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File No. 333-_____
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 14, 2000
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Under
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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THE HOLMES GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Massachusetts 04-2768914
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
233 Fortune Boulevard, Milford, Massachusetts 01757
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Holmes Products Corp. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
(the "Stock Purchase Plan")
Holmes Products Corp. Amended and Restated 1997 Stock Option Plan
(the "1997 Stock Option Plan")
(Full title of the Plans)
Ira B. Morgenstern
Senior Vice President - Finance
The Holmes Group, Inc.
233 Fortune Boulevard
Milford, Massachusetts 01757
(Name and address of agent for services)
(508) 634-8050
(Telephone number, including area code,
of agent for service)
copy to:
Michael L. Andresino, Esq.
Posternak, Blankstein & Lund, L.L.P.
100 Charles River Plaza
Boston, MA 02114-2723
(617) 973-6100
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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Calculation of Registration Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed Proposed
Maximum Maximum
Title of Offering Aggregate Amount of
Securities to Amount to be Price Offering Registration
be Registered Registered (1) Per Share(2) Price(2) Fee
- ------------- -------------- ------------ --------- ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Stock Purchase
Plan
Common Stock 350,000 $5.04 $1,764,000 $ 465.70
1997 Stock
Option Plan
Common Stock 4,260,978 $5.04 $21,475,330 $5,669.48
Total 4,610,978 $5.04 $23,239,330 $6,135.18(3)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1) Plus such additional number of shares as may be required pursuant to the
Stock Purchase Plan and the 1997 Stock Option Plan in the event of a stock
dividend, stock split, split-up, recapitalization or other similar event.
(2) These estimates are made pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act
of 1933, solely for purposes of determining the registration fee.
(3) Total fee paid based on sum of separate fee calculations.
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PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.
The Holmes Group, Inc., formerly known as Holmes Products Corp. (the
"Company") hereby incorporates by reference the following documents which have
previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission"):
a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1998 (the "1998 10-K"), filed with the Commission on
March 31, 1999.
b) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended March 31, 1999, filed with the Commission on May 17, 1999.
c) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended June 30, 1999, filed with the Commission on August 12, 1999.
d) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended September 30, 1999, filed with the Commission on November 15,
1999.
e) The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 8, 1999.
All documents that the Company subsequently files with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13(a), Section 13(c), Section 14 and Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act of 1934 before it files a post-effective amendment to this
registration statement that indicates that all securities offered have been sold
or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold will be deemed
incorporated herein by reference from the date they are filed.
Item 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
As of January 1, 2000, there were 20,265,916 shares of common stock
outstanding that were held of record by approximately 22 stockholders. There
would be 24,876,894 shares of common stock outstanding (assuming no exercise or
conversion of outstanding warrants after January 1, 2000) after giving effect
to the issuance of the shares of common stock covered hereby under the Stock
Purchase Plan and the 1997 Stock Option Plan (the "Plans").
The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all
matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. The holders of common stock are
entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time
to time by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor. In
the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the
holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining
after payment of liabilities. Except as provided by the Company's Stockholders'
Agreement dated as of November 26, 1997, as amended, and the Employee
Stockholders' Agreement dated April 23,
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1998, the common stock has no preemptive or conversion rights or other
subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions
available to the common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully
paid and non-assessable, and the shares of common stock to be issued upon
completion of this offering will be fully paid and non-assessable.
Item 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
The validity of the shares to be offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Posternak, Blankstein & Lund, L.L.P., Boston, Massachusetts.
The consolidated financial statements incorporated herein by reference to
the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998, have been
so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in
auditing and accounting.
Item 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
Section 67 of the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts provides that indemnification of directors, officers, employees or
other agents may be provided by a corporation. Section 13 (b) (1-1/2) of the
Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides that the
Articles of Organization may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the
personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for
monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director provided that such
provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (A) for any
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders,
(B) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (C) under Sections 61 or 62 of the
Massachusetts Business Corporation Law, or (D) for any transaction from which
the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Article Twelfth of the Company's by-laws provides that the Company, to the
extent legally permissible, will indemnify any person serving or who has served
as a director or officer of the Company against all liabilities and expenses
reasonably incurred by such director or officer in connection with the defense
or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding in which the director or
officer may be involved, while serving as, or by reason of being or having been,
such a director or officer, except with respect to any matter as to which he or
she is adjudicated to have not acted in good faith or not with reasonable belief
that an action was in the best interest of the Company.
The Company maintains directors' and officers' liability insurance which
may cover liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.
Item 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
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Not applicable.
Item 8. EXHIBITS.
The following is a complete list of exhibits filed or incorporated by
reference as part of this registration statement.
Exhibit
- -------
4.1 Holmes Products Corp. Amended and Restated 1997 Stock Option Plan, as
amended (1)
4.2 Holmes Products Corp. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (1)
5.1 Opinion of Posternak, Blankstein & Lund, L.L.P. as to the legality of
the securities being registered.
23.1 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
23.2 Consent of Posternak, Blankstein & Lund, L.L.P. (included in its
opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).
24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
- ------------------------
(1) Incorporated by reference to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998, filed with the Commission on March
31, 1999.
Item 9. UNDERTAKINGS.
a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement, (A)
to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a) (3) of the
Securities Act of 1933, (B) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events arising after the effective date of the registration statement
(or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof), which,
individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in
the information set forth in the registration statement, and (C) to
include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or
any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(A) and (a)(1)(B) shall not
apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed
by the registrant
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pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration
statement.
(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold
at the termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the Town of Milford, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this
12th day of January, 2000.
THE HOLMES GROUP, INC.
By: /s/ Jordan A. Kahn
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Jordan A. Kahn, President and
Chief Executive Officer
KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, each person whose signature appears below
hereby constitutes and appoints Jordan A. Kahn, Stanley Rosenzweig and Ira B.
Morgenstern, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name,
place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments or
post-effective amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature Title Date
--------- ----- ----
/s/ Jordan A. Kahn President, Chief January 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Executive Officer
Jordan A. Kahn and Director (Principal
Executive Officer)
/s/ Ira B. Morgenstern Senior Vice President - January 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Finance (Principal Financial
Ira B. Morgenstern and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Stanley Rosenzweig Chief Operating Officer January 12, 2000
- --------------------------- and Director
Stanley Rosenzweig
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/s/ Gregory F. White Executive Vice President, January 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Sales and Marketing
Gregory F. White Director
/s/ Richard K. Lubin Director January 12, 2000
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Richard K. Lubin
/s/ Randy Peeler Director January 12, 2000
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Randy Peeler
/s/ Thomas K. Manning Director January 12, 2000
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Thomas K. Manning
/s/ Liu Woon Fai (Tommy) Director January 12, 2000
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Liu Woon Fai (Tommy)
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EXHIBIT 5.1
POSTERNAK, BLANKSTEIN & LUND, L.L.P.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
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100 CHARLES RIVER PLAZA
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02114-2723
TEL 617-973-6100
FAX 617-367-2315
E-MAIL [email protected]
January 12, 2000
The Holmes Group, Inc.
233 Fortune Boulevard
Milford, Massachusetts 01757
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the preparation of
the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), by The Holmes Group,
Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the "Company"), relating to an aggregate of
4,610,978 shares (the "Shares") of the Company's common stock, $.001 par value
per share (the "Common Stock"), issuable under the Company's Employee Stock
Purchase Plan and upon the exercise of options granted under the Company's
Amended and Restated 1997 Stock Option Plan, as amended (together with the
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the "Plans").
We have acted as counsel to the Company in connection with the
preparation of the Registration Statement. For purposes of this opinion, we have
examined the Company's Articles of Organization and By-laws, in each case as
amended to date; such records of the corporate proceedings of the Company as we
have deemed material; the Registration Statement and all exhibits thereto; and
such other documents as we have deemed necessary to enable us to render this
opinion.
We are attorneys admitted to practice in The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. We express no opinion concerning the laws of any jurisdiction
other than the laws of the United States of America and The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
In rendering the opinion expressed herein, we assume that all steps
necessary to comply with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and
with applicable requirements of state law regulating the sale of securities will
be duly taken.
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POSTERNAK, BLANKSTEIN & LUND, L.L.P.
Holmes Products Corp.
January 12, 2000
Page 2
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, and having regard for such
legal considerations as we have deemed relevant, it is our opinion that the
Shares have been duly authorized for issuance by all necessary corporate action
and, when issued and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor as
set forth in the Plans, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
This opinion is rendered solely for your benefit, and may not be relied
upon by any other party without our prior written consent. We hereby consent to
the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to
the reference to our name in the Registration Statement.
Very truly yours,
POSTERNAK, BLANKSTEIN & LUND, L.L.P.
By: /s/ Michael L. Andresino
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A Partner Thereof
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Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 12, 1999 relating to the
financial statements which appear in The Holmes Group, Inc.'s (formerly Holmes
Products Corp.) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998.
We also consent to the application of such report to the Financial Statement
Schedule for the three years ended December 31, 1998 listed under Item 14(a) of
The Holmes Group, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1998 when such schedule is read in conjunction with the financial statements
referred to in our report. The audits referred to in such report also included
this Financial Statement Schedule. We also consent to the reference to us under
the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
January 10, 2000
