DEF 14A 1 d537355ddef14a.htm DEF 14A DEF 14A

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

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þ   Definitive Proxy Statement
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¨   Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
TOFUTTI BRANDS INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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TOFUTTI BRANDS INC.

50 Jackson Drive

Cranford, New Jersey 07016

Telephone: (908) 272-2400

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

May 16, 2013

To Our Shareholders:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I cordially invite you to attend the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Tofutti Brands Inc. The Annual Meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2013, at the Homewood Suites, 2 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey. The Homewood Suites is located off Exit 136 of the Garden State Parkway (telephone no. 908-709-1980).

The matters expected to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting are:

 

  1. To elect eight directors to the Board of Directors for the ensuing year;

 

  2. To approve, by non-binding advisory vote, the resolution approving named executive officer compensation (“Say on Pay Vote”);

 

  3. To approve, by non-binding advisory vote, the frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on resolutions approving future named executive officer compensation (“Say When on Pay Vote”);

 

  4. To ratify the selection of EisnerAmper LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 28, 2013; and

 

  5. To act upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the Annual Meeting and any adjournment thereof.

Shareholders of record at the close of business on May 13, 2013, the record date for the Annual Meeting, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE SHAREHOLDER MEETING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 13, 2013: This Proxy Statement, the proxy card and our 2013 annual report are available at http://www.amstock.com/ProxyServices/ViewMaterial.asp?CoNumber=06247

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, we urge you to vote your shares at your earliest convenience. This will help ensure the presence of a quorum at the meeting. Promptly voting your shares by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card will save us the expense and extra work of additional solicitation. A pre-addressed envelope for which no postage is required if mailed in the United States is enclosed. Voting your shares now will not prevent you from attending or voting your shares at the meeting if you desire to do so.

By order of the Board of Directors,

 

LOGO

David Mintz

Chairman

and Chief Executive Officer


TOFUTTI BRANDS INC.

50 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016

 

 

PROXY STATEMENT

This Proxy Statement is furnished to shareholders of Tofutti Brands Inc. (the “Company,” “Tofutti” or “we,” “our,” or “us”), in connection with the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at the Homewood Suites, 2 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey, and at any adjournment thereof. The Homewood Suites is located off Exit 136 of the Garden State Parkway. The Board of Directors is soliciting proxies to be voted at the Annual Meeting. This Proxy Statement and Notice of Annual Meeting, the proxy card and our Annual Report to Shareholders are expected to be mailed to shareholders beginning on or about May 16, 2013.

VOTING INFORMATION

Who can vote?

You may vote if you were a shareholder of record as of the close of business on May 13, 2013. This date is known as the record date. You are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock you held on that date on each matter presented at the Annual Meeting. As of May 13, 2013, 5,153,706 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, were issued and outstanding.

How many votes are needed to hold the Annual Meeting?

To take any action at the Annual Meeting, a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote as of May 13, 2013, must be represented, in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting. This is called a quorum.

What is a proxy?

A “proxy” allows someone else to vote your shares on your behalf. Our Board of Directors is asking you to allow the people named on the proxy card (David Mintz and Steven Kass) to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting.

How do I vote by proxy?

Shareholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name

If on May 13, 2013 your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, then you are a shareholder of record. As a shareholder of record, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting or vote by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote your shares by completing and returning the enclosed printed proxy card.

When a proxy card is returned properly signed and dated, the shares represented thereby will be voted in accordance with the instructions on the proxy card. If a shareholder returns a signed proxy card but does not mark the boxes, the shares represented by that proxy card will be voted as recommended by the Board of Directors. If a shareholder does not return a signed proxy card or does not attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, his or her shares will not be voted. Abstentions and “broker non-votes” are not counted in determining outcomes of matters being acted upon. They are counted only for determining a meeting quorum. If a shareholder attends the Annual Meeting, he or she may vote by ballot.

Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of a Broker or Bank

If on May 13, 2013 your shares were held not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement are being forwarded to you by that organization. The organization holding your account is considered to be the shareholder of record for purposes of voting at the Annual Meeting. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker or other agent regarding how to


vote the shares in your account. Simply follow the voting instructions provided to ensure that your vote is counted. You are also invited to attend the Annual Meeting. However, since you are not the shareholder of record, you may not vote your shares in person at the Annual Meeting unless you request and obtain a valid proxy from your broker or other agent.

Can I change my vote after I submit my proxy?

Yes. You can change or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted by submitting another proxy with a later date or attending the meeting and voting in accordance with the instructions below. You also may send a written notice of revocation to 50 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016, Attention: Steven Kass, Secretary.

Can I vote in person at the Annual Meeting instead of voting by proxy?

Yes. However, we encourage you to vote your shares at your earliest convenience to ensure that your shares are represented and voted. If you vote your shares by proxy and later decide you would like to attend the meeting and vote your shares in person, you will need to provide a written notice of revocation to the secretary of the meeting before your proxy is voted. If the holder of record of your shares is a broker, bank or other nominee and you wish to vote in person at the meeting, you must request a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares and present that proxy and proof of identification at the Annual Meeting. If you would like to obtain directions to be able to attend the meeting and vote in person, please contact the Company at (908) 272-2400.

What are the Board of Directors’ recommendations on how I should vote my stock?

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote your stock as follows:

Proposal 1 – “FOR” the election of each of the directors.

Proposal 2 – “FOR” the advisory vote to approve executive compensation.

Proposal 3 – “THREE YEARS” on the advisory vote to determine the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation.

Proposal 4 – “FOR” the Ratification of EisnerAmper.

What if I do not specify how I want my stock voted?

If you are a record holder who returns a completed proxy card that does not specify how you want to vote your stock on one or more proposals, the proxies will vote your stock for each proposal as to which you provide no voting instructions, and such stock will be voted in the following manner:

Proposal 1 – “FOR” the election of each of the directors.

Proposal 2 – “FOR” the advisory vote to approve executive compensation.

Proposal 3 – “THREE YEARS” on the advisory vote to determine the frequency of future advisory votes to approve executive compensation.

Proposal 4 – “FOR” the Ratification of EisnerAmper.

If you are a “street name” holder and do not provide voting instructions on one or more proposals, your bank, broker or other nominee will be unable to vote that stock, except with respect to the Ratification of EisnerAmper. See “How are votes counted?”

How are votes counted?

Except as noted, all proxies received will be counted in determining whether a quorum exists and whether we have obtained the necessary number of votes to approve each proposal. An abstention from voting will be used for the purpose of establishing a quorum, but for purposes of determining the outcome of the proposal as to which the proxy is marked “abstain,” the shares represented by such proxy will not be treated as affirmative votes.

 

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A broker non-vote will also be used for the purpose of establishing a quorum, but will not otherwise be counted in the voting process. Thus, broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of any of the matters being voted on at the Annual Meeting. Generally, broker non-votes occur when shares held by a broker for a beneficial owner are not voted with respect to a particular proposal because (i) the broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner and (ii) the broker lacks discretionary voting power to vote such shares.

How many votes are required to approve each proposal?

To be elected a director, each nominee must receive a plurality of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting for the election of directors. An affirmative majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting is required to ratify the appointment of auditors. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted in determining the number of shares voted for or against any nominee for director or any proposal.

Our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, David Mintz, holds 2,630,440 shares of common stock representing approximately 51.0% of the outstanding shares, permitting him to elect all the members of the Board of Directors and thereby effectively control the business, policies and management of our company. Mr. Mintz has indicated that he presently intends to vote in favor of all of the resolutions on the agenda for the Annual Meeting.

Who pays for this proxy solicitation?

The Company will pay the cost of soliciting proxies for the Annual Meeting, including the costs of preparing, assembling and mailing the proxy materials. We will provide copies of proxy materials to fiduciaries, custodians and brokerage houses to forward to the beneficial owners of shares held in their name. We may reimburse such fiduciaries, custodians and brokers for their costs in forwarding the proxy materials.

In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, certain of our officers and other employees may also solicit proxies personally or by telephone, facsimile, e-mail or other means. No additional compensation will be paid to these individuals for any such services.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Members

Our Board of Directors is responsible for the overall management of the Company. The Board of Directors is currently comprised of eight directors. All of our directors will hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their successors have been elected and qualified. The name, age and business experience of each of our directors are shown below.

 

    

Position

   Age      Director
Since
 

David Mintz

   Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer      81         1981   

Neal S. Axelrod

   Director      60         2007   

Joseph Fischer

   Director      73         2007   

Aaron Forem

   Director      58         2000   

Philip Gotthelf

   Director      60         2006   

Scott Korman

   Director      58         2011   

Reuben Rapoport

   Director      84         1983   

Franklyn Snitow

   Director      66         1987   

David Mintz has been our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since August 1981. Mr. Mintz’s knowledge about our company and his role as the developer of our product line is essential to the operation of our board.

Neal S. Axelrod has been a director since August 2007. Mr. Axelrod has been a self-employed certified public accountant in New Jersey since 1977. Mr. Axelrod’s accounting and financial background enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

 

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Joseph Fischer has been a director since August 2007. He previously served as a director from March 2004 until June 2007. He has been the principal in FMM Investments, which manages private portfolios, since 1992. Prior to that and since 1982, Mr. Fischer was the Controller of the Swingline Division of American Brands Inc. Mr. Fisher’s accounting and financial background enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Aaron Forem has been a director since 2000. Since 1980, he has been the president of Wuhl Shafman Lieberman Corp., located in Newark, New Jersey, which is one of the largest produce wholesalers in the Northeastern United States. Mr. Forem’s experience in the food industry and his managerial experience enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Philip Gotthelf has been a director since 2006. He has been President of EQUIDEX Incorporated, a registered Commodity Trading Advisor, and EQUIDEX Brokerage Group, a registered Introducing Broker, since 1985. He has also been publisher of the COMMODEX System and COMMODITY FUTURES FORECAST Service since 1975 and has authored several financial books for Probus/McGraw Hill, McGraw Hill and John Wiley & Sons. Mr. Gotthelf’s financial background enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Scott Korman was elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of the Registrant on December 13, 2011 by our Board of Directors. Mr. Korman founded Nashone, Inc., a private equity firm, in 1984 and is its President. Nashone is also involved in financial advisory, turnaround and general management assignments. Mr. Korman is currently Chairman of Da-Tech Corporation, a Pennsylvania based contract electronics manufacturer. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Best Manufacturing Group LLC., a leading manufacturer and distributor of uniforms, napery, service apparel, and hospitality and healthcare textiles. Mr. Korman also served as President and CEO of Welsh Farms Inc., a full service dairy, processing and distributing milk, ice cream mix and ice cream products. Mr. Korman received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in 1977. He also serves on the boards of various not-for-profit groups and was the founder of the Englewood Business Forum. Mr. Korman’s experience as a CEO of a frozen dessert company enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Reuben Rapoport, our former Director of Product Development who retired in April 2003, has been a director since July 1983. Mr. Rapoport’s product development background and knowledge about our company enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Franklyn Snitow has been a director since 1987. He has been a partner in the New York City law firm Snitow Kanfer Holtzer & Millus, LLP, our general counsel, since 1985. Mr. Snitow’s legal and corporate governance background enhances the breadth of experience of the board of directors.

Board of Directors and Committees

Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors, composed of seven non-employee directors and one employee director as of the date of this Proxy Statement. Because we are a controlled company (with 50% of its voting power held by an individual), we are not required to comply with all the NYSE MKT corporate governance requirements (that is, we are not required to have a have a majority of independent directors on the Board, and we are not required to comply with NYSE MKT’s requirements relating to director nominations and executive compensation). Our corporate governance measures, however, do not differ in any significant way from NYSE MKT’s corporate governance requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies.

Our Board of Directors as a whole establishes our overall policies and standards, reviews the performance of management and considers our overall risk regarding our operations and goals and how those risks are being managed. Members of the Board of Directors are kept informed of our operations at meetings of the Board of Directors and its Audit Committee and through reports and discussions with management. In addition, members of the Board of Directors periodically visit our facilities. Members of management are available at Board of Directors meetings and at other times to answer questions and to discuss issues. David Mintz, the Chief Executive Officer of our Company, is Chairman of the Board of Directors. Our company combined the positions of CEO and Chairman of the Board because of the size of the company and the efficiency involved. A lead independent director has not been designated because the Board does not believe it is warranted for a company of our size and complexity.

 

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Director Meetings and Committees

We are required by the NYSE MKT to hold meetings of our Board of Directors on at least a quarterly basis, and our independent directors must meet at least annually in an executive session with only the independent directors present. Three of our independent directors met in an executive session on October 22, 2012 with the following independent directors present: Messrs. Forem, Gotthelf and Korman. We do not have a policy with regard to directors’ attendance at annual meetings of shareholders, but we encourage our directors to attend the annual meetings. At our 2012 annual meeting of shareholders, four of the seven directors then in office were present and in attendance. Our Board of Directors held three meetings during 2012. Messrs. Mintz, Axelrod and Korman attended three meetings, Messrs. Fischer and Gotthelf attended two meetings, Messrs. Forem and Rapoport attended one meeting and Mr. Snitow attended no meetings.

Our Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, but there are no committees performing the functions of either a compensation committee or nominating committee. Our Audit Committee held four meetings during 2012.

Nominations Process, Executive Compensation; Director Independence; Board Diversity

It is the position of our Board of Directors that it is appropriate for our company not to have a separate nominating and compensation committee in light of the composition of our Board of Directors and the collective independence of our independent directors, which enable the company to fulfill the functions of standing committees. We are not currently required to have a nominating committee or compensation committee. For smaller reporting companies, the NYSE MKT requires that director nominations be selected, or recommended for the Board of Directors’ selection, either by a majority of independent directors or a nominating committee comprised solely of independent directors. The NYSE MKT also requires compensation of the executive officers of smaller reporting companies to be determined, or recommended to the Board for determination, either by a majority of the independent directors or a compensation committee comprised solely of independent directors. Messrs. Axelrod, Fischer, Forem, Korman, Rapoport and Snitow meet the independence standards set forth in the NYSE MKT Company Guide.

Candidates for independent Board members have typically been found through recommendations from directors or others associated with us. Our shareholders may also recommend candidates by sending the candidate’s name and resume to the Board of Directors under the provisions set forth below for communication with our Board. No such suggestions from our shareholders were received in time for our Annual Meeting. We have no predefined minimum criteria for selecting Board nominees and do not have a formal diversity policy, although we believe that the independent directors should have a range of relevant experience, independence, diversity and strong communication and analytical skills. In any given search, our independent directors may also define particular characteristics for candidates to balance the overall skills and characteristics of our Board and our perceived needs. However, during any search, our independent directors reserve the right to modify its stated search criteria for exceptional candidates.

We currently have only two executive officers, and our Board as a whole, but without Mr. Mintz in attendance, sets their compensation. In setting compensation, the Board reviews and considers prior compensation levels of the two executive officers, the contribution of each executive officer during the course of the year and our financial condition and prospects for the upcoming year. The Board determines the amount of cash (or any other compensation) to be paid to our directors. Our non-employee directors earned director compensation in fiscal year 2012 based on the number of meetings attended.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee consists of Messrs. Axelrod, Forem and Korman. As a small business issuer listed on the NYSE MKT, our Audit Committee must have at least two members and be comprised only of independent directors each of whom satisfies the respective independence requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the NYSE MKT. Our Board of Directors has determined that all of our current Audit Committee members are independent, as that term is defined under the independence standards for audit committee members in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in the listing standards of the NYSE MKT. The Board of Directors has also determined that Neal S. Axelrod is an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K.

 

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The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and helping to ensure the integrity of our financial statements. Among other matters, the Audit Committee, with management and our independent auditors, reviews the adequacy of our internal accounting controls that could significantly affect our financial statements, reviews with the independent accountants the scope of their audit, their report and their recommendations, and recommends the selection of our independent accountants. The Audit Committee held four meetings in addition to the meetings of the entire Board of Directors during 2012. Messrs. Axelrod and Korman attended all of those meetings, while Mr. Forem attended one. Mr. Korman was appointed to our Board of Directors and Audit Committee in December 2011 and elected to the Board at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders held June 7, 2012. Mr. Gotthelf was a member of the Audit Committee until October 1, 2012 and attended three meetings of the Audit Committee in 2012. The Board of Directors adopted and maintains a written charter for the Audit Committee which is published on the investor relations page of our website (www.tofutti.com).

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to directors, officers, employees and agents of our company. We have also adopted a Code of Ethics for Senior Officers, which applies to our chief executive officer, and all senior financial officers of our company, including the chief financial officer, chief accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Code of Ethics for Senior Officers are publicly available on our website at www.tofutti.com and printed copies are available upon request. If we make any substantive amendments to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or the Code of Ethics or grant any waivers, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of these codes to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer or corporate controller or our directors, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website.

Shareholder Communications with the Board of Directors

Our shareholders may communicate with the members of our Board of Directors by writing directly to the Board of Directors or specified individual directors to:

Secretary

Tofutti Brands Inc.

50 Jackson Drive

Cranford, New Jersey 07016

Our Secretary will deliver shareholder communications to the specified individual director, if so addressed, or to one of our directors who can address the matter.

PROPOSAL I

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

At the Annual Meeting eight directors are to be elected, each to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their respective successor is elected and qualified or until their respective death, resignation or removal. The Board of Directors proposes the election of the nominees named below, who currently are members of our Board of Directors.

Unless authorization to do so is withheld, proxies received will be voted FOR the nominees named below. If any nominee should become unavailable for election before the Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for the election of such substitute nominee as the present Board of Directors may propose. The persons nominated for election have agreed to serve if elected, and the Board of Directors has no reason to believe that the nominees will be unable to serve.

Nominees

Our Board of Directors proposes the election of the following nominees as members of the Board of Directors:

 

        David Mintz

  Neal S. Axelrod   Joseph Fischer   Aaron Forem

        Philip Gotthelf

  Scott Korman   Reuben Rapoport   Franklyn Snitow

Our Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of each nominee for Director named above.

 

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OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The Board of Directors appoints the executive officers of the Company who are responsible for administering our day-to-day operations. Officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. There are no family relationships between any of our directors and executive officers. All of the executive officers devote their full time to the operations of our company. The names of our current executive officers, their ages as of May 13, 2013, and their positions are shown below. Biographical summaries of each of our executive officers who are not also members of our Board of Directors are included below.

 

Name of Executive Officer

  

Position

   Age  

David Mintz

   Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer      81   

Steven Kass

   Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of the Company      61   

Steven Kass has been our Chief Financial Officer since November 1986 and Secretary and Treasurer since January 1987.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following tables set forth as of May 13, 2013 certain information regarding the ownership of our common stock, $0.01 par value, for each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common stock, for each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table, for each of our directors and for our executive officers and directors as a group:

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Owner(2)
     Percent of  Class(3)  

David Mintz

     2,630,440         51.0

 

(1) The address of Mr. Mintz is c/o Tofutti Brands Inc., 50 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016. Mr. Mintz has sole voting and/or investment power of the shares attributed to him.

 

(2) Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Shares of common stock relating to options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 13, 2013 are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of the person holding such securities but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person. Except as indicated by footnote, and subject to community property laws where applicable, the persons named in the table above have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them.

 

(3) Based on 5,153,706 shares issued and outstanding as of May 13, 2013.

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Owner(2)
     Percent of  Class(3)  

David Mintz

     2,630,440         51.0

Steven Kass

     220,000         4.3

Franklyn Snitow

     47,200         *   

Reuben Rapoport

     41,100         *   

Neal S. Axelrod

     1,000         *   

Joseph Fischer

     0         *   

Philip Gotthelf

     0         *   

Aaron Forem

     0         *   

Scott Korman

     0         *   

All Executive Officers and Directors as a group (9 persons)

     2,939,740         57.1

 

* Less than 1%.

 

(1) The address of Messrs. Mintz, Kass, Axelrod, Fischer, Gotthelf and Rapoport is c/o Tofutti Brands Inc., 50 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016. The address of Mr. Snitow is 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017. The address of Mr. Forem is 52-62 Cornelia Street, Newark, New Jersey 07105. The address of Mr. Korman is c/o Nashone, Inc., 175 Elm Road, Englewood, NJ 0361. Each of these persons has sole voting and/or investment power of the shares attributed to him.

 

(2) Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Shares of common stock relating to options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of May 13, 2013 are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of the person holding such securities but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person. Except as indicated by footnote, and subject to community property laws where applicable, the persons named in the table above have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them.

 

(3) Based on 5,153,706 shares issued and outstanding as of May 13, 2013.

SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers and directors and persons who own more than ten percent of our common stock to file initial statements of beneficial ownership (Form 3) and statements of changes in beneficial ownership (Forms 4 or 5) of common stock and other equity securities of the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and the NYSE MKT. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all such forms they file.

To our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, or written representations from certain reporting persons that no additional forms were required for those persons, we believe that during fiscal year 2012 all persons subject to these reporting requirements filed the required reports on a timely basis.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Overview

Tofutti Brands, Inc., is a “smaller reporting company” under the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Company complies with the disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies. This executive compensation summary is not intended to meet the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” disclosure required of larger reporting companies.

The following table sets forth information concerning the total compensation during the last three fiscal years for our named executive officers whose total salary in fiscal 2012 totaled $100,000 or more:

Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position

  
Fiscal

Year
     Salary
($)
     Bonus
($)
     Stock
Awards
($)
     Option
Awards
($)
     Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
     All Other
Compensation
($)
     Total
($)
 

David Mintz

     2012         450,000         —           —           —           —           —           450,000   

Chief Executive Officer

     2011         450,000         —           —           —           —           —           450,000   

and Director

     2010         450,000         350,000         —           —           —           —           800,000   

Steven Kass

     2012         125,000         —           —           —           —           —           125,000   

Chief Financial Officer

     2011         125,000         —           —           —           —           —           125,000   
     2010         125,000         150,000                     275,000   

Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table

Because of our size and the limited number of executive officers, our compensation structure is not complex. We do not currently have any employment agreements with our executive officers, nor do we anticipate entering into employment contracts with our executive officers and key personnel in the future. Our executive officers receive salaries based on the prior salaries provided to the them, the contribution of each executive officer during the course of the year and our financial condition and prospects for the upcoming year. Bonuses for the prior year, when awarded, are finalized and paid in current fiscal year and are generally contingent upon our financial condition and the performance of the executive officers during the prior fiscal year. No bonuses were awarded for fiscal 2012 or fiscal 2011.

The aggregate value of all other perquisites and other personal benefits furnished to each of our executive officers was less than $10,000 in both the 2012 and 2011 fiscal years.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards for 2011

There were no stock options awarded during the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012.

Long-Term Incentive Plans-Awards in Last Fiscal Year

We do not currently have any long-term incentive plans.

 

9


DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Our non-employee directors earned director compensation in fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 based on the number of meetings attended. Mr. Axelrod, chairman of the audit committee, receives $1,500 per meeting attended. Other members of the audit committee receive $1,000 per meeting attended. All other non-employee directors are entitled to $500 per meeting attended. Messrs. Forem and Snitow waive their compensation.

The following table sets forth the compensation received by each of the Company’s non-employee directors for the year ended December 29, 2012. Each non-employee director is considered independent under NYSE MKT listing standards. Messrs. Forem and Snitow waive their compensation.

 

Name

   Fees
Earned or
Paid in
Cash ($)
     Stock Awards
($)
     Option
Awards
($)
     Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
     Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
($)
     All Other
Compensation
($)
    Total
($)
 

Neal S. Axelrod

     9,000         —           —           —           —           —          9,000   

Joseph Fischer

     500         —           —           —           —           —          500   

Aaron Forem

     —           —           —           —           —           —          —     

Philip Gotthelf

     7,500         —           —           —           —           7,500     15,000   

Scott Korman

     1,500         —           —           —           —           —          1,500   

Reuben Rapoport

     —           —           —           —           —           —          —     

Franklyn Snitow

     —           —           —           —           —           —          —     

 

* Mr. Gotthelf receives a $2,500 per month expense allowance pursuant to a consulting agreement. See Transactions with Related Persons below.

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END

The following table summarizes the options awards granted to each of the named executive officers identified above in the summary compensation table above pursuant to an Equity Incentive Plan.

 

     Option Awards     Stock Awards  

Name

   Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
Exercisable
    Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options (#)
Unexercisable
    Equity
incentive
plan awards:
number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
unearned
options

(#)
    Option
exercise
price
($)
    Option
expiration
date
    Number of
shares or
units of
stock that
have not
vested

(#)
    Market
value of
shares or
units of
stock that
have not
vested

($)
    Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
number of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights that
have not
vested

(#)
    Equity
incentive
plan
awards:
market or
payout
value of
unearned
shares,
units or
other
rights
that have
not vested
($)
 

David Mintz

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —     

Steven Kass

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —     

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Effective October 1, 2012, we entered into an agreement with our director, Philip Gotthelf, pursuant to which Mr. Gotthelf agreed to provide us with certain consulting and business development services relating to the introduction of our company to potential users, licensees, and co-developers of our products. Under this agreement, which is for an initial one year term that renews automatically for additional one-year periods if notice of termination is not provided thirty days in advance of the anniversary of the effective date of the agreement, Mr. Gotthelf would be entitled to receive a 10% commission on sales if we entered into a licensing

 

10


agreement with a third party and a 5% commission on sales to a third party that does not enter into a license agreement with us. In addition, we agreed that if Mr. Gotthelf is instrumental in the sale of any of our securities to a third party, we would enter into an agreement to compensate him for such services, based upon the fair market value of such services. We also agreed to pay Mr. Gotthelf an expense allowance of $2,500 a month and paid him a total of $7,500 in the year ended December 29, 2012. This agreement was approved by our audit committee and board of directors, with Mr. Gotthelf abstaining from such consideration.

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT*

Our Audit Committee, which operates pursuant to a written charter, assists the board of directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing Tofutti Brands’ financial reporting process on behalf of the board. Management is responsible for Tofutti Brands’ internal controls, the financial reporting process and compliance with laws and regulations and ethical business standards.

EisnerAmper LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, is responsible for expressing opinions on the conformity of the company’s consolidated financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing and monitoring these practices. It is not the duty or responsibility of the Audit Committee to conduct auditing or accounting reviews or procedures.

In this context, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management and EisnerAmper LLP, among other things, the scope of the audit to be performed, the results of the audit performed and the independent registered public accounting firm’s fee for the services performed. Management represented to the Audit Committee that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Discussions about our audited financial statements included the auditors’ judgments about the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments and the clarity of disclosures in our financial statements.

The Audit Committee also discussed with EisnerAmper LLP other matters required by Statement on Auditing Standards, (“SAS”) No. 61 “Communication with Audit Committees,” as amended. EisnerAmper LLP provided to the Audit Committee written disclosures and the letter required by required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Audit Committee discussed with EisnerAmper LLP the registered public accounting firm’s independence from the company.

Based on the Audit Committee’s discussion with management and EisnerAmper LLP and the Audit Committee’s review of the representations of management and the report of EisnerAmper LLP to the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee recommended to the board that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and selected EisnerAmper LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the company for fiscal 2013.

Submitted by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Tofutti Brands Inc.

Neal S. Axelrod, Chair

Aaron Forem

Scott Korman

 

* The Audit Committee Report above is not considered proxy-soliciting material, is not deemed to be filed with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by reference this proxy statement into any filing with the SEC, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this information by reference.

 

11


PROPOSAL II

TO APPROVE, BY NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE, THE RESOLUTION

APPROVING NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

We are asking that our shareholders approve a non-binding advisory resolution on the named executive officer compensation as reported in this Proxy Statement.

In accordance with recently adopted Section 14A of the Exchange Act, and as a matter of good corporate governance, the Company is asking shareholders to approve the following advisory resolution at the Annual Meeting:

RESOLVED, that the shareholders of Tofutti Brands Inc. (the “Company”) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement, including as discussed in the section entitled “Executive Compensation,” the Summary Compensation Table and the related compensation tables, notes and narrative in the Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

This advisory resolution, commonly referred to as a “say-on-pay” resolution, is non-binding on the Board of Directors. Although non-binding, the Board of Directors will carefully review and consider the voting results when evaluating our named executive officer compensation program.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of the holders of record of a majority in voting interest of the shares of stock entitled to be voted at the Annual Meeting, present in person or by proxy are required for approval of this proposal.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the foregoing proposal.

PROPOSAL III

ADVISORY VOTE TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF

FUTURE ADVISORY VOTES ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Under Section 14A of the Exchange Act, our shareholders are also allowed to vote, on a non-binding, advisory basis, for their preference as to how frequently we should seek future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC, which we refer to as an advisory vote to approve executive compensation. By voting with respect to this proposal, shareholders may indicate whether they would prefer that we conduct future advisory votes on executive compensation every one, two, or three years. Shareholders also may, if they wish, abstain from casting a vote on this proposal.

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors believes that submitting the advisory vote to approve executive compensation every three years is appropriate for the Company and its shareholders at this time. The Board of Directors believes that an advisory vote at this frequency will provide shareholders with sufficient time to evaluate the effectiveness of our overall compensation philosophy, policies and practices in the context of our long-term business results for the corresponding period. An advisory vote that occurs every three years will also permit the Company’s shareholders to observe and evaluate the impact of any changes to its executive compensation policies and practices that have occurred since the last advisory vote to approve executive compensation. The Board of Directors is therefore recommending that shareholders vote for holding the advisory vote to approve executive compensation every three years.

The Company recognizes that the shareholders may have different views as to the best approach for the Company, and therefore we look forward to hearing from our shareholders as to their preference on the frequency of advisory votes to approve executive compensation.

This vote is advisory and not binding on the Company or our Board of Directors in any way. The Board of Directors will take into account the outcome of the vote, however, when considering the frequency of future advisory votes to approve executive compensation. The Board may decide that it is in the best interests of our shareholders and the Company to hold an advisory vote to approve executive compensation more or less frequently than the frequency selected by our shareholders.

 

12


The proxy card provides shareholders with the opportunity to choose among four options (holding the vote every one, two or three years, or abstaining) and, therefore, shareholders will not be voting to approve or disapprove the recommendation of the Board of Directors.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote, in person or by proxy, of the majority of the votes cast by the holders of the Company’s common stock at the Annual Meeting is required to determine the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation. If none of the alternatives receives the majority of votes cast, the Company will consider the alternative that receives the highest number of votes cast by shareholders to be the frequency selected by shareholders. This is a non-binding advisory vote.

 

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote “THREE YEARS” as the frequency for future

advisory votes to

approve executive compensation.

PROPOSAL IV

APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

EisnerAmper LLP has been our independent registered public accountants since August 2010, which was when Amper, Politziner and Mattia, LLP, our independent registered public accountants since January 2005, combined its practice with that of Eisner LLP to form EisnerAmper LLP.

The following resolution will be offered by the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting.

“RESOLVED: That the selection of EisnerAmper LLP by the Board of Directors to act as our independent registered public accountants and conduct the annual audit of the financial statements of Tofutti Brands Inc. for the fiscal year ending December 28, 2013 is ratified, confirmed and approved.”

Our Board of Directors believes that EisnerAmper LLP has the necessary knowledge of our operations, and the personnel, professional qualifications and independence to act as our independent registered public accountants.

In the event this resolution does not receive the necessary votes for adoption, or if for any reason EisnerAmper LLP ceases to act as our independent registered public accountants, the Board of Directors will appoint other independent registered public accountants.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the foregoing proposal.

Representatives of EisnerAmper LLP will attend the Annual Meeting. They will be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders at the meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so.

Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accountants

Set forth below are the aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years ended December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011 for services rendered by EisnerAmper LLP.

 

     2012      2011  

Audit fees

   $ 98,000       $ 96,000   

Audit-related fees

     —           —     

Tax fees

     —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total fees

   $ 98,000       $ 96,000   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

13


Audit fees consist of fees billed for services rendered for the audit of our financial statements and review of our financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and services provided in connection with other statutory or regulatory filings.

Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and not reported under Audit fees. No such fees were billed in fiscal 2012 and 2011.

Tax fees consist of fees billed for professional services related to the preparation of our U.S. federal and state income tax returns and tax advice. No such fees were billed in 2012 or 2011. The Audit Committee pre-approved all audit-related fees. After considering the provision of services encompassed within the above disclosures about fees, the Audit Committee has determined that the provision of such services is compatible with maintaining EisnerAmper’s independence.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

Our Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of our independent registered public accountants. Our Audit Committee has established a policy for pre-approving the services provided by our independent registered public accountants in accordance with the auditor independence rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The policy is designed to ensure that the Audit Committee will not delegate to management the Audit Committee’s responsibilities, including the pre-approval of services to be performed by the independent registered public accountants.

The policy requires the review and pre-approval by the Audit Committee of all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accountants. A proposed service may either be pre-approved by the Audit Committee, or otherwise requires the specific pre-approval of the Audit Committee, on a case-by-case basis. Any proposed services exceeding pre-approved levels will also require specific pre-approval by the Audit Committee.

The term of any general pre-approval is 12 months from the date of pre-approval, unless the Audit Committee considers a different period and states otherwise. Our Audit Committee will annually review and pre-approve the services that may be provided by the independent registered public accountants without obtaining specific pre-approval from the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee may add to or deduct from the list of general pre-approved services from time to time, based on subsequent determinations. Our Audit Committee will monitor the audit services engagement on a quarterly basis and will also approve, if necessary, any changes in terms, conditions and fees resulting from changes in audit scope, company structure or other items. Requests or applications to provide services that require specific approval by the Audit Committee will be submitted by our Chief Financial Officer to our Audit Committee.

All of the audit services provided by the independent registered public accountants in fiscal year 2012 were approved by the Audit Committee under its pre-approval policies, and the Audit Committee has determined that the provision of such services is compatible with maintaining EisnerAmper’s independence.

ANNUAL REPORT

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 (“2012 Annual Report”), as filed with the SEC, excluding exhibits, is being mailed to shareholders with this proxy statement. We will furnish any exhibit to our 2012 Annual Report free of charge to any shareholder upon written request to: STEVEN KASS, SECRETARY, TOFUTTI BRANDS INC., 50 JACKSON DRIVE, CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY 07016 OR EMAIL A REQUEST TO: info@tofutti.com.

The 2012 Annual Report is not incorporated in, and is not a part of, this proxy statement and is not proxy-soliciting material. We encourage you to review the 2012 Annual Report together with any later information that we file with the SEC and other publicly available information. Documents we file with the SEC may be reviewed and/or obtained through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System, or EDGAR, which is publicly available through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

14


TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, shareholders may present proper proposals for inclusion in a company’s proxy statement and for consideration at the next annual meeting of its shareholders by submitting their proposals to our company in a timely manner.

Shareholders interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in the proxy materials for the annual meeting of shareholders in 2013 may do so by following the procedures set forth in Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To be eligible for inclusion, shareholder proposals must be received by us no later than January 2, 2014. Except in the case of proposals made in accordance with Rule 14a-8, for shareholder proposals to be considered at the 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, the shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to our corporate secretary by April 4, 2014.

OTHER MATTERS

Our Board of Directors does not intend to bring any matters before the Annual Meeting other than those specifically set forth in the Notice of the Annual Meeting and knows of no matters to be brought before the Annual Meeting by others. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying proxy to vote such proxy in accordance with the judgment of the Board of Directors.

Our financial statements are included in our 2012 Annual Report, which is expected to be mailed to our shareholders beginning on or about May 16, 2013.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

LOGO

Steven Kass

Secretary

Dated: May 16, 2013

 

15


  0                  

TOFUTTI BRANDS INC.

50 Jackson Drive

Cranford, New Jersey 07016

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The undersigned hereby appoints David Mintz and Steven Kass, or either of them, attorneys or attorney of the undersigned, for and in the names(s) of the undersigned, with power of substitution and revocation in each to vote any and all shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of Tofutti Brands Inc. (the “Company”), which the undersigned would be entitled to vote as fully as the undersigned could if personally present at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on June 13, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at the Homewood Suites, 2 Jackson Drive, Cranford, New Jersey and at any adjournment or adjournments thereof, hereby revoking any prior proxies to vote said shares, upon the following items of business more fully described in the notice of and proxy statement for such Annual Meeting (receipt of which is hereby acknowledged):

(Continued and to be signed on the reverse side)

 

  14475      


ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF

TOFUTTI BRANDS INC.

June 13, 2013

GO GREEN

  e-Consent makes it easy to go paperless. With e-Consent, you can quickly access your proxy material, statements and other eligible documents online, while reducing costs, clutter and paper waste. Enroll today via www.amstock.com to enjoy online access.  

NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIAL:

The notice of annual meeting, proxy statement and form of proxy card

are available at http://www.amstock.com/ProxyServices/ViewMaterial.asp?CoNumber=06247

Please sign, date and mail

your proxy card in the

envelope provided as soon

as possible.

¯  Please detach along perforated line and mail in the envelope provided.  ¯

 

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     20830040030000000000  4       061313                                                     

 

 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

AND “FOR” PROPOSALS 2 AND 4 AND FOR “3 YEARS” ON PROPOSAL 3.

PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE   x

                                      FOR   AGAINST   ABSTAIN

1.    The election of eight Directors.

        2.    To approve, by non-binding advisory vote, the resolution approving named executive officer compensation (“Say on Pay Vote”).    ¨   ¨   ¨
          NOMINEES:                     

¨    FOR ALL NOMINEES

 

¨     WITHHOLD AUTHORITY

         FOR ALL NOMINEES

 

¨     FOR ALL EXCEPT

         (See instructions below)

 

        O  DAVID MINTZ

        O  NEAL AXELROD

        O  JOSEPH FISCHER

        O  AARON FOREM

        O  SCOTT KORMAN

        O  PHILIP GOTTHELF

        O  REUBEN RAPOPORT

        O  FRANKLYN SNITOW

 

 

 

             

1

Year

  

2

Years

 

3

Years

  ABSTAIN
         

3.

   To approve, by non-binding advisory vote, the frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on resolutions approving future named executive officer compensation (“Say When on Pay Vote”).    ¨    ¨   ¨   ¨
                   FOR   AGAINST   ABSTAIN
          4.   

To ratify the selection of EisnerAmper LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 28, 2013.

   ¨   ¨   ¨

INSTRUCTIONS:  To withhold authority to vote for any individual   nominee(s), mark “FOR ALL EXCEPT” and   fill in the circle next to each nominee you wish   to withhold, as shown here:  l

       

 

5.

  

 

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting, or any adjournment thereof.

         

 

THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS SPECIFIED ABOVE. UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE (i) ELECTION OF THE EIGHT NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR NAMED IN ITEM 1 AND (ii) “FOR” PROPOSALS 2 AND 4 AND FOR “3 YEARS” ON PROPOSAL 3.

 

 

         
             
To change the address on your account, please check the box at right and indicate your new address in the address space above. Please note that changes to the registered name(s) on the account may not be submitted via this method.    ¨                  

 

                      

Signature of Shareholder

       Date:        Signature of Shareholder        Date:     

 

 

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  Note:   Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.   

 

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