SEC Company Response from EDEN BIOSCIENCE CORP (CIK 0000930095) — Sep 15, 2005
EDEN BIOSCIENCE CORP (CIK 0000930095)
Date: Sept. 15, 2005 · CIK: 0000930095 · Accession: 0001193805-05-001925
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: August 29, 2005, August 5, 2005, July 26, 2005, June 10, 2005, June 23, 2005
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CORRESP
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filename1.htm
Confidential
Treatment is requested by Eden Bioscience Corporation with respect to certain
information in this letter,
pursuant to 17 C.F.R. 200.83. Information for with
confidential treatment is requested is bracketed herein.
September 15, 2005
Ms. Jill S.
Davis
Branch Chief
United States Security and Exchange Commission
Division of
Corporate Finance
Mail Stop 04-05
Washington, D.C. 20549-0405
RE:
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004,
Filed March 25, 2005
Form 10-Q for Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2005,
Filed May 11, 2005
Form 10-Q for Fiscal Quarter Ended June 30, 2005,
Filed July 26, 2005
Comment Letter dated June 10, 2005
Response Letter dated June 23, 2005
Second Comment Letter dated July 26, 2005
Second Response Letter dated August 5, 2005
Third Comment Letter dated August 29, 2005
File No. 0-31499
Dear Ms. Davis:
This letter
sets forth the responses of Eden Bioscience Corporation (the “Company”) to the
comments of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) staff
relating to the filings referenced above contained in your letter dated August 29, 2005
(the “Third Comment Letter”). The Company’s responses are set forth below
and are numbered to correspond to the numbers of the Third Comment Letter.
Form 10-K for
the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004
Financial
Statements, page 40
Inventory, page
45
1.
We
note your response to our prior comment three concluding that your entire inventory is
appropriately classified as a current asset based on your sales forecasts. Please
explain what consideration you gave to the historical differences in your sales
forecasts to actual sales. We note your indication on page 10 of your Form 10Q for the
fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005, that sales of new products produced over 50% of your
total revenue for the period. Additionally we note there has been about a 12% increase
in inventory since your 2004 fiscal year end, while your disclosure also indicates
sales are expected to significantly decline in the second half of 2005. Please provide
to us your sales forecasts for fiscal years 2003 through 2005. Please confirm to us
that inventory held at the end of fiscal year 2004 will be substantially sold in fiscal
year 2005, if that is your belief. Please explain how your forecasts were a reliable
bases to determine the classification of inventory in view of historical variation from
actual, and address how you considered your trend of declining sales in your conclusion.
1
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
Company
response:
Each
year sales forecasts are prepared by our technical sales representatives for their sales
territory. In preparing their sales forecasts, the technical sales representatives
consider many factors including actual sales history as compared to prior sales
forecasts, existing distributor inventory, target crop market size, normal growth
rates, distributor forecasts, user feedback, new markets (e.g. expansion into Spain,
China, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Greece, Columbia, and South Africa), expanded
product acceptance (e.g. increases in the use of Messenger in cotton and tobacco in the
United States), positive field trial results, price reductions believed to
significantly stimulate sales growth, and launch of new products in large row crop
markets.
The
sales forecasts prepared by our technical and sales representatives were considered a
reliable basis for determining the classification of inventory at the time they were
made because our sales people knew their territory, target, crops, customers,
history and opportunity better than anyone in our company and they are well qualified
and have years of experience in sales of agricultural chemical products in their
Eden sales territories. Because of their expertise, we relied on their
understanding of the markets and customer behavior in preparing our forecast and in
making decisions about product manufacturing to meet these forecast. Based on
their experience, our future growth projections were considered reasonable because of the
small base of target acres we were treating. As an example, we estimated that a
10% market share of targeted crops would represent approximately six million ounces of
Messenger and our 2001 grower usage of 595,000 ounces represented 1% of our target
market. Our sales people’s previous experience suggested that a 10%
market share could be reached within the 3 to 5 year range. In hindsight, these
projections may have been realistic for substitute technology that replaced existing
inputs but were overly optimistic for a new technology that was an additional input
over and above standard practices. Regardless, based on input from successful and
experienced participants in the market, we believed the forecasts were reasonable at the
time of classification and our subsequent actions (e.g. the production of more
inventory) support that we believed they were reasonable.
At
the time of the development of the 2003 forecasts we did not believe that a trend of
declining sales had been established as we had only one year of sales decline. During
the development of the 2004 forecasts we had experienced 2 consecutive years of decline,
however, we believed the additional considerations discussed above provided a
reasonable basis to support the increased sales levels. Additionally, while our sales
have decreased from 2002 to 2004, Messenger usage by growers has increased each year.
The reason our Messenger sales to distributors have declined is due to the high level
of Messenger in the trade channel and the significant amount of Messenger given to
distributors in 2004.
2
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
Based
on the completion of our 2005 sales forecast process, we began manufacturing
ProAct in January 2005. This is the primary driver behind the 12% increase
in inventory since December 31, 2004. At December 31, 2004 we believed
that inventory was properly classified as current because we believed
it would be substantially sold in 2005. At this time, we do not believe
that inventory held at the end of fiscal year 2004 will be substantially
sold in fiscal year 2005. We believe the primary reason for this shortfall
is extremely poor weather conditions in Spain which negatively affected
Messenger sales in the first half of 2005. The shortfall in Spain is
part of the reason new product sales produced over 50% of our sales
in 2005. While our sales will be lower in second half of 2005 than the
first half of 2005 as expected, they are expected to be higher than
the second half of 2004. Declines in sales in the second half of the
year are due to the normal seasonality of agricultural industry.
Please
see sales forecasts for 2003, 2004 and 2005 at Exhibit A.
2.
We are continuing to consider your responses to our prior comments four
and five regarding revenue recognition of your product sales to distributors.
Please tell us whether you might be required to replace product held by
distributors in the event the products shelf life expires because of your
product warranty provisions to end users. Clarify if there has occurred
or could arise any circumstance where the distributor sell expired product
to an end user obligating you to replace product or refund the cost by
virtue of your product warranty.
Company
response:
In
response the first question regarding replacement of product due to
shelf life expiration, we have never encountered this situation, nor
do we anticipate encountering such a situation. In response to the second
question, no, a circumstance has not occurred, nor do we believe a circumstance
could arise, where the distributor sells expired product to an end user
obligating us to replace product or refund the cost by virtue of our
product warranty.
Revenues,
page 46.
3.
We note your response to our prior comment 4 clarifying that you do not
provide marketing support, warehousing and delivery, and information exchange
in connection with your sales to distributors, rather these allowances
represent actual cash payments or obligations. It is our understanding,
based on your response and disclosures on page 46 of your filing, that
these costs are incurred by the distributors subsequent to the sales transaction.
Please address the following:
3
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
a.
Provide us with a schedule of your estimated allowances and corresponding
actual sales by customer comparing and contrasting your estimate to actual
costs for each period presented. Include in your schedule the corresponding
estimate of future costs accumulating for products which remain unsold
by the distributors. This schedule should provide a sales total for each
period presented which agrees to your total sales.
Company
response:
Please
see schedules of actual sales by customer, estimated sales allowances,
actual sales allowances, sales allowances not paid and estimate of future
costs accumulating for products which remain unsold by the distributors
at Exhibit B. The Company does not have any obligation related to future
costs accumulating for products which remain unsold by the distributors.
b.
Summarize how you generally formulated your computation of your estimates
including the assumptions you considered.
Company
response:
Please
see Exhibit B.
c.
Clarify the remedies the distributor has in the event you do not pay them
for these costs.
Company
response:
We
believe the distributor’s only remedy would be to seek payment
from us through legal means.
d.
As previously requested, describe in detail the nature of the “sales
incentives” related to cash payments for marketing support, warehousing
and delivery, and information exchange.
Company
response:
Please
see description of sales allowances at Exhibit B.
4
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
Please
contact Brad Powell at (425) 984-2120 if you have questions regarding our
responses to your comments on the financial statements and related matters.
Sincerely,
/s/ Rhett Atkins
/s/ Bradley S.
Powell
Rhett Atkins
Bradley S. Powell
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
5
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
Confidential
treatment requested for bracketed information below (Request A)
Exhibit A
Sales
Forecasts
At December 31,
2002, the sales forecast for 2003 prepared by our sales representatives was $[*] or
approximately [*] ounces of Messenger/Messenger STS in various package sizes.
At December 31,
2003, the sales forecast for 2004 prepared by our sales representatives was $[*] or
approximately [*] ounces of Messenger/Messenger STS in various package sizes.
At December 31,
2004, the sales forecast for 2005 prepared by our sales representatives was $[*] or
approximately [*] ounces of Messenger/Messenger STS, N-Hibit and ProAct.
Eden
Bioscience Corporation requests that the bracketed information contained in Request A be
treated as confidential
information and that timely notice be provided to Bradley S.
Powell before the Commission permits any disclosure of the
indicated information.
A-1
Ms. Jill S. Davis
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
September 15, 2005
Confidential Treatment Requested By
Eden Bioscience Corporation
Pursuant to 17 C.F.R 200.83
Confidential
treatment requested for bracketed information below (Request B)
Exhibit B
Schedule of
Actual Sales by Customer, Estimated Sales Allowances,
Actual Sales Allowances Paid,
Sales Allowances Not Paid and Estimate of Future
Costs Accumulating for Products Which
Remain Unsold by the Distributors
For the
Year-Ended December 31, 2004
Customer
Gross
Product
Sales
Estimated
Sales
Allowance
Actual
Sales
Allowance
Net
Product
Sales
Estimated Future Costs
Accumulating for Products
Which Remain Unsold
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