3. DISPOSITION OF PRIVATE LABEL JUICE BUSINESS AND RELATED LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
On March 8, 2000, the Company sold the net assets of its private label
juice business to Cliffstar Corporation ("Cliffstar"), pursuant to an asset
purchase agreement ("Asset Purchase Agreement"), dated January 4, 2000. The
private label juice business assets sold consisted primarily of finished
goods and work-in-process inventories, raw materials inventories consisting
of labels and ingredients that relate to customers of the private label
juice business (other than cranberry juice and cranberry juice
concentrates), certain trademarks and goodwill, contracts relating to the
purchase of raw materials inventory and the sale of products, and 135,000
gallons of cranberry juice concentrate. No plants or equipment were
included in the sale. Cliffstar also assumed certain obligations under
purchased contracts. In connection with the sale, the Company received from
Cliffstar an unsecured, subordinated promissory note for $28,000,000 which
is to be collected over six years and which bears interest at a rate of 10%
per annum, as well as approximately $6,800,000 in cash (subject to
potential post-closing adjustments) related to inventory transferred to
Cliffstar on the closing date.
Additionally, Cliffstar is contractually obligated to make certain annual
earn-out payments to the Company for a period of six years from the closing
date based generally on operating profit from Cliffstar's sale of cranberry
juice products. The Company also entered into certain related agreements
with Cliffstar, including among them, a co-packing agreement pursuant to
which Cliffstar contracted for specified quantities of Cliffstar juice
products to be packed by the Company.
On July 7, 2000, Cliffstar filed suit against the Company in the United
States District Court, Western District of New York, alleging, among other
things, that the Company breached certain representations and warranties in
the Asset Purchase Agreement. That lawsuit was subsequently dismissed, and
on July 31, 2000, the Company filed a lawsuit against Cliffstar in the
Northern District of Illinois, which was later amended on October 10, 2000
and January 16, 2001. The lawsuit arises out of the sale of the net assets
of the Company's private label juice
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business to Cliffstar in the transaction that closed on March 8, 2000. The
Company claims that (1) Cliffstar breached the Asset Purchase Agreement by
failing to make required payments under the Asset Purchase Agreement and by
failing to negotiate in good faith concerning a cranberry sauce purchase
agreement between the parties; (2) Cliffstar breached an interim cranberry
sauce purchase agreement between the two companies by failing to adequately
perform and to pay the Company the required amounts due under it; (3)
Cliffstar breached its fiduciary duty to the Company based on the same (or
similar) conduct; (4) Cliffstar breached the promissory note issued by it
in the transaction by failing to make its payments in a timely manner and
failing to pay all of the interest due; (5) Cliffstar breached a co-packing
agreement entered into in connection with the sale by failing to make
required payments thereunder and other misconduct; and (6) Cliffstar
breached the Asset Purchase Agreement's arbitration provision, which
provides that any disagreements over the valuation of finished goods,
work-in-process and raw material inventory purchased by Cliffstar shall be
submitted to arbitration for resolution. On April 10, 2001, the Court
granted the Company's Petition to Compel Arbitration. Accordingly, the
price dispute over finished goods, work-in-process and raw material
inventory is currently in arbitration. The Company seeks compensatory
damages in an amount in excess of $5,000,000, plus punitive damages for
Cliffstar's breaches of its fiduciary duties and attorneys' fees.
Cliffstar has asserted counterclaims against the Company, alleging that (1)
the Company fraudulently induced Cliffstar to enter into the Asset Purchase
Agreement; (2) the Company has breached the Asset Purchase Agreement by
failing to negotiate in good faith a cranberry sauce purchase agreement, by
failing to provide Cliffstar with sufficient quantities of cranberry
concentrate meeting Cliffstar's "specifications," by selling inventory that
did not have a commercial value at least equal to the Company's carrying
value, by failing to notify Cliffstar that the Company intended to
write-down its cranberry inventory, by not providing Cliffstar its selling
prices, by decreasing its level of service to customers after the parties
signed the Asset Purchase Agreement, and by refusing to turn over certain
labels, films and plates relating to the private label juice business to
Cliffstar; (3) the Company breached the co-packing agreement by prematurely
terminating that agreement; (4) the Company converted the labels, films and
plates relating to the private label juice business; (5) the Company
intentionally interfered with Cliffstar's contractual relations, or
reasonable expectations of entering into business relations, with the
printers who hold the labels, films and plates; and (6) the Company
breached the Transition Agreement by failing to remit to Cliffstar the
excess of Cliffstar's interim payment for work-in-process and raw material
inventory, by withholding a portion of the work-in-process and raw material
inventory from Cliffstar, and by artificially building up its
work-in-process and raw material inventory before and after the sale of the
private label juice business to Cliffstar. Cliffstar seeks compensatory
damages in an amount not stated in the counterclaims, punitive damages for
the alleged intentional interference claim, and attorneys' fees. The
complaint does not seek rescission of the agreement, although Cliffstar
reserves the right to seek recovery of rescission-type damages (among other
damages) without seeking to unwind the transaction. The Company has denied
the allegations of Cliffstar's counterclaims in all material respects.
On June 7, 2002, the court granted the Company's motion for summary
judgment and dismissed Cliffstar's fraud claim. It is the opinion of the
Company's management, after consulting with outside legal counsel, that (1)
the Company has strong claims for the required payments for cranberry
concentrate, co-packing services and cranberry sauce sales and other
alleged breaches of the agreements and these amounts owed the Company are
valid and
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collectible; (2) the Company has strong factual and legal defenses in all
material respects to Cliffstar's remaining counterclaims; and (3) the note
and accounts receivable due from Cliffstar as of May 31, 2002 are
collectible.
The action is in the final stages of discovery, with expert discovery
scheduled to be concluded by August 16, 2002. The court has scheduled trial
for commencement on October 7, 2002.
On May 13, 2002, the Company received Cliffstar's earn-out calculation for
the year 2000. The Company believes that Cliffstar's earn-out calculation
was not prepared in accordance with the Asset Purchase Agreement. To date,
Cliffstar has not provided the Company with the earn-out calculation for
the year 2001. Accordingly, on June 7, 2002, the Company filed a separate
suit against Cliffstar in the United States District Court, Northern
District of Illinois, seeking access to all relevant books and records of
Cliffstar relating to the earn-out calculations and claiming Cliffstar
breached the Asset Purchase Agreement by failing to pay the Company
earn-out payments for the years 2000 and 2001. The Company seeks
compensatory damages in an amount in excess of $1,000,000, plus attorneys'
fees.
The resolution of the legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty
at this time. Management intends to vigorously defend the remaining
counterclaims and to pursue any claims the Company may have against
Cliffstar, including any actions to collect the amounts outstanding.
As of May 31, 2002, the note receivable from Cliffstar had an outstanding
balance of $24,000,000 and the Company had other outstanding accounts
receivable due from Cliffstar aggregating approximately $5,411,000.
Cliffstar made the required $250,000 principal and related accrued interest
payment on the note receivable that was due on May 31, 2000 on June 13,
2000, and the Company, after consulting with its outside legal counsel,
concluded that the payment was received late and, thus, the note is in
default with future interest accruing at the default rate of 12%. The
Company has received all scheduled principal payments, together with
accrued interest at 10%. The Company has recognized interest income on the
note receivable at a rate of 10% for financial reporting purposes, pending
the resolution of this matter.
Although the note is in default, the Company has classified the balance
outstanding in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets in
accordance with the scheduled payment dates provided for in the note, as
this is how the Company anticipates payments will be received, unless the
court rules otherwise.
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