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VALUERICH ONLINE COMMUNITY LAUNCH SPECIAL EDITION
Raise Capital, Go Public and Do Deals With Wall Street's New Web 2.0 Community iValueRich.com
.COM Homeland Security Explosion The Rush to Invent Peace of Mind
page 19
Meet le
page 36
The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations
Who Said
page 75
Finance Had to Be
2007 Miami
Boring? page 18
Expo Don't miss it! March 27-28 page 46
FEATURING EMERGING COMPANIES WaterBank of America {USA) Inc. {WBKA.OB) iSECUREtrac Corporation {ISEC.OB) Continental Energy Corporation {CPPXF.OB) QuoteMedia, Inc. {QMCI.OB) Coda Octopus Group {CDOC.PK) Chatsworth Data Solutions, Inc. (CHWD.OB) lvivi Technologies, Inc. (AMEX: ii) Global Resource Corporation {GBRC.OB) Winter 2007 $7.00 www.ivaluerich.com
for His Majesty, the King. Gevril set
l1is impeccable craftsmanship and for
out on a historic journey to Madrid
creating timepieces of unmistakable
to present his masterpiece in person .
quality and beauty.
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Attention Investment Bankers and Public and Private Company Officers: Investment bankers using iValueRich.com Bankers' Row can go global with placement power, syndicate deal s and receive automated online deal flow from public and private companies by registering to participate in our new secure online banking community.
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1am me President. CEO atJd Chaitman of Va!ue Rich Inc. .smce inceprion 2003. I ha•t e u rensive expeliMce ltl de·~&lopmetU and managenumt ol both public and pn-tare ~nJes. For rile Past 15 )'ears 1ha•l9 'IIOif<ed WJ'rh Senior ma nagement of public and pri·1Sl8 ~nles a> aSSist in ttleit stl'11Cttlt1f, A'tta.nce and teialed banking is:sues . lha•~e o·l&fS8en rte ManartQ oiU(JUbltc and pri>rrne companies that raised mote than S250.000.000 through FO..s. secondaty's afld Privat& Ptacemerus. From 2001 10 2003 1have also W'Ofked with various k1vestmen t banks, public a net ptMJ~ c::olll'Cinies as a consttl!ant.
Readmy blog
And public and private company officers, whether you are looking to raise capital , go public, merge, acquire or partner, your iValu eRich. com Bankers' Row submission is matched directly to the specialties of investment banks that are ready willing and able to fund your deals. Read our article about iValueRich .com on page 18 and come join us as we create an exciting new future of global finance! See you there.
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5+3-2-1 IVALUERICH . We Have lift Off www.~va t ueri ch.com
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Raise Capital faster Than A Speeding Bullet
fast Tratk Your Deal Save thousands of dollars in time and expense using the power of Web 2.0 on iValueRich.com Make a direct connection with a wide array of internationa l investment banks looking to finance or service your deal. Subm it your pub li c and private company dea ls to experienced Wall Street professionals who are
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User our standardized deal submission form on iValueRich.com to directly submit your needs, matched to investment banks.
Where Money & Ideas Connect
Keeping Up with Modern Alchemy Johannes Gutenberg's birthday was earlier this month. I've always liked Gutenberg, but he didn't invent printing, as is commonly believed; the Chinese did. What he did was use existing technology to develop an entirely new system, including hot metalletterform casting, new ink formulas and adaptation of an olive oil press- and in the process created the printing trade. Gutenberg lived 550 years ago and was an alchemist, but he was also something that every ValueRichian can relate to: he was an entrepreneur with a big idea . If that's the case, then Gutenberg and Steve Jobs actually have a lot in common . .. or do they? Recently, Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world. How would you even begin to describe the iPhone to Gutenberg? You might begin by saying, "OK, Johannes, a phone is a device that allows you to speak to someone and hear their voice, even though they may be halfway around the world ... "Uh, yeah, the world actually is round. But as I was saying, the iPhone is also a computer ... "What's a computer? Um, a computer is a kind of super abacus, except that you can use it for more than just doing calculations. Artists paint using computers. Writers publish to millions of readers with them. You see, most computers are connected over the Internet and can share documents, messages, music and images .. . "What's an Internet? Hmmmm! OK, the Internet is a kind of virtual world where computer users share an experience. Even though it doesn't exist in reality, people meet and fall in love there and businesses can make billions of dollars without producing a single tangible object ..." At this point Gutenberg runs screaming back to the past. Scientists have concluded that evolution hasn't changed people much physically. A Bronze Age person was just as intelligent as we are. But that doesn't mean people haven't changed dramatically over time- and the rate and degree of cultural change are even accelerating . Being smart doesn't mean you 've adapted to a changing world. When the changes are fundamental, we can easily be just as clueless about the implications of new developments as Gutenberg would be in our culture. Are you ready to confront change? Good, because we have some pretty incredible ideas for you in this issue of Va/ueRich magazine. For instance, we review the book The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations and interview its authors, Rod Beckstrom and Ori Brafman . In the book, they present stories of numerous decentralized organizations that have dominated or virtually eliminated their competition. We also take a look at the unru ly Homeland Security sector. The number of companies in this industry has increased tenfold in just three years. We ask a top Wall Street analyst and four Homeland Security company CEOs how they see the sector shaking out, and what qualities these companies will need to succeed. If you are a fan of our n.Motion section, we have a real treat for you this month with our article "The Lost Legacy of Harley Earl :' Earl essentially reinvented the automobile industry by fully integrating design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing, and in the process made General Motors one of the largest and most successful corporations in the world. He also invented the concept car, so we have lots of photos of cool cars with tailfins for you. We also have another in our series of"Dating Dos and Don'ts " for micro-cap companies . This time we ask three investor relations pros what IR firms look for in a company, and what companies should look for in an IR firm. I can 't finish without mentioning our cover story, which describes our new iValueRich .com Web 2.0 community. Like Gutenberg, we're applying new technology to an antiquated communications process: the way small-company finance is conducted. We're doing so by leveraging the global power of the Internet. The article tells how we came up with the idea and demonstrates, step-by-step, how financial professionals and public company executives can use iValueRich.com to increase profits and make companies grow. I'm really looking forward to 2007 because now we really do have a direct pipeline with you, the reader.
David A. Willson Editor, ValueRich magazine
Redefining the gold standard.
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we introduced our NX technology we raised the bar on disclosure . We're the only news wire that owns and maintains its own network, ensuring maximum security and top speed deli very of your pri ce sensitive news. And, Business Wire's EarningsDirect is the first user-friendly method for tagging earnings news releases, enabling companies to communicate earnings directly to the capital markets in XBRL. The fact is, no news wire has more full-service offices around the world, or more experienced editors. Clearly, blue is the new gold.
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Business Wire速 Call our experts at 888.381 .WIRE or visi t us at BusinessWire.com A Berkshire Hathaway Company C>2007 Business Wire, the Business Wire logo, and Business Wired are trademarks of Business Wire , a Berkshire Hathaway company.
VALUE RICH THINK SMALL-CAP
Winter 2007
Joseph C. Visconti President & CEO joseph@vrexpo.net David A. Willson Editor-in-chief dwillson@valuerichonline.com Liza Grant Smith Managing Editor liza@valuerichonline.com
The staff of ValueRich mangazine wants to meet you online at iValueRich.com ... join us!
J.C. Spradley Art Director jcs@valuerichonline.com Contributing Editors Kayla Willson Rita Samols Contributors Ellen Bainer Steve Crowley Aaron Dalton Stephen Feller John E. Fitzgibbon, Jr. Kristina Henneberg Denelle Swaim Advertising & Convention Sales Gregg Lowenstein Vice-President of Sales greggl @valuerichonline.com
The public companies listed below appear in the editorial pages of this issue. A.D.A.M., Inc. (NASDAQ: ADAM)
lvivi Technologies, Inc. (AMEX: ii)
Adams Golf, Inc. (OTCBB: ADGO)
La serCard Corporation (NASDAQ: LCRD)
AeroGrow International, Inc. (OTCBB: AGWI)
Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: LWAY)
Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATEC)
Maplnfo Corporation (NASDAQ: MAPS)
Chatsworth Data Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB: CHWD)
NAPCO Security Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSSC)
Citi Trends (NASDAQ: CTRN)
Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (AMEX: NGS)
Coda Octopus Group (Other OTC: CDOC.PK)
Odimo, In c. (Other OTC: ODMO.PK)
Continental Energy Corporation (OTCBB: CPPXF)
Payment Data Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: PYDS)
Cyclace Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYCC)
Puda Coal, Inc. (OTCBB: PUDC)
Davi Skin, Inc. (OTCBB: DAVN)
Pyramid Breweries, Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID)
DigitaiFX International, Inc. (OTCBB: DF XN)
QuoteMedia, Inc. (OTCBB: QMCI)
Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd. (OTCBB: DKAM)
RAE Systems, Inc. (AMEX: RAE)
Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIHI)
RedHook Ale Brewery, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK)
EBAY, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY)
Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: RVBD)
Adriana Guardia Accounting and Bookeeping adriana@valuerichonline.com
ForeverGreen Worldwide Corp. (OTCBB: FVRG)
SeaChange International (NASDAQ: SEAC)
Dave Roeder Director of Business Development droeder@valuerichonline.com
Global Resource Corporation (OTCBB: GBRC)
Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT)
Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)
TraceGuard Technologie s, Inc. (OTCBB: TCGD)
Pabla Ayala Sales/ Marketing Assistant pabla@valuerichonline.com Maki Ayala Convention Coordinator pabla@valuerichonline.com Lance McCoy Account Executive lance@va luerichonline.com Chris Shea Account Executive chriss@valuerichonline.com Ashley Sosner Account Executive ashley@valuerichonline.com Beni Tsurumi Account Executive beni@valuerichonline.com Reed Smith ChiefTechnology Officer reed @valuerichonline.com
Gaiam, Inc. (NASDAQ: GAIA)
Shanda Interactive Entertainment (NASDAQ:
Global General Technologi es, Inc. (OTCBB: GLGT)
SNDA)
Gri ll Concepts, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRIL)
uWink, Inc. (OTCBB: UWNK)
Hybrid Technologi es, In c. (NASDAQ: HYBT)
WaterBank of America (USA), Inc. (OTCBB: WBKA)
ICOP Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICOP)
Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL)
iSECUREtrac Corporation (OTCBB: ISEC)
Willamette Vall ey Vineya rds, Inc. (NASDAQ: WWI)
Va lueRich, Inc. publishes this magazi ne as a service to our custom ers. Our editorial goal is to provide a forum to promote communication of information and business objectives. Our articles, columns, advertisements and other features should not be construed as investment or legal advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Va lueRich of any specific investment, security, transaction or strategy. Th e articles we publish contain th e views solely of th eir respective authors and our publication. There is not a claim, promi se or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness or ad equacy oft he information and neither ValueRich or its authors are responsib le or lia ble for any trading or investment decisions made based on such information. Our affiliates, officers, directors and employees may have purchased or may buy shares discussed in ValueRich from time to time. We may also receive compensation from parties who utilize our publication services and engage in future transactions as a result of our services or publication.
Copyright 2007 by ValueRich, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs and drawings. Every effort has been made to assure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither VafueRich magazine or any of its staff or authors is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine.
VafueRich magazine, Issue 10 Winter 2007, is published quarterly by ValueRich, Inc., 1804 N. Di xie Highway, Suite A, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ValueRich, 1804 N. Dixie Highway, Suite A, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. Phone: 561-832-8878, Fax: 561-841-1524, www.valuerichonline.com
Powerful in Formation. Introducing I•Metrix from EDGAR Online Because you spend too much time hunting for financial information and too little time analyzing the data, we've introduced I•Metrix, a suite of data and analytica l tools. I·Metrix was desi gned to provide greater structure and transparency to fundamental and market data. With I•Metrix, users realize the power of XBR L, a global data standard, to deliver unparalleled advantages over the status quo. In addition to enhanced depth and breadth of financial information, I·Metri x delivers data faster and more cost-effectively than anything else. Regardless of whether you ana lyze data using Excel or a proprietary app lication , I·Metrix delive rs immed ia te ROI through increa sed productivity. Call Corporate Sales at 888-870- 2316 or visit us onl i ne at www .edgar-online.com to see how I•Metrix can improve the speed , accuracy,
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Winter 2007
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VALU RICH
THINK SMALL- CAP
Cove r Photo by Nick Tampo si Makeup by Marianne Tamposi
Cover Story
l 8 iValuerich.com Changing the World, One Deal at a Time
50
By David Will son
w .Street Reverse Engineering the Reverse Merger An interview with Tim Keating on the state of the reverse merger market. By Liza Grant Smith
i .Wont. l
24
Drool over hot-tech outdoor grills and even hotter electronics ... plus, you won't believe how expensive some cocktails are.
92
By Liza Grant Smith
n. Spi ration
30
Tough Guys The Sports Art of Stephen Holland
54
By Davi d Willson
n. Dustry
Desperately Seeking Security 36 Taming the Explosive Growth of Homeland Security By Liza Grant Smith
By John E. Fitzgibbon, Jr.
View From The Top
48
Game On! A discussion with Pong creator, Chuck E. Cheese founder and current uWink, Inc. (OTCBB: UWNK) CEO, Nolan Bushnell.
n.Motion The Lost Legacy of Harley Earl By David Willson
x. Peditions
Up 64 Wheels Odds and Ends for the Business Traveler Perfect Summer Vocation 66 The Just Add Personality and Stir By Ellen Bain er
Scoop
40 IPO Overview: Big Boys vs. Little Guys
Small-Cap Market Dating Dos and Don'ts lesson 2: looking Good
75
n.Review The Starfish and the Spider:
The Unstoppable Power of leaderless Organizations A review of Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom's illuminating book on the strength of decentralization and an interview with the authors. By David Willson
Winter
2007
VAL
RICH
THINK SMALL- CAP
11128106 Dlllf
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VALUE RICH Expo was Vivacious in Las Vegas By Pabla Ayala Excitement reverberated through the ValueRich Small-cap Financial Expo held at the opulent Wynn Las Vegas Hotel, October 25-26, 2007. Not only d id the world-class Wynn lend extra elegance and glamour to the ValueRich Expo, but there was also a buzz of industry excitement during the West Coast debut of this unique smallcap event. Si xty -s ix public companies, investment banks and industry partners lured more than 800 financial professionals for a two-day nonstop expo-style extravaganza including public company financial presentations, webcast by Webe x, Inc. The energy level was off the charts from the minute the doors opened . Actually, attendees and public company officers were making deals on the floor before the doors fully opened. That's OK. We love that kind of problem . Not all that happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas either. Steve Crowley 's American Scene Radio interviewed CEOs live throughout the Expo for his nationally syndicated radio broadcast.
And Vegas wouldn 't be Vegas with out a performance from the King! All gathered at the first day's closing cocktail event, sponsored by Big Apple Consulting USA, where Elvis himself gave a rousing performance. Attendees, company executives and a few giddy staffers sipped on cocktails and danced to ce lebrate a successful opening day of the ValueRich Expo. The partying continued until the announcement was made that Elvis had left the building. Wynn catering lived up to Steve Wynn 's legacy of over-the-top quality. Chocolate-covered strawberries, deli cate pastries, rich truffles, and a sophisticated thre e-course luncheon featuring Keynote Speaker Alex Lightman, CEO of lnnofone.com, In c. (OTCBB :INFN), who gave a multi-media presentation to the 400-plus audience.
WWW. VREXPO .N ET
The keynote luncheon was just a preview of the energy surrounding the 25-minute public company financial presentations held later that afternoon. A Visconti fine writing instrument was given away to one lucky audience member at each presentation . Many had better luck winning the $360 pens than they 'd had at the blackjack tables the evening before. As the Expo came to an end , everyone gathered for a clo sing cocktail party to celebrate the invaluable contacts made at yet another successfu l ValueRich Small-Cap Financial Expo. The upcoming Miami Value Rich Smal l Cap Financial Expo, March 27- 28, 2007, at the Hotel InterContinental Miami is sure to set record attendance, simi lar to last year 's Miami event. Be sure to register at www.vrexpo.net today. R
2007
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Everything changed for the communications industry when
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Everything changed for the film and television industry when You(mmJ was launched.
Now, everything is about to change for small companies and Wall Street. By David Willson
Changing the World, One Deal at a Time
It doesn't matter if you are a hungry entrepreneur, a challenged small-cap CEO, a competitive investment banker or an astute fund manager, raising capital, going public, doing more deals and making more money has just become a whole lot easier. Using iValueRich.com Bankers' Row, private and public companies can now directly make requests for funding and services to the world's inve st ment bankers and financial professionals. And those financial pros can find underwrit-
ers, syndicate deals and build selling groups, too. iValueRich.com is the latest groundbreaking innovation of ValueRich , Inc., which was created in 2003 to solve some big problems. Roughly three -quarters of the public companies in America
are at a capitalization and grow th level that cau ses th em to be under-funded , under-followed and, basically, unloved by Wall Street. While the unloved part may sound a bit harsh, the reality is that profits drive Wall Street, and volume drives profits. Wall Street loves to make large profits, so small companies with low capitalization and even lower trading volumes are, by their very nature, unloved . Actually, there is a certain contin gent of investment bankers, institu -
The heart of iValueRich.com is Bankers' Row, a private area where public and private companies can submit company funding requests to qualified investment banks and financial professionals. Member investment bankers and financial professionals can also place unlimited syndicate deals, find underwriters and build selling groups. Scroll to find a specific member bank or view
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Bankers' Row member controls to ~ browse all deals*, view personalized deal flow or : .........u ....,_ submit dea fls. J ! ..._.._ Bankers' Row member tools to control deal flow and e-mail settings and manage saved deals.
Each listing opens an online deal summary with attached business plan and/or financial spreadsheet for download, and includes a direct message link to the submitting company or banker, as well as their iValueRich page. PIPE {prtvale placement Into public entity}
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WWW.VREXPO .NET
2007
19
tional investors, independent research firms and other securities professionals th at follow s micro-caps, small-caps and promising private companies . But this group is fragmented and under a great deal of competitive pressure. Also, the typical Wall Street processes, institutions, publi shing venues and regulations that have evolved over the years almo st uniformly put smaller companies at a di sadvantage, or ignore them altogether. Starting from scratch The inspiration for iValueRich.com grew out of the success of Bankers' Row at the ValueRich Small-cap Financial Expos.
That's why, from the very start, we at ValueRich have approached everything we do from the most basic perspective. We look at how small companies func tion, their strengths, inherent weaknesses and, above all, their need s. And w e look at how investment bankers and other Wall Street profes sionals in this space find , research and fund com-
magazine serves two essential purposes. First, it is building a community of interest around small companies and helping that community interact more effectively with coverage of the best practices and activities in the sector. Secondly, it is our best tool to build brand aware ness around the ValueRich small-cap revolution: "Think Small -cap! " In February 2005 , we held the first ValueRich Small -cap Financial Expo in the beautiful new Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach,
panie s. Then we rethink the processes from the ground up. We launched ValueRich magazine at the beginning of 2004 as the industry's only high-quality publication dedicated to this challenged sector. Va/ueRich
Florida -our hometown. Since then , we have held large expo events in New York, Miami and Las Vegas. Creating energy
ValueRich Expos were also designed from the ground up to be everything the typical Wall Street financial conference is not. Instead of end-to-end financial presentations in dark rooms and furtiv e meetings in narrow hallways, ValueRich Expos are expansive events with a business expo format
This is an iValueRich member's dashboard. Anyone can build an iValueRich page for free just by registering. A free iValueRich membership provides access to all the tools and functions of the entire site except Bankers' Row. Bankers' Row: private deal area for qualified financial professionals and companies.
Slogging Central
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associated with a company. Send a quick message to any individual in your network.
that allows small companies to showcase their strengths - their products, services and management. We don't forego financial presentations. We webcast them and add energy and excitement around them . The expo format encourages open conversation between company executives and the financial attendees at each company's exhibition area throughout the event. We also give companies ample opportunities to turn those new connections into friendly relationships at lavish networking part ies and events. Beginning with our second show, at the Javitz Center in New York City, each expo has featured a Bankers' Row, with six to twelve investment banks creating a hub of deal activity at each show. Most financial conferences are invitation-only events hosted by a single investment bank. As far as we know, Bankers' Row represents the first open multi-bank network in t he small-cap arena. You have to see the amount of energy each of these events creates around these small companies to believe it. Every ValueRich Expo has been a resounding success for the par-
ticipants. Still, we found that between events, some connections would go cold and the familiar pattern would emerge of banks chasing the deals that were already on their plates, while hundreds of other company deals sat on the back burner. We get a steady stream of requests from small company CEOs for referrals with banks or advice on how they can get noticed and generate some action. That 's when we came up with the idea of iValueRich.com. Those of you who have followed our activities at ValueRich might remember that about a year ago we announced a plan to form a trade association . The idea was to acquire a core membership that would stay connected and active between events . The more we looked into it, however, the more we realized that trade associations represent another traditional old model that wouldn 't serve the special needs of our small-cap community or provide a platform for innovation. Instead, we became very intrigued with new Web 2.0 communities such as MySpace and YouTube that were evolv-
ing on the Internet. Web 2.0 offers a platform that actually creates innovation. It puts the power to make things happen into the hands of each user. And social networking connectivity gives everyone the freedom to accept who they want to be connected with, and then always have those connections one click away. Simply powerful Once again we went back to ba sics. In designing iValueRich .com, we began with a list of the biggest challenges facing small companies, along with everything we knew about how investment banks and funds operate internally. We considered the personalities of the users in our community and their attitudes toward communications tech nology. We came up with this incredible puzzle of interconnectivity that had us shaking our heads. We were both daunted by the complexity of it and amazed at the industry-changing ramifications if we could pull it off. We spent si x months meticulously refining all of the user functions of the Web site until they could be accomplished with simplicity and minimum time and effort.
A "Company Page" includes an annual deal submission to the global investment banking community on Bankers' Row, but also provides a Web 2.0 investor relations presence in the robust ValueRich community.
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21
Bankers' Row Online We went straight for the jugular of inefficiency in the industry and created an online deal making process that would greatly improve the speed, accuracy and volume of deal flow for any investment bank. We are making financial submissio ns available on iVa lueRich.com Bankers' Row to any public or private company for an annual subscription fee. On the financial side , investment bankers and other financial professionals pay an annual subscription fee to receive these deals. They also are able to post their own deals for syndication and selling group announcements, as well as manage t he deal flow process through control setti ngs for e-mail notification and onsite presorts. Realizing that bankers would want to have the cl ea rest poss ible picture of each company they review, we require com panie s submitting a deal to maintain a company profile page as part of the submission package. It is their con nection point for interested respondents from Bankers' Row. But also, these company pages provide each company
settings they choose. Bankers receive notice and follow the specific type of deals they want to see. Companies can make announcements to their exclusive network of contacts or to the world . Research Central and iValueRich . com Blogging drive traffic to Company pages. It's a whole new take on investor relations. Most of all, iValueRich.com was built to use the incredible power and global reach of the Internet to help companies obtain better financial and indu stry support in their efforts to raise capital, go public and increase market awareness -and make it easier, more efficient and more PROFITABLE for Wall Street to offer its services to the small-cap sector. That's why we're all walking around the ValueRich offices today with giant smile s on our faces, saying , " We 're changing the world!"
with a management blog and the ability to maintain up-to-date and comprehensive information. They can also manage an unpublished Web 2.0 network of financial professionals and investors. iValueRich .com also includes a matching system for financial professionals and company officers to find each other based on financial and business expertise . Using this system, any iValueRich member can be connected with their next securities accountant, board member, client, shareholder or the next research analyst to cover their company, with just three clicks - click to searc h, click to se lect, click to send that member a message. Of course, there is business networking and the ability to present all your information for the robust iValueRich . com financial community. All members are linked through a community calendar, blogging, ex pertise matching and file sharing tools that anyone can adapt to their specific need s. iValueRich .com is essentially customized for each company or individual, depending on their role in the financial community and the individual
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22
VALUERICH
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
Our services include: • Outsourced CFO/controller services. • Accounting department supervision. • 10-Q, 10-K and other SEC document preparation assistance. • Audit preparation services and management of auditing process. • Management discussion and analysis assistance. • Assistance with month-end closing. • Financial statement preparation. • SEC comment letter assistance. • Public shell clean-up. • Special projects, analysis and more. • International accounting experience in China, Brazil and other countries.
For more Information contact us at: 800.867.0078 Fax 954.337.2204 www.cfooncall.com lnfo@cfooncall.com Contact: Adam Wasserman, President
CFO "Knowledge You Deserve"
Soundtrack to Your Life Remember when COs first came out and you thought they were cool? Then iPod s hit the music sce ne and tho se were really cool. Well, prepare yourself for something really, really cool. The Sooloos system combines the amazing artwork of LPs with the digital clarity of COs and the huge music libraries avai lable on computers. Based on the insan e size of your CD collection you can choose a one-, two - or three-terabyte Store (what the Company calls its music archive, or server) providing up to 2,000, 4,000 or 6,000 albums of storage, respectively. The server is controlled by a bright 17-i nch touch panel display, called Controi:One, which can also rip discs into a lossless format. Then stream the
24
VALUERICH
tunes throughout your mansion with up to 32 (7-inch) touchscreen Source components (playback devices) to create moods for each livable area. Don't worry about rebuilding your music identity. The Company customizes your Sooloos system to include your existing CD library, with cover art, credits, genres, moods, song picks and album reviews. The fact that we haven't seen one of these systems on an episode of MTV Cribs is amazing . The core Sooloos System (consisting of one Controi :One, one Source :One and two Store :O ne components) starts at approximately $12,900 retail. For information on purchasing a system or to locate the nearest authorized dealer: sales@sooloos.com
WWW VALUERICHONLINE .COM
i.Want.l
The Cubist Movement During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show last November, Will Smith amazed Oprah and her audience by solving a Rubik's Cube Š in under two minutes. Smith , who mastered the feat for his role in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, learned from the best . The producers hired brothers and Rubik 's experts Toby and Tyson Mao as consul tants. Last August, 17-year-old Toby became the current world record holder when he solved the cube in 10.48 seconds. Older brother Tyson, after looking at a scrambled cube, can solve it blindfolded . If you 're eager to try your hand at the challenge but are afraid brandishing the toy at work might undermine your credibility, fear not. Zontik Games ha s introduced a desk-worthy executive version of your childhood favorite. Their Rubik's Cube, made of solid chrome with leather inlaid sides, is sure to earn you envious stares and hours of nonproductive entertainment. Just remember, despite more than 43 quintillion possible configurations, there is only one possible solution. Good luck.
$155 www.zontikgames.com
Not Your Average Joe Jonesing for your gourmet coffee fix but don't want to change out of your pajamas? With its CVA 4070 built-in coffee system, Miele gives you one less reason to ever leave the comfort of your home. A fourth-generation system, the CVA 4070 offers a wealth of cool new features to help you hone your barista expertise without ta xing your intellect. Using new advanced touch-screen controls, consumers can view and select their drink choices ("coffee;"'cappuccino" or "espresso") and size ("single" or "double") as well as control the taste/ grind of the coffee bean . And just in case you invite some of your more worldly friends over, the CVA 4070 has seven available languages. Other additions include a quickfrothing feature, adjustable dispensing spout for almost any cup size and a grinder bypass option that allows you to make a single cup at a time. Now, if they could just get it to make fresh biscotti ... Retail price from $2,299 For more information on the CVA 4070 or Miele's modern product showrooms: www.miele.com WWW. VREXPO . N ET
2007
25
Grilled to Perfection Tired of toiling over a smoky grill in solitude while the rest of the party goes on without you? Once banished to the corner of the backyard due to its less-tha n-fetc hing appearance, the grill is about to take center stage. The new Fuego 07 , by FUEGO, combines both looks and functionality to make grilling the soc ial event of the season. The brainchild of FUEGO founders Ale x Siow (also the founder of Zephyr Ventilation) and Robert Brunner (a partner at the San Francisco office of Pentagram Design) , the Fuego 07 is billed as "a n architectural reinvention of outdoor grilling." At first glance, it appears to deliver. The sleek 42-inch grill is crafted of brushed stainless steel, farmed teak and slate countertops with a cast iron grilling surface. Say goodbye to your bulky grill lid. The Fuego 0 7 features a slim lid that vanishes within the unit when not in use. The grill 's innovation extends to its technical capabilities. The Fuego 07 offers a patented hybrid cooking system that can be changed between gas, gas-fired infrared, and charcoal by utilizing a patented "quick change" drawer system whereby the user can select the fuel of choice. Feel free to enjoy cocktails and conversation with your guests; thanks to a first-ever grill-surface temperature thermometer to gauge cooking time, a gentle chime will sound when food is cooked to your specifications.
26
I VALUERICH
The Fuego 07 will be available through an exclusive network of distributors, retail appliance dealers and outdoor product showrooms around the United States this March. Interes ted parties can visit www.fuegoliving .com Estimated retail price: $3,500 www.fuegoliving.com
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
King Bling The Gevril Swiss Timepiece Company is a name that dates back to the earliest days of watch making, when Jacques Gevril produced inventive timepieces for the King of Spain in 1758. Today, the Swiss timepiece company is doing a bit of namedropping itself. Their awesome collections ado rn the wrists of many rich and famous celebrities. Gevril 's latest, large, yet delicately beautiful, horological creation is the spectacular Avenue of the America's Serenade, available in limited editions of 50 pieces in both 18 carat white and rose gold. The timepiece is powered by a patented dual time and light zone automatic movement. Front and rear sapph ire crystals seal the case while an artfully crafted stunning silvered Guilloched dial with raised numerals graces the face. Strap the Louisiana Crocodile leather band on your wrist and join storied monarchs of old with some King Bling . The Avenue of the Americas Serenade Price: $25,000 www.gevri l.com
Love at Second Sight
Questioning the ref's call? Do your own official review of the play with Bushnell Outdoor Products' Compact Instant Replay digital binocular. The newly upgraded bin ocular features premium 8x30 mm optics and a high-quality 5.0-megapi xe l digital camera with 16 MB of internal memory. Don't miss a moment of the action. View all your captured digital photos and video on a 1.5-inch flip-up color LCD screen. The binocular's rubber armoring and tripod-mounting capability also protects against damage and blurry shots that may result from excessive fan celebration . For those of you who have been using short attention spans as an excuse to avoid bird -watching excursions, however, you 're out of luck. The Compact In stant Replay comes with a neck strap, carrying case, USB and video cables and PhotoSuite software. Suggested retail price : $249.95 www.bushnell.com
WWW VREXPO .NET
2007
27
Stiff Drinks
If you think $20 for a glass of house Cabernet is steep, try these drink price tags o n for size. Apparent ly, offering incredib ly expensive cocktai ls is becoming the new b lack in the wor ld of upsca le ba rs. Here is j ust a samp li ng of t he country's most cost ly sips. Sure ly t here are better (and less expensive) ways to impress your date.
Who: Teatro Euro Bar at the MGM Grand
What, }-{if[Limd !(it:~& Where: 'ta-lvegas, Nevada; www.mgmgrand .com
How: It's a rare blend of the world's most treasured concoction- Louis Roederer Crista l Rose champagne, 140-year-old Hardy Perfection cognac, and limitededition Grand Marnier Cent Cinquantena ire - and fresh raspberries. It's a better deal than you th ink: the rem ainder of the Louis Roederer Crista I Rose champagne is served w ith the cocktail.
Cost: $2,200
Who: Algonquin Hotel, New York ./"'I
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Where: New York, New York; www.algonquinhotel.com
How: The steep price tag includes a private meeting with the hotel's preferred jeweler to select the perfect diamond. After your gem has been selected, purchased and appraised, you r martini wi ll be poured and the "rock" dropped in at your specified date and time. Rock on.
Cost: $1 0,000+ Note: Requires a 72-hour advance reservation. Price will vary according to the value of the stone selected.
Who: Foxwoods Resort Casino's Mezz Ultra Lounge
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Where: Ledyard, Connecticut; www.foxwoods.com How: The Sapphire Martini is made with Blue Curacao, Bombay Sapph ire gin and a sp lash of dry vermouth, se rved in a glass w ith a blu e sugarcoated rim. Doesn't sound that impressive? The extravagance is found in the drink's garnish -a sterl ing silver pick hold ing a pair of platinummounted blue sapphire and diamond earring s.
Cost: $3,000 Note: Carmen Electra not included.
Who: rese rve
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Where: Chi cago, Il linois; www.reserve-chicago.com How: Served in a tradi tional martini glass, the cocktai l is a mix of superpremium Grey Goose L'Orange vodka, Hypnotiq liqueur, orange and pomegranate ju ices and topped off with Dom Perignon. The finishing touch : a one-carat ruby affixed to the stirrer.
Cost: $950
Who: Duvet Restaurant & Lounge
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Where: New York, New York; www.duvetny.com How: Created by Duvet's head mixologist, the Platinum Passion is a blend of L'esprit de Cou rvoisier (app roximately $6,000 per bottle), Ruinart champagne (an imported case runs approxim ate ly $20,000) and his special syrup (an infu sion of passionfruit blended with imported Australian wettle, forest berries and wi ldflower honey, sim mered for two days in brown sugar before it is chi lled and strained). Served in a frosted champagne flute and garnished with a fresh orchid, you can enjoy your indulgence from one of Duvet's signature lounging beds.
Cost: $1 ,500 WWW. VREXPO .N ET
2007
29
All Images Courtesy Stephen Holland
30
VALUERICH
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
The Sports Art of Stephen Holland What is more inspiring than sports? Just about everyone has had the opportunity at some time to push themselves to a new physical level and feel the satisfaction of accomplishment in a sport. As spectators, we experience deep attachments and exhilaration . Each contest offers us an opportunity to cheer strength and determination, to find a new hero, and even to feel admiration for the losers . There is no denying the hard work, pain , fortitude and emotion that athletes invest in reaching professional , and then star status . We often forgive them for showboating and misbehaving, and we raise the best of them to the level of cultural icons. Perhaps this is why the estimated $213 billion sports business industry is one of the largest and fa stest- growing industri es in the United States. It is far more than twice the size of the U.S. auto industry and seven times the size of the movie industry. As such, its tendrils reach into virtually every aspect of our culture- including the art world. The be st-selling spo rts artist in the world today is Stephen Holland . Much like the sports heroes he portrays ,
Holland reach ed this pinnacle through a combination of talent, constant practice,
magazines for action figures . "It started out with boxing magazines. There was a
determination and discipline. But above all else, Holland just loves doing it. "It's like when you were a little kid and you'd go to a movie- like a Western , a detective story or a Karate film -an d you come out of the movie, walking down the block with your friends , and you 're dueling or karate-
particular style that I was drawing in at that time. And I was having a lot of fun with it," says Holland.
chopping like the guys in the movie. That 's a very full-body type of experi-
" When I started out, I wasn't necessarily a sports fan. I came at this from an artist's point of view. I had always wanted to be an illustrator. I liked football and I liked a little bo xi ng, but that was it as far as sports was concerned. What the boxing magazines g ave me was a chance to draw the fig ure in action. I got so me football magazines and started to draw the football players. Once I started that, I really liked the contrast of the earthy colors of their bodies with the bright colors of the uniforms and the shapes and forms that they made on an abstract level." Early in Holland's career, however, he was noncommittal and capricious about his work. He moved to California and got involved in the 1960s Haight-Ashbury scene, then drifted through the 1970s. It took renewed interest in sports figures to eventually get him on track. " I had, at that point, never really focused very hard on putting a career together or doing what it took to be successful," he
As a young artist, he wanted to work from the figure but couldn't afford to hire models, so he started looking in magazines for action figures.
WWW. VREXPO .NET
ence," says Holland . "As a kid, you 'd play air basketball and pretend you're Michael Jordan. And that 's kind of what I feel like when I start looking at photos of athletes, trying to pick something out." Holland grew up in the Bronx, always wanting to be an illustrator. He attended art school at Pratt Institute in New York City. As a young artist, he wanted to work from the figure but couldn't afford to hire models, so he started looking in
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says. "I had all these sports magazines around and I started reading about the athletes and what it took for them to be successful. I was incredibly inspired by that and set out to put a lot more discipline in my life, and to get the ball rolling . "I started doing some sports artwork locally around town. But I was about to stop focusing on the sports so that I could get a bigger career as an illustrator when , by coincidence, I wound up getting a commission from the LA Kings to do a series of paintings for their offices. At the same time I found a gallery that dealt with sports and entertainment art. It just kind of took off from there. That would have been around 1989." Holland and his wife started working on the idea of self-publishing art editions. When they began thinking about what their first edition should be, Holland said, "Why not start at the top. Let's do Muhammad Ali. " We looked up his agent, spoke to him , and made a deal to publish a Muhammad Ali print. Three or four years later, that same agent came walking into my studio and asked if he could represent me . He was big into memorabilia and licensing athletes." This was a major coup for Holland . Muhammad Ali 's agent was Sports Placement Service. They were forming a new division called SPS Art (which later became the Limelight Agency) to represent celebrity artists. Holland was one of their first clients. The sports art genre , sometimes called "Guy Art," really took off in the mid-1990s. The market grew about 20 percent per year. At the time, fine art galleries would often display a piece of Guy Art in their window to attract nonart customers and boost sales. As with all booms, quite a few new artists entered the field , but typically focused on one city or franchise for their subject matter. The quality of Holland 's work set him apart, and his sports agency connections through SPS provided him with a national venue. As a plethora of niche retailers became involved , blurring the lines between art, collectibles and memorabilia, the booming industry began to shake out . When eBay went online, WWW. VREXPO .N ET
'Stephen's big difference is that he is well respected and sought after by the athletes themselves. His paintings represent the way they see themselves.' forgeries increased, further diversifying the products and creating easy access for minor art and memorabilia entrepreneurs. Once again Holland's agency relationship proved to be a decided advantage . " Producing an edition about a sports
celebrity can be a very complicated and costly process unless you have the right connections due to the licensing envi ronment around franchise sports," says Danny Stern of the Limelight Agency. "An edition might require as many as four license agreements. Also, the typi2007
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Collectors covet his work, not only because it is highly collectible but also because he offers them a larger-than-life experience. cal sports license agreement is geared towards merchandise and requires upfront payment- which doesn't trans late well to the art business. "Stephen's big difference is that he is well respected and sought after by the athletes themselves . His paintings repre sent the way they see themselves. He reflects the passion they have in their sport rather than their celebrity - the way they are typically portrayed in marketing images. When somebody like Cal Ripken specifically requests Stephen's touch, the licensors step out of the way. "I like painting tough guys, which most athletes are," says Holland. Holl and is alw ay s looking for new subjects. He has access to thousands of reference photos through stock photo contracts. "One of my favorite things is going through the photos and finding the right photo and cropping it. Then I put it into Photoshop and play around with it until I get it just like I want. But the whole thing really kind of grabs me. It's a real sensual kind of thing."
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Holland's paintings are distinctive because they dynamically portray the shifting of weight and the tightening and releasing of opposing muscles as the figure moves through extreme athletic action. Even though his paintings employ abstract expressionistic techniques and sophisticated treatments, his subjects, the athletes, thoroughly "inhabit" the paintings- with all of their passion and strength. "It's like dancing;' says Holland. "When you dance, you try and feel the music. And then afterwards someone can tell you what st eps to make . But the first thing is you really have to feel it - for me, anyway." "Stephen has developed special rela tionships with the sports figure s he paints," says Dewey Graff of Dewy Graff Fine Arts, who has sold Holland 's work for 15 years . "They are always enthusiastic about co-signing his editions:' Graff also feels that Holland's relationship with Limelight and the company 's support have given him the confidence to explore other subjects .
"He has expanded his sports subjects to include celebrities like Eve\ Knievel, and released prints on Sinatra and Steve McQueen ." As much as the athletes love the way Holland portrays them , the collectors are even more eager for each new edition . Some collectors have purchased every single print he's issued. According to Stern , Holland 's overall sales are increasing by 30 percent per year, far outstripping the rest of the sports art world . His recent print edition based on a painting ofTiger Wood s who has been unapproachable to every other artist- came to market at $5 ,000 a print and was 90 percent sold out in 40 days. Collectors covet his work, not only because it is highly collectible but also because he offers them a larger-thanlife experience . He can put them in the batter's box as Sandy Koufa x stares them down . And he can give them the timeless experience of seeing Joltin ' Joe DiMaggio in mid swing . Stephen Holland paints tough guys.V R WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
Desperately Seeking Security
Taming the Explosive Growth of Homeland Security By Liza Grant Smith
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, illuminated a level of unmet demand most of us never dreamed existed. In 24 hours, homeland security, which had always been a national concern, erupted into a mammoth industry that clearly was both incredibly underserved and largely undefined.
The U.S. government began funneling massive amounts into a "war on terror," creati ng an immense pool of available funds and intensifying the market opportunity. The result is what analyst Brian Ruttenbur describes as a "wild, wild West" landscape for homeland security. " Unlike defense, where there are specific line items (for example, we know how many F-1 5 fighters, destroyers, or tanks they're going to make on a yearly basis), in homeland security there's just this big pool of money and everybody is running around trying to figure out how to secure the homeland better. It 's kind of a dysfunctional mess," says Ruttenbur, who follows the home land security technology sector for Morgan Keegan. Money has always in spired industry participation and innovation, but the exped iency and size of this development was unprecedented . While federal funding for homeland security was appro ximately $15 billion pre-9/1 1, the figure jumped to $28.2 billion in 2003, when the Department of Homeland Security was created. By 2006 it had reached $40 .3 billion, and for 2007 the president has requested $42.7 billion- almost 0.5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Governmental contracts have followed the same path. In 1999, nine companies controlled all of the homeland security contracts from the federal government. By 2003 the number had reached 3,51 2. The figure continued to grow exponentially, and
in 2005 a total of 33,890 companies held homeland security contracts . Homeland security companies, both public and private, cropped up everywhere, all seeking to tap into the market opportunity. Despite a common goal of improved security, there was a huge diversity in their capabilities, capitalization and market niches. As the industry continued to evolve, however, common trends emerged wi thin the sector's success stories. For industry players and potential investors, these may prove to be the keys for finding strength in the homeland sec urity marketplace. The importance of technology It was quickly evident that homeland security was a much broader effort than merely improving airport safety. The industry sp lintered into a variety of sub-sectors (biometrics, border and port sec urity, and biodefense, to name a few) and niches formed within those sub-sectors. But of the tens of thousands of compa nies that have scurried to address these developing needs, w hich will ultimately prove successful? Ruttenbur has found the biggest stock winners in the sector to be those with great niche technology who provide "t he best kind of widget:' He points to a prime example : lnVision Technologies (formerly NASDAQ: INVN),makers of"the best" computer tomography baggage screening system. On September 10, 2001, the company's stock was trading at $3.1 1 a share. A year later, the stock
Brian W. Rutten bur joined Morgan Keegan in June 2000. ~ He holds a BA from the University ofTennessee and an MAS 01 ~ from the University of Montana, Missoula. Prior positions ~ include staff consultant with Andersen Consulting and ana01 lyst with SunTrust Equitable Securities. He served as a com0 ::?: missioned officer in the United States Air Force. Ruttenbur QJ ~ was ranked the No. 2 stock picker and No. 4 earnings estimaE tor among electronic equipment and instruments analysts in the Forbes.com / StarMin e 2005 rankings of Wall Street's Best Brokerage Analysts, and the No. 1 stock picker among electronic and electrical equipment analysts in the WSJ Best on the Street Analyst Survey in 2005.
price had soared to $33 .06, with 2002 revenues reaching $439.1 million, up from $74.3 million. GE Infrastructure, a unit of General Electric Company, ultimately purchased the company in 2004 for $900 million. "We can't have people everywhere with guns trying to secure our homeland . We've got to use technology," says Ruttenbur. "And we think the best investments with in homeland security technology are those niche companie s that have the best technology and can provide the typ e of technology that homeland security needs." TraceGuard Technologies (OTCBB: TCGD) believes the hom eland security market is very much in need of its proprietary technology. "TraceGuard 's goal is to automate the extraction and collectio n of traces and samples in order to improve overall explosives detection capabilities," says CEO Dr. Ehud Ganani. "We are not providing a detector, a new X-ray or a better CT machine. There are surprisingly few companies involved in automated trace extraction - most of the industry is focused on nextgeneration detection and imaging technologies rather than on improved collection. "According to the TSA and other security agencies in the U.S . and worldwide, one of the major weaknes ses in detection of explosives comes from shortcomings in the collection and sampling capabilities, rather than problems with the detectors (a lso known as analyzers) themselves ." Multiplicity The challenge for companies pursui ng that "best kind of widget" is to avoid becoming too narrowly focused. From an analyst's perspective, one of the key areas Ruttenbur considers when assessing a company's strength is that the management team is looking beyond a single application .
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RAE Systems, Inc. (AMEX: RAE) 3775 North First Street San Jose, California 95134 www.raesystems.com CEO: Robert Chen Company focus: Rapidly deployable chemical and radiation detection monitors and multi-sensor networks "RAE Systems is well positioned in the growing worldwide safety and security markets. We have a broad customer base with rapidly emerging applications and a sustainable technical advantage. Our proprietary sensor technology and products are deployed in over 65 countries."
"If they 're banking everything on one application within homeland security, that scares me," he says . "If they have ten applications in homeland security and twenty in the commercial market, it makes me a lot more relaxed:' RAE Systems (AMEX: RAE), a developer and manufacturer of rapidly deployable chemical and radiation detection monitors, ascribes to Ruttenbur 's preferred multi-application focus. "Homeland security has not yet stabilized as a market. A successful company must have products that can meet a range of needs," says Robert Chen, RAE's CEO and co-founder. "All of our products are 'dual-use' - that is, they are used to protect people every day from the hazards of to xic industrial chemicals [and] the same equipment is used by first responders for homeland security applications such as monitoring large public events like the NFL Super Bowl, Major League Baseball 's World Series and the Kentucky Derby." With the diversity and complexity of securi ty needs continuing to grow, pursuing multiple applications will remain a key component to success. Beyond our borders
According to Homeland Security Research (www.hsrc.biz), the U.S. homeland security (HLS) market constituted only 52 percent of the global HLS market in 2005. But the international market is expected to outpace the American mar-
LaserCard Corporation (NASDAQ : LCRD) 1875 North Shoreline Boulevard Mountain View, California 94043 www.lasercard.com CEO: Richard Haddock Company focus: Secure ID solutions "We are situated in a market segment, secure iden-
tification, that has significant forecasted growth due to post-9/11 needs for worldwide security upgrades to all kinds of document credentials . We also have complete control over our own production process, which gives us more margin control :'
ket, and by 2015 it will make up 58 percent of the total HLS market. Companies that pursue international business will be able to maximize their opportunities and ultimately their profits. After success in the domestic market, LaserCard Corporation (NASDAQ: LCRD), a leading supplier of secure identification solutions, began to capitalize on global opportunities. "Our No. 1 customer has been the U.S. government, which chose the use of the technology for the U.S. Green Card and later the Department of State's border crossing card. It spread from there to the Canadian government's permanent resident card. Later, the Italian government chose the technology for two government projects, one for their citizen national ID card and also a second project for foreign residents. After that, a Middle Eastern country, that prefers to remain unnamed, followed the Italians with a very similar project for their nationaiiD;' says CEO Richard Haddock. RAE is also e x ploring foreign markets. "We have begun to deploy our products globally, with the largest dual-use opportunities in China with both industrial expansion and the large upcoming Olympics in 2008 and World Exposition in 201 0," says Chen . RAE is no stranger to China . The Company began manufacturing plastics and electronic sensor modules in Shanghai in 1995 and made a further strategic acquisition in China in 2004.
Let's come together
The highly fragmented HLS market is ripe for consolidation . Entry into desirable market niches through mergers and acquisitions is an attractive strate gic move for several reasons. Clearly, acquisition can drive topline figures far more quickly than organic growth . In a results -oriented investor market, that can be a big plus. Acquisition also helps develop and diversify a company 's product portfolio. Having a number of different products is another desirable attribute. Through M&A, a company can avoid the pitfalls of being a single-solution provider and gain new products without extensive R&D time and expense. LaserCard keeps an active eye on market opportunities. "There are a number of smaller com panies in the marketplace with offerings that are complementary to ours which we look at as M&A potential in the future when we're ready to go into that mode;' says Haddock. "There's a rich growth area in secure identification, and there are related technologies which could help us in our growth." RAE, on the other hand, already has several acquisitions under its belt. "We were successful in raising enough capital in the U.S. equity markets in 2004 to complete three acquisitions: KLH, our China-based distribution company, in 2004; Aegison , a developer of mobile digital and wireless video recorders, in 2006; and the creation of a joint-ven -
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Some companies in the space find value in forming other relationships. Global General Technologies (OTCBB: GLGT), which through its
In some respects, companies operating in the homeland security industry are only as good as the deals they make. Securing contracts and clients adds validity to a company 's products and helps it establish a competitive position. This can be a critical factor in such a populated sector. Personal relationships between contractors and agencies play an important role in the national secu rity sector. " These large-scale government programs take a very long time to get defined, go through the RFP process to be won, be implemented, and then get the cards on the street, so [governments] are slow to change as well. Just because a person has a new widget on the street, it 's a long time before that becomes something that many governments would rush to," says LaserCard's Haddock. " What really launched us on the success [we've found] in this marketplace was winning the initial INS contract for Green Cards back in 1997. That gave us a very strong reference project because the Green Card is known the world over. "Now we actually have large-scale implementa t ion with many governments, which differentiates us from a lot of wannabe companies who have interesting products but really have not WWW. VREXPO .NET
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Global General Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: GLGT) 2320 Walsh Avenue Santa Clara, California 95051 www.globalgeneraltech.com President (of H7 Security Systems): Steve Miller Company focus: Homeland and international security systems with a primary focus on perimeter protection for high-value facilities 'The Company is well positioned in an exciting marketplace and our technology is unique. Combining best-ofbreed advanced security technologies with our ICN tech nology, the Company can respond to customers ' requests for custom sec urity solutions quickly:'
ture company, RAE Coal Mining Safety Company, Limited, at the end of 2006;'
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wholly owned subsidiary H7 Security Systems designs, implements and maintains homeland and international security systems, believes building relationships in the educational community will help maintain the Company's competitive position. "The Company is in the process of establishing strategic long -term relationships with key universities around the world to leverage emerging security technologies with our product offerings," says H7 President Steve Miller. RAE is adopting the same tactic. "We have a strong technology advisory board from academia; they provide a long view on the viability of relevant emerging technologies," says Chen . On the other hand, TraceGuard management has looked within the industry for strategic alliances that may be beneficial for the company. "Our strategy from the beginning has been to partner with the leading companies in this field , in order to provide the customer a comprehensive capability;' says Ganani.
Remaining flexible The constantly changing marketplace of homeland se curity also demands a certain level of flexibility. "To make it in the long term you need
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to have a good depth of technical abilities to innovate and adapt to the changing market demands," says Lasercard 's Haddock. " We're always trying to add innovations in order to keep a step ahead of what's coming out. "We have a pretty flex ible platform in optical media because we manufacture it from th e raw materials forward," he adds. "Therefore, we have a great degree of control over how we manufacture , and we're able to implement and augment the core optical media with other technologies." The need for fle x ibility extends to meeting customer expectations. " Each customer will have different requirements based upon specific security needs and geographical requirements;' says Mille r. "Managing multiple configurations with advanced technologies will require [H7 Security Systems] to constantly increase its expertise in the support and management of our customers' installation s:'
The spoils of war Since 9/11, the war on terror ha s taken on global proportions. In its wake, it ha s created a massive and lucrative homeland security industry that contin ues to rapidly evolve. While this war may never be over, companies able to correctly assess the sector's needs, opportunities and critical success factors w ill emerge from the battle victorious. V R
2007
39
\PO Overview:
Big Boys
vs. Little Guys By John E. Fitzgibbon, Jr. When the Internet bubble burst in 2000, it took three years for the IPO market to rebound. Since 2004, it 's been a tale of two markets- the haves and the have-nots. The "haves" are the large-cap IPOs with market caps of $1 billion and more. The "have-nots" are the small-cal? IPOs with market caps under $1 billi~ In 2000, the NASDAQ Composite Index took a free fall that made Nightmare on Elm Street look like an afternoon siesta. From its closing high on March 10, 2000, at 5,048.62 to its closing low on October 9, 2002, at 1,114.11, the NASDAQ lost 78 percent. What was left behind was scorched earth and people swearing off IPOs. From 2000 to 2001, the IPO production line fell by 78 percent : in 2000, bankers priced 431 IPOs; in 2001 , only 96 IPOs were priced . The downward trend continued . In 2002, 85 IPOs were priced, and in 2003, 84 IPOs were priced . Investors become conservative after Mr. Bear Market comes to town . They avoid taking risks. In 2004, the IPO production line finally bounced back with 249 IPOs. According to Richard Peterson, senior market strategist at Thomson Financial, large-cap IPOs have outperformed the overall market since 2004. Of the 249 IPOs priced in 2004, 65 were large-cap, with an average gain of 47 percent, compared with 26 percent for the 184 small-cap IPOs. In 2005, 225 IPOs were priced. Ofthat number, 46 were large-cap and had an average gain of 54 percent, compared with just 5 percent for the 179 small-cap IPOs. By mid-November, 171 IPOs had been priced in 2006. Of that number,
31 were large-cap IPOs, with an average gain of 37 percent, compared with 16 percent for the 140 small-cap IPOs. Why did the small fry struggle? "The small-cap IPOs as a group were weighted down by underperforming industrial sectors," says Peterson . He singled out sectors like biotech, medical equipment, telecom and health care. Heroes and Goats Peterson cited examples of the best and the worst in the last three years. In each case, they were small-cap IPOs. 2006's Hero: Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD), a provider of hardware and software to improve shared applications shared over networks, priced 8.8
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"' E million shares at $9 .50 each . Riverbed had a market cap of about $630.8 million when it was priced. On November 17, RVBD closed at $29.30, up 200.5 percent from its initial offering price. 2006's Goat: Alphatec Holdings (NASDAQ: ATEC proposed), a medical device company developing products to treat spinal disorders, priced 9.3 million shares at $6 each. Alphatec had a market cap of about $313.2 million when it was priced. On November 17, Alphatec closed at $3 .69 per share, down 59 percent from its initial offering price. 2005's Hero: Citi Trends (NASDAQ: CTRN). a value-priced retailer of urban fashion apparel and accessories, priced 3.85 million shares at $14 each . Citi Trends had a market cap of about $168 million when it was priced . On December 31, 2005 , it closed at $42.69, up 205 percent from its initial offering price. On November 17, 2006, CTRN closed
at $44.70 per share, up 219.3 percent from its initial offering price. 2005's Goat: Odimo (NASDAQ: ODMO), an online retailer of brandname watches and luxury goods, priced 3.1 million shares at $9 each. Odimo had a market cap of about $64.8 million when it was priced. On December 31, 2005 , it closed at $1 .3 5, down 85 percent from its initial offering price. On November 17, 2006, ODMO closed at 8 cents per share. 2004's Hero: Shanda Interactive (NASDAQ: SNDA) , an operator of online games in China , priced 11 mil lion American Depositary Shares at $11 each. Shanda had a market cap of about $768 .1 million when it was priced . On December 31 , 2004, it closed at $42.50, up 286.4 percent from its initial offering price. On November 17, 2006, SNDA closed at $16 .66 per share, up 51 .5 percent from its initial offering price. 2004's Goat: Cyclace Pharmaceutical (was Xcyte Therapies) (NASDAQ: CYCC}, a biotech company developing therapeutic products to enhance the body's natural immune responses and treat cancer, priced 4.2 million shares at $8 each. Xcyte's market cap was about $496.3 million when it was priced . On December 31 , 2004, it closed at $2.76, down 65.5 percent from its initial offering price. On November 17, 2006, CYCC closed at $5.41 per share, or, adjusted for a 1for-1 0 stock split, at 54 cents per share. When Little Guys Win Although the big boys have enjoyed a place in the sun the past three years, something surprising happen s when you look at individuaiiPO performance in the aftermarket over that period. Peterson's figures show that 645 companies have gone public since 2004. Ofthat number, 142 were large-cap IPOs and 503 were small-cap IPOs. The top aftermarket performers were small-cap IPOs. V R John E. Fitzgibbon, Jr. has been an investment banker, an analyst and a journalist. He recently laun ched IPOScoop.com, covering the /PO market for Wall Street. Mr. Fitzgibbons was previously a co-host afThe /PO Show, on national radio. He was recognized with "Best of Wall Street" for IPO coverage by CBS MarketWatch in 1998.
Small-cap Product Mix
Need some forgiveness? If your game doesn't have quite the precision ofTiger's, the new Idea Tech OS Hybrid Irons from Adams Golf (OTCBB: ADGO) may be just the thing you're looking for. The Company has combined its industry-leading knowledge of hybrid iron set design with new multimaterial technology to create what it considers the most forgiving iron set ever. An 11 percent higher MOl (moment of inertia) than the top-selling game-improvement irons on the market and a 20 percent lower CG (center of gravity) translate into a high and long ball flight with consistent club-toclub yardage. In layman's terms: get ready for a significant drop in annual expenditures on lost balls. For specifications and retailer information: www.adamsgolf.com
Greet the season with a fresh face - or at least one that's not quite so dull and damaged. With LeGrand Cru, a highperformance face cream from Davi Skin (OTCBB: DAVN), you 'll nourish your skin from the same source that has been satisfying your palate for years. Carlo Mandavi, grandson to famous winemaker Robert Mandavi, has launched the Davi luxury skin care line for men and women based on the health benefits found in fermented grape extracts. Straight from Napa Valley vineyards, Davi's products utilize a unique, proprietary anti-aging complex called "Meritage;' a mixture of high-level antioxidants including grape leaf and fermented wine extracts, grape and green tea along with a combination of bilberry, black currant oils, olive, raspberry, rosemary and soybean. The perfect vintage for your parched skin. For more information on Davi Skin and its With spring in the air, it's time to awaken from our winter couch hibernations and venture outdoors. Whether this means hitting the fairways, dining a/ fresco, or simply products: www.daviskin.com tilting back a cold one to salute the season, this issue's sampling of products from smallTo order: www.bergdorfgoodman.com cap companies will help you create your very own spring break.
Spring Fling
Coffeehouses are constantly introducing limited-time selections to celebrate the changing seasons. (Pumpkin Spice Latte or Peppermint Mocha, anyone?) If you 're looking for a little seasonality in your nighttime drink in addition to your morning brew, pop open a bottle of Copperhook Ale from Red hook Ale Brewery (NASDAQ: HOOK). With a light maltiness, pleasant hop aroma and distinctive citrus flavor, Copperhook is perfect for warmer temperatures and longer nights. If you're a fan, be sure to stock up: the spring ale is on shelves only through late April. For more information on Red Hook's ales and distributors in your area: www.redhook.com
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VALUERICH
Nothing says spring like garden-fresh ingredients. But what if your present living arrangements aren't exactly garden friendly? The AeroGarden from AeroGrow International (OTCBB: AGWI) allows you to bring the bounty indoors. Using aeroponics, a dirtfree growing method in which plants root in air in 100 percent humidity within a highly oxygenated growing chamber, the AeroGarden allows plants to grow significantly faster and have higher nutritional value than those grown in soil. Kits offered include salad greens, gourmet herbs and cherry tomatoes, among others. Chosen as one of the top new products of 2006 by Good Morning America and featured in the New York Times, Redbook and Reader's Digest, the AeroGarden makes the perfect gih for culinary enthusiasts. To learn more about the AeroGarden, including ordering information: www.aerogrow.com WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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There's No Place
Like By Pabla Ayala
ValueRich is once again happy to say,
"Bienvenidos a Miami!"
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For the second consecutive year, the ValueRich Small-cap Financial Expo will be held in sunny Miami Beach . Hundreds of small-cap public company CEOs and CFOs, investment bankers, fund managers, institutional investors, brokers, research analysts, and highnet-worth investors will gather in the Hotel InterContinental Miami for public company expositions, financial presentations and business development. This one - of-a-kind financial expo will feature nonstop networking with small-cap public company management teams. The event is designed to allow public company officers to make financial presentations and have un limited one-on-one meetings in their execu tive suites on the Expo floor- as well as develop multiple investment banking connections at "Bankers' Row " on the expo floor. VIP Bankers Reception Exhibitors, presenters and host banks will, for the fi rst time, have an opportunity to network at an exclusive VIP Invitation Only cocktail get-together the day before the official launch of the Expo. This event will take place on Monday, March 26, 2007 from 5:30 p.m .-7 :30p.m. at
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10 mil the iValueRich .com Lounge located on the Mezzanine Floor of the Hotel InterContinental Miami, and is sponsored by Vision Opportunity Capital Management, LLC and ValueRich Bankers' Row investment banks. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to network and socialize! iValueRich.com Launch During the Expo, be sure to visit the iValueRich.com Lounge, where you can meet Valerie Rich , the face of iValueRich.com, and sign up for the brand-new, groundbreaking Web 2.0 business and financial networking site, "Where Money and Ideas Connect:' Don't wait. Create your profile on iValueRich .com today to begin connecting with thousands of small-cap public company CEOs and CFOs, investment bankers, fund managers, institutional investors, brokers, research analysts, and high-networth investors. iValueRich.com is designed to use the
incredible power and global reach ofthe new Web 2.0 Internet to help companies obtain better financial and industry support in their efforts to raise capital , go public, and increase market awareness without leaving their computers! Sign up now at www.iValueRich.com and use this phenomenal tool to lay the groundwork for great meetings and connections at the Miami Expo- and, when it 's
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Be sure not to miss the party that everyone will be talking about for days, at the posh Shore Club Hotel in the heart of South Beach, Tuesday, 8-11 p.m . Designed by famed British architect David Chipperfield, The Shore Club redefines cool on Miami 's South Beach. Enjoy the exclusive, ultra-chic outdoor poolside ocean breeze and a refreshing, made in Miami, mojito- and treat yourself to a hand -rolled top-of-theline Torario cigar while taking in the Marrakech-inspired ambiance of this beautiful hotel. On Wednesday, March 28, be sure to join us for our closing reception lunch at noon with keynote speaker Charles Gassenheimer, Director and Vice Chairman of Ener1, Inc. From the beaches and tropical breezes to the nightlife of South Beach, this year's 2007 ValueRich Small-cap Financial Expo Miami will have you clicking your ruby slippers together and saying, "There's no place like Miami! There's no place like Miami!" VR
I I video games, and performances by si ng ing animatronic characters? As founder and CEO from 1977 to 1983, Bu shnell brought the company to over $350 million in sales. While these may be his two most memorable creations, they are hardly the only ones. Bushnell has been in stru mental in starting over 20 companies. So perhaps it is not surprising that, at age 63, he is in the midst of yet another personal venture that plays off his lifelong love of gaming . As a follower of the gaming industry, Bushnell noticed what he considered a disturbing trend - once soc ially interactive experiences, electronic game s have now become a more complex, violence -laden, isolationist pu rsuit. Bushnell is bringing socialization back to gaming with uWink, Inc. (OTCBB: UWNK) , a Los Angele s-based digital entertainment company he founded in 2000 . The Company has invested more than $10 million over the past four years developing its entertainment technology and , in October, opened the first uWink restaurant in
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Throughout his life, Nolan Bushnell has been beset by a chronic case of serial innovation. A member of both the Video Game and Consumer El ectro nics As sociation Halls of Fame, Bushnell is revered within the electronic game industry. While hi s name may not be recognized outside gaming circles, if you were a child growing up in the '70s and '80s- or if you're ju st a kid at heart- Nolan Bushnell's creations are likely a memorable part of your life. In 1972, before he turned 30, Bushnell founded Atari and invented the compa-
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ny's first electronic game, Pong (heave a nostalgic sigh and let the reminiscing begin). He grew Atari to more than $800 million in revenue before ultimate ly selling it to Warner Communications . For many this would have been enough . Let's f ace it: being able to say " I invented Pong " is a great icebreaker at cocktail parties and an impressive life accomplishment. But Bu shnell was already working on another project as he was selling Atari- a restaurant chain that ultimately became Chuck E. Cheese. Was there any greater childhood joy than the combination of cheesy pizza,
Woodland Hills, California . The restaurant concept serves up food , drinks and media aimed at casual adult diners. Touch screens at each table and barstool allow visitors to do everything electronically, from submitting their own food and drink orders (delivered by runners) to accessi ng a wealth of entertainment options, including music, media content and games. The game s can be played against tab le members, other restaurant patrons and , eventually, people at other uWink franchi se locations. Bushnell believes uWink will tap into a huge consumer demand for simp le, fun games that facilitate conversation and socializing rather than encourage isolation . Only time will tell whether uWink WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
will become a pop culture legend like some of his previous brainchildren, but ValueRich decided to take this opportunity to get Bushnell 's thoughts on a variety of topics including entrepreneurism , the permanence of Pong and how he manages to keep the cool ideas
do and a constant source of new ideas. I would be less than candid if I didn't [admit to] having heard my kids say, "Dad, that 's really lame:'
one game, an early billiards game, that I was absolutely in love with. I believe we sold six. It was the biggest clinker the world had ever seen. It's sometimes difficult to get that right niche. The game was too hard . I loved it, but no one else could get past the nuances of how to learn how to play it.
VR: You seem to be a fearless trailblazer. What's the craziest thing you've ever done? coming. NB: I think the one that I really VR: There's this whole believed in and it was too VR: What advice would you give to movement afoot in early in the technology innovators or those who are starting . ,... 路... people which adults are side was the household up companies? like to tell embracing what are robot. I ended up losing NB: I think the most important part me that they typically considered a lot of money trying is to right-size your idea . That's kind of games/pursuits of to bring a household met their a term of art, but there are certain ideas youth. One author robot to the masses . It that are too big for a start-up. husband or wife has even coined the was in the '80s and the And try to stay away from ideas that while playing phrase "rejuveniles" technology just wasn't just simply do market research for the Pong for these individuals. good enough. big guys. What can you do to create a What do you think is drivVR: If you relaunched it little bit of ownership so that you 're ing this? today, would it work and catch just not proving a concept and having NB: I think it's because [the games] on? someone come in and take your market were simple. They were fun. They didn't NB: I don't know. My wife made me away? require you to know how to push 47 promise never to get back into the The other thing is to figure out your buttons, with symbols and titles and robotics business, so it won't be from exit strategy early and try to think me. [Laughs] squares. It really hearkens back to gamethrough all the costs. Most entrepreVR: People often view their homes play as it should be, which is a pleasant neurs do not factor in sufficient money as a place to escape everything workdiversion. for customer acquisition . They think VR: Pong is such a universally related. Since your work is all about the world is going to beat a path to recognized pop-culture point of refmastering the art of having fun, do their door. In today 's world, there's just you adopt a serious face when you go erence, even appearing in a recent too much out there for people to even home? American Express commercial with know you exist without doing a lot of Andy Roddick more than three NB: No.I think that all my kids looked work in that area . at our dinner table conversations as verdecades after you invented it. Did you VR: If someone wrote a biography bal hand-to-hand combat and stand-up ever imagine it would become someof you, what would the title be? comedy tryouts. We had fun . thing so memorable? NB: Play It Again, Nolan . I think my VR: I still get a little flutter in my NB: No, not at all. It 's just so simple, life has been a series of adventures, stomach whenever I hear the yet very, very addictive. We knew we and each one sort of stands on tune from Frogger. What's had a very successful game on our its own . I kind of like it that to your favorite classic Atari hands , but we didn't really believe it way. . - t.'. game? would become a cultural icon . People VR: Any regrets? stay路awaY, NB: I think Breakout. I like to tell me that they met their husNB: I wish I hadn 't from also really, really, really sold Atari when I did. I band or wife while playing Pong. It was just simpl y,(~ o liked Asteroids. a two-player game, so if you were a think I sold it too soon . market researc tl- ,,.. VR: You have a long woman , went into a bar and wanted to I was really unhappy history of coming up to see Warner screw it play Pong, you had to pull somebody for the big with innovative prodoff the bar stool ... usually that was a up as badly as they did. guys ucts and ideas. Looking guy. It was sort of acceptable to do that. It was kind of my first back, were there any clinborn and you just hate to Women were actually better Pong playkers in the bunch or were they see it messed up. ers than men were, and it was really fun all winners given the right attention, VR: What is the next milestone for for them. In some ways, it was the first uWink? market conditions and funding? time that they ever beat a guy without NB : I'm very open to saying that NB: Franchising . We're going to be the guy throwing the game. That was when I design a game, half of them are starting that in the next few weeks and very empowering in the early days of clinkers. It's funny, I design things on plan to really be aggressive on that side. the women's liberation movement. paper, can hardly wait to get it up and We feel like we've got proof of concept VR: How do you maintain your coded, and the minute you start playing and everybody loves us. Now we've just "cool factor" with your audience? it you say, "Oh, this isn't fun ." The game got to put the pedal to the metal and NB: I have eight children . They reprebusiness is very, very tricky. I remember be everywhere all at once. R sent a constant critique of things that I
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Reverse Engineering the Reverse Merger By Liza Grant Smith Haunted by a shady past, reverse mergers have begun to reinvent themselves in recent years. Perhaps one of the greatest testaments to the method 's growing credibility was the 2005 New York Stock Exchange reverse merger into electronic trading firm Archipelago. There were 179 reverse merger transactions recorded that year, and the trend shows little sign of slowing . According to the Reverse Merger Report, 44 companies completed reverse mergers with public shells during the third quarter of 2006 . While this was a decline from the 50 deals in Q3 2005, reverse mergers generated the highest aggregate market cap value of any quarter on record. They also continue to outpace IPOs. Through the end of the third quarter, there were 139 reverse mergers compared to 120 IPOs in the same period . Clearly, investors find the new face of reverse mergers attractive. What does this mean to small-cap players? ValueRich spoke with Tim
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Keating, founder of Keating Investments and a reverse merger specialist, with this question in mind. ValueRich: Why are reverse mergers an attractive alternative to IPOs? Tim Keating: First, the IPO market has all but vanished for small-cap companies (issuers who raise $25 million or less in an IPO). If you look at the data for the last six to seven years, there has been on average ten or fewer issuers raising $25 million or less in an IPO. The median amount of capital raised in an IPO is anywhere from (depending on the year) $150-$175 million. So an IPO has become pretty much a large financing, and there are very few small financings going on. Secondarily, the reverse merger plus PIPE has replaced that void almost entirely. It's been able to fill the void for a couple of reasons. One is that the quality of the company being financed with reverse mergers has risen substantially over the past three years . Also,
there is now widespread acceptance in the PIPEs community to make PIPE investments contemporaneous with going-public transactions and reverse mergers. Three years ago, that acceptance was not there. In terms of just understanding the IPO issue, I think I can really boil it down to two things: 1. It's a huge hassle to do a registered offering, and you have the regulatory nightmare . I like to give people the vision of Cerberus , the three -headed dog that guards the gate of Hell. Basically, one ugly head is the SEC, one ugly head is the NASD, and the third ugly head is blue sky. So there's a regulatory nightmare that an issuer and an underwriter have to go through . When you do a reverse merger or PIPE, you still have to deal with the regulators, but you deal with them after you have the money in your bank account and not before. That's a very important distinction. WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
w.Street 2. There is a lot of risk- regulatory or underwriting risk- in doing an I PO, and the economics aren't very good. You have the NASD limiting all the types of compensation you can receive pursuant to Rule 27(k). The econom ics really don't work for small underwriting. Without the economics being there, the underwriters have really di sappeared. VR: What is your firm's selection process? TK: Our business has two geographic focuses . We're active in the U.S. and we also have an office in China . Quantitatively, we're looking for companies that are going to have a minimum market capitalization of $50 million, post-funding. To be a little more precise, our target market capitalization range is typically $50-$150 million. At levels higher than $150 million , you begin to bump up into the smaller IPOs, and that's not our space. In addition to that, we want a company to meet â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ the quantitative criteria for NASDAQ immediately. We're either looking at the net income test of $750K (NI of
VR: Speak a little bit to the value proposition of Keating Investments. TK: We offer a turnkey solution with three value drivers. The first is a going-public solution - a reverse merger or direct filing as alternatives to an IPO. There are various
phases. We call phase one the pre-NASDAQ phase, typically the fir st 12 months, where we target individual investors using sophisticated Web techniques to build an audience of people who are interested in learning about this specific company. Each situation is carefully architected with a specific program that reache s people anonymously, online, and interactively in a multi-dimensional mode. We're not going to Merrill Lynch and making a pitch to the branch office in Long Island. We're building the trading volume, we're building awareness, and we're building an audience. During that process, the company typically files for listing on NASDAQ. The application process takes si x, maybe nine months. Once a company begins trading, we switch to a more traditional mode of investor relations, specifically targeting analysts and funds with a natural interest in companies that trade on NASDAQ and have three or four quarters of reporting as a public company or have an active trading volume.
.44 companies completed reverse mergers with public shells during the third quarter of 2006. While thiS WaS a decline from the 50 dealS in Q3 2005, reverse mergerS generated the highest aggregate market Cap Value Of any quarter On record.
$750K in the last fiscal year or two of the last three years) or $5 million in stockholders equity. Ideally, the companies have both of those. The third quantitative test for NASDAQ is a $50 million market cap, but that 's not something we rely on. Although we
want the company to have an anticipated market cap of $50 million, we don't make it a business judgment. In terms of the qualitative screen , this is definitely a growth stock business. This is not about value. We are looking for exceptional growth . In the case of U.S. companies, we would define that as 24-50 percent growth per annum over the next two or three years. In the case of Chinese companies, we would pick 50- 100 percent growth over the next two or three years. We expect all of these companies to be profitable, but we can and do make exceptions. One of the companies in our portfolio is a fuel cell company in the green-tech space that has a very strong balance sheet, but will not be making commercial sales until probably the latter part of 2007 . In thi s case it was a late -stage pre-revenue company as WWW.VREXPO . NET
opposed to a start-up, and it d id have a significant fuel cell business that had been developed many years over time. We have different industry focuses in the U.S. and China . China is very much an old-economy play, so we're looking for industries that benefit from the major trends like autos, health care, housing, construction, and natural resources. In the U.S., we're looking more at consumer brands, entertainment, education, alternative energy, and clean tech . We also have a social networking company and are looking at things that are benefiting from the Web 2.0 world or the digital revolution .
techniques, but the technique is not as important as the result. We don't want to be the man with the hammer who has the same solution for every company. Sometimes a trading shell makes sense, sometimes a non-trading shell makes sense, and in certain cases a direct filing makes sense. We really try to provide a customized solution based on the facts and circumstances of the issuer. Second, capital is key. As a brokerdealer, we are positioned to directly provide that capital. The third leg of the stool is aftermarket support. We figured out years ago that traditional investor relations programs do not work for emerging companies . I would broadly categorize a lot of current techniques as spamming . And they are completely ineffective. We didn't want our companies to be associated with guys who did nothing but send out irritating e-mail s to worthless lists. We will no longer take companies public unless they sign up for our aftermarket support. It's a 24-month program divided into two relatively simple
The mission , very simply, is to create a widely held, actively traded and fully valued stock. At the end of 24 months, our aftermarket support activitie s should cease and our companies should take that function in-house.
VR: Are there any particular Keating Investment success stories that stand out in your mind? TK: Puda Coal (OTCBB: PUDC) is a company that is completing the pre NASDAQ phase and I am sure will be filing a NASDAQ application in 2007 . It is a widely held, actively traded , fully valued stock, and the type of tran saction we did back in 2005. Another recent transaction that is still in the development stage is a company called DigitaiFX (OTCBB: DFXN) . It has a large affiliate group, it is developing trading, and we're building the shareholder base. I think it has a valuation that recogni zes the potential of the enterprise, and it 's a really good company to follow. A third company , AeroGrow 2007
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Clean .lng Up the Shell Game
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Keat!ng believes some key in.fluences have helped to legitimize the reverse -merger mdustry today:
Source Book
Industry Association
Industry News
Reverse Mergers: Taking a Company
Press Written for private-company CEOs, CFOs and the investment bankers, lawyers and accountants who advi se them, this comprehensive book is the first to explain how reverse mergers work,
The Reverse Merger Association was formed on April 12, 2006, by David Feldman (Founder/ Managing Partner of Feldman Weinstein & Smith, LLP), Timothy Halter (Founder of Halt Financial Group and Founder/Co-Managing Director of the Halter USX China Index and Halter USX India Index), Nimish Patel, JD/ MBA/CPA (a partner at Richardson & Patel, LLP), and Tim Keating as a trade association focusing on ethics and advocacy for its members, engaged in reverse mergers and other alternatives to traditional public offer-
The Reverse Merger Report,
from both a business and a legal perspective.
ings. www.reversemergerassociation .com
International (OTCBB: AGWI), is an
"We're never going to be an agent. We're always going to own our own shells and find our own companies." There was an incident in 2001 where the SEC closed down about six Web sites. According to a huge article in The Wall Street Journal, they were violating securities laws by conducting a secur ities business without being regulated. One of our distinguishing factors is that we are both a registered broker-dealer and a registered investment adviser.
Public Without an /PO , by David
N. Feldman and Steven Dresner (Contributor), $79.95, Bloomberg
example of a company that was merged into a non-trading shell. If you look at AeroGrow 's Web site, you will see what we've done in terms of developing an awareness program. This is a very good example of a company that has created a full investor relations program in ant icipat ion of receiving a ticker symbol, which they expect to have in early 2007.
VR: Were you in any way inhibited to get into an industry that had such a negative connotation associated with it?
The issuers can check our background on the NASD Web site and know we are aboveboard.
TK: We like to say that the industry has gone from infamy to legitimacy in the last three years. We got into the business si x years ago with a company we had an ownership stake in. The business fa il ed, so we turned it into a shell. We tried to find a candidate to merge into it and all we found was a lack of credible information and people. With one exception , the guys we were dealing with were sleazeballs . That is the only way I could describe them. So there we were, with a shell we were trying to salvage for shareholders and a screaming need for a firm to assist with this, and I didn't really find any that could do it. There were about si x or seven things that I thought were wrong with the indu stry. Our business plan simply identified those repugnant and reprehensible aspects of the industry and sa id we were going to do it 180 degrees opposite. There were a lot of middlemen and agents and multiple layers. We said,
a quarterly publication by DeaiFiow Media that offers news, informa tion and analysi s of shell mergers, specified purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and alternative IPO deal structures. www.dealflowmedia.com
als with pedigrees from top academic institutions and the best financial institutions in the country. That sends a very strong message as to the type of people we attract and the type of people who work with us. So, these are some of the things we set out to do to distinguish ourse lves. The industry has been tainted, but it's part of our mission to clean it up.
VR: What is one piece of advice that you'd give small-caps if you could tell them anything? TK: My number one piece of advice for a small public company is to understand what it truly means to operate the business of being a public company. All public companies have two jobs- to run their operations and to run the business of
All public companies have two jobs to run their operations and to run the business of being a public company.
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We also recognized that the capital raising was critical. As a broker-dealer, we were set up to raise capital. We certainly offer support by simultaneously raising capital for these companies as they go public. Additionally, we realized that market making was absolutely critical. Keating Securities is one of approximately 225 remaining market makers on the Bulletin Board, and that number has been cut in half over the last five years. Our role as a market maker is very vital in terms of getting aftermarket support. Over time, we came to rea lize that aftermarket support had to be a core competency. Another thing: It 's obviously very important to have quality people and a substantial staff. We now have 22 people in our organization- 13 in Denver and nine in Shanghai. We have profession-
being a public company. Unlike larger companies, when you are an emerging public company, the job of being a public company is equally as important as your core operations. I would argue that 95 percent of the management teams of small -cap public companies don 't understand this. One of the Q-factors we look at when screening prospective candidates is the question "Do we think this management team truly understands the job of being a public company in the Sarbanes-Oxley world we live in today? " Very sadly, most of them don't. R
Final Thought "Unless and until there's substantial overhaul in the capital formation process of the smallcap end of th e market, this altern at ive goingpublic technique will thrive and flourish." WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .CO M
What's your favorite place to travel? London. I lived there for nine years.
What's the worst job you've ever had? I honestly have to say none in my professional career. I've been very fortunate. I've had three great jobs with three great companies. You 'd probably have to go back to when I was a dishwasher or was doing some other undesirable jobs in college to find ones that I really didn't like. I was on the dorm crew for a while and cleaned toilets my freshman year at Harvard . That was pretty bad.
What was your "coolest" moment in business?
out the world. Or maybe I'd find so mething else I could do in co nnectio n w ith being a histori antraveler, somethi ng where you would basically travel and study history.
Behind the Numbers
What was your latest big indulgence? I probably have more golf country club memberships that I reasonably need.
What's the best golf course you've ever played? In the U.S., I would say Bandon Dun es in Oregon. In Europe, my favorite course would be Turnberry in Scotland.
What quote or motto do you use as a guide?
It definitely had to be leaving the safety net of a large company environment and forming Keating Investments on August 29, 1997.
From the business side it's a humorous quote, but an important one: "May we drown in cas h."
If you could ever chuck it all and do something frivolous for a living, what would it be?
If you could attribute your firm's success to one thing, what would it be?
As long as you don't put any limitations on it, I'd basically try and golf five days a week through-
Rigo r. Quality and rigor in everything we do.
Past
Education
• Managed the European Equity Trading Department at Bear Stearns International Ltd. in London • Founded and ran the European Equity Derivative Products Department for Nomura International pic in London • Began career in the Financial Future s Department at Kidder, Peabody & Co. in New York and Lon don
198S cum laude graduate of Harvard College with an A.B. in Economics
Personal Stats Married for 16 years with one so n (11 years old) and one daughter (6 years old)
Residence Denver, Colorado
WALL STREET RESEARCH. ORG
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At WallStreet Research, a twenty five year old research boutique, our priJDa.IY goal is to identify substantially undexvalued companies in the microcap area. We take pride in the quality of the in-depth investigative and analytical sexvice we perform and provide to sophisticated investors interested in emerging growth public companies. Stocks and industries researched by our specialists consistently offer significant price appreciation plus increased trading volume. Our reports get wide distribution on our website and via a proprietary database and through major website channels of distribution including AOL, Bloomberg, and Yahoo. For a preview of our track record and more infonnation about our leading analysts and to enhance shareholder value, please visit our website at www.WallStreetR.esearch.org. CONTACT OUR ANALYSTS TO CONSIDER WALLSTREET RESEARCH COVERAGE ON YOUR COMPANY! MR. JOHNKEFFALAS , SR. ASSOCIATE, 310 444-3940 MR.ALAN STONE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, 212 521-4102 590 MADISON AVENUE, 21ST FLOOR, NYC , 10022 10940 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, 16TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES CA, 90024 TELEPHONE: (310) 444-3940 • FAX (310) 444-3941 EMAIL: ASTONE@ALANSTONE.COM WWW VREXPO. NET
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Harley Earl stands next to a full-sized clay model of the Le Sabre concept car during a 1950 photo session for advanced publicity. The working concept car toured America beginning in 1951.
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ow many times have you heard the phrase "As GM goes, so goes the nation"? How often have you come across someone referring to "America 's love affair with the automobile"? These common sayings epitomize American culture in the 20th century and remind us of a heritage that we struggle to retain. And this tradition probably would not exist if not for one man - Harley Earl. Harley Earl came to General Motors in 1927 and retired in 1958. During that time, he turned the business of design ing, mass-producing and marketing automobiles on its head. With the possible exception of Henry Ford, no other person has sing le-handedly contributed more to the evolution of the modern automobile industry. Yet oddly, outside the world of automotive historians and classic car buffs, Earl's name and legacy are virtually unrecognized today. He is best known as the designer of the big tailfins of the 1950s, but he actually created and legitimized the profession of automotive design in the process, giving birth to the modern car- freeing it from its "Tin Lizzie" beginnings. Before he was finished, he would become the father of the Corvette and stretch the definition of the automobile almost to the breaking point with fighter jet- inspired Firebird concept cars. In fact, Earl was the first to introduce the idea of the concept car. The 1938 Y Job was a sleek, low-slung, wide prototype built for the sole purpose of testing, demonstrating and conducting market research for Earl's design principles. Earl's time at GM was punctuated with exuberant specials and Dream Cars. Under Earl, GM was the first to showcase cars of the future at its GM Motorama shows and road races such as Watkins Glenn. WWW.VREXPO .NET
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Ill\ -try of coachbuilders was responsible for taking Detroit's cha ssis and drive trains and converting them into stylish special-
The 7 Y Job concept car introduced E~ vision that cars should be IGnger, lower, wider and oblong.
The 1954 Bonneville Special Motorama concept car sold first, for $2.8 million. Immediately afterward , a 1950 GM Futurliner Parade of Progress transport bus was on the block. After furious bidding, the Futurliner went for $4 million to the bidder who had just bought the Bonneville Special.
California dreaming
The 1954 Bonneville Special at the Barrett-Jackson auction, January 2006. Earl often used these unique marvels as hi s own car. Several of these vehicles have recently fetched record-breaking prices at auction . His 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car sold for $3 million at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January 2005, breaking a 15-year record by $1 million . One year later, two more Earl classics sold at Scottsdale for a combined $6.8 million , also setting new reco rds .
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Henry Ford once said , "People can have the Model Tin any color- so long as it's black." That statement in essence describes the state of the automobile industry when Earl went to Detroit in 1927. Building automobiles was a matter of cobbling together the engine, transmission, frame and wheels, then bolting on a casket-like body and the remaining seats, headlamps and accessories. Engineers on the assembly line worked up any changes. At the time, a diverse cottage indus-
Removal of running boards Chrome window reveals, body molding and garnishing Glorified hood louver designs Streamlined fender headlamps Streamlined bumpers and guards Built-in trunks Hidden spare tire All-metal turret roof Lowered chassis and center of gravity
VALUERICH
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label cars for wealthy enthusiasts. Earl learned his craft at his father 's successful carriage works in Los Angeles. After graduating from Stanford University, he began constructing coachbuilt cars for Hollywood movie stars. He built such a reputation that he eventually was hired by the Cadillac Motor Company as a consultant to build the beautiful 1927 LaSalle. It was the first American production car designed by a stylist. With 27,000 units sold in the first year, it wa s a phenomenal success . Earl was immediately invited by GM President Alfred P. Sloan Jr. to join GM and establish the first design studio for a major automotive manufacturer. Earl 's personal vision was to transform the automobile for the masses. To do so, he needed the unqualified support of Sloan and other major stockholders of GM , and he got it. Earl 's little department had unprecedented power over the entire development and manufacturing process . This fundamental change in business strategy would shake the very foundation of the automobile industry and quickly make GM the dominant auto manufacturer for decades. The original GM Art and Color Section founded by Earl became part of the GM administration within a few years when
'Harley Earl is responsible for more than half of GM's greatest 20th century milestones.'
Distinctive radiator grille designs for easier model identification Two- and three-spoke, flexible and thin-rimmed steering wheels Steering wheel horn Grouped instruments in front of driver for better visibility Wider body design Torpedo-style body and two-toned paint jobs Streamlined coupe body Streamlined door handles for safety Wraparound bumpers
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
Earl was named vice president of Styling in 1940. By 1950, the Styling Section had equal corporate decision-making power with Finance and Engineering. It is no coincidence that, during this period, GM 's market share skyrocketed and it became the largest auto manufacturer in the world . Prior to Earl 's arrival, the engineer was king in Detroit, so Earl was plagued throughout his entire career by jealousy from the company 's engineers and the manufacturing managers. Any engineer who tried to cross GM Styling, however, came to regret it.
Telling the future Henry Ford also said at one time, "You can't bu ild a reputation on what you are going to do:' Wrong again. That's precisely what Harley Earl set out to do. With concept cars, promotional tours and a showman's instincts, Earl had the American populace imagining an autotopian future. He captured the hearts and minds of America for GM. Because of his panache and steady stream of much-ballyhooed concept cars during the 1950s, he is often viewed primarily as a stylist, but Earl was an excellent engineer in his own right. He once wrote that "in the case of the automobile, mechanical improvements, too, have contributed to improved appearance. In fact , it is rather an accepted principle that as a product is improved functionally, it tends to become better artistically." In a taped interview, Irvin W. Rybicki, a 42-year GM veteran who worked under Earl and later became a vice president of GM Design , said, "Harley Earl is respon sible for more than half of GM 's greatest 20th century milestones."
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a model is worth a thousand pictures.' Earl can legitimately be called the father of the automotive design profession. Detroit had never seen techniques like his before. He was the first to do fullsized drawings and full-sized clay models before building prototype vehicles. He believed that in doing so, designers avoided the pitfalls of bad design, and he liked to say, "A picture is worth a thousand words, and a model is worth a thousand pictures." By 1950, the GM Styling Section employed over 1,000 people and had a solid monopoly on being the trendset-
ter for the auto industry. No one could argue against the success of Earl's design-first approach or the fact that style was the main factor that sold cars. The other auto manufacturers staged raids to pirate away GM designers. This spread Earl 's techniques far and wide, and soon the whole industry was using Sloan and Earl 's harmonious design , manufacturing and marketing methods to one degree or another. The GM Styling Section was the emanation point for modern automobile industry practices such as the yearly style changes that Earl called "dynamic obsolescence:' Earl was also instrumental in founding the Art Center College in Los Angeles in 1934, by funding landmark design scholarship programs to teach his design methods. By the 1960s, over 25 different colleges nationwide were
__ By founding the first design studio for a maj~r_ au~o m_a_nllf95;,\Urer! Harley Earl \lad !'l~ opportunity to literally ; .~ ~ reinvent the modern automobile. Some of theiinnovations of.GM's design group:under :Earl include:
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• Curved rear windows • Wraparound windshields • Electric windows • Heated seats • Keyless entry • Hideaway power convertible top • Concealed filler caps • Double taillights • Front and rear stylized g uilt-in parking and turn signals
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Telescoping radio antenna Needle-type speedometer Interior sun visors Crash-test dummies Annual style changes: "dynamic obsolescence" Interchangeable bodies across all GM divisions Concept cars and Motorama shows
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'Design dragged engineering kicking ana screaming into the 20th century.'
Earl and the Damsels of Design pose for a 1958 magazine article.
involved in styling partnerships with GM.
Ahead of his time Earl was always on the lookout for new talent and recognized that creative minds came in a variety of packages. He hired the first female designer in the industry in 1943, and continued hiring women and some openly gay design -
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ers as a matter of practice . Eventually, he had a woman on each design team - noting that women cast the deciding vote in 70 percent of automobile purchases. In 1956, he used his staff's diversity as a PR and marketing tool by presenting special auto fashion shows where his female designers were given carte blanche to add feminine design touches
and brand names to various GM concept vehicles. Sue Vanderbilt, an art graduate of Pratt Institute who was the only woman member of the Cadillac design staff for nearly two years, quoted Harley Earl as once saying, "Design dragged engineering kicking and screaming into the 20th century:' Giving female designers decision power proved to be a lightning rod for Earl's detractors and created additional internal controversy around the Styling Section . Many in the male-dominated industry were dead set against it. After Earl's retirement in 1958, GM's incoming VP of Styling, Bill Mitchell, demoted all female designers, saying, "No women are going to stand next to any senior designers of mine on any exterior styling of Cadillac or GM 's other major brands:'
A larger-than-life target While Earl was often front and center when rolling out new car models, he
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studiously avoided promoting his own celebrity or taking personal credit for the end result of GM Styling . He often admonished reporters who excluded giving his st aff full credit. He was also known for throwing lavish dinners and parties for the Styling staff on GM's dime. Earl's department was the goose that laid the golden egg. There was seemingly no limit to its budget. Earl preferred to drive un ique hand-built cars, and would often have very valuable concept cars flown to his travel destination for his personal transportation . None of this served to reduce the animosity that other division heads and management held toward him . Father of the Corvette
In 1951, GM's Styling Section unveiled the Le Sabre concept car -arguably the most famous concept car of all time. The Le Sabre drew a very strong response from both men and women at auto shows. The car had so much sexual power that wives of GM executives complained when their husbands toured with it. One of the first public outings for the Le Sabre was at Watkins Glenn, a European-style road race event begun in 1948. Through the local Chevrolet dealer, Earl arranged fo r the Le Sabre to be the pace car. The outing was a successful PR venture for GM. But the Le Sabre, as a concept car, was built for research pu rposes too: Earl was eager to learn how a group of American auto enthusiasts would react to his car of the
Earl had the idea for the Corvette, America's first sports car, at the Watkins Glenn race. The Corvette was a true sports car. Its size and weight were a significant departure from previous GM models, or any other American-made car, for that matter. But its styling lineage definitely emanated from the Le Sabre- especially when looking at the cockpit with its rakish wraparound windshield and the hide-away power convertible top. Promise lost
In an article in the March 1950 iss ue of GM Folks magazine entitled "Growi ng Stops for Automobiles," Earl stated that he thought automobiles had reached their maximum width and length and that, through better space utilization,
automobiles would begin to shrink in size without reducing interior space and comfort. The 1954 GM Motorama introduced a bevy of smaller concept cars across all of GM 's brands . It was a treasure trove of new idea s that included the Oldsmobile F88 and Pontiac Bonneville Special, both mentioned earlier in this article for bringing record prices at auction today. Many new Chevrolet models would eventually come from this litter of pups- Corvair, Nomad and El Dorado, to name just a few. GM Styling reached a new level of exuberance in the mid-1950 s. New designs experimented with Plexiglas
future. What he found was that Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar and Alfa were having a field day selling small, fast sports cars to post-war road-racing enthusiasts in America. The intensely patriotic Earl went back to Detroit determined to give America its own sports car. Two years later, a new GM concept car appeared out in front of the same Chevrolet deal at the Watkins Glenn race, the Corvette. It was only 33 inches high, with a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body. Its high -compression aluminumpiston "B lu e Flame" engine utilized triple side-draft carburetors and an in body dual exhaust system to increase performance. WWW. VREXPO.NET
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The first jet plane could only fly for a minute or so. Now they cross over the
Earl stands with the gas turbine powered Firebird i (XP-2 7), the Firebird II and the Firebird Ill. This is the direction GM cars were headed when he retired in 7958.
Atlantic. Answers are stubborn things . But if you don't start something, you never find them . At least we have a gas turbine engine in a car:' When Earl retired in 1958, he was clearly ahead of the curve on the smallcar revolution . But foreign imports would lead that revolution 10 to 15 years later - and U.S. automakers would be caught with their pants down. How did this happen? As Earl 's inevitable retirement approached, a number of GM 's top designers began jockeying for position to become the new Earl of Detroit. None of them could match Earl 's powerful leadership, however. GM's Financial and Engineering divisions gained increasing leverage ove r the process, and design became more of a committee function . One result of this change of focus in management is that Earl 's "dynamic obsolescence" strategy, which annually enticed buyers to trade in their cars for more fashionably styled vehicles, is now often confused with "planned obsolescence," connoting disposab le products with a short lifespan. The once all-powerful GM is now a beleaguered corporation with a market share that continues to head south toward 25 percent . Like its U.S. rival Ford, it appears that GM will be eclipsed by Toyota in the next fe w years as the world 's leading auto manufacturer.
>bubble tops, lightc: "' E weight exotic 3 metals, fiberglass and plastic body construction, and new power plants. The 1954 XP-21 Firebird was a gas turbine - powered jet on wheels. As exotic as the Firebird was , Earl The 7954 Bonneville Special ... granddaddy to the Solstice? also saw it as a practical experiment. "The design for agile at lower speeds;' said Earl in a 1954 American pride the car of tomorrow will emphasize newspaper article. "Maybe the experieconomy, fewer handle s and knobs, mental XP-21 Firebird, with its economiThese days , GM President Rick more glass, less weight and [be] more cal running engine, holds the answers. Wagoner and the CEOs of Chrysler and Ford are beseeching President Bush for tax breaks and other programs to "level the playing field " with foreign car manufacturers . Bush, on the other hand, has Richard Earl knew his grandfather Harley Earl as "Pops;' and he grew up been quoted by the Associated Pres s with a lot of really cool cars around . It wasn 't until a 1985 visit to the GM as saying what manufacturers really Technical Center, where he viewed some of Pops' clay model prototypes that need to do is create "a product that 's he became fully aware of the depth of his grandfather's contributions to the relevant." automobile industry. Today, Richard Earl makes appearances to speak about It is interesting to note that the 2007 Pontiac Solstice looks remarkably similar Harley Earl's legacy and maintains the extensive, and somewhat controversial, Web site www.carofthecentury.com, detailing Harley Earl 's design history. to Harley Earl 's 1954 Pontiac Bonneville The controversy comes from Richard Earl's discovery of numerous interSpecial. Is this return to Earl inspired views and documents which lead him to the conclusion that, subsequent to design too little, too late? It would Earl 's retirement, GM administrative and Style Section leaders may have intenappear that, without reasserting the tionally squelched, and even altered information about the Company's heyday strategic pre-eminence of design that under Earl, in order to promote their own agendas. Harley Earl's GM Styling Section enjoyed, it probably is. R
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The World of Wall Street Professionals Obvious sign of a Wall Street wannabe or poseur:
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A 30-year-old with suspenders.
Sponsor leverage.
One thing all Wall Street professionals should have in their closets to fit in:
Gin &Tonic.
A steel Rolex.
One thing all Wall Street professionals should have in their closets to stand out: A Savile Row doubled-vented suit.
After greed, which of the seven deadly sins (greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, pride) are Wall Street professionals most likely to commit?
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Picture yourself ... in a boat on a river. This one's on the South Island of New Zealand and you 're jetting down the narrow canyons of the Dart River. That seems natural enough because earlier in the day you were heliskiing in the aptly named Remarkable Mountains or bungee jumping off the Kawara Bridge . No other destination delivers more outdoor adrenaline than the islands of New Zealand . Even Helen Clark, the country's first woman prime minister, scales mountains. (Her motto: " Keep climbing - metaphorically and physically:') Note to self : Because it is in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand's seasons are the opposite of ours, so your summer holiday is a "Down under " winter. No problem, just check the school holiday schedules to avoid the rush of young Kiwis, and save the challenging Milford Sound Trek for the opposite sea son . This trip, be sure to combine your adventure with more than a little pampering at New Zealand's network of extraordinary lodges. Fine dining and a roaring fire mix well with a day of heli-skiing. With so much to do, the hardest thing is to choose. I sug-
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gest making your base of operations in Queenstown and from there venture out on day trips. It's easy to get around , and Kiwis are friendly ambassadors, always eager to show off their country. Let's Go! Use your frequent flyer miles for the 12-hour nonstop flight from California to Auckland, on the North Island. Stay there for a few days or make your way directly to Queenstown.
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Sunrise on the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles off the coa st of Ecuador. What are you going to do today? This is an expedition, so surprises are the order of the day. You'll swi m with sea lions, snorkel with sea turtle s and kayak unobtrusively to observe the rich diversity of this wildlife sanctuary. Maybe you'll find a quiet corner of a deserted beach to watch the mating dance of the blue-footed boobies. After all, thi s is the birthplace of evolution: The species that Charles Darwin studied are still here for you to observe up close- Darwin finches, penguins, marine iguanas, giant tortoises. To get the most out of your experience, you'll cruise these islands with a naturalist by your side providing insight into natural history. The Galapagos Conservation Fund, which Lindblad Expe ditions started in 1997, has raised more than $3.5 million to support essential conservation work on the Galapagos Islands, so your visit will help protect thi s spec ial place. This is no ordinary classroom; it brings out the kid in all of us. Everyone feels and acts younger here. It's the ultimate field trip for adults- and bring the family, too! Let's go! Lindblad Expeditions, 1 0-day Galapagos cruise aboard the fully air-conditioned expedition vessels Islander (48 passengers) or Polaris (80 passengers). From $4,1 SO per person (plus airfare), departing every Saturday. www.expeditions.com
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All images on this page courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
Your view from the Four Seasons Prague is a jaw-dropper: a storybook panorama of the Vltava River, 14th-century Charles Bridge, and Prague Castle. Life goes on all around you in Prague much as it has for centuries. Anyone interested in culture owes it to themselves to consider a visit to Europe's best-preserved Old World capital city. I recommend Abercrombie & Kent 's "Signature Eastern Europe" tour, which visits Budapest, Vienna and Prague . This independent lu xury tour program offers the best of all worlds -local expert s, private sightseeing at your pace, first-class rail transportation and the best hotel accommodations, combined with the relative economies of a pre-packaged tour.
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Insider 's tip: Hungary and the Czech Republic have joined the European Union but have not yet switched their currencies to the euro, making local purchases- crystal stemware in Prague, lace and linens in Budapest- a real bargain. As the sun sets in Prague, the jazz clubs heat up. The night is young and the cobblestone streets call. A culturist 's job is never done. Let's go! Abercrombie & Kent, 12-day Signature Eastern
Europe tour. From $8,995 per person (plus airfare), departing Wednesdays April through October. www.abercrombiekent.com
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Champagne, smiles and sandy feet.
Truth be told, you're a pleasure seeker at heart, and your holiday at legendary Little Di x Bay on the Caribbean isle of Virgin Gorda fits the bill. What's not to love? Your Mango Pineapple Sugar Scrub (a treatment, not a dessert) pairs nicely with ocean breezes and sounds of waves at the new open-air spa atop a stunning bluff at the western end of the property. Staffer Malcolm speeds you by private whaler to the Baths at Devil 's Bay to snorkel among the famous boulders unique to this island. Or order a private picnic on a hidden beach. Follow your own pleasure principle. But the big news at Little Di x is the remarkable renovation over the past two years. Martein Van Wagenberg, seasoned Caribbean hotelier, has brought his considerable talents to bear on the rebirth of this legend . Expan sive, light-filled junior suites now boast wrap-around patios, indoor and outdoor private showers, huge soaking tubs, and in-room phones and air conditioning. (While there is now WiFi access throughout the entire property, there are still no TVs in the rooms - a nod to the resort 's original mission to enjoy nature and unplug from the real world.) But indulge me a moment longer: On your last night, under starry skies, you find yourself dining at a table on a half-moon beach , enjoying gourmet cuisine served course by course by private waiters. You've found your personal holiday heaven. Let's Go! Little Dix Bay, a Rosewood Resort, offers three-bedroom villas, beach bungalows and "tree houses" on Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, from just under $825 a night (a summer bargain!). www.littledixbay.com R 70
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The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations By Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom, $24.95, Portfolio Hardcover The book begins with an account of how the Apaches, delve into the challenges that terrorist organizations such as unlike the Aztecs, the Incas and every other group of al Qaeda present, and offer some interesting examples of how Native Americans, were undefeated by both the Spanish similar organizations have been rendered ineffectual. and American armies for 200 years. According to Ori Brafman But for the business reader, The Starfish and the Spider really and Rod A. Beckstrom, the Apaches ' unique advantage was pays off as Brafman and Beckstrom dissect business strategy decentralization. They lived in small groups and did not have in the modern age of the Internet- the most decentralized tribal chiefs or a rigid society and hierarchical political strucof all environments. Using the stories of Skype, Craigslist, eBay, Napster, Wikipedia and many other businesses, they show how ture. Every individual was free to do as they wished. Leaders would emerge by doing something remarkable, inspiring othnew business is increasingly being built by decentralized orgaers to follow them by choice. nizations on the graves of corporate giants and sometimes When the Spanish army showed up, the Apaches would entire industries. The title for The Starfish and the Spider came about after a simply disperse into the wilderness . When one leader was killed, another would rise in his place. naturalist friend pointed out an analogy between their description of decentralThe more pre ssure the Spanish and Americans applied, the more dispersed, ized organizations and the anatomy of resilient and fanatical the Apaches a starfish . The starfish's central nervous became. Such is the nature of leadersystem is dispersed uniformly through less (or decentralized) organizations. out the whole organism. If you chop off The Apaches were eventually subdued, one of the arms of a starfish, it grows but not by force. U.S . government another one. Sometimes the severed Indian agents gave them cows- creappendage will even grow into a separate starfish . ating an economy of ownership that led to a more centralized and therefore Although it looks similar to a starfish, a spider has a central nervous system controllable society. and head. If you chop off its leg, you get Brafman and Beckstrom compare the story of the Apaches directly to the a crippled spider. Chop off more legs or conflict between modern -day enterinjure its head , and it dies. tainment companies and file -sharing In the Starfish and the Spider, Brafman Web sites. Initially, music-sharing Web and Beckstrom do more than simply tell LEADERLESS ORGANIZATIONS tales of starfish organizations that are sites were not created for profit. They offered contributions from thousands changing the world . They have used their research to clearly identify the of sources and existed solely because cJ 1.; I 1: 1: \ I路 ~I 路\ ~ t\ H 0 P \ _ II E C h. .S r n 0 :.t five operating principles necessary for their users wanted easy access to a decentralized organization to thrive . music. Decentralized organizations are typically founded by individuThe big entertainment companies did not understand the al s who act as a catalyst (1) to create circles of devotees (2) decentralized nature of file sharing . They reacted through the around an ideology (3). They usually are built on a pre-existing courts and by developing digital rights management technolnetwork (4) and then grow through the committed efforts of ogy, just as they would to confront any threat from a central a champion (5) . Each one of the se legs is explored in depth, ized foe . But for every file -sharing Web site they managed with applicable real-world examples. to successfully close down through litigation, a dozen more While Brafman and Beckstrom make no predictions about sprang up in its place. Rather than putting a stop to file sharthe business world of tomorrow, through copious research ing, they have alienated good customers with heavy-handed and insightful analysis they give pretty clear indications that rights management schemes and legal tactics. surviving and thriving businesses in the future will need to In The Starfish and the Spider, Brafman and Beckstrom give metamorphose away from thei r spider-like qualities to become us example after example of the incredible growth potential, more like starfish . vitality and resilience of decentralized organizations . The The Starfish and the Spider is written in an engaging anecbook is filled with engaging stories such as how Alcoholics dotal style that most readers will warm to immediately. It is a Anonymous, despite its lack of headquarters or franchise organatural selection for anyone who plan s to evolve in business nization, grew to become one of the world's largest organiover the next few decades. zations and how subsequent difficulties developed once a foundation was created to receive book royalties . They also
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creating a network that those compa nies can then leverage and tap to get their message out there and to build their linkages. But more broadly, those compan ies can use new technologies to have a much bigger footprint than they ever had before- in the outward-bound communications sense. By blogging about what they 're up to and their products, or about how their customers use their products, they 'll increase and enhance the whole customer interface by being direct- not necessarily having to spe nd a ton of money on advertising and traditional marketing, but gearing it more toward honest communication . Secondly, a lot of companies can put up wikis [a wiki is a collaborative Web site whose content can be edited by anyone who has access to it] where their employees and their customers can jointly create large knowledge bases and information . This is one example of what companies ca n do to get a larger footprint and add a lot more value in the market space. And also , there is the notion of companies acting as catalysts, in other words becoming players - kind of like you are- to catalyze new interaction s among market participants within their own respective markets. Whether they are making lawnmowers, specialized analog chips or mea surement devices or whatever, there are probably new ways that they can network with their suppliers, customers and the wor ld to leverage this. ValueRich:The idea of decentralization, as you describe it in The Starfish and the Spider, is interesting. You take a rather broad view and give us a lot of very different examples of successful decentralized organizations and companies. It is quite an eye opener. It got me to thinking about the challenges that small public companies face. I'm wondering if the kind of networking that is emerging online- coupled with .com some aspects of decentralization, as you illustrate in your book- could really be of benefit to small companies.
i
Rod Beckstrom: I think in this new wo rld, w here hierarchies are being flat-
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tened, individuals, small companies and small groups can have tremendous power where they didn't have power before . And they can have a voice where they didn't have a voice before. Clearly, when I look at the network you are building [iValueRich.com), you are directly addressing this. When you develop a mass of companie s that is of
Ori Brafman: In the old days (pre 1995) there was nothing that you could really do to compete with large -cap companies in terms of gaining visibility. How could you really compete with the PR budget of GM? In this new world, there is really an advantage to what we call th e di seconomies of scal e. Not only
Ithink in this new world, where hierarchies are being flattened, individuals, small companies and small groups can have tremendous power where they didn't have power before. sufficient intere st so that investors can make efficient use of their tim e to get access to a lot of company information, that 's a really compelling model. You are
are you strategically able to be more fle xible in the marketplace but, as a smaller-cap company, you are actually more able to adopt the se new tech noloWWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
gies earlier - whether it is a wiki or a community, etc. From the consumer or analysts' perspective, people are just now starting to understand a more "starfish" or decentralized company, and really appreciate its powe r. I think a lot of your companies are going to be able to tap into this nascent awareness. People are beginning to say, "Wait a second. I'm evaluating AT&T vs. Skype. By the old measurements, AT&T should have completely won! Right? " There is no reason why Skype should have won the battle . AT&T was better capitalized . It had a track record. It had excellent senior management . And Skype was just these guys in London and Estonia , for God 's sake. But they're completely decimating AT&T, Deutsch Telekom, and really all the huge telecoms by doing the "starfish" play. VR: In the book, you mentioned Oprah's Book Club, which I thought was an interesting example because she and her people thought they were just using programming to promote reading. But what happened was a kind of network effect, where the club circles took on a life of their own. Then you had all of these bestsellers coming out of the group, a fact that was then picked up by the news media. It created incredible trans-media power for Oprah in the publishing industry. It got me thinking about how the shareholders of small companies are often knowledgeable industry types who have talents and experience they could bring to bear for the company. I suppose, taking the more decentralized starfish approach, a small company could really put their shareholders to work for them, could they not? Rod: That's a great analysis . Ori: The interesting thing about the network effect is that it is difficult to create, but once you create it, it starts building on itself incredibly rapidly. I would argue that a company like Google, which has a huge market cap, hasn 't been ab le to create a network WWW.VREXPO .NET
Ori Brafman (left) and Rod Beckstrom
About the Authors: Born in Israel and raised in Texas, Ori Brafman holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University 's Graduate School of Business, where he has since facilitated an MBA course on interpersonal dynamics. Brafman is the co -founder of Vegan Action, a starfish organization with 36 national and international chapters that has brought vegan foods into numerous college dining halls. Rod Beckstrom moved from Oklahoma to California to attend Stanford, where he was president of the combined undergraduate and graduate student bodies . While earning his MBA at Stanford, Beckstrom started a risk management company on the side to help cover tuition . C*ATS software grew into a multinational NASDAQ-traded company. Rod "retired" from his position as CEO in 1999, but has since served in leadership positions with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and several technology startups. Prodded and coached by Nobel Laureate William F. Sharpe, Beckstrom co-edited the first book on Value at Risk, a modern theory of risk management. He has been cited on issues of technology and finance in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and many other international publications. Brafman and Beckstrom have also co-founded Global Peace Networks, a network of CEOs working on conflict resolution and economic development in Africa and the Middle East.
The interesting thing about the network effect is that it is difficult to create, but once you create it, it starts building on itself incredibly rapidly. effect in any of its properties yet. There is a little bit of network effect in e-mail or in their search engine- a tiny bit. Back in 1999 or 2000, when I was a big Yahoo! user, someone told me about Google, and I said, "Well, Google's better," and I 速 switched. I didn't shed a tear for Yahoo! Google now faces a similar kind of problem . It is going to be very easy to shift away from Google because they do not yet
have a network effect either of investors or users. In contrast, the network effect is really eBay's biggest competitive advantage. The sellers stay at eBay because they have spent years building up their ratings. I would argue that the network effect is what is keeping eBay alive. The network effect really does well in a more decentralized, open system, just like what you talked about with Oprah's Book Club. If Oprah didn 't have those circles of viewers and just said, "You 2007
77
know what, everyone? We're going to read a book and I'm going to talk about it on the show," I don't think it would have lasted beyond the first book. The genius was telling people to start these circles and support each other. That's when it started taking off. I think that is also going to be the same challenge in terms of creating network effects of investors. I don't know how companies go about creating a sense of community where investors actually have something to do with each other as opposed to just having a oneway relationship with the company.
VR: One of the longstanding principles of business networking is that you don't merely promote yourself, but you also try to find a need to fill with each new contact. You help them accomplish something, without asking anything in return, and build relationships that way. That's kind of similar to the catalysts you talk about in The Starfish and the Spider, individuals who start decentralized movements, is it not?
ing their research reports, they are now getting a chance to go direct.
It is very difficult to predict or measure and monitor. Are you familiar with Bar Camp?
Ori: You know, we've been talking about the ValueRich shows and the magazine and some of your new ideas about creating networks. It's so counter to how a lot of people think about business : the idea t hat you trust people first, the idea that you let go, the idea that you try to give them something without asking anything in return. This is counter to the last century of business thinking of " How am I going to create command-andcontrol systems? How am I going to incentivize people to do what I want them to do? How do I control structure?" ,
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VR:No. Ori: There've been all these conferences lately about Web 2.0 and stuff like that, but people discovered that the most interesting conversations happen in the bar, where people really get a chance to talk with each other. So they started these conferences called Bar Camp. Anyone can start a Bar Camp. There is no agenda. You just sign up and show up. Different people give presentations about different topics. And some really incredible people have been show-
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There is a power to these networks that is difficult to describe to people until they've experienced it.
Ori: Exa ctly, because all relationships are based on trust and really helping each other. If you look at how the catalyst enters the situation, one of the first things they do is ask, " How can I help you?" What can they do to make your life better in any way, whether it is to fight alcoholism or start an Internet brand? Look at Wikipedia WIKIPEDIA for example. Why do Tbt
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people volunteer hours and hours making the site better? It doesn't make sense from a pure economic perspective. You would think people would just want to take and not contribute. To trigger this really interesting response from people, you create an environment of trust and open giving.
Rod: What you guys at ValueRich are facilitating in some way, or can facilitate, is to help create more peer-to-peer and direct interaction between companies and institutional investors. Whereas the investors in the past relied more on the investment banking analysts writ-
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To my mind , the first step for leveraging off of a "starfish" is really to start turning all of these ideas on their head and seeing how they play out- and learn that they actually have power. Because honestly, when we think about lots ofthese ideas prima facie, we think, "Well, that 's kind of touchy-feely. OK, that's nice, but that 's not necessarily something for a public company to do:'
VR: That has been one of our biggest challenges all the way through. We've experienced a fair amount of resistance when it comes to opening up what many believe are proprietary connections - until they actually get to one of our Small-cap Financial Expos and start to participate and see the incredible energy that is created by it. Then it just blows people away. Ori: There is a power to these networks that is difficult to describe to people until they 've experienced it. One of my good friends came up with this term called "organized serendipity." The notion is that you invite people into the room together and create some kind of structure for them. But you make it loose enough where they have freedom , and all of a sudden these really serendipitous, amazing things start happening.
ing up. They are completely open conferences, organized around a wiki and completely unstructured. And some really interesting things come out of them .
VR: Do any recent examples come to mind of companies for profit that have decentralized part of their business and are expanding their business that way? Rod: Clearly YouTube is a phenomenon. I mean here is a company, less than two years old, that goes from obscurity to literally being a global player and in the process is really ripping up the road with global TV viewing and video content. It's a fascinating play. I think if we were writing the book today, we'd certainly have told their story. As you know, we covered the music industry pretty thoroughly regard ~ ing what's going on . You ~ But YouTube is really the first major game -c hanging phe nomenon in the film industry. There are huge implications with what 's going on there . Yahoo! is very concerned right now about the implications of Google taking prominence with that acquisition. It's going to be a real challenge for Yahoo! to try to play catch-up now. VR: I guess we'll have to catch up on YouTube's starfish story with the sequel. Thanks, guys, this was a really interesting conversation we just had -with big implications for the future of small-caps. VR WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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30 Predictions for 2007 in Media/Tech/Pop Posted: December, 26, 2006 By: Rex Sorgatz The usual caveats apply: I have no inside knowledge on any of this stuff. I talk to media+tech people about trends all the time, but nobody ever tells me anything important. And I only have mutual funds, so don't try to play that angle. Besides, I'm just taking cheap shots anyway. 1) $100 PC. Finally, computing in the Third World! But priorities are reassessed when someone does the math and realizes that the One Benjamin PC could feed a single African for 37 years. 2) MySpace. Despite (or because of) News Corp's ownership of MySpace, unique users start to disappear. Someone at the New York Times realizes that your friend Tom has released absolutely zero new features to the community since Fox's takeover. In a scramble, MySpace releases a bunch of bad features that everyone hates. However, they sell several more sponsorship deals for movies, TV shows, and bands that you don't care about. 3) Apple. Apple buys Last.FM. Finally. And iTV is a hit. Finally. And the iPhone? Nope, never. Why? Cuz the iPhone is like God - i f it really existed, you wouldn 't care that much . 4) Google. By partnering YouTube and Apple's iTV, Google has you watching Ask A Ninja on your plasma. Hello, Google Video ads. 5) Gawker. A rumor is leaked about a Conde Naste buy-out that involves a digital unit built around the new Wired News. com. Nick Denton is too busy updating Lifehacker to respond . 6) The Office. Jim chooses Pam . Forgetting this is fiction , I attempt to drunk-dial Karen . 7) Studio 60. Sorkin's new show sorta catches on . Gloating until my pancreas explodes, I try to explain that Studio 60 is the first example of middle-brow camp. You call me a moron. 8) Technorati. A media company takes a shot at buying Technorati. Maybe Tribune, maybe NYT, probably Wash Post. By the end of the year, people are talking about a Newsvine purchase. 9) Publishing. Your mom is charged with plagiarism. Her book skyrockets to the top of the best-seller list. 1O) TV News Anchor Ratings. 1) Brian Williams . 2) Charlie Gibson. 3) Katie Couric. 11) Windows. Vista ships. You try not to yawn. 12) Twitter. Google buys Twitter. A bunch of media organizations sigh deeply over not thinking of this first.
13) AOL. I have no idea. And neither do they. 14) Facebook. That snotty Harvard kid tells Yahoo, "Tell you what, I'll buy you instead." 15) Yahoo. Ba-bye, Terry. 16) Zune. Version 2.0 of the Zune is launched. A small group of converts start to form, while Engadget asks "too little, too late?" 17) Second Life. Robots invade and kill everyone. Turns out "everyone" is 5 kids in Tallahassee. 18) Mobile. 2007 : the year in mobile. If I keep saying it, eventually it will be true. 19) Comedy. Dane Cook gets invited to speak at this year's White House Press Corps dinner. When Cook jokes about boinking the Bush Twins, G.W. laughs more than he did at Colbert. 20) Chumby. This little nerd toy you've never heard of becomes a huge hit. 21) Newspapers. More lay-offs, more shrinkage, more free weeklies, more navel-gazing. 22) SmartPox. Add it to the list of great ideas that won't catch traction . (See also: Open ID, micro-payments, free citywide wireless.) 23) CBS. The digital unit will make a few acquisitions that seem peculiar. But by the end of the year, they will look hipper than Unkie Viacom. 24) GNR. Klosterman spreads a rumor that Axl will release Chinese Democracy on April 24. Thousands of t hirty-somethings show up at a record store at midnight only to discover... ha ha, fooled you, old man. 25) Courtney Love. Comeback album, comeback movie, comeback fragrance. 26) Celebutantes. People talk a lot about Britney's comeback, but the new summer album does as well as releases from Jessica Simpson , Paris Hilton, and K-Fed . Meanwhile, Nicole Richie accidentally eats herself. 27) Ze Frank. The funniest guy in America lands a deal at Comedy Central. 28) Amanda Congdon. While the blogosphere wonders who's watching, Amanda's ratings go up, up, up. When you go home for Thanksgiving , you realize your dad has it bookmarked. 29) lonelygirl15. Remember Ellen Feiss? 30) Earth. The planet will get warmer. Have a swell 2007 .
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We help companies create shareholder value.
Whether we make a financing easier, help you achieve a fairer market valuation, or broaden your shareholder base, we help you enhance the value of your business. For small-cap investors, good opportunities are typically difficult to find, learn about, and invest in. This causes small-cap markets to exhibit systematic undervaluation and illiquidity. By retaining us to author an investment report or provide research coverage, you make it easy for current and prospective investors to understand your company and the value it represents. We broadly distribute our content through most major financial portals and to a variety of institutional and individual investor groups, ensuring your company gets the attention it deserves.
To learn why so many small-cap companies are becoming Harbinger Research clients, visit us online at www.harbingerresearch.com or call us at 212.612.3000.
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Image: Aaron Dalton
a.Toast
PLYMOUTH GIN The Legendary English Spirit is on the Comeback By Aaron Dalton For many Americans visiting England, London is the be-all and end-all of the trip. Too few travel the 200-plus mile s by train to the coastal town of Plymouth to gaze at the harbor from which the plucky Pilgrim crew of the Mayflower set sail for more hospitable shores in the New World . Like many places in England , Plymouth is steeped in history. The first-ever English Navy was assembled in Plymouth in 1294. Sir Francis Drake, initially a sort of state-sponsored pirate and later vice admiral of the British Fleet, set sail from Plymouth to destroy the Spanish Armada in 1588. After his victory, Drake later served as mayor of Plymouth and directed the building of aqueducts to bring safe, fresh drinking water to the t own . For gin connoisseurs, Plymouth has another claim to fame. It is the home of Plymouth Gin, the oldest working gin distillery in England . Record s show that the distillery building has been producing gin since at least 1697, when it was registered as a "mault house:' After falling out of the limelight for decades, gin is now enjoying a come back that is particularly noticeable in the smarter cocktails bars in London and other major world cities . Perhaps no brand better symbolizes the triumph, tragedy and potential of gin than Plymouth Gin. The Sun Never Sets on Plymouth Gin In its purest form , gin is defined by t he combinat ion of clear, un-aged alcohol with the flavoring of juniper berries. The marriage of these ingredients can WWW. VREXPO .N ET
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be traced back more than 500 years, to when the Dutch began drinking jen ever, alcohol flavored with juniper seasoning. As English sailors and soldiers who fought on the European continent developed a taste for the liquor, they brought their drinking habits home and changed the concoction's name first to geneva and then to gin . From their military ancestors who drank gin to steel their nerves before going into battle, the English coined the term " Dutch Courage" to describe any alcoholic drink used to reinforce one's confidence. Gin's fortunes rose in England thanks to royal patronage from a Dutch king, William of Orange, who ascended England 's throne in 1688. William restricted the importation of French wine and brandy, while liberalizing and
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encouraging the distillation of homemade English gin. In combination, these two edicts made the whole of England go crazy for the beverage. During the Gin Mania of the early 1700s, gin consumption skyrocketed to the point where one-third of the buildings in London were used for making and / or selling the liquor. In 1730, London alone was producing enough gin to provide every person living in the city with 14 gallons of the liquid per year! The resulting social disorder of such widespread hard alcohol consumption led to a series of government acts to curb the production and sale of gin . These acts led to the professionalization ofthe gin industry. Demand for gin was still high, but licensing fees and ta xes on its production and sale made it inacWINTER 2007
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from Italy and the Balkans. Plymouth Gin 's location in the town of Plymouth proved fortuitous for reasons other than the accessibility of botanical ingredients. The British Navy was (and still is) headquartered in Plymouth. The Navy soon developed a liking for Plymouth Gin that persists to this day. By 1850, Plymouth was supplying 1,000 barrels of gin a year to the Royal Navy. The gin was stored next to gunpowder and thus had to be of sufficiently high enough alcohol content so that if it was sp illed on the gunpowder, the gunpowder could still be lit. A test was conducted in which gunpowder was sprinkled with gin and then set alight. If the gunpowder burned, that was proof that the gin had not been watered down. Thus the term 'proof' came to indicate alcohol content,
Those who say they dislike gin may have been influenced by an inferior version dominated by juniper berries...
cessible to commoners. The drink thus acquired cachet and became a favorite of the aristocracy as symbolized by the quintessential English drink of gin & tonic, also known as G&T. Entrepreneurs set up distilleries in the port cities- Bristol, Liverpool and, of course, Plymouth . The ports were
Plymouth has employed the same classic recipe of seven botanicals since the Company's creation in 1793. Sourced from across the globe by master distillers including current head distiller Sean Harrison, these botanicals consist of angelica root from Germany, cardamom pods from Sri Lanka, coriander seeds
important because they were the entry points for exotic botanicals: roots, ber-
from Eastern Europe, peels of lemon and sweet orange from Spain, orris root (the
ries and herbs that entered England by sea and were added to gin for flavoring purposes . Though juniper flavoring is necessary to make alcohol into gin, it is not generally sufficient to make gin an enjoyable beverage. Those who say they dislike gin may have been influenced by an inferior version dominated by juniper berries, which have a sort of pine-andlavender scent. Some gins use as few as four flavorings, others nearly 20 components.
root of the iris plant) from Italy and of course juniper berries, which also come
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though the English usage is different from the American one. In England, 100 proof equals 57 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the strength at which gunpowder burns. In America, proof is used to mean twice the alcohol content, so a drink that is 100 proof would be only 50 percent alcohol. Nearly all Plymouth Gin sold today has 41.2 percent ABV, but the Company still makes a 57 percent Navy Strength version that is included in a kit presented to every new naval ship. Plymouth Gin benefited the Royal Navy and the Navy benefited Plymouth Gin. Naval doctors invented two famous gin drinks for therapeutic reasons. When added to gin, the angostura bitters used to prevent tropical diseases and lime juice for warding off scurvy created the drinks known respectively as pink gin
Water, Water Everywhere- but it's not an the same Water is a big component of any beverage, and Plymouth Gin prides itself on the quality of the water that goes into its product. Where the distillery once drew its water from an on site well, Plymouth Gin's water now comes from the Burrator Reservoir in England's Dartmoor National Park (where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set his Hound of the Baskervilles story) . The soil composition in Dartmoor of peat over granite acts as a filter to produce 'soft' water with low mineral content that is perfectly suited for the distillation process.
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
VAT No.
(or "pinkers") and the gimlet. While Plymouth Gin was protecting the health of sailors and boosting their morale with Dutch Courage, the Navy was conquering large parts of the globe in the name of the British Empire and spreading a taste for Plymouth Gin as it went . Today, a fondne ss for gin persists in many parts of the former Empire, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. But Plymouth's Friar~ close association with the Navy proved to be its downfall. During World War II, the town of Plymouth was heavily bombed due to its military connections. Though the distillery was saved, offices and records were destroyed . With England under blockade, the Company could neither obtain its ingredients nor export its product . Other English gin manufacturers moved their distilling operations to places like Spain , where they could continue their
operations relatively unimpeded, but Plymouth had recently been given status as a Place of Designated Origin (PDO) beverage. Intended to preserve the authenticity of the Plymouth name, the PDO meant that Plymouth Gin could be produced only in Plymouth . The Company was trapped in England for the duration of the war. Meanwhile, other spirits were gaining ground against gin. Though rich Americans came 1 1 to Europe during Prohibition and 1 路 spread cocktail culture through the Continent, gin's reputation likely suffered in the U.S. through its association with the often noxious or even dangerous homemade concoction known as " bathtub gin ." At the same time, Americans who had been fighting in Europe brought home a taste for vodka , which began to replace gin as the clear spirit of choice. According to Mixologist: The Journal
The historic home of Plymouth Gin, the Black Distillery, dates back to the early 1400s, when it 路 was used as a monastery.
WWW.VREXPO .N ET
of the American Cocktail, Plymouth was
the number one gin brand in the world at its height in the early 1900s. More than 1,000 cases of an American Export strength (44.5 percent ABV) Plymouth Gin were being shipped per week to New York City alone. After languishing through several different owners who either lacked the means or the motivation to revive the brand , the Company had fallen to a low of producing only 5,000 cases during all of 1996. That year, however, the Company was acquired by a small group of private investors with the determination, passion and resolve to revive the venerable brand . They had excellent tools to work with . For one thing, Plymouth Gin still had its historic home - a building 2007
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The Barbican Kitchen and Refectory Bar are found upstairs at the Plymouth Gin distillery. called the Black Friar 's Distillery that dates back to the early 1400s, when it
heating the alcohol to vaporize it and then recapturing the flavored alcohol
was used as a monastery. For another, they could count on a loyal coterie of
through condensation . While the gin is being made down-
listing in England as a histo ric structure which must be preserved. Today, Plymouth Gin is enjoying a
gin drinkers who knew that Plymouth
stairs, upstairs the distillery has become
comeback around the wo rld and particularly in its home market of the U.K.,
Gin was beloved by early cocktail inven-
a centerpiece of Plymouth's dining and
where it has become the No.2 premium
ters of the 19th and 20th centuries and
drinking scene. A bistro called Barbican Kitchen (www.barbicankitchen .com),
gin . After years of sinking sales, gin has
had called for it by name in the recipes they produced . In fact, Plymouth Gin appears in the first known dry martini recipe dating to 1896, in the cocktail handbook Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them .
stabilized and even begun to climb in some markets . Posh cocktail bars
Plymouth Gin appears in the first known dry martini recipe dating to 1896, in the cocktail handbook Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them.
The distillery bustles with life these days. Head distiller Sean Harrison
throughout London and beyond are serving up delicious and potent Plymouth-based cocktails.
1
It's enough to make American tourists want to venture past London to visit the Plymouth distillery and
taste the gin at its source.
run by local celebrity chefs the Tanner
and his colleagues work the old cop -
Brothers, serves up a mix of English clas-
Local tradition holds that the Pilgrim
per stills, one of which has been used
sics and more contemporary food , all
Fathers spent their last night in England with the Black Friars in 1620 before
for making gin since at least the 18SOs.
based on local, organic, fresh ingredi-
They expertly go through their famil -
ents. A cocktail bar on another floor pro-
leaving the next day for the New World .
iar distillation routine- soaking the
vides space to drink and chat late into
Sipping a Plymouth Gin cocktail today
botanicals to release their essential oils,
the evening under a majestic vaulted ceiling that helped earn the building its
wonder why they ever left. V R
mixing the botanicals with the alcohol,
Here is a selection of new and classic Plymouth Gin drinks good enough to start your own mini Gin Mania:
in the distillery 's Refectory Bar, you may
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Cherry Negroni #2
Hoffman House
Equal amounts of Plymouth Gin, Martini Rosso Vermouth, and Cam pari, plus a splash of Creme de Cerise, stirred, diluted and chilled, strained and scented with a cherry. Served at Steam Bar, 1 Eastbourne Terrace in the Hilton Paddington Hotel, 44(0) 207 850 0555, www.hilton.co.uk!
Plymouth Gin stirred with French Vermouth at a 5:1 ratio and lengthened with a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Served at Montgomery Place cocktail bar in London's Notting Hill neighborhood, 31 Kensington Park Road, 44(0) 207 792 3921, www.montgomeryplace.co.uk
Paddington.
Indian Summer Million-Dollar Cocktail Tablespoonful of pineapple juice, teaspoonful of grenadine, the white of one egg, 1/3 part Italian Vermouth and 2/ 3 parts Plymouth Gin shaken well and strained into a medium-sized glass. From The Savoy Cocktail Book, a collection of classic cocktail recipes compiled by legendary bartender Harry Craddock, who long held sway at the Savoy Hotel in London. First published in 1930, The Savoy Cocktail Book continues to inspire and guide cocktail lovers around the world today. Harry is no longer behind the bar, but you can still stop in at the Savoy (www.fairmont.com/ savoy) and sample one of the drinks he made famous.
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37mI of Plymouth Gin and ice vigorously shaken with 50ml of cranberry juice, 5 raspberries, 1 dash each of syrup de gomme and rose water and then strained over fresh crushed ice. A silver medal winner in 2004 at the Drinks International Cocktail Challenge. Served at the Plymouth Gin distillery's own cocktail bar, The Refectory, 60 Southside Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL 1 2LQ, 44(0) 1752 665 292, www.plymouthgin. com
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What do 78%of Fortune 100 CEOs and CFOs have in common?
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Small-cop Market Doting Dos ond Don'ts Lesson 2: Looking Good By Liza Grant Smith Despite what your mom may have told you during your awkward teen years, having a great personality alone isn't going to pull you through . Looks do matter. Personality may keep someone interested, but it is often our appearance that first captures that person's attention . Small-caps know this all too well. With such a hugely populated small-cap market, companies can 't wait around for investors, analysts and fund managers to recognize their sparkling personalities. That's why they hire their own image consultants, in the form of investor rel ations firms. ValueRich sat
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Jim Farinella, President of Integrated Capital Partners, Inc.
Mark Cohen, Vice Presi dent of SW Public Relations * down with three of these con sultants to learn the ins and outs of the beautification proce ss, including why investor relations is important, what does and does not work, and what companies can do to help their inner charm shine through.
Image isn't everything; it's the only thing. (Why it's critical for small-caps to have an effective IR strategy)
Scott Liolios: It doe sn't matter if you 're raising money, want more expo92 I
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sure, or want higher volume; you 're competing for capital. You've got to approach investor relations with that mindset . With that as a backdrop, you've got to make sure that you have a clear, conci se message and you can effectively communicate that message or el se you 're not going to be able to compete.
Jim Farinella: Investor relations is critical , becaus e if you want to raise money and there is no awareness in the public, there is going to be less trading activity. You need a bigger pool of people to know about the company
for there to be a potentia l for greater demand for that stock as events occur. You want to raise [money] when the stock is fairly valued or more. It 's the same thing if a company is preparing to do mergers and acquisitions. You want to increase the value of the stock and bring it to its FV or higher to then complete the M&A at a better va lue. Likewise, you can't complete a listing on a listing exchange in the U.S. unless your stock is a certain value. So wheth er you 're a big company or a little micro nano-cap, you need to build better awareness out there . You need to do IR to keep the flow of information going, even if
Investor relations is critical, because if you want to raise money and there is no awareness in the public, there is going to be less trading activity. WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
w.Street things are not occurring at the current time. That way, when events that warrant more attention do happen, you 've already built an audience of investors in the public that are aware of the company and able to make more informed decisions.
Mark Cohen: The most critical factor is that small-cap stocks cannot get attention on Wall Street because of their
not properly inform the investment community about what is happening, not just over a one-day period, but over a period of time.
MC: Blast e-mailing, which I get every day, is completely ineffective and counter-productive . I would also say some of the "club dinners," or traditional dinners and luncheons where you put fifty people in a room to hear a compa-
An unrealistic goal is to think that investor relations, by itself, is going to make anything happen capitalization and size. There is now a much more limited number of brokers, money managers and analysts on Wall Street that cover stocks and most of them are covering the large-caps. As a result, companies with a market cap of $500 million and under are under the radar. They're orphans. They don't have a following. Also, a lot of small-cap companies, instead of going public through the traditional IPO process, are going public through reverse merger. That means they have to start from square one and develop a complete shareholder base.
Good from far, but far from good. (Ineffective /R initiatives)
SL: We don't subscribe to blast emails. That's not something I think is effective or desirable for a comprehensive long-term IR strategy. Also, I think it's useless to purchase a database and just start calling . These guys get called all the time, and if you don't have a relationship with them, they're not going to take your call. You 've got to know what their buying patterns are, what they 're looking for- are they value, are they momentum, are they growth?
JF: What might work in one scenario for one company might not work for another company. I think any investor relations program that is not tailored to the client [company] specifically is not going to be as effective as it should be. An ineffective program is also one that is 路extremely short in nature and does WWW. VREXPO .N ET
ny presentation, have become less and less effective . Most of the attendees basically come to have a free lunch or dinner and really aren't pre-screened or qualified or interested in the company you're presenting. That's extremely ineffective these days.
From small-town zero to Wall Street hero. (Unrealistic goals of an IR program)
SL: An unrealistic goal is to think that investor relations, by itself, is going to make anything happen (make your stock go up or make your volume increase). For the short term, I guess you can do some things, but for a proactive long-term comprehensive IR strategy, it's a partnership. A company's got to perform and we've got to help build the audience through effective communication. Also, it's na'ive to think that you're
going to see any results prior to three months, at a minimum. That 's kind of your starting point. Long term is a year onward . The first three months, we're working with you defining your metrics, developing your story, revamping your PowerPoint and getting you on the road. It's a process.
JF: [IR Firms] have the ability to create all this excitement in a stock- create all this liquidity in a one-day or oneweek period and cause an explosion in the stock. That does a disservice, first of all, to investors because an investor coming in has not been [exposed to] a constant flow of information and therefore cannot make an informed decision. Secondly, it does a disservice to the company itself because the real goal , first and foremost, of an IR program is to create an orderly market. Investors are more comfortable investing in a stock or company that has maintained an orderly market over a long period of time compared to something that explodes for a week or two. A company that looks for that explosion of the stock is really making a mistake and the executives are being improperly advised by IR people, shareholders or investors. If you have a stock that trades a couple million shares over a few-day period and then trades less than 10,000 a day for the pursuant three months, you've accomplished nothing.
It's not easy to look this good. (Unique IR strategies)
SL: We want to be the front line in investor relations. Our goal is to free management's time to run the company, spend less time on IR and make the time they do spend on IR tremendously more effective . So what we do with our clients is say, "Let us handle every call that comes in to us. But what I want from you is one hour, the same hour, every week:' That's kind of an IR hour that you, as a company, put on your calendar. So every Tuesday at 10, for example, you 're going to dial in on our predetermined conference call line and have a qualified institution or qualified investor on the line. We will already know them, but this is a chance for them to talk to manageWINTtP 2007
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ment. It 's really effective for the management teams because they can know that they're spending a whole week running a business and still haven't ignored investor relations. That doesn't sound too profound, and it's really not, from the outset . But when you look back in three months, you realize that you made twenty additional institutional or very qualified IR calls . That's better than a road show, and you did it from your desk.
JF: Every client company that decides to engage Integrated Capital Services must agree to a listing on the Frankfort Stock Exchange. With that in mind, we then do broker meetings, investor meetings and road shows for these client companies in ten, twelve, fifteen cities in western and eastern Europe. In addition to having the face-to-face meetings, both one-on-one and lunches, dinners and meetings in small rooms with several brokerage firms, we also attend conferences over there. Then, additionally, we do electronic distribution in Europe as well. So now you 're not only expanding an audience in the U.S., you're [also) expanding an audience in Europe. Again, the more investors that know about an investment opportunity, the larger the pool of investors is. When there's a larger pool of investors, it allows for a more orderly market to be created. MC: Our firm is unique in the fact that we use our public relations and media side to complement/ augment our investor relations side. Obviously, we're doing all the day-to-day IR that all the other firms do .. . the road shows, the
bread-and-butter investor relations but has no media/ publicity component. We're considered one of the top media firms in the country and we've been the
Wall Street is guilty of trying to use the same metrics to value every company because there are some common characteristics. fastest-growing independent PR firm in the country, ranked by O'Dwyers, for the last three years in a row.
True beauty comes from the inside. (What a company can do to help in the IR process) SL: Wall Street is guilty of trying to use the same metrics to value every company because there are some common characteristics. I don't believe they should just allow revenue and earnings per share to be the metrics by which they 're valued. Every company is different. They each have their own unique metric that, if you were part of the management team, you would use to understand the progress of your company. Wall Street may be missing it. They don't see the things that management does. You need to decide what those metrics are. Then you need to pull them out and present them on a consistent basis to Wall Street. You' re basically teaching Wall Street how to value your business.
JF: It's very important for a company to be upfront with an IR firm in regards to what the expectations are on the current fundamental value of the company
It's very important for a company to communicate to theIR firm the true events as they occur and not to get overzealous and excited. press releases, the quarterly earnings, conference calls, answering individual shareholder inquiries, all that. What we do, though , is we have a huge media division here that is generating articles on these companies. We use that as a lever to attract more attention and complement our IR activities, rather than just a full -s ervice IR firm that's just doing
in sales and they don't generate any or even a small portion of that, there's got to be very good explanation- not because they overestimated or because
and what's going to bring fundamental value to the company going forward. Many times, when you look at a longerterm IR program, the problem in communicating with the shareholders and prospective investors in the company really comes from miscommunication of proper expectations. If a company expects to generate a certain amount
they 're being aggressive, but because of a certain event that occurred. So it's very important for a company to communicate to the IR firm the true events as they occur and not to get overzeal ous and excited. If you don't communi cate the right story to the public, you can create a great story and awareness in the marketplace for the stock, but if the story is way off, that could lead to a collapse in stock.
MC: The company ultimately has to perform . It has to grow its revenue on a quarter-to-quarter basis and execute its business plan. Still , Wall Street will judge a company, no matter what industry it's in, by the quality of its management team and the ability of the man agement team to move the company forward. I think it 's very important for small companies to put out a consistent flow of news releases and information. Companies that put out news on a regular basis attract attention . I have a lot of trouble with companies that are very reticent. They've been private and then they go public, but they still act like a private company. They don't announce anything, so when the broker punches them up he doesn't see any progression of performance or development. News is critical. V R
Liolios Group, Inc. www.lioliosgroup.com Scott@liolios.com
Integrated Capital Partners, Inc. www.stockreportcard .com james@icpihome.com
5W Public Relations www.Swpr.com info@Swpr.com *(Note: Since thi s article was written , Mark Cohen has left SW Public Relations) WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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Life way速
Lifeway develops specialty functional dairy foods for health-conscious consumers, producing a series of distinctive probiotic products based on unique ingredients and proprietary formulations . The Company's main product is kefir, a milk-based cultured drink which is more nutritional than yogurt.
What one thing would you have done differently in 2006? I honestly can't think of anything I would have done differently. Every decision we made last year has turned out to be beneficial for the Company. What do you predict will be the Company's greatest challenge in 2007 and how do you plan to overcome it? Our major challenge is to continue building the Company at the rapid pace that we have enjoyed in recent years . We have made a series of bold moves that have fueled our growth, ranging from our entry into the Hispanic market with a special product line several years ago to the acquisition of organic kefir manufacturer Helios Nutrition last year, and it is always a challenge to figure out how to follow our own act. We will continue to promote the probiotic benefits of our products and expand the product line to reach different markets as well as different consumers within our exi sting markets. Last year, for example,
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we introduced Lifeway Greek Style Kefir and ProbugsTM' our organic whole-milk kefir for kids that's packaged in a patented no-spill-spout pouch . We're developing some new ideas for the next generation of products. We will also continue to build our distribution channels, as we do every year. What is one maxim, motto or principle you plan to adhere to in the upcoming year? My mantra for the year is "Think out of the box:' We always try to do that and we have been very successful, but we're in a niche market that constantly requires fresh ideas and strategies. We wouldn't be where we are today if we had continued to focus on selling kefir to the Russian immigrants who were our original market. We have branched out to new audiences and new products over the years, and we're constantly looking for new opportunities that build on our core strengths in the dairy category. That requires a mix of market knowledge, insight into consumer buying and eating habits, and almost superhuman creativity. I mean, once you come up with a concept like Pro bugs, what 's the next rabbit you pull out of your hat? What is something you wished you had learned sooner about being a small-cap public company? Again , I can't think of anything I would have done differently. What differentiates LWAY and makes it an attractive investment? Not only is there growing interest in organic and natural food, but Lifeway has also pioneered the growth and expansion in probiotics. By launching Probugs, we will be raising an entire generation of children that are going to become familiar with probiotics and drinking kefir. We see the interest in kefir and probiotics at an all-time high. We have good fundamentals, a great balance sheet, cash in the bank .. . combine all that with a great product portfolio, being at the right place at the right time - it's the making of a perfect storm. I can't think of a better company to invest in. WWW. VALUERICHONLINE. COM
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A.D.A.M. is a leading provider of high-quality health information and benefits management solutions to healthcare organizations, employers, consumers, brokers, and educational institutions.
What one thing would you have done differently in 2006? We had a transformational year for our company in 2006 . If I had to comment on any one thing, I would say that I wish I had been able to acquire Online Benefits sooner in the year. The combination of our companie s is a perfect fit that really opens up great growth opportunities in the consumer-directed healthcare market. What do you predict will be the Company's greatest challenge in 2007 and how do you plan to overcome it? In 2007, we are launching a new product called Benergy 2G that will bring A.D.A.M .'s rich health information assets into Online Benefits' benefits administration platform . This combination will empower employee s (consumers) with information and tools that they will need to better manage their health, well ness and, increasingly important, their benefits . As consumers take more of the financial responsibility
~-W ILLAMETTE V AL L E Y V I NEYA RD S
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Inc. is one of Oregon 's leading wineries and the state 's only publicly held winery. The Company is the owner of Tualatin Estate Vineyards and Griffin Creek wines.
What one thing would you have done differently in 2006? Figured out how to buy more wine grapes for the '06 harvest. The weather turned out to be the best in my 24 years as a winegrower. WWW. VREXPO .N ET
for healthcare, the tools we provide will play a critical role in this paradigm shift. The launch of Benergy 2G is something that we will put a lot oftime and effort into to make sure we do it right. What is one maxim, motto or principle you plan to adhere to in the upcoming year? " Be distinct or be extinct." It is a motto I have had for a long time, but one that still holds true. We operate in dynamic markets, and our ability to create distinction through better products, solutions and services is very important to our longterm growth potential." What is something you wished you had learned sooner about being a small-cap public company? The costs and infrastructure requi rements of a public company can be challenging. As a small public company, A.D.A.M has done a great job navigating through the new standards of quality. At times, the investments are high and can mask your true operational strengths. What differentiates A.D.A.M. and makes it an attractive investment? A.D.A.M . has a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of a fast-growing multibillion-dollar con sumer-driven health care market. We have a solid set of bu siness assets that are unique and market-leading. Our business fund amentals are positive, too: more than 80 percent of our revenue is recurring under long -term contracts . And we have a scalable cost structure with limited capital expenditure requirements to grow the business and very attractive margins. With the launch of our new Benergy 2G product thi s year, A.D.A.M. will be the first provider of a scalable, fully integrated health and benefits management solution to the small- and medium-size employer market, which includes more than 60 million Americans.
What do you predict will be the Company's greatest challenge in 2007 and how do you plan to overcome it? Managing the remarkable demand and subsequent growth . Over 50 percent of our vines in the ground are young and will begin producing wine grapes over the next several years. I have paid off all short-term debt, have a sizable credit line in place, am building inventories, paid down long-term debt and built a sizable cash position . In addition, I have assembled and trained the staff necessary to execute on the planned growth. What is one maxim, motto or principle you plan to adhere to in the upcoming year? Work fills the time available to complete the task. What is something you wished you had learned sooner about being a small-cap public company? The lengths the Congre ss and regulators can go to, [to] consume time and resources of America 's small public companies. What differentiates WVVI and makes it an attractive investment? Our winery's core competency is making delicious Oregon Pinot Nair in sufficient quantities to serve national and international markets. Pinot Nair is the fastest-growing varietal, having been recently discovered by American consumers as a result of the movie Sideways. 2007
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NGS is a leading provider of small- to medium-horsepower compression equipment to the natural gas industry, with a primary focus on the non-conventional gas industry, i.e., coal bed methane, gas shales and tight gas.
What one thing would you have done differently in 2006? Taken some vacation. Seriously, our business is hitting on all cylinders and we intend to maintain our momentum and direction. We will, however, continue to increase our bench strength to a greater degree and beef up our staff for further growth. What do you predict will be the Company's greatest challenge in 2007 and how do you plan to overcome it? Our greatest challenge will be to continue to grow the company at the rate that we have the past two to three years. To address that challenge, we will leverage our expertise in small- to medium-horsepower gas compression services and products by continuing to organically grow our business in existing geographic areas, continue to expand into new geo-
~Maplnfo.
Maplnfo is the leading provider of location intelligence soluBe Location Intelligenttions, integrating software, data and services to provide greater value from location-based information and drive more insightful decisions for businesses and government organizations around the world.
What one thing would you have done differently in 2006? We would have reviewed our distribution strategy in both China and Japan earlier. We now have a go-to-market partnership strategy that will significantly improve Maplnfo's ability
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graphic areas, and evaluate strategic acquisitions that position us for future growth and earnings. What is one maxim, motto or principle you plan to adhere to in the upcoming year? "Financial discipline and operational flexibility." We want to be able to move quickly to address opportunities and service our customers while maintaining our proven ability to deliver excellent earnings for our shareholders. What is something you wished you had learned sooner about being a small-cap public company? That there is no consideration given to small-cap public companies because oftheir size. We are expected and required to implement the same reporting, control and regulatory structures as much, much larger organizations. There is no argument that additional scrutiny may be required in today 's corporate environment, but the basic cost-benefit analysis has been discarded in favor of the blunt instrument of political expediency and its resultant outsized burden on small companies. More and more studies point out that we have begun to trade global competitiveness for bureaucratic oversight. What differentiates NGS and makes it an attractive investment? NGS occupies a very specific segment of the energy services market, and within that segment we have staked claim to small- to medium-horsepower gas compression excellence. Our strategy is centered on providing small- to medium-horsepower gas compression equipment and services to the single largest and fastest-growing source of natural gas in the U.S. : unconventional natural gas basins. Our shareholders benefit due to the short- and long-term growth in our markets and our proven track record in penetrating those markets and delivering ever higher earnings.
to expand its market presence in the Asia Pacific region and grow its revenues in these fast-growing regions. What do you predict will be the Company's greatest challenge in 2007 and how do you plan to overcome it? One challenge that Maplnfo was able to meet with great success in 2006 was working to establish the industry category of location intelligence. Despite the understanding and acceptance we have generated for location intelligence by the business world, further establishing the category to make it top of mind with the leaders and market influencers will prove to be one of Maplnfo's greatest challenges in the year ahead. With 80 percent of business data having a location component, the ability to leverage that information can give companies an enormous advantage over the competition. Getting more businesses to recognize that location intelligence is an important component of the decision -making process is an ongoing mission . However, we are confident that by building on the success we have with our customers and further elevating the benefits of our solutions in the market, we will get more and more organizations to realize that adding Maplnfo location intelligence capabilities means they will be able to make critical business decisions and choices that will lead to increased return on investment, improved productivity WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
and reduced costs for their organization . What is one maxim, motto or principle you plan to adhere to in the upcoming year? My motto is "Be Location Intelligent." Currently, Maplnfo helps more than 7,000 organizations worldwide to be location intelligent- integrating software, data and services so that they can gain greater value from location-based information and make more insightful decisions. So far, this motto of "Be Location Intelligent " has helped our company to create innovative technologies and services, helping businesses enhance their performance and decisions and meet a diverse set of needs across various industries (including insurance, financial services, government, communications and retail) . Building on the momentum we have created in the past two years, I will continue to use this motto in the coming year to inspire myself, and the entire Maplnfo team, to innovate and deliver the best location intelligence solutions for businesses and government around the world. What is something you wished you had learned sooner about being a small-cap public company? There have been no surprises related to being a small-cap public company. It has enabled the Company to learn a tremendous amount very quickly and it has afforded [us] greater access to shareholders, customers, partners and employees. What differentiates Maplnfo and makes it an attractive investment? Maplnfo brings more than twenty years of experience in
WWW VREXPO .N ET
mapping software behind it. Its portfolio of customers includes heavyweights from across various industries, such as I HOP, MasterCard and Home Depot. The Company has also aligned with the leading busines s intelligence vendors including Business Objects, Cognos and MicroStrategy, to make sure it integrates and complements the existing systems its customers are using. Additionally, Maplnfo has consistent revenue growth and recently marked its 16th con sec utive quarter of yearover-year growth . As Maplnfo's data and services business has evolved, approximately two-thirds of Map Info's revenue is generated from recurring sources such as data renewals, software maintenance and services, providing the Company with revenue stability and predictability. Maplnfo also has a diversified revenue composition across its product offerings, target vertical markets and geographies. The Company has a strong, positive cash flow from operations, expanding margins and a large, loyal installed base of blue-chip customers. All of this industry experience, dedication to our customers, technological innovation and solid financial position are what our customers, partners and investors have found to be hallmarks of Map Info, and why the Company is well positioned to continue its success and growth in the future. To view the "200 Best Small Companies " list in its entirety, please visit the Forbes magazine Web site at www.forbes.com
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aterBank of America (USA), Inc. (OT Continental Energy Corporation (OTCBB: CPPXF) ISECUR trac Corporation (OTCBB: ISEC) Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (Other OTC: CDOC.PK) QuoteMedia, Inc. {OTCBB: QMCI) lvivi Techn logies, Inc. {AMEX: II) Chatswor.t Data S â&#x20AC;˘ons (OTCBB: CHWD) Global Resource Corporation (OTCBB: GBRC)
WaterBank of America:
Carving aNiche in the New ICEROCI<S Ice Age T HE NEw l e E AG E
SPRING WATER ICE CUBES READY TO FRf:EZf.
By Kristina Henneberg
Besides having an unpleasant odor and a chlorine aftertaste, drinking water straight from the tap is increasingly recognized as a major source of waterborne illness. A frightening statistic has emerged - over 70 percent of the water piped into our homes contains fecal matter. With our safety at risk, consumers are putting their dollars, and trust, into bottled water. Drinking bottled water is becoming the rule rather than the exception . In 2005, America's bottled water consumption reached 26 gallons per capita, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation. Replete with a variety of flavors, vitamin enhancements 1 02
I VALUE RICH
and enticing packaging, the bottled water industry has bubbled up into a $10 billion a year industry, and experts believe its popularity will surpass that of carbonated soda by year's end 2007. Now a new market- secured spring water ice cubes - is carving its way into the highly lucrative bottled water industry. The North American market for ice cubes is valued at roughly $2 .6 billion. WaterBank of America (USA), Inc. (OTCBB: WBKA), an incubator for acquir-
ing spring water assets, is now leading the commercialization of ICEROCKS速 , an innovative product poised to capitalize on this immense market opportunity. ICEROCKS are spring water ice cubes from a "secured" source, a protected environment, packaged in patented hermetically sealed trays. These ready-to-freeze trays have a shelf life of two years, are easily transported (no refrigeration required) and, once frozen , can be cracked directly into a beverage WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
without your hands (or anyone else's) ever having touched the ice. ICEROCKS may change not only our appetite for bottled wate r, but also our vernacular. Soon we may find ourselves saying, "''ll have a Vodka on the ICEROCKS:' Why ICEROCKS?
Senior Vice President Jean-Jean Pelletier and his two brothers, Robert and Michel , co-founded WaterBank of America in 2002, with the advice of their father Pierre, in order to acquire freshwater spring s with the potential for appreciation due to the world 's dwindling water supply. While visiting France, Jean-Jean Pelletier discovered ICEROCKS at a local cafe. These secured spring water ice cubes offered a refresh ingly light and crisp taste, in a shape and package he'd never seen before. He found that the cubes were made locally in small batches from a 300-million-year-old protected spring . Pelletier saw a synerg istic opportunity to manufacture and distribute ICEROCKS from the Company's own acquired springs. "WaterBan k of America was originally established to help bring solutions to global wate r scarcity," Pelletier says . "About 1.2 b illion inhab itants do not have access to clean drinking water, and 2 billion do not have proper sanitation. In ICEROCKS I saw an innovation that protects both the purity and safety of our drinking water and [that] could be brought to North America and Europe, where bottled spring water is already widely accepted." Acquiring ICEROCKS in 2005 , the Company has already sold 5,000 units in France through a co-branding arrange-
Jean-Jean and Robert Pelletier W WW.VREXPO .N ET
ment with the major refrigerator-freezer manufacturer Groupe Candy Hoover. At a price of roughly 10 cents per cube, the product is packaged in four trays of 12 cubes each, with each pack selling for $3 .99 to $5.00. ICEROCKS will initially be sold in upscale gourmet and health food stores and in the high -end service industry, including five -star hotels, restaurants and private airlines throughout North America . Something in the Water
Alternative sources of fuel are being developed to meet the energy crisis, but there is no replacement for the precious commodity of water. The overall water industry is constantly growing based on inelastic demand (higher price doesn't deter sales) and resilience to economic fluctuations . Still, our once-overflowing pure water sources are rapidly drying up. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals identified access to clean water as one of the primary international objectives of this cen tury, asserting that by 2015 , half of the world's population will not have sustainable access to safe drinking water. A staggering 80 percent of the world 's population currently use s a single source of water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing and sanitation. As a result, about 250 million people are affected annually by diseases related to water that is unfit for consumption . Waterborne diseases include hepatitis A, a serious liver disease that exists in epidemic proportions throughout most of the developing world . Malaria, cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and congenital malformations are also linked to consumption of tainted water and ice cubes. Travelers to foreign lands run a serious risk of contracting any of these serious infectious diseases. Pelletier e x plains, "Many people think because they haven 't heard that ice cubes can cause sickness and disease, then it doesn't exist. This couldn 't be further from the truth. A pre-packaged bag of ice
ICEROCKS. SPRING WATER ICE CUBES
OTCBB: WBKA COMPANY
WaterBank of America (USA) Inc. 1395 Brickell Avenue
Suite 1020 Miami, Florida, 33131 www.icerocks.com CONNECT
Jean-Jean Pelletier Co-Founder I Senior Vice President jjp@icerocks.com
is subject to bacteria contamination the minute it is opened." He points to the mishandling of ice by service staff and the institutional use of filters and storage containers as culprits of the inadequate quality control and protocol to keep germs at bay. If you think pouring bottled spring water into your own ice cube tray s at home is the solution, think again . Spring water is not immune to the ammonia found in freezers, another source of contamination, and can readily acquire that dreaded "freezer burn" taste. "ICEROCKS offers a patented package that ensures the highest standards in taste and quality are never compro mised," says Pelletier. Products and Markets Cubed
WaterBank of America has assembled a team of water, consumer products and financial experts to help guide the Company's vertical integration process as they work to build a "bank" of water assets. President and CEO Jose Francisco Klujsza brings over 20 years of experience in sales at multinational corpora tions worldwide, most recently as vice president of sales for PepisCo Beverages' Me xico and Latin American Region . Beverage indu stry veteran Stu Levitan recently joined as Chief Operating Officer. Levitan is the force behind many successful premium bottled water brands, including in hi s previou s position as president of Iceland Springs and 2007
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A stream of industry alliances should coverage from outlets such as The Wall Naya, Inc., where he spearheaded the help accelerate time-to -market. The Street Journal, TIME, Entrepreneur, Forbes, No. 1-selling Canadian bottled spring Company has a five-year agreement BusinessWeek and the Today show . water in the world, Naya Canadian with Signature Jets & Signature Private ICEROCKS were recently showcased Natural Spring Water. Yachts to supply its affluent clientele during the cutting-edge 2006 Billboard " I've been in this business for over with ICEROCKS. The Company also has Awards, and the Company has already 25 years, and I've never experienced a a long-term production and distribuconcept like ICEROCKS that has as many, received a number of international tion alliance with SO.FA.BO., the largest nearly limitless, channel opportunities," product innovation awards. independent non-alcoholic beverage A number of products in developLevitan says. "When you consider cocompany in France. In North America, ment leverage ICEROCKS' patented techbranding, private labeling and product WaterBank inked a letter of intent to nologies. Ice Kids forms natural juice line extensions, the ICEROCKS concept acquire Aqua Maestro, Inc., a leading could achieve exponential growth for extracts into cubes, promoting healthier importer and distributor of bottled beverage choices for children (just pour the Company:' waters. In the nonprofit sector, Red spring water over cubes). Scotch Rocks速 WaterBank of America is also Cross of Canada actively endorses backed by a highly experienced Board is a luxury product marketed to distribuICEROCKS and plans to work closely of Directors with representation from tors and merchants who supply alcohol with WaterBank of America to increase industry experts such as Ross Colbert, to premier venues and upscale liquor public awareness and humanitarian aid who has over 22 years of beverage stores. A pilot program with Chivas for clean drinking water. Concurrently, Regal, in which bottles of whiskey were industry experience and has completthe Company's well -connected managepackaged and sold with four ICEROCKS ed more than 60 transactions across ment team is establishing a numerous industry seg number of key broker- disments including soft drinks, tributor relationships to sell bottled water, juice, beer, ICEROCKS in premium health contract packaging, and food stores and gourmet equipment suppliers and shops along the East Coast. packaging companies. WaterBank also recently With a background signed a long-term agreethat includes13 years as ment with NFL star linebackPresident and CEO of a large er Jonathan Vilma from the insurance company and New York Jets to become the a finance career that has Corporate Spokesperson. As resulted in over $1 billion in funds raised, Chairman an accomplished athlete on of the Board Byron Messier and off the field, Mr. Vilma's brings in-depth knowledge presence and charisma will of Sarbanes-Oxley and cor- The WaterBank team at the 2006 Canadian Formula 1 Grand-Prix in be valuable in helping to Montreal. ICEROCKS was racing in the Ferrari Challenge. spread the Company's mesporate governance to the sage and vision . WaterBank team. He plays an active cubes, confirmed that consumers hold role in the Company and, through his the same high standards for their ice With the market adoption of cubes as they do their top-shelf liquor. Toronto - based private equity group ICEROCKS, WaterBank of America Forstar Capital, is also a key investor. For the medical market, Aqua medic tarexpects to drive up revenues, which WaterBank's Advisory Board is made gets the use of sterile secured ice cubes can then be re -invested to acquire new in hospitals and dental clinics and in water assets, expand its innovative produp of highly accomplished water and beverage industry experts to help manglobal humanitarian and disaster recovuct line and increase existing producagement capitalize on its strategy of ery efforts. The Company is also studytion capacity. But with all its fancy packacquiring water assets and spring water ing the product's role in improving the aging, is ICEROCKS just another luxury sources. John Dickerson has been an healing process of various pathologies. item of the West? Levitan , who helped advisory board member for three years shape the global bottled water industry Securing the Future into a consumer staple, responds to this and is the Managing General Partner of the Summit Water Equity Fund, L.P., the concern: "Our underlying concept is one To secure long -term production largest water fund in America and an capacity and achieve economies of scale, of universal health and well ness. In five investor in WaterBank of America . to six years, I firmly believe a large perWaterBank of America is setting up U.S. The premium ice cube market is still centage of consumers and institutions production hubs close to its target in its infancy and the buzz surroundmarkets (East Coast, California, South will buy only water and ice cubes from ing ICEROCKS is growing . With only a Florida). The Company currently proa protected source. Like the trajectory handful of players having commercially duces ICEROCKS in France and has set of the bottled water industry, ICEROCKS ready products, ICEROCKS have gained up a second facility in New Brunswick, could very rapidly become a world comsignificant media attention , including Canada. modity:' R 104
VALUERICH
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Continental Energy Corporation:
Elephant Hunting â&#x20AC;˘ 1n Indonesia By: Stephen Feller
An oil and gas exploration company based in Texas is not unusual. What distinguishes Dallas-headquartered Continental Energy Corporation (OTCBB: CPPXF) is that its interests lie half a world away from the Lone Star State. Management of the 10-year-old company is focusing time and effort on Indonesia, an area with a long history of successful oil and gas exploration. The Company's mission is to discover an oilfield containing over 100 million barrels of reserves - in oil industry speak, an "elephant." With two seasoned professionals at the helm , petroleum exploration and production rights for a portion of the promising million-acre Bengara-11 Block
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in Indonesia, and a risk management strategy that leverages joint ventures, Continental Energy appears locked and loaded for the hunt.
Fertile hunting ground Indonesia has earned a solid reputation in the oil exploration industry. Thanks to geologic conditions that have proven excellent for petroleum accumulation, many large oil companies credit it as the place where they got their first big break. The country is the third-oldest oil producer in the world , after the U.S. and Russia, with production commencing more than a century ago. Today, it is the largest oil producer in Southeast
Asia and the only member of OPEC in the region. With much of the country's largest and most accessible deposits already developed and its main fields maturing, Indonesia's future oil output is expected to come from smaller, more remote sites. The economics of these smaller fields typically suit small companies with lean cost structures that allow them to remain profitable even with relatively lower production . Continental Energy is perfectly suited for this emerging niche. The Company's current focus is the exploration and development of interests in the Bengara-11 Block, located in the province of East Kalimantan on the WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
Indonesia's long history ofoil exploration has resulted in asolid infrastructure for drilling and production, including everything from contractors and equipment to a ready workforce.
COMPANY •
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northeast coast of Borneo. The 900,000acre Bengara-11 Block contains numerous mapped and well-defined drilling prospects with potential for large oil and gas accumulations. Strong logistics pertaining to access and operating conditions intensify the area's attractiveness for oil exploration and development. A supportive government
Also of great interest to exploration companies is the fact that Indonesia's oil production is below the OPEC-permitted production, prompting Indonesian authorities to utilize the private sector in developing the country's petroleum resources. Because Indonesia depends on oil for its economic health, its government has adopted a pos itive relationship with the international oil industry. The country's economic terms allow a fair and lucrative return for producers of oil and gas. This translates to favorable contract terms and assurance of minimum state interference for
Continental. In addition, Indonesia's long history of oil exploration has resulted in a solid infrastructure for drilling and production, including everything from contractors and equipment to a ready workforce. Continental is able to avoid the outrageously high production costs associated with other areas of the world . Focusing on profitability
De spite the inherent benefits of Indonesia, oil exploration remains an industry associat ed with techni cal and commercial risks and one that demands continuous capital. In the past few years, Continental management has made strategic moves to generate funds and refocus its energy. Until 2005, the Company owned sign ificant rights to three Indonesian properties- the Bangkudulis Block in East Kalimantan, the Yapen Block offshore Papua, and the Bengara-11 Block. Continental divested
.• • CONNECT
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Dallas,Texas 75240 www.continentalenergy.com James Eger, CFO
972-934-6774 jdeger@continenta lenergy.com
its stake in Bangkudulis in 2005 and sold the rights to Yapen in 2006 to generate cash, free up debt and allow the Company to better focus on potentially profitable projects for the future. Management plans to minimize and spread financial risk by joint-venturing with other companies. In October 2006, the Company announced the sale of 70 percent of its Bengara - 11 Production Sharing Contract to CNPCHK (Indonesia) Limited (CNPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed China National Petroleum Company (Hong Kong) Limited. Under the agreement, CNPC will fund the exploration and development costs of the Bengara-11 area . CNPC will also pay Continental a $3 million cash bonus for the first discovery made within the area . The rights to Bengara-11 gave Continental 30 years to look for o i l in the area and required an investment of $25 million in the first 10 years of work there. As they moved closer to year 10, Management felt it made sense to find a partner that could help meet both the monetary and exploration benchmarks that were part of the original deal. "We were going to have to raise the money somehow," says Continental's chief financial officer, James Eger. "Because we are a small company with no production, [simply selling off stock] would have devalued our stock too The 900,000-acre Bengara-11 Block contains numerous mapped and welldefined drilling prospects with potential for large oil and gas accumulations.
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much:' According to Eger, in CNPC the Company found a "very strong and deep -p ocketed partner who wants to work with us in the region:· As defined by the agreement, CNPC is handling bid reviews for companies to dig four exploratory wells. In January, the Company announced that the first drilling services contract had been awarded, with the drilling expected to begin in March 2007 and to take up to 70 days. This is an important move forward in what Management sees as the most promising of the Company 's prospects. Expedition leaders
there;' says Eger. He and McAdoo have recruited a talented staff to assist in their endeavors. The Company's Jakarta offices are manned by geologists, geophysicists, engineers and oilfield operations personnel who have accumulated many decades of oilfield experience. Other crusades
Continental has a natural gas property named the Makapan Gas Field, also on the Bengara-11 Block in Indonesia, which the Company intends to develop in the next couple of years. With drilling depths of about 6,000 feet, it could be a less expensive to appraise and develop than the Bengara-11 project.
CNPC (a subsidiary of one of the largest petroleum companies in China) gives Continental an entrance into China, one of the fastest-growing markets for oil and gas in the world. Working with the Chinese should allow the Company to participate in other exploratory business as well. As Management awaits results from the Bengara-11 Block, it is also seeking to diversify its energy interests, including the biodiesel work, with potential investments in the United States and Europe. According to Eger, the idea is to pick up existing production and create a revenue base, while diversifying the Company's interests beyond its intimate Indonesian connections.
"Oil is first found in the mind," said Indonesian law requires that natural There isn't much Eger will reveal in prominent petroleum geologist Wallace gas discoveries stay in the local market, terms of the new ideas or properties Pratt. These words have become a ----------------Continental may get into in the next well-known maxim in the industry.
Continental is evaluating projects in Southeast Asia that involve converting palm oil into biodiesel.
Many ascribe to the idea that the strength of any resource exploration company relies largely on the talent and experience of its management team and technical staff. Eger and President and Chief Executive Officer Richard McAdoo bring more than two decades of experience in Indonesian fossil fuels to Continental 's management team . Eger earned master's degrees in Geology, Marine Affairs and Business Administration from the University of Florida, University of Rhode Island and Boston University, respectively. He has worked in the oil industry since 1978, when he was with Phillips Petroleum and based in their London , offices. In 1982, he joined Jackson Exploration and was based in Jakarta, Indonesia. McAdoo holds master's degrees in Geophysics and Business Administration from Texas Tech University and Boston University, respectively, and has occupied a variety of technical and management positions at leading companies such as Mobil Oil, Phillips Petroleum and Jackson Exploration . He has lived and worked in Jakarta since the early 1980's. In addition to in-country experience, both Eger and McAdoo are fluent in the Indonesian language and have established solid relationships with industry and government individuals at all levels. "We feel we have a competitive edge
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few years, but he asserts that their development concepts are already attracting attention around the country. Speaking at road show events and conferences, including the ValueRich Small-cap Expo in Las Vegas in October, Eger has garnered investor interest in Continental. He attributes it to the Company 's continued focus on growth rather than jumping ahead and discussing the retail market. He believes this plan is more sensible in the long run and will make that move, when it happens, even more lucrative. "I think people are intrigued by us," Eger says. "And by the state of the industry." V R
but the revenue generated could help fund the Company 's other initiatives, including Management's look into biodiesel -an environmentally safer alternative to gasoline that is already being used in some parts of the country to run vehicles and other engines fueled by diesel. Continental is evaluating projects in Southeast Asia that involve converting palm oil into biodiesel. Eger calls it "the best in terms of oil possibilities;· potentially better than soy, corn and other raw materials currently being processed by the energy industry. With good plantation connections and growing relationships with processors and factories to h andle the new fuel, Eger is hopeful about what he says is still a cloudy but developing area. "Institutions are clamoring to invest in these things, but it's still relatively Continental Energy's management team: (left to right) early;• he said . Richard L. McAdoo, CEO; Andrew Erikkson, Exploration Partnering with Manager; and Jim Eger, CFO. WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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Corporate Headquarters: 4902 Eisenhower Blvd. , Ste. 185 I Tampa, FL 33634 I 813.885.5744 NY Offices: The Chrysler Building, 405 LexingtonAve., 26th Fl I NY, NY 10174 I 212.907 .6555; 257 Park Ave. South, 12th F1 I NY, NY 10010 I 646.230.1001
www.midtownpartners.com
Over 4.9 million adult men and women were under parole or probation supervision in the United States at the end of 2005. Each year, about 600,000 more join that population under some type of community supervision . These large numbers are due partly to the fact that overcrowded and understaffed prisons are pushing more inmates into conditional release programs. These programs save taxpayers money and can help reduce recidivism rates by treating and modifying antisocial behavior. However, state and local law enforcement agencies are strug gling to keep up with larger and ever increasing caseloads. Nebraska-based iSECUREtrac Corporation (OTCBB: ISEC) is helping alleviate the workload, agent stress and correctional budget constraints. Using state-of-the-art GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, which can pinpoint the location of anyone or anything on Earth using a satellite navigation system, the Company offers 24/7/ 365 advanced offender monitoring that includes realtime data collection, secure reporting and data warehousing .
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The Company has created a patented, integrated GPS monitoring system consisting of an electronic ankle bracelet and a personal tracking device (worn at the waist) . The water-proof and "permanent" ankle bracelet constantly emits a radio frequency signa l, which is received by the tracking unit. This ensures that the tracking device is in constant proximity to the individual being monitored. If the tracking unit does not register a signal from the bracelet, a monitoring
center is automatically notified and a violation is recorded. The personal tracking unit receives signals from orbiting GPS satellites and an onboard processor then triangulates an exact location. When coupled with a communica tions network, this GPS system records the exact whereabouts of an individual and instantly alerts authorities to any violation. iSECUREtrac holds five patents on its applications of GPS techno logy. Peter Michel, the former CEO of Brink's Home Security, a unit of The Brink's Company (NYSE: BCO), joined iSECUREtrac last year as Pres ident and CEO. "What sets us apart as leaders in the electronic monitoring industry," he says, "is how we combine three of today's most powerful communication technologies, GPS, the Internet and wireless data networks, with use of a reliable transmitter and receiver to create a technology platform that is unrivaled in the industry." Products with a track record
Peter Michel, CEO of iSECUREtrac
Officer caseloads have doubled over the past three decades, while departWWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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mental budgets have stayed the same lular networks . The passive GPS unit or been reduced . On average, a single works the same way, but usually sends parole officer has the responsibility of reports less frequently, using land tele 75 parolees, which translates to approxiphone lines. mately 15 m inutes spent with an officer "Active GPS monitoring is ideal for each month. In urban areas, this ratio law enforcement agents requiring has been known to skyrocket to 300 more intense supervi sion, such as with felons per officer and up to 1,000-to- 1 a sexual predator," says Michel. "Our GPS when less seriou s offenders are includunit can track where a sex offender is at any time of day. Should he approach an ed . When you consider who is on parole -convicted sex offenders, child abusexclusion zone, such a school, our unit ers and perpetrators of domestic viosends this data in near real time over a lence, among othcellular network to our 'Active GPS monitoring fully staffed, centra 1ers - community is ideal for law enforceized monitoring censurveillance is a ment agents requiring ter, where our trained matter of national personnel contact the security. more intense superviappropriate authoriiSECUREtrac sion, such as with a sexties. We can't prevent is focused on ual predator' crim e, but we can turn the Parole and information into actionable results that Probation, Homeland Security, Pretrial create a first line of defense." and Corrections markets. Current prodThe Company 's House Arrest Unit ucts include active and passive GPS (HAU) , like active and passive monitormonitoring, a house arrest system, and ing, ensures that offenders or defenremote alcohol testing and reporting. dants adhere to their individual conAs a smart technology, the GPS unit ditions of release. Used in conjunction crosschecks location data points with with a radiofrequency (RF) transmitter an individual 's inclusion and exclusion bracelet that continually sends out zones (stored in the person al tracking a radio signal , the HAU monitors the unit) and detects, records and comoffender's presence within prescribed municates violations as they occur. geographic boundaries du r ing parThe appropriate authorities can opt in ticular times of day. If the participant to receive reports in real time via cell walks out of RF range while wearing the phone, e-mail, fa x, or another delivery bracelet, the HAU reports the violation . platform of their choice. Additionally, the HAU is set to monitor With an active GPS unit, the frequen participants according to their house cy of tracking occurs every 20 second s arrest schedule. If they are required to and allows for delivery of data over eelbe home between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m ., the HAU contin ually crosschecks the participant 's pro ximity with the agency-defined schedule. All violations are recorded and reported to the appropriate officer. "Often the terms of a house arrest include abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Our vi sual alcohol monitoring system enables us to completely verify and validate alcohol tests remotely,"
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iSECUREtrac OTCBB: ISEC
iSECUREtrac Corporation 5078 S. 111th Street Omaha, NE 68137 www.isecuretrac.com
Investor Relations: Liolios Group Inc 2431 W. Coast Highway #205 Newport Beach, CA 92663 Ron Both ron @liolios.com 949-574-3860
Michel says. iSECUREtrac's 2000VB (visual breath) system looks like a small TV with a straw sticking out; when the participant blows into the straw, the unit checks for the presence of alcohol. The participant is digitally photographed during the test to ensure authentication of results. Law enforcement and corrections agencies often prefer visual verification technology over voice verification systems because of the increased difficulty of circumvention. Jeff Durski, marketing manager for iSECUREtrac, says electronic surveillance and remote monitoring have an outstanding track record. " Nationally, 67 percent of those released from prison are re - arrested within three years. Under community supervision with electronic surveillance, individuals are two time s less likely to commit a crime than those without the benefit of electronic monitoring:' He explains that the Company's products create individual
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accountability and are more cost- effective than in-person surveillance. " People w ho know their every move is being recorded will change their behavior. Electronic community surveillance systems don ' t leave the whereabouts of an individual to chance or depend on when an overworked officer has the time to check in. The heavy burden of 24/7 manpower is outsourced to us:' iSECUREtrac can cut costs to ta xpayer s by a whopping 90 percent per day. "The astronomical cost associated with incarceration is about $100 per day per prisoner. The cost of active GPS monitoring is about $10 per day;' says Durski.
Growth in numbers iSECUREtrac products are currently used on thousands of offenders in North America . Rapid adoption of these costeffective advanced-technology tools has helped create a multimillion-dollar revenue base. For the nine -month period ending September 30, 2006, t he Company reported record revenue levels of $5.9 million, up 55 percent over the same period last year. The majority of these revenues were recurring , includ ing the leasing and hosting of monitoring systems, which showed a 66 percent improvement over last year 's recurring -revenue base. The thi rd quarter concluded the build-out of a robust suite of Outsourced Sup e rvision Services that includes enhanced Monitoring Center Services, Equipment Program Services, Prog ram Design & Development , Training , Financial and Case Management Services . The Company is using $6 mil lion in financing secured in December to fund current operation s, create advanced turnkey offende r management solutions, and increase capacity to fill larger orders. "iSECUREtrac 's outsourced services create a high-margin recurring-revenue opportunity that deepens our l l2 I
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customer relationships and can be marketed to new and existing customers," says Michel. "The strategic thrust of the Company is to grow the top line through increasing unit volume to our existing customer base. Providing enhanced outsourced services will help make those revenues recurring and profitable.
Gaining momentum " We are seeing a d ramatic rise in proposal requests from various state and county agencies across the United States;' Michel adds. "Potential deals and recent contract wins bode well for the Company's future growth ." iSECUREtrac recently inked a statewide agreement with South Carolina to provide GPS units to any governmental agency in
'There is a public outcry to provide law enforcement the manpower and tools to protect them against re-offenders.' need, and signed a yearlong, renewable contact to supply monitoring and outsourced solutions to the city of Newport News, Virginia . The Company provides electronic monitoring equipment and monitoring center services to agencies in 36 states and serves many of our state and county Departments of Corrections and Boards of Probations and Parole. It
" There is a public outcry to provide law enforcement the manpower and tools to protect them against re offenders . Our technology, as a force, is a huge multiplier. The more we know about offenders, the better we can use that data to modify dysfunctional behavior, protect the public, maximize ta xpayer dollars, and help our law enforcement do their job;' says Michel. The industry 's biggest challenge is education . Governors and local representatives must speak out about the products' benefits and pass legislation for acquiring the use of GPS monitoring units. The judges responsible for sentencing must require the use of the GPS systems in order to get financial backing from the government. In January 2007, the Collier County (Florida) Sheriff's Office announced the launch of a new pilot program in which certain juvenile offenders would be required to wear iSECUREtrac 's tech nology. The hope is that, in addition to helping with detention center ove rcrowding, employing the devices will decrease recidivism and prevent these juveniles from pursuing a life of crime. This is only the latest in a long line of state and county agencies who have decided to implement iSECUREtrac 's systems as a strategic tool. As these implementations prove effective and successful , it may be just the motivation needed to get government officials engaged and vocal regard ing the GPS initiative. With its advanced GPS offender monitoring , iSECUREtrac is leading the charge for a powerful new defense in the war against crime. VR WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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Those searching for her had all but given up hope of finding one of the most widely publicized sunken ships of the modern era. It was finally located more than 12,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface, just north of Nova Scotia . At the time, sonar technologies were still fairly rudimentary. Finding the Titanic gave birth to a revolution in advanced capabilities of sonar technologies. There has always been treasure beneath the sea. Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) technologies are now more advanced than ever and are used worldwide for a host of important purposes. Both active (which locates using sound waves, including imaging) and passive (with only sound-sensing or listening capabilities) sonar technologies are used extensively, from scientific research to military defense, and offer unlimited promise for a wide range of commercial and governmental applications worldwide. In the midst of sonar's revolution, CodaOctopus (Other-OTC: CDOC. PK) has been developing and distributing industry-first sonar products for 1 14
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more than 12 years . With established sonar technology-based R&D, product development and distribution to build on, the Company now applies its proprietary products to fully integrated advanced sonar solutions to meet longstanding needs in security and defense for port security, government, and oil and gas drilling sites across the globe. CodaOctopus has been presented with a unique opportunity to capture firstmover status in this untapped multibillion-dollar sector. Underwater revolution CodaOctopus began as Coda Technologies, founded in 1994 by four young Ph.D. graduates from Heriot Watt University in Scotland. The founders planned to capitalize on their research, which had produced the ingredients for a powerful sonar processor. The Company's Coda DA (Digital Acquisition system) was one of the first commercially successful PC-based systems for automating geophysical acquisition and reporting tasks. Its Coda Pipeline Inspection system forever changed the way routine pipeline surveys were
accomplished . With these successes, Coda dominated sonar technology product markets in both Europe and Asia , and gained a reputation for producing powerful and innovat ive sonar technology. Coda management refined its focus in 2002 by merging with Oxfordshire, England-based Octopus Marine Systems. While Coda's products were homegrown, Octopus aimed to identify early-stage technologies from academia and small developers and bring them to a broader market. Their best-known product, the Octopus 360 Sei smic Acquisition and Processing System, met the needs of shallow seismic geographic surveys and is still used around the world. Coda's successfu l merger with its former competitor allowed both companies to build upon each other's strengths to address the multibilliondollar marine technology and solutions market. In that same year, Coda acquired the sonar firm OmniTech AS, a Norwegian company that had developed groundbreaking 3-D real-time sonar imaging technology for subsea environments. WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
The new sonar technology solutions enhanced Coda's product suite and offered integration opportunities with the Company's existing technologies to further address rapidly growing market opportunities. Out of the water Significant R&D investment in defense-related sonar technologies, in conjunction with the Company's inte grated acquisition strategy, has enabled CodaOctopus to develop its complete underwater sonar defense and security solutions . Its three distinct product groups that will be integrated as part of its sonar solutions include industryleading geophysical systems, motion sensing, and the Company's unique and revolutionary 3-D imaging technology, the Echoscope 'M . The CodaOctopus Echoscope is a real-time imaging, active sonar that generates instantaneous and unparalleled 3-D images of underwater scenes. The Echoscope was originally intended to assist in underwater construction operations and has also been successfully utilized in the commercial oil and gas sector. However, recent interest in the Echoscope's unique defense capabilities from the US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy, in addition to other NATO forces , stems from its critical applications for mine countermeasures, underwater vehicle obstacle avoidance, underwater intruder detection,
and object inspection. The utilization of 3-D real time sonar marks a revolutionary step in port and harbor security and defense. The Company's Echoscope is able to visualize both fixed and moving objects in a static scene and rapidly render images of docks, harbors wal ls and ships' hulls however murky the water. Delivering up to 20 updates per second, the Echoscope can be used for real-time monitoring of live subsea engineering operations and excels where conven t ional 2-D sonars fail. Its high quality imagery also allows for more accurate scenario interpretation and is unaffected by poor visibility which has historically hindered underwater video cameras. The 3-D real time data provides an intuitive data image on screen meaning that even a non-specialist user can understand what they are looking at. Working initially with the University of South Florida (USF), the USCG and the Office of Naval Research, CodaOctopus has worked with various domestic defense bodies to consider the technology's defense applications in the United States. The Company recently became the first to successfu lly map and reference a complete ship hull in 3-D real time, which caused a huge amount of interest within relevant parties. CodaOctopus' ma r ine geophysical survey systems combine a wide range of geophysical post-processing software with the Company's advanced data acquisition and interpretation components. These components are designed specifically for side scan and sub-bottom applications. Side scan sonar systems, which are towed behind ships and cast a specialized acoustic beam, provide sophisticated high-resolution digital images of the sea-floor surface. These survey systems meet longstanding industry needs and are used to locate pipeline or cable routes, seamounts, obstructions, ship-
The Echoscope TM can be integrated into remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for rapid, but highly accurate, underwater survey.
CodaOctopus GROUP Other OTC: CDOC.PK Coda Octopus Group, Inc. 164 West 25th Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10001 P: 212-924-3442 www.codaoctopus.com
Equity Communications, LLC Ira Weingarten 805-897-1880 Steve Chizzik 908-688-9111
wrecks, mines and downed aircraft. Sub-bottom profilers use the principle s of seismic reflection to identify and characterize layers of sediment or rock beneath the sea floor. This pro vides surveyors with crucial information for cable and pipe route surveys, piling installations, pipeline burial and salvaging operations. With motion-sensing devices that include the Octopus F180 Precision Attitude and Positioning Sensor, Coda offers the industry a radical departure from traditional technologies. Originally conceived for the world of motor racing, CodaOctopus refined the F180 to meet the needs of the marine market in a simple-to-use off-the-shelf product that provides accurate positioning and motion data used in marine surveying. Despite the Company 's industryleading technologies and established position in the sonar technology products market, the key to CodaOctopus' long-term growth lies in its ability to capitalize on the unique advantages of its proprietary products and existing technologies by refining them into complete systems and specialized solutions. Toward that end, Coda is now marketing its integrated Underwater Inspection System (UIS) for worldwide security and defense applications , a market estimated at $1.2 billion and growing (Yahoo! Finance). li'vlt TE~ 2007
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A safe harbor Much funding and attention have been placed on preventing traditional land and air attacks in recent years, but the 362 ports in the United States have woefully inadequate security and defense strategies in place to protect against potential threats. Across the Atlantic, port security and underwater defense remain similarly unmet security concerns. Now, as governments, ports, harbors and ocean-based businesses recognize the threat of an attack by sea, increased security and defense have become critical expense items. Potential attacks can come in the form of attached mines or other explosive devices on ships' hulls, harbor walls, bridge foundations, pipelines or the seabed in ports and harbors. Previously, underwater detection was a labor-intensive and costly process that required slow searches of ship hulls and harbor walls by divers, often in less-than-ideal conditions. Alternative methods, including 2-D sonar techniques, have had proven limitations. "Having developed industry-leading products and services and a secure market position over the past twelve years, we are currently negotiating a number of large contracts with government entities, port and oil and gas operators with complete sonar solutions designed to meet emerg1 16 ~
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ing security and defense needs," says CodaOctopus President and CEO Jason Reid. "With security and defense contracts currently in negotiations valued between $20 - 25 million, we expect that full implementation will support additional potential to secure contracts with worldwide harbors in this virtually untapped marketplace:' Using its sonar security and defense solutions, CodaOctopus is moving to secure a dominant position in the critically important underwater security and defense market, with virtually no current competition . The Company expects to benefit from its history of providing cutting-edge sonar products and technology capabilities and established credibility in this vast, uncharted sector. Unlike competitors, CodaOctopus offers customers total solutions that are currently unmatched in the marketplace . What's more, once fully implemented, CodaOctopus' complete software and technology-related security and defense sonar solutions create conversion cost barriers that should keep competitors even further at bay. In the meantime, CodaOctopus has secured sufficient financing to support its first contracts, which management anticipates closing within the next six months. Coda's most recent round of approximately $3.5 million will be used to help underwrite the Company 's projected growth as it emerges from a well-established sonar technology leader into a provider of high-tech products and services solutions. Mission possible Recently, CodaOctopus opened new offices in Washington, D.C., and added a number of key executives to its management team, including a new Senior Vice President of Government Relations, as well as other critical appointments in the Company's Legal, Merger and Acquisition and Strategic Development
areas. These key additions to the leadership team have extensive expertise in government relations, contract negotiations and acquisition-based growth that should bode well for CodaOctopus' con tinued growth. Also, to better match the needs of the worldwide port security and defense marketplace, last July CodaOctopus acquired privately held Martech Systems, a design and manufacturing service provider for military and defense sectors . Based in the UK, Martech is a recognized expert in image processing, sonar, electronics, software development and mechanical systems, with diversified assignments and client bases that include some of the finest cuttingedge technology companies and organizations in the world . In addition to providing enhanced
product and service offerings, as well as an established client base, Martech has been continuously profitable and its revenues are expected to be immediately accretive to CodaOctopus' earnings. While short-term goals are contractand negotiations-based, medium-term goals include OTC Bulletin Board listing and additional targeted acquisitions. As a fully reporting company listed on the Bulletin Board, CodaOctopus expects to gain access to additional capital for product development and growth that is both organic and acquisition-based. A new world Like the early explorers, CodaOctopus is traversing the seven seas and con tinents to discover new opportunities and treasures. As the first to offer complete defense and security technology solutions to this burgeoning market, the Company stands poised to capture key contracts and unearth both growth and profits. R WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
High Performance Microcap Opportunities
OTCBB: Symbol EXNT German WKN# AOHMDW www.enxnet.com
Bringing digital media technologies and products to a new level of enjoyment for businesses and consumers throughout the world.
QuoteMedia:
Outside Information By Denelle Swaim
In the Internet's infancy, the concept of an information aggregator, or service that collects relevant information from multiple sources on the Web, was a bit like a rechargeable light bulb- a neat idea, but certainly not a necessity. Yet, during the height ofthe Internet bubble and shortly after Yahoo! went public, hundreds of data and content provid ers popped up (rem ember dog pile.com and FindWhat?) in an effort to capitalize on what was thought to be the next wave of Internet content aggregators- those who redefined how we use the data found there. In the shakedown that ensued, successful competitor Google emerged to bring us the very latest information like no other, customizing it in a way that is easily searchable and providing the most relevant con -
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tent to millions of desktops worldwide. A giant by any standards, Google now trades at well over $450/ share, with an impressive market cap of $149 billion (as of 1/1 0/ 07) . Arizona-based QuoteMedia (OTCBB: QMCI) is carving its own niche in a domain similar to the one Google built
ing the kind of information customers need in the format that they want. Just as the general pub l ic relies on Google to access the very latest information, products, maps and services, QuoteMedia's clients rely on the Company's proprietary data solutions to ensure that they receive stock market
All of QuoteMedia's solutions work together as one, continually updating to provide real-time data from nearly any location. upon, but with a targeted financial slant. Though its content isn't search enginebased like Google's, QuoteMedia similarly provides aggregate financial data in the form of streaming, real-time data feeds . Unlike the industry giant Google, however, QuoteMedia customizes its solutions for each of its clients, provid-
and financial data in a customized, easyto-use, even portable format. QuoteMedia's solutions are scalable, fully embedded and integrated to mirror the look and feel of the host Web sites they support. Client hosts are able to re-sell QuoteMedia's real-time offerings or keep them for member-only conWWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
tent, without dramatically reformatting their Web sites or forcing valuable traffic to leave the sites for the dynamic, realtime content they crave. What 's more, these integrated data solutions can be carried with you in the form of integrated software applications that work directly with all computers, laptops and wireless mobile devices such as phones, pda's, etc. All of QuoteMedia's solutions work together as one, continually updating to provide real-time data from nearly any location. Changes you make to your customized stock information (adding or subtracting stocks from your latest holdings, for instance) are updated in real time on your desktop, laptop or mobile phone applications also and
problems that can d ecrease operating efficiencies and increase costs in an Internet-based marketplace that demands immediacy. QuoteMedia's clients benefit from the Company's "one stop" offerings. Dyna m ic financial and market data from every North American exchange, including stock s, bonds , futures, news, filings, and options markets, is delivered in a single customized scalable platform. What really diffe rentiates the Company from its competitors is that QuoteMedia works as an integrated platform within the actual Web sites it supports. While competing firms may offer similar financial data, either raw or embedded in specified formats, or in "boxes" on the site, QuoteMedia provides
According to /DC analysts, the content applications markets will continue to grow at astonishing rates through 2010, with double-digit compound annual growth rates projected for segments like content management software and digital asset management software. are always available to you, wherever you go. In the high - margin world of con tent service providers, QuoteMedia is ce rtainly not alone when it come s to providing financial market data . Yet, while competitors focus on producing raw stock market content (Dow Jones, Reuters) or similarly aggregating financial market data (Thomson, Bloomberg), QuoteMedia's products provide data in ways that better serve this demanding market. Data in its raw form can often be difficult to integrate and requires a great deal of client-side development to be rendered useable. Though real-time financi al d ata is available for purchase directly from QuoteMedia in the form of ultra-low latency data feeds , and from other providers such as Reuters, Bloomberg and the stock exchanges, incorporating that data into one's own Web site or accessing it for everyday use often present significant obstacles, such as integrating software and redirecting valuable traffic away from the primary host . The traditional practice of obtaining market data from a number of providers also create s functionality and logistical WWW. VREXPO .N ET
dynamic data in a seamlessly integrated way that is customized to the unique needs of its clients. What's more, once real-time data is established for client host sites, it works across the site to enhance existing applications with the very latest financial content, in real time . This has tremendous implications for Web hosts like QuoteMedia client Forbes. com, where an active user audience and high click-through volumes are key to poten tial advertisers. As a result, the Company has se c ured a solid base of impressive clientele that reads like a who 's who of the financial markets - Forbe s. com , Scotia Bank, General Electric, ChoiceTrade and Za c k 's Investment Research . But how much are dynamic market data and content really worth ? Indu stry experts say it is a $7 billion industry. According to IDC analysts, the content applications markets will continue to grow at astonishing rates through 2010, with double-digit com -
Suite230 Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
www.quotemedia.com
QuoteMedia, Inc. P: 480-905-4116
pound annual growth rates projected for segments like content man agement software and digital asset management software. The content applications market is also likely to see astounding growth through 2010, with double-digit compound annual growth rates predicted for content access tools, including search engines, content management software, and digital asset management software. Further, 40 percent of enterprises still lack a commercial content management system (CMS). Even within companies
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and has consistently grown its product and service offerings to match its clients' diverse needs. So far, QuoteMedia's strategy is paying off, and long-term plans call for continued growth in international markets and development of new product and service offerings . With funding secure through the next several phases, QuoteMedia is already cash-flow positive and profitable on an annual basis. Financial results for the three and nine months ending September 30, 2006, were recently announced, with $960,111 in Q3 revenue, a 44 percent increase
successful completion and QuoteMedia expects to significantly ramp up marketing activities in the coming months, continued growth can be expected as a result of international expansion as well as enhanced product and service offerings to existing and new clients. Despite struggling post bubble burst, technology is still big business and many analysts are asserting that tech stocks are due for a comeback in 2007 . Tech-related solutions that make mission-critical information better and enhance businesses' ability to compete in the rapid-fire Internet era still have
.. .long-term plans call for continued growth in international markets and development of new product and service offerings.
that have adopted a CMS, large groups of users remain unserved, a situation that presents a significant oppo rtunity for QuoteMedia to build upon . So, what happens when competitors arise to compete for their piece of the pie? Due to the expense of software solutions development, design, implementation and sales, emerging financial and data content competitors will face high barriers to entry. The scalability of QuoteMedia's solutions combined with the Company's successful inroads with an industry-leading client base and established relationships with nearly all of the financial services industry's raw market data providers have all helped QuoteMedia solidify its competitive position . The Company also plans to continue spending on resea rch and development and international market expansion to help ensu re long-term success. "We built QuoteMedia to meet customer needs, and our success is based on that model," says QuoteMedia, Ltd, CEO Dave Shworan . "Clients have consistently driven our growth trajectory ever since, by requesting specialized service offerings that we integrate, provide and then offer to others:' Indeed, by differentiating itself as a seamless, customized content provider, versus competitors' package provide r models, QuoteMedia has secured an impressive client base
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over the prior year 's Q3 . Nine-month revenue increased 59 percent, reaching $2,651,248 from $1,665,176 in the same period in 2005 . Robert J. Thompson, chairman of the board, says of QuoteMedia's recent performance, "These results are notable not only for the velocity of growth but also because they have occurred during a period when the Company's focus has been on completing the extraordinary technology expansion program announced early this year, rather than new customer development activities :' Now that development and technology expansion activities are nearing
tremendous room for growth, especially in a market where billions continue to be spent and double-digit growth is projected. If QuoteMedia continues to offer its impressive client base the most up-todate, cost-effective, efficient, custom ized solutions, the Company 's current growth trajectory in the burgeoning financial content and data provider marketplace could continue. Just as with Google and other househo ld names that have taken great ideas and made them necessities, there may be a bit of uncharted cyberspace left in which this small-cap player could become a giant.
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• Fast cash for public companies and large shareholders. • Cash available for free trading or restricted shares.
Corporation
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• Up to $10 million for every need from meeting payroll to completing acquisitions. • NASDAQ, Bulletin Board and Pink Sheets Qualify. • Funding often available within 72 hours.
Mammoth Corporation • 1 First Ban k Plaza, Su ite 204 • Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047-3108 • Phone {847) 540-5044 • Fax (847) 540 -5045
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We often send get-well cards processes . (computerized axial tomography) scans to friends recovering from illness and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). If you think of the body's active or surgery that say something like cellular network lined up like a set of which provide early detection of chronic " Wishing you a speedy recovery!"The illness and diseases by producing 3-D dominoes, PEMF works by tapping on days of merely wishing are fast coming the first domino, or basic cellular prodigital images of living tissue. to a close. lvivi Technologies (AMEX: cess, to set off a chain of events that Modern PEMF therapy emerged at II) is spearheading a science that affects other parts of the body. PEMF the same time. It is now backed by over could actually make speedy recoveries has been shown to repair injured soft 30 years of research and development commonplace. tissue, increase blood flow, and reduce worldwide and is an established modalThe early-stage medical device compain and edema (swelling) for patients ity for stimulating bone growth. pany has developed a science it Applying PEMF technologies calls Electroceuticalsâ&#x201E;˘, based on PEMF has been shown to repair injured soft tis- to soft-tissue injuries began in the pulsing electromagnetic fields sue, increase blood flow, and reduce pain and 1930s, through trial and error. lvivi, at low frequencies . lvivi uses edema (swelling) for patients suffering from however, has developed patented patented, non-invasive pulsed chronic inflammation, skin ulcers, and post- PEMF signals to influence specific electromagnetic field (PEMF) physiological processes at the basic operative pain. technology to deliver electrical cell level, including generating an micro-currents directly into injured tissuffering from chronic inflammation, anti-inflammatory response. Traditional sue. The process is designed to boost skin ulcers, and post-operative pain. electrical stimulation may create electhe body 's natural biochemical infratrical impulses in tissues as well , but A new science is born structure, enabling us to heal faster and lvivi 's delivery system and science sets feel better when recovering from injury, The use of electrical energy in mediit apart. Andre DiMino, Vice Chairman trauma or surgery. cine has existed for centuries, dating and co-CEO of lvivi, says, "What difThe Company calls its PEMF appliback to the 1600s. In fact, many revoluferentiates us is how we use precise cation the "Technology of Lifeâ&#x201E;˘," due tionary products we take for granted are mathematical models to target specific to its ability to stimulate the body 's cellular processes with low-power radio based on the principles of manipulating natural biochemical and physiological electromagnetic fields. This includes CAT frequencies, at a molecular level that
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enhances the body's natural regenerative response:' lvivi is dedicated to creating a whole field of therapeutics around its non-invasive, non-pharmacological electrotherapies. The Company sees electroceuticals as the advent of a new kind of "disruptive technology" that could change the paradigm of medicine much as anesthesia did for surgery and antibiotics did for infection s. It expects to introduce a suite of products that provide more effective alternatives to a wide range of treatments. Platform technology The Company 's product portfolio 3 consist s of SofPulse M- 10, Roma and Torino, which are U.S. FDA cleared for use as an adjunct in the treatment of edema (swelling) and pain. Patients recove ring from plastic, recon st ructive and bariatic surgeries (such as gastric bypass), as well as those suffering from diabetic and skin ulcers and postoperative complications (such as failed surgical grafts) can all benefit from PEMF. The technology works by increasing blood flow and blood vessel regeneration to deliver vital oxygen , nutrients and hormones, while helping to eliminate waste and excess fluid, from the injured areas of the body. Each PEMF device runs off a signal generator, which emits the electroceuticals, and has a lightweight, coiled disposable applicator. The device can go directly over dressings, clothing and casts, or is embedded in compression garments for immediate post-operative care. With a simple on/ off switch and no complex set-ups or adjustments, nursing
staff, physical therapists, rehabilitative specialists and patients themselves can operate the device with minimal interruption to their daily tasks. "Ma ximum efficacy, ease of use and patient com fort are among our key competitive strengths;' says DiMino. Since the mid - 1990s, SofPulse has been used in over 600,000 treatments, primarily in skilled nursing facilities for chronic wound care, without any adverse affects. The Torino is a disposable product which is positioned to serve the cosmetic and bariatric post-operative markets for effective pain management. The Rom a is a rental product which clinicians are using to treat chronic wounds and pain and edema in hospitals, nursing home and hospice settings. Multibillion-dollar baby As the average life expectancy rises and a greater portion of the world 's population reaches age 65 and up, healthcare expenditures are dramati cally on the rise. "Our platform technology addresses several multibillion-dollar markets;' says DiMino. While people live longer, they are also seeking to look as young as they feel. In 2005, more than 10 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States, translating to a $9.4 billion industry. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) issued an official Position Statement recognizing the efficacy of lvivi 's PEMF technology for reducing pain and edema after its Innovative Procedure Committee conducted clinical trials that showed a 40 percent acceleratio n in post-surgery
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AMEX: II
lvlvl Technologies, Inc. 224-S Pegasus Avenue Northvale, NJ 07647 P: 201 -767-6040
www.ivivitechnologies.com IR Contact: Alison Ziegler Cameron Associates P: 212-554-5469 alison@cameronassoc.com recovery when the device was utilized. lvivi 's technology is covered by Medicare as an adjunctive treatment for advanced wound care - a potential $25 billion market. Regency Hospital of Central Georgia went from being skeptical to advocating the treatment after using lvivi's products on long-term acute wound care patients with impressive results. In some cases, just one week of treatment reduced overall wound surface in patients up to 70 percent. Pain management goes hand-inhand with swelling and tissue trauma. The pain relief market, an approximated $2.4 billion industry, is flooded with chemical-based therapies that involve the use of addictive narcotics such as morphine and non-narcotic NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen. Both are riddled with
;;;: The disposable, battery-powered Torino uses a signal generator to deliver electroceutical signals through lightweight and conformable applicators for pain management. WWW. VREXPO . N ET WI I 2007 I 123
agreement includes an initial $500,000 fee and additional milestone cash payments of an aggregate of $1.0 million upon achievement of certain milestones and royalty fees for each unit sold. Seeding the market
The Roma is a rental product which clinicians are using to treat chronic wounds and pain and edema in hospitals, nursing home and hospice settings.
side effects and risks. NSAIDs have been associated with heart attacks, stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding, forcing the FDA to mandate a " black box warning" label on certain prescribed NSAIDs. Existing medical devices, such as pain pumps , which put chemical numbing agents directly into the body, are another option but they are an invasive procedure. "The first response to virtually any type of trauma is inflammation. Using electrotherapies, we can mimic the antiinflammatory properties of NSAIDs and other chemically based drug therapie s. Our products have been shown to enhance the recovery process and reduce pain and swelling , and do so without any side effects or the potential for overdose or misuse;' remarks DiMino. lvivi is seeking FDA approval for app lications in general consumer pain relief and anticipates products in the marketplace by early 2008. Additionally, the Company has set out to demonstrate PEMF's role in promoting cardiovascular angiogenesis (the regeneration of new blood vessels) . A 30-person clinical study is under way at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida to study the effects of PEMF treatment on pat ients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, the medical term for blocked arter-
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ies. PEMF has already been shown to enhance blood flow and increase new blood vessel production by 500 percent in animals; the results of the Cleveland study, anticipated in 2007, will determine whether humans experience similar success. "What is exciting about the Cleveland Clinic study is the use of PEMF to treat heart conditions in persons where traditional treatments haven 't worked. By stimulating the natural process of angiogenesis, we believe that our technology may in fact offer an option to patients who currently have no options;' says lvivi's Co-CEO and President David Sal off.
"Viral publicity plays an important role in developing new markets for our technology," says Saloff. "As more doctors and consumers become aware of our electroceutical benefits, we are hopeful that a cascade effect will happen and that more facilities will begin adopting the use of our technology." Saloff points to a recent success. "A surgeon in Boca Raton who used PEMF after performing circumferential abdominoplasty reported his patient's recovery time was cut in half, compared to the use of local anesthesia and pain pumps. The more positive press we receive, the more likely our products can reach their desired markets:' lvivi is focused on bringing its prototypes into production, whi le it pursues channel partnerships with larger companies in the global medical-device and healthcare industries. This strategy of gaining revenues through licensing fees, while avoiding the large upfront costs associated with building a global sales force, sets the stage for profitabil ity. "We believe that our R&D pipeline provides several near- and long-term catalysts for growth. Our business model is to create a vertically integrated com pany that addresses multiple health care markets," says DiMino. In the process, lvivi hopes to help millions of people resume healthy, normal lives- sooner than they expected. R
Attracting the major players
A subsidiary of Allergan (NYSE: AGN), a world-leading pharmaceutical and specialty medical device company best known for launching the BOTOX" wrinkle treatment, recently entered into an exclusive eight-year agreement to distribute lvivi's disposable product line for the treatment of post-surgical edema and pain in the cosmetic surgery bariatric markets. Allergan (with a sales force of more than 300), will sell lvivi's products primarily in the breast augmentation, facial and bariatric surgery markets on a worldwide ba sis. This
Andre DiMino- Co-CEO Vice Chairman, Board of Directors WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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Acorn Fund's Ralph Wanger was recently interviewed by Money magazine about his small-cap fund's extraordinary performance since the 1970s. When asked how he picked from the immense universe of stocks, Wanger said, "the only way to beat this enormous fog that covers the future is to identify a long-term trend that will give a particular business some sort of edge:' Wanger said his impressive portfolio was built not by investing in the trend 's technology or innovation itself, whose prices fall as competitors arise, but rather, "You want what's downstream from the technology:' He cited one of his fund 's greatest performers-a small microprocessor company who se technology was packaged inside a slot machine and sold to casinos. Like Wanger 's selections, Chatsworth Data Solutions (OTCBB: CHWD) operates downstream from high-growth technologies. Its products and technologies scan and read data from forms, documents and even voting ballots. Rather than creating the end product, Chatsworth's proprietary hardware and
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software systems provide low-cost, industry-leading technology for application in a number of rapidly growing sectors. The Company supplies resellers with superior data capture technology to enhance innovative technology trends. Chatsworth's technologies work with the existing product offerings of a host of resellers. This includes companies using advanced optical mark readers (OMRs) and image scanners for voting tabulation systems, betting slips for gaming, educational testing and assess-
cal reader and forms data-processing solutions. Clients grew to include some of the most advanced technological solutions providers in the Company's four vertical market sectors: education , gaming and lottery, health care, and vote tabulation . To date, half a million of its readers and optical head assemblies have been purchased to power data capture solutions worldwide. In August 2006 , Adera Mines, Ltd . (OTCBB:AAML), an exploration stage company, acquired 100 percent of the stock of Chatsworth Data Corporation .
... half a million of its readers and optical head assemblies have been purchased to power data capture solutions worldwide. ment, medical records automation and other business applications that need better solutions to transform large volumes of raw, forms-based data into useful information and intelligence. Building downstream Formed by a group of data engineers in 1971, Chatsworth quickly established itself as a cost-effective provider of opti-
Adera subsequently changed its name to Chatsworth Data Solutions, Inc. and began trading on the OTCBB under the symbol CHWD. A new management team and board of directors are now in place and propelling Chatsworth into the next phase of development. "While Chatsworth's focus has always been on providing the best available solution at the lowest poss ible price, WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
prior management was focused [primarily] on production and continued product development," says Chatsworth Data Solutions President Stewart Asbury. With sufficient funding secured from outside investors to support their initiatives, Asbury and team have focused their efforts on aggressive sales and market ing campaigns. To underscore this in itiative, in November 2006 Chatsworth entered into an international joint marketing agreement with Pearson Assessments, a premier provider of assessment instruments and data capture tools and technologies used in education, business and health
markets, Management plans to expand its marketing and sales efforts to encompass the introduction of new products. This includes educating the Company's existing customer base on the uses of the new products and soliciting ideas for desired product modifications. The customer feedback w ill be used to formulate product release plans and establish R&D priorities. Another key focus of Management is the identification of top- and bottomline improvements to allow for faster turnaround and uniq ue product positioning across a number of markets. "In the past six months, we have
To retain its market leadership status, Chatsworth is continually investing in technological innovation to enhance product efficiencies and to open doors for new market applications. care settings. The two companies have had a relationship for several years, with Pearson embedding Chatsworth technology into the data capture solutions it sold to the education market. Under the new agreement, however, Pearson will market and sell Chatsworth's OMRs and image scanning technology through its network of 46 independent distributors located in 71 countries worldwide. For Chatsworth, this means strengthened sales efforts and access to new markets. In conjunction with maximizing revenues from current products in existing c
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implemented a number of operational and top-line improvements that have significantly shortened many of our products' time to market, while allowing for sufficient inventory to reduce lead time issues and support expected growth in orders as products are developed and delivered," says Asbury. Acquisitions are also on the horizon for the new leadership team . They are looking toward finding complementary technologies for product integration and establishing distribution networks to secure new markets for the Company's products. Long-range goals include a NASDAQ or AMEX listings as well as partnerships with developers to ensure organic growth.
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The ACP 100 optical mark reader is an ideal solution for data gathering applications ranging from scanning lottery ticket selection forms to compiling test answers. WWW. VREXPO .N ET
The Company's primary business has always been developing and manufacturing its optical mark readers. Known for their small and compact size, they feature the advanced design associated with more expensive units. The product has a host of applications. In gaming markets, the OMRs have been used to read betting
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OTCBB:CHWD
Chatsworth Data Solutions, Inc 20710 Lassen Street Chatsworth, CA 91311 (P) 818-341-9200
www.chatsworthdata.com Sid Anderson (P) 918-645-3701 slips and receipts for lotteries, races and other sports betting worldwide. Use of the technology in education varies based on the level of schooling. In the K-12 segment, uses include testing and assessment, textbook adoption programs, surveys, student administration, and school lunch enrollment. In higher education, it is used for admissions data collection, student and alumni surveys, campus security, health services, and testing and assessment data collection . Recently, the technology proved its utility in the political realm when it was employed in the November 2006 elections to successfully read ballots in Los Angeles County's 5,000+ precincts and in Jackson County, Missouri. Chatsworth's second product group includes its impact recorders and readers, which are used to detect potential damage or impact during the shipment of fragile or sensitive products such as jet aircraft engines, space shuttle engines and pumps, and large power transformers and turbines, as well as nuclear fuel cells and military missiles. Customers frequently mandate impact recorders and readers to monitor shipments and determine fault and liability when necessary. The markets for these products are expanding thanks to increased economic development in China, India and other areas of Asia and the Far East. The Company's Cablemaster division utilizes proprietary Chatsworth engineering to manufacture technology for efficient testing of cable harnesses, connectors and bulk cables used in military and aerospace applications. 2007
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Chatsworth technology powers optical mark solutions found in voting booths nationwide. Cablemaster testers are used to te st long harnesses for torpedoes, guided missiles and other applications with cable reels up to 26,000 feet. Reading the future Chatsworth competes not only with similar technology providers for resellers but also with those who develop the actual end-user products . Chatsworth products are extremely cost-effective and reliable, with failure rates well below competing technologies. The latest generation of its optical reader products is scalable and allows ease of customization. To retain its market leadership statu s, Chats w orth is continually investing in technological innovation to enhance product efficienc ies and to open doors for new market applicat ions. In the upcoming month s, the Company expects to introduce a prototype integrating data technologies that combines forms reading, optical character reading and bar code interpretation . This scalable prototype will broaden the Company 's potential markets and provide additional solutions for existing clients. Oth er products in development include the very latest generation of Chatsworth 's optical readers and related devices, which provide previously available functionality for a variety of media type s and options.
apply Wanger 's successful approach , the key to bringing the smaller picture in focus lies in recognizing the industry's leading long-term trends . Today's incredible computing power has created a strong demand for feedback related to business intelligence, resulting in increased demand for data capture systems. In the United States, educational accountability, standardized testing , voting accuracy, health care privacy and reform , and the dramatic growth in le isu re gaming and lotteries are among the country 's most popular and politically charged issues. As a re sult, the demand for optical mark readers has increased in recent years. The 2000 Presidential Election voting debacle in Florida highlighted the need to advance voting capabilities and ensure ballot accuracy. The Help
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Applications for OMRs include lotteries and pari-mutuel and off-track betting . Chatsworth has established relationships with many of the online vendors who provide total solutions worldwide to state or provincial governments operating lotteries and currently dominate the market. The Company also plans to pursue huge untapped opportunities in the international market. The Company also has expanded its focus to address significant potential in the medical field. Federal and state agencies are pushing organizations to become compliant with the National
The 2000 Presidential Election voting debacle in Florida highlighted the need to advance voting capabilities and ensure ballot accuracy. America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) has since mandated that $3 .9 billion be spent to upgrade voting equipment. While 40 percent of voting machines included OMR technology in 1998, that figure had jumped to 60 percent by 2004. The percentage is predicted to continue its climb in upcoming years.
Scanning the horizon Identifying attractive products and services downstream from high-tech innovations can be difficult. If you
The education market fo r optical readers is also thriving . Fueled by the "No Child Left Behind " initiative, over 40 states now mandate standardized testing of public-school students. Gaming is more popular than ever.
Chatsworth Data is led by (left to right) CFO Clayton Woodrum, Chairman Sid Anderson, and President & CEO Stewart Asbury.
Health Information Network by converting to Electronic Health Records standards requiring greater detail in health care recordkeeping. Considering the increased cost associated with manual paper processing, many organizations are shifting from paper forms to electronic data capture. Optical data capture offers greater accuracy, a reduction in data turnaround times, less time spent in data entry, and a significant cost reduction . With applications in all of these sectors, Chatsworth Data Solutions' value proposition exists in its ability to provide superior optical reading technology for resellers to include in end-user products that add ress longterm trends in the tech marketplace. Having established itself as a market leader with three decades of R&D under its belt, the Company is well positioned to capitalize on its highmargin products in the broad range of industries it addresses. Aggressive marketing and distribution and enhanced operating efficiencies should bode well for Chatsworth Data Solutions as it continues to scan the horizon for significant growth opportunities over the long term . VR WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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President Bush recently stated that "America is addicted to oil." The United States currently consumes more than 20 million barrels of oil a day, more than half of that from foreign countries. As economies around the world, including those of China , India , Russia and Europe, transform into modern epicenters of technology, finance and manufacturing, competition for oil resources is intensifying . By 2025, federal officials believe , dwindling domestic supplies will force the United States to import 68 percent of the oil it consumes. Oil prices spiked to record highs of more than $70 per barrel last summer, and many experts believe sky-high oil prices are likely to continue as demand for oil steadily outgrows its supply. To date, the Bush administration has allocated $12 billion toward the develop -
ment of technologies that can increase our domestic production of oil and find alternative sources for fuel. Companies that can introduce viable solutions to the nation's energy crisis will be well positioned for growth. Global Resource Corporation (OTCBB: GBRC) uses microwave fre-
ditionally thought possible. On the right wavelength "Our goal is to help America decrease its dependency on foreign oil," says Global Resource President Frank Pringle, the patent holder of the Company's revolutionary technology. Pringle discovered that when exposed to specific microwave frequencies , hydrocarbon molecules break apart, or "crack," into a variety of fuels , including natural gas, diesel, kerosene and other hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon is found in abundant amounts in oil and in other secondary materials, such as automobile tires. Hawk Hogan, Principal of PhDesign Engineering, LLC and Chief Engineer for Global Resource, continues to work closely with Pringle in developing and commercializing the technology. He
"Our goal is to help America decrease
its dependency on foreign oil"
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quencies to extract oil and alternative petroleum products from readily available shale deposits, tar sands, capped oil wells and waste oil streams, primarily in the United States. With this patentpending, environmentally safe process, the Company is poised to dramatically reduce the cost of oil while producing greater yields of various fuels than tra-
WWW VALUERICHONLINE .COM
explains, "The standard frequency used in household microwave ovens is 2450 MHz, which is ideal for heating water molecules. Frank Pringle discovered that by heating up shredded tires under a specific frequency, hydrocarbon molecules can be brought to the point of 'cracking; or gasification:' Hogan goes on to describe how tires are broken down. "Tires are made up of 60 percent hydrocarbon and 40 percent rubber and steel. When the tires turn to oil, we can continue to manipulate frequencies to crack it further to achieve our desire d end products, including natural gas, diesel fuel , steel and carbon black, all of which can be resold to various markets." When using Global Resource's process, each 20-pound tire yields about 1.2 gallons of high-grade diesel and fuel oil. This means that discarded automobile tires, a longstanding environmental concern and safety liabilit y, can be converted into a revenue-producing 'green' asset. In addition to transforming scrapped tires, the Company's technological innovations establish new exploration standards, including extracting the remaining oil reserves from capped-off oil wells; converting shale to crude oil ; and extracting oil from drill cuttings, converting the remaining soil into clean landfill.
face. "Eventually the oil gets too heavy and thick to recover using conventional methods, at which point the well is sealed off with concrete and capped," says Hogan . "Large petrochemical companies typically leave 50 to 65 percent of potentially recoverable oil in the ground. About 400,000 of these capped wells exist in the U.S alone." Global Resource's proprietary process lowers a specific microwave frequency tube into the well and pulses it to the point of converting the heavy oil into gas. "Our system act s like a miniature refinery. Rather than liquefying the oil, we can convert it into gas using microwave radiation inside a vacuum that brings the gases up to the surface with no emissions into the atmosphere:' Global Resource was recently accepted into the U.S. Department of Energy's Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center
Global Resource Corporation 408 Bloomfield Dr. Unit 3
West Berlin, NJ 08091 (P) 856-767-5661
www.globalresourcecorp.com
Jeff Andrews, CFO jandrews@globalresourcecorp.com
once sold at $2 per barrel to the asphalt industry can now be sold at approximately $40 or more per barrel to global fuel providers:'
"There is enough shale in the Colorado area alone to supply America with abundant fuel for the next 400+ years"
Breaking the seal The oil companies dominating the market today typically focus on drilling at histo rically prolific sites, where crude oil can readily bubble to the sur-
program, which will fund the use of its microwave technologies on a government-owned capped well. The Company 's process also creates opportunities for significant valueadded revenue streams. Hogan explains, "In refining, after crude oil is cracked into gasol ine, the heavy oil is sold off relatively inexpensively to the asphalt and plastics industries. Our process allows us to crack heavy oil into highquality diesel fuel and other carbon chains. Fo r the oil operator, what was
Specific Frequency Microwaves Transmission of Gases
65% Heavy Oil
Global Resource's proprietary process lowers a specific microwave frequency tube into the well and pulses it to the point of converting the heavy oil into gas. WWW. VREXPO .N ET
A cutting-edge process
Most drilling unearths tons of excess soil and mud, known as "oil drill cuttings," that must be disposed of in accordance with U.S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and the North Sea specifications . Global Resource applies its microwave technology in a state - of-the-art continuous feed unit capable of processing 10 tons of drill cuttings per hou r. The process vaporizes drill cuttings so that they are free of hydrocarbon and ready for disposal either in a landfill or directly back into the ocean . Independent tests have proven that all but 0.01 percent of contaminants are removed, well beyond the EPA's toughest standard s for disposal. These results were confirmed by lntertek PLC, a leading independent testing firm. Operators can either use the extracted natural gas or liquefy it into diesel to be recycled and used to power their reactors. Creating these environmental and cost efficiencies can save $300 to $600 per ton in the off-shore oil drilling industry, according to the Company. Global Resource recently acquired a contract agreement pending verification of facts with a Virginia-based specialty tool manufacturer Equipment Service Parts, Inc. (ESP) to manufacture the units. ESP's Nl~ -E
2007
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In December, the Company announced that it had been awarded a contract with C and K Scrap Metal in New Jersey to purchase 100 percent of the output of steel from the Company's first tire plant, c which will process up to 11 million tires 0 路;:; ro annually. This represents an estimated 0 revenue of $2 million annually, assume u ing the tire plant is running at optimal levels. Outside the U.S., Qcell Corporation has entered into a license program to use Global Resource's continuous-feed shale-cracking system throughout shalerich regions in Eastern Europe, including Latvia, Lithuania and Eston ia. In these ::J 0 areas, fuel is extracted almost entirely u ~ from shale. Global Resource stands to ro E receive royalty revenues on each barrel produced . The contract, if adopted for full-scale production , could potentially bring in 10.5 million barrels of oil, creGlobal Resource to dispose of oil drill ating exponential revenue growth from cuttings and increase their shale prothis single contract alone. duction. "Shale technology is only about In addition to its environmental and two years old, but our revolutionary energy applications, the scope of Global process has already proven to be quickResource 's revolutionary microwave technology extends to the medical field . In January 2007, the Company filed two patents related to applying focused microwave heat to destroy cancer cells while not harming healthy cells. As a technology incubator, it is only a matter of time before Global er, simpler and less pollutive than any Resource takes off in multiple commerexisting technology." cial sectors. With the contract s, strategic Expanding the product pipeline industry alliances and government projects underway, Hogan says he expects The Company 's products are highly anticipated . Successful, independent the Company could achieve contracts test results not only validate the effectotaling between $50 and $150 million tiveness of Global Resource's technology by the end of this year. V R but also are attracting blue chip players in the global petrochemical industry. Recently, one of the world's leading oil companies requested specifications
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current business immediately added $4 million in revenues and $2 .5 million in assets to Global Resource, and their expertise will help lower the Company's equipment costs.
Ask and you 'shale' receive
"The current problem with shale exploration and production companies is that the technology has already become antiquated"
Hogan believes a tremendous yet untapped market opportunity for energy exists in America 's naturally occurring shale formations. "Shale, whether it's in situ (found in its natural place) or on the earth's surface, is the most abundant source of fuel in the U.S., second only to the hundreds of capped-off oil wells. There is enough shale in the Colorado area alone to supply America with abundant fuel for the next 400+ years," he says. Global Resource can effectively raise gas embedded in shale to the surface, where it can be condensed into oil or cracked further into various gases. "Our process is much more efficient and cleaner than extracting from tar sands, which are primarily being explored in Canada," says Hogan. "Our cost per barrel ranges from $20 to $30 for cracked oil versus $30/ barrel for bitumen from tar sands that require further refining and you get much more from shale:' Hogan says the current problem with shale exploration and production companies is that the technology has already become antiquated. Competitors and larger oil companies are contacting 132 1 VALUERICH
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on a microwave unit and, upon suecessful completion, plans to purchase 40 more. Another leading U.S . energy producer has commenced negotiations for the sale of 50,000 tons of tire chips, which will be used to power the plant's operations. According to Management, Global Resource 's technology will yield 19.9 pounds of resalable material from each tire, including carbon black, hydrocarbon gases, oil and two pounds of steel.
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AMS Health Sciences, Inc
AARD:OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business, Attract Market Exposure To introduce AMS to brokers and market makers in an attempt to generate market coverage and analytical support.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Attract Market Exposure Across America is an equity partner providing 100% construction financing to retailers and developers seeking to expand their footprint. We provide capital and financial expertise to the expanding build-to-suit, small-box retail real estate construction market.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION AMS Health Sciences sells more than 60 natural nutritional supplements, weight management products and natural skincare products through independent distributors across the U.S. and Canada.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Formed in April 2003, Across America Real Estate Corp. is a publicly-traded (AARD.OB) provider of construction financing in the small box retail market space. Across America acts as the capital partner providing 100% of the financing required to complete a retail development. Key brands include Family Dollar, Starbucks, IHOP, Econolube, FedEx Kinko's and Lone Star Steakhouse. COMPANY ADDRESS 700 17th Street, Ste. 1200 Denver, CO 80202 www.aard.us P: 888-285-4815 P: 303-893-1 003
COMPANY CONTACT Ann Schmitt, CEO P: 303-290-7300 aschmitt@aard.us
AMM:AMEX
COMPANY ADDRESS 711 NE 39th Oklahoma City, OK 73105 www.amsonline.com P: 405-842-0131 F: 405-843-4935
IRCONTACT Jim Creamer, CFO P: 303-290-7302 jcreamer@aard.us
COMPANY CONTACT Jerry W. Grizzle Chairman, CEO and President IRCONTACT Robin Jacob, VP & CFO P: 405-842-0131
~ent
\ sOiAR Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. [ COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Ascent Solar- a developer and manufacturer of state of the art, thin-film photovoltaic materials and modules.
·High efficiency polycrystalline PV on Plastic • First to take PV on plastic into production CIGS technology on PLASTICS: ·cheaper ·lighter ·flexible and more compact COMPANY ADDRESS 8120 Shaffer Parkway Littleton, CO 80127-4107 www.ascentsolartech .com COMPANY CONTACT Matthew Foster, CEO P: 303-285-1738 F: 303-420-1551
l 34 I
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Better Biodiesel, Inc.
ASTI : Nasdaq
IRCONTACT Brian Blackman PR Financial Marketing P: 832-515-0928 brian@prfmonline.com
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BBDS:OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions, Develop New Business, Attract Market Exposure To dramatically increase availability of competitively priced biodiesel fuel world-wide using our patent pend ing hyperefficient, high volume biodiesel technology. COMPANY DESCRIPTION As the exclusive owners of a revolutionary biodiesel refining technology, we produce greater volumes of fuel, at lower costs, in a much smaller footprint than traditional processors. Our advanced technology vastly reduces environmental impact and production costs by eliminating the usual water wash cycle, saving on water, energy and land costs. We use a variety of feedstocks-e.g. palm oil and animal tallows, regardless of their fatty acid content-giving us the distinct advantage of utilizing locally available feedstocks. And, we build our own refining machinery. COMPANY ADDRESS 1400 West 400 North Orem, UT 84057 COMPANY CONTACT Ron Crafts, CEO P: 801-990-2810 info@betterbiodiesel.com
IRCONTACTS Anthony Evans & Abigail Bruce Capital Group Communications P: 415-332-7200 betterbiodiesel@capitalgc.com
WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .CO M
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Delivering visionary medical technology
BIPH :OTCBB BTN : Frankfurt
Biophan Technologies, Inc.
Continental Energy Corporation
CPPXF : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure Biophan develops and markets cutting-edge technologies for the medical device industry. The Company's goals are to develop biomedical devices capable of safely working with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and to provide other technologies that improve the delivery of healthcare.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital Continental Energy Corporation is seeking funding in the $5 - 10 million range to enable the Company to obtain additional exploration and/or development block during 2007. Continental has identified several attractive areas and intends to obtain one or more exploration blocks during Fall 2006.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Biophan (OTC: BIPH) provides technologies that offer innovative and competitive advantages to the medical device industry. The Company licenses its technologies, which improve the MRI safety and image compatibility of medical devices, to leading device manufacturers. The Company is commercializing the MYOTECH MYO-VADTM a new, cardiac support system that has significant potential to improve the treatment of heart disease.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Continental EnergyCorporation (OTC -BB:CPPXF) is an independent international oil and gas exploration company focused entirely on making a major oil or gas discovery. Continental has a production sharing contract with the Indonesian government which gives t he Company exclusive petroleum exploration and production rights for the highly prospective 900,000 acre Bengara-11 Block, located in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
COMPANY ADDRESS 150 Lucius Gordon Drive, Suite 215 West Henrietta, NY 14586 www.biophan .com
COMPANY ADDRESS 14001 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1200 Dallas, Texas 75240 www.continentalenergy.com
IR CONTACT James Carbonara The Investor Relations Group 11 Stone Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10004
IRCONTACT Alan Stone & Company, Ltd P: 212-521 -4102 alanstone1 @earthlink.com
COMPANY CONTACT Daniel Hullihen P: 212-825-3210 COMPANY CONTACT Director, Business Development jcarbonara@ James D. Eger, CFO P: _ _ investorrelationsgroup.com P: 972-934-6774 585 214 2441 M: 585-703-1412 F.:972-934-6718 Dhullihen @P iopi!.hLQal!Jn_,.\, .c~owm.L.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,_~jd_e....:g=-e-r@ _co _n_t_in_e_n_t_ a_ le_n_ e....: rg:.:.y_.c_o_m_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Ed~water Foods
CYBER DEFENSE
C:::::. ~ In ternational, Inc.
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Cyber Defense Systems, Inc.
CYDF : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract MarketExposure Gain market recognition and revenue for funding developmental engineering, design and production of UAV's and Airships. Utilizing new contacts to solicit commercial, government and Law enforcement for Global communications, Military, Homeland Defense and the U.S. Dept. of Defense opportunities.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION The global war on terror has re-defined this country's need for security both at home and abroad. CYDF is uniquely positioned to meet these needs with current products like the scalable CyberBug'M, a small-unmanned air vehicle (UAV), the developmental CyberScout'M and M.A.R.S. m airships. It's subsidiary Techsphere System's SA 60 A, SA 90 airships. CYDF's products offer unique opportunities for surveillance, rescue operations and communication. COMPANY ADDRESS 10901 Roosevelt Blvd Suite 100D St. Petersburg, FL 33716 www.cduav.com
WWW. VREXPO .NET
COMPANY CONTACT Billy Robinson, CEO P: 727-577-0878 F: 727-577-0873 billy@cduav.com
Edgewater Foods International, Inc.
EDWT :OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure Edgewater seeks to become a leader in the highly profitable niche seafood industry.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Edgewater, through its subsidiary ISL, is the predominant producer of live "in the shell " scallop products in North America. ISL is dedicated to the farming, processing and marketing of high quality, high value marine species: scallops and sablefish (or blackcod). There are no known direct competitors in the scallop farming business in British Columbia and ISL is the only hatchery producing the Pacific scallop and live sablefish. The unique hatchery technologies held by Edgewater give it the advantage of being a "Green" environmentally friendly business.
COMPANY ADDRESS 5552 West Island Hwy. Qualicum Beach, British Columbia Canada V9K 2C8 www.edgewaterfoods.com
IRCONTACT Tom Bostic P: 800-793-0087 bos@mediagang.com
2007
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EnDevCo, Inc.
Market lace
EN DEV CO
ENDE :OTCBB
ENEI:OTCBB
Enerl, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions,
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital
Develop New Business, Attract Market Exposure ENDE's strategy is to participate in: oil & gas exploration & production; technology development for enhancement of oil & gas production, integration of power generation & natural gas production, crude oil trading activities
Ener1 is raising capital to fund the remaining R&D efforts to complete the working prototype of the Lithium ion battery for HEV and to fund the product launch of a fuel cell product during 2007.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
EnDevCo is a rapidly growing energy company establishing an identity as "The Energy Development Company" through science based business development activities. EnDevCo believes the sensible application of "state of the art" geoscience technologies provides profound risk reduction while significantly improving the profit upside for oil and gas exploration and production investments. The Company's investment philosophy is governed by its dedication to the principle "...science before the drill bit':
Ener1, Inc. is an alternative energy technology company with principal businesses in 1) lithium ion battery development for electric (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), 2) Fuel cell products and services, and 3) nanotechnology-based materials including applications for battery development.
COMPANY ADDRESS
IR CONTACT
2425 Fountainview Dr.e, Suite 215 Houston, Texas 77057 www. endevcoinc.com
Tom Cloutier Investor Relations Director P: 760-832-2412 F: 760-322-0104 tcloutier@endevcoinc.com
COMPANY CONTACT
Chris A. Dittmar, CEO T: 713-862-2272 F: 713-862-2690 cdittmar@endevcoinc.com
Enviro Voraxial Technology, Inc.
EVTN: OTCBB
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACTS
500 West Cypress Creek Road Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 P: 954-556-4020 www.ener1 .com
Charles Gassenheimer Vice Chairman P: 212-920-3500 Cgassenheimer@ener1.com
IRCONTACT
Ajit Habbu CFO P: 954-556-4020 ahabbu@ener1 .com
Gerard Herlihy P: 954-556-4020 Jherlihy@ener1 .com
EnXnet, Inc.
EXNT :OTCBB German WKN # AOHMDW
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Mergers & Acquisitions
EVTN seeks $7 million in expansion capital, and increased financial market visibility. Demand for its breakthrough Voraxial "' Separators has accelerated following presentation of EVTN's technology by Royal Dutch/ Shell at one of the oil services industry's premier exhibitions. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
EVTN manufactures advanced technology, turbo-separators. These unique, patented fluid/ fluid and fluid/ solid separators dramatically out-perform competitive systems in $ billion global applications, including environmental, waste treatment, water purification. The lucrative oil industry is EVTN 's primary focus. Customers include: ConocoPhilips, TransOcean (largest oil rig company), Cameco (largest uranium miner) and the Navy. Voraxial "' systems sell for $50-200,000+, with strong margins. COMPANY ADDRESS
IRCONTACTS
821 NW 57th Place Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 www.evtn.com
Advantage Marketing P: 407-696-2458 advantmar@aol.com
COMPANY CONTACT
John A. DiBella P: 954-958-9968 jdibella@evtn .com
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VALUERICH
John A. DiBella P: 954-958-9968 jdibella@evtn.com
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business
Quickly expand revenue through the introduction of products and technologies into the marketplace, focusing on: • Thin Disc © -Transform "stagnant" gift and stored value cards into multimedia marketing tools. • OneDiscTM- Dual sided CD/DVD. • Medicai-D-Teet-OR- Save billions by reducing hospitalization, operating room and other costs. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
EnXnet is an emerging developer and licensee of leading edge technologies in the areas of interactive and dual sided digital media, security/ anti theft products and medical technologies. EnXnet has assembled one of the most impressive portfolios consisting of more than ten products and technologies, together with over ten patents which have been applied for and are currently pending. EnXnet's products and technologies address $3 trillion in combined global markets. COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
11333 E Pine Street Tulsa, OK. 74116 P: 918-592-0015 F: 918-592-0016 www.en xnet.com
Ryan Corley, Integrated Capital Partners, Inc President & CEO investor@enxnet.com P: 908-204-0004
IR CONTACT
WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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EPCG: OTCBB
Epicus Communications Group, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure To grow its subscriber base with its full suite of local and long distance voice services, and digital voice messaging for residential and small business customers through its Freedom Rings voice and Freedom Messenger digital messaging service brands. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Epicus Communications is a Florida-based telecommunications company that provides local exchange services to small business (SOHO) and residential customers. EPCG has a 5-year operating history and subscriber base of approximately 21,000 customers located in seven southeastern US states. EPCG's in-house development of proprietary software technologies enables it to provide fully automated, network services to its customers. COMPANY ADDRESS
IRCONTACTS
1750 Osceola Drive W Palm Beach, FL 33409 www.epicus.com
Gil Sharell P: 941 -650-4501 gsharell@sharell.com
COMPANY CONTACT
Gerard Haryman Chairman and President P: 407-942-1240 gharyman @epicus.com
5W Public Relations P: 212-999-5585
etrials Worldwide, Inc.
ETWC : Nasdaq
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Mergers & Acquisitions Develop New Business etrials plans to continue its growth by acquiring new customers and partners, growing our business with those clients that we currently have and leveraging our strong balance sheet to search for complimentary technologies to incorporate into the etrials eCiinical suite. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
etrials is an eCiinical software and services company dedicated to making pharmaceutical, biotechnology, device and contract research organizations more efficient. Our eCiinical Suite of products, including electronic data capture, interactive voice response and eDiaries, provides our customers with unprecedented insight into all aspects of their clinical trial, maximizing their return on investment and accelerating their drug development timelines. COMPANY ADDRESS
IRCONTACT
4000 Aerial Center Parkway Morrisville, NC 27560 www.etrials.com
Lauren Murphy Ashton Partners P: 617-275-8745
COMPANY CONTACT
Courtney Smith P: 919-653-3400
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Foldera, Inc.
FORA: OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Atract Market Exposure, Develop New Business Upon launching the Foldera platform the Company is looking to attract customers, gain market awareness, and drive topline revenue towards profitability. Strategic Alliances will allow Foldera to launch new verticals and associated product lines. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Foldera is a software company that has developed an online organizational platform designed to instantly organize workflow into one convenient and integrated application. Document storage, email, event notification, file sharing, administration and other functions are all incorporated into this one simple web based platform. The basic Foldera platform is free and the Company will earn revenues from paid premium services.
1
Genoillnc.
GNOLF : OTCBB
[ COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Increase Market Awareness COMPANY DESCRIPTION
GenOil 's primary technology is the Hydroconversion Upgrader (GHUTM), a proprietary upgrading process that converts low margin heavy crude oil into lighter low sulfur crude oil that can be sold as gasoline and jet fuel. The company's process can dramatically reduce sulfur and other contaminants of the crude oil, thereby helping refiners meet worldwide government mandates for low sulfur and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels.
COMPANY ADDRESS
IR CONTACT
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
17011 Beach Blvd . Suite 1500 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 www.foldera.com
Stephen Gjolme IBIS Consulting Group P: 949-852-8474 info@ibisnest.com
Suite 2020 633 -6th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 2YS Canada www.genoil.net
David K. Lifschultz Chairman and CEO P: 403-750-3450 F: 403-290-0592 sales@genoil.net ir@genoil.net
. CONTACT I COMPANY Hugh Dunkerley, VP Corporate Finance ! P: 714-766-8737 hdunkerley@foldera.com
I
WWW. VREXPO .NET
2007
l 37
The VALUE
Market lace
OLOBAL
PAYMENT TECHNOLOOIES
Global Payment Technologies, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business Human BioSystems, a developer of preser vation platforms for biological material, is seeking to license the Company's blood platelet and organ preservation techno! ogies to qualified company(s) that have existing channels of distribution and solution manufacturing capabilities needed to service those identified markets.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Global Payment Technologies, Inc. engages in designing and manufacturing currency validation systems. Its products include paper currency validators and related paper currency stackers used in various automated machines, including gaming and gaming related equipment, beverage and vending machines, and retail equipment that di spense products, services, coinage, and other currencies. The company markets its products primarily to the original equipment manufacturers through sales representatives, sales/ product technicians, and customer service support personnel, as well as through strategic joint ventures and distributors worldwide. Global Payment was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Human BioSystems is a developer of preserva tion platforms for extending the shelf life of blood platelets, don or organ s, tissue, cells and other biomaterials for much Ionge r periods of time than is currently possible. HBS has been successful in preserving animal organs for extended periods of time o ver a wide range of temperatures from refrigeration to freezing in liquid nitrogen, and platelets at near freezing temperatures.
IRCONTACT Brian Blackman PR Financial Marketing P: 832-515-0928
COMPANY ADDRESS 425 B Oser Avenue Hauppauge, NY 11788 www.gptx.com
HBSC :OTCBB
Human BioSystems, Inc.
GPTX : OTCBB
COMPANY ADDRESS 1127 Harker Ave Palo Alto, CA 94301 www.humanbiosystems.com COMPANY CONTACT Harry Masuda, CEO P: 650-323-0943 M: 650-207-6888 hmasuda@humanbiosystems.com
COMPANY CONTACT William McMahon CFO P: 631-231 -1177 , F: 631 -434-1771
IRCONTACT Rich Kaiser YES lnterna tiona I P: 800-631 -8127 P: 757-306 -6090 rich @yesin ternational.com
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TECH N OLOGIES NRSLJ
OTCSB :
HYBT
Immersion路 Hybrid Technologies, Inc.
HYBT:OTCBB
Immersion Corporation
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital & Develop New Business
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposu re To proliferate its technologies across markets, p latforms, and applications so touch and feel become as com mon as color, graphics, and sound in user interfaces. Short-te rm focus on achieving sustained profitability by executing sales/ marketing plans, controlling expenses, selective investme nt, and defense of patents.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Hybrid Technologies, Inc., (HYBT) is a development stage technology company that is focusing its resources and efforts on the development and marketing of lithium powered vehicles, products, commercial and residential properties. Hybrid Technologies, Inc. holds the licensing agreements for development of all four-wheeled, three wheeled and two wheeled vehicles and lithium/ solar power system technology for residential and commercial properties. Everything from scooters, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, watercraft, lawn and garden equipment, cars and homes are successfully being converted to zero emission, lithium powered vehicles and facilities. COMPANY ADDRESS 5001 E. Bonanza Road, Suites 138-145 Las Vegas, NV 8911 0 www.hybridtechnologies.com
COMPANY CONTACT Melissa Carroll Marketing Director P: 702-300-1725 mcarroll@hybridtechnologies.com IR CONTACT INFO P: 888-669-1 808 ir@hybridtechnologies.com
13 8
VALUERICH
IMMR : Nasdaq
I
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Immersion develops, manufactures licenses and supports a wide range of hardware and software tech nologies that let users interact with digital devices using the ir sense of touch. Immersion focuses on six application areas: medical, gaming, mobility, automotive, touch screens, and ind ustrial. Immersion has more than 600 patents issued or pending. COMPANY ADDRESS IR CONTACT Stephen Am bier 801 Fox Lane CFO San Jose, CA 95131 P: 408-467-1 900 www.immersion.com sambler@im mersion.com COMPANY CONTACT Stephen Ambler CFO P: 408-467-1900 sambler@immersion.com WWW. VALU ERICHONLINE .COM
i
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When only the best will do, you deserve the team that won CPA Wealth Provider's Financial Planning Award for leadership and innovation in financial and estate planning.
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The VALUE
Market lace Email has Finally Evolved MAIL: NasdaqSC
lncrediMail, Ltd.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure lncrediMail's goal is to become the market leader in entertaining and creative email systems for the consumer market. MAIL seeks to generate increased brand awareness by extend ing beyond viral marketing into more traditional sales and marketing strategies including advertising and distribution relationships. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
lncrediMail designs and markets an integrated suite of customized and entertaining email software products for the consumer market. Its software enables users to design and personalize e-mail with a large collection of multimedia content. With 70 million registered downloads, the Company generates revenues through licensing, co-branding, advertising and sponsored links. lncrediMail differentiates itself by not using adware, pop ups or any type of intrusive ads.
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
Jeff Holzmann lncrediMaillnc. Executive V.P. 211 East 43rd St. P: 212-682-1995 Suite #2300 M: 646-354-9797 New York, NY 10017 Jeff@incredimail.com www.incredimail-corp.com
1
International Stem Cell Corporation
ISCO: OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital International Stem Cell Corporation is raising investment capital to fund the development of products for cellular therapies using embryonic stem cells. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
International Stem Cell Corporation provides an unlimited source of human cells for transplant therapy procedures, with the focus on the treatment of diabetes, liver disease and retinal disease. We have developed or are developing: (1) a new class of stem cells for human transplant therapy, using a process free from principal ethical objections. (2) techniques to cause those cells to be "differentiated" into the specific cell types required for transplant. (3) manufacturing protocols to produce these cells without contamination.
IRCONTACT
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
James Carbonara The Investor Relations Group 11 Stone St., 3rd FL New York, NY 10004 P: 212-825-3210
2592 Jason Court Oceanside, CA 92056 www.intlstemcell.com
Jeff Krstich CEO P: 760-940-6383 jkrstich@intlstemcell.com
LORUS therapeutics
Kreido Biofuels, Inc.
1
KRBF : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure Kreido Biofuels is in the fast-growing biod iesel industry, still in its infancy in the United States. We intend to move aggressively to exploit our biodiesel and process intensification technology for the benefit of shareholders, consumers, and licensees.
Kreido Biofuels is providing the world renewable energy through its proprietary process intensification technology - the STT"'. Our manufacturing methods significantly improve the efficiency, quality, and process control of biodiesel production. To build a sustainable future, our goal is to provide the industry cutting edge technology that improves the manufacturing of biofuels. The Company's senior management has over 50 years of experience in the energy sector including the design, construction, operation, and management of petroleum refining, natural gas distribution, and chemical processing facilities.
1
LSR : AMEX LOR :TSX
Lorus Therapeutics, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business We are actively seeking strategic alliances and collaborations that will complement our internal efforts and product development strategy. Our goal is to ensure that all of our technology platforms are under active development through the use of licensing & partnerships.
Lorus Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, R&D of innovative and effective anticancer therapies with high safety profiles. Lorus has products in all stages of development; from pre-clinical through Phase Ill trials that address large market opportunities in the treatment of cancer. Lorus' robust pipeline includes antisense, small molecule compounds, immunotherapeutics, siRNA and gene therapy technologies.
COMPANY ADDRESS
IR CONTACTS
COMPANY ADDRESS
IRCONTACT
1140 Avenida Acaso Camarillo, CA 93012 www.kreido.com info@kreido.com
John Mills, jmills@icrinc.com Ina McGuinness, lna@icrinc.com P: 31 0-954-11 00
2 Meridian Road, Toronto, Ontario Canada M9W 4Z7 www.lorusthera.com
COMPANY CONTACT
PRCONTACT
COMPANY CONTACT
Joel A. Balbien, Ph .D., Pres/ CEO P: 805-389-3499 joel@kreido.com
Denica Gordon P: 323-930-7939 denicagord@aol.com
Aiping Young, MD, PhD, Pres/ CEO P: 416-798-1200,x379 ahyoung@lorusthera.com
Saeid Babaei, PhD, MBA Associate Director, Corporate Affairs P: 416-798-1200, x490 F: 416-798-2200 sbabaei@lorusthera.com
140
VALUERICH
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The VALUE
:
-.
Market lace
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NetSta1rs.com
NetStairs.com, Inc.
Symbol : N/ A
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Ra ising Capita l, Develop New Business To become a leading supplier of client -cent ric media strea ming solutions for online video ad vertising, Web TV, SMS, Broadcast, SMS-MMS, Intelligent Podcasting, Mail-in Rebate and coupon ma nagement. Doing busi ness w ith the world's one and only intelligent media st reaming t echnology enabler affords you th e most comprehensive strea ming solution that ca n uplift your online advert ising and web media strategies. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
NetStairs.com provides intelligent media servers for those in the advertising and entertainment industry who seek web enabled unicast and email delivery communications. COMPANY ADDRESS
IRCONTACT
2821 East Commercial Blvd. Suite 201 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 www.n etsta i rs.com
Kevin Quin P: 954-229-5099 F: 954-229-1861 kquin @netstairs.com
COMPANY CONTACT
Dr. Ahmad Moradi, CEO Richard Pauli, CFO P: 954-229-5099
Palomar Enterprises, Inc.
PLMA : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Ra ising Ca pita l, Attract Market Supply and Exposu re Palomar Enterprises is looking for relatio nshi ps th at can provide capital to The Company to grow. We are also looking for groups that can provide market aw areness to investors to increase ou r market ca p and share price.
Onstream Media Corporation
ONSM : NASDAQ
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Awaren ess Onstream Media's objective is to enhance trading performance through open market support and liquidity by building on its existing, diverse shareholder base. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Onstream Media is a leading online service provider of live, on-demand digital media communications and applications. Onstream's Digital Media Services Platform provides customers with tools for webcasting, webconferencing, webinars, managing digital assets and hosting and publishing content online including audio and video files. Onstream's services are focused on increasing productivity while reducing capital expenditures and operational costs. 78% of Fortune 100 executives and almost half of Fortune 1000 companies use or have used Onstream Media's services. Customers include: AOL, Discovery Education, Disney, MGM, Deutsche Bank, Rodale Inc, Thomson Financiai/ CCBN, and the U.S. Government. COMPANY ADDRESS Onstream Media Corp. 1291 Sw 29th Avenue Pompano Beach, FL 33069 P: 9S4-917-66S5 www.onstreammedia.com
Park City Group, Inc.
IRCONTACT Gary Geraci, President Equity Performance Group P: 617-723-2373 g ary@eq u ityperfg p.com www.equityperformancegroup.com
PCYG : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Mergers & Acqui sitions, Develop New Business, Att ract Market Exposure Park City Group, lnc:s objective is to become th e leader in business manag ement software and con sulting to th e retail industries fo r Workfl ow Management, Inventory Management, Category Management, Labor Management, Production Planning, and Forecasting, as measured by our clients' successes.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Palomar Enterprises is a full-service real estate and mortgage brokerage firm, specializing in California coastal properties and development projects. The Company focuses its resources on foreclosed and distressed properties, which can be purchased, renovated and sold at substantial profits. Palomar Enterprises generates additional revenue from the commission s earned by their licensed agents listing properties and providing mortgage loans to home buyers.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACTS
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
120 Birmingham Dr #11 0-G Cardiff. CA 92007 www.palomarenterprises.com
Steve Bonenberger CEO P: 760-434-9300 steve@palomarenterprises.com
3160 Pinebrook Rd. Park City, UT 84098 www.parkcitygroup.com
Randy Fields, CEO P: 43S-645-2100 M: 435-602-41 00
IRCONTACT Gil Sharell 941-650-4501 Brent Fouch- CFO Contact1 @palomarenterprises.com P: 760-753-7163 brent@palomarenterprises.com
14 2
VALUERICH
Park City Group, Inc. develops and markets patented computer software that helps its retail customers to increase their sales while reducing inventory and labor costs: the two largest controllable expenses in the retail industry. Or technology and consulting services facilitate retailers and manufactures in delivering the right product, at the right time, for the right price.
IRCONTACT
Lester Rosenkrantz Cameron Associates P: 212-554-5486 WWW.VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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ChineseworldNet.com Inc. (OTCBB : CWNOF)
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368 - 1199 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC Canada V6E 2R1 Tel: (604) 488-8878
http://corp.ch ineseworldnet.com
â&#x20AC;˘ PSNet, Inc.
Symbol : N/ A
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions, Develop New Business, Attract Market Exposure To continue to create and distribute unparalleled Internet and computer rich media/ video communications software and mobile devices for online content and ground breaking educational, entertainment, military, medical, construction, security and consumer high tech rich content devices for business, government and consumer consumption with distribution via PSNet devices, websites and online portals. COMPANY DESCRIPTION PSNet designs, develops, tests, implements & markets software & hardware solutions for "Next Generation" rich media, Internet content & live two-way video communications in low bandwidth formats, portals, networks or configurations. PSNet utilizes its own software, mobile devices, patents, copyrights, trademarks, databases, websites & other assets to compete at the top of the "connected" mobile device and rich media markets. COMPANY ADDRESS 10150 South Centennial Pkwy Suite 400 Sandy, Utah 84070 www.psnetinc.com
COMPANY CONTACT Bill Brannan CFO P: 801-748-1782 F: 801-748-1786 bbrannan @psnetinc.com
QPC Lasers, Inc. QPCI : OTCBB
QPC Lasers, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure QPC's laser technology is leading a paradigm shift in the multibillion dollar defense, medical, and industrial high-power laser marketplace. QPC's objective is to offer advancements in high power semiconductor laser technology, replacing expensive, large and inefficient legacy technology. COMPANY DESCRIPTION QPC Lasers, Inc. is a world leader in the development and commercialization of high-brightness, high-power semiconductor lasers for the industrial, defense, and medical markets. Founded in the year 2000, QPCI is vertically integrated from epitaxy through packaging and performs all critical fabrication processes at its state-of-the-art high-technology facility in the Los Angeles suburb of Sylmar, CA. COMPANY ADDRESS 15632 Roxford Street Sylmar, CA 91342 www.qpclasers.com COMPANY CONTACT George Lintz, Vice Chairman P: 818-833-4668 glintz@qpclasers.com
IRCONTACT Capital Group Communications, Inc. Mark Bernhard Anthony Evans P: 415-332-7200
QPC@capitalgc.com
1'-JETVVC>R KS IECHNC>LC>GV INC
QuoteMedia, Inc.
QMCI :OTCBB
Raptor Networks Technology, Inc.
RPTN: OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business, Attract Market Exposure Having achieved two years being cash flow positive and 15 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, the Company will continue to increase its top line revenue growth through capturing market share within the data feed, Mobile/ PDA and financial software a plication markets. COMPANY DESCRIPTION QuoteMedia is a leading provider of financial stock market data, related research information, and financial software solutions to online brokerages, clearing firms, banks, public corporations, and web portals. The Company's innovation and diversity of technical expertise, agile responsiveness, and proven commitment to superior delivery technologies have established QuoteMedia as a clear frontrunner in the financial data provider industry.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure The Company is relatively undiscovered as the true "first mover" in distributed networking in a market of S14B expanding at double digit growth rates.
COMPANY ADDRESS 17100 Shea Blvd, Suite 230 Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 www.quotemedia.com
IR CONTACTS Keith Guelpa, Pres/CEO QuoteMedia, Inc. P: 480-905-4116
COMPANY CONTACT
kguelpa @quotemedia.com TIC Group of New York Contact: Vic Allgeier P: 646-290-6400
COMPANY ADDRESS 1241 E. Dyer Rd. Suite 150 Santa Ana, CA 92705 www.raptor-networks.com
Dave Shworan, Pres/ CEO OuoteMedia, Ltd . P: 877-311 -9911 ext. 101 dave@quotemedia.com
144
VALUERICH
vic@ttcominc.com
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Raptor Networks Technology, Inc. has designed and produced the world's first, and only "Distributed Core Network Switching Technology," allowing for ultra high performance, 1GbE and 1OGbE network buildouts and upgrades at less than half the price of traditional alternatives. Raptor's "distributed core" network switches are fully compatible with legacy network products and impact traditional switching as the PC impacted mainframe computing. They fit applications including VOIP, streaming video, IPTV, high performance computing and geographic redundancy. COMPANY CONTACT Thomas M. Wittenschlaeger, CEO P: 949-623-9301 twittenschlaeger@raptor-networks. com
IRCONTACT Bob van Leyen, CFO Paul Knopick P: 949-623-9305 E & E Communications bvanleyen@raptor-networks.com P: 949-707-5365 ecommunications.com WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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The VALUE
Market lace
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Solutions, Inc.
Sage Global Solutions, Inc.
SGGL : OTCBB
SANZ : OTCBB
SANZ, Inc.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Mergers & Acquisitions Sage Global's objective is to extend its reach within the mortgage services and insurance industries through acquisition. Having successfully completed three acquisitions, Sage is uniquely positioned to present a full range of online financial and insurance services for small businesses and the individual retail customer
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Investor Awareness/ Capital Formation SANZ offers investors a low-risk, high-potential opportunity to engage with two exciting inter-related technologies: Dynamic storage solutions market driven by explosive growth in data management; Rapidly developing market for geospatial imagery software used to provide users with data quickly & easily
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Sage Global's mission is to present a full spectrum of online financial and insurance services and products for small businesses and the individual retail customer. Having completed three strategic acquisitions during the past year, Sage has taken significant steps toward its goal of becoming a complete financial services institution positioning itself as a market leader in a rapidly-growing industry.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Working with such brands as EMC, NetApp and Symantec, SANZ delivers sophisticated data storage/ management solutions to clients in the commercial and federal markets from several locations across the U.S. In 2004 SANZ introduced its proprietary software product, EarthWhereTMthat provides geospatial imagery users dramatic improvements in speed and processing power. The company already counts many large federal agencies as clients and expects further dramatic growth.
COMPANY ADDRESS Sage Global Solutions, Inc. 217 Technology Drive, Suite 250 Irvine, CA 92618 www.sage-global .com
COMPANY CONTACTS Henry D. Davidson, President henry@sage-global.com
Andrew Kondo, CEO andy@expnotary.com Doug Coulter, CTO doug@onlinemortgageinc.com P: 949-885-9359 F: 949-861 -9760
COMPANY ADDRESS 9800 Pyramid Court Suite 130 Englewood, CO 80112 P: 303-495-6300 F: 303-814-0693 www.sanz.com
SWAT : NASDAQ
IRCONTACT Ron Both, IR, Liolios Group P: 949-574-3860 ron @liolios.com
SenetekPLC
Security With Advanced Technology Security with Advanced Technology, Inc.
COMPANY CONTACT Robert Ogden, CFO SANZ P: 303-495-6321 rogden@sanz.com
Senetek PLS
SNTKY : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure SWAT is seeking significant market exposure for the company and its Non-lethal patent pending Avurt Launcher which is scheduled for release 01 -02 2007. This high-tech, non-lethal product will revolution ize the personal protection industry.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure Convince institutional investors that Senetek's market capitalization does not reflect the underlying value of its existing commercial agreements and product pipeline.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Security With Advanced Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of mission critical high tech security products and services, which include non-lethal personal protection devices, surveillance, intrusion detection systems and mobile digital video surveillance solutions. SWAT's products and services are designed for government agencies, military and law enforcement, as well as transportation, commercial facilities and non-lethal personal protection segments.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Senetek PLC is a life sciences product development company with an extensive array of intellectual properties covering in excess of 2,000 patented and patent applied for compounds and uses targeting the science of aging to include skincare and dermatological therapeutics, erectile dysfunction, nutrition and cancer. Our mission is to be a leader in the development and commercialization of life sciences technology and to bring at least one new product to market each year.
COMPANY ADDRESS 10855 Dover St., Suite 1000 Westminster, CO 80021 www.swat-systems.com
IR CONTACTS Thomas Muenzberg, VP Finance P: 720-227-0378 tm uenzberg@swat -systems.com
COMPANY ADDRESS 831A Latou r Court Napa, CA 94558 www.senetekplc.com
IRCONTACTS KCSA Worldwide Todd Fromer P: 212-896-1215 tfromer@kcsa .com
Greg Pusey, Chairman P: 303-722-4008
COMPANY CONTACT Corena Michnevich 707-226-3900 ext. 109 corena@senetek.net
Garth Russell P: 212-896-1250 grussell@kcsa.com
COMPANY CONTACT Scott Sutton, President P: 800-498-7965 or P: 303-439-0372 scotts@vizergroup.com 1 4 6 j VALUERICH
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Meet the experts on Corporate Governance and Risk Management services. If you need to address the requirements of Corporate Governance, Risk Management or Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, no one is more qualified to help than the Baker Tilly International network. We have representatives throughout the world. The firms listed here have specific expertise in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Am per, Politziner & Mattia, P.C. Dan Schroeder dschroeder@amper.com
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Cherry, Bekaert & Holland LLP Michelle Thompson mthompson@cbh.com
North Carolina 919-781-1040 7131
Eisner LLP Neil Goldenberg ngoldenberg@eisnerllp.com
New York 212-949-8700
Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP Mike Lee mlee@ksmcpa.com
Indiana 317-580-2000
Parente Randolfah, LLC Victor B anchard vblanchard@parentenet.com
Pennsylvania 215-972-0701
The Rehmann Group Kirk Balcom kbalcom@rehmann.com
Mississippi 517-787-6503
RubinBrown LLP Steve Newstead steve.newstead@rubinbrown.com
Missouri 314-290-3300
Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP Eric Miller emiller@virchowkrause.com
Wisconsin 608-249-6622
Vitale, Caturano & Compan4, Ltd. Nancy ubrey nancy.aubrey@vitale.com
Massachusetts 617-912-9000
Weaver and Tidwell, LLP Baker Tilly International is a network of high quality, independent accountancy firms . We are the 8th largest network in the world by fee income and are represented by 126 firms in 93 countries, with a global fee income of $2.3 billion and 21,825 staff worldwide. With a global reach we provide advice in all major business communities. We work to offer expert technical guidance which includes a wide range of specialists and experts on every continent in which we do business.
World Headquarters, 2 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3ST, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7314 6875 Fax: +44 (0)20 7314 6876 info@bakertillyinternational.com Baker Tilly International is a trademark of the UK firm Baker Tilly, used under license.
A~ssa Martin
Texas 972-490-1970
agmartin@weaveran tidwell.com Baker Tilly David Robbins david.robbins@bakertilly.co.uk
United Kingdom 44 (161) 834 5777
Baker Tilly Brasil Osvaldo Nieto onieto@btbr.com.br
Brazil 55 (1 1) 5504-3800
Baker Tilly Netherlands B.V Rainer Steger rsteger@berk.nl
The Netherlands 31 (20) 569 2777
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France 33 (0)1 42 89 44 43
Baker Til~ TFWLCL Sim uam Seng guanseng@tfwlcl.com
Sin9a~ore 65 3 6 2828
Meyers Norris Pen')!; LLP Mike angle mike.bangle@mnp.ca
Canada 800-263-3385
Baker Tilly erard Emard gerard.emard@harmonybti.com
ISTRONGHOLDI SMTR :OTCBB
SmarTire Systems, Inc. COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Develop New Business
SmarTire's objective is to be the preeminent provider of wireless sensing and control systems for the global transportation industry. As a leader in wireless technology, SmarTire works with original equipment manufacturers to improve the safety and operating efficiency of commercial vehicles around the world. COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Sma rTire develops and markets proprietary advanced wi reless sensing and control systems worldwide under th e SmartWave(TM) trademark. SMTR has developed numerous patent-protected wireless technologies and advanced tire monitoring solutions since its founding in 1987 and its proprietary SmartWave platform provides a found ation for the addition of multiple wireless sen sing and control applications.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure
Stronghold is rapidly expanding through acquisitions of philosophically-aligned companies operating in the security; home automation and entertainment; fire protection; HVAC; and the telecommunication infrastructure fields. Management seeks to increase investor awareness and market visibility. COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
Elite cla ss customers dem and the finest in home security, entertainment and control systems and no company has attempted to consolidate this double-digit growth, multi-billion dollar industry until now. From its large customer base in Southern California, one of the wealthiest areas in the world, Stronghold is building the emerging leader in this industry. COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
Suite 150, 13151 Vanier Place Richmond, Briti sh Columbia Canada, V6V 2J 1 www.smartire.com IRCONTACT D.P. Martin & Associates, Inc. P: 561 -514-0194
Robert Rudm an Chairman of the Board P: 561-514-0118 rrudman @smartire.com
271 6 Ocean Park Blvd Suite 1005 Santa Monica, CA 90405 www.strongholdindustries.net
Dave Warkentin VP Sales & Marketing P: 604-249-3870 dwarkentin@smarti re.com
COMPANY CONTACT
Gregg Davis P: 31 0-683-0404 gregg@corphq.com
TRACE GUARD
Tank Sports, Inc.
TNSP :OTCBB
TraceGuard Technologies, Inc.
I r---------------------------------------------~ COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions Tank Sports is constantly seeking growth capital. Our objective is to grow not only organically but thru M&A. For near term, our goal is to upgrade listing to NASDAQ. We are open to any proposal if it creates value to the company, shareholders, and investors.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
Tank Sports, Based in El Monte, California, designs, develops, engineers, and ma rkets high performance on-road motorcycles and scooters, and off-road all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes and Go Karts. The Company was incorporated in California on March 5, 2001 and its shares were listed on the OTC Bulletin Board on November 1, 2006 under the trading symbol TNSP. COMPANY ADDRESS
10925 Schmidt rd El Monte, CA 91733 www.tank-sports.com COMPANY CONTACT
Wei Luo, VP Finance P: 626-350-4039 ' Wei@tank-sports.com
148 路
IRCONTACT 5W Public Relation s P: 212-999-5585 ext.244
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Stronghold Industries Inc.
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IRCONTACT Vanessa Hong, Senior IR P: 626-350-4039 Vanessa@tank-sports.com
TCGD : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital To lead the market in providing systems that enable effective automated trace detection of explosives and other hazardous materials for applications in aviation security and across the homeland defense sector. COMPANY DESCRIPTION: TraceGuard develops next-generation security solutions for detecting explosives and other hazardous materials. TraceGuard's mission is to enhance and improve the detection of explosives by automating the process in which samples are collected and analyzed in order to determine if they pose a threat. TraceGuard's technology enables the rapid and precise detection of any type of explosive materi al, w hether in solid or liquid form. By automating the coll ection process, TraceGuard will dramatically enhance the overall capability of security mechanisms to identify explosives and other hazardous materials. TraceGuard's products will also allow for significant improvements in operational efficiency at airports. COMPANY ADDRESS
COMPANY CONTACT
330 Madison Avenue 9th Floor New York, NY 10017 www.traceguard .com
David Ben Yai r, CFO P: 866-401-5969 david.ben-yai r@t raceguard.com
WWW. VALUERICHONLINE .COM
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Triton路 Advancing Travel Oistriblttion
Triton Distribution Systems, Inc.
TTDS : OTCBB
UNIVERSAL GUARDIAN
. GLOBAL RISK MITIGATION
Universal Guardian Holdings, Inc.
UGHO : OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital Triton Distribution Systems seeks to secure its position as a leading travel distribution alternative to the obsolete and limited legacy systems currently providing global distribution services. Capital raised will be used to expand partnership agreements world-wide while continuing to develop customer driven product ; functionality.
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Raising Capital for Growth Universal is launching a series of patented and patent pending products and systems that have been under development for the past several years. Additional capital will be dedicated to support inventory, media and marketing costs to drive product and systems growth in the multi-billion personal protection, homeland and international security markets.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION: is a Travel Distribution Service Provider developing and marketing the industry's most advanced solutions for electronic access to global travel inventory. At Triton we offer, low-cost, easy-to-use systems for travel inventory distribution from airlines, car rental companies, hotels, tours and cruise operators, and other travel sellers to travel agencies and their clients on a global
COMPANY DESCRIPTION Universal Guardian is a multifaceted, global risk mitigation company that provides security products, systems, and services designed to mitigate security threats worldwide. Universal's global risk mitigation group provides strategic and tactical security services, integrated global supply chain asset visibility, RFID and security systems, and non-lethal and personal protection products to governments, businesses, and consumers worldwide.
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COMPANY ADDRESS One Harbor Drive Suite 300 Sausalito, CA 94965 www.tritonds.com
COMPANY ADDRESS 4695 MacArthur Court Suite 300 Newport Beach, CA 92660 www.universalguardian.com
IRCONTACT Capital Group Communications, Inc. Anthony Evans and James Hsu P: 415-332-7200 triton@capitalgc.com
COMPANY CONTACT Michael J. Skellern Founder, Chairman & CEO P: 949-861-8295 F: 949-861 -8694
(OTCBB:\\'DAM)
US Dry Cleaning Corporation
Ticker :N/A
] ' [ COMPANY OBJECTIVE: I ..__----------------------~ COMPANY DESCRIPTION: US Dry Cleaning is a classic, fundamental early stage consolidator. On December 30, 2005 the company merged with a public corporation to become the first public operator of dry cleaning stores in America . Sales grew from approximately $1 million in the Sep. 30, 2005 fiscal year to over $6 million in fiscal 2006. The board and management of USDC are very experienced, successful, consolidators.
World Am, Inc. :
11
WDAM :OTCBB
COMPANY OBJECTIVE: Attract Market Exposure In acquiring Senz-lt, World Am obtained the rights to a break through technology developed through nine years of major government funding . World Am, Inc. positioned itself- through Select University Technologies, Inc. - to become a significant player in the sensor business. COMPANY DESCRIPTION World Am, Inc. is a leading supplier of access and weapons control portals. Currently it is developing a state-of-the-art sensor technology which will effectively detect ch emical, explosive and biological threats, the results of which will provide tailored solutions - within security, food processing, air quality and medical applications- that will protect invaluable human life and
deliver world-wide security. COMPANY ADDRESS 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon, Ste. 203 Palm Springs, CA 92262 www.usdrycleaning.com
WWW. VREXPO .NET
IRCONTACT Rick Johnston Director of Shareholder Communication, 760-668-1274 rick@usdrycleaning.com
COMPANY ADDRESS 4040 MacArthur Blvd Suite 240 Newport Beach, CA 92660 www.world-am.com
CONTACT INFO Chris Pflanzer P: 949-955-5355 M: 714-553-6770 cpflanzer@world-am.com
2007
149
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pie of the success of The Conservation Fund 's Go Zero program ," Chris Fisher, director of customer service and Gaiam's
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You recycle, use low-flow showerheads, or have maybe even installed solar panels on your house. Think you and the environment are even? Not by a long shot. The average American's lifestyle generates approximately 20 tons of carbon dioxide (C0 2) each year. C0 2 is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, a phenomenon that ultimately threatens our health, environment and future prosperity. Lifestyle-media company Gaiam, Inc. (NASDAQ: GAIA) is focused on paying back what we have ta xed the environment. In June 2006, the Company partnered with The Conservation Fund to launch the world's first "Go Zero" sustainable shipping program . Gaiam's online customers can add a small donation at checkout that goes toward planting 150
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team leader on this project, stated in a 2006 press release. Gaiam is joining its customers in the Go Zero campaign on a corporate level. Working with The Conservation Fund, the Company measured its C0 2 emissions from office energy use and staff travel and will neutralize its annual climate change footprint, 1,902 tons of C0 2 , by planting 1,430 trees. Launched in 2005, The Conservation Fund 's Go Zero initiative measures the C0 2 emissions of "virtually any slice of life -from an individual 's typical everyday activities, to the energy used to create an event or produce a product, to operational activities at a company, including product shipping ." By planting the correlating number of trees which absorb C0 2 as they grow, the program can "zero out" the impact of the emissions. Go Zero has been profiled in Forbes, The New York Times and Vanity Fair and, in addition to Gaiam, has gained corporate support from companies such as Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) , Home Depot (NYSE: HD), Travelocity (NYSE: TSG), The North Face (NYSE : VFC), Syngenta (NYSE: SYT) and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) . To purchase The Gift of Zero gift certificates or order Gaiam conscious-living products with zero shipping-emissions impact, visit www.gaiam .com or call (800) 869-3603 . Read about The Conservation Fund and its environmental initiatives at www.conservationfund.org. V R
trees to offset the C0 2 emissions created by product shipping. Gaiam also offers "The Gift of Zero," a gift certificate used by individuals to purchase trees to be planted in the recipient's name. The response has been overwhelming . Since the program's initiation, Gaiam customers have purchased 41 ,589 trees, which wi II reforest 138.6 acres and capture more than 55,313 tons of C0 2 over the next 100 years. "As a company, Gaiam is often looked to by other companies for innovative programs to help the environment, so we're very With the support of Gaiam and its customers, The pleased to act as an exam- Conservation Fund's Go Zero program helps restore bottomland hardwood habitats across the Southeast.
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Small Business, Big Impact by Steve Crowley Small business, America 's job maker, lost a beloved friend in 2006. Lew Shattuck, president of SBANE for 25 years, passed away in August. Founded in 1938, SBANE (the Smaller Busines s Association of New England) was the first major "gras sroots " organ ization compo sed of and managed by entrepreneurial men and women. I met Lew and joined SBANE in early 1975, when I was launching my own small business after leaving Price Waterhouse . Today, SBANE comprises 1,000 member companies in si x states, is still a force in setting business policy, and has a loyal partner in the NSBA. SBANE was directly re sponsible for saving both the U.S. House and Senate small bu siness committees when they were about to be voted away as irrelevant. SBANE gathered small business owner testimony from around America and gave it to Congress right between the eyes . They made the case that, without small bu siness advocacy and the innovations and economic activity it creates, job growth in their st ates and districts would be broad sided. The legislators listened, and those committees are still powerful today. SBANE fast became the rallying post around w hich other state and regional small business associations set their agendas. Washington rookie When I joined SBANE, I was quickly pegged as "the rook," for rookie. The members w ere mostly 40-i sh to 60 ish . I was clearly the kid, but eager to learn how to become a real Capitol Hill operative. Knowing nothing about politics, yet being from a small business family stretching back 150 years, I was sold on the cause. These guys were on a mission to influence Congress favorably on everything from taxes to environmental laws that impacted small businesses. 15 2
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ity cente red around the Washington Presentation to Congres s each May, masterminded by Mr. Shattuck and his coho rts. Busloads of real-life small business owners arrived from all quadrants of the "lower 48 " to attend the Congressional Breakfast and the Senate Luncheon, with 90 percent of those invited turning out for both events. I am still amazed at the positive impact these two events had on major national legislators, from Bob Dole to Ted Kennedy. "Are real business owners actually showing up from my state and district? Well, if that 's true, I guess the senator should be there, huh? " This is what I heard as I pounded the ma rble of Capitol Hill. Not everyone was as compliant. As I advanced from rookie to rookie firstclass, SBANE let me pitch then Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill . Post-pitch, I sat back incredulously as the speaker explained why he did not support small business in Boston. I'll paraphrase here: "The place where I've taken my shirts to be laundered for thirty years, w ell,
We need support through positive legislation that helps capital formation, generates jobs and lets innovation flourish.
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ous to small business is certainly one place to begin . When we 're spending an extra , say, $300 ,000 on legal and accounting fees , chances are we're not hiring all the new people we need to accelerate growth . Is hope on the way? Call Speaker Pelosi.
Political activism does work My firsthand experience is that politi cal activism by entrepreneurs works. Whether Republican or Democrat, most legislators will pay attention to the
two heartbeats of the presidency. I do
employers in their district or state. Ted Kennedy showed up for every luncheon because small business owners from Massachusetts were attending . Plus he liked Lew. Kennedy liked to quip, "I like small business- my father was a small busine ssman himself." (It always got a laugh.) Even liberal Democrats, such as Senator Pat Leahy, have listened and responded to my pitches. Lew often said, "Out of little acorns big businesses grow." It 's t rue. Apple started in a garage. Microsoft started with a dream and a pitch to IBM . I wit-
hope their small business background will make her more bu sines s-friend ly than Speaker O'Neill was. Larry Kudlow is right : free market capitalism is the engine that drives prosperity. We don't need Congress throwing any more monkey wrenches into the small bu siness system. We need support through positive legislation that helps capital formation, generates jobs and lets innovation flourish. Making Sarbanes-O x ley less oner-
nessed PETMEDS going from a Bulletin Board to a NASDAQ stock, from $1 .20 to $20, in record time. Many of you are on this track, but good things take time. In the meantime, write a letter to your senators, visit with your representative, join or start a small business group like SBANE. If you happen to live near Golden Gate Park, give Nancy 's office a call . Tell her you're a small business owner, just like her husband, Paul -and you need her support! R
the owner of that establishment drives a Mercedes! That's why I don't like small business." Thank God my name is Crowley, or old Tip would have booted me out the door. Down with prosperity, I suppose. The new speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is married to a super successful small business owner, Paul, whose success helped propel his wife to within
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