AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.
P.O. Box 2328
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
September 21, 2000
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF
AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.:
The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of American Consumers, Inc. ("ACI"
or the "Company"), will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2000, at 3:00 p.m.
(E.D.T.) at ACI's General Office, 418 Alamar Street, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia,
for the following purposes:
1) To receive reports of officers pertaining to the operations of the
Company during the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000;
2) To elect a Board of Directors consisting of seven (7) members; and
3) To consider and act upon any other business that may properly come
before the meeting.
Only holders of record of ACI's Common Stock, $.10 par value, at the close
of business on August 15, 2000 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the
meeting or any adjournment thereof.
AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.
Michael A. Richardson
Chairman
Dated: August 22, 2000
PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED MATERIAL CAREFULLY, THEN COMPLETE, DATE AND SIGN
THE ENCLOSED FORM OF PROXY AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY TO THE COMPANY IN THE ENCLOSED
POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE SO THAT YOUR SHARES OF COMMON STOCK WILL BE REPRESENTED AT
THE MEETING. IF YOU ATTEND THE MEETING, YOU MAY REVOKE YOUR PROXY AND VOTE YOUR
SHARES IN PERSON, SHOULD YOU SO DESIRE.
<PAGE>
AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.
P.O. Box 2328
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
September 21, 2000
INFORMATION ABOUT PROXY
The enclosed proxy is solicited by American Consumers, Inc. ("ACI" or the
"Company"), for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at ACI's
General Office, 418 Alamar Street, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, on Thursday,
September 21, 2000 and at any adjournment or adjournments thereof (the "Annual
Meeting"). The proxy agents named in the enclosed proxy have been selected by
the Board of Directors. The expense of solicitation of proxies will be borne by
ACI. The proxy and this proxy statement are being mailed to shareholders on or
about August 22, 2000.
Shares represented at the meeting by properly executed proxies will be
voted in accordance with the instructions indicated in the proxies unless such
proxies have previously been revoked. If no instructions are indicated, such
shares will be voted (i) for the election of the Board of Directors' seven (7)
nominees for director as set forth in this proxy statement and (ii) in the best
judgment of the proxy agents, for such other matters as properly come before the
Annual Meeting.
Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked at any time by
the shareholder giving it, insofar as it has not been exercised, by delivering
to the Secretary of the Company a written notice of revocation bearing a later
date than the proxy, by submission of a later-dated, properly executed proxy, or
by revoking the proxy in person and voting at the Annual Meeting. Any
shareholder who attends the Annual Meeting may personally announce his intention
to vote the shares standing in his name as record holder and vote such shares,
and for purposes of such vote, suspend any proxy (other than an irrevocable
proxy) theretofore given by him. Any written notice revoking a proxy should be
sent to American Consumers, Inc., P.O. Box 2328, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742,
Attention: Reba S. Southern, Secretary.
PROPOSALS OF SECURITY HOLDERS FOR 2001 ANNUAL MEETING
In accordance with current rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission,
any shareholder wishing to submit a proposal for inclusion in the Company's
Proxy Materials must submit the proposal to ACI at its General Office, 418
Alamar Street, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742, at least one hundred twenty (120)
days in advance of the date corresponding with the date of the prior year's
proxy statement. To submit proposals for inclusion in the Company's Proxy
Materials for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in 2001, shareholder proposals
must be received by the Company not later than April 24, 2001.
RECORD DATE, VOTE REQUIRED AND RELATED MATTERS
Holders of record of ACI's Common Stock, $.10 par value (the "Common
Stock"), at the close of business on August 15, 2000, will be entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. The number of shares of outstanding Common
Stock entitled to vote as of August 15, 2000, was 835,618 shares having one vote
each on all matters properly brought before the meeting, exercisable in person
or by properly executed proxy. Cumulative voting is not permitted.
A majority of the shares entitled to vote, represented in person or by
proxy, shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote
of a plurality of the shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote
shall be the vote necessary to elect a director. Shares represented by proxies
that reflect abstentions or represent "broker non-votes" (indications by brokers
that they do not have discretionary authority to vote on a particular matter
with respect to such shares) will be treated as shares that are present and
entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.
Abstentions and broker non-votes, however, do not constitute a vote "for" or
"against" any matter and thus will be disregarded in the calculation of a
plurality or of "votes cast." Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will
have no effect on the outcome of the election of directors at the Annual
Meeting, assuming the presence of a quorum.
<PAGE>
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth certain information as to each person known
to ACI to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent (5 %) of its
outstanding Common Stock and the amount and nature of such beneficial ownership
by all directors and officers of ACI as a group, as of August 15, 2000.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Amount and Nature Percent
Name and Address of of Beneficial of
Title of Class Beneficial Owner Ownership (1) (2) Class
-------------- ------------------- ----------------- -------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock ZBR, Inc. (2) 484,000 57.92%
$.10 par value P.O. Box 2328
Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742
Common Stock Michael A. Richardson (3) 499,570 (4) (5) (6) 59.78%
$.10 par value P.O. Box 1230
LaFayette, GA 30728
Common Stock Diana K. Richardson (3) 499,790 (4) (5) (6) 59.81%
$.10 par value P.O. Box 1230
LaFayette, GA 30728
Common Stock All Directors & Officers 511,672 61.23%
$.10 par value as a group (9 persons)
Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742
</TABLE>
(1) A person is deemed to be the "beneficial owner" of a security if that person
has or shares "voting power," which includes the power to vote or direct the
voting of such security, or "investment power," which includes the power to
dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security, or if, under certain
circumstances, a person has the right to acquire either voting power or
investment power over such security through the exercise of an option or other
contractual right. More than one person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner
of the same securities, and a person may be deemed to be a beneficial owner of
securities as to which he has no personal economic interest or which he may not
vote. Except as otherwise noted, all shares included in the table are owned by
the persons specified with sole voting and sole investment power.
(2) ZBR is a closely held corporation of which Michael A. Richardson and Diana
K. Richardson are officers and directors. ZBR owns 484,000 shares of Common
Stock. Paul R. Cook, Executive Vice President and Treasurer of the Company,
holds a 15% equity interest in ZBR but does not possess any voting or investment
power with respect to shares of the Company's Common Stock held by ZBR.
(3) Diana K. Richardson is the wife of Michael A. Richardson. Thomas L.
Richardson, a director of ACI, is the uncle of Michael A. Richardson.
(4) This includes 484,000 shares owned by ZBR as to which (s)he exercises shared
voting and investment power. See note (2).
(5) This includes 11,115 shares held by a child of Michael A. Richardson and
Diana K. Richardson, as to which they exercise shared voting and investment
power.
(6) This includes 4,455 shares jointly owned by Michael A. Richardson and Diana
K. Richardson as to which they exercise shared voting and investment power.
<PAGE>
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Under ACI's By-Laws, not less than three (3) nor more than twenty-five (25)
directors may be elected at the Annual Meeting. The Company's management
recommends that the number of directors which shall constitute the Board of
Directors be fixed at seven (7) for the ensuing fiscal year and that the seven
(7) nominees listed below be elected to serve for a term of one year or until
their successors have been duly elected and qualified. If any of the nominees
should become unavailable, the discretionary authority provided in the proxy
will be exercised to vote for a substitute. The management has no reason to
believe that any of the nominees will become unavailable to serve. In any event,
the enclosed proxy cannot be voted for a greater number of persons than the
number of directors set by the shareholders.
INFORMATION ABOUT NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR
The information set forth below, in regard to the principal occupation or
employment of each nominee during the past five (5) years and in regard to the
beneficial ownership of securities of each nominee, has been furnished to the
Company by the respective nominee.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name and Position with ACI Age Principal Occupation or Director Since Shares Beneficially Percent of Class
Employment Owned As Of
August 15, 2000 (1)
====================================================================================================================================
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Michael A. Richardson (3) 54 Chairman of ACI effective 1973 499,570(2)(4)(5)(6) 59.78%
Chairman of the Board April 4, 1991;
President President of ACI since
Chief Executive Officer January, 1987.
Executive Committee
Paul R. Cook 50 Executive Vice President/ 1991 1,375 *
Executive Vice President Treasurer since April 1991.
Treasurer Director of Capital Bank,
Executive Committee Fort Oglethorpe, GA
since May 1993.
Virgil E. Bishop 61 Vice President of ACI 1987 490 *
Vice President since 1969.
Executive Committee
John P. Price 79 Retired Pharmacist since 1968 4,400 *
Audit Committee April, 1986; Pharmacist with
Compensation Committee Price Pharmacy prior to
April, 1986.
Thomas L. Richardson (3) 70 Chairman and Former CEO of 1970 5,837 *
Audit Committee Learning Labs, Inc.
Compensation Committee (distributor of educational
equipment) since 1967
(Retired).
Jerome P. Sims, Sr. 75 Physician 1968 None *
Audit Committe
Compensation Committee
Retired since 1995; Retail
Andrew V. Douglas 71 Counselor for Fleming 1998 None *
Audit Committee Companies, Inc. prior to 1995.
Compensation Committee
====================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
Footnote references (1-6) are explained in the "Principal Shareholders" section.
* Less than 1% of total common shares outstanding.
<PAGE>
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") thereunder require the Company's
executive officers and directors and persons who own more than 10% of the
Company's Common Stock, as well as certain affiliates of such persons, to file
initial reports of ownership and monthly transaction reports covering any
changes in ownership with the SEC and the National Association of Securities
Dealers. Executive officers, directors, and persons owning more than 10% of the
Company's Common Stock are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company
with all such reports they file. Based solely on its review of the copies of
such reports received by it and written representations that no other reports
were required for such persons, the Company believes that, during fiscal year
1999, all filing requirements applicable to its executive officers, directors,
and owners of more than 10% of the Company's Common Stock were satisfied, except
for one transaction which was reported late by Paul R. Cook.
DIRECTORS' FEES AND ATTENDANCE
The Board held four meetings in the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000. ACI has
an Audit Committee which recommends, for approval by the Board of Directors, a
firm of independent certified public accountants to serve as auditors for ACI,
makes recommendations to the Board of Directors with respect to the scope of the
annual audit, approves the services which the auditors render to ACI (without
impairing the auditors' independence), and may undertake investigations of any
matter of a financial nature and make recommendations to the Board of Directors
with respect thereto. Present members of the Audit Committee are John P. Price,
Thomas L. Richardson, Andrew V. Douglas and Jerome P. Sims. This committee met
once in the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000.
The Board of Directors has appointed a Compensation Committee for the
current fiscal year. The Compensation Committee will review the compensation of
the Company's executive officers annually and may recommend changes in such
compensation to the Board for approval. These functions were performed by the
Audit Committee prior to the creation of the Compensation Committee for the 1997
fiscal year. Present members of the Compensation Committee are John P. Price,
Thomas L. Richardson, Andrew V. Douglas and Jerome P. Sims. The Compensation
Committee met once during the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000. Only Jerome P.
Sims attended fewer than 75 % of the aggregate of the total number of meetings
of the Board of Directors and the total number of meetings of any committee on
which he served.
The Board of Directors does not have a nominating committee.
All of the Company's Directors are compensated for their services as
Directors at the rate of $300 per month.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
Annual Compensation
--------------------------------------
Other
Name of Individual and Capacity Annual
in which Such Individual Served Year Salary Bonus (1) Compensation (2)
------------------------------- ---- ------ --------- ----------------
Michael A. Richardson 2000 $85,860 $ - 0 - $3,101
President and 1999 84,240 - 0 - 3,994
Chief Executive Officer 1998 83,920 8,097 4,221
(1) The Company has a policy of awarding discretionary cash bonuses to selected
officers of the Company based on the results of operations. The amounts of such
bonuses are determined by the Board of Directors. Individuals receiving such
bonuses do not participate in the determination of the amount, if any, to be
awarded.
(2) The amount shown includes the personal use of company vehicles which are
provided to certain officers and a 15 % discount on groceries purchased from
ACI, provided to all officers, but does not include directors' fees of $300 per
month.
<PAGE>
The Company does not provide any compensation to its executive officers
pursuant to any long-term incentive plan. No executive officer of the Company
received aggregate compensation in excess of $100,000 for the last completed
fiscal year.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. John P. Price, Thomas
L. Richardson, Andrew V. Douglas and Jerome P. Sims. No member of the
Compensation Committee: (i) was an officer or employee of the Company; (ii) was
formerly an officer of the Company; or (iii) had a direct or indirect material
interest in any transaction in which the amount involved exceeded $60,000 to
which the Company is, or during the last fiscal year was, a party. Thomas L.
Richardson, a member of the Compensation Committee, is the uncle of Michael A.
Richardson.
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, composed of Messrs.
John P. Price, Thomas L. Richardson, Andrew V. Douglas and Jerome P. Sims,
administers the Company's bonus plan, annually reviews and recommends
compensation for all officers of the Company and submits its recommendations to
the Board. As part of its process of review, the Committee receives
recommendations from the Company's senior management, including Mr. Richardson.
The Committee has one regular meeting each year immediately preceding the
Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders to consider compensation, and meets on
an as needed basis at other times during the year. The following is a report
submitted by the Committee addressing the Company's compensation policies
applicable to Michael A. Richardson, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, and
its most highly compensated executive officers. No executive officer of the
Company had aggregate annual salary and bonus in excess of $100,000 for the
relevant period. Accordingly, no officer other than Michael A. Richardson is
named in the preceding table.
COMPENSATION POLICIES APPLICABLE TO EXECUTIVE OFFICERS DURING FISCAL 2000
The Company's Compensation Policies have been designed to attract and
retain experienced and highly competent individuals and to provide adequate
incentives to such individuals to contribute to the success and implementation
of the Company's business strategies, while enhancing long-term shareholder
value. Accordingly, compensation of the Company's executive officers and Chief
Executive Officer consists of a base salary and benefits thought to be
competitive within the retail grocery business as well as the opportunity to
participate in an annual bonus explicitly related to Company performance. It is
believed that the overall levels of compensation and benefits paid and provided
to the Company's executive officers, including the Company's Chief Executive
Officer, are competitive within the industry. Compensation of each of the
Company's senior executives consists of two principal elements:
o BASE SALARY
Each executive officer is paid a base salary. The base compensation of
Michael A. Richardson was increased from $83,920 to $84,240 for the 1999 fiscal
year. The amount presented in the Executive Compensation Summary Compensation
Table for fiscal 2000 represents base salary for fifty-three weeks. The base
compensation of all executive officers for fiscal 2000 was not increased from
fiscal year 1999 levels.
o BONUS
During 2000, the Company's executive officers were eligible to receive a
discretionary cash bonus, pursuant to the Company's Bonus Plan ("Bonus Plan").
Under the Bonus Plan, a cash bonus may be established as a fixed percentage of
the Company's pre-tax income for the year then ended. The size of the bonus
therefore depends on the percentage established by the Company's Compensation
Committee and upon the level of net income before tax achieved by the Company.
<PAGE>
The bonus percentage established by the Committee was 6% of the Company's
net pretax income for the Chief Executive Officer. Accordingly, because the
Company incurred a loss this year, no bonuses were paid to the company's
executive officers.
o CEO COMPENSATION
As indicated above, compensation of the Company's executive officers is
designed to be at a level which is competitive within the industry. The base
salary is not directly or explicitly related to Company performance.
Mr. Richardson's compensation in fiscal 2000 consisted of his base salary
plus the opportunity to earn a bonus under the Bonus Plan. As noted above, the
amount of such bonus to Mr. Richardson depends upon enhancement of overall
shareholder values reflected by increases in the Company's earnings, and no
bonus was paid this year due to the Company's loss for fiscal 2000.
John P. Price
Thomas L. Richardson
Andrew V. Douglas
Jerome P. Sims
COMMON STOCK PERFORMANCE
As part of the executive compensation information presented in the Proxy
Statement, the Securities and Exchange Commission requires a five-year
comparison of stock performance with a broad market equity index and with a peer
group of companies. The Company's Common Stock is not actively traded, and
accordingly, the stock prices assumed for the presentation in the accompanying
graph are based on a small number of isolated trades.
The peer group set forth in the graph represents all publicly traded
companies appearing in the Value Line Retail Grocery Store industry group and,
generally, represent companies that are significantly larger than ACI. The
results of individual companies within the peer group have been weighted based
on beginning of period market capitalization relative to the overall peer group.
(Cumulative Total Return Graph appears here; plot points are as follows)
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
American Consumers, Inc. $100 $104.04 $ 58.26 $ 58.26 $ 58.26 $ 58.26
S&P 500(R) $100 $128.44 $166.22 $217.22 $262.89 $290.44
Peer Group $100 $147.64 $170.19 $237.63 $277.97 $225.42
<PAGE>
ANNUAL REPORT
The Annual Report of the Company for the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000,
including financial statements for the fiscal year and comparable periods,
including the notes thereto, accompanies this Proxy Statement.
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
During the fiscal year ended June 3, 2000, the Company borrowed an
additional $22,353 and repaid $53,800 of the outstanding principal balance on
unsecured notes payable to Michael A. and Diana K. Richardson and to Matthew
Richardson, son of Michael A. Richardson. The principal balances remaining on
such notes as of the end of the 2000 fiscal year, following such additional
borrowing and repayment, are $62,239 and $56,480, respectively, and the interest
rate on the borrowing at any given time is set at .25% less than the
then-current base rate charged the Company by its principal lender.
OTHER MATTERS
Upon recommendation of the Audit Committee (composed of Messrs. Sims,
Douglas, Price and Thomas L. Richardson), the Board of Directors has selected
the firm of Hazlett, Lewis and Bieter as independent certified public
accountants to examine and report upon the financial statements of the Company
for the fiscal year ending in 2001. Such selection is subject to the negotiation
of a reasonable fee for services to be rendered by the firm. A representative of
Hazlett, Lewis and Bieter is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting to be
available to respond to appropriate questions and will have an opportunity to
make a statement if he so desires.
Reports of officers will be received by the Company's shareholders at the
Annual Meeting; such receipt will not constitute approval of the matters
referred to in such reports.
The management knows of no matters to be presented for action at the Annual
Meeting other than fixing the number of directors at seven (7) and the election
of directors for the ensuing fiscal year. If other matters should come before
the meeting, the enclosed proxy confers upon the persons named therein
discretionary authority to vote such proxies in respect to any such other
matters in accordance with their best judgment.
Dated: August 22, 2000
<PAGE>
AMERICAN CONSUMERS, INC.
PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
September 21, 2000
THIS PROXY IS BEING SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michael A. Richardson and Paul R. Cook, and each of them, with full power
to act alone in the absence of the other, are hereby authorized to vote the
shares of the undersigned in American Consumers, Inc. ("ACI" or the "Company")
at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held Thursday, September 21, 2000,
or at any adjournment or adjournments thereof (the "Annual Meeting"), upon the
matters set forth below in the manner indicated and at the discretion of the
persons named above on any other matter or matters which may properly come
before said meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof and require the
vote of shareholders:
1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
WITH ( ) WITHOUT ( ) authority to fix the number of directors for the
ensuing fiscal year at seven (7) and to vote for the election of the entire
group of persons nominated for election to the Board of Directors (except
as indicated below), consisting of John P. Price; Michael A. Richardson;
Thomas L. Richardson; Paul R. Cook; Jerome P. Sims, Sr.; Andrew V. Douglas;
Virgil E. Bishop; or for such substitute nominee or nominees named by the
Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting if any of the foregoing nominees
is unable to serve or will not serve.
(You may withhold authority to vote for any nominee listed above by entering his
name in the space below.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this proxy is executed and returned, it will be voted in accordance with your
instructions indicated above unless revoked. IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH INDICATION,
THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AFFIRMATIVELY FOR EACH OF THE LISTED NOMINEES.
The proxy may be revoked by you at any time before it is voted, and will in
no way interfere with your right to vote in person if you attend the meeting.
IF ANY OF THE FOREGOING NAMED NOMINEES FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS
UNABLE TO SERVE OR WILL NOT SERVE, THIS PROXY CONFERS DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY TO
VOTE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING FOR SUBSTITUTE NOMINEES SELECTED BY THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS.
This proxy should be dated, signed by the shareholder, and returned promptly in
the enclosed envelope. Persons signing in a fiduciary capacity should so
indicate.
DATED ________________, 2000
____________________________
____________________________
Signature of Shareholder
