SEC Company Response from EXPERT SYSTEMS INC (CIK 0000717945) — Oct 14, 2004
EXPERT SYSTEMS INC (CIK 0000717945)
Date: Oct. 14, 2004 · CIK: 0000717945 · Accession: 0001199835-04-000573
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 333-118799
Referenced dates: September 30, 2004
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Re: Expert Systems, Inc.
October 1, 2004
October 12, 2004
To: H. Christopher Owings
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re: Expert Systems, Inc.
Form SB-2 filed September 2, 2004
File No.: 333-118799
Dear Mr. Owings:
The following are the Company's responses and revisions to its filing
pursuant to your letter dated September 30, 2004:
Prospectus
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Cover Page
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1. Please clarify, in the second paragraph, whether the registrant is also
reserving discretion to terminate the offering in less than 90 days even if
more than the minimum amount of proceeds but less than the maximum has been
received.
The registration statement has been amended, accordingly on page 2 to
state:
Expert Systems, Inc. in its sole discretion may terminate the offering
prior to ninety days from the date of this prospectus even if more
than the minimum amount of proceeds but less than the maximum has been
raised.
2. State also whether the registrant is reserving the right to extend the
offering period beyond the original 90 days. In that case, state the
maximum outside date beyond which the offering will not be extended.
The registration statement has been amended, accordingly on page 2 to
state:
The Company will not extend the offering period beyond 90 days from
the effective date of this prospectus.
3. State briefly, with a cross-reference to more complete information
elsewhere, which persons at the company will make the selling effort and
what methods they will use.
The registration statement has been amended, accordingly on page 2 to
state:
The shares are intended to be sold directly through the efforts of
Messrs. Brandon Winton and William Brent Griffin, the officers and
directors of ESI. See "Plan of Distribution" on page 9.
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4. The statement that Expert Systems does not plan to use this prospectus
before the effective date creates an implication that his plan may change,
and should be deleted. Since use of the prospectus prior to the effective
date is expressly prohibited in any case, the purpose of the statement is
unclear.
The statement in question has been stricken from the amended registration
statement.
5. Please delete the last sentence of the third paragraph, referring to the
absence of exchange of Nasdaq listings.
The sentence has been deleted from the amended registration statement.
Summary Information and Risk Factors - pages 5-11
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6. Your summary financial information presented on page 6 includes operations
data for the three months ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. Please explain to
us why the amounts for the three months are the same as those for the six
months ended June 30, 2004 and 2003, per your statement of operations on
page 40. If this is a result of not having any activity during the first
three months of each year, please explain. If it is a typographical error,
please revise.
The summary information presented on page 5 includes data for the six
months ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. Reference to three months was
inaccurate and has been amended, accordingly.
7. Please clarify that the company's auditors have included in their
certificate on the company's financial statements a qualification for its
ability to continue as a going concern.
A risk factor addressing the auditors' concern is present under the
subheading "ESI's Independent Auditors Have Qualified Their Report To
Express Substantial Doubt About Our Company's Ability To Continue As A
Going Concern," on page 6 of the registration statement.
Risk Factors - page 7-11
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8. Please delete the last sentence of the second paragraph, which mitigates
the risk discussed.
The sentence has been deleted from the amended registration statement.
9. In the third risk factor discussion, clarify, both in the headnote and the
text, that the auditors have qualified their certificate to express their
doubt about the company's status as a going concern.
The disclosure has been amended, accordingly, to read:
ESI'S INDEPENDENT AUDITORS HAVE QUALIFIED THEIR REPORT TO EXPRESS
SUBSTANTIAL DOUBT ABOUT OUR COMPANY'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE AS A GOING
CONCERN.
2
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Risk Factors - continued
ESI has yet to commence its planned operations. As of the date of this
Prospectus, ESI has had only limited start-up operations and generated
no revenues. Taking these facts into account, the independent auditors
of ESI have expressed substantial doubt about ESI's ability to
continue as a going concern in the independent auditors' report to the
financial statements included in the registration statement, of which
this prospectus is a part. If ESI's business fails, the investors in
this offering may face a complete loss of their investment.
10. Please revise the fourth risk factor discussion, both in the headnote and
in the text, to eliminate references to the company's operating results,
and to clarify rather that the company has had no operations to date, and
may not succeed in ever having any.
The Company has determined that this risk factor is inapplicable, at this
time and has thus been removed from the registration statement.
11. Further revise this discussion to eliminate the reference to securities
analysts, which may be speculative, and the reference to factors which may
affect their analysis, which is also presumptive.
In reference to the Company's response to comment 10, above, the Company
has determined that this risk factor is inapplicable, at this time and has
thus been removed from the registration statement.
12. Provide an additional, separate risk factor which discusses the likelihood
of severely limited trading in the company's stock, or the possibility that
no market at all may develop.
The following risk factor has been added to the registration statement on
page 8:
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SELL YOUR SHARES IN OUR COMPANY BECAUSE THERE
IS NO PUBLIC MARKET FOR OUR STOCK.
There is no public market for our common stock. Our common stock is
currently held amongst a small community of shareholders. Therefore,
the current and potential market for our common stock is limited.
Although we expect to undertake steps that would create a publicly
traded market for our stock, the liquidity of our shares may be
severely limited. ESI cannot guarantee that a meaningful trading
market will develop.
13. An additional risk factor should discuss the apparent likelihood that the
stock will not be listed on any exchange or on NASDAQ. Discuss the effects
on trading of the absence of such listings. We have noted the later
discussion of "penny stock" regulation.
The following risk factor has been added to the registration statement on
page 8:
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SELL YOUR SHARES IN OUR COMPANY BECAUSE OUR
COMMON STOCK IS NOT LISTED ON ANY EXCHANGE.
Our common stock is currently not quoted on any nationally recognized
exchanges or trading systems. Although we expect to undertake steps to
attain listing on an exchange for our stock, ESI cannot assure you
that such listing will be attained. In the absence of being listed, no
market is available for investors in our common stock to sell their
shares.
3
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Risk Factors - continued
14. Again, at the last paragraph of the risk factor discussion of seasonality,
delete the reference to public market analysts, which is speculative.
Such paragraph has been removed from the amended registration statement.
15. Please expand the risk factor discussion of competitive pressures to
identify at least the broad categories of your competitors, and to clarify
whether competitors offer the Swing Plane product of other versions of the
same product.
The risk factor "Because of competitive pressures..." has been amended to
read as follows:
ESI is entering a highly competitive market segment. Our expected
competitors include several larger and more established companies in
the instructional golf product niche or the market for golf
merchandise in general. Generally, ESI's actual and potential
competitors have longer operating histories, significantly greater
financial, technical and marketing resources and greater name
recognition. Therefore, these competitors have a significantly greater
ability to attract clients. In addition, many of these competitors may
be able to devote greater resources than ESI to the development,
promotion and sale of services. Our sole product, the Swing Plane,
Plane Stick, is marketed by our current and potential competitors,
which could result in significant price competition. In addition,
there are many competing products offered by competitors that offer
similar benefits as the Swing Plane, which may result in loss of sales
to newer or superior products. There can be no assurance that ESI's
current or potential competitors will not develop products and
services comparable or superior to those to be offered by us.
Increased competition could result in price reductions, reduced
margins or loss of market share, any of which would materially and
adversely affect ESI's business, results of operation and financial
condition.
16. Include at your risk factor discussion of dilution a cross-reference to the
table or text discussion illustrating various levels of dilution on
difference assumptions.
The following cross-reference has been added to page 8, as advised: "See
`Dilution' on page 10."
17. Expand the sub-heading "The stock of ESI is a speculative investment that
may result in losses to investors" to indicate specifically that there can
be no assurance that a trading market will develop.
The Company has added two risk factors under the sub-headings "You may not
be able to sell your shares in our company because there is no public
market for our stock" and "You may not be able to sell your shares in our
company because our common stock is not listed on any exchange," in
accordance with comments 12 and 13, above, both of which address the
speculative nature that no trading market currently exists nor may develop
in the future. To prevent unnecessary repetition, the Company has not
expanded the sub-heading "The stock of ESI is a speculative investment that
may result in losses to investors."
4
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Use of Proceeds - page 11
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18. We note that at Part II expenses of the offering are estimated at
approximately $8,000. Please reconcile.
The offering expenses set forth on page 48 were inaccurate and has been
amended.
Legal Proceedings - page 14
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19. Please state also in this section whether there are any pending legal
proceedings against the company.
The following statement has been added to page 11 of the registration
statement: "There are no pending legal proceedings against the Company."
Description of Business - page 18
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20. We note the statement later in the prospectus that the Plane Stick is
currently being assembled in China. Please advise, to the extent known to
the registrant, of the current status of this assembly, and the source of
the registrant's information.
The following sentence has been added to the amended registration statement
on page 14: "According to Swing Plane Enterprises, the Plane Stick is
currently being manufactured by a third-party in Ningboo, China."
21. Please also advise whether the registrant knows when Plane Stick would be
able to commence deliveries of the product to it. If the company can
reasonably anticipate difficulties in production or supply, or delays in
delivery, which could affect its operations, please explain.
The following sentence has been added to the amended registration statement
on page 14:
ESI believes that the Plane Stick is available for fulfillment from
Swing Plane Enterprises. However, ESI has no control over the
manufacturing process of the Plane Stick; thus, ESI is unaware of any
current or anticipated difficulties in the production or supply or
delay in deliveries of the Plane Stick.
Management's Discussion and Analysis - page 21
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22. Please disclose whether you have any off balance sheet arrangements. Refer
to Item 303(c) of Regulation S-B.
The following sentence has been added to page 17 of the amended
registration statement:
"ESI does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements."
5
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Plan of Operation
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23. Clarify, if true, that the company has no obligation to acquire any minimum
quantities of the Swing Plane, whether in a particular time period or
otherwise, from its licensor.
The registration statement has been amended on page 18 to incorporate the
following sentence: "We are not obligated to purchase any minimum quantity
of the Swing Plan, whether in a particular time frame or otherwise, from
Swing Plane Enterprises."
Financial Statements
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Audited Financial Statements for the Years Ended December 31, 2003 and 2002
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Independent Auditors' Report, page 28
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24. Your independent auditors' reissued report dated January 22, 2004, included
in this registration statement, does not appear to meet the requirements of
Auditing Standard No. 1, References in Auditing Reports to the Standards of
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Please refer to the
Commission's Release Nos. 33-8422; 34-49708; FR-73 dated May 14, 2003
available at www.sec.gov.
The Company's independent auditors have reissued their January 22, 2004
report, which is contained on page 26 of the amended registration
statement.
Statement of Operations, page 31
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25. SFAS 128 requires the disclosure of basic and diluted earnings per share on
the face of the