UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): May 26, 2009
HEELYS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
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Commission
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75-2880496
(IRS Employer
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3200 Belmeade Drive, Suite 100, Carrollton, Texas 75006
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(214) 390-1831
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 5.02 Departure of Director or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers .
On May 26, 2009, Heelys, Inc. (the Company) received a letter from Roger R. Adams in which he resigned his position as a member of the board of directors of the Company (the Board) effective immediately and announced that he would not stand for reelection to the Board at the annual meeting of the Companys stockholders scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2009 (the Annual Meeting). A copy of Mr. Adams resignation letter is attached as Exhibit 99.1.
On May 27, 2009, the Company received a letter from Richard E. Middlekauff, Mr. Adams first cousin, in which he too resigned his position as a member of the Board effective immediately and announced he would not stand for reelection to the Board at the Annual Meeting. A copy of Mr. Middlekauffs resignation letter is attached as Exhibit 99.2. Mr. Middlekauff was a member of the Companys Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
The Company believes that Messrs. Adams and Middlekauff resigned from the Board because they disagreed with certain of the Boards activities and determinations within the last 12 months, most notably, the Boards determination that it was in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders to terminate discussions relating to a potential sale of the Company and to instead focus on the Companys continued growth and operation as an independent company.
The Board disagrees with the allegations made in the resignation letters. The Board believes that the allegations or disagreements with the Board expressed in the resignation letters are motivated primarily by the strong personal interest of Mr. Adams and Mr. Middlekauff to liquidate all or a significant portion of their respective shares of the Company, rather than their purported focus on the long-term best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Contrary to the resignation letters, the Board strongly believes that it has fulfilled its fiduciary obligations to all Heelys stockholders, including Messrs. Adams and Middlekauff, who are also two of the Companys principal stockholders.
The Board has discussed and considered various strategic alternatives for the Company, including a share repurchase program and potential sale of the Company, within the last 12 months. The Board received and considered unsolicited indications of interest from Skechers USA Inc. and a small number of indications of interest, solicited through an investment banking firm engaged by the Board, during that time. Contrary to the statements or suggestions in the resignation letters, however, the Board did not receive any offers to acquire the Company. All of the indications of interest were at best preliminary, subject to due diligence and other significant conditions or contingencies. With the sole exception of Messrs. Adams and Middlekauff, all of the Board members, including those who have no other relationship with Capital Southwest Venture Corporation or Capital Southwest Corporation, ultimately determined that the best interests of the Company and its stockholders would be for the Company not to pursue any of those indications of interest, but instead to maintain the Companys independence, enhance the Companys management team with consumer product expertise and focus on the Companys core products and operations.
The Board believes that, in the exercise of due care and undivided loyalty to the Company and all of its stockholders, it is now appropriate to pursue the previously announced actions to execute its current business plan, with the intent to increase long-term value for the Company and all of its stockholders.
In light of the decisions of Messrs. Adams and Middlekauff not to stand for reelection at the Annual Meeting, and the conditions in the Companys By-Laws regarding nominations of directors, the Annual Meeting will now include the election of only six directors. Proxies already submitted for the Annual Meeting will remain effective subject to their terms, but any votes, by proxy or otherwise, in favor of the election of Mr. Adams or Mr. Middlekauff at the Annual Meeting will be ineffective and disregarded. The two vacancies on the Board will be addressed by the Board after the Annual Meeting. The vacancies on the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee resulting from Mr. Middlekauffs decision will also be subsequently addressed by the Board.
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits .
(d) Exhibits.
99.1 Resignation Letter of Roger R. Adams, dated May 26, 2009.
99.2 Resignation Letter of Richard E. Middlekauff, dated May 27, 2009.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Heelys, Inc. |
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Date: May 28, 2009 |
By: |
/s/ Michael W. Hessong |
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Michael W. Hessong |
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Interim Chief Executive Officer |
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Exhibit 99.1
ROGER R. ADAMS
May 26, 2009
Jerry R. Edwards
Patrick F. Hamner
Samuel B. Ligon
Gary L. Martin
Richard E. Middlekauff
Ralph T. Parks
Jeffrey G. Peterson
Michael W. Hessong
Re: Resignation from the Board of Directors of Heelys, Inc.
Dear Fellow Directors and Interim Chief Executive Officer:
As you know, I invented HEELYS-wheeled footwear, founded the predecessor to Heelys, Inc. (Heelys or the Company) in the 1990s and have served on the Board of Directors of the Company since it was founded in 2000. I also served as Heelys President until May 2006, and as the Director of Research and Development from May 2006 through December 2007. In light of my extensive history with the only product that has been successful for the Company, it is with deep regret that I announce my immediate resignation from the Board of Directors and that I will not stand for reelection to the Board. I am taking these actions because I feel that the Board is failing to fulfill its fiduciary obligations to Heelys stockholders, as required by Delaware law.
My concern over the Boards stewardship has escalated during the last year. As you know, Skechers USA Inc. (Skechers) offered to acquire Heelys for between $4.75 and $5.10 per share on May 28, 2008, which represented a 9.4-17.5% premium over the prior trading days closing price of $4.34. In mid-August 2008, Skechers increased its offer to $5.25 per share. I expressed my view at that time that Heelys was not likely to provide the most value to its stockholders as a stand-alone company, and that it needed to pursue strategic alternatives (such as a possible transaction with Skechers) in order to optimize value to Heelys stockholders. For reasons that I still do not understand, the Board never fully considered the Skechers offer, and decided instead to reject it out of hand.
I was particularly troubled by the Boards refusal last year to negotiate with Skechers because it occurred at the same time that members of the Board affiliated with Capital Southwest Venture Corporation and Capital Southwest Corporation (collectively, Capital Southwest) were advocating a share buyback proposal at $4.50 per share (later increased to $5.00 per share) that would have resulted in Capital Southwest owning as much as 45.7% of Heelys. As I explained to the Board during our July 17, 2008 Board meeting, I never believed that the proposed share buyback plan, which initially was at a price that was $0.60 less per share than the
offer from Skechers that was on the table at the time, and which did not reflect any control premium, was consistent with maximizing stockholder value. Moreover, I was very concerned that the Board did not establish an independent committee to ensure that the Capital Southwest directors were not benefiting themselves or Capital Southwest at the expense of the other Heelys stockholders.
The Boards hiring of financial advisor Houlihan Lokey in early November 2008, and the subsequent issuance of a $1 per share special dividend, gave me some hope that the Board had refocused its attention on maximizing value for all stockholders. Unfortunately, recent events once again have shown that this is not the case. As you know, in April and early May of this year, Houlihan received expressions of interest from a large number of entities and brought to the Board acquisition offers from four potential acquirers. All four bidders made offers which represented substantial premiums over the May 1, 2009 closing price of $1.84 per share, and over Heelys cash-on-hand per share at March 31 of $2.40. Some of these offers were in, or very near, some of the valuation ranges that Houlihan Lokey presented during our April 30, 2009 Board meeting.
To my great disappointment, some members of the Board did not treat these various offers as opportunities worth exploring. Communication between Houlihan and the Board concerning the sale process was sporadic. Members of the Board were provided very limited information on the bidders and their proposals and were provided little time to review and reflect on the little information provided. The Board met with Houlihan, and was presented with proposed bids, during a single meeting on April 30, 2009. This meeting was the only occasion prior to termination of the sale process on which the Board discussed the proposals. The sale process was ultimately terminated a week later. Specifically, the Chairman (over my objection) told Houlihan to stand down on May 6. On or around that same time, each of the bidders was told that its offer was inadequate. There was no vote taken by the Board to terminate the sale process prior to these actions.
The proceedings during the April 30 Board meeting reflect more broadly on what I believe is a serious deficiency in the process by which the Companys management and the Board consider matters of utmost importance to the Company. The full Board has not been consulted on significant decisions that management has made, several of which I disagreed with, such as significantly reorganizing the management structure and laying off virtually all of the sales force. When they are consulted, Board members do not receive information sufficiently in advance of Board meetings to properly evaluate the information. This obviously limits our ability to make informed decisions. Moreover, meetings often proceed without a full discussion of matters under consideration. For example, as far as I know, no director at the April 30, 2009 Board meeting had before him any information concerning the stand-alone value of the Company, which obviously is a relevant input in deciding whether to accept a potential offer. Instead, the Board only had Houlihans evaluation of what Heelys sale value might be. As another example, on May 7, I received notice of a telephonic Board meeting to be held at 5:30 pm on May 12 (one hour before I needed to board a flight, as was previously communicated to the person scheduling the meeting). The agenda included an item of great importance discuss and approve desired strategic direction for Heelys. Yet, at the meeting, each director was given a maximum of two minutes to speak on this issue before the vote. That vote, which of course
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was moot because the sale process had been stopped a week earlier, was 6-2 in favor of stopping the active consideration of a sale and in favor of searching for a permanent CEO.
In the absence of any rational explanation, I can only assume that a majority of the Board is under the control of Capital Southwest, and that Capital Southwest has some reason (as yet undisclosed to me) for not seriously considering these premium offers.(1) Needless to say, if the Board is rejecting a sale because it is in Capital Southwests interest (although not in the interest of Heelys stockholders) for Capital Southwest to maintain its position in Heelys for some Capital Southwest-related tax, litigation or management reason, such action is not consistent with the best interests of Heelys stockholders or the Boards faithful discharge of its fiduciary obligations. For example, I have read that at least three of Capital Southwests largest stockholders have publicly urged Capital Southwests management to take immediate steps to maximize stockholder value, and that at least one of those stockholders Ned Sherwood has called on Capital Southwest to distribute its holdings in Heelys to Capital Southwests stockholders, to dispose of as they see fit. I sincerely hope that Capital Southwests disputes with its own stockholders are not influencing the Boards stewardship of Heelys.
In sum, I believe that the Board should exercise due care and undivided loyalty to the best interests of all of its stockholders, and continue to pursue strategic alternatives, including selling the Company. As I pointed out in my May 5, 2009 letter to the Board, Heelys incurs significant general and administrative expenses by continuing to operate as a stand-alone public company. The business should be more valuable to a non-public company, or a larger public company that already has absorbed substantially all of the same public company costs. Moreover, I believe that the Company would benefit from being run by true experts in the industry. Indeed, Heelys core product likely would have significant staying power under such a scenario if properly promoted and improved. Lastly, I believe that the market shares my concerns about the current direction of the Company, as evidenced by the fact that Heelys stock continues to trade at a discount to cash-on-hand per share .
Finally, if Capital Southwest intends to revisit the issue of a share buyback, perhaps in advance of taking Heelys private, then that fact should be disclosed to Heelys stockholders consistent with the federal securities laws. Moreover, any such share buyback should be at a higher price than the bidders recent offers, and should reflect payment of a change-in-control premium. Of course, if Heelys is going to pursue such a buyback or going private transaction, the Board should form an independent committee to ensure that all of the stockholders, not just Capital Southwest, are protected.
(1) Of Heelys eight directors, three currently hold positions as officers or directors of Capital Southwest, another is a former officer, and two more receive fees for serving as directors of Heelys. The remaining two directors, Ric Middlekauff and myself, are the two largest holders of Heelys stock after Capital Southwest. Mr. Middlekauff also has indicated an intent to resign.
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For the foregoing reasons, I am not comfortable with the course that the Board is charting for the Company, and I have grave concerns about whether the Board is faithfully discharging, or will faithfully discharge, its fiduciary duties to all of Heelys stockholders.
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Very truly yours, |
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/s/ Roger R. Adams |
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Roger R. Adams |
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Exhibit 99.2
RICHARD E. MIDDLEKAUFF
May 27, 2009
Roger R. Adams
Jerry R. Edwards
Patrick F. Hamner
Samuel B. Ligon
Gary L. Martin
Ralph T. Parks
Jeffrey G. Peterson
Michael W. Hessong
Re: Resignation from the Board of Directors of Heelys, Inc.
Dear Fellow Directors and Interim Chief Executive Officer:
This shall constitute my formal resignation from the Board of Directors of Heelys, Inc. (the Company), effective immediately, as well as my notice to the Company that I will not stand for re-election to its Board of Directors (the Board). I am forced to make this difficult decision as a result of what I believe is the Boards apparent failure to fulfill its fiduciary obligations to the Company and its stockholders, as expressed previously to my fellow Board member, Gary Martin. For the benefit of Michael Hessong and the other members of the Board who might not be aware, I will reiterate some of the concerns that caused me to reach this conclusion.
The Board, in my opinion, should seriously engage potential buyers of the Company, unlike it did with Skechers USA, Inc. last year, in order to maximize the Companys value for its stockholders. I do not see the Company achieving this as a stand alone company. Unfortunately, it appears that the majority of the Board charted a different course, giving scant attention to the offers from Skechers and other third party prospective buyers, and instead pursued an untimely and expensive restructuring of the Company by installing management having no actual experience in the shoe industry.
I believe that many, if not most, stockholders would sell at a significant premium share price if given a chance. However, the Board majority, inclusive of the members aligned with Capital Southwest Venture Corporation and Capital Southwest Corporation (collectively, CSW), actually rejected such potential gain in favor of a third CEO, a costly realignment of management, and an expensive new marketing plan, which I expect will negatively affect the share price for several quarters in this floundering retail economy.
Last November, we did decide to entertain acquisition offers for the Company and in December we paid a handsome dividend. However, in May we turned away multiple offers representing substantial premiums over the share price, sending a confusing message to both our stockholders and the market, all while the Company lost money consistently for several consecutive quarters. I fear that the expectations are going to be lowered even more, and Skechers and others will take note of the Companys lower price, now that we have dismissed all the potential buyers, as well as Houlihan Lokey, which had worked to identify most of those potential buyers. That really does not make sense to me for our stockholders; however, I was not on the Strategic Alternatives Committee and did not vote for the new direction taken by the majority of the Board.
As a Board member, I have often not been consulted in advance of significant management decisions. I often did not receive sufficient information to properly prepare for meaningful participation in Board meetings to properly evaluate the information in connection with addressing critical matters affecting the Company. The April 30th Board meeting exemplified this process when we had little information with which to evaluate potential offers for the Company. Similarly, the recent Board meeting held on May 12th upset me greatly, but provides a good example of the short shrift treatment of the Board members when each director was given only two (2) minutes to speak on the significant issue of the strategic direction of the Company. This was most unfair to me personally, as well as any other director who shared a very different point of view from the majority of the Board.
My feeling is that CSW is not considering offers for the acquisition of the Company in a manner consistent with Delaware law. I understand that CSW has its own internal issues with its stockholders; however, that should not cloud its fiduciary duties to the Company. Any intentions regarding the Company in connection with any stock buy-back or plans to take the Company private should be disclosed to the Companys stockholders as required by federal securities laws.
In any event, for the foregoing reasons and others, I am compelled to remove myself from a Board that does not appear to be intent on exercising due care and undivided loyalty to the best interest of all of its stockholders.
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Sincerely yours, |
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/s/ Richard E. Middlekauff |
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Richard E. Middlekauff |
REM/sm
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Robert Sarfatis, Esq., Gardere & Wynne |
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Robert E. Feiger, Esq., Friedman & Feiger, L.L.P. |
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