SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
----------------------
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Under
The Securities Act of 1933
TECHNE CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Minnesota 41-1427402
(State or Other Juris- (I.R.S. Employer
diction of Incorporation Identification Number)
or Organization
614 McKinley Place N.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
(Address of Principal Executive Office and Zip Code)
Techne Corporation 1997 Incentive Stock Option Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)
Thomas E. Oland, President
Techne Corporation
614 McKinley Place N.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
(612) 379-8854
(Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Timothy M. Heaney
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
1100 International Centre
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
======================== ====================== ====================== ====================== ======================
Proposed
Proposed Maximum Maximum
Title of Securities Amount to be Offering Price Aggregate Amount of
to be Registered Registered(1) Per Share(2) Offering Price(2) Registration Fee
======================== ====================== ====================== ====================== ======================
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Options to Purchase
Common Stock under the
1997 Plan Indefinite $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Common Stock issuable
upon exercise of
options granted under
the 1997 Plan 300,000 shares $35.00 $10,500,000 $3,181.82
--------
TOTAL: $3,181.82
======================== ====================== ====================== ====================== ======================
(1) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan
described herein and any additional securities which may become
issuable pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of the plan.
(2) Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating
the registration fee and based upon the average of the high and low
prices of the Registrant's Common Stock on September 30, 1997.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration
Statement the documents listed in (a) through (c) below:
(a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant
to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, or either (I) the latest prospectus
filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
Act of 1933 that contains audited financial
statements for the Registrant's latest fiscal year
for which such statements have been filed or (II) the
Registrant's effective registration statement on Form
10 or 10-SB filed under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 containing audited financial statements for
the Registrant's latest fiscal year;
(b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since
the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant
document referred to in (a) above;
(c) If the class of securities to be offered is
registered under Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the description of such class
of securities contained in a registration statement
filed under such Act, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such
description.
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all such securities then remaining unsold,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement
and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Not Applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Under Minnesota corporate law, a corporation shall, unless prohibited or
limited by its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, indemnify its directors,
<PAGE>
officers, employees and agents against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements,
expenses and disbursements incurred by such person who was, or is threatened to
be, made a party to a proceeding by reason of the fact that the person is or was
a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation if generally, with
respect to the acts or omissions of the person complained of in the proceeding,
the person: (i) has not been indemnified by another organization with respect to
the same acts or omissions; (ii) acted in good faith, (iii) received no improper
personal benefit; (iv) in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable
cause to believe the conduct was unlawful; and (v) reasonably believed the
conduct was in the best interests of the corporation or, in certain
circumstances, reasonably believed that the conduct was not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation. Minnesota corporate law also provides that a
corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any indemnified
party against any liability asserted against such person, whether or not the
corporation would have been required to indemnify the person against liability
under the provisions of Minnesota corporate law. The Registrant's Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws do not limit the Registrant's obligation to indemnify
such persons.
The Registrant's Articles of Incorporation limit the liability of its
directors to the full extent permitted by the Minnesota Business Corporation
Act. Specifically, directors of the Registrant will not be personally liable for
monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as directors except liability for
(i) any breach of the duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its shareholders,
(ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct
or a knowing violation of law, (iii) dividends or other distributions of
corporate assets that are in contravention of certain statutory or contractual
restrictions, (iv) violations of certain Minnesota securities laws or (v) any
transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
5 Opinion and Consent of Fredrikson & Byron,
P.A. relating to the legality of securities under
the 1997 Incentive Stock Option Plan.
23.1 Consent of Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. -- included
in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5.
23.2 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
24 Power of Attorney from certain directors.
<PAGE>
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:
(i) To include any prospectus required
by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) 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,
represents a fundamental change in the
information set forth in the Registration
Statement;
(iii) 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)(i)
and (a)(1)(ii) do 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 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 purposes 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 therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(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 Section 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section
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.
<PAGE>
(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 Act 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 Act and will be
governed by final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
The Registrant. 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 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Minneapolis and State of Minnesota, on the 6th
day of October , 1997.
TECHNE CORPORATION
(the "Registrant")
By /s/ Thomas E. Oland
Thomas E. Oland, Chairman of the Board,
President and Treasurer
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 dates indicated.
(Power of Attorney)
Each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints Thomas E. Oland and Roger
C. Lucas his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting alone, with
full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Form S-8 Registration
<PAGE>
Statement of Techne Corporation relating to the Company's 1997 Incentive Stock
Option Plan and any or all amendments or post-effective amendments to the Form
S-8 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, each acting alone,
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 the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting
alone, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
Signature Title Date
/s/ Thomas E. Oland Chairman, President, Treasurer October 6, 1997
- ------------------------- and Director (principal
Thomas E. Oland executive officer and principal
financial and accounting officer)
/s/ Christopher S. Henney Director October 6, 1997
- -------------------------
Christopher S. Henney
/s/ G. A. Herbert Director October 6, 1997
- -------------------------
G. Arthur Herbert
/s/ Roger C. Lucas Director October 6, 1997
- -------------------------
Roger C. Lucas
/s/ Howard V. O'Connell Director October 6, 1997
- -------------------------
Howard V. O'Connell
/s/ Lowell E. Sears Director October 6, 1997
- -------------------------
Lowell E. Sears
/s/ Randolph C. Steer, M.D. Director October 6, 1997
- ---------------------------
Randolph C. Steer, M.D.
<PAGE>
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
TECHNE CORPORATION
Form S-8 Registration Statement
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number Exhibit Description
5 Opinion and Consent of counsel re securities under the Plan
23.1 Consent of counsel (See Exhibit 5)
23.2 Consent of independent accountants
24 Power of attorney (See Signature Page)
EXHIBIT 5
FREDRIKSON & BYRON, P.A.
900 Second Avenue South, Suite 1100
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Telephone: (612) 347-7000
Facsimile: (612) 347-7077
October 6, 1997
Techne Corporation
614 McKinley Place N.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8
Ladies/Gentlemen:
We are acting as corporate counsel to Techne Corporation (the "Company") in
connection with the original registration by the Company on Form S-8 (the
"Registration Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Act") of options and 300,000 shares (the "Shares") of Common Stock issuable
pursuant to the Company's 1997 Incentive Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").
In acting as such counsel and for the purpose of rendering this opinion, we
have reviewed copies of the following, as presented to us by the Company:
1. The Company's Articles of Incorporation, as amended.
2. The Company's Bylaws, as amended.
3. Certain corporate resolutions adopted by the Board of
Directors of the Company pertaining to the adoption of the
Plan.
4. The Plan.
5. The Registration Statement.
Based on, and subject to, the foregoing and upon representations and
information provided by the Company or its officers or directors, it is our
opinion as of this date that:
1. The Shares are validly authorized by the Company's Articles
of Incorporation, as amended.
2. Upon issuance and delivery of the Shares against receipt by
the Company of the consideration for the Shares pursuant to
the terms of the Plan, the Shares will be validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement.
Very truly yours,
FREDRIKSON & BYRON, P.A.
By /s/ Timothy M. Heaney
Timothy M. Heaney
EXHIBIT 23.2
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement of Techne Corporation on Form S-8 of our report dated September 3,
1997, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Techne Corporation for the
year ended June 30, 1997.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Minneapolis, Minnesota
October 1, 1997
