's annual meeting. Mr. Perlysky attended the 2016 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders.
The
Board has determined that the following directors are independent
pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5605 ("Nasdaq Rules") (even though the
Company's securities are not traded on the Nasdaq market): Kirk
Michel, Dov Perlysky, Howard Spindel and Irving
Wiesen.
Code of Ethics
We have
adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all our senior management,
including our principal executive officer, principal financial
officer and principal accounting officer, and directors. We intend
to post amendments to or waivers from our Code of Ethics (to the
extent applicable to our Principal Executive Officer, Principal
Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer or controller, or
persons performing similar functions) on our website,
www.pharmabioserv.com. Our website is not part of this proxy
statement.
Board Leadership Structure
The
Board of Directors has no policy regarding the need to separate or
combine the offices of Chairman of the Board and Principal
Executive Officer and instead the Board of Directors remains free
to make this determination from time to time in a manner that seems
most appropriate for the Company. Currently, the positions of
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer are separate at Pharma-Bio
Serv, Inc. Elizabeth Plaza serves as our Chairman and Victor
Sanchez serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer. At
this time, the Company believes this segregation allows the Board
of Directors to effectively provide guidance to and oversight of
its management. Also, this structure allows Ms. Plaza the
opportunity to focus on the Company's strategic expansion into new
markets and mergers and acquisition activities.
Currently, the
Company has not designated a lead independent director and
executive sessions of the Board of Directors are presided over by
the Chairman of the Board Committee having authority over the
subject matter discussed at the executive session, as appropriate.
We believe this leadership structure is appropriate based on the
Company's size and characteristics and its commitment to a strong,
independent Board of Directors, exemplified by four out of five of
its directors qualifying as an independent director.
Board Oversight of Enterprise Risk
The
Board of Directors is actively involved in the oversight and
management of risks that could affect the Company. This oversight
and management is conducted primarily through the committees of the
Board of Directors identified below but the full Board of Directors
has retained responsibility for general oversight of risks. The
Audit Committee is primarily responsible for overseeing the risk
management function, specifically with respect to management's
assessment of risk exposures (including risks related to liquidity,
credit, operations and regulatory compliance, among others), and
the processes in place to monitor and control such exposures. The
other committees of the Board of Directors consider the risks
within their areas of responsibility. The Board of Directors
satisfies their oversight responsibility through full reports by
each committee chair regarding the committee's considerations and
actions, as well as through regular reports directly from officers
responsible for oversight of particular risks within the
Company.
Committees
The
standing committees of the Board of Directors are the Audit
Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Mergers and Acquisition
Committee, and the Nominating Committee.
Audit Committee
The
members of the Audit Committee are Howard Spindel, Chairman, Kirk
Michel and Irving Wiesen, all of whom are independent directors as
determined by the Nasdaq Rules. The responsibilities and duties of
the Audit Committee consist of but are not limited to: (1)
overseeing the financial reporting process; (2) meeting with our
external auditors regarding audit results; (3) engaging and
ensuring independence of our outside audit firm and (4) reviewing
the effectiveness of the Company's internal controls. The Audit
Committee met four times during fiscal
2016.
Our
Board has determined that Mr. Spindel qualifies as an "Audit
Committee financial expert" within the meaning of applicable
regulations of the SEC, promulgated pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. Our Board of Directors has adopted a written charter
for the Audit Committee which the Audit Committee reviews and
reassesses for adequacy on an annual basis. A copy of the Audit
Committee's charter is located on our website at
www.pharmabioserv.com.
Compensation Committee
The
members of the Compensation Committee are Kirk Michel, Chairman,
Howard Spindel and Irving Wiesen, all of whom are independent
directors as determined by the Nasdaq Rules. The responsibilities
and duties of the Compensation Committee consist of, but are not
limited to: (1) approving salaries and incentive compensation of
executive officers, as well as the compensation of our Board
members; (2) reviewing compensation plans, policies and benefit
programs for employees, generally and (3) administering the
employee stock option and benefit plans, when designed by the
Board. While performing its duties, the Compensation Committee
receives substantial input from the Principal Executive Officer
regarding the appropriate level and type of compensation for our
executives, excluding the compensation paid to the Principal
Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee has determined that
no risks exist rising from the Company's compensation policies and
practices for its employees that are reasonably likely to have a
material adverse effect on the Company. The Compensation Committee
did not retain a compensation consultant to review our policies and
procedures with respect to executive compensation for fiscal
2016. The Compensation Committee met three times, and took one action by
written consent during fiscal 2016. A copy of the Compensation
Committee's charter is located on our website at
www.pharmabioserv.com.
Mergers and Acquisitions Committee
The
members of the Mergers and Acquisitions Committee are Dov Perlysky,
Kirk Michel and Irving Wiesen. Messrs. Michel, Perlysky and Wiesen
are independent directors as determined by the Nasdaq Rules. The
responsibilities and duties of the Mergers and Acquisitions
Committee consist of (1) reviewing and providing guidance to
management and the Board with respect to business development
activities including acquisitions, investment and divestiture
strategies, (2) assisting management in the assessment of potential
transactions, and (3) advising management and the Board in the
selection and use of financial, legal and other advisors. The
Mergers and Acquisition Committee met three times during fiscal
2016.
Nominating Committee
The
members of the Nominating Committee are Dov Perlysky, Elizabeth
Plaza and Irving Wiesen. We have not adopted a written charter for
this committee at the present time. If the Nominating Committee
identifies a need to replace a current member of the Board, to fill
a vacancy on the Board, or to expand the size of the Board, the
Nominating Committee considers candidates from a variety of
sources. The process followed by the Nominating Committee to
identify and evaluate candidates include (a) meetings to evaluate
biographical information and background material relating to
candidates, (b) requiring candidates to complete questionnaires to
elicit information of the type required to be disclosed by us in
reports filed with the SEC, (c) conducting background
investigations by qualified independent organizations experienced
in conducing criminal and civil investigatory reviews, (d)
interviews of selected candidates by members of the Board and (e)
such other personal and financial reviews and analyses as the
Nominating Committee may deem appropriate in connection with the
consideration of candidates. While the Nominating Committee does
not have a formal policy on diversity, when considering the
selection of director nominees, the Nominating Committee considers
individuals with diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, accomplishments,
cultural background and professional expertise, among other
factors.
Recommendations by
the Nominating Committee of candidates for inclusion in the Board
slate of director nominees are based upon criteria such as business
experience and skills, independence as defined by the Nasdaq
listing requirements (even though the Company's securities are not
traded on the Nasdaq market) or other independence standard deemed
appropriate by the Nominating Committee, distinction in their
activities, integrity, the ability to commit sufficient time and
attention to the Board's activities and the absence of potential
conflicts with the Company's interests. The Nominating Committee
also considers any other relevant factors that it may from time to
time deem appropriate, including the current composition of the
Board, the balance of management and independent directors, the
need for Audit Committee expertise and the evaluation of all
prospective nominees. The Nominating Committee considers candidates
for Board membership, including those suggested by stockholders
applying the same criteria to all candidates. We intend to adopt a
stockholder nomination policy in the near future. The Nominating
Committee took one action by written consent during
fiscal 2016.
Communications with our Board of Directors
Any
stockholder who wishes to send a communication to our Board of
Directors should address the communication either to the Board of
Directors or to the individual director c/o Mr. Pedro J. Lasanta,
Chief Financial Officer, Vice President - Finance and
Administration and Secretary, c/o Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc., the
Pharma-Bio Serv Building, #6 Road 696, Dorado, Puerto Rico, 00646.
Mr. Lasanta will forward the communication either to all of the
directors, if the communication is addressed to the Board, or to
the individual director, if the communication is directed to a
director.
Nominees for Director
Any
stockholder who wants to nominate a candidate for election to the
Board must deliver timely notice to our secretary at our principal
executive offices. In order to be timely, the notice must be
delivered as follows:
●
in the case of an
annual meeting, not less than 120 calendar days prior to the
anniversary date of the Company's release of the proxy statement to
shareholders in connection with the immediately preceding annual
meeting of stockholders, although if we did not hold an annual
meeting or the annual meeting is called for a date that is not
within 30 days of the anniversary date of the prior year's annual
meeting, the notice must be received a reasonable time before we
begin to print and mail our proxy materials; and
●
in the case of a
special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing
directors, the notice must be received a reasonable time before we
begin to print and mail our proxy materials.
The
stockholder's notice to the secretary must set forth:
●
as to each person
whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a
director (a) his or her name, age, business address and residence
address, (b) his or her principal occupation and employment, (c)
the number of shares of our common stock are owned beneficially or
of record by him or her and (d) any other information relating to
the nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy
statement or other filings required to be made in connection with
solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to
Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), and the rules and regulations of the SEC
thereunder; and
●
as to the
stockholder giving the notice (a) his or her name and record
address, (b) the number of shares of common stock of the
corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by him, (c) a
description of all arrangements or understandings between the
stockholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or
persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s)
are to be made by the stockholder, (d) a representation by him or
her that he or she is a holder of record of our stock entitled to
vote at such meeting and that he intends to appear in person or by
proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons named in
this notice and (e) any other information relating to the
stockholder that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy
statement or other filings required to be made in connection with
solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to
Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the
SEC thereunder.
The
notice delivered by a stockholder must be accompanied by a written
consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee and to
serve as a director if elected. The stockholder must be a
stockholder of record on the date on which he gives the notice
described above and on the record date for the determination of
stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting.
Any
person who desires to nominate a candidate for director at our 2018
Annual Meeting should provide the information required not later
than December 27, 2017.
PROPOSAL 2: SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
We are
asking our stockholders to ratify the Audit Committee's selection
of Horwath Velez & Co. PSC ("Horwath") as our independent
certified public accountants for the year ending October 31, 2017.
If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of Horwath, the
selection of our independent certified public accountants may be
reconsidered by our Audit Committee.
We
engaged Horwath as our independent public accountants on September
25, 2006. Horwath audited the Company's consolidated financial
statements for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2016 and 2015,
which are included in our Annual Report for the year ended October
31, 2016. Representatives of Horwath are expected to be
present at the annual meeting and will have the opportunity to make
a statement if they desire to do so. It is also expected that they
will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
We were
billed by Horwath in 2016 and 2015 as follows:
Description of
services:
|
|
|
Audit
|
$50,500
|
$52,250
|
Audit-Related
|
28,275
|
27,825
|
Tax and other
services
|
12,399
|
20,415
|
Total
Fees
|
$91,174
|
$100,490
|
Audit
fees above are professional services associated with the integrated
audit of our consolidated financial statements. Audit-Related fees
are primarily attributable to services rendered in connection to
reviews of our quarterly condensed financial statements. Tax and
other services are mainly attributable to retirement plan
compliance audit and international tax compliance
services.
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible
Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors
The
Audit Committee's policy is to pre-approve all audit and
permissible non-audit services provided by the independent public
accountants. These services may include audit services,
audit-related services, tax services and other services.
Pre-approval is generally provided for up to one year and any
pre-approval is detailed as to the particular service or category
of services and is generally subject to a specific budget. Horwath
and management are required to periodically report to the Audit
Committee regarding the extent of services provided by the
independent public accountants in accordance with this
pre-approval, and the fees for the services performed to date. The
Audit Committee may also pre-approve particular services on a case
by case basis. The Audit Committee approved one hundred percent
(100%) of all services provided by Horwath during fiscal 2016 and
2015.
The
Audit Committee has considered the nature and amount of the fees
billed by Horwath, and believes that the provision of the services
for activities unrelated to the audit is compatible with
maintaining Horwath's independence.
Vote Required and Recommendation
The
proposal to approve the selection of Horwath Velez & Co. PSC as
our independent accountant for the fiscal year ending October 31,
2017 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes
cast.
The
Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" the proposal.
REPORT
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The
Audit Committee reviews the Company's financial reporting process
on behalf of the Board. Management has the primary responsibility
for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over
financial reporting for preparing the financial statements and for
the report process. The Audit Committee members do not serve as
professional accountants or auditors, and their functions are not
intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management or
the independent public accounting firm. We have engaged Horwath
Velez & Co. (PSC) ("Horwath") as our independent public
accountants to report on the conformity of the Company's financial
statements to accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States. In this context, the Audit Committee hereby reports
as follows:
1)
The Audit Committee
has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with
management of the Company.
2)
The Audit Committee
has discussed with Horwath the matters required to be discussed
under Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") Auditing
Standards No. 1301, Communications with Audit
Committees.
3)
The Audit Committee
has also received the written disclosures and the letter from
Horwath required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding
the independent accountant's communications with the Audit
Committee concerning independence and the Audit Committee has
discussed the independence of Horwath with that firm.
4)
Based on the review
and discussion referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3) above, the
Audit Committee recommended to the Board and the Board approved the
inclusion of the audited financial statements in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31,
2016, for filing with the SEC.
The
foregoing has been furnished by the Audit Committee:
Howard
Spindel, Chairman
Kirk
Michel
Irwin
Wiesen
This "Audit Committee Report" is not "Soliciting Material," is not
deemed filed with the SEC and it not to be incorporated by
reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whether
made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any
general incorporation language in any such filing.
Executive Officers
The
following table sets forth certain information with respect to our
executive officers.
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Victor
Sanchez
|
46
|
Chief
Executive Officer, President and President of European
Operations
|
Pedro
J. Lasanta
|
57
|
Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President - Finance and Administration and
Secretary
|
Victor Sanchez has served as our Chief
Executive Officer and President since January 1, 2015 and as the
President of the European Operations of the Company since January
2011. Prior to joining the Company, he served as Operations Manager
in the LOCM and OSD divisions of Merck Sharp & Dohme ("MSD"), a
pharmaceutical company, in Madrid, Spain from April 2010 to January
2011 and as Operations Manager of the LOCM division of
Schering-Plough S.A., a pharmaceutical company, in Madrid, Spain,
from September 2004 to April 2010. He served as Quality Control
Validations Manager for Schering-Plough Products, LLC, a
pharmaceutical company ("Schering-Plough"), in Puerto Rico from
December 2000 to August 2004 and as Quality Control Laboratory
Supervisor of Schering-Plough from April 1996 to December 2000. Mr.
Sanchez holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, summa cum laude,
and a M.B.A. in Industrial Management, cum laude, from the
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. He holds a Post Graduate
Diploma in Pharmaceutical Validation Technology from the Dublin
Institute of Technology, Ireland. Mr. Sanchez is a chemist licensed
by the Puerto Rico State Department and a member of the American
Chemical Society, the Parenteral Drug Association, the Regulatory
Affairs Professional Society, and the International Society for
Pharmaceutical Engineers.
Pedro J. Lasanta has served as our Chief
Financial Officer and Vice President - Finance and Administration
since November 2007, and our Secretary since December 1, 2014. From
2006 until October 2007, Mr. Lasanta was in private practice as an
accountant, tax and business counselor. From 1999 until 2006, Mr.
Lasanta was the Chief Financial Officer for Pearle Vision Center
PR, Inc. In the past, Mr. Lasanta was also an audit manager for
Ernst & Young, formerly Arthur Young & Company. He is a cum
laude graduate in business administration (accounting) from the
University of Puerto Rico. Mr. Lasanta is a Certified Public
Accountant. In 2012, he was awarded the Puerto Rico Manufacturers
Association (North Region) Service Manager of the Year. Mr. Lasanta
has served as a Member of the Puerto Rico District Export Council
for the U.S. Department of Commerce since January
2014.
Summary Compensation Table
The
following table provides the compensation paid to our principal
executive officer and other executive officers whose total
compensation exceeded $100,000 for the fiscal years ended October
31, 2016 and 2015 (the "Named Executive Officers").
Name and
Principal Position
|
Fiscal
Year
|
|
Salary
|
|
Bonus
|
|
Option
Awards
($)(2)
|
All
Other
Compensation
|
|
Total
|
Victor
Sanchez
|
2016
|
|
$ 220,600
|
|
$ -
|
|
$18,012
|
$ 11,917
|
(4)
|
$250,529
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer(1)
|
2015
|
|
194,256
|
|
50,000
|
(3)
|
28,173
|
11,917
|
(4)
|
274,185
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pedro
Lasanta,
|
2016
|
|
$160,600
|
|
$ -
|
|
$11,506
|
-
|
|
$172,106
|
Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President -Finance and Administration and
Secretary
|
2015
|
|
160,600
|
|
40,000
|
(3)
|
2,689
|
-
|
|
203,289
|
(1)
Victor Sanchez was
appointed President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2015,
and continues to serve as President of European Operations, a
position he has held since January 2011.
(2)
Amounts shown do
not reflect compensation received by the executive officers.
Instead, the amounts shown are the compensation costs recognized by
us in fiscal year 2016 and 2015 for option grants and restricted
units awards, as applicable, that were made to officers as
determined pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions used to
calculate the value of option and restricted units awards are set
forth under Note I - Stock Options and Stock Based Compensation in
our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October
31, 2016 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2016.
(3)
Represents bonus
for services in fiscal 2015, which were paid in December
2015.
(4)
Represents health
insurance plan expenses incurred pursuant to Mr. Sanchez's
employment agreement.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table
The
following table summarizes information regarding equity-based
awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of October 31,
2016.
|
|
|
|
Number of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable
|
Number of
Securities Underlying Unexercised Options
Unexercisable
|
|
|
NumberofSharesor
Unitsof Stockthathave not Vested
|
Market Value of
Shares or Units of Stock that have not Vested
|
EquityIncentivePlan
Awards:Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights that have
not Vested
|
Equity
IncentivePlanAwards:Marketor Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units
or Other Rights that have not Vested
|
Victor
Sanchez
|
100,000(1)
|
|
$0.72
|
Jan. 30,
2017
|
8,350(2)
|
$7,933(3)
|
|
|
|
|
125,000(1)
|
0.86
|
Dec. 16,
2020
|
|
|
|
|
Pedro
Lasanta
|
200,000(4)
|
|
$0.72
|
Jan. 30,
2017
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
125,000(4)
|
$0.86
|
Dec. 16,
2020
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1)
Represents options
to purchase 100,000 and 125,000 shares of common stock which were
granted on January 30, 2012 and December 17, 2015, respectively.
These options vest in three annual installments beginning on
January 30, 2013 and December 17, 2016, respectively.
(2)
Represents
restricted stock units that vest on January 15, 2017.
(3)
The market value
was determined using the $0.95 closing price on October 31, 2016,
the last trading day of the year ended October 31,
2016.
(4)
Represents options
to purchase 200,000 and 125,000 shares of common stock which were
granted on January 30, 2012 and December 17, 2015, respectively.
These options vest in three annual installments beginning on
January 30, 2013 and December 17, 2016, respectively.
Employment Agreements and Consulting Agreement
Victor Sanchez – Employment Agreement
On
January 1, 2015, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement
with Victor Sanchez, the President, Chief Executive Officer and
President of Europe Operations of the Company (the "Employment
Agreement"). Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Sanchez is
entitled to receive an annual base salary of $220,000 and such
discretionary bonus, stock options and other equity-based
incentives as determined by the Compensation Committee of the
Company. Also, Mr. Sanchez is entitled to receive benefits provided
to all other executive officers of the Company.
Also,
pursuant to the Employment Agreement, if the Company terminates the
Employment Agreement and Mr. Sanchez's employment other than for
death, disability or cause, the Company shall (1) pay to Mr.
Sanchez within 30 days after the date of termination (a) a lump-sum
severance payment in an amount equivalent to one (1) year of salary
at the time of the termination, less legal withholdings, or the
severance established by PR labor law No. 80 of May 30, 1976, known
as the "Wrongful Discharge Act" ("Ley de Despido Injustificado"),
whichever amount is higher; (b) any bonuses that he may have earned
up to the date of his termination, and (c) the value of any unused
accrued vacation days, (2) provide executive one (1) year health
coverage for the executive and dependents, and (3) provide that any
restricted stock units, options or other similar granted awards
held by him will become vested and exercisable for a three month
period following the termination. Also, pursuant to the Employment
Agreement, in the event of a change of control of the Company in
connection with a sale, merger or acquisition of the Company or the
Company ceases to be a public company, and is no longer subject to
the reporting obligations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, any restricted stock units, options or other similar
granted awards held by Mr. Sanchez will become vested and
exercisable immediately prior to such event. If the Employment
Agreement is terminated for death, disability or cause, no
additional compensation will be payable subsequent to the date of
such termination. The Employment Agreement also includes standard
provisions relating to non-competition, non-solicitation and
confidentiality.
Pedro Lasanta – Employment Agreement
On
November 5, 2007, we entered into an employment agreement with
Pedro Lasanta, our chief financial officer, pursuant to which we
pay Mr. Lasanta an annual salary of $100,000 plus a monthly car
allowance of $500. The agreement has a one-year term, which we may
extend subject to the approval of the president and chief executive
officer and the Audit Committee. Mr. Lasanta's employment agreement
has a non-competition provision pursuant to which he agrees that
during the term of the agreement and for one year thereafter, Mr.
Lasanta will not, directly or indirectly, engage in a competing
business or solicit any customer or seek to persuade any customer
to reduce the amount of business it does with us or seek to
persuade any employee to leave our employment.
On
December 17, 2008, we entered into an amendment to the employment
agreement with Pedro Lasanta pursuant to which the term of the
contract was extended indefinitely. The amended employment
agreement provides that we will pay Mr. Lasanta an annual salary of
$110,000 and an annual bonus in cash or Company stock options to be
granted based on performance metrics to be established. Pursuant to
the amended employment agreement, we will grant Mr. Lasanta options
to purchase 30,000 shares of Company stock having an exercise price
equal to fair market value on the date of grant and vesting in
three equal annual installments beginning one year from November 1,
2008. In addition, upon termination of Mr. Lasanta's employment for
reasons other than those set forth in his amended employment
agreement, Mr. Lasanta will receive a lump-sum severance payment in
an amount equivalent to six months of his salary at the time of the
termination, less legal withholdings, or the severance established
by PR labor law No. 80 of May 30, 1976 known as the "Wrongful
Discharge Act" ("Ley de Despido Injustificado"), whichever amount
is higher. All other terms and conditions of Mr. Lasanta's
employment agreement remain the same.
On
March 11, 2009, upon the approval of the Company's Compensation
Committee, the Company entered into an Amendment to Employment
Agreement with Pedro J. Lasanta to reduce Mr. Lasanta's current
annual base salary from $110,000 to $106,000 and to eliminate Mr.
Lasanta's automobile allowance effective March 1,
2009.
Effective January
1, 2010, the Company amended the Employment Agreement of Mr.
Lasanta, dated November 5, 2007, to restore Mr. Lasanta's annual
base salary to $110,000. All other terms and conditions of Mr.
Lasanta's employment agreement, as amended, remain the
same.
On
January 31, 2012, the Company amended the Employment Agreement of
Mr. Lasanta, dated November 5, 2007, to increase Mr. Lasanta's
annual base salary from $110,000 to $125,000. All other terms and
conditions of Mr. Lasanta's employment agreement, as amended,
remain the same.
On
December 31, 2012, the Company amended the Employment Agreement of
Mr. Lasanta, dated November 5, 2007, to increase Mr. Lasanta's
annual base salary from $125,000 to $150,000 as of January 1, 2013.
All other terms and conditions of Mr. Lasanta's employment
agreement, as amended, remain the same.
On
February 17, 2014, the Company amended the Employment Agreement of
Pedro Lasanta, dated November 5, 2007, to increase Mr. Lasanta's
salary to $160,000, effective January 1, 2014 (the "Lasanta
Amendment").
Also,
pursuant to the Lasanta Amendment, if the Company terminates the
employment agreement of Mr. Lasanta other than for death,
disability or cause, the Company shall (1) pay to the executive
within 30 days after the date of termination (a) a lump-sum
severance payment in an amount equivalent to one (1) year of salary
at the time of the termination, less legal withholdings, or the
severance established by PR labor law No. 80 of May 30, 1976, known
as the "Wrongful Discharge Act" ("Ley de Despido Injustificado"),
whichever amount is higher; (b) any bonuses that the executive may
have earned up to the date of his termination, and (c) the value of
any unused accrued vacation days, (2) provide executive one (1)
year health coverage for the executive and dependents, and (3)
provide that any restricted stock units, options or other similar
granted awards held by the executive will become vested and
exercisable for a three month period following the termination.
Also, pursuant to the Lasanta Amendment, in the event of a change
of control of the Company in connection with a sale, merger or
acquisition of the Company or the Company ceases to be a public
company, and is no longer subject to the reporting obligations of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any restricted
stock units, options or other similar granted awards held by Mr.
Lasanta will become vested and exercisable immediately prior to
such event.
Elizabeth Plaza - Consulting Agreement
On
December 31, 2013, the Company entered into a Consulting Agreement
with Strategic Consultants International, LLC (the "Consultant")
and Ms. Plaza, effective as of January 1, 2014. On January 1, 2015,
the consulting agreement was amended to extend the term of the
Consulting Agreement for an additional year to December 31, 2015.
On December 30, 2015, the consulting agreement was amended to
extend the term of the consulting agreement for an additional year
to December 31, 2016 and to amend the monthly retainer to $31,500
effective January 1, 2016. On January 17, 2017, the consulting
agreement was amended to extend the term of the consulting
agreement for an additional year to December 31, 2017 and to amend
the monthly retainer to $42,000 effective January 1, 2017. Pursuant
to the consulting agreement, the Consultant will consult with the
Board regarding the Company's strategic initiatives, company
services, management, operations and other matters as may be
requested from time to time by the Board. In addition to the
monthly fee, Ms. Plaza will receive a company automobile and such
insurance as she was provided by the Company during her last year
of employment with the Company. The consulting agreement also
included standard provisions relating to non-competition,
confidentiality, and nondisparagement.
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES AND SECURITY
OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
The
following table provides information as to shares of common stock
beneficially owned as of April 18, 2017 by:
●
each officer named
in the summary compensation table ("Named Executive
Officers");
●
each person owning
of record or known by us, based on information provided to us by
the persons named below, to own beneficially at least 5% of our
common stock; and
●
all directors and
executive officers as a group.
As of
April 18, 2017, the Company had 23,103,931 shares of common stock
outstanding. As used herein, the term beneficial ownership with
respect to a security is defined by Rule 13d-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 as consisting of sole or shared voting power
(including the power to vote or direct the vote) and/or sole or
shared investment power (including the power to dispose or direct
the disposition of) with respect to the security through any
contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise,
including a right to acquire such power(s) during the next 60 days.
Unless otherwise noted, beneficial ownership consists of sole
ownership, voting and investment rights and the address for each
person is c/o Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc., the Pharma-Bio Serv Building,
#6 Road 696, Dorado, Puerto Rico, 00646.
|
Shares of Common
Stock Beneficially Owned at April 18, 2017
|
|
Name
|
|
|
Directors
and Executive Officers
|
|
|
Elizabeth
Plaza(1)
|
9,169,518
|
39.7%
|
Dov
Perlysky(2)
|
2,022,655
|
8.7%
|
Kirk
Michel(3)
|
418,469
|
1.8%
|
Howard
Spindel(4)
|
85,310
|
*
|
Irving
Wiesen(5)
|
85,205
|
*
|
Victor
Sanchez(6)
|
90,877
|
*
|
Pedro
Lasanta(7)
|
112,233
|
*
|
All
Directors and Executive Officers as a group
|
|
|
(seven persons)(8)
|
11,984,267
|
51.2%
|
5%
or Greater Stockholders
|
|
|
Venturetek,
L.P.(9)
|
3,132,932
|
13.6%
|
Ramon Luis
Dominguez Thomas (10)
|
2,060,060
|
8.9%
|
Addison McKinley
Levi III (11)
|
2,050,059
|
8.9%
|
|
|
|
* Less
than 1%.
(1)
Includes 4,099,241
shares owned by Ms. Plaza directly and 5,070,277 shares subject to
a voting proxy in favor of Ms. Plaza. In conjunction with
certification as a minority controlled business, Ms. Plaza received
irrevocable proxies ("Voting Proxies") to vote an aggregate of
5,070,277 shares of the Company's common stock from Venturetek LP,
Krovim, LLC and LDP Family Partnership. These Voting Proxies are
effective until September 26, 2017, unless the business
certification expires sooner.
(2)
The shares of
common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Perlysky include (i) 25,310
shares directly owned, (ii) 1,164,554 shares of common stock owned
by Krovim, LLC, (iii) 772,791 shares owned by LDP Family
Partnership and (iv) options issued to Mr. Perlysky to purchase
60,000 shares of common stock, which are vested as of April 18,
2017. Elizabeth Plaza exercises voting power over the shares owned
by Krovim pursuant to a Voting Proxy and Mr. Perlysky as the
manager of Nesher, LLC, which is the manager of Krovim, may be
deemed to exercise dispositive power over these shares. Mr.
Perlysky disclaims beneficial interest in the shares owned by
Krovim. Elizabeth Plaza exercises voting power over the shares
owned by the LDP Family Partnership pursuant to a Voting Proxy and
Mr. Perlysky's wife, the general partner of LDP Family Partnership,
is deemed to exercise dispositive power over these shares. Mr.
Perlysky disclaims beneficial ownership in the securities owned by
his wife.
(3)
The shares of
common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Michel consist of (i) 17,763
shares directly owned, (ii) 60,000 shares of common stock issuable
upon exercise of options, which are vested as of April 18, 2017,
and (iii) 340,706 shares of common stock owned by KEMA Advisors, of
which Mr. Michel is managing director.
(4)
The shares of
common stock owned by Mr. Spindel represent 25,310 shares owned by
his spouse, and 60,000 shares issuable upon exercise of options,
which are vested as of April 18, 2017. Mr. Spindel disclaims
beneficial ownership of the shares held by his spouse.
(5)
The shares of
common stock owned by Mr. Wiesen, represent 25,205 shares directly
owned, and 60,000 shares issuable upon exercise of options, which
are vested as of April 18, 2017.
(6)
The shares of
common stock owned by Mr. Sanchez represent 49,211 shares directly
owned, and 41,666 shares issuable upon exercise of options, which
are vested as of April 18, 2017.
(7)
The shares of
common stock owned by Mr. Lasanta, represent 70,567 shares directly
owned, and 41,666 shares issuable upon exercise of options, which
are vested as of April 18, 2017.
(8)
Includes 323,332
shares issuable upon the exercise of options, which are vested as
of April 18, 2017.
(9)
This information
was obtained from Amendment No. 4 to Schedule 13 D/A filed by
Venturetek, L.P. ("Venturetek") on September 6, 2011. Does not
include 1,565,058 shares underlying warrants, which warrants
expired in January 2011, listed in the Schedule 13 D/A filed on
January 5, 2011. Mr. David Selengut, the manager of TaurusMax LLC,
which is the general partner of Venturetek has sole dispositive
power and Elizabeth Plaza has sole voting power over these shares
pursuant to a Voting Proxy. The mailing address for Venturetek,
L.P. is 150 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017.
(10)
This information
was obtained from a Schedule 13D filed by Ramon Luis Dominguez
Thomas on March 27, 2014. The business address for this person is
c/o San Juan Holdings, Inc., MCS Plaza, Suite #305, 255 Ponce de
Leon Avenue, San Juan, PR, 00917.
(11)
This information
was obtained from a Schedule 13D filed by Addison McKinley Levi III
on March 27, 2014. The business address for this person is c/o San
Juan Holdings, Inc., MCS Plaza, Suite #305, 255 Ponce de Leon
Avenue, San Juan, PR, 00917.
SECTION
16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act requires our executive
officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of our
common stock, to file reports regarding ownership of, and
transactions in, our securities with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and to provide us with copies of those filings. To the
Company's knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such
reports furnished to the Company and written representations that
no other reports were required, during the year ended October 31,
2016, all such filing requirements applicable to the Company's
directors, executive officers and greater than 10% beneficial
owners were complied with, except Mr. Sanchez untimely filed a Form
4 to report two transactions.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Related Party Transactions
In
February 2007, we entered into an agreement for our main resource
facilities in Dorado, Puerto Rico with Plaza Professional Center,
Inc., a company controlled by Elizabeth Plaza, our Chairman of the
Board. These facilities accommodate our testing laboratory, our
customer-specialized training facilities, and our Puerto Rico
consulting and headquarters offices. The agreement is for a five
year term, with initial monthly installments of $18,750, which will
increase by 5% annually. The agreement also requires the payment of
utilities, property taxes, insurance and a portion of expenses
incurred by the affiliate in connection with the maintenance of
common areas. The agreement provided for a renewal option under the
same terms, which became effective February 2012 for a period of
five additional years. In July 2016, with effective date January 1,
2016, the Company renegotiated the lease agreement. It incorporates
additional space for a laboratory testing facility expansion, is
for a five-year term, with a renewal option of five years, and
monthly rental payments of $30,316 for the term of the lease
agreement and renewal option. The lease agreement also requires the
payment of utilities, property taxes, insurance and expenses
incurred by the affiliate in connection with the maintenance of
common areas.
During
the years ended October 31, 2016 and October 31, 2015, we paid
approximately $359,000 and $328,000, respectively, to Plaza
Professional Center, Inc. in connection with the lease of these
facilities.
Also,
see Employment Agreements and Consulting Agreement - Elizabeth
Plaza - Consulting Agreement above for a description of the
Consulting Agreement. During the years ended October 31, 2016 and
October 31, 2015, we paid consulting fees and company lease
payments in the amount of $399,000 and $18,936 and $504,000 and
$18,936, respectively under the Consulting Agreement.
Nelida
Plaza, Elizabeth Plaza's sister, served as the Company's Chief
Operating Officer of the Company from January 1, 2014 to November
28, 2014 and Secretary of the Company from January 2006 to November
28, 2014. Also, Ms. N. Plaza served as the Company's Acting
President and Chief Executive Officer from January 2013 until
December 31, 2013, Vice President of Operations of Pharma-Bio Serv
PR, Inc. from January 2004 until December 31, 2013, and the
Company's President of Puerto Rico Operations from December 2009
until December 31, 2013. On December 31, 2009, Pharma-Bio Serv PR,
Inc., a subsidiary of the Company ("Pharma-Bio PR"), entered into
an Employment Agreement with Ms. N. Plaza, which replaced the
Employment Agreement entered into by and between Ms. N. Plaza and
the Company, dated January 25, 2006, as amended. On November 11,
2014, Company accepted the resignation of Ms. N. Plaza as Chief
Operating Officer and Secretary of the Company, effective November
28, 2014, for personal reasons. Ms. Plaza also resigned from other
positions she held with the Company's subsidiaries. On December 15,
2015, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the
Company accelerated the vesting of options to purchase 66,600
shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $0.72
per share previously granted to Ms. N. Plaza and, pursuant to the
terms of Ms. Plaza's employment agreement, approved a bonus of
$45,000 (representing 20% of Ms. Plaza's base salary) for the year
ended October 31, 2014. For the year ended October 31, 2014, Ms.
Plaza's total compensation pursuant to the employment agreement was
$286,683 consisting of: $225,600 of salary, $45,000 of bonus,
$10,879 representing the grant date value of options granted during
2014 and $5,204 representing lease payments. For the year ended
October 31, 2015, Ms. Plaza's total compensation pursuant to the
employment agreement was $41,658, which consisted solely of
salary.
On
November 28, 2014, Pharma-Bio PR entered into an Independent
Contractor Agreement with Ms. N. Plaza pursuant to which Ms. N.
Plaza provides independent services with project deliverables as
requested by Pharm-Bio PR at a rate ranging from $90 to $125 per
hour. During the years ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, Ms. Plaza
was compensated $242,193 and $203,355, respectively, pursuant to
the Independent Contractor Agreement.
A copy
of our Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2016, without
exhibits, is being mailed with this proxy statement. Stockholders
are referred to the report for financial and other information
about us.
Additional copies
of our Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2016 may be
obtained without charge by writing to Mr. Pedro J. Lasanta, Chief
Financial Officer, Vice President - Finance and Administration and
Secretary, Pharma-Bio Serv, Inc., #6 Road 696, Dorado, Puerto Rico,
00646. Exhibits will be furnished upon request and upon payment of
a handling charge of $.25 per page, which represents our reasonable
cost on furnishing such exhibits. The SEC maintains a web site that
contains reports, proxy and information statements and other
information regarding registrants that file electronically with the
SEC. The address of such site is http://www.sec.gov.
Other Matters to be Submitted
Our
board of directors does not intend to present to the meeting any
matters not referred to in the form of proxy. If any proposal not
set forth in this proxy statement should be presented for action at
the meeting, and is a matter which should come before the meeting,
it is intended that the shares represented by proxies will be voted
with respect to such matters in accordance with the judgment of the
persons voting them._
Proxy Solicitation Costs
We will
pay for preparing, printing and mailing this proxy statement.
Proxies may be solicited on our behalf by our directors, officers
or employees in person or via the internet, electronic transmission
and facsimile transmission, but such persons will not receive any
special compensation for such services. We will reimburse banks,
brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their
out-of-pocket costs of sending the proxy materials to our
beneficial owners.
Deadline for Submission of Stockholder Proposals for the 2018
Annual Meeting
Proposals of
stockholders intended to be presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders pursuant to SEC Rule 14a-8 must be received at our
principal office not later than December 27, 2017 to be included in
the proxy statement for that meeting.
In
addition, in order for a stockholder proposal to be presented at
our meeting without it being included in our proxy materials,
notice of such proposal must be delivered to the Secretary of our
Company at our principal offices no later than December 27, 2017.
If notice of any stockholder proposal is received after December
27, 2017, then the notice will be considered untimely and we are
not required to present such proposal at the 2018 Annual Meeting,
then the persons named in proxies solicited by the board of
directors for the 2018 Annual Meeting may exercise discretionary
voting power with respect to such proposal.
A copy
of the Annual Report has been mailed to every stockholder of
record. The Annual Report is not considered proxy soliciting
material.
April
26, 2017
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