TLCC Twinlab Consolidated Holdings Inc (PK)

Our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, prospects, and the prevailing market price and performance of our common stock may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including the matters discussed below. Certain statements and information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including without limitation statements regarding our strategic initiatives and expectations for the future performance of our business, as well as other written or oral statements made from time to time by us, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements that describe our objectives, plans, or goals, are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. The risks, uncertainties, and other factors that our stockholders and prospective investors should consider include the following:

Regulatory, Product Liability and Insurance Risks

Our products are subject to government regulation, both in the United States and abroad, which could increase our costs significantly and limit or prevent the sale of our products.

The manufacture, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, distribution and sale of our products are subject to regulation by numerous national and local governmental agencies in the United States and other countries. The primary regulatory bodies in the United States are the FDA and FTC, and we are also subject to similar regulatory bodies in all the countries in which we do business. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements may result in various types of penalties or fines. These types of penalties include injunctions, product withdrawals, recalls, product seizures, fines and criminal prosecutions. Individual U.S. states also regulate nutritional supplements. A state may seek to interpret claims or products presumptively valid under federal law as illegal under that state's regulations. For example, in February 2015, the New York Attorney General issued cease and desist letters to several national retailers regarding certain herbal supplements and since that time both the New York Attorney General and Attorneys General from other states have engaged in inquiries regarding the manufacture and sale of various supplements. Pursuant to such inquiries, states Attorneys General could seek to take actions against industry participants or amend applicable regulations in their State. In markets outside the United States, we are usually required to obtain approvals, licenses, or certifications from a country's ministry of health or comparable agency, as well as labeling and packaging regulations, all of which vary from country to country. Approvals or licensing may be conditioned on reformulation of products or may be unavailable with respect to certain products or product ingredients. Any of these government agencies, as well as legislative bodies, can change existing regulations, or impose new regulations, or could take aggressive measures, causing or contributing to a variety of negative consequences, including:

Any or all of these requirements could have a material adverse effect on us. There can be no assurance that the regulatory environment in which we operate will not change or that such regulatory environment, or any specific action taken against us, will not result in a material adverse effect on us.

If we experience regulatory investigations or product recalls, we may incur significant and unexpected costs, and our business reputation could be adversely affected.

We may be exposed to regulatory investigations or product recalls and adverse public relations if our products are alleged to cause injury or illness, or if we are alleged to have violated governmental regulations. A regulatory investigation or product recall could result in substantial and unexpected expenditures, which would reduce operating profit and cash flow. In addition, a regulatory investigation or product recall may require significant management attention. Regulatory investigations and product recalls may hurt the value of our brands and lead to decreased demand for our products. Regulatory investigations or product recalls also may lead to increased scrutiny by federal, state or international regulatory agencies of our operations and increased litigation and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Regulatory investigations or product recalls could also result in our incurring substantial costs, losing revenues and implementing a change in the design, manufacturing process or the indications for which our products may be used, each of which could harm our business.

We may experience product liability claims and litigation to prosecute such claims, and although we maintain product liability insurance, which we believe to be adequate for our needs, there can be no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate or that we will be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, we may be subject to consumer fraud claims, including consumer class action claims regarding product labeling and advertising, and litigation to prosecute such claims; these claims are generally not covered by insurance.

As a distributor of products for human consumption, we experience from time to time product liability claims and litigation to prosecute such claims. Additionally, the sale and distribution of these products involves the risk of injury to consumers as a result of tampering by unauthorized third parties or product contamination. We carry insurance coverage in the types and amounts that we consider reasonably adequate to cover the risks we face from product liability claims. If insurance coverage is inadequate or unavailable or premium costs continue to rise, we may face additional claims not covered by insurance, and claims that exceed coverage limits or that are not covered could have a material adverse effect on us. Moreover, liability claims arising from a serious adverse event may in addition to increasing our costs through higher insurance premiums and deductibles, may make it more difficult to secure adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, consumer fraud claims, including consumer class action claims regarding product labeling and advertising, are increasingly common as to food and dietary supplement products. Because insurance is generally hard to obtain for such claims, these types of claims could have a material adverse effect on us. A product liability claim, regardless of its merit or ultimate outcome, could result in:

We may be required to indemnify our contract manufacturing and/or retailer customers, the payment of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We provide certain rights of indemnification to our contract manufacturing customers. In the past, we have had a claim tendered to us to defend approximately forty putative class actions alleging primarily that two products failed to contain sufficient active ingredients to meet label claims. We accepted such tender subject to a reservation of various rights and vigorously defended these cases.  The matter culminated in a confidential settlement with the plaintiffs, which did not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition/results of operations or cash flows or liquidity at that time; however, any litigation involves risk and is inherently unpredictable. If any plaintiff is successful in certifying a class and thereafter prevailing on the merits of their complaint, such an adverse result could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, due to the nature and scope of the indemnity and defense we will likely need to provide, the legal fees associated with such indemnification could be significant enough to have a material adverse effect on our cash flows until such matters are fully and finally resolved.

We may experience Lanham Act claims by competitors and litigation to prosecute such claims.

The Lanham Act empowers competitors to file suit regarding any promotional statements that the competitor believes to be false or misleading. If a competitor prevails, it could obtain monetary damages (including potentially treble damages and attorneys' fees). A court can also order corrective advertising, or even a product recall if the offending claims are found on the product's packaging and labeling. If we experience a Lanham Act claim filed against us, this could have a material adverse effect on us and on our products' reputation.

Market and Channel Risks

Our success is linked to the size and growth rate of the vitamin, mineral and supplement market and an adverse change in the size or growth rate of that market could have a material adverse effect on us.

An adverse change in size or growth rate of the vitamin, mineral and supplement market could have a material adverse effect on us. Underlying market conditions are subject to change based on economic conditions, consumer preferences and other factors that are beyond our control, including media attention and scientific research, which may be positive or negative.

Because a substantial portion of our sales are to or through health food stores, we are dependent to a large degree upon the success of this channel as well as the success of specific retailers in the channel.

We sell primarily in the United States and, in this market, a significant portion of our sales are through health food stores. Because of this, we are dependent to a large degree upon the success of that channel as well as the success of specific retailers in the channel. There are some large chains of health food stores, such as Whole Foods Market and The Vitamin Shoppe, but many health food stores are individual stores or very small chains. We rely on these health food stores to purchase, market, and sell our products. A fair portion of our success is dependent, to a large degree, on the growth and success of the health and natural foods channel, which is outside our control. There can be no assurance that the health and natural foods channel will be able to grow or prosper as it faces price and service pressure from other channels, including the mass market. There can be no assurance that retailers in the health and natural foods channel, in the aggregate, will respond or continue to respond to our stated loyalty to this channel.

We are highly dependent upon consumers' perception of the safety and quality of our products as well as similar products distributed by other companies in our industry, and adverse publicity and negative public perception regarding particular ingredients or products or our industry in general could limit our ability to increase revenue and grow our business.

Decisions about purchasing made by consumers of our products may be affected by adverse publicity or negative public perception regarding particular ingredients or products or our industry in general. This negative public perception may include publicity regarding the legality or quality of particular ingredients or products in general or of other companies or our products or ingredients specifically. Negative public perception may also arise from regulatory investigations, regardless of whether those investigations involve us. We are highly dependent upon consumers' perception of the safety and quality of our products as well as similar products distributed by other companies. Thus, the mere publication of reports asserting that such products may be harmful could have a material adverse effect on us, regardless of whether these reports are scientifically supported. Publicity related to nutritional supplements may also result in increased regulatory scrutiny of our industry and/or the healthy foods industry. Adverse publicity may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance of future favorable scientific results and media attention or of the absence of unfavorable or inconsistent findings.

We face intense competition from competitors that are larger, more established and that possess greater resources than we do, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may be unable to maintain sufficient market share to sustain profitability.

Numerous manufacturers and retailers compete actively for consumers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete in this intensely competitive environment. In addition, nutritional supplements can be purchased in a wide variety of channels of distribution. These channels include mass market retail stores and the Internet. Because these markets generally have low barriers to entry, additional competitors could enter the market at any time. Private label products of our customers also provide competition to our products. Additional national or international companies may seek in the future to enter or to increase their presence in the healthy foods industry or the vitamin, mineral and supplement market. Increased competition in either or both could have a material adverse effect on us. 

The nutritional supplement industry increasingly relies on intellectual property rights and although we seek to ensure that we do not infringe the intellectual property rights of others, there can be no assurance that third parties will not assert intellectual property infringement claims against us, which claims may result in substantial costs and diversion of management and other resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. Our inability to acquire, protect or maintain our intellectual property could harm our ability to compete or grow.

Recently it has become more and more common for suppliers and competitors to apply for patents or develop proprietary technologies and processes. We seek to ensure that we do not infringe the intellectual property rights of others, but there can be no assurance that third parties will not assert intellectual property infringement claims against us. These developments could prevent us from offering or supplying competitive products or ingredients in the marketplace. They could also result in litigation or threatened litigation against us related to alleged or actual infringement of third-party rights. If an infringement claim is asserted or litigation is pursued, we may be required to obtain a license of rights, pay royalties on a retrospective or prospective basis or terminate our manufacturing and marketing of our products that are alleged to have infringed. Litigation with respect to such matters could result in substantial costs and diversion of management and other resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have numerous United States and foreign trademarks and service marks. There can be no assurance that the protection afforded by these trademarks and service marks will provide us with a competitive advantage or that we will be able to assert our intellectual property rights in infringement actions.

We may be affected adversely by increased utility and fuel costs.

Increasing fuel costs may affect our results of operations adversely in that consumer traffic to health and natural food stores may be reduced and the costs of our sales may increase as we incur fuel costs in connection with our manufacturing operations and the transportation of goods from our warehouse and distribution facilities to health and natural food stores. Also, high oil costs can affect the cost of our raw materials and components and the competitive environment in which we operate may limit our ability to recover higher costs resulting from rising fuel prices.

Adverse economic conditions may harm our business.

Inflation or other changes in economic conditions that affect demand for nutritional supplements could adversely affect our revenue. Uncertainty about current global economic conditions poses a risk as consumers and businesses may postpone spending in response to tighter credit markets, negative financial news and/or declines in income or asset values, each of which could have a material negative effect on the demand for our products. Other factors that could influence demand include conditions in the residential real estate and mortgage markets, labor and healthcare costs, and access to credit, consumer confidence and other macroeconomic factors affecting consumer spending behavior. These and other economic factors could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and results of operations.

Business Strategy and Operational Risks

If we are unable to retain key personnel, our ability to manage our business effectively and continue our growth could be negatively impacted.

Key management employees of the company and its subsidiaries include Anthony Zolezzi as the Chief Executive Officer, Carla Goffstein, as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Interim Chief Financial Officer, Gregory T. Grochoski as the Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer, Shari Gottesman as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, James Handley as the Vice President of Operations, Elizabeth Collins as the Vice President of Human Resources and Vincent Tricario as the Vice President of Contract Manufacturing. These key management employees are primarily responsible for our day-to-day operations, and we believe our success depends in part on our ability to retain them and to continue to attract additional qualified individuals to our management team. The loss or limitation of the services of any of our key management employees or the inability to attract additional qualified management personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a part of our business strategy, we have made and may make acquisitions in the future that could disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.

An element of our strategy includes expanding our product offerings, gaining shelf-space and gaining access to new skills and other resources through strategic acquisitions when attractive opportunities arise. Acquiring additional businesses and the implementation of other elements of our business strategy are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Some of these factors are within our control and some are outside our control. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

There can be no assurance that attractive acquisition opportunities will be available to us, that we will be able to obtain financing (on acceptable terms or at all) for or otherwise consummate any future acquisitions, including those described below, or that any acquisitions which are consummated will prove to be successful. There can be no assurance that we can successfully execute all aspects of our business strategy.

Because we depend on outside suppliers with whom we may not have long-term agreements for raw materials, we may be unable to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials for our products at favorable prices or at all, which could result in product shortages and back orders for our products, with a resulting loss of net sales and profitability.

We acquire all our raw materials for the manufacture of our products from third-party suppliers. Currently, we rely on third-party co-packers for our products; our reliance on these third-party co-packers has increased as the result of the winding down of our Utah manufacturing facility in 2018. We have selective agreements with third-party co-packers for the continued supply of these materials and products. Several of our products contain one or more ingredients that may only be available from a single source or supplier. Any of our suppliers could discontinue selling to us at any time. In certain situations, we may be required to alter our products or substitute different materials from different alternative sources. Our suppliers or government regulators may interpret new regulations (including cGMP regulations) in such a way as to cause a disruption in our supply chain as these parties undertake increased scrutiny of raw materials and components of raw materials and products, causing certain suppliers or us to discontinue, change or suspend the sale of certain ingredients or components. Although we believe that we could establish alternate sources for most of these materials, any delay in locating and establishing relationships with other sources could result in product shortages and back orders for the products, with a resulting loss of net sales and profitability. We are also subject to delays associated with raw materials. These delays can be caused by conditions not within our control, including:

These factors could result in a delay in or disruption of the supply of certain raw materials. Any significant delay in or disruption of the supply of raw materials could have a material adverse effect upon us.

We rely on our information systems to conduct our business, and any failure to protect these systems against security breaches or failure of these systems themselves could adversely affect our business, results of operations and liquidity and could result in litigation and penalties. If these systems fail or become unavailable for any significant period of time, our business could be harmed. Additionally, the inappropriate use of social media vehicles could harm our reputation and adversely impact our business.

The efficient operation of our business is dependent on computer hardware and software systems. Among other things, these systems collect and store certain personal information from customers, vendors and employees and process customer payment information. Our information systems and those maintained by our third-party vendors and the sensitive data they are designed to protect are vulnerable to security breaches by computer hackers, cyber terrorists and other cyber attackers. We rely on industry accepted security measures and technology to securely maintain confidential and proprietary information maintained on our information systems, and we rely on our third-party vendors to take appropriate measures to protect the confidentiality of the information on those information systems. However, these measures and technology may not adequately prevent security breaches. Our information systems may become unavailable or fail to perform as anticipated for any reason, including viruses, loss of power or human error. Any significant interruption or failure of our information systems or those maintained by our third-party vendors or any significant breach of security could adversely affect our reputation with our customers, vendors and employees and could adversely affect our business, results of operations and liquidity and could result in litigation against us or the imposition of penalties. A significant interruption, failure or breach of the security of our information systems or those of our third-party vendors could also require us to expend significant resources to upgrade the security measures and technology that guard sensitive data against computer hackers, cyber terrorists and other cyber attackers.

Additionally, we rely on search engine marketing and social media platforms to attract and retain customers as part of our marketing efforts. A variety of risks are associated with the use of social media, including the improper disclosure of proprietary information, negative comments about our company and our products, exposure of personally identifiable information, fraud, or outdated information. The inappropriate use of social media vehicles by our customers or employees could increase our costs, lead to litigation or result in negative publicity that could damage our reputation.

To the extent that we currently rely on third-party manufactures, now and in the future, we are dependent upon the uninterrupted and efficient operation of those third-party facilities, which may experience power failures, the breakdown, failure or substandard performance of equipment, the improper installation or operation of equipment, natural or other disasters , employee disruptions, and the need to comply with the requirements or directives of government agencies, including the FDA.

We are dependent upon the uninterrupted and efficient operation of our third-party manufacturing partners. Those operations may experience power failures, the breakdown, failure or substandard performance of equipment, the improper installation or operation of equipment, natural or other disasters, employee disruptions and the need to comply with the requirements or directives of government agencies, including the FDA. There can be no assurance that the occurrence of these or any other operational problems at our facility would not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may become a party to lawsuits that arise in the ordinary course of business in the future.

We may become a party to lawsuits that arise in the ordinary course of business in the future. The possibility of such litigation, and its timing, is in large part outside our control. It is possible that future litigation could arise that could have material adverse effects on us.

If our goodwill or intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings.

Under generally accepted accounting principles, we review our amortizable intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment at least annually. Factors that may indicate that the carrying value of our goodwill or intangible assets may not be recoverable include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future cash flow estimates and slower growth rates in our industry. During the fourth quarter of 2018, we completed our annual impairment test of goodwill and intangible assets and did not recognize impairment charges, see Note 5, Intangible Assets and Goodwill, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report.

We may need additional capital in the future to finance our operations and to execute our business strategy, which we may not be able to raise, or it may only be available on terms unfavorable to us and or our stockholders. This may result in our inability to fund our working capital requirements and harm our operational results.

Our current cash on hand is insufficient to fund our operations. We believe that cash flows from operations and other committed sources of additional liquidity will not be sufficient to fund our operations in the ordinary course of business through April 16, 2020. If we experience extraordinary expenses or other events beyond our control, we will need to raise additional funds to continue our operations.

Additional financing might not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If adequate funds were not available or were not available on acceptable terms, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance our business or otherwise respond to competitive pressures would be significantly limited.

Changes in accounting standards, especially those that relate to management estimates and assumptions, are unpredictable and may materially impact how we report and record our financial condition.

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Some of these policies require use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the value of our assets or liabilities and financial results and are critical because they require management to make difficult, subjective and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. From time to time the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. In addition, accounting standard setters and those who interpret the accounting standards (such as the FASB, the SEC, banking regulators and our outside auditors) may change or even reverse their previous interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in our restating prior period financial statements.

We are an "emerging growth company" under the JOBS Act of 2012, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ("JOBS Act"), and we take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We have elected to adopt these reduced disclosure requirements. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We are choosing to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to those of companies that comply with public company effective dates.

We will remain an "emerging growth company" for up to five years, although we will lose that status sooner if our annual revenues exceed $1 billion, if we issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in a three-year period, or if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million and as a result we become a large accelerated filer.

Because of our history of accumulated deficits, recurring losses and negative cash flows from operating activities, we must improve profitability and may be required to obtain additional funding if we are to continue as a "going concern."

We incurred negative cash flows from operating activities and recurring net operating losses in the year ended December 31, 2018. We had negative working capital at the end of fiscal year 2018 and 2017.  As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, our accumulated deficit was $274,372 and $253,963, respectively.  These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements included with this report do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.  In order for us to remove substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, we must achieve profitability, generate positive cash flows from operating activities and obtain necessary debt or equity funding.  

Our financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes continuity of operations and realization of assets and liabilities in the ordinary course of business.  Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued its report dated April 16, 2019, which includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our recurring losses, among other things, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.  It has been necessary to rely upon debt and the sale of our equity securities to sustain operations.  Our management anticipates that we may require additional capital over the next 12 months to fund ongoing operations.  There can be no guarantee that we will be able to obtain such funds, or obtain them on satisfactory terms, and that such funds would be sufficient.   

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

Our common stock currently has very limited trading volume and holders of our securities may not be able to sell quickly any significant number of shares.

Our common stock is quoted on the OTCPK. There has been very limited trading volume of our common stock. Because of this, holders of our securities may not be able to sell quickly any significant number of such shares, and any attempted sale of a large number of our shares will likely have a material adverse impact on the price of our common stock. The price per share of our common stock is subject to volatility and may be subject to rapid price swings in the future.

Because the trading price of our common stock is below $5.00 per share it is deemed a low-priced "Penny" stock and an investment in our common stock should be considered high risk and subject to marketability restrictions.

Since our common stock is a penny stock, as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), it will be more difficult for investors to liquidate their investment even if and when a market develops for the common stock. Since the trading price of the common stock is below $5.00 per share, trading in the common stock will be subject to the penny stock rules of the Exchange Act specified in rules 15g-1 through 15g-10. Those rules require broker-dealers, before effecting transactions in any penny stock, to:

Consequently, the penny stock rules may restrict the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell the common stock and may affect the ability of holders to sell their common stock in the secondary market and the price at which such holders can sell any such securities. These additional procedures could also limit our ability to raise additional capital in the future.

We have the ability to issue additional shares of our common stock without asking for stockholder approval, which could cause your investment to be diluted. Issuances of preferred stock could have superior right to those of our shares of common stock.

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the Board of Directors to issue up to 5 billion shares of common stock. The power of the Board of Directors to issue shares of common stock or warrants or options to purchase shares of common stock is generally not subject to stockholder approval. If we issue shares of preferred stock in the future, the shares of preferred stock could be given voting rights, dividend rights, liquidation rights or other similar rights superior to those of our shares of common stock. Additionally, any additional issuance of our common stock, or preferred stock that may be convertible into common stock, may have the effect of diluting your investment.

FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder's ability to buy and sell our stock.

In addition to the "penny stock" rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer's financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our stock and have an adverse effect on the market for our shares.

Management may not timely institute proper controls , or compensating controls when necessary or our controls may fail, which may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, management identified material weaknesses in the selection and testing of our third-party logistics and fulfillment provider ("3PL"), whom the Company engaged to replace the Company's Utah manufacturing facility. The Company has determined that the 3PL does not issue reports pursuant to the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagement No. 18 attestation standards ("SSAE18"). The Company should have designed and implemented the necessary internal controls to address the potential risks of using a 3PL who does not issue SSAE18 reports. The Company should have taken steps to design and implement controls around the receipt of inventory at the 3PL to ensure the quantities and description of inventory movements related to the 3PL. Additionally, the Company should take steps to obtain and review the appropriate SSAE 18 reports issued by the software company which the 3PL uses as its inventory management software. Management also identified a material weakness related to a lack of appropriate staffing in our accounting and information technology departments to address the Company's ability to continue to close the books both timely and accurately and to meet internal control documentation requirements. Prior normal staffing turnover along with technical accounting issues and the Company's change to a 3PL impacted the Company's ability to react to technical accounting matters encountered.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. As defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f), internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the principal executive and principal financial officer and effected by the board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Concurrent with year-end reporting, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the overall design of our system of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 2013 (COSO). Under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States, a material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

To remediate the material weaknesses described above, management has begun implementing several initiatives for 2019, including but not limited to the following:

Management and our audit committee will continue to monitor these remedial measures and the effectiveness of our internal controls and procedures. Other than as described above, there were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2018 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

An excess of a majority of our outstanding voting securities are beneficially owned by two individuals and their affiliates, and these two individuals can elect all directors who in turn appoint all officers, without the votes of any other stockholders. These two individuals and their affiliates are also lenders to the Company of a significant portion of our indebtedness.

Mr. Van Andel, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Mr. Golisano, also a director and stockholder, and their affiliates collectively beneficially own over 80% of our outstanding voting securities and, accordingly, have effective control of us and may have effective control of us for the near- and long-term future. Votes of other stockholders can have little effect since we are managed by our Board of Directors and operated through our officers, all of whom can be elected or appointed by two individuals. These two individuals and their affiliates are also lenders to the Company of a significant portion of our indebtedness. As of December 31, 2018, we had related party debt of $82.3 million.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the near future.

We do not expect to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. The declaration and payment in the future of any cash or stock dividends on the common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon a variety of factors, including our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness, if any, and to pay dividends on securities ranking senior to the common stock, our future earnings, if any, capital requirements, financial condition and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider to be relevant from time to time. Our earnings, if any, are expected to be retained for use in expanding our business.