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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 18, 2016

Registration No. 333-213692

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Amendment No. 2 to

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Smart Sand, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   1400   45-2809926

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(281) 231-2660

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Charles E. Young

Chief Executive Officer

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(281) 231-2660

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Ryan J. Maierson

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 546-5400

 

Alan Beck

Julian J. Seiguer

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.

1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 758-2222

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.   ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   ¨
Non-accelerated filer   x     (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company   ¨

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 18, 2016

PROSPECTUS

                     Shares

 

 

LOGO

Smart Sand, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

This is our initial public offering. We are offering              shares of common stock and the selling stockholders are offering              shares of common stock.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price will be between $        and $        per share. We have applied to list our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “SND.” We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act.

You should consider the risks we have described in “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 16.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

      

          Per Share         

    

                 Total          

Initial public offering price

     $                          $                    

Underwriting discounts and commissions (1)

     $                          $                    

Proceeds, before expenses, to Smart Sand, Inc.

     $                          $                    

Proceeds, before expenses, to the selling stockholders

     $                          $                    

 

(1) We refer you to “Underwriting” beginning on page 127 of this prospectus for additional information regarding underwriting compensation.

The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional              shares of common stock on the same terms and conditions if the underwriters sell more than              shares of common stock in this offering. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares held by the selling stockholders.

The underwriters expect to deliver the common stock on or about                 ,          .

 

Credit Suisse

   Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Jefferies

Simmons & Company International

Energy Specialists of Piper Jaffray

  Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.   Deutsche Bank Securities

The date of this prospectus is                 ,          .


Table of Contents

LOGO


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUMMARY

     1   

Smart Sand, Inc.

     1   

Overview

     1   

Competitive Strengths

     2   

Business Strategies

     4   

Our Assets and Operations

     5   

Industry Trends Impacting Our Business

     8   

Our Relationship with Our Sponsor

     10   

Risk Factors

     10   

Principal Executive Offices and Internet Address

     10   

Our Emerging Growth Company Status

     11   

The Offering

     12   

Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data

     14   

RISK FACTORS

     16   

Risks Inherent in Our Business

     16   

Risks Related to Environmental, Mining and Other Regulation

     27   

Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

     30   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     37   

STOCK SPLIT

     38   

DIVIDEND POLICY

     38   

CAPITALIZATION

     39   

DILUTION

     41   

SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

     42   

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

     44   

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

     46   

Overview

     46   

Our Assets and Operations

     46   

Overall Trends and Outlook

     47   

How We Generate Revenue

     50   

Costs of Conducting Our Business

     51   

How We Evaluate Our Operations

     52   

Factors Impacting Comparability of Our Financial Results

     53   

Results of Operations

     54   

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Compared to Six Months Ended June  30, 2015

     54   

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to the Year Ended December  31, 2014

     56   

Liquidity and Capital Resources

     58   

Operating Activities

     60   

Investing Activities

     61   

Financing Activities

     61   

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

     61   

Capital Requirements

     62   

Credit Facilities

     62   

Customer Concentration

     64   

Contractual Obligations

     65   

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure of Market Risks

     65   

Internal Controls and Procedures

     66   

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

     67   

New and Revised Financial Accounting Standards

     68   

 

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

     68   

Environmental Matters

     71   

PROPPANT INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

     72   

Overview

     72   

Types of Proppant

     72   

Pricing Trends

     73   

Frac Sand Extraction, Processing and Distribution

     74   

Demand Trends

     75   

Supply Trends

     77   

Pricing and Contract Considerations

     77   

BUSINESS

     78   

Overview

     78   

Competitive Strengths

     80   

Business Strategies

     82   

Our Assets and Operations

     83   

Transportation Logistics and Infrastructure

     87   

Permits

     88   

Our Customers and Contracts

     89   

Our Relationship with Our Sponsor

     90   

Competition

     90   

Seasonality

     90   

Insurance

     90   

Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

     91   

Employees

     95   

Legal Proceedings

     95   

MANAGEMENT

     96   

Directors and Executive Officers of Smart Sand, Inc.

     96   

Committees of the Board of Directors

     99   

Board Composition

     100   

Board Role in Risk Oversight

     100   

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     101   

Incentive Compensation Plans

     104   

Director Compensation

     110   

PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     111   

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

     113   

Registration Rights Agreement

     113   

Stockholders Agreement

     113   

Indemnification Agreement

     115   

Procedures for Review, Approval and Ratification of Related Person Transactions

     115   

Loan to Named Executive Officer

     115   

Existing Stockholders Rights Agreement

     115   

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     116   

Common Stock

     116   

Preferred Stock

     116   

Outstanding Warrants

     116   

Classified Board

     118   

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware Law

     118   

Approval of Certain Significant Matters

     120   

Corporate Opportunity

     120   

Forum Selection

     120   

 

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Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters

     121   

Registration Rights Agreement

     121   

Stockholders Agreement

     121   

Indemnification Agreements

     121   

SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

     123   

Sales of Restricted Shares

     123   

Lock-up Agreements

     123   

Rule 144

     123   

Rule 701

     124   

Stock Issued Under Employee Plans

     124   

Warrants

     124   

Registration Rights Agreement

     124   

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

     125   

Definition of a Non-U.S. Holder

     126   

Distributions

     126   

Sale or Other Taxable Disposition

     127   

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

     128   

Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts

     128   

UNDERWRITING

     129   

LEGAL MATTERS

     135   

EXPERTS

     135   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     135   

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     136   

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     F-1   

APPENDIX A : GLOSSARY OF TERMS

     A-1   

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. Neither we, the selling stockholders, nor the underwriters have authorized any other person to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we, the selling stockholders, nor the underwriters are making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Please read “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Industry and Market Data

The data included in this prospectus regarding the industry in which we operate, including descriptions of trends in the market and our position and the position of our competitors within our industries, is based on a variety of sources, including independent publications, government publications, information obtained from customers, distributors, suppliers and trade and business organizations and publicly available information, as well as our good faith estimates, which have been derived from management’s knowledge and experience in the industry in which we operate. The industry data sourced from The Freedonia Group is from its Industry Study #3302, “Proppants in North America,” published in September 2015. The industry data sourced from Spears & Associates is from its “Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017” published in the second quarter 2016 and its “Drilling and Production Outlook” published in June 2016. The industry data sourced from PropTester, Inc. and Kelrik, LLC is from its “2015 Proppant Market Report” published in March 2016. The industry data sourced from Baker Hughes is from its “North America Rotary Rig Count” published in July 2016. We believe that the third-party sources are reliable and that the third-party information included in this prospectus or in our estimates is accurate and complete.

 

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SUMMARY

This summary provides a brief overview of information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the financial statements and the notes to those financial statements included in this prospectus. Unless indicated otherwise, the information presented in this prospectus assumes an initial public offering price of $            per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares. You should read “Risk Factors” for more information about important risks that you should consider carefully before buying our common stock.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “Smart Sand, Inc.,” “our company,” “we,” “our” and “us,” or like terms, refer to Smart Sand, Inc. and its subsidiaries. References to the “selling stockholders” refer to the selling stockholders that are offering shares of common stock in this offering and have granted the underwriters an option to purchase additional shares to cover any over-allotments. We have provided definitions for some of the terms we use to describe our business and industry and other terms used in this prospectus in the “Glossary of Terms” beginning on page A-1 of this prospectus.

Smart Sand, Inc.

Overview

We are a pure-play, low-cost producer of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand, which is a preferred proppant used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery rates in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells. We sell our products primarily to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, such as EOG Resources, and oilfield service companies, such as Weatherford, under a combination of long-term take-or-pay contracts and spot sales in the open market. We believe that the size and favorable geologic characteristics of our sand reserves, the strategic location and logistical advantages of our facilities and the industry experience of our senior management team have positioned us as a highly attractive source of raw frac sand to the oil and natural gas industry.

We own and operate a raw frac sand mine and related processing facility near Oakdale, Wisconsin, at which we have approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable sand reserves as of June 30, 2016, respectively. We began operations with 1.1 million tons of processing capacity in July 2012 and expanded to 2.2 million tons capacity in August 2014 with an additional expansion to 3.3 million tons in September 2015. Our integrated Oakdale facility, with on-site rail infrastructure and wet and dry sand processing facilities, has access to two Class I rail lines and enables us to process and cost-effectively deliver up to approximately 3.3 million tons of raw frac sand per year. We believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, we own a second property in Jackson County, Wisconsin, which we call the Hixton site. The Hixton site is also located adjacent to a Class I rail line and is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves.

For the year ended December 31, 2015 and six months ended June 30, 2016, we generated net income (loss) of approximately $5.0 million and $(2.0) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $23.9 million and $6.4 million, respectively. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

 

 

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Over the past decade, exploration and production companies have increasingly focused on exploiting the vast hydrocarbon reserves contained in North America’s unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs by utilizing advanced techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. In recent years, this focus has resulted in exploration and production companies drilling more and longer horizontal wells, completing more hydraulic fracturing stages per well and utilizing more proppant per stage in an attempt to maximize the volume of hydrocarbon recoveries per wellbore. From 2010 to 2015 frac sand demand experienced strong growth, growing at an average annual rate of 25%. In addition, raw frac sand’s share of the total proppant market continues to increase, growing from approximately 78% in 2010 to approximately 92% in 2015 as exploration and production companies continue to look closely at overall well cost, completion efficiency and design optimization, which has led to a greater use of raw frac sand in comparison to resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramic proppants.

Northern White raw frac sand, which is found predominantly in Wisconsin and limited portions of Minnesota and Illinois, is highly valued by oil and natural gas producers as a preferred proppant due to its favorable physical characteristics. We believe that the market for high-quality raw frac sand, like the Northern White raw frac sand we produce, particularly finer mesh sizes, will grow based on the potential recovery in the development of North America’s unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs as well as the increased proppant volume usage per well. According to Kelrik, a notable driver impacting demand for fine mesh sand is increased proppant loadings, specifically, larger volumes of proppant placed per frac stage. Kelrik expects the trend of using larger volumes of finer mesh materials, such as 100 mesh sand and 40/70 sand, to continue.

Competitive Strengths

We believe that we will be able to successfully execute our business strategies because of the following competitive strengths:

 

    Long-lived, strategically located, high-quality reserve base .  We believe our Oakdale facility is one of the few raw frac sand mine and production facilities that has the unique combination of a large high-quality reserve base of primarily fine mesh sand that is contiguous to its production and primary rail loading facilities. Our Oakdale facility is situated on 1,196 acres in a rural area of Monroe County, Wisconsin, on a Class I rail line, and contains approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable reserves as of June 30, 2016. We have an implied current proven reserve life of approximately 73 years based on our current annual processing capacity of 3.3 million tons per year. As of July 31, 2016, we have utilized 135 acres for facilities and mining operations, or only 11.3% of this location’s acreage. We believe that with further development and permitting, the Oakdale facility ultimately could be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

We believe our reserve base positions us well to take advantage of current market trends of increasing demand for finer mesh raw frac sand. Approximately 80% of our reserve mix today is 40/70 mesh substrate and 100 mesh substrate, considered to be the finer mesh substrates of raw frac sand. We believe that if oil and natural gas exploration and production companies continue recent trends in drilling and completion techniques to increase lateral lengths per well, the number of frac stages per well, the amount of proppant used per stage and the utilization of slickwater completions, that the demand for the finer grades of raw frac sand will continue to increase, which we can take advantage of due to the high percentage of high-quality, fine mesh sand in our reserve base.

We also believe that having our mine, processing facilities and primary rail loading facilities at our Oakdale facility provides us with an overall low-cost structure, which enables us to compete effectively for sales of raw frac sand and to achieve attractive operating margins. The proximity of our mine, processing plants and primary rail loading facilities at one location eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and drying processing facilities, eliminating additional costs to produce and ship our sand.

 

 

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In addition to the Oakdale facility, we own the Hixton site in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is a second fully permitted location adjacent to a Class I rail line that is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves.

 

    Intrinsic logistics advantage .  We believe that we are one of the few raw frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering raw frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains. Our on-site transportation assets at Oakdale include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific. We believe our customized on-site logistical configuration typically yields lower operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities as a result of our higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. In addition, we have recently constructed a transload facility on a Class I rail line owned by Union Pacific in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility. This transload facility allows us to ship sand directly to our customers on more than one Class I rail carrier. This facility commenced operations in June 2016 and provides increased delivery options for our customers, greater competition among our rail carriers and potentially lower freight costs. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific rail networks. Our Hixton site is also located adjacent to a Class I rail line.

 

    Significant organic growth potential We believe that we have a significant pipeline of attractive opportunities to expand our sales volumes and our production capacity at our Oakdale facility, which commenced commercial operations in July 2012 and was expanded to 3.3 million tons of annual processing capacity in September 2015. We currently have one wet plant and one dryer in storage at Oakdale that would allow us to increase our annual processing capacity to approximately 4.4 million tons should market demand increase sufficiently to warrant capacity expansion. We believe these units could be installed and operational in approximately six to nine months from commencement of construction. We believe, under current regulations and permitting requirements, that we can ultimately expand our annual production capacity at Oakdale to as much as 9 million tons. Other growth opportunities include the ability to expand our Byron Township transload facility to handle multiple unit trains simultaneously and to invest in transload facilities located in the shale operating basins. Investments in additional rail loading facilities should enable us to provide more competitive transportation costs and allow us to offer additional pricing and delivery options to our customers. We also have opportunities to expand our sales into the industrial sand market which would provide us the opportunity to diversify our customer base and sales product mix.

Additionally, as of July 31, 2016, we have approximately 2.1 million tons of washed raw frac sand inventory at our Oakdale facility available to be processed through our dryers and sold in the market. This inventory of available washed raw frac sand provides us with the ability to quickly meet changing market demand and strategically sell sand on a spot basis to expand our market share of raw frac sand sales if market conditions are favorable.

 

   

Strong balance sheet and financial flexibility .  We believe that as a public company we will have a strong balance sheet and ample liquidity to pursue our growth initiatives. At the closing of this offering, we expect to have approximately $     million in liquidity from cash on hand. In addition, in connection with the repayment in full and retirement of our existing credit facility with a portion of the proceeds of this offering, we are in the process of negotiating a new $40 to 50 million revolving credit facility, which we expect will be effective at or shortly after the completion of this offering. Additionally, unlike some of our peers, we have minimal exposure to unutilized rail cars. We currently have 855 rail cars under long-term leases, of which 710 are currently rented to our customers, which minimizes our exposure to storage

 

 

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and leasing expense for rail cars that are currently not being utilized for sand shipment and provides us greater flexibility in managing our transportation costs prospectively.

 

    Focus on safety and environmental stewardship.  We are committed to maintaining a culture that prioritizes safety, the environment and our relationship with the communities in which we operate. In August 2014, we were accepted as a “Tier 1” participant in Wisconsin’s voluntary “Green Tier” program, which encourages, recognizes and rewards companies for voluntarily exceeding environmental, health and safety legal requirements. In addition, we committed to certification under ISO standards and, in April 2016, we received ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 registrations for our quality management system and environmental management system programs, respectively. We believe that our commitment to safety, the environment and the communities in which we operate is critical to the success of our business. We are one of a select group of companies who are members of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association, which promotes safe and environmentally responsible sand mining standards.

 

    Experienced management team .  The members of our senior management team bring significant experience to the market environment in which we operate. Their expertise covers a range of disciplines, including industry-specific operating and technical knowledge as well as experience managing high-growth businesses.

Business Strategies

Our principal business objective is to be a pure-play, low-cost producer of high-quality raw frac sand and to increase stockholder value. We expect to achieve this objective through the following business strategies:

 

    Focusing on organic growth by increasing our capacity utilization and processing capacity . We intend to continue to position ourselves as a pure-play producer of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand, as we believe the proppant market offers attractive long-term growth fundamentals. While demand for proppant has declined since late 2014 in connection with the downturn in commodity prices and the corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity, we believe that the demand for proppant will increase over the medium and long term as commodity prices rise from their recent lows, which will lead producers to resume completion of their inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells and undertake new drilling activities. We expect this demand growth for raw frac sand will be driven by increased horizontal drilling, increased proppant loadings per well (as operators increase lateral length and increase proppant per lateral foot above current levels), increased wells drilled per rig and the cost advantages of raw frac sand over resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramics. As market dynamics improve, we will continue to evaluate economically attractive facility enhancement opportunities to increase our capacity utilization and processing capacity. For example, our current annual processing capacity is approximately 3.3 million tons per year, and we believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production to as much as 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

 

   

Optimizing our logistics infrastructure and developing additional origination and destination points . We intend to further optimize our logistics infrastructure and develop additional origination and destination points. We expect to capitalize on our Oakdale facility’s ability to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains to maximize our product shipment rates, increase rail car utilization and lower transportation costs. With our recently developed transloading facility located on the Union Pacific rail network approximately 3.5 miles from our Oakdale facility, we have the ability to ship our raw frac sand directly to our customers on more than one Class I rail carrier. This facility provides increased delivery options for our customers, greater competition among our rail carriers and potentially lower freight costs. In addition, we intend to continue evaluating ways to reduce the landed cost of our products at the basin for our customers, such as investing in transload and storage facilities and assets in our target

 

 

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shale basins to increase our customized service offerings and provide our customers with additional delivery and pricing alternatives, including selling product on an “as-delivered” basis at our target shale basins.

 

    Focusing on being a low-cost producer and continuing to make process improvements . We will focus on being a low-cost producer, which we believe will permit us to compete effectively for sales of raw frac sand and to achieve attractive operating margins. Our low-cost structure results from a number of key attributes, including, among others, our (i) relatively low royalty rates compared to other industry participants, (ii) balance of coarse and fine mineral reserve deposits and corresponding contractual demand that minimizes yield loss and (iii) Oakdale facility’s proximity to two Class I rail lines and other sand logistics infrastructure, which helps reduce transportation costs, fuel costs and headcount needs. We have strategically designed our operations to provide low per-ton production costs. For example, we completed the construction of a natural gas connection to our Oakdale facility in October 2015 that provides us the optionality to source lower cost natural gas (as compared to propane under current commodity pricing) as a fuel source for our drying operations. In addition, we seek to maximize our mining yields on an ongoing basis by targeting sales volumes that more closely match our reserve gradation in order to minimize mining and processing of superfluous tonnage and continue to evaluate the potential of mining by dredge to reduce the overall cost of our mining operations.

 

    Pursuing accretive acquisitions and greenfield opportunities .  At the closing of this offering, we expect to have approximately $         million of liquidity in the form of cash on hand and anticipate entering into a new $40 to 50 million revolving credit facility with third-party lenders at or shortly after the completion of this offering. We believe this level of liquidity will position us to pursue strategic acquisitions to increase our scale of operations and our logistical capabilities as well as to potentially diversify our mining and production operations into locations other than our current Oakdale and Hixton locations. We may also grow by developing low-cost greenfield projects, where we can capitalize on our technical knowledge of geology, mining and processing.

 

    Maintaining financial strength and flexibility . We plan to pursue a disciplined financial policy to maintain financial strength and flexibility. We believe that our cash on hand, expected borrowing capacity and ability to access debt and equity capital markets after this offering will provide us with the financial flexibility necessary to achieve our organic expansion and acquisition strategy.

Our Assets and Operations

Our Oakdale facility is purpose-built to exploit the reserve profile in place and produce high-quality raw frac sand. Unlike some of our competitors, our mine, processing plants and primary rail loading facilities are in one location, which eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and dry processing facilities. Our on-site transportation assets include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific, which enables us to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains and significantly increases our efficiency in meeting our customers’ raw frac sand transportation needs. We ship a substantial portion of our sand volumes (approximately 56% from April 1, 2016 to July 31, 2016) in unit train shipments through rail cars that our customers own or lease and deliver to our facility. We believe that we are one of the few raw frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering raw frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains. Our ability to handle multiple rail car sets allows for the efficient transition of locomotives from empty inbound trains to fully loaded outbound trains at our facility.

We believe our customized on-site logistical configuration yields lower overall operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities as a result of our higher rail car utilization, more

 

 

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efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. Unit train operations such as ours can double or triple the average number of loads that a rail car carries per year, reducing the number of rail cars needed to support our operations and thus limiting our exposure to unutilized rail cars and the corresponding storage and lease expense. We believe that our Oakdale facility’s connection to the Canadian Pacific rail network, combined with our unit train logistics capabilities, will provide us enhanced flexibility to serve customers located in shale plays throughout North America. In addition, we have invested in a transloading facility on the Union Pacific rail network in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from our Oakdale facility. This facility is operational and provides us with the ability to ship directly on the Union Pacific network to locations in the major operating basins in the Western and Southwestern United States, which should facilitate more competitive pricing among our rail carriers. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only raw frac sand mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific, which should provide us more competitive logistics options to the market relative to other Wisconsin based sand mining and production facilities.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, our Hixton site consists of approximately 959 acres in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves. This location is located on a Class I rail line, the Canadian National.

The following tables provide key characteristics of our Oakdale facility and Hixton site (as of June 30, 2016, unless otherwise stated):

Our Oakdale Facility

 

Facility Characteristic

  

Description

Site geography

   Situated on 1,196 contiguous acres, with on-site processing and rail loading facilities.

Proven recoverable reserves

   244 million tons.

Probable recoverable reserves

   92 million tons.

Deposits

   Sand reserves of up to 200 feet; grade mesh sizes 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh.

Proven reserve mix

   Approximately 19% of 20/40 and coarser substrate, 41% of 40/70 mesh substrate and approximately 40% of 100 mesh substrate. Our 30/50 gradation is a derivative of the 20/40 and 40/70 blends.

Excavation technique

   Generally shallow overburden allowing for surface excavation.

Annual processing capacity

   3.3 million tons with the ability to increase to 4.4 million tons within approximately six to nine months.

Logistics capabilities

   Dual served rail line logistics capabilities. On-site transportation infrastructure capable of simultaneously accommodating multiple unit trains and connected to the Canadian Pacific rail network. Additional transload facility located approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility in Byron Township that provides access to the Union Pacific network.

Royalties

   $0.50 per ton sold of 70 mesh or coarser substrate.

Expansion Capabilities

   We believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

 

 

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Our Hixton Site

Facility Characteristic

  

Description

Site geography

   Situated on 959 contiguous acres with access to a Canadian National Class I rail line.

Proven recoverable reserves

   100 million tons.

Deposits

   Sand reserves with an average thickness of 120 feet; grade mesh sizes 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh.

Proven reserve mix

   Approximately 72% of 70 mesh and coarser substrate and approximately 28% of 100 mesh substrate.

Logistics capabilities

   Planned on-site transportation infrastructure capable of simultaneously accommodating multiple unit trains and connected to the Canadian National rail network.

Royalties

   $0.50 per ton sold of 70 mesh or coarser substrate.

Our Customers and Contracts

We sell raw frac sand under long-term take-or-pay contracts as well as in the spot market if we have excess production and the spot market conditions are favorable. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts, with a volume-weighted average remaining term of approximately 3.7 years. For the year ended December 31, 2015 and the six months ended June 30, 2016, we generated approximately 96.4% and 99.6%, respectively, of our revenues from raw frac sand delivered under long-term take-or-pay contracts.

Demand for proppants in 2015 and through the first half of 2016 has dropped due to the downturn in commodity prices since late 2014 and the corresponding reduction in oil and natural gas drilling, completion and production activity. This change in demand has impacted contract discussions and negotiated terms with our customers as existing contracts have been adjusted resulting in a combination of reduced average selling prices per ton, adjustments to take-or-pay volumes and length of contract. We believe we have mitigated the short-term negative impact on revenues of some of these adjustments through contractual shortfall and reservation payments. In the current market environment, customers have begun to purchase more volumes on a spot basis as compared to committing to term contracts, and we expect this trend to continue in the near term until oil and natural gas drilling and completion activity begins to increase. However, should drilling and completion activity return to higher levels, we believe customers would more actively consider contracting proppant volumes under term contracts rather than continuing to rely on buying proppant on a spot basis in the market.

 

 

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Industry Trends Impacting Our Business

Unless otherwise indicated, the information set forth under “—Industry Trends Impacting Our Business,” including all statistical data and related forecasts, is derived from The Freedonia Group’s Industry Study #3302, “Proppants in North America,” published in September 2015, Spears & Associates’ “Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017” published in the second quarter 2016, PropTester, Inc. and Kelrik, LLC’s “2015 Proppant Market Report” published in March 2016 and Baker Hughes’ “North America Rotary Rig Count” published in July 2016. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the proppant industry data presented herein, estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors.”

Demand Trends

According to Spears, the U.S. proppant market, including raw frac sand, ceramic and resin-coated proppant, was approximately 52.5 million tons in 2015. Kelrik estimates that the total raw frac sand market in 2015 represented approximately 92.3% of the total proppant market by weight. Market demand in 2015 dropped by approximately 28% from 2014 record demand levels (and a further estimated decrease of 43% in 2016 from 2015) due to the downturn in commodity prices since late 2014, which led to a corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity. According to the Freedonia Group, during the period from 2009 to 2014, proppant demand by weight increased by 42% annually. Spears estimates from 2016 through 2020 proppant demand is projected to grow by 23.2% per year, from 30 million tons per year to 85 million tons per year, representing an increase of approximately 55 million tons in annual proppant demand over that time period.

 

LOGO

Demand growth for raw frac sand and other proppants is primarily driven by advancements in oil and natural gas drilling and well completion technology and techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. These advancements have made the extraction of oil and natural gas increasingly cost-effective in formations that historically would have been uneconomic to develop. While current horizontal rig counts have fallen significantly from their peak of approximately 1,370 in 2014, rig count grew at an annual rate of 18.7% from 2009 to 2014. Additionally, the percentage of active drilling rigs used to drill horizontal wells, which require greater volumes of proppant than vertical wells, has increased from 42.2% in 2009 to 68.4% in 2014, and as of July 2016 the percentage of rigs drilling horizontal wells is 77% according to the Baker Hughes Rig Count. Moreover, the increase of pad drilling has led to a more efficient use of rigs, allowing more wells to be drilled per rig. As a result of these factors, well count, and hence proppant demand, has grown at a greater rate than

 

 

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overall rig count. Spears estimates that in 2019, proppant demand will exceed the 2014 peak (of approximately 72.5 million tons) and reach 77.5 millions tons even though the projection assumes approximately 10,000 fewer wells will be drilled. Spears estimates that average proppant usage per well will be approximately 5,000 tons per well by 2020. Kelrik notes that current sand-based slickwater completions use in excess of 7,500 tons per well of proppant.

 

While demand for proppant has declined since late 2014 in connection with the downturn in commodity prices and the corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity, we believe that the demand for proppant will increase over the medium and long term as commodity prices rise from their recent lows, which will lead producers to resume completion of their inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells and undertake new drilling activities. Further, we believe that demand for proppant will be amplified by the following factors:

 

    improved drilling rig productivity, resulting in more wells drilled per rig per year;

 

    completion of exploration and production companies’ inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells;

 

    increases in the percentage of rigs that are drilling horizontal wells;

 

    increases in the length of the typical horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the number of fracture stages per foot in the typical completed horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the volume of proppant used per fracturing stage;

 

    renewed focus of exploration and production companies to maximize ultimate recovery in active reservoirs through downspacing; and

 

    increasing secondary hydraulic fracturing of existing wells as early shale wells age.

Recent growth in demand for raw frac sand has outpaced growth in demand for other proppants, and industry analysts predict that this trend will continue. As well completion costs have increased as a proportion of total well costs, operators have increasingly looked for ways to improve per well economics by lowering costs without sacrificing production performance. To this end, the oil and natural gas industry is shifting away from the use of higher-cost proppants towards more cost-effective proppants, such as raw frac sand. Evolution of completion techniques and the substantial increase in activity in U.S. oil and liquids-rich resource plays has further accelerated the demand growth for raw frac sand.

In general, oil and liquids-rich wells use a higher proportion of coarser proppant while dry gas wells typically use finer grades of sand. In the past, with the majority of U.S. exploration and production spending focused on oil and liquids-rich plays, demand for coarser grades of sand exceeded demand for finer grades; however, due to innovations in completion techniques, demand for finer grade sands has also shown a considerable resurgence. According to Kelrik, a notable driver impacting demand for fine mesh sand is increased proppant loadings, specifically, larger volumes of proppant placed per frac stage. Kelrik expects the trend of using larger volumes of finer mesh materials such as 100 mesh sand and 40/70 sand, to continue.

Supply Trends

In recent years, through the fall of 2014, customer demand for high-quality raw frac sand outpaced supply. Several factors contributed to this supply shortage, including:

 

    the difficulty of finding raw frac sand reserves that meet API specifications and satisfy the demands of customers who increasingly favor high-quality Northern White raw frac sand;

 

    the difficulty of securing contiguous raw frac sand reserves large enough to justify the capital investment required to develop a processing facility;

 

    the challenges of identifying reserves with the above characteristics that have rail access needed for low-cost transportation to major shale basins;

 

 

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    the hurdles to securing mining, production, water, air, refuse and other federal, state and local operating permits from the proper authorities;

 

    local opposition to development of certain facilities, especially those that require the use of on-road transportation, including moratoria on raw frac sand facilities in multiple counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota that hold potential sand reserves; and

 

    the long lead time required to design and construct sand processing facilities that can efficiently process large quantities of high-quality raw frac sand.

Supplies of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand are limited to select areas, predominantly in western Wisconsin and limited areas of Minnesota and Illinois. The ability to obtain large contiguous reserves in these areas is a key constraint and can be an important supply consideration when assessing the economic viability of a potential raw frac sand facility. Further constraining the supply and throughput of Northern White raw frac sand, is that not all of the large reserve mines have onsite excavation and processing capability. Additionally, much of the recent capital investment in Northern White raw frac sand mines was used to develop coarser deposits in western Wisconsin. With the shift to finer sands in the liquid and oil plays, many mines may not be economically viable as their ability to produce finer grades of sand may be limited.

Our Relationship with Our Sponsor

Our sponsor is a fund managed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., which, together with its affiliates and related persons, we refer to as Clearlake. Clearlake is a private investment firm with a sector-focused approach. The firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational and strategic expertise. The firm’s core target sectors include technology, communications and business services; industrials, energy and power; and consumer products and services. Clearlake currently has over $3.0 billion of assets under management. We believe our relationship with Clearlake provides us with a unique resource to effectively compete for acquisitions within the industry by being able to take advantage of their experience in acquiring businesses to assist us in seeking out, evaluating and closing attractive acquisition opportunities over time.

Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock involves risks that include the demand for sand-based proppants and other risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” and the other information in this prospectus before investing in our common stock.

Principal Executive Offices and Internet Address

Our principal executive offices are located at 24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350, The Woodlands, Texas 77380, and our telephone number is (281) 231-2660. Following the closing of this offering, our website will be located at www.                      .com . We expect to make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

 

 

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Our Emerging Growth Company Status

As a company with less than $1.0 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may, for up to five years, take advantage of specified exemptions from reporting and other regulatory requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These exemptions include:

 

    the presentation of only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this prospectus;

 

    deferral of the auditor attestation requirement on the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting;

 

    exemption from the adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards until they would apply to private companies;

 

    exemption from compliance with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer; and

 

    reduced disclosure about executive compensation arrangements.

We may take advantage of these provisions until we are no longer an emerging growth company, which will occur on the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.0 billion in annual revenue, (iii) the date on which we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

We have elected to take advantage of all of the applicable JOBS Act provisions, except that we will elect to opt out of the exemption that allows emerging growth companies to extend the transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards (this election is irrevocable).

Accordingly, the information that we provide you may be different than what you may receive from other public companies in which you hold equity interests.

 

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Issuer

Smart Sand, Inc.

 

Common stock offered by us

             shares.

 

Common stock offered by the selling stockholders

             shares.

 

Common stock outstanding after this offering

             shares.

 

Option to purchase additional shares

The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of              additional shares of our common stock held by the selling stockholders to cover over-allotments.

 

Shares held by our selling stockholders after this offering

             shares (or              shares, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares).

 

Use of proceeds

We expect to receive approximately $         million of net proceeds, based upon the assumed initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

  We intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to redeem all of the outstanding shares of our Redeemable Series A Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”), to repay in full the outstanding indebtedness under our existing revolving credit facility, which will be terminated, and the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes. Please read “Use of Proceeds.”

 

  We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering, including pursuant to any exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock from the selling stockholders.

 

Registration rights agreement

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement, we will, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, agree to register the shares of our common stock owned by certain stockholders, including the selling stockholders, following the closing of this offering. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Registration Rights Agreement.”

 

Dividend policy

We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. In addition, we expect the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating will place certain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Please read “Dividend Policy.”

 

 

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Listing and trading symbol

We have applied to list our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market (the “NASDAQ”) under the symbol “SND.”

 

Risk factors

You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” and all other information set forth in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our common stock.

The information above includes                                  shares of voting, but unvested, restricted stock. The information above does not include shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2016 Plan (as defined in “Executive Compensation—Equity Compensation Plans—2016 Incentive Award Plan”). Additionally, the information above does not include              shares of common stock that are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants held by certain of our existing stockholders that we expect to be exercisable shortly after the completion of this offering. Assuming all warrants are exercised, we will have              shares of common stock outstanding and our selling stockholders will hold              shares of our common stock (or              shares, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares).

 

 

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SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table presents summary historical consolidated financial data of Smart Sand, Inc. as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The summary historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are derived from the audited financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary historical consolidated interim financial data as of June 30, 2016 and for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are derived from the unaudited interim financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our unaudited financial statements and, in our opinion, include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, that are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for such periods. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results.

The summary historical consolidated data presented below should be read in conjunction with “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

    Year Ended
December 31,
    Six Months
Ended June 30,
 
    2015     2014     2016     2015  
                (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
    (in thousands, except per share data)  

Statement of Operations Data:

       

Revenues

  $ 47,698      $ 68,170      $ 18,853      $ 23,525   

Cost of goods sold

    21,003        29,934        11,869        12,288   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

    26,695        38,236        6,984        11,237   

Operating expenses

       

Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes

    5,055        5,088        2,295        2,828   

Depreciation and amortization

    388        160        181        169   

Selling, general and administrative

    4,669        7,222        1,926        2,547   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

    10,112        12,470        4,402        5,544   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

    16,583        25,766        2,582        5,693   

Other (expenses) income:

       

Preferred stock interest expense(1)

    (5,078     (5,601     (3,123     (2,434

Other interest expense

    (2,748     (2,231     (1,671     (1,048

Other income

    362        370        189        351   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other (expense) income(1)

    (7,464     (7,462     (4,605     (3,131

Loss on extinguishment of debt

    —          (1,230     —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)(1)

    9,119        17,074        (2,023     2,562   

Income tax expense (benefit)

    4,129        9,518        (56     1,633   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net and comprehensive income (loss)(1)

  $ 4,990      $ 7,556      ($ 1,967   $ 929   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Per share information:

       

Net income (loss) per common share(1):

       

Basic(2)

  $ 496.42      $ 754.23      $ (195.20   $ 92.51   

Diluted(3)

  $ 415.83      $ 633.44      $ (195.20   $ 77.39   

Weighted-average number of common shares:

       

Basic

    10,052        10,018        10,077        10,042   

Diluted

    12,000        11,929        12,016        12,004   

 

 

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    Year Ended
December 31,
    Six Months
Ended June 30,
 
    2015     2014     2016     2015  
                (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
    (in thousands, except per share data)  

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

       

Property, plant and equipment, net

  $ 108,928      $ 85,815      $ 106,451      $ 107,398   

Total assets

    133,050        109,629        123,963        125,948   

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)(1)

    3,729        (1,957     2,103        (694

Cash Flow Statement Data:

       

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 30,703      $ 22,137      $ 6,070      $ 11,446   

Net cash used in investing activities

    (29,375     (30,888     (690     (21,806

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    1,766        7,434        (7,408     9,983   

Other Data:

       

Capital expenditures(4)

  $ 28,102      $ 34,719      $ (1,365   $ 22,624   

Adjusted EBITDA(5)

    23,881        33,330        6,391        9,418   

Production costs(5)

    10,114        20,690        5,654        6,040   

 

(1) Amounts previously reported have been updated to reflect the impact of the immaterial correction disclosed in Note 1 to the unaudited interim financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 and in Note 1 to the audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.
(2) Pro forma basic net income (loss) per share of common stock, after giving effect to the              for 1 stock split to be effected prior to the completion of this offering, would have been              and              for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and              and              for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
(3) Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock, after giving effect to the              for 1 stock split to be effected prior to the completion of this offering, would have been              and              for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and              and              for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
(4) Negative capital expenditures for the six months ended June 30, 2016 resulted from various deposits received for projects included in construction-in-progress.
(5) For our definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and production costs and reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and production costs to our most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in shares of our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below with all of the other information included in this prospectus before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock. If any of the following risks were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Inherent in Our Business

Our business and financial performance depend on the level of activity in the oil and natural gas industry.

Substantially all of our revenues are derived from sales to companies in the oil and natural gas industry. As a result, our operations are dependent on the levels of activity in oil and natural gas exploration, development and production. More specifically, the demand for the proppants we produce is closely related to the number of oil and natural gas wells completed in geological formations where sand-based proppants are used in fracturing activities. These activity levels are affected by both short- and long-term trends in oil and natural gas prices, among other factors.

In recent years, oil and natural gas prices and, therefore, the level of exploration, development and production activity, have experienced a sustained decline from the highs in the latter half of 2014. Beginning in September 2014 and continuing through early 2016, increasing global supply of oil, including a decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) to sustain its production levels in spite of the decline in oil prices, in conjunction with weakened demand from slowing economic growth in the Eurozone and China, has created downward pressure on crude oil prices resulting in reduced demand for our products and pressure to reduce our product prices. If these conditions persist, this will adversely impact our operations. Furthermore, the availability of key resources that impact drilling activity has experienced significant fluctuations and could impact product demand.

A prolonged reduction in oil and natural gas prices would generally depress the level of oil and natural gas exploration, development, production and well completion activity and would result in a corresponding decline in the demand for the proppants we produce. Such a decline would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition. The commercial development of economically-viable alternative energy sources (such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, fuel cells and biofuels) could have a similar effect. In addition, certain U.S. federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development, including the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, may be eliminated as a result of proposed legislation. Any future decreases in the rate at which oil and natural gas reserves are discovered or developed, whether due to the passage of legislation, increased governmental regulation leading to limitations, or prohibitions on exploration and drilling activity, including hydraulic fracturing, or other factors, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition, even in a stronger oil and natural gas price environment.

We have had difficulty maintaining compliance with the covenants and ratios required under our existing revolving credit facility. We may have similar difficulties with the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating. Failure to maintain compliance with these financial covenants or ratios could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We have historically relied on our existing revolving credit facility and, following the closing of this offering, will expect to rely on the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating to provide liquidity and support for our operations and growth objectives, as necessary. We expect that the new revolving credit facility will require, us to comply with certain financial covenants and ratios. Our ability to comply with these restrictions and covenants in the future is uncertain and will be affected by the levels of cash flow from our operations and events or circumstances beyond our control, including events and circumstances that may stem from the condition of financial markets and commodity price levels. For example, as of

 

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September 30, 2015, our total leverage ratio exceeded the threshold of 3.00 to 1.00 under our existing revolving credit facility. We were in compliance with all other covenants at that time. On December 18, 2015, we entered into the fourth amendment to our existing revolving credit facility which, among other things, waived the event of default related to the September 30, 2015 leverage ratio. At June 30, 2016, we were in compliance with the covenants contained in our existing revolving credit facility.

In the event that we are unable to access sufficient capital to fund our business and planned capital expenditures, we may be required to curtail potential acquisitions, strategic growth projects, portions of our current operations and other activities. A lack of capital could result in a decrease in our operations, subject us to claims of breach under customer and supplier contracts and may force us to sell some of our assets or issue additional equity on an untimely or unfavorable basis, each of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not have a credit facility at the closing of this offering and may be unable to obtain financing or enter into a credit facility on acceptable terms or at all in the future.

We are currently in the process of negotiating a new revolving credit facility with unaffiliated third-party lenders. However, at the closing of this offering, we may not have the revolving credit facility in place or commitments from any lenders to enter into future financing agreements. Depending on the impact of then-prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, there can be no assurances that we will be able to enter into the revolving credit facility or any other debt agreements in the future. Additionally, entering into the revolving credit facility will require (i) execution and delivery of the credit agreement and all related documents and legal opinions; (ii) delivery of officers’ certificates, financial information and organizational documents; (iii) satisfaction of conditions related to perfection of liens; (iv) obtaining all required consents and (v) payment of all fees and other amounts due to the lenders under the credit agreement, none of which are assured. As such, we may be unable to obtain financing or enter into a credit facility on acceptable terms or at all.

A substantial majority of our revenues have been generated under contracts with a limited number of customers, and the loss of, material nonpayment or nonperformance by or significant reduction in purchases by any of them could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

As of July 31, 2016, we were contracted to sell raw frac sand produced from our Oakdale facility under four long-term take-or-pay contracts with a weighted average remaining life of approximately 2.1 years. Beginning January 1, 2017, the volume-weighted average remaining term pursuant to these take-or-pay contracts is 3.7 years. Because we have a small number of customers contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts, these contracts subject us to counterparty risk. The ability or willingness of each of our customers to perform its obligations under a contract with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, the overall financial condition of the counterparty, the condition of the U.S. oil and natural gas exploration and production industry, continuing use of raw frac sand in hydraulic fracturing operations and general economic conditions. In addition, in depressed market conditions, our customers may no longer need the amount of raw frac sand for which they have contracted or may be able to obtain comparable products at a lower price. If our customers experience a significant downturn in their business or financial condition, they may attempt to renegotiate or declare force majeure under our contracts. For example, a number of our existing contracts have recently been adjusted resulting in a combination of reduced average selling prices per ton, adjustments to take-or-pay volumes and length of contract. In the current market environment, customers have begun to purchase more volumes on a spot basis as compared to committing to term contracts, and we expect this trend to continue in the near term until oil and natural gas drilling and completion activity begins to increase. If any of our major customers substantially reduces or altogether ceases purchasing our raw frac sand and we are not able to generate replacement sales of raw frac sand into the market, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected until such time as we generate replacement sales in the market. In addition, as contracts expire, depending on market conditions at the time, our customers may

 

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choose not to extend these contracts which could lead to a significant reduction of sales volumes and corresponding revenues cash flows and financial condition if we are not able to replace these contracts with new sales volumes. Additionally, even if we were to replace any lost contract volumes, under current market conditions, lower prices for our product could materially reduce our revenues, cash flow and financial condition. Currently we have one contract of 1.1 million tons per year that matures in November 2016, and we have no assurances that this contract will be renewed beyond its current term.

We are exposed to the credit risk of our customers, and any material nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to the risk of loss resulting from nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers. Our credit procedures and policies may not be adequate to fully eliminate customer credit risk. If we fail to adequately assess the creditworthiness of existing or future customers or unanticipated deterioration in their creditworthiness, any resulting increase in nonpayment or nonperformance by them and our inability to re-market or otherwise use the production could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The decline and volatility in natural gas and crude oil prices over the last two years has negatively impacted the financial condition of our customers and further declines, sustained lower prices, or continued volatility could impact their ability to meet their financial obligations to us. Further, our contract counterparties may not perform or adhere to our existing or future contractual arrangements. To the extent one or more of our contract counterparties is in financial distress or commences bankruptcy proceedings, contracts with these counterparties may be subject to renegotiation or rejection under applicable provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Any material nonpayment or nonperformance by our contract counterparties due to inability or unwillingness to perform or adhere to contractual arrangements could adversely affect our business and results of operations. For example, in July 2016, one of our contracted customers, C&J Energy Services, filed for bankruptcy and rejected our contract, which had 2.3 years and 0.7 million tons contracted remaining under its term. We are pursuing a claim for damages through the bankruptcy courts at this time, but it is uncertain as to what, if any, recoveries we will be granted by the courts. There is no guarantee that we will be able to find new customers for these contracted volumes, if needed, and even if we are able to find new customers for such volumes, we may be forced to sell at a price lower than what was agreed to with C&J Energy Services. C&J Energy Services has also demanded a refund of the remaining balance of prepayments it claimed to have made pursuant to its contract with us. As of June 30, 2016, the balance of this prepayment was approximately $5 million and was presented as deferred revenue in the consolidated balance sheet. If resolved unfavorably, this threatened claim may have a material impact to the Company’s financial position.

Our proppant sales are subject to fluctuations in market pricing.

A majority of our supply agreements involving the sale of raw frac sand have market-based pricing mechanisms. Accordingly, in periods with decreasing prices, our results of operations may be lower than if our agreements had fixed prices. During these periods our customers may also elect to reduce their purchases from us and seek to find alternative, cheaper sources of supply. In periods with increasing prices, these agreements permit us to increase prices; however these increases are generally calculated on a quarterly basis and do not increase on a dollar-for-dollar basis with increases in spot market pricing. Furthermore, certain volume-based supply agreements may influence the ability to fully capture current market pricing. These pricing provisions may result in significant variability in our results of operations and cash flows from period to period.

Changes in supply and demand dynamics could also impact market pricing for proppants. A number of existing proppant providers and new market entrants have recently announced reserve acquisitions, processing capacity expansions and greenfield projects. In periods where sources of supply of raw frac sand exceed market demand, market prices for raw frac sand may decline and our results of operations and cash flows may continue to decline, be volatile, or otherwise be adversely affected. For example, beginning in September 2014 and continuing through 2016, increasing global supply of oil, in conjunction with weakened demand from slowing economic growth in the Eurozone and China, created downward pressure on crude oil prices resulting in reduced

 

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demand for hydraulic fracturing services leading to a corresponding reduced demand for our products and pressure to reduce our product prices. From September 2014 through June 2016, raw frac sand prices have decreased by approximately 27% per the Frac Sand Index compiled by the Department of Labor Statistics.

We face significant competition that may cause us to lose market share.

The proppant industry is highly competitive. The proppant market is characterized by a small number of large, national producers and a larger number of small, regional or local producers. Competition in this industry is based on price, consistency and quality of product, site location, distribution capability, customer service, reliability of supply, breadth of product offering and technical support.

Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do. In addition, our larger competitors may develop technology superior to ours or may have production facilities that offer lower-cost transportation to certain customer locations than we do. When the demand for hydraulic fracturing services decreases or the supply of proppant available in the market increases, prices in the raw frac sand market can materially decrease. Furthermore, oil and natural gas exploration and production companies and other providers of hydraulic fracturing services have acquired and in the future may acquire their own raw frac sand reserves to fulfill their proppant requirements, and these other market participants may expand their existing raw frac sand production capacity, all of which would negatively impact demand for our raw frac sand. In addition, increased competition in the proppant industry could have an adverse impact on our ability to enter into long-term contracts or to enter into contracts on favorable terms.

We may be required to make substantial capital expenditures to maintain, develop and increase our asset base. The inability to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, or at all, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Although we currently use a significant amount of our cash generated from our operations to fund the maintenance and development of our asset base, we may depend on the availability of credit to fund future capital expenditures. Our ability to obtain bank financing or to access the capital markets for future equity or debt offerings may be limited by our financial condition at the time of any such financing or offering, the covenants we expect to be contained in the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating or other future debt agreements, adverse market conditions or other contingencies and uncertainties that are beyond our control. Our failure to obtain the funds necessary to maintain, develop and increase our asset base could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Even if we are able to obtain financing or access the capital markets, incurring additional debt may significantly increase our interest expense and financial leverage, and our level of indebtedness could restrict our ability to fund future development and acquisition activities. In addition, the issuance of additional equity interests may result in significant dilution to our existing common stockholders.

Inaccuracies in estimates of volumes and qualities of our sand reserves could result in lower than expected sales and higher than expected production costs.

John T. Boyd, our independent reserve engineers, prepared estimates of our reserves based on engineering, economic and geological data assembled and analyzed by our engineers and geologists. However, raw frac sand reserve estimates are by nature imprecise and depend to some extent on statistical inferences drawn from available data, which may prove unreliable. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and qualities of reserves and non-reserve raw frac sand deposits and costs to mine recoverable reserves, including many factors beyond our control. Estimates of economically recoverable raw frac sand reserves necessarily depend on a number of factors and assumptions, all of which may vary considerably from actual results, such as:

 

    geological and mining conditions and/or effects from prior mining that may not be fully identified by available data or that may differ from experience;

 

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    assumptions concerning future prices of raw frac sand, operating costs, mining technology improvements, development costs and reclamation costs; and

 

    assumptions concerning future effects of regulation, including the issuance of required permits and the assessment of taxes by governmental agencies.

Any inaccuracy in John T. Boyd’s estimates related to our raw frac sand reserves or non-reserve raw frac sand deposits could result in lower than expected sales or higher than expected costs. For example, John T. Boyd’s estimates of our proven recoverable sand reserves assume that our revenue and cost structure will remain relatively constant over the life of our reserves. If these assumptions prove to be inaccurate, some or all of our reserves may not be economically mineable, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, our current customer contracts require us to deliver raw frac sand that meets certain API and ISO specifications. If John T. Boyd’s estimates of the quality of our reserves, including the volumes of the various specifications of those reserves, prove to be inaccurate, we may incur significantly higher excavation costs without corresponding increases in revenues, we may not be able to meet our contractual obligations, or our facilities may have a shorter than expected reserve life, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.

All of our sales are generated at one facility, and that facility is primarily served by one rail line. Any adverse developments at that facility or on the rail line could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

All of our sales are currently derived from our Oakdale facility located in Oakdale, Wisconsin, which is served primarily by a single Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific. Any adverse development at this facility or on the rail line due to catastrophic events or weather, or any other event that would cause us to curtail, suspend or terminate operations at our Oakdale facility, could result in us being unable to meet our contracted sand deliveries. Although we maintain insurance coverage to cover a portion of these types of risks, there are potential risks associated with our operations not covered by insurance. There also may be certain risks covered by insurance where the policy does not reimburse us for all of the costs related to a loss. Downtime or other delays or interruptions to our operations that are not covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, under our long-term take-or-pay contracts, if we are unable to deliver contracted volumes and a customer arranges for delivery from a third party at a higher price, we may be required to pay that customer the difference between our contract price and the price of the third-party product.

If we are unable to make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, our future growth would be limited.

A portion of our strategy to grow our business is dependent on our ability to make acquisitions. If we are unable to make acquisitions from third parties because we are unable to identify attractive acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable purchase contracts, we are unable to obtain financing for these acquisitions on economically acceptable terms or we are outbid by competitors, our future growth may be limited. Any acquisition involves potential risks, some of which are beyond our control, including, among other things:

 

    mistaken assumptions about revenues and costs, including synergies;

 

    inability to integrate successfully the businesses we acquire;

 

    inability to hire, train or retain qualified personnel to manage and operate our business and newly acquired assets;

 

    the assumption of unknown liabilities;

 

    limitations on rights to indemnity from the seller;

 

    mistaken assumptions about the overall costs of equity or debt;

 

    diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

 

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    unforeseen difficulties operating in new product areas or new geographic areas; and

 

    customer or key employee losses at the acquired businesses.

If we consummate any future acquisitions, our capitalization and results of operations may change significantly, and common stockholders will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial and other relevant information that we will consider in determining the application of these funds and other resources.

We may not be able to complete greenfield development or expansion projects or, if we do, we may not realize the expected benefits.

Any greenfield development or expansion project requires us to raise substantial capital and obtain numerous state and local permits. A decision by any governmental agency not to issue a required permit or substantial delays in the permitting process could prevent us from pursuing the development or expansion project. In addition, if the demand for our products declines during a period in which we experience delays in raising capital or completing the permitting process, we may not realize the expected benefits from our greenfield facility or expansion project. Furthermore, our new or modified facilities may not operate at designed capacity or may cost more to operate than we expect. The inability to complete greenfield development or expansion projects or to complete them on a timely basis and in turn grow our business could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Restrictions in the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating may limit our ability to capitalize on potential acquisition and other business opportunities.

The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating and any future financing agreements could restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to expand or pursue our business activities. For example, we expect the new revolving credit facility to restrict or limit our ability to:

 

    grant liens;

 

    incur additional indebtedness;

 

    engage in a merger, consolidation or dissolution;

 

    enter into transactions with affiliates;

 

    sell or otherwise dispose of assets, businesses and operations;

 

    materially alter the character of our business as conducted at the closing of this offering; and

 

    make acquisitions, investments and capital expenditures.

Furthermore, we expect the new revolving credit facility to contain certain operating and financial covenants. Our ability to comply with such covenants and restrictions contained in the new credit facility may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. If we violate any of the restrictions, covenants, ratios or tests in the new revolving credit facility, a significant portion of our indebtedness may become immediately due and payable, and any lenders’ commitment to make further loans to us may terminate. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments. Any subsequent replacement of the new revolving credit facility or any new indebtedness could have similar or greater restrictions. Please read “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Credit Facilities—Our Credit Facility and Other Arrangements.”

We face distribution and logistical challenges in our business.

Transportation and logistical operating expenses comprise a significant portion of the costs incurred by our customers to deliver raw frac sand to the wellhead, which could favor suppliers located in close proximity to the customer. As oil and natural gas prices fluctuate, our customers may shift their focus to different resource plays,

 

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some of which may be located in geographic areas that do not have well-developed transportation and distribution infrastructure systems, or seek contracts with additional delivery and pricing alternatives including contracts that sell product on an “as-delivered” basis at the target shale basin. Serving our customers in these less-developed areas presents distribution and other operational challenges that may affect our sales and negatively impact our operating costs and any delays we experience in optimizing our logistics infrastructure or developing additional origination and destination points may adversely affect our ability to renew existing contracts with customers seeking additional delivery and pricing alternatives. Disruptions in transportation services, including shortages of rail cars, lack of developed infrastructure, weather-related problems, flooding, drought, accidents, mechanical difficulties, strikes, lockouts, bottlenecks or other events could affect our ability to timely and cost effectively deliver to our customers and could temporarily impair the ability of our customers to take delivery and, in certain circumstances, constitute a force majeure event under our customer contracts, permitting our customers to suspend taking delivery of and paying for our raw frac sand. Additionally, increases in the price of transportation costs, including freight charges, fuel surcharges, transloading fees, terminal switch fees and demurrage costs, could negatively impact operating costs if we are unable to pass those increased costs along to our customers. Accordingly, because we are so dependent on rail infrastructure, if there are disruptions of the rail transportation services utilized by us or our customers, and we or our customers are unable to find alternative transportation providers to transport our products, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected. Further, declining volumes could result in additional rail car over-capacity, which would lead to rail car storage fees while, at the same time, we would continue to incur lease costs for those rail cars in storage. Failure to find long-term solutions to these logistical challenges could adversely affect our ability to respond quickly to the needs of our customers or result in additional increased costs, and thus could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may be adversely affected by decreased demand for raw frac sand due to the development of effective alternative proppants or new processes to replace hydraulic fracturing.

Raw frac sand is a proppant used in the completion and re-completion of oil and natural gas wells to stimulate and maintain oil and natural gas production through the process of hydraulic fracturing. Raw frac sand is the most commonly used proppant and is less expensive than other proppants, such as resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramics. A significant shift in demand from raw frac sand to other proppants, or the development of new processes to make hydraulic fracturing more efficient could replace it altogether, could cause a decline in the demand for the raw frac sand we produce and result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

An increase in the supply of raw frac sand having similar characteristics as the raw frac sand we produce could make it more difficult for us to renew or replace our existing contracts on favorable terms, or at all.

If significant new reserves of raw frac sand are discovered and developed, and those raw frac sands have similar characteristics to the raw frac sand we produce, we may be unable to renew or replace our existing contracts on favorable terms, or at all. Specifically, if high-quality raw frac sand becomes more readily available, our customers may not be willing to enter into long-term take-or-pay contracts, may demand lower prices or both, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Federal, state and local legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing and the potential for related litigation could result in increased costs, additional operating restrictions or delays for our customers, which could cause a decline in the demand for our raw frac sand and negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We supply raw frac sand to hydraulic fracturing operators in the oil and natural gas industry. Hydraulic fracturing is an important practice that is used to stimulate production of natural gas and oil from low permeability hydrocarbon bearing subsurface rock formations. The hydraulic fracturing process involves the injection of water, proppants, and chemicals under pressure into the formation to fracture the surrounding rock, increase permeability and stimulate production.

 

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Although we do not directly engage in hydraulic fracturing activities, our customers purchase our raw frac sand for use in their hydraulic fracturing activities. Hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions and similar agencies. Some states have adopted, and other states are considering adopting, regulations that could impose new or more stringent permitting, disclosure or well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. Aside from state laws, local land use restrictions may restrict drilling in general or hydraulic fracturing in particular. Municipalities may adopt local ordinances attempting to prohibit hydraulic fracturing altogether or, at a minimum, allow such fracturing processes within their jurisdictions to proceed but regulating the time, place and manner of those processes. In addition, federal agencies have started to assert regulatory authority over the process and various studies have been conducted or are currently underway by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and other federal agencies concerning the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities. At the same time, certain environmental groups have suggested that additional laws may be needed and, in some instances, have pursued voter ballot initiatives to more closely and uniformly limit or otherwise regulate the hydraulic fracturing process, and legislation has been proposed by some members of Congress to provide for such regulation.

The adoption of new laws or regulations at the federal, state or local levels imposing reporting obligations on, or otherwise limiting or delaying, the hydraulic fracturing process could make it more difficult to complete natural gas wells, increase our customers’ costs of compliance and doing business, and otherwise adversely affect the hydraulic fracturing services they perform, which could negatively impact demand for our raw frac sand. In addition, heightened political, regulatory, and public scrutiny of hydraulic fracturing practices could expose us or our customers to increased legal and regulatory proceedings, which could be time-consuming, costly, or result in substantial legal liability or significant reputational harm. We could be directly affected by adverse litigation involving us, or indirectly affected if the cost of compliance limits the ability of our customers to operate. Such costs and scrutiny could directly or indirectly, through reduced demand for our raw frac sand, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our long-term take-or-pay contracts may preclude us from taking advantage of increasing prices for raw frac sand or mitigating the effect of increased operational costs during the term of those contracts.

The long-term take-or-pay contracts we have may negatively impact our results of operations. Our long-term take-or-pay contracts require our customers to pay a specified price for a specified volume of raw frac sand each month. Although most of our long-term take-or-pay contracts provide for price increases based on crude oil prices, such increases are generally calculated on a quarterly basis and do not increase dollar-for-dollar with increases in spot market prices. As a result, in periods with increasing prices our sales will not keep pace with market prices.

Additionally, if our operational costs increase during the terms of our long-term take-or-pay contracts, we will not be able to pass some of those increased costs to our customers. If we are unable to otherwise mitigate these increased operational costs, our net income could decline.

Our operations are subject to operational hazards and unforeseen interruptions for which we may not be adequately insured.

Our operations are exposed to potential natural disasters, including blizzards, tornadoes, storms, floods, other adverse weather conditions and earthquakes. If any of these events were to occur, we could incur substantial losses because of personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment, and pollution or other environmental damage resulting in curtailment or suspension of our operations.

We are not fully insured against all risks incident to our business, including the risk of our operations being interrupted due to severe weather and natural disasters. Furthermore, we may be unable to maintain or obtain insurance of the type and amount we desire at reasonable rates. As a result of market conditions, premiums and deductibles for certain of our insurance policies have increased and could escalate further. In addition sub-limits

 

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have been imposed for certain risks. In some instances, certain insurance could become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of coverage. If we were to incur a significant liability for which we are not fully insured, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our production process consumes large amounts of natural gas and electricity. An increase in the price or a significant interruption in the supply of these or any other energy sources could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Energy costs, primarily natural gas and electricity, represented approximately 7.8% of our total cost of goods sold for the six months ended June 30, 2016. Natural gas is currently the primary fuel source used for drying in our raw frac sand production process. As a result, our profitability will be impacted by the price and availability of natural gas we purchase from third parties. Because we have not contracted for the provision of natural gas on a fixed-price basis, our costs and profitability will be impacted by fluctuations in prices for natural gas. The price and supply of natural gas is unpredictable and can fluctuate significantly based on international, political and economic circumstances, as well as other events outside our control, such as changes in supply and demand due to weather conditions, actions by OPEC and other oil and natural gas producers, regional production patterns, security threats and environmental concerns. In addition, potential climate change regulations or carbon or emissions taxes could result in higher production costs for energy, which may be passed on to us in whole or in part. The price of natural gas has been extremely volatile over the last two years, from a high of $4.12 per million British Thermal Units (“BTUs”) in November 2014 to a low of $1.73 per million BTUs in March 2016, and this volatility may continue. In order to manage this risk, we may hedge natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments, such as forwards, swaps and futures. However, these measures carry risk (including nonperformance by counterparties) and do not in any event entirely eliminate the risk of decreased margins as a result of propane or natural gas price increases. We further attempt to mitigate these risks by including in our sales contracts fuel surcharges based on natural gas prices exceeding certain benchmarks. A significant increase in the price of energy that is not recovered through an increase in the price of our products or covered through our hedging arrangements or an extended interruption in the supply of natural gas or electricity to our production facilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Increases in the price of diesel fuel may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Diesel fuel costs generally fluctuate with increasing and decreasing world crude oil prices and, accordingly, are subject to political, economic and market factors that are outside of our control. Our operations are dependent on earthmoving equipment, locomotives and tractor trailers, and diesel fuel costs are a significant component of the operating expense of these vehicles. Accordingly, increased diesel fuel costs could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A facility closure entails substantial costs, and if we close our facility sooner than anticipated, our results of operations may be adversely affected.

We base our assumptions regarding the life of our Oakdale facility on detailed studies that we perform from time to time, but our studies and assumptions may not prove to be accurate. If we close our Oakdale facility sooner than expected, sales will decline unless we are able to acquire and develop additional facilities, which may not be possible. The closure of our Oakdale facility would involve significant fixed closure costs, including accelerated employment legacy costs, severance-related obligations, reclamation and other environmental costs and the costs of terminating long-term obligations, including energy contracts and equipment leases. We accrue for the costs of reclaiming open pits, stockpiles, non-saleable sand, ponds, roads and other mining support areas over the estimated mining life of our property. If we were to reduce the estimated life of our Oakdale facility, the fixed facility closure costs would be applied to a shorter period of production, which would increase production costs per ton produced and could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

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Applicable statutes and regulations require that mining property be reclaimed following a mine closure in accordance with specified standards and an approved reclamation plan. The plan addresses matters such as removal of facilities and equipment, regrading, prevention of erosion and other forms of water pollution, re-vegetation and post-mining land use. We may be required to post a surety bond or other form of financial assurance equal to the cost of reclamation as set forth in the approved reclamation plan. The establishment of the final mine closure reclamation liability is based on permit requirements and requires various estimates and assumptions, principally associated with reclamation costs and production levels. If our accruals for expected reclamation and other costs associated with facility closures for which we will be responsible were later determined to be insufficient, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

Our operations are dependent on our rights and ability to mine our properties and on our having renewed or received the required permits and approvals from governmental authorities and other third parties.

We hold numerous governmental, environmental, mining and other permits, water rights and approvals authorizing operations at our Oakdale facility. For our extraction and processing in Wisconsin, the permitting process is subject to federal, state and local authority. For example, on the federal level, a Mine Identification Request ( MSHA Form 7000-51) must be filed and obtained before mining commences. If wetlands are impacted, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Permit is required. At the state level, a series of permits are required related to air quality, wetlands, water quality (waste water, storm water), grading permits, endangered species, archeological assessments and high capacity wells in addition to others depending upon site specific factors and operational detail. At the local level, zoning, building, storm water, erosion control, wellhead protection, road usage and access are all regulated and require permitting to some degree. A non-metallic mining reclamation permit is required. A decision by a governmental agency or other third party to deny or delay issuing a new or renewed permit or approval, or to revoke or substantially modify an existing permit or approval, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Title to, and the area of, mineral properties and water rights may also be disputed. Mineral properties sometimes contain claims or transfer histories that examiners cannot verify. A successful claim that we do not have title to our property or lack appropriate water rights could cause us to lose any rights to explore, develop and extract minerals, without compensation for our prior expenditures relating to such property. Our business may suffer a material adverse effect in the event we have title deficiencies.

A shortage of skilled labor together with rising labor costs in the excavation industry may further increase operating costs, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Efficient sand excavation using modern techniques and equipment requires skilled laborers, preferably with several years of experience and proficiency in multiple tasks, including processing of mined minerals. If there is a shortage of experienced labor in Wisconsin, we may find it difficult to hire or train the necessary number of skilled laborers to perform our own operations which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business may suffer if we lose, or are unable to attract and retain, key personnel.

We depend to a large extent on the services of our senior management team and other key personnel. Members of our senior management and other key employees bring significant experience to the market environment in which we operate. Competition for management and key personnel is intense, and the pool of qualified candidates is limited. The loss of any of these individuals or the failure to attract additional personnel, as needed, could have a material adverse effect on our operations and could lead to higher labor costs or the use of less-qualified personnel. In addition, if any of our executives or other key employees were to join a competitor or form a competing company, we could lose customers, suppliers, know-how and key personnel. We do not maintain key-man life insurance with respect to any of our employees. Our success will be dependent on our ability to continue to attract, employ and retain highly skilled personnel.

 

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Failure to maintain effective quality control systems at our mining, processing and production facilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The performance and quality of our products are critical to the success of our business. These factors depend significantly on the effectiveness of our quality control systems, which, in turn, depends on a number of factors, including the design of our quality control systems, our quality-training program and our ability to ensure that our employees adhere to our quality control policies and guidelines. Any significant failure or deterioration of our quality control systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Seasonal and severe weather conditions could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business could be materially adversely affected by severe weather conditions. Severe weather conditions may affect our customers’ operations, thus reducing their need for our products, impact our operations by resulting in weather-related damage to our facilities and equipment and impact our customers’ ability to take delivery of our products at our plant site. Any weather-related interference with our operations could force us to delay or curtail services and potentially breach our contractual obligations to deliver minimum volumes or result in a loss of productivity and an increase in our operating costs.

In addition, winter weather conditions impact our operations by causing us to halt our excavation and wet plant related production activities during the winter months. During non-winter months, we excavate excess sand to build a stockpile that will feed the dry plants which continue to operate during the winter months. Unexpected winter conditions (such as winter arriving earlier than expected or lasting longer than expected) may result in us not having a sufficient sand stockpile to operate our dry plants during winter months, which could result in us being unable to deliver our contracted sand amounts during such time and lead to a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our cash flow fluctuates on a seasonal basis.

Our cash flow is affected by a variety of factors, including weather conditions and seasonal periods. Seasonal fluctuations in weather impact the production levels at our wet processing plant. While our sales and finished product production levels are contracted evenly throughout the year, our mining and wet sand processing activities are limited to non-winter months. As a consequence, we experience lower cash costs in the first and fourth quarter of each calendar year.

A terrorist attack or armed conflict could harm our business.

Terrorist activities, anti-terrorist efforts and other armed conflicts involving the United States could adversely affect the U.S. and global economies and could prevent us from meeting financial and other obligations. We could experience loss of business, delays or defaults in payments from payors or disruptions of fuel supplies and markets if pipelines, production facilities, processing plants, refineries or transportation facilities are direct targets or indirect casualties of an act of terror or war. Such activities could reduce the overall demand for oil and natural gas, which, in turn, could also reduce the demand for our raw frac sand. Terrorist activities and the threat of potential terrorist activities and any resulting economic downturn could adversely affect our results of operations, impair our ability to raise capital or otherwise adversely impact our ability to realize certain business strategies.

Diminished access to water may adversely affect our operations or the operations of our customers.

The mining and processing activities at our facility requires significant amounts of water. Additionally, the development of oil and natural gas properties through fracture stimulation likewise requires significant water use. We have obtained water rights that we currently use to service the activities at our Oakdale facility, and we plan to obtain all required water rights to service other properties we may develop or acquire in the future. However, the amount of water that we and our customers are entitled to use pursuant to our water rights must be

 

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determined by the appropriate regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which we and our customers operate. Such regulatory authorities may amend the regulations regarding such water rights, increase the cost of maintaining such water rights or eliminate our current water rights, and we and our customers may be unable to retain all or a portion of such water rights. These new regulations, which could also affect local municipalities and other industrial operations, could have a material adverse effect on our operating costs and effectiveness if implemented. Such changes in laws, regulations or government policy and related interpretations pertaining to water rights may alter the environment in which we and our customers do business, which may negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be subject to interruptions or failures in our information technology systems.

We rely on sophisticated information technology systems and infrastructure to support our business, including process control technology. Any of these systems may be susceptible to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunication failures, usage errors by employees, computer viruses, cyber-attacks or other security breaches, or similar events. The failure of any of our information technology systems may cause disruptions in our operations, which could adversely affect our sales and profitability.

Our inability to acquire, maintain or renew financial assurances related to the reclamation and restoration of mining property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are generally obligated to restore property in accordance with regulatory standards and our approved reclamation plan after it has been mined. We are required under federal, state and local laws to maintain financial assurances, such as surety bonds, to secure such obligations. The inability to acquire, maintain or renew such assurances, as required by federal, state and local laws, could subject us to fines and penalties as well as the revocation of our operating permits. Such inability could result from a variety of factors, including:

 

    the lack of availability, higher expense, or unreasonable terms of such financial assurances;

 

    the ability of current and future financial assurance counterparties to increase required collateral; and

 

    the exercise by financial assurance counterparties of any rights to refuse to renew the financial assurance instruments.

Our inability to acquire, maintain or renew necessary financial assurances related to the reclamation and restoration of mining property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Risks Related to Environmental, Mining and Other Regulation

We and our customers are subject to extensive environmental and occupational health and safety regulations that impose, and will continue to impose, significant costs and liabilities. In addition, future regulations, or more stringent enforcement of existing regulations, could increase those costs and liabilities, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, and local regulatory environmental requirements affecting the mining and mineral processing industry, including among others, those relating to employee health and safety, environmental permitting and licensing, air and water emissions, water pollution, waste management, remediation of soil and groundwater contamination, land use, reclamation and restoration of properties, hazardous materials, and natural resources. Some environmental laws impose substantial penalties for noncompliance, and others, such as the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (“CERCLA”), may impose strict, retroactive, and joint and several liability for the remediation of releases of hazardous substances. Liability under CERCLA, or similar state and local laws, may be imposed as a result of conduct that was lawful at the time it occurred or for the conduct of, or conditions caused by, prior operators or other third parties. Failure to properly handle, transport, store, or dispose of

 

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hazardous materials or otherwise conduct our operations in compliance with environmental laws could expose us to liability for governmental penalties, cleanup costs, and civil or criminal liability associated with releases of such materials into the environment, damages to property, natural resources and other damages, as well as potentially impair our ability to conduct our operations. In addition, future environmental laws and regulations could restrict our ability to expand our facilities or extract our mineral deposits or could require us to acquire costly equipment or to incur other significant expenses in connection with our business. Future events, including adoption of new, or changes in any existing environmental requirements (or their interpretation or enforcement) and the costs associated with complying with such requirements, could have a material adverse effect on us.

Any failure by us to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations may cause governmental authorities to take actions that could adversely impact our operations and financial condition, including:

 

    issuance of administrative, civil, or criminal penalties;

 

    denial, modification, or revocation of permits or other authorizations;

 

    imposition of injunctive obligations or other limitations on our operations, including cessation of operations; and

 

    requirements to perform site investigatory, remedial, or other corrective actions.

Any such regulations could require us to modify existing permits or obtain new permits, implement additional pollution control technology, curtail operations, increase significantly our operating costs, or impose additional operating restrictions among our customers that reduce demand for our services.

We may not be able to comply with any new or amended laws and regulations that are adopted, and any new or amended laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our operating results by requiring us to modify our operations or equipment or shut down our facility. Additionally, our customers may not be able to comply with any new or amended laws and regulations, which could cause our customers to curtail or cease operations. We cannot at this time reasonably estimate our costs of compliance or the timing of any costs associated with any new or amended laws and regulations, or any material adverse effect that any new or modified standards will have on our customers and, consequently, on our operations.

Silica-related legislation, health issues and litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation or results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations relating to human exposure to crystalline silica. Several federal and state regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Mining Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) may continue to propose changes in their regulations regarding workplace exposure to crystalline silica, such as permissible exposure limits and required controls and personal protective equipment. We may not be able to comply with any new or amended laws and regulations that are adopted, and any new or amended laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our operating results by requiring us to modify or cease our operations.

In addition, the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica is associated with the lung disease silicosis. There is evidence of an association between crystalline silica exposure or silicosis and lung cancer and a possible association with other diseases, including immune system disorders such as scleroderma. These health risks have been, and may continue to be, a significant issue confronting the proppant industry. Concerns over silicosis and other potential adverse health effects, as well as concerns regarding potential liability from the use of raw frac sand, may have the effect of discouraging our customers’ use of our raw frac sand. The actual or perceived health risks of mining, processing and handling proppants could materially and adversely affect proppant producers, including us, through reduced use of frac sand, the threat of product liability or employee lawsuits, increased scrutiny by federal, state and local regulatory authorities of us and our customers or reduced financing sources available to the frac sand industry.

 

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We are subject to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, which imposes stringent health and safety standards on numerous aspects of our operations.

Our operations are subject to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, which imposes stringent health and safety standards on numerous aspects of mineral extraction and processing operations, including the training of personnel, operating procedures, operating equipment, and other matters. Our failure to comply with such standards, or changes in such standards or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition or otherwise impose significant restrictions on our ability to conduct mineral extraction and processing operations.

We and our customers are subject to other extensive regulations, including licensing, plant and wildlife protection and reclamation regulation, that impose, and will continue to impose, significant costs and liabilities. In addition, future regulations, or more stringent enforcement of existing regulations, could increase those costs and liabilities, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

In addition to the regulatory matters described above, we and our customers are subject to extensive governmental regulation on matters such as permitting and licensing requirements, plant and wildlife protection, wetlands protection, reclamation and restoration activities at mining properties after mining is completed, the discharge of materials into the environment, and the effects that mining and hydraulic fracturing have on groundwater quality and availability. Our future success depends, among other things, on the quantity and quality of our raw frac sand deposits, our ability to extract these deposits profitably, and our customers being able to operate their businesses as they currently do.

In order to obtain permits and renewals of permits in the future, we may be required to prepare and present data to governmental authorities pertaining to the potential adverse impact that any proposed excavation or production activities, individually or in the aggregate, may have on the environment. Certain approval procedures may require preparation of archaeological surveys, endangered species studies, and other studies to assess the environmental impact of new sites or the expansion of existing sites. Compliance with these regulatory requirements is expensive and significantly lengthens the time needed to develop a site. Finally, obtaining or renewing required permits is sometimes delayed or prevented due to community opposition and other factors beyond our control. The denial of a permit essential to our operations or the imposition of conditions with which it is not practicable or feasible to comply could impair or prevent our ability to develop or expand a site. Significant opposition to a permit by neighboring property owners, members of the public, or other third parties, or delay in the environmental review and permitting process also could delay or impair our ability to develop or expand a site. New legal requirements, including those related to the protection of the environment, could be adopted that could materially adversely affect our mining operations (including our ability to extract or the pace of extraction of mineral deposits), our cost structure, or our customers’ ability to use our raw frac sand. Such current or future regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business and we may not be able to obtain or renew permits in the future.

Our inability to acquire, maintain or renew financial assurances related to the reclamation and restoration of mining property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are generally obligated to restore property in accordance with regulatory standards and our approved reclamation plan after it has been mined. We are required under federal, state, and local laws to maintain financial assurances, such as surety bonds, to secure such obligations. The inability to acquire, maintain or renew such assurances, as required by federal, state, and local laws, could subject us to fines and penalties as well as the revocation of our operating permits. Such inability could result from a variety of factors, including:

 

    the lack of availability, higher expense, or unreasonable terms of such financial assurances;

 

    the ability of current and future financial assurance counterparties to increase required collateral; and

 

    the exercise by financial assurance counterparties of any rights to refuse to renew the financial assurance instruments.

 

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Our inability to acquire, maintain, or renew necessary financial assurances related to the reclamation and restoration of mining property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Climate change legislation and regulatory initiatives could result in increased compliance costs for us and our customers.

In recent years, the U.S. Congress has considered legislation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (“GHGs”), including methane, a primary component of natural gas, and carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the burning of natural gas. It presently appears unlikely that comprehensive climate legislation will be passed by either house of Congress in the near future, although energy legislation and other regulatory initiatives are expected to be proposed that may be relevant to GHG emissions issues. In addition, a number of states are addressing GHG emissions, primarily through the development of emission inventories or regional GHG cap and trade programs. Depending on the particular program, we could be required to control GHG emissions or to purchase and surrender allowances for GHG emissions resulting from our operations. Independent of Congress, the EPA has adopted regulations controlling GHG emissions under its existing authority under the Clean Air Act (“CAA”). For example, following its findings that emissions of GHGs present an endangerment to human health and the environment because such emissions contributed to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes, the EPA has adopted regulations under existing provisions of the CAA that, among other things establish construction and operating permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources that are already potential major sources for conventional pollutants. In addition, the EPA has adopted rules requiring the monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from specified production, processing, transmission and storage facilities in the United States on an annual basis. Also, the United States is one of almost 200 nations that, in December 2015, agreed to the Paris Agreement, an international climate change agreement in Paris, France that calls for countries to set their own GHG emissions targets and be transparent about the measures each country will use to achieve its GHG emissions targets. The agreement was signed in April 2016, and is expected to enter into force in November 2016. The United States is one of over 70 nations having ratified or otherwise consented to be bound by the agreement. Although it is not possible at this time to predict how new laws or regulations in the United States or any legal requirements imposed following the United States’ agreeing to the Paris Agreement that may be adopted or issued to address GHG emissions would impact our business, any such future laws, regulations or legal requirements imposing reporting or permitting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations as well as delays or restrictions in our ability to permit GHG emissions from new or modified sources. In addition, substantial limitations on GHG emissions could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas we produce. Finally, it should be noted that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and other climatic events; if any such effects were to occur, they could have an adverse effect on our exploration and production operations. Although it is not currently possible to predict how any such proposed or future GHG legislation or regulation by Congress, the states or multi-state regions or any legal requirements imposed following the United States’ agreeing to the Paris Agreement will impact our business, any legislation or regulation of GHG emissions that may be imposed in areas in which we conduct business could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions to us or our exploration and production customers, and could reduce demand for our frac sand, which could have a significant adverse effect on our operations.

Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

We will be subject to certain requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If we are unable to timely comply with Section 404 or if the costs related to compliance are significant, our profitability, stock price, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

We will be required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as early as December 31, 2017. Section 404 requires that we document and test our internal control over financial reporting and issue management’s assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. This section also requires that our independent registered public accounting firm opine on those internal controls upon becoming a large

 

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accelerated filer, as defined in the SEC rules, or otherwise ceasing to qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. We are evaluating our existing controls against the standards adopted by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. During the course of our ongoing evaluation and integration of the internal control over financial reporting, we may identify areas requiring improvement, and we may have to design enhanced processes and controls to address issues identified through this review. For example, we anticipate the need to hire additional administrative and accounting personnel to conduct our financial reporting.

We believe that the out-of-pocket costs, diversion of management’s attention from running the day-to-day operations and operational changes caused by the need to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could be significant. If the time and costs associated with such compliance exceed our current expectations, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

We cannot be certain at this time that we will be able to successfully complete the procedures, certification and attestation requirements of Section 404 or that we or our independent registered public accounting firm will not identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to comply with the requirements of Section 404 or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify and report such material weaknesses, the accuracy and timeliness of the filing of our annual and quarterly reports may be materially adversely affected and could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the stock price of our common stock. In addition, a material weakness in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could result in an increased chance of fraud and the loss of customers, reduce our ability to obtain financing and require additional expenditures to comply with these requirements, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The concentration of our capital stock ownership among our largest stockholders and their affiliates will limit your ability to influence corporate matters.

Upon completion of this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and the exercise after this offering of all outstanding warrants held by certain existing stockholders), Clearlake will beneficially own approximately     % of our outstanding common stock. After the completion of this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and the exercise after this offering of all outstanding warrants), our Chief Executive Officer will beneficially own approximately     % of our outstanding common stock. Consequently, Clearlake and our Chief Executive Officer (each of whom we refer to as a “Principal Stockholder”) will continue to have significant influence over all matters that require approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Additionally, upon consummation of this offering, we will become party to a stockholders agreement pursuant to which, so long as either Principal Stockholder maintains certain beneficial ownership levels of our common stock, each Principal Stockholder will have certain rights, including board of directors and committee designation rights and consent rights, including the right to consent to change in control transactions. For additional information, please read “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.” This concentration of ownership and the rights of our Principal Stockholders under the stockholders agreement, will limit your ability to influence corporate matters, and as a result, actions may be taken that you may not view as beneficial.

Furthermore, conflicts of interest could arise in the future between us, on the one hand, and Clearlake and its affiliates, including its portfolio companies, on the other hand, concerning among other things, potential competitive business activities or business opportunities. Clearlake is a private equity firm in the business of making investments in entities in a variety of industries. As a result, Clearlake’s existing and future portfolio companies which it controls may compete with us for investment or business opportunities. These conflicts of interest may not be resolved in our favor.

 

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We have also renounced our interest in certain business opportunities. Please read “—Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains a provision renouncing our interest and expectancy in certain corporate opportunities.”

There is no existing market for our common stock, and a trading market that will provide you with adequate liquidity may not develop. The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. After this offering, there will be only          publicly traded shares of common stock held by our public common stockholders (                 shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock). Assuming that the existing stockholders exercise after this offering all outstanding warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, Clearlake will beneficially own                  shares of common stock, representing an aggregate     % of outstanding shares of our common stock (or                  shares of common stock, representing an aggregate     % of outstanding shares of our common stock, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock. Assuming that the existing stockholders exercise after this offering all outstanding warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, our Chief Executive Officer will beneficially own                  shares of common stock, representing an aggregate     % of outstanding shares of our common stock (or                 shares of common stock, representing an aggregate     % of outstanding shares of our common stock, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock). We do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development of an active trading market or how liquid that market might be. You may not be able to resell your common stock at or above the initial public offering price. Additionally, the lack of liquidity may result in wide bid-ask spreads, contribute to significant fluctuations in the market price of the common stock and limit the number of investors who are able to buy the common stock.

The initial public offering price for the common stock offered hereby will be determined by negotiations between us, the selling stockholders and the representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of the market price of the common stock that will prevail in the trading market. The market price of our common stock may decline below the initial public offering price.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains a provision renouncing our interest and expectancy in certain corporate opportunities.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for the allocation of certain corporate opportunities between us and Clearlake. Under these provisions, neither Clearlake, its affiliates and investment funds, nor any of their respective principals, officers, members, managers and/or employees, including any of the foregoing who serve as our officers or directors, will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. For instance, a director of our company who also serves or is a principal, officer, member, manager and/or employee of Clearlake or any of its affiliates or investment funds may pursue certain acquisitions or other opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, such acquisition or other opportunities may not be available to us. These potential conflicts of interest could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if attractive corporate opportunities are allocated by Clearlake to itself or its affiliates or investment funds instead of to us. The terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation are more fully described in “Description of Capital Stock.”

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports or publish unfavorable research about our business, the price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us the trading price for our common stock and other securities would be negatively affected. In the event we obtain

 

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securities or industry analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our securities, the price of our securities would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases to cover us or fails to publish regular reports on us, interest in the purchase of our securities could decrease, which could cause the price of our common stock and other securities and their trading volume to decline.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, as well as Delaware law, contain provisions that could discourage acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. If our board of directors elects to issue preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party to acquire us. In addition, some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders, including:

 

    advance notice provisions for stockholder proposals and nominations for elections to the board of directors to be acted upon at meetings of stockholders;

 

    provisions that divide our board of directors into three classes of directors, with the classes to be as nearly equal in number as possible;

 

    provisions that prohibit stockholder action by written consent after the date on which our Principal Stockholders collectively cease to beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote;

 

    provisions that provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by the board of directors or, for so long as a Principal Stockholder continues to beneficially own at least 20% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock, such Principal Stockholder;

 

    provisions that provide that our stockholders may only amend our certificate of incorporation or bylaws with the approval of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote, or for so long as our Principal Stockholders collectively continue to beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote, with the approval of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote;

 

    provisions that provide that the board of directors is expressly authorized to adopt, or to alter or repeal our bylaws; and

 

    provisions that establish advance notice and certain information requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution of $            per share.

Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus), purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience an immediate and substantial dilution of $            per share in the net tangible book value per share of common stock from the initial public offering price, and our historical and as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 would be $            per share. Please read “Dilution.”

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. We intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to redeem all the outstanding

 

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shares of our preferred stock, to repay the outstanding indebtedness under our existing revolving credit facility, which will be terminated, and the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes. However, our use of these proceeds may differ substantially from our current plans. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our common stock to decline. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and our debt agreements place certain restrictions on our ability to do so. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment is if the price of our common stock appreciates.

We do not plan to declare dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Additionally, we expect the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating will place certain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Consequently, unless we revise our dividend policy, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment in us will be if you sell your common stock at a price greater than you paid for it. There is no guarantee that the price of our common stock that will prevail in the market will ever exceed the price that you pay in this offering.

Future sales of our common stock in the public market could reduce our stock price, and the sale or issuance of equity or convertible securities may dilute your ownership in us.

We may sell additional shares of common stock in subsequent public offerings. We may also issue additional shares of common stock or convertible securities. After the completion of this offering, we will have outstanding              shares of common stock. Following the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, Clearlake will beneficially own              shares of our common stock, or approximately         % (assuming all of the outstanding warrants held by our existing stockholders are exercised) of our total outstanding shares. Following the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, our Chief Executive Officer will beneficially own              shares of our common stock, or approximately     % (assuming the exercise after this offering of all outstanding warrants) of our total outstanding shares. All of the shares beneficially owned by Clearlake and our Chief Executive Officer are restricted from immediate resale under the federal securities laws and are subject to the lock-up agreements with the underwriters described in “Underwriting,” but may be sold into the market in the future. Please read “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

In connection with this offering, we intend to file a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 providing for the registration of shares of our common stock issued or reserved for issuance under our equity incentive plans. Subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions, the expiration of lock-up agreements and the requirements of Rule 144, shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction. In addition, the issuance of shares of common stock upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other stockholders. Please read “Description of Capital Stock—Outstanding Warrants.” We expect that warrants to purchase shares of our common stock held by certain of our existing stockholders will become exercisable shortly after the completion of this offering. Assuming all warrants are exercised, we will have              shares of common stock outstanding.

Additionally, we have agreed to provide certain registration rights for the sale of common stock by certain existing stockholders prior to this offering, including the selling stockholders, in the future. The sale of these shares could have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock or on any trading market that may develop. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued in

 

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connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock.

The underwriters of this offering may waive or release parties to the lock-up agreements entered into in connection with this offering, which could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

We, Clearlake, all of our directors and executive officers, the selling stockholders and certain of our principal stockholders will enter into lock-up agreements with respect to their common stock, pursuant to which they are subject to certain resale restrictions for a period of 180 days following the effectiveness date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co., in their sole discretion, may, at any time and without notice, release all or any portion of the common stock subject to the foregoing lock-up agreements. If the restrictions under the lock-up agreements are waived, then common stock will be available for sale into the public markets, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and impair our ability to raise capital.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance efforts.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time and financial resources to comply with obligations related to being a publicly-traded corporation. We currently estimate that we will incur approximately $1.4 million annually in additional operating expenses as a publicly-traded corporation that we have not previously incurred, including costs associated with compliance under the Exchange Act, annual and quarterly reports to common stockholders, registrar and transfer agent fees, audit fees, incremental director and officer liability insurance costs and director and officer compensation.

We are an “emerging growth company” 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 JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public 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 intend to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we will 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.

We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, although we will lose that status sooner if we have more than $1.0 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, have more than $700 million in market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates as of any June 30 or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a rolling three-year period.

Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies.

 

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We may issue preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of our common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights, including preferences over our common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our board of directors may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of our common stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the common stock.

A loan previously made to our Chief Executive Officer that was outstanding at the time that we initially filed the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part may be deemed to be a violation of Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which prohibits us from extending or maintaining credit to directors or executive officers in the form of a personal loan.

In January 2016, before we filed our initial registration statement, we provided a one-year loan to our Chief Executive Officer in the amount of $61,000. During the third quarter of 2016, this loan was fully forgiven and included as compensation to our Chief Executive Officer. Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 prohibits “issuers” from extending or maintaining credit to directors or executive officers in the form of a personal loan. As defined under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the term “issuer” includes, in addition to public companies, a company that has filed a registration statement that has not yet become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and that has not been withdrawn. Because we became an “issuer” when we filed the registration statement with the SEC and the loan was outstanding at that time, we may be deemed to have violated Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 could result in significant penalties, including censure, cease and desist orders, revocation of registration and fines. It is also possible that the criminal penalties could exist if the violation was willful and not the result of an innocent mistake, negligence or inadvertence.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of, and consented to, the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described in the preceding sentence. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and such persons. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We expect to receive approximately $             million of net proceeds (assuming the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus) from the sale of the common stock offered by us after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to redeem all of our outstanding Preferred Stock, to repay the outstanding indebtedness under our existing revolving credit facility, which will be terminated, and the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders in this offering, including pursuant to any exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock from the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of                  additional shares of our common stock. We will pay all expenses related to this offering, other than underwriting discounts and commissions related to the shares sold by the selling stockholders.

The following table illustrates our anticipated use of the net proceeds from this offering:

 

Sources of Funds

    

Use of Funds

 
(In millions)  

Net proceeds from this offering

   $                   

Redemption of Preferred Stock

   $                
     

Repayment of outstanding borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility

  
     

General corporate purposes

  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Total sources of funds

   $                   

Total uses of funds

   $                
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Our existing revolving credit facility has restrictions on our ability to make interest or principal payments on the Preferred Stock. As of June 30, 2016, we had $58.0 million of outstanding borrowings and $3.5 million of letters of credit outstanding under our existing revolving credit facility. Our existing revolving credit facility matures March 28, 2019 and bears interest at a variable rate. At June 30, 2016, the weighted average interest rate on borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility was 4.47%. We also pay a commitment fee on unused amounts of our revolving credit facility of 37.5 basis points. The outstanding borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility were incurred primarily to fund a portion of our 2014 and 2015 capital expenditures. In connection with the completion of this offering, we expect to terminate our existing revolving credit facility.

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share would cause the net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, received by us to increase or decrease, respectively, by approximately $             million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. If the proceeds increase due to a higher initial public offering price or due to the issuance of additional shares, we would use the additional net proceeds to fund our 2017 and 2018 capital expenditures or for general corporate purposes. If the proceeds decrease due to a lower initial public offering price or a decrease in the number of shares issued, then we would first reduce by a corresponding amount the net proceeds directed to general corporate purposes and then, if necessary, the net proceeds directed to repay outstanding borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility.

 

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STOCK SPLIT

We will effect a              for 1 stock split prior to the completion of this offering. The stock split will affect all of our stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in us. Unless otherwise indicated, and other than the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, information presented in this prospectus is adjusted to reflect our              for 1 stock split.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth of our business. Our future dividend policy is within the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon then-existing conditions, including our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, investment opportunities, statutory restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, we expect that the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating will place restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of June 30, 2016:

 

    on a historical basis; and

 

    on an as adjusted basis to reflect this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering as described under “Use of Proceeds.”

This table is derived from, should be read together with and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the historical consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes and the unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. You should also read this table in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Historical actual share amounts presented in the table below are not adjusted to reflect our          for 1 stock split that will occur prior to the completion of this offering.

 

     As of June 30, 2016  
     Historical     As Adjusted(1)  
    

(in millions, except

share data)

 

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1.9      $                
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Long-term debt:

    

Revolving credit facility(2)

   $ 57.2      $     

Equipment financing obligations

     0.7     

Notes payable

     0.3     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total long-term debt (net of current maturities)

   $ 58.2      $     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

    

Redeemable Series A Preferred Stock ($0.001 par value; 100,000 shares authorized, 38,266 issued and outstanding, actual; and          shares authorized,          shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted)(2)

     37.9     

Preferred stock ($0.001 par value; zero shares authorized, issued and outstanding, actual; and          shares authorized,          shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted)

     —       

Common stock ($0.001 par value; 15,000 shares authorized, 10,077 issued and outstanding, actual; and          shares authorized,          shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted)(3)

     —       

Treasury stock (at cost; 18.0 shares, actual;          shares, as adjusted)

     (0.2  

Additional paid-in capital

     4.6     

Accumulated deficit

     (3.4  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

   $ 38.9     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Capitalization

   $ 97.1     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $         per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) additional paid-in capital, total stockholder’s equity and total capitalization each by approximately $         million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. An increase (decrease) of one million shares offered by us at an assumed offering price of $         per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization each by approximately $         million, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us.

 

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(2) As of June 30, 2016, there was approximately $58.0 million (including net debt discount of $0.8 million) outstanding under our existing revolving credit facility as well as $0.2 million of accrued interest included in accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheet. In connection with the completion of this offering, we will (i) repay in full outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility and (ii) redeem in full our Preferred Stock. Please read “Use of Proceeds” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Credit Facilities—Our Credit Facility and Other Arrangements—Revolving Credit Facility.”
(3) Excludes              shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants held by certain of our existing stockholders that we expect to be exercisable shortly after the completion of this offering.

The following table presents the pro forma adjustments to net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share had the (i) repayment of the full outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and (ii) redemption in full of our Preferred Stock occurred as of January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2016, respectively. Adjustments to net income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2015 and for the six months ended June 30, 2016 include (i) $1.8 million and $1.3 million related to removal of interest expense on our revolving credit facility; (ii) $5.1 million and $3.1 million related to removal of interest expense on our Preferred Stock; (iii) $1.6 million and $0.8 million loss on extinguishment of debt due to the accelerated accretion of Preferred Stock transaction costs; and (iv) $0.7 million and $0.5 million income tax expense, respectively.

 

     December 31, 2015      June 30, 2016  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Net income (loss)

   $ 4,990       $ (1,967

Proforma adjustments

     4,553         3,088   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Proforma net income

   $ 9,543       $ 1,121   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income (loss) per share, basic

   $ 496.42       $ (195.20

Proforma adjustments per share, basic

     453.03         306.46   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Proforma net income per share, basic

   $ 949.45       $ 111.26   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income (loss) per share, diluted

   $ 415.83       $ (195.20

Proforma adjustments per share, diluted

     379.49         288.51   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Proforma net income per share, diluted

   $ 795.32       $ 93.31   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The information presented above assumes no exercise of the option to purchase additional shares by the underwriters. The table does not reflect shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2016 Plan, which we plan to adopt in connection with this offering, or upon exercise of outstanding warrants.

 

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DILUTION

Purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value (tangible assets less total liabilities) per share of our common stock for accounting purposes. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 was approximately $            million, or $            per share.

As adjusted net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, or total tangible assets less total liabilities, by our shares of common stock that will be outstanding immediately prior to the closing of this offering. Assuming an initial public offering price of $            per share (which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after giving effect to the sale of the shares in this offering and further assuming the receipt of the estimated net proceeds (after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us), our adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 would have been approximately $            million, or $            per share. This represents an immediate increase in the net tangible book value of $            per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering of $            per share, resulting from the difference between the offering price and the as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering. The following table illustrates the per share dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share

      $                

Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2016

   $                   

Increase per share attributable to new investors in this offering

   $        

As adjusted net tangible book value per share (after giving effect to this offering)

     
     

 

 

 

Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering

      $     
     

 

 

 

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $            per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering by $            and increase (decrease) the dilution to new investors in this offering by $            per share, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as              set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The following table summarizes, on an adjusted basis as of June 30, 2016, the total number of shares of common stock owned by existing stockholders and to be owned by new investors at $            per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and the total consideration paid and the average price per share paid by our existing stockholders and to be paid by new investors in this offering at $            , the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, calculated before deduction of estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

     Shares
Acquired
    Total Consideration     Average
Price
Per Share
 
     Number      Percent     Amount      Percent    

Existing stockholders(1)

             %   $                           %   $                

New investors in this offering

            
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

        100 %   $           100 %   $     

 

(1) The number of shares disclosed for the existing stockholders includes              shares that may be sold by the selling stockholder in this offering pursuant to any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of common stock.

The calculations above are based on              shares outstanding after the completion of this offering and exclude              shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants held by certain of our existing stockholders that we expect to be exercisable shortly after the completion of this offering. To the extent that any outstanding warrants are exercised, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering.

 

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SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table presents selected historical consolidated financial data of Smart Sand, Inc. as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are derived from the audited financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected historical consolidated interim financial data as of June 30, 2016 and for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are derived from the unaudited interim financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our audited financial statements and, in our opinion, include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, which are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for such periods. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results.

The selected historical consolidated financial data presented below should be read in conjunction with “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
    Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
     2015     2014     2016     2015  
                 (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Statement of Operations Data:

        

Revenues

   $ 47,698      $ 68,170      $ 18,853      $ 23,525   

Cost of goods sold

     21,003        29,934        11,869        12,288   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     26,695        38,236        6,984        11,237   

Operating expenses

        

Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes

     5,055        5,088        2,295        2,828   

Depreciation and amortization

     388        160        181        169   

Selling, general and administrative

     4,669        7,222        1,926        2,547   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     10,112        12,470        4,402        5,544   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income (loss)

     16,583        25,766        2,582        5,693   

Other (expenses) income:

        

Preferred stock interest expense(1)

     (5,078     (5,601     (3,123     (2,434

Other interest expense

     (2,748     (2,231     (1,671     (1,048

Other income

     362        370        189        351   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other (expense) income(1)

     (7,464     (7,462     (4,605     (3,131

Loss on extinguishment of debt

     —          (1,230     —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)(1)

     9,119        17,074        (2,023     2,562   

Income tax expense (benefit)

     4,129        9,518        (56     1,633   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net and comprehensive income (loss) (1)

   $ 4,990      $ 7,556      $ (1,967   $ 929   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Per share information:

        

Net income (loss) per common share(1):

        

Basic(2)

   $ 496.42      $ 754.23      $ (195.20   $ 92.51   

Diluted(3)

   $ 415.83      $ 633.44      $ (195.20   $ 77.39   

Weighted-average number of common shares:

        

Basic

     10,052        10,018        10,077        10,042   

Diluted

     12,000        11,929        12,016        12,004   

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

        

Property, plant and equipment, net

   $ 108,928      $ 85,815      $ 106,451      $ 107,398   

Total assets

     133,050        109,629        123,963        125,948   

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)(1)

     3,729        (1,957     2,103        (694

Cash Flow Statement Data:

        

Net cash provided by operating activities

   $ 30,703      $ 22,137      $ 6,070      $ 11,446   

Net cash used in investing activities

     (29,375     (30,888     (690     (21,806

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     1,766        7,434        (7,408     9,983   

 

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     Year Ended
December 31,
     Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
     2015      2014      2016     2015  
                   (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
     (in thousands)  

Other Data:

          

Capital expenditures(4)

   $ 28,102       $ 34,719       $ (1,365   $ 22,624   

Adjusted EBITDA(5)

     23,881         33,330         6,391        9,418   

Production costs(5)

     10,114         20,690         5,654        6,040   

 

(1) Amounts previously reported have been updated to reflect the impacts of the immaterial correction disclosed in Note 1 to the unaudited interim financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, and in Note 1 to the audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.
(2) Pro forma basic net income (loss) per share of common stock, after giving effect to the              for 1 stock split to be effected prior to the completion of this offering, would have been              and              for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and              and              for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
(3) Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock, after giving effect to the              for 1 stock split to be effected prior to the completion of this offering, would have been              and              for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and              and              for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
(4) Negative capital expenditures for the six months ended June 30, 2016 resulted from various deposits received for projects included in construction-in-progress.
(5) For our definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and production costs and reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and production costs to our most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

 

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as our net income, plus (i) depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization expense; (ii) income tax expense (benefit); (iii) interest expense and (iv) franchise taxes. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus (i) gain or loss on sale of assets, (ii) costs related to our initial public offering, (iii) restricted stock compensation; (iv) development costs; (v) non-cash charges and unusual or non-recurring charges and (vi) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to assess:

 

    the financial performance of our assets without regard to the impact of financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis of our assets;

 

    the viability of capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities;

 

    our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures; and

 

    our operating performance as compared to those of other companies in our industry without regard to the impact of financing methods and capital structure.

We believe that our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered alternatives to net income presented in accordance with GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) for each of the periods indicated.

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
     Six Months
Ended June 30,
 
     2015      2014      2016     2015  
     (in thousands)  

Net income (loss)

   $ 4,990       $ 7,556       $ (1,967   $ 929   

Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization

     5,318         3,642         3,209        2,342   

Income tax expense (benefit)

     4,129         9,518         (56     1,633   

Interest expense

     7,826         7,832         4,794        3,482   

Franchise taxes

     35         139         16        25   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

EBITDA

   $ 22,298       $ 28,687       $ 5,996      $ 8,411   

Gain (loss) on sale of assets

     39         57         (30     45   

Initial public offering-related costs

     221         2,687         —          183   

Restricted stock compensation

     792         420         420        416   

Development costs

     76         249         —          28   

Non-cash charges and unusual or non-recurring charges

     455         —           5        335   

Loss on extinguishment of debt

     —           1,230         —          —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 23,881       $ 33,330       $ 6,391      $ 9,418   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Production Costs

We also use production costs, which we define as costs of goods sold, excluding depreciation, depletion, accretion of asset retirement obligations and freight charges to measure our financial performance. Freight charges consist of shipping costs and rail car rental and storage expenses. Shipping costs consist of railway transportation costs to deliver products to customers. Rail car rental and storage expenses are associated with our long-term rail car operating agreements with certain customers. A portion of these freight charges are passed through to our customers and therefore included in revenue. We believe production costs is a meaningful measure to management and external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks because it provides a measure of operating performance that is unaffected by historical cost basis. Cost of goods sold is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to production costs. Production costs should not be considered an alternative to cost of goods sold presented in accordance with GAAP. Because production costs may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of production costs may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of production costs to cost of goods sold.

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
    Six Months
Ended June 30,
 
     2015     2014     2016     2015  
     (in thousands)  

Cost of goods sold

   $ 21,003      $ 29,934      $ 11,869      $ 12,288   

Depreciation, depletion, and accretion of asset retirement obligations

     (4,930     (3,481     (3,028     (2,173

Freight charges

     (5,959     (5,763     (3,187     (4,075
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Production costs

   $ 10,114      $ 20,690      $ 5,654      $ 6,040   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our audited financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

Overview

We are a pure-play, low-cost producer of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand, which is a preferred proppant used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery rates in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells. We sell our products primarily to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, such as EOG Resources, and oilfield service companies, such as Weatherford, under a combination of long-term take-or-pay contracts and spot sales in the open market. We believe that the size and favorable geologic characteristics of our sand reserves, the strategic location and logistical advantages of our facilities and the industry experience of our senior management team have positioned us as a highly attractive source of raw frac sand to the oil and natural gas industry.

We own and operate a raw frac sand mine and related processing facility near Oakdale, Wisconsin, at which we have approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable sand reserves as of June 30, 2016, respectively. We began operations with 1.1 million tons of processing capacity in July 2012 and expanded to 2.2 million tons capacity in August 2014 with an additional expansion to 3.3 million tons in September 2015. Our integrated Oakdale facility, with on-site rail infrastructure and wet and dry sand processing facilities, has access to two Class I rail lines and enables us to process and cost-effectively deliver up to approximately 3.3 million tons of raw frac sand per year. We believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility ultimately could be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

Our Assets and Operations

Our sand reserves include a balanced concentration of coarse (20/40, 30/50 and 40/70 gradation) sands and fine (60/140 gradation, which we refer to in this prospectus as “100 mesh”) sand. Our reserves contain deposits of approximately 19% of 20/40 and coarser substrate, 41% of 40/70 mesh substrate and approximately 40% of 100 mesh substrate. Our 30/50 gradation is a derivative of the 20/40 and 40/70 blends. We believe that this mix of coarse and fine sand reserves, combined with contractual demand for our products across a range of mesh sizes, provides us with relatively higher mining yields and lower processing costs than frac sand mines with predominantly coarse sand reserves. In addition, our approximate 244 million tons of proven recoverable reserves implies a reserve life of approximately 73 years based on our current annual processing capacity of 3.3 million tons per year. This long reserve life enables us to better serve demand for different types of raw frac sand as compared to mines with shorter reserve lives. We currently have one wet plant and one dryer in storage at Oakdale that would allow us to increase our annual processing capacity to approximately 4.4 million tons should market demand increase sufficiently to warrant capacity expansion. We believe that with further development and permitting, the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

Our Oakdale facility is purpose-built to exploit the reserve profile in place and produce high-quality raw frac sand. Unlike some of our competitors, our primary processing and rail loading facilities are located in close

 

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proximity at the mine site, which eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and dry processing facilities. Our on-site transportation assets include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific. This enables us to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains and significantly increases our efficiency in meeting our customers’ raw frac sand transportation needs. Our Oakdale facility is dual served with connections to the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific networks. In addition, we have a transload facility approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility in Byron Township, Wisconsin that provides us with the ability to ship sand to our customers on the Union Pacific network. We believe that we are the only sand facility in Wisconsin that has dual served rail capabilities, which should create competition among our rail carriers and allow us to provide more competitive logistics options for our customers. Most of our product is shipped via unit trains, which we believe should yield lower operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities due to our higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of products between mine and destination. We believe that the combination of efficient production and processing, our well-designed plant, our dual served rail access and our focus on shipping sand in unit trains offer a considerable economic advantage to our customers.

Overall Trends and Outlook

Industry Trends Impacting Our Business

Unless otherwise indicated, the information set forth under “—Industry Trends Impacting Our Business,” including all statistical data and related forecasts, is derived from The Freedonia Group’s Industry Study #3302, “Proppants in North America,” published in September 2015, Spears & Associates’ “Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017” published in the second quarter 2016, PropTester, Inc. and Kelrik, LLC’s “2015 Proppant Market Report” published in March 2016 and Baker Hughes’ “North America Rotary Rig Count” published July 2016. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the proppant industry data presented herein, estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors.”

 

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Demand Trends

According to Spears, the U.S. proppant market, including raw frac sand, ceramic and resin-coated proppant, was approximately 52.5 million tons in 2015. Kelrik estimates that the total raw frac sand market in 2015 represented approximately 92.3% of the total proppant market by weight. Market demand in 2015 dropped by approximately 28% from 2014 record demand levels (and a further estimated decrease of 43% in 2016 from 2015) due to the downturn in commodity prices since late 2014, which led to a corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity. According to the Freedonia Group, during the period from 2009 to 2014, proppant demand by weight increased by 42% annually. Spears estimates from 2016 through 2020 proppant demand is projected to grow by 23.2% per year, from 30 million tons per year to 85 million tons per year, representing an increase of approximately 55 million tons in annual proppant demand over that time period.

 

LOGO

This change in demand has impacted contract discussions and negotiated terms with our customers as existing contracts have been adjusted resulting in a combination of reduced average selling prices per ton, adjustments to take-or-pay volumes and length of contract. We believe we have mitigated the short-term negative impact on revenues of some of these adjustments through contractual shortfall and reservation payments. In the current market environment, customers have begun to purchase more volumes on a spot basis as compared to committing to term contracts, and we expect this trend to continue in the near term until oil and natural gas drilling and completion activity begins to increase. However, should drilling and completion activity return to higher levels, we believe customers would more actively consider contracting proppant volumes under term contracts rather than continuing to rely on buying proppant on a spot basis in the market.

Demand growth for raw frac sand and other proppants is primarily driven by advancements in oil and natural gas drilling and well completion technology and techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. These advancements have made the extraction of oil and natural gas increasingly cost-effective in formations that historically would have been uneconomic to develop. While current horizontal rig counts have fallen significantly from their peak of approximately 1,370 in 2014, rig count grew at an annual rate of 18.7% from 2009 to 2014. Additionally, the percentage of active drilling rigs used to drill horizontal wells, which require greater volumes of proppant than vertical wells, has increased from 42.2% in 2009 to 68.4% in 2014, and as of July 2016 the percentage of rigs drilling horizontal wells is 77% according to the Baker Hughes Rig Count. Moreover, the increase of pad drilling has led to a more efficient use of rigs, allowing more wells to be drilled per rig. As a result of these factors, well count, and hence proppant demand, has grown at a greater rate than overall rig count. Spears estimates that in 2019, proppant demand will exceed the 2014 peak (of approximately 72.5 million tons) and reach 77.5 million tons even though the projection assumes approximately 10,000 fewer wells will be drilled. Spears estimates that average proppant usage per well will be approximately 5,000 tons per well by 2020. Kelrik notes that current sand-based slickwater completions use in excess of 7,500 tons per well of proppant.

 

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While demand for proppant has declined since late 2014 in connection with the downturn in commodity prices and the corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity, we believe that the demand for proppant will increase over the medium and long term as commodity prices rise from their recent lows, which will lead producers to resume completion of their inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells and undertake new drilling activities. Further, we believe that demand for proppant will be amplified by the following factors:

 

    improved drilling rig productivity, resulting in more wells drilled per rig per year;

 

    completion of exploration and production companies’ inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells;

 

    increases in the percentage of rigs that are drilling horizontal wells;

 

    increases in the length of the typical horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the number of fracture stages per foot in the typical completed horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the volume of proppant used per fracturing stage;

 

    renewed focus of exploration and production companies to maximize ultimate recovery in active reservoirs through downspacing; and

 

    increasing secondary hydraulic fracturing of existing wells as early shale wells age.

Recent growth in demand for raw frac sand has outpaced growth in demand for other proppants, and industry analysts predict that this trend will continue. As well completion costs have increased as a proportion of total well costs, operators have increasingly looked for ways to improve per well economics by lowering costs without sacrificing production performance. To this end, the oil and natural gas industry is shifting away from the use of higher-cost proppants towards more cost-effective proppants, such as raw frac sand. Evolution of completion techniques and the substantial increase in activity in U.S. oil and liquids-rich resource plays has further accelerated the demand growth for raw frac sand.

In general, oil and liquids-rich wells use a higher proportion of coarser proppant while dry gas wells typically use finer grades of sand. In the past, with the majority of U.S. exploration and production spending focused on oil and liquids-rich plays, demand for coarser grades of sand exceeded demand for finer grades; however, due to innovations in completion techniques, demand for finer grade sands has also shown a considerable resurgence. According to Kelrik, a notable driver impacting demand for fine mesh sand is increased proppant loadings, specifically, larger volumes of proppant placed per frac stage. Kelrik expects the trend of using larger volumes of finer mesh materials such as 100 mesh sand and 40/70 sand, to continue.

According to The Freedonia Group, development of unconventional resources such as shale oil and natural gas has been the driving force behind growth in proppant demand over the past decade. While significant demand began with drilling in the Barnett Shale, more recent growth has been in liquids-rich plays such as the Permian and Eagle Ford Shales. Demand in these and similar formations had been driven by high oil prices, which spurred drilling activity, and by the depth and challenging geology of these wells, which require larger amounts of proppant to complete as they involve more fracturing stages. However, the drop in oil prices that began in June 2014 slowed drilling activity in liquids-rich plays and, therefore, adversely affected proppant demand. A recovery of both oil and natural gas prices should renew demand in most liquid and gas shale fields.

Supply Trends

In recent years, through the fall of 2014, customer demand for high-quality raw frac sand outpaced supply. Several factors contributed to this supply shortage, including:

 

    the difficulty of finding frac sand reserves that meet API specifications and satisfy the demands of customers who increasingly favor high-quality Northern White raw frac sand;

 

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    the difficulty of securing contiguous raw frac sand reserves large enough to justify the capital investment required to develop a processing facility;

 

    the challenges of identifying reserves with the above characteristics that have rail access needed for low-cost transportation to major shale basins;

 

    the hurdles to securing mining, production, water, air, refuse and other federal, state and local operating permits from the proper authorities;

 

    local opposition to development of certain facilities, especially those that require the use of on-road transportation, including moratoria on raw frac sand facilities in multiple counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota that hold potential sand reserves; and

 

    the long lead time required to design and construct sand processing facilities that can efficiently process large quantities of high-quality raw frac sand.

Supplies of high-quality Northern White frac sand are limited to select areas, predominantly in western Wisconsin and limited areas of Minnesota and Illinois. The ability to obtain large contiguous reserves in these areas is a key constraint and can be an important supply consideration when assessing the economic viability of a potential raw frac sand facility. Further constraining the supply and throughput of Northern White raw frac sand, is that not all of the large reserve mines have onsite excavation and processing capability. Additionally, much of the recent capital investment in Northern White raw frac sand mines was used to develop coarser deposits in western Wisconsin. With the shift to finer sands in the liquid and oil plays, many mines may not be economically viable as their ability to produce finer grades of sand may be limited.

Pricing

We generally expect the price of raw frac sand to correlate with the level of drilling activity for oil and natural gas. The willingness of exploration and production companies to engage in new drilling is determined by a number of factors, the most important of which are the prevailing and projected prices of oil and natural gas, the cost to drill and operate a well, the availability and cost of capital and environmental and government regulations. We generally expect the level of drilling to correlate with long-term trends in commodity prices. Similarly, oil and natural gas production levels nationally and regionally generally tend to correlate with drilling activity.

Sand is sold on a contract basis or through spot market pricing. Long-term take-or-pay contracts reduce exposure to fluctuations in price and provide predictability of volumes and price over the contract term. By contrast, the spot market provides direct access to immediate prices, with accompanying exposure to price volatility and uncertainty. For sand producers operating under stable long-term contract structures, the spot market can offer an outlet to sell excess production at opportunistic times or during favorable market conditions.

How We Generate Revenue

We generate revenue by excavating and processing raw frac sand, which we sell to our customers under long-term price agreements or at prevailing market rates. In some instances, revenues also include a charge for transportation services provided to customers. Our transportation revenue fluctuates based on a number of factors, including the volume of product transported and the distance between the plant and our customers.

As of June 30, 2016, our facility had the capacity to produce 3.3 million tons of raw frac sand per year. When market conditions are favorable, we look to enter into long-term take-or-pay contracts with our customers that are intended to mitigate our exposure to the potential price volatility of the spot market for raw frac sand and to enhance the stability of our cash flows. As of July 31, 2016, we had approximately 2.1 million tons (or approximately 64% of our current annual production capacity) contracted to oil and natural gas exploration and

 

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production and oilfield service companies. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts. Each contract defines, among other commitments, the minimum volume of product that the customer is required to purchase per contract year and the minimum tonnage per grade, the volume of product that we are required to provide, the price that we will charge and that our customers will pay for each ton of contracted product, and certain remedies in the event either we or the customer fails to meet minimum requirements.

Our current contracts include a combination of fixed prices and market based prices. For fixed price contracts, prices are fixed and subject to adjustment, upward or downward, based upon: (i) certain changes in published producer cost indices, including the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and the Producer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; or (ii) market factors, including a natural gas surcharge and/or a propane surcharge which are applied if the Average Natural Gas Price or the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu TX Propane Spot Price, respectively, as listed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, are above the benchmark set in the contract for the preceding calendar quarter. Contracts with market based pricing mechanisms allow for our raw frac sand prices to fluctuate within certain negotiated ranges depending on the price of crude oil (based upon the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices (“WTI”) as listed on www.eia.doe.gov ) for the preceding three month period. As a result, our realized prices may not grow at rates consistent with broader industry pricing trends. We may also elect to sell raw frac sand in the spot market if we have excess production and the spot market conditions are favorable.

With respect to the take-or-pay contracts, if the customer is not allowed to make up deficiencies, we recognize revenues to the extent of the minimum contracted quantity, assuming payment has been received or is reasonably assured. If deficiencies can be made up, receipts in excess of actual sales are recognized as deferred revenues until production is actually taken or the right to make up deficiencies expires. For the year ended December 31, 2015 and for the six months ended June 30, 2016, we received $11.1 million and $9.5 million in contractual minimum payments, respectively. As of June 30, 2016, $1.0 million of these contractual minimum payments was recognized as deferred revenue; there were no such payments recognized as deferred revenue as of December 31, 2015.

Due to sustained freezing temperatures in our area of operation during winter months, we halt the operation of our wet plant for up to five months. As a result, we excavate and wash sand in excess of current delivery requirements during the months when the wet plant is operational. This excess sand is placed in stockpiles that feed the dry plants and enable us to fill customer orders throughout the year without interruption.

Costs of Conducting Our Business

The principal direct costs involved in operating our business are excavation, labor and utility costs.

We incur excavation costs with respect to the excavation of sand and other materials from which we ultimately do not derive revenue. However, the ratio of rejected materials to total amounts excavated has been, and we believe will continue to be, in line with our expectations, given the extensive core sampling and other testing we undertook at the Oakdale facility. For more information regarding our reserves testing procedures, please read “Business—Our Assets and Operations—Our Reserves.”

On August 1, 2010, we entered into a consulting agreement related to the purchase of land with a third party, whereby he acted as an agent for us to obtain options to purchase certain identified real property in Wisconsin, as well as obtain permits and approvals necessary to open, construct and operate a sand mining and processing facility on such real property. In connection with this agreement, our mineral rights are subject to an aggregate non-participating royalty interest of $0.50 per ton sold of 70 mesh and coarser substrate.

 

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We incurred excavation costs of $1.4 million and $5.4 million during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, we incurred $0.5 million and $0.3 million of excavation costs, respectively.

Labor costs associated with employees at our processing facility represent the most significant cost of converting raw frac sand to finished product. We incurred labor costs of $4.8 million and $5.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $2.0 million and $2.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We incur utility costs in connection with the operation of our processing facility, primarily electricity and natural gas, which are both susceptible to market fluctuations. We incurred utility costs of $2.6 million and $5.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $0.9 million and $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Our facilities require periodic scheduled maintenance to ensure efficient operation and to minimize downtime, which historically has not resulted in significant costs to us.

Direct excavation costs, processing costs, overhead allocation, depreciation and depletion are capitalized as a component of inventory and are reflected in cost of goods sold when inventory is sold.

Revenue is generally recognized FCA, payment made at the origination point at our facility, and title passes as the product is loaded into rail cars hired by the customer. Certain spot-rate customers have shipping terms of FCA, payment made at the destination, for which we recognize revenue when the sand is received at the destination. As a result, we generally do not incur shipping expenses, as the expense is passed through to the customer.

How We Evaluate Our Operations

Gross Profit and Production Costs

We market our raw frac sand production under long-term take-or-pay contracts that either have fixed prices for our production or market based prices for our production that fluctuate with the price of crude oil. Additionally, we sell sand on a spot basis at current prevailing spot market prices. When market conditions are favorable, we look to enter into long-term take-or-pay contracts with our customers that are intended to mitigate our exposure to the potential price volatility of the spot market for raw frac sand and to enhance the stability of our cash flows. As of July 31, 2016, we had approximately 2.1 million tons (or approximately 64% of our current annual production capacity) contracted to oil and natural gas exploration and production and oilfield service companies. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts. Our revenues are generated from a combination of raw frac sand sales and minimum contractual payments we receive from our customers. Gross profit will primarily be affected by the price we are able to receive for the sale of our raw frac sand along with our minimum contractual payments made by our customers and our ability to control other direct and indirect costs associated with processing raw frac sand.

We also use production costs, which we define as costs of goods sold, excluding depreciation, depletion, accretion of asset retirement obligations and freight charges, to measure our financial performance. We believe production costs is a meaningful measure because it provides a measure of operating performance that is unaffected by historical cost basis. For a reconciliation of production costs to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We view EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as an important indicator of performance. We define EBITDA as our net income, plus (i) depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization expense, (ii) income tax expense

 

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(benefit), (iii) interest expense and (iv) franchise taxes. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus (i) gain or loss on sale of assets, (ii) initial public offering related costs, (iii) restricted stock compensation, (iv) development costs, (v) non-cash charges and unusual or non-recurring charges and (vi) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt. We recognize shortfall payments on a quarterly or annual basis in accordance with the respective terms of our customer contracts. Therefore, shortfall payment revenue impacts EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA in only certain periods rather than on a straight-line basis over the entire period. Please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures utilized by our management and other users of our financial statements such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others, to assess the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis.

Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Production costs, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Costs of goods sold is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to production costs and net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Each of these non-GAAP financial measures has important limitations as analytical tools because they exclude some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. You should not consider production costs, EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA in isolation or as substitutes for an analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because production costs, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. Please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Factors Impacting Comparability of Our Financial Results

Our historical results of operations and cash flows are not indicative of results of operations and cash flows to be expected in the future, principally for the following reasons:

 

    We completed an expansion of our Oakdale facility in September 2015 . In September 2015, we completed an expansion project to increase our processing capacity at our Oakdale facility from 2.2 million tons per year to approximately 3.3 million tons per year. As of July 31, 2016, we had approximately 2.1 million tons (or approximately 64% of our current annual production capacity) contracted to oil and natural gas exploration and production and oilfield service companies. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts, with a volume-weighted average remaining term of approximately 3.7 years.

 

    We will incur additional operating expenses as a publicly traded corporation . We expect we will incur approximately $1.4 million annually in additional operating expenses as a publicly traded corporation that we have not previously incurred, including costs associated with compliance under the Exchange Act, annual and quarterly reports to common stockholders, registrar and transfer agent fees, audit fees, incremental director and officer liability insurance costs and director and officer compensation. We additionally expect to incur $1.0 million in non-recurring costs related to our transition to a publicly traded corporation. These incremental expenses exclude the costs of this offering, as well as the costs associated with the initial implementation of our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 internal control reviews and testing.

 

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Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our revenue and expenses for the periods indicated.

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30,
    Year Ended
December 31,
 
     2016     2015     2015     2014  
     (in thousands)  

Revenues

   $ 18,853      $ 23,525      $ 47,698      $ 68,170   

Cost of goods sold

     11,869        12,288        21,003        29,934   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     6,984        11,237        26,695        38,236   

Operating expenses:

        

Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes

     2,295        2,828        5,055        5,088   

Depreciation and amortization

     181        169        388        160   

Selling, general and administrative

     1,926        2,547        4,669        7,222   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     4,402        5,544        10,112        12,470   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from operations

     2,582        5,693        16,583        25,766   

Preferred stock interest expense

     (3,123     (2,434     (5,078     (5,601

Other interest expense

     (1,671     (1,048     (2,748     (2,231

Other income

     189        351        362        370   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other expense

     (4,605     (3,131     (7,464     (7,462

Loss on extinguishment of debt

     —          —          —          (1,230
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax expense

     (2,023     2,562        9,119        17,074   

Income tax expense (benefit)

     (56     1,633        4,129        9,518   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net and comprehensive income (loss)

   $ (1,967   $ 929      $ 4,990      $ 7,556   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2015

Revenue

Revenue was $18.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, during which we sold approximately 322,000 tons of sand. Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $23.5 million, during which we sold approximately 447,000 tons of sand. Although total revenue decreased for the six months ended June 30, 2016 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2015, average revenue per ton sold increased by approximately $6 as a result of other contractual terms, such as required reservation and shortfall payments.

The key factors contributing to the decrease in revenues and increase in average revenue per ton for the six months ended June 30, 2016 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2015 were as follows:

 

    Contractual terms of four customer contracts were amended in the second half of 2015 resulting in a combination of reduced average selling prices per ton and adjustments to required take-or-pay volumes and length of contract. Two long-term contracts were amended in 2016 resulting in a combination of reduced average selling prices per ton and adjustments to required take-or-pay volumes and length of contract.

 

    Sand sales revenue decreased to $12.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $19.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 due to a decrease in tons sold and average selling price per ton. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the average selling price per ton was $39.30 as compared to $43.82 the six months ended June 30, 2015 due to the decrease in exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry. Sand sales revenue and average selling price includes any monthly reservation charges that certain of our customers are required to pay.

 

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    Contractual shortfall and reservation revenues were $3.0 million and $5.5 million, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2016, which helped to mitigate the lower sales volume and average selling price. Shortfall revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2016 resulted from one customer that was unable to meet the take-or-pay requirements for its contract year. Our customer contracts indicate whether customers are invoiced quarterly or at the end of their respective contract year for shortfall payments. We recognized revenue to the extent of the unfulfilled minimum contracted quantity at the shortfall price per ton as stated in the contract once payment was received or was reasonably assured. We expect to recognize shortfall revenue in future periods only to the extent that customers do not take contractual minimum volumes. Certain customers are required to pay a fixed-price monthly reservation charge based on a minimum contractual volume over the remaining life of their contract, which then may be applied as a per ton credit to the sales price up to a certain contractually specified monthly volume or credited against any applicable shortfall payments. There was no such revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2015.

 

    Transportation revenue was approximately $2.0 million less for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2015. Rail car rental revenue increased by approximately $1.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2015 due to an increase in the number of rail cars rented to our customers under long-term contracts. We incur transportation costs and recurring rail car rental expenses under our long-term rail car operating agreements. Our transportation and rail car rental revenues currently represent the pass through of these costs to our customers; therefore, these revenues do not have a material impact on our gross profit.

Cost of Goods Sold and Production Costs

Cost of goods sold was $11.9 million and $12.3 million, or $36.83 and $27.51 per ton sold, for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Of this amount, production costs comprised $5.7 million and $6.0 million, or $17.56 and $13.51 per ton sold, and freight charges, which consist of shipping costs and rail car rental and storage expense, comprised $3.2 million and $4.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Cost of goods sold was lower in the first six months of 2016 in comparison to the same period in 2015 due to lower sales volume along with cost savings initiatives enacted by us, including moving excavation activities in-house and converting fuel for all dry plants from propane to natural gas at the end of 2015. Depreciation and depletion included in cost of goods sold accounted for $3.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015. The per ton cost of goods sold increased by $9.32 as a result of 125,000 fewer tons sold for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to June 30, 2015 due to the decrease in exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry. For the definition of production costs and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Gross Profit

Gross profit equals revenues less cost of goods sold. Gross profit was $7.0 million and $11.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were $4.4 million and $5.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Operating expenses are comprised primarily of wages and benefits, travel and professional services fees. Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes of $2.3 million and $2.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, decreased due to the restructuring of certain management salaries and a reduction in headcount. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $0.6 million in the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2015 as a result of decreased professional costs due to market downturn and less growth opportunities.

 

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Preferred Stock and Other Interest Expense

We incurred $4.8 million and $3.5 million of interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 is derived primarily from paid-in-kind interest on the Preferred Stock as well as interest on our existing revolving credit facility. Interest on the Preferred Stock accounted for $3.1 million and $2.4 million of the expense for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Interest on our existing revolving credit facility accounted for $1.7 million and $1.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Additional items included in interest expense include the accretion of common stock issued and transaction costs incurred in conjunction with the September 2011 Securities Purchase Agreement, deferred financing fees, and interest incurred on capital leases. The paid-in-kind interest is added to the outstanding balance of the Preferred Stock.

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

Income tax benefit and income tax expense was $(0.1) million and $1.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, our statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 35% and 53%, respectively. The tax benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2016 also includes a discrete 7% impact for a provision-to-return adjustment associated with a change in estimates related to expenses that are not deductible for tax purposes. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, our statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 35% and 64%, respectively. The difference in these tax rates for both the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 was primarily due to state income tax, non-deductible interest expense on the Preferred Stock and certain book expenses not deductible for tax.

Net Loss and Adjusted EBITDA

Net loss was $(2.0) million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to net income of $0.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015. Adjusted EBITDA was $6.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $9.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015. The decreases in net income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA resulted from decreases in revenue and gross profit. The decreases were primarily due to lower volumes of sand sold and average selling price per ton sold due to reduced exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry. Additionally, we recognize shortfall payments on a quarterly or annual basis in accordance with the respective terms of our customer contracts. Therefore, shortfall payment revenue impacts EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA in only certain periods rather than on a straight-line basis over the entire period. For example, we expect that shortfall payments will have less of an impact on EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2016 than they will the six months ending December 31, 2016. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2014

Revenue

Revenue was $47.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, during which we sold approximately 751,000 tons of sand. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $68.2 million, during which we sold approximately 1,255,000 tons of sand. Although total revenue decreased for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, average revenue per ton sold increased by approximately $9 as a result of other contractual terms, such as required reservation and shortfall payments.

The key factors contributing to the decrease in revenues and increase in average revenue per ton for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014 were as follows:

 

    Sand sales revenue decreased to $31.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $62.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Tons sold decreased by 40% due to the decrease in exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry;

 

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    Average selling price per ton decreased to $42.32 for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $49.89 for the year ended December 31, 2014 due to the decrease in exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry; and

 

    Contractual shortfall and reservation revenues were $10.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2015, which helped to mitigate the lower sales volume and average selling price. Shortfall revenues for the year ended December 31, 2015 resulted from two customers that were unable to meet the take-or-pay requirements for their respective contract year. Our customer contracts indicate whether customers are invoiced quarterly or at the end of their respective contract year for shortfall payments. We recognized revenue to the extent of the unfulfilled minimum contracted quantity at the shortfall price per ton as stated in the contract once payment was received or was reasonably assured. We expect to recognize shortfall revenue in future periods only to the extent that customers do not take contractual minimum volumes. Certain customers are required to pay a fixed-price monthly reservation charge based on a minimum contractual volume over the remaining life of their contract, which are then credited against any applicable shortfall payments. There was no such revenue for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

    Transportation revenue was approximately $0.3 million more for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. Rail car rental revenue increased by approximately $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014 due to an increase in the number of rail cars rented to our customers under long-term contracts. Transportation costs decreased by approximately $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014 due to a decrease in customer orders for which we paid transportation charges. We incur transportation costs and recurring rail car rental expenses under our long-term rail car operating agreements. Our transportation and rail car rental revenues currently represent the pass through of these costs to our customers; therefore, these revenues do not have a material impact on our gross profit.

Cost of Goods Sold and Production Costs

Cost of goods sold was $21.0 million and $29.9 million, or $27.97 and $23.85 per ton sold, for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Of this amount, production costs comprised $10.1 million and $20.7 million, or $13.47 and $16.48 per ton sold, and freight charges, which consist of shipping costs and rail car rental and storage expense, comprised $6.0 million and $5.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Cost of goods sold was approximately $8.9 million lower in 2015 compared to 2014 due to lower sales volumes and reduced excavation expenses. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we performed excavation activities in-house resulting in cost savings of approximately $0.50 per ton excavated. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we outsourced excavation activities to an independent third party, with primarily fixed terms of $2.01 per ton excavated and delivered. Depreciation and depletion included in cost of goods sold account for $4.9 million and $3.5 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. For the definition of production costs and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Gross Profit

Gross profit equals revenues less cost of goods sold. Gross profit was $26.7 million and $38.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were $10.1 million and $12.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes remained consistent at $5.0 million for the years ended

 

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December 31, 2015 and 2014. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $2.6 million in 2015 compared to 2014 due to higher professional costs incurred in 2014 related to our previous uncompleted initial public offering process.

Preferred Stock and Other Interest Expense

We incurred $7.8 million of interest expense during each of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. Interest expense in 2015 and 2014 was derived primarily from paid-in-kind interest on the Preferred Stock as well as interest on our existing revolving credit facility. Interest on the Preferred Stock accounted for $5.1 million and $5.6 million of the expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Interest on our existing revolving credit facility accounted for $2.6 million and $2.1 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. Additional items included in interest expense include the accretion of common stock issued and transaction costs incurred in conjunction with the September 2011 Securities Purchase Agreement, deferred financing fees, and interest incurred on capital leases. The paid-in-kind interest is added to the outstanding balance of the Preferred Stock.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $9.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2015, our statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 35% and 45%, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2014, our statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 35% and 56%, respectively. The difference in these tax rates for both 2015 and 2014 was primarily due to state income tax, non-deductible interest expense on the Preferred Stock costs associated with our initial public offering process and changes in the applicable tax rate.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income was $5.0 million for year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Adjusted EBITDA was $23.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $33.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The decrease in net income and Adjusted EBITDA resulted from the decrease in revenue and gross profit primarily due to lower volumes and pricing compression resulting primarily from reduced exploration and production activity in the oil and natural gas industry. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Our principal liquidity requirements for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the six months ended June 30, 2016 were to fund capital expenditures for the expansion of the sand processing facility in Oakdale and to meet working capital needs. We met our liquidity needs with a combination of funds generated through operations and our existing revolving credit facility.

We expect that our future principal uses of cash will be for working capital, capital expenditures, potential acquisition activity and funding our debt service obligations. We expect our principal sources of liquidity will be cash generated by our operations and borrowings under the new revolving credit facility that we are in the process of negotiating, and we believe that cash from these sources will be sufficient to meet our short-term working capital requirements and long-term capital expenditure requirements. We believe that cash retained from the proceeds from this offering and cash generated by our operations will be sufficient to meet our short-term working capital requirements in the event we are unable to successfully enter into the new revolving credit facility.

 

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Working Capital

Working capital is the amount by which current assets exceed current liabilities and is a measure of our ability to pay our liabilities as they become due.

The following table presents the components of our working capital as of June 30, 2016 compared to June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2015 compared to December 31, 2014.

 

     June 30,      December 31,  
   2016     2015         
   (unaudited)     (unaudited)      2015     2014  
     (in thousands)  

Current assets

         

Cash

   $ 1,867      $ 425       $ 3,896      $ 802   

Accounts and unbilled receivables

     2,613        5,137         6,041        8,578   

Inventories

     4,349        5,778         4,181        8,630   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     862        2,375         1,524        3,923   

Deferred tax assets, current

     —          20         —          225   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     9,691        13,735         15,642        22,158   

Current liabilities

         

Accounts payable

     930        3,264         1,170        2,047   

Accrued liabilities

     2,559        5,426         3,778        6,350   

Deferred revenue

     6,229        —           7,133        —     

Income taxes payable

     2,425        —           —          —     

Current portion of equipment lease obligations

     740        399         409        389   

Current portion of long-term debt

     712        692         1,369        104   

Current Redeemable Series A Preferred Stock

     37,888        —           34,708        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     51,483        9,781         48,567        8,890   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Working capital (deficit)

   $ (41,792   $ 3,954       $ (32,925   $ 13,268   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

June 30, 2016 Compared to June 30, 2015. Our working capital deficit was $(41.8) million at June 30, 2016 compared to working capital of $4.0 million at June 30, 2015. Working capital included deferred revenue of $6.2 million at June 30, 2016 which represented contractual prepayments by certain customers. No such contractual prepayment obligations existed at June 30, 2015. Additionally, the Preferred Stock is included in current liabilities as it has a mandatory redemption date of September 13, 2016, but it can only be redeemed if certain defined pro forma financial covenants of our revolving credit facility are met. While we have classified the Preferred Stock as current because of these covenant requirements, we do not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Stock within the foreseeable future unless this offering is consummated. We plan to fully redeem the Preferred Stock from the proceeds of this offering.

Accounts and unbilled receivables decreased by $2.5 million from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2015 primarily due to decreases of raw frac sand volumes sold and average selling prices.

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities decreased $2.3 million and $2.9 million, respectively, from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2015, primarily due to payment of construction expenses related to certain capital projects in 2015.

December 31, 2015 Compared to December 31, 2014. Our working capital deficit was $(32.9) million at December 31, 2015 compared to working capital of $13.3 million at December 31, 2014. As of December 31, 2015, working capital included deferred revenue of $7.1 million that represented advanced payments from certain customers in order to secure and procure a reliable provision and delivery of product. Additionally, the

 

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Preferred Stock is included in current liabilities as it has a mandatory redemption date of September 13, 2016, but it can only be redeemed if certain defined pro forma financial covenants of our revolving credit facility are met. While we have classified the Preferred Stock as current, because of these covenant requirements, we do not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Stock within the foreseeable future unless the offering is consummated. We plan to fully redeem the Preferred Stock from the proceeds of this offering.

Accounts receivable decreased by $2.5 million from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015, primarily due to a decrease in raw frac sand sales volumes. The $4.4 million decrease in inventory from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015 is attributable to our lower estimate of sand inventory that is required to fill customer orders for a twelve-month period from the balance sheet date. Prepaid expenses and other current assets decreased $2.4 million as a result of a $1.4 million income tax refund received, collection of $0.3 million of other receivables and a $0.5 million decrease in prepaid insurance.

Accounts payable and accrued expenses included capitalized expenditures of $3.1 million and $4.4 million, as well as $0.6 million and $0.5 million of real estate taxes as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Additionally, revolving credit facility accrued interest totaled $0.7 million as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

Operating Activities

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2015

Net cash provided by operating activities was $6.1 million and $11.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015, respectively. Operating cash flows include a net loss of $(2.0) million and net income of $0.9 million in net earnings generated from the sale of raw frac sand to our customers in the six months ended June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015, respectively. The net earnings in each period were offset by production costs, general and administrative expenses and cash interest expense, adjusted for changes in working capital to the extent they are positive or negative. Included in operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2016 is a $0.5 million settlement of a derivative instrument; no such instrument existed in 2015.

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2014

Net cash provided by operating activities was $30.7 million and $22.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Operating cash flows include net income of $5.0 million and $7.6 million in net earnings generated from the sale of raw frac sand to our customers in the year ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The net earnings in each period were offset by production costs, general and administrative expenses and cash interest expense, adjusted for changes in working capital to the extent they are positive or negative.

 

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Investing Activities

The following table presents the components of net cash used in investing activities for the periods indicated.

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,      Year Ended December 31,   
     2016     2015                
       (unaudited)         (unaudited)                2015                      2014          
     (in thousands)  

Oakdale:

          

Plant Expansion

   $ 239      $ 13,495       $ 16,907       $ 17,853   

Land

     —          —           —           —     

Other

     722        1,723         2,027         4,498   

Hixton:

          

Original Plant

     (458     6,212         8,723         3,224   

Land

     —          209         1,397         3,911   

Other

     —          167         172         1,402   

Byron:

          

Original Facility

     258        —           149         —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Cash capital expenditures

     761        21,806         29,375         30,888   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-cash capital expenditures

     987        5,204         3,113         4,386   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total capital expenditures

   $ 1,748      $ 27,010       $ 32,488       $ 35,274   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financing Activities

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2015

Net cash used in financing activities was $7.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, which included repayments of $6.2 million under our existing revolving credit facility and $1.1 million of payments on our existing equipment notes payable and capitalized leases.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $10.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015, which was comprised primarily of $10.4 million of net borrowings on our existing revolving credit facility and $0.2 million of payments on our existing equipment notes payable and capital leases.

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2014

Net cash provided by financing activities was $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, which included net borrowings of $3.2 million under our existing revolving credit facility, offset by $0.5 million of repayments on long-term debt, $0.4 million in payments on equipment financing obligations, $0.4 million on loan amendment fees and $0.1 million in treasury stock purchases.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, which included net borrowings of $57.7 million under our existing revolving credit facility, offset by a $40.0 million partial redemption of the Preferred Stock, a $9.2 million pay down of the line of credit, and $0.7 million of loan origination and amendment costs.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

At June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had outstanding letters of credit in the amount of $3.5 million and $4.2 million, respectively.

 

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Capital Requirements

The second Oakdale drying facility was completed in July 2014 and the third Oakdale drying facility was completed in September 2015. As of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had commitments related to these projects as well as future expansion projects of approximately $2.3 million and $2.4 million, respectively. We expect to incur approximately $1.6 million during the second half of 2016 in expansion capital expenditures. Expansion capital expenditures are anticipated to support incremental growth initiatives. These projects are expected to provide efficiencies in our plant operations and improve our logistics capabilities to further position us to capitalize upon growth opportunities that we anticipate will continue to develop with both current and potential new customers. We expect to fund these expansion capital expenditures with cash flow from operations. Please read “Use of Proceeds.”

Credit Facilities

Our Credit Facility and Other Arrangements

Below is a description of our existing revolving credit facility and other financing arrangements. We are in the process of negotiating a new revolving credit facility with unaffiliated third-party lenders that we expect to enter into at or shortly after the closing of this offering.

Line of Credit. On July 2, 2012, we obtained a one-year $10 million line of credit from a bank. The line of credit had an interest rate of Prime plus 1%. In July 2012, borrowings on the line of credit amounted to $6 million. In August 2012, we borrowed the remaining $4 million under the line of credit. The line of credit was guaranteed by the majority holder of our common stock (and the sole holder of the Preferred Stock). In connection with the guarantee, the holder of the Preferred Stock was paid additional stock dividends of 0.32% per annum through the maturity date of the line of credit. In July 2013, the line of credit was extended through July 9, 2014 and bore an interest rate of Prime plus 0.35% (3.60% as of December 31, 2013). There were no financial covenants associated with the agreement. On March 28, 2014, the outstanding balance of $9.3 million, which included accrued interest, was paid in full.

Existing Revolving Credit Facility. On March 28, 2014, we entered into a $72.5 million revolving credit and security agreement with our wholly-owned subsidiary Fairview Cranberry Company, LLC as co-borrowers, and PNC Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and collateral agent (the “Credit Agreement”). The existing revolving credit facility matures on March 28, 2019. We refer to this facility as the existing revolving credit facility.

On October 29, 2014, we amended the Credit Agreement to provide for up to a $100.0 million existing revolving credit facility, as well as a sublimit of up to $15.0 million for the issuance of letters of credit.

The credit facility contains various covenants and restrictive provisions and requires maintenance of financial covenants, including a fixed charge coverage ratio and a total leverage ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement). As of September 30, 2015, our total leverage ratio exceeded the threshold of 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with all other covenants at that time.

 

On December 18, 2015, we entered into the fourth amendment to the Credit Agreement (“Fourth Amendment”). Under the Fourth Amendment, the event of default related to the September 30, 2015 leverage ratio was waived and the following terms were amended:

 

    the total commitment was reduced from $100.0 million to $75.0 million;

 

    quarterly permanent paydowns are required until the maximum commitment reaches $55.0 million from the sharing of excess cash flow, as defined in the Fourth Amendment. As of June 30, 2016, the maximum commitment for the existing revolving credit facility was $74.0 million;

 

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    application of the leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio covenants are foregone until the earlier of December 31, 2016 or such quarter that the Company cannot maintain a $3.0 million excess availability (as defined in the Fourth Amendment); and

 

    annual capital expenditures are restricted, as defined in the Fourth Amendment, until the $55.0 million maximum commitment level is reached.

In addition, the Fourth Amendment increased the interest rates applicable to borrowings under the existing revolving credit facility at our option at either:

 

    a Base Rate, as defined, which will be the base commercial lending rate of PNC Bank, as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin of 3.00%; or

 

    LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 4.00%.

We incurred a $250,000 commitment fee for this amendment, recorded as debt discount against the existing revolving credit facility. At June 30, 2016, we were in compliance with the required financial covenants and had undrawn availability under this credit facility totaling $12.5 million. At June 30, 2016, outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement bore interest at a weighted-average rate of approximately 4.47%. We expect to fully repay any outstanding borrowings with a portion of the proceeds from this offering. Please read “Use of Proceeds.”

We expect to repay in full the existing revolving credit facility with a portion of the net proceeds of this offering and terminate the facility following the closing of this offering.

New Revolving Credit Facility. We are in the process of negotiating a new $40 to 50 million revolving credit facility with unaffiliated third-party lenders that we expect to enter into at or shortly after the closing of this offering. While this credit facility is not yet in place, we expect that the new revolving credit facility would mature three years after its closing and would have lower interest rates than our existing revolving credit facility. There can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into the new revolving credit facility, which will require (i) the continued negotiation and execution and delivery of the credit agreement and all related documents and legal opinions; (ii) delivery of officer’s certificates, financial information and organizational documents; (iii) satisfaction of conditions related to perfection of liens; (iv) obtaining all required consents and (v) payment of all fees and other amounts due to the lenders under the credit agreement. The credit facility will be used for capital expenditures and permitted acquisitions, to provide for working capital requirements and for other general corporate purposes.

We expect obligations under the new revolving credit facility would be secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of our assets and that borrowings under the new revolving credit facility will bear interest at a rate equal to LIBOR or an alternate base rate plus an applicable margin. LIBOR, the alternate base rate and the applicable margin will be defined in the replacement credit facility. We expect the unused portion of the new revolving credit facility will be subject to an annual commitment fee.

We expect that the new revolving credit facility will contain various affirmative and negative covenants and restrictive provisions that will limit our ability (as well as the ability of our subsidiaries) to, among other things:

 

    incur or guarantee additional debt;

 

    make certain investments and acquisitions;

 

    incur certain liens or permit them to exist;

 

    alter our lines of business;

 

    enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates;

 

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    merge or consolidate with another company; and

 

    transfer, sell or otherwise dispose of assets.

In addition, we expect that the new revolving credit facility will restrict our ability to make distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, our equity interests so long as, both at the time of the distribution and after giving effect to the distribution, no default exists under the new revolving credit facility. We expect the new revolving credit facility will also require us to maintain certain financial covenants.

We also expect that the new revolving credit facility will contain events of default customary for facilities of this nature, including, but not limited, to:

 

    events of default resulting from our failure or the failure of any guarantors to comply with covenants and financial ratios;

 

    the occurrence of a change of control;

 

    the institution of insolvency or similar proceedings against us or any guarantor; and

 

    the occurrence of a default under any other material indebtedness we or any guarantor may have.

Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an event of default, subject to the terms and conditions of the new revolving credit facility, we expect that the lenders will be able to declare any outstanding principal of the credit facility debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest, to be immediately due and payable and exercise other remedies.

Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock. On September 13, 2011, we entered into a financing agreement with Clearlake. The agreement provides for the sale of Preferred Stock to Clearlake in three tranches. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, we incurred $5.7 million and $6.0 million of interest expense related to the Preferred Stock, respectively. We capitalized $0.6 million and $0.4 million of interest expense related to the Preferred Stock in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. On March 28, 2014, in connection with entering into our existing revolving credit facility, approximately $40 million of Preferred Stock was redeemed.

The Preferred Stock is mandatorily redeemable on or after September 13, 2016 if certain defined pro forma financial covenants of our revolving credit facility are met. The redemption price is the original issuance price per share of all outstanding Preferred Stock plus any unpaid accrued dividends. The Preferred Stock is not convertible into common stock or any other security we issue. As a result of the Preferred Stock’s stated mandatory redemption date, we classified these securities as current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we classified the Preferred Stock as long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Under our existing revolving credit facility, the Preferred Stock can be redeemed only if we meet certain defined pro forma financial covenants. While we have classified the Preferred Stock as current because of these covenant requirements, we do not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Shares in the foreseeable future unless the offering is consummated. We expect to redeem all of the Preferred Stock with a portion of the proceeds from this offering.

At June 30, 2016, the liquidation value of the Preferred Stock was $38.3 million.

Customer Concentration

For the six months ended June 30, 2016, sales to US Well Services, Weatherford, and C&J Energy Services accounted for 37.3%, 32.8% and 17.6%, respectively, of total revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2015, sales to EOG Resources, US Well Services, Weatherford and Archer Pressure Pumping accounted for 35.0%, 24.6%, 18.4% and 15.8%, respectively, of total revenue. The terms of each contract provide for certain remedies, including true-up payments, in the event that a customer does not purchase minimum monthly volumes of sand.

 

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Contractual Obligations

The following table presents our contractual obligations and other commitments as of December 31, 2015.

 

            Less than      1-3      3-5      More than  
     Total      1 year      years      years      5 years  
     (in thousands)  

Equipment lease obligations(1)

   $ 1,791       $ 483       $ 1,308       $ —         $ —     

Notes payable(2)

     1,938         1,369         569         —           —     

Oakdale construction obligations(3)

     2,400         2,400         —           —           —     

Asset retirement obligations(4)

     1,180         —           —           —           1,180   

Preferred Stock(5)

     35,552         35,552         —           —           —     

Equipment and office operating leases(6)

     26,153         6,537         11,372         6,174         2,070   

Revolving credit facility(7)

     64,216         —           —           64,216         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 133,230       $ 46,341       $ 13,249       $ 70,390       $ 3,250   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) Through December 31, 2015, we entered into various lease arrangements to lease operational equipment. Interest rates on these lease arrangements ranged from 4.8% to 6.3% and maturities range from 2017 through 2018.
(2) We have financed certain equipment, automobile and land purchases by entering into various debt agreements. Interest rates on these notes ranged from 0% to 4.75% and maturities range from 2014 through 2017.
(3) As part of our Oakdale plant expansion, we were committed to capital expenditures of approximately $2,300 as of June 30, 2016.
(4) The asset retirement obligation represents the fair value of post closure reclamation and site restoration commitments for the Oakdale property and processing facility and Hixton property.
(5) In September 2011, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Clearlake which provided for three investment tranches of Preferred Stock. As of December 31, 2013, two of the tranches have been funded, resulting in the issuance of 48,000 preference shares with a par value of $0.001 per share which are mandatorily redeemable on or after September 13, 2016 if certain defined pro forma financial covenants of our revolving credit facility are met. The Preferred Stock has been valued at its issuance value plus accrued dividends less a $40 million repayment made in March 2014. As of June 30, 2016, the liquidation value was $38.3 million. While we have classified the Preferred Stock as current because of these covenant requirements, we do not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Stock in the foreseeable future unless this offering is consummated.
(6) We have entered into long-term operating leases for certain operational equipment, rail equipment and office space. Certain long-term rail car operating leases have been executed; however payment does not begin until the cars arrive. Cars are estimated to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2016. Monthly lease expense per car on these 30 cars is $645, or $232 on an annualized basis. Due to the uncertain nature of delivery, these rail car leases have not been included in the schedule.
(7) The existing revolving credit facility has a maturity date of March  28, 2019.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure of Market Risks

Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices. Historically, our risks have been predominantly related to potential changes in the fair value of our long-term debt due to fluctuations in applicable market interest rates. Going forward our market risk exposure generally will be limited to those risks that arise in the normal course of business, as we do not engage in speculative, non-operating transactions, nor do we utilize financial instruments or derivative instruments for trading purposes.

Commodity Price Risk

The market for proppant is indirectly exposed to fluctuations in the prices of crude oil and natural gas to the extent such fluctuations impact drilling and completion activity levels and thus impact the activity levels of our

 

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customers in the oilfield services and exploration and production industries. However, because we generate the substantial majority of our revenues under long-term take-or-pay contracts, we believe we have only limited exposure to short-term fluctuations in the prices of crude oil and natural gas. We do not currently intend to hedge our indirect exposure to commodity price risk.

Interest Rate Risk

As of June 30, 2016, we had $57.2 million, net of a $0.8 million debt discount, in variable rate long-term debt outstanding under our existing revolving credit facility, which bears interest at our option at either:

 

    a Base Rate (as defined in the existing revolving credit facility), which will be the base commercial lending rate of PNC Bank, as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin of 3.00%; or

 

    LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 4.00%.

The fair value of our long-term debt at June 30, 2016 was approximately $58.0 million, as the debt was obtained in March 2014, and is therefore considered to reflect the application of current interest rates offered for debt with similar remaining terms and maturities. As an indication of this debt’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates, based upon an immediate 50 basis point increase in the applicable interest rates at June 30, 2016, the fair value of our variable rate long-term debt would have decreased by approximately $0.1 million. Conversely, a 50 basis point decrease in that rate would increase the fair value of this indebtedness by $0.2 million.

We expect to terminate our existing revolving credit facility following the closing of this offering and the application of the net proceeds therefrom. We expect to enter into a new revolving credit facility at or shortly after the closing of this offering.

Credit Risk

Substantially all of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2015 was generated through long-term take-or-pay contracts with five customers. Our customers are oil and natural gas producers and oilfield service providers, all of which have been negatively impacted by the recent downturn in activity in the oil and natural gas industry. This concentration of counterparties operating in a single industry may increase our overall exposure to credit risk, in that the counterparties may be similarly affected by changes in economic, regulatory or other conditions. If a customer defaults or if any of our contracts expires in accordance with its terms, and we are unable to renew or replace these contracts, our gross profit and cash flows may be adversely affected. For example, in July 2016, one of our contracted customers, C&J Energy Services filed for bankruptcy and rejected our contract, which had 2.3 years and 0.7 million tons contracted remaining under the contract. We are pursuing a claim for damages through the bankruptcy courts at this time but it is uncertain as to what, if any recoveries we will be granted by the court.

Internal Controls and Procedures

We are not currently required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a public company, we will be required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which will require our management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We will not be required to make our first assessment of our internal control over financial reporting until the year of our second annual report required to be filed with the SEC. To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to implement additional financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures and hire additional accounting, finance and legal staff.

 

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Further, our independent registered public accounting firm is not yet required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, and will not be required to do so for as long as we are an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the provisions of the JOBS Act. Please read “Summary—Our Emerging Growth Company Status.”

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, “Stock Compensation (ASC 718)—Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which is intended to simplify the tax accounting impacts of stock compensation. Additionally, the new standard provides accounting policy elections regarding vesting and forfeiture accounting. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods. We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (ASC 842), which replaces the existing guidance in ASC 840, “Leases.” ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use assets. The new lease standard does not substantially change lessor accounting. The new standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes—Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes”, which requires the presentation of deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as non-current on balance sheets. The amendments in this ASU are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. We have elected to early adopt this guidance prospectively as of December 31, 2015. The adoption only impacted deferred tax presentation on the consolidated balance sheet and related disclosure. No prior periods were retrospectively adjusted.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”, which requires an entity to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The new standard is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently evaluating the new guidance and have not yet determined the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-15, “Interest-Imputation of Interest”, which simplifies presentation of debt issuance costs. The new standard requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The new standard will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. We are currently evaluating the new guidance and have not yet determined the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Going Concern”, which provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if “conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The

 

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ASU applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the future disclosure requirements under this guidance.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. The objective of ASU 2014-19 is to establish a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In applying the new guidance, an entity will (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the contract’s performance obligations; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017 for public companies. Early adoption is only permitted as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. We are currently evaluating the new guidance and have not determined the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements nor decided upon the method of adoption.

New and Revised Financial Accounting Standards

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the provisions of the JOBS Act, enacted on April 5, 2012. Section 102 of the JOBS Act 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. However, we are choosing to “opt out” of such extended transition period, and as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Our election to “opt-out” of the extended transition period is irrevocable.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally acceptable in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis and base our estimates on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities as well as identifying and assessing the accounting treatment with respect to commitments and contingencies. Our actual results may materially differ from these estimates.

Listed below are the accounting policies we believe are critical to our financial statements due to the degree of uncertainty regarding the estimates or assumptions involved, and that we believe are critical to the understanding of our operations.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of products has occurred, the sales price charged is fixed or determinable, collectability is reasonably assured, and the risk of loss

 

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is transferred to the customer. This generally means that sales are FCA, payment made at the origination point at our facility, and title passes as the product is loaded into rail cars hired by the customer. Certain spot-rate customers have shipping terms of FCA, payment made at the destination; we recognize this revenue when the sand is received at the destination.

We derive our revenue by mining and processing sand that our customers purchase for various uses. Our revenues are primarily a function of the price per ton realized and the volumes sold. In some instances, our revenues also include transportation costs we charge to our customers and a monthly charge to reserve sand capacity. Our transportation revenue fluctuates based on a number of factors, including the volume of product we transport and the distance between our plant and our customers. Our reservation revenue fluctuates based on negotiated contract terms.

We sell a limited amount of product under short-term price agreements or at prevailing market rates. The majority of our revenues are realized through long-term take-or-pay contracts. The expiration dates of these contracts range from 2016 through 2020; however, certain contracts include extension periods, as defined in the respective contracts. These agreements define, among other commitments, the volume of product that our customers must purchase, the volume of product that we must provide and the price that we will charge and that our customers will pay for each ton of contracted product. Prices under these agreements are generally either fixed or indexed to WTI and subject to adjustment, upward or downward, based upon: (i) certain changes in published producer cost indices, including the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and the Producer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; or (ii) market factors, including a natural gas surcharge and a propane surcharge which are applied if the Average Natural Gas Price or the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu TX Propane Spot Price, respectively, as listed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, are above the benchmark set in the contract for the preceding calendar quarter. As a result, our realized prices may not grow at rates consistent with broader industry pricing. For example, during periods of rapid price growth, our realized prices may grow more slowly than those of competitors, and during periods of price decline, our realized prices may outperform industry averages. With respect to the take-or-pay arrangements, if the customer is not allowed to make up deficiencies, we recognize revenues to the extent of the minimum contracted quantity, assuming payment has been received or is reasonably assured. Such revenue is generally recognized either quarterly or at the end of a customer contract year rather than ratably over the respective contract year. If deficiencies can be made up, receipts in excess of actual sales are recognized as deferred revenues until production is actually taken or the right to make up deficiencies expires.

Asset Retirement Obligation

We estimate the future cost of dismantling, restoring and reclaiming operating excavation sites and related facilities in accordance with federal, state and local regulatory requirements and recognize reclamation obligations when extraction occurs and record them as liabilities at estimated fair value. In addition, a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset is recorded and depreciated over such asset’s useful life or the estimated number of years of extraction. The reclamation liability is accreted to expense over the estimated productive life of the related asset and is subject to adjustments to reflect changes in value resulting from the passage of time and revisions to the estimates of either the timing or amount of the reclamation costs. If the asset retirement obligation is settled for more or less than the carrying amount of the liability, a loss or gain will be recognized, respectively.

Inventory Valuation

Sand inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market using the average cost method. Costs applied to inventory include direct excavation costs, processing costs, overhead allocation, depreciation and depletion. Stockpile tonnages are calculated by measuring the number of tons added and removed from the stockpile. Tonnages are verified periodically by an independent surveyor. Costs are calculated on a per ton basis and are applied to the stockpiles based on the number of tons in the stockpile.

 

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Spare parts inventory includes critical spare parts. We account for spare parts on a first in first out basis, and value the inventory at the lower of cost or market.

Depletion

We amortize the cost to acquire land and mineral rights using a units-of-production method, based on the total estimated reserves and tonnage extracted each period.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

We periodically evaluate whether current events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of our assets may not be recoverable. If circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable, we estimate future undiscounted net cash (without interest charges), estimated future sales prices (considering historical and current prices, price trends and related factors) and anticipated operating costs and capital expenditures. We record a reduction in the carrying value of our long-lived assets if the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value of the assets.

Our estimates of prices, recoverable proven reserves and operating and capital costs are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may affect the recoverability of our long-lived assets. Although we have made our best estimate of these factors based on current conditions, it is reasonably possible that changes could occur, which could adversely affect our estimate of the net cash flows expected to be generated from our operating property. No impairment charges were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 or the six-month period ended June 30, 2016.

Income Taxes

Under the balance sheet approach to provide for income taxes, we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of net operating loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, we consider whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the period in which those temporary differences become deductible. If we determine it is more likely than not that we will not be able to realize the benefits of the deductible temporary differences, we record a valuation against the net deferred tax asset.

We recognize the impact of uncertain tax positions at the largest amount that, in our judgment, is more-likely-than-not to be required to be recognized upon examination by a taxing authority.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense is recorded based upon the fair value of the award at grant date. Such costs are recognized as expense over the corresponding requisite service period. The fair value of the awards granted was calculated based on a weighted analysis of (i) publicly-traded companies in a similar line of business to us (market comparable method) and (ii) our discounted cash flows. The application of this valuation model involves inputs and assumptions that are judgmental and highly sensitive in the valuation of incentive awards, which affects compensation expense related to these awards. These inputs and assumptions include the value of a share of our common stock.

We use a combination of the guideline company approach and a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the fair value of our stock. The key assumptions in this estimate include our projections of future cash flows, company-specific cost of capital used as a discount rate, lack of marketability discount, and qualitative factors to compare us to comparable guideline companies. During 2015, factors that contributed to changes in the

 

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underlying value of our stock included the continued market challenges and corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling activity, changes to future cash flows projected from the recent expansion of capacity, product mix including mix of finer grade versus coarser grade sand, and other factors. As our operations are highly dependent on sales to the oil and gas industry, the market conditions for this industry have a high degree of impact on the company’s value.

We will continue to use judgment in evaluating the inputs and assumptions related to our stock-based compensation on a prospective basis and incorporating these factors into our pricing model. However, once our shares are publicly traded, we will use the actual market price as the grant date fair value, and will no longer estimate the value of the shares underlying the stock-based awards.

The following is a summary of the restricted stock awards granted and the related grant date fair value in the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, as well as for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

     Number of
Shares
Granted
     Grant Date Fair
Value
 

For the six months ended June 30, 2016

     73.0       $ 8,464   

For the year ended December 31, 2015

     20.0         17,732   

For the year ended December 31, 2014

     154.0         17,732   

Environmental Matters

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing, among other things, hazardous materials, air and water emissions, environmental contamination and reclamation and the protection of the environment and natural resources. We have made, and expect to make in the future, expenditures to comply with such laws and regulations, but cannot predict the full amount of such future expenditures.

 

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PROPPANT INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Unless otherwise indicated, the information set forth under “—Industry Trends Impacting Our Business,” including all statistical data and related forecasts, is derived from The Freedonia Group’s Industry Study #3302, “Proppants in North America,” published in September 2015, Spears & Associates’ “Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017” published in the second quarter 2016, PropTester, Inc. and Kelrik, LLC’s “2015 Proppant Market Report” published in March 2016 and Baker Hughes’ “North America Rotary Rig Count” published in July 2016. We believe that the third-party sources are reliable and that the third-party information included in this prospectus or in our estimates is accurate and complete. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the proppant industry data presented herein, estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors.”

Overview

The oil and natural gas proppant industry is comprised of businesses involved in the mining or manufacturing of the propping agents used in the drilling and completion of oil and natural gas wells. Hydraulic fracturing is the most widely used method for stimulating increased production from wells. The process consists of pumping fluids, mixed with granular proppants, into the geologic formation at pressures sufficient to create fractures in the hydrocarbon-bearing rock. Proppant-filled fractures create conductive channels through which the hydrocarbons can flow more freely from the formation into the wellbore and then to the surface.

Types of Proppant

There are three primary types of proppant that are commonly utilized in the hydraulic fracturing process: raw frac sand, which is the product we produce, resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramic beads. The following chart illustrates the composition of the U.S. market for proppant by type.

 

LOGO

 

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Pricing Trends

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking hydraulic frac sand as part of its Producer Price Index (“PPI”) related to commodities in 2012. A chart of their Frac Sand PPI is below.

 

LOGO

Raw Frac Sand

Of the three primary types of proppant, raw frac sand is the most widely used due to its broad applicability in oil and natural gas wells and its cost advantage relative to other proppants. Raw frac sand has been employed in nearly all major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins, including the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, Granite Wash, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara, DJ, Permian, Utica, Williston and Woodford basins.

Raw frac sand is generally mined from the surface or underground, and in some cases crushed, and then cleaned and sorted into consistent mesh sizes. The API has a range of guidelines it uses to evaluate frac sand grades and mesh sizes. In order to meet API specifications, raw frac sand must meet certain thresholds related to particle size, shape (sphericity and roundness), crush resistance, turbidity (fines and impurities) and acid solubility. Oil and natural gas producers generally require that raw frac sand used in their drilling and completion processes meet API specifications.

Raw frac sand can be further delineated into two main naturally occurring types: white sand and brown sand. Northern White, which is the specific type of white raw frac sand that we produce, is considered to be of higher quality than brown sand due to the monocrystalline grain structure of Northern White frac sand. Brown sand (also called Brady or Hickory sand) has historically been considered the lower quality raw frac sand, due to its polycrystalline structure and inferior angularity, strength and purity characteristics. Northern White frac sand, due to its exceptional quality, commands premium prices relative to other types of sand. Northern White frac sand has historically experienced the greatest market demand relative to supply, due both to its superior physical characteristics and the fact that it is a limited resource that exists predominately in Wisconsin and other limited parts of the upper Midwest region of the United States. However, even within Northern White raw frac sand, the quality of Northern White raw frac sand can vary significantly across deposits.

Resin-Coated Frac Sand

Resin-coated frac sand consists of raw frac sand that is coated with a resin that increases the sand’s crush strength and prevents crushed sand from dispersing throughout the fracture. The strength and shape of the end product are largely determined by the quality of the underlying raw frac sand. Pressured (or tempered) resin-

 

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coated sand primarily enhances crush strength, thermal stability and chemical resistance, allowing the sand to perform under harsh downhole conditions. Curable (or bonding) resin-coated frac sand uses a resin that is designed to bond together under closure stress and high temperatures, preventing proppant flowback. In general, resin-coated frac sand is better suited for higher pressure, higher temperature drilling operations commonly associated with deep wells and natural gas wells.

Ceramics

Ceramic proppant is a manufactured product of comparatively consistent size and spherical shape that typically offers the highest crush strength relative to other types of proppants. As a result, ceramic proppant use is most applicable in the highest pressure and temperature drilling environments. Ceramic proppant derives its product strength from the molecular structure of its underlying raw material and is designed to withstand extreme heat, depth and pressure environments. The deepest, highest temperature and highest pressure wells typically require heavy weight ceramics with high alumina/bauxite content and coarser mesh sizes. The lower crush resistant ceramic proppants are lighter weight and derived from kaolin clay, with densities closer to raw frac sand.

Comparison of Key Proppant Characteristics

The following table sets forth what we believe to be the key comparative characteristics of the primary types of proppant, including Northern White raw frac sand that we produce.

 

   

Brown Raw Frac Sand

 

Northern White
Raw Frac Sand

 

Resin-coated

 

Ceramics

Product and Characteristics

 

•  Natural resource

 

•  Quality of sand varies widely depending on source

 

•  Natural resource

 

•  Considered highest quality raw frac sand

 

•  Monocrystalline in nature, exhibiting crush strength, turbidity and roundness and sphericity in excess of API specifications

 

•  Raw frac sand substrate with resin coating

 

•  Coating increases crush strength

 

•  Bond together to prevent proppant flowback

 

•  Manufactured product

 

•  Typically highest crush strength

Crush Strength

  up to 12,000 psi   up to 12,000 psi   up to 15,000 psi   up to 18,000 psi

Relative Price

  Least Expensive   ×                                                                        Ø   Most Expensive

Source: API; Stim-Lab, Inc.; company provided information; The Freedonia Group, September 2015

Proppant Mesh Sizes

Mesh size is used to describe the size of the proppant and is determined by sieving the proppant through screens with uniform openings corresponding to the desired size of the proppant. Each type of proppant comes in various sizes, categorized as mesh sizes, and the various mesh sizes are used in different applications in the oil and natural gas industry. The mesh number system is a measure of the number of equally sized openings there are per linear inch of screen (composed of a grid pattern of crisscrossed wires) through which the proppant is sieved. For example, a 30 mesh screen has 30 equally sized openings per linear inch. Therefore, as the mesh size increases, the granule size decreases. A mesh size of 30/50 refers to sand that passes through a 30 mesh screen but is retained on a 50 mesh screen. As defined by John T. Boyd, 100 mesh sand refers to sand that passes through a 70 mesh screen but is retained on a 140 mesh screen.

Frac Sand Extraction, Processing and Distribution

Raw frac sand is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined and processed. While the specific extraction method utilized depends primarily on the geologic setting, most raw frac sand is mined using conventional open-pit bench extraction methods. The composition, depth and chemical purity of the sand also dictate the processing method and equipment utilized. After extraction, the raw frac sand is washed with water to remove fine impurities such as clay and organic particles. The final steps in the production process involve the drying and sorting of the raw frac sand according to mesh size required to meet API specifications.

 

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After this processing stage, most frac sand is shipped in bulk from the processing facility to customers by rail, barge or truck. For high volumes of raw frac sand, transportation costs often represent a significant portion of the customer’s overall cost, which highlights the importance of efficient bulk shipping. Due to the midcontinent location of Northern White raw frac sand mines, rail is the predominant method of long distance sand shipment from the region. For this reason, direct access to Class I rail lines (such as Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific) is an important differentiator in the industry. Our Oakdale facility has access to two Class I rail lines. The presence of an onsite rail yard capable of storing multiple trains, like the rail facility at our Oakdale plant, provides optimal efficiency. Rail shipment can occur via manifest trains or unit trains. Manifest trains, also called mixed-freight trains, are considered less efficient because these trains switch cars at various intermediate junctions in transit and routinely encounter delays. By contrast, unit trains, like those we employ at our Oakdale facility, tend to travel from origin to destination without stopping at intermediate destinations or multiple switching yards. The capability to ship via unit train, and simultaneously manage multiple unit trains at the production facility, enables reliable and cost effective delivery of high volumes of sand.

Demand Trends

According to Spears, the U.S. proppant market, including raw frac sand, ceramic and resin-coated proppant, was approximately 52.5 million tons in 2015. Kelrik estimates that the total raw frac sand market in 2015 represented approximately 92.3% of the total proppant market by weight. Market demand in 2015 dropped by approximately 28% from 2014 record demand levels (and a further estimated decrease of 43% in 2016 from 2015) due to the downturn in commodity prices since late 2014, which led to a corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity. According to the Freedonia Group, during the period from 2009 to 2014, proppant demand by weight increased by 42% annually. Spears estimates from 2016 through 2020 proppant demand is projected to grow by 23.2% per year, from 30 million tons per year to 85 million tons per year, representing an increase of approximately 55 million tons in annual proppant demand over that time period.

 

LOGO

Demand growth for raw frac sand and other proppants is primarily driven by advancements in oil and natural gas drilling and well completion technology and techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. These advancements have made the extraction of oil and natural gas increasingly cost-effective in formations that historically would have been uneconomic to develop. While current horizontal rig counts have fallen significantly from their peak of approximately 1,370 in 2014, rig count grew at an annual rate of 18.7% from 2009 to 2014. Additionally, the percentage of active drilling rigs used to drill horizontal wells, which require greater volumes of proppant than vertical wells, has increased from 42.2% in 2009 to 68.4% in 2014, and as of July 2016 the percentage of rigs drilling horizontal wells is 77% according to the Baker Hughes Rig Count.

 

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According to its “Drilling and Production Outlook” published in June 2016, Spears estimates that drilling and completion spending will increase from an estimated $49 billion in 2016 to $144 billion in 2020, driving an estimated increase in the total active rig count to 1,089 active rigs by 2020, with the estimated percentage of horizontal wells being drilled at 62%. Moreover, the increase of pad drilling has led to a more efficient use of rigs, allowing more wells to be drilled per rig. As a result of these factors, well count, and hence proppant demand, has grown at a greater rate than overall rig count. Spears estimates that in 2019, proppant demand will exceed the 2014 peak (of approximately 72.5 million tons) and reach 77.5 million tons even though the projection assumes approximately 10,000 fewer wells will be drilled. Spears estimates that average proppant usage per well will be approximately 5,000 tons per well by 2020. Kelrik notes that current sand-based slickwater completions use in excess of 7,500 tons per well of proppant.

We believe that demand for proppant will be amplified by the following factors:

 

    improved drilling rig productivity, resulting in more wells drilled per rig per year;

 

    completion of exploration and production companies’ inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells;

 

    increases in the percentage of rigs that are drilling horizontal wells;

 

    increases in the length of the typical horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the number of fracture stages per foot in the typical completed horizontal wellbore;

 

    increases in the volume of proppant used per fracturing stage;

 

    renewed focus of exploration and production companies to maximize ultimate recovery in active reservoirs through downspacing; and

 

    increasing secondary hydraulic fracturing of existing wells as early shale wells age.

The following table illustrates the steadily increasing intensity of proppant use in those wells.

 

LOGO

Wells in unconventional reservoirs are characterized by high initial production rates followed by a steep decline in production rates during the first several years of the well’s life. Producers must continuously drill new wells to offset production declines and maintain overall production levels. Additionally, operators are beginning to perform secondary hydraulic fracturing of existing wells in order to maintain overall production levels. We believe these efforts to offset steep production declines in unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs will be a strong driver of future proppant demand growth.

 

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Recent growth in demand for raw frac sand has outpaced growth in demand for other proppants, and industry analysts predict that this trend will continue. As oil prices have fallen, operators have increasingly looked for ways to improve per well economics by lowering costs without sacrificing production performance. To this end, the oil and natural gas industry is shifting away from the use of higher-cost proppants towards more cost-effective proppants, such as raw frac sand. Evolution of completion techniques and the substantial increase in activity in U.S. oil and liquids-rich resource plays has further accelerated the demand growth for raw frac sand.

In general, oil and liquids-rich wells use a higher proportion of coarser proppant while dry gas wells typically use finer grades of sand. In the past, with the majority of U.S. exploration and production spending focused on oil and liquids-rich plays, demand for coarser grades of sand exceeded demand for finer grades; however, due to innovations in completion techniques, demand for finer grade sands has also shown a considerable resurgence. According to Kelrik, a notable driver impacting demand is increased proppant loadings, specifically, larger volumes of proppant placed per frac stage. Kelrik expects the trend of using larger volumes of finer mesh materials such as 100 mesh sand and 40/70 sand, to continue.

Supply Trends

In recent years, through the fall of 2014, customer demand for high-quality raw frac sand outpaced supply. Several factors contributed to this supply shortage, including:

 

    the difficulty of finding raw frac sand reserves that meet API specifications and satisfy the demands of customers who increasingly favor high-quality Northern White raw frac sand;

 

    the difficulty of securing contiguous raw frac sand reserves large enough to justify the capital investment required to develop a processing facility;

 

    the challenges of identifying reserves with the above characteristics that have rail access needed for low-cost transportation to major shale basins;

 

    the hurdles to securing mining, production, water, air, refuse and other federal, state and local operating permits from the proper authorities;

 

    local opposition to development of certain facilities, especially those that require the use of on-road transportation, including moratoria on raw frac sand facilities in multiple counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota that hold potential sand reserves; and

 

    the long lead time required to design and construct sand processing facilities that can efficiently process large quantities of high-quality raw frac sand.

Supplies of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand are limited to select areas, predominantly in western Wisconsin and limited areas of Minnesota and Illinois. The ability to obtain large contiguous reserves in these areas is a key constraint and can be an important supply consideration when assessing the economic viability of a potential raw frac sand facility. Further constraining the supply and throughput of Northern White raw frac sand, is that not all of the large reserve mines have onsite excavation and processing capability. Additionally, much of the recent capital investment in Northern White raw frac sand mine was used to develop coarser deposits in western Wisconsin. With the shift to finer sands in the liquid and oil plays, many mines may not be economically viable as their ability to produce finer grades of sand may be limited.

Pricing and Contract Considerations

Sand is sold on a contract basis or through spot market pricing. Long-term take-or-pay contracts reduce exposure to fluctuations in price and provide predictability of volumes and price over the contract term. By contrast, the spot market provides direct access to immediate prices, with accompanying exposure to price volatility and uncertainty. For sand producers operating under stable long-term contract structures, the spot market can offer an outlet to sell excess production at opportunistic times or during favorable market conditions.

 

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BUSINESS

Overview

We are a pure-play, low-cost producer of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand, which is a preferred proppant used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery rates in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells. We sell our products primarily to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, such as EOG Resources and oilfield service companies, such as Weatherford, under a combination of long-term take-or-pay contracts and spot sales in the open market. We believe that the size and favorable geologic characteristics of our sand reserves, the strategic location and logistical advantages of our facilities and the industry experience of our senior management team have positioned us as a highly attractive source of raw frac sand to the oil and natural gas industry.

We own and operate a raw frac sand mine and related processing facility near Oakdale, Wisconsin, at which we have approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable sand reserves as of June 30, 2016, respectively. We began operations with 1.1 million tons of processing capacity in July 2012 and expanded to 2.2 million tons capacity in August 2014 with an additional expansion to 3.3 million tons in September 2015. Our integrated Oakdale facility, with on-site rail infrastructure and wet and dry sand processing facilities, has access to two Class I rail lines and enables us to process and cost-effectively deliver up to approximately 3.3 million tons of raw frac sand per year. We believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, we own a second property in Jackson County, Wisconsin, which we call the Hixton site. The Hixton site is also located adjacent to a Class I rail line and is fully permitted and available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves.

For the year ended December 31, 2015 and six months ended June 30, 2016, we generated net income (loss) of approximately $5.0 million and $(2.0) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $23.9 million and $6.4 million, respectively. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and reconciliations to its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, please read “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Over the past decade, exploration and production companies have increasingly focused on exploiting the vast hydrocarbon reserves contained in North America’s unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs utilizing advanced techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. In recent years, this focus has resulted in exploration and production companies drilling more and longer horizontal wells, completing more hydraulic fracturing stages per well and utilizing more proppant per stage in an attempt to maximize the volume of hydrocarbon recoveries per wellbore. From 2010 to 2015 frac sand demand experienced strong growth, growing at an average annual rate of 25%. In addition, raw frac sand’s share of the total proppant market continues to increase, growing from approximately 78% in 2010 to approximately 92% in 2015 as exploration and production companies continue to look closely at overall well cost, completion efficiency and design optimization, which has led to a greater use of raw frac sand in comparison to resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramic proppants.

Northern White raw frac sand, which is found predominantly in Wisconsin and limited portions of Minnesota and Illinois, is highly valued by oil and natural gas producers as a preferred proppant due to its favorable physical characteristics. We believe that the market for high-quality raw frac sand, like the Northern White raw frac sand we produce, particularly finer mesh sizes, will grow based on the potential recovery in the development of North America’s unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs as well as the increased proppant volume usage per well. According to Kelrik, a notable driver impacting demand for fine mesh sand is increased proppant loadings, specifically, larger volumes of proppant placed per frac stage. Kelrik expects the trend of using larger volumes of finer mesh materials, such as 100 mesh sand and 40/70 sand, to continue.

 

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We believe the growth in the supply of raw frac sand will be increasingly constrained by logistics complexity, limited availability of API-specification sand reserves globally as well as the difficulty of obtaining the myriad of construction, environmental, mining and other permits required by local, state and federal regulators. Our sand reserves include a balanced concentration of coarse (20/40, 30/50 and 40/70 gradation) sands and fine (60/140 gradation, which we refer to in this prospectus as “100 mesh”) sand. Our reserves contain deposits of approximately 19% of 20/40 and coarser substrate, 41% of 40/70 mesh substrate and approximately 40% of 100 mesh substrate. Our 30/50 gradation is a derivative of the 20/40 and 40/70 blends. We believe that this mix of coarse and fine sand reserves, combined with contractual demand for our products across a range of mesh sizes, provides us with relatively higher mining yields and lower processing costs than frac sand mines with predominately coarse sand reserves. In addition, our approximate 244 million tons of proven recoverable reserves at our Oakdale facility as of June 30, 2016, implies a reserve life of approximately 73 years based on our current annual processing capacity of 3.3 million tons per year. This long reserve life, coupled with our balanced mix of coarse and fine sand reserves, enables us to better serve demand for different types of raw frac sand as compared to mines with disproportionate amounts of coarse or fine sand and mines with shorter reserve lives.

As of July 31, 2016, we had approximately 2.1 million tons (or approximately 64% of our current annual production capacity) contracted to oil and natural gas exploration and production and oilfield service companies. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts, with a volume-weighted average remaining term of approximately 3.7 years. Each of these contracts contains a minimum volume purchase requirement, is subject to certain price escalators and provides for delivery of raw frac sand FCA at our Oakdale facility. Certain of these contracts contain provisions that allow our customers to extend the term of the contracts. The mesh size specifications in these contracts vary and include a mix of 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh frac sand.

Our Oakdale facility is optimized to exploit the reserve profile in place and produce high-quality raw frac sand. Unlike some of our competitors, our mine, processing plants and rail loading facilities are located in one location, which eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and dry processing facilities. Our on-site transportation assets include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific, which enables us to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains and significantly increases our efficiency in meeting our customers’ raw frac sand transportation needs. We currently ship a substantial portion of our sand volumes (approximately 56% from April 1, 2016 to July 31, 2016) in unit train shipments through rail cars that our customers own or lease and deliver to our facility.

We believe that we are one of the few raw frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering raw frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains. Our ability to handle multiple rail car sets allows for the efficient transition of locomotives from empty inbound trains to fully loaded outbound trains at our facility. We believe our customized on-site logistical configuration yields lower overall operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities as a result of our higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. Unit train operations such as ours can double or triple the average number of loads that a rail car carries per year reducing the number of rail cars needed to support our operations thus limiting our exposure to unutilized rail cars and the corresponding storage and lease expense. We believe our Oakdale facility’s connection to the Canadian Pacific rail network, combined with our unit train logistics capabilities, will provide us enhanced flexibility to serve customers located in shale plays throughout North America.

In addition, we have invested in a transloading facility on the Union Pacific rail network in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from our Oakdale facility. This facility is operational and provides us with the ability to ship directly on the Union Pacific rail network to locations in the major operating basins of Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, which should facilitate more competitive pricing among our rail

 

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carriers. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific rail networks, which should provide us more competitive logistics options to the market relative to other Wisconsin-based sand mining and production facilities.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, our Hixton site consists of approximately 959 acres in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development and is located on a Class I rail line. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves.

Competitive Strengths

We believe that we will be able to successfully execute our business strategies because of the following competitive strengths:

 

    Long-lived, strategically located, high-quality reserve base .  We believe our Oakdale facility is one of the few raw frac sand mine and production facilities that has the unique combination of a large high-quality reserve base of primarily fine mesh sand that is contiguous to its production and primary rail loading facilities. Our Oakdale facility is situated on 1,196 acres in a rural area of Monroe County, Wisconsin, on a Class I rail line, and contains approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable reserves as of June 30, 2016. We have an implied current proven reserve life of approximately 73 years based on our current annual processing capacity of 3.3 million tons per year. As of July 31, 2016, we have utilized 135 acres for facilities and mining operations, or only 11.3% of this location’s acreage. We believe that with further development and permitting, the Oakdale facility ultimately could be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

We believe our reserve base positions us well to take advantage of current market trends of increasing demand for finer mesh raw frac sand. Approximately 80% of our reserve mix today is 40/70 mesh substrate and 100 mesh substrate, considered to be the finer mesh substrates of raw frac sand. We believe that if oil and natural gas exploration and production companies continue recent trends in drilling and completion techniques to increase lateral lengths per well, the number of frac stages per well, the amount of proppant used per stage and the utilization of slickwater completions, that the demand for the finer grades of raw frac sand will continue to increase, which we can take advantage of due to the high percentage of high-quality, fine mesh sand in our reserve base.

We also believe that having our mine, processing facilities and primary rail loading facilities at our Oakdale facility provides us with an overall low-cost structure, which enables us to compete effectively for sales of raw frac sand and to achieve attractive operating margins. The proximity of our mine, processing plants and primary rail loading facilities at one location eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and drying processing facilities, eliminating additional costs to produce and ship our sand.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, we own the Hixton site in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is a second fully permitted location adjacent to a Class I rail line that is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves.

 

   

Intrinsic logistics advantage .  We believe that we are one of the few operating frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering operating frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains. Our on-site transportation assets at Oakdale include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific. We believe our customized on-site logistical configuration typically

 

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yields lower operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities as a result of our higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. In addition, we have recently constructed a transload facility on a Class I rail line owned by Union Pacific in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility. This transload facility allows us to ship sand directly to our customers on more than one Class I rail carrier. This facility commenced operations in June 2016 and provides increased delivery options for our customers, greater competition among our rail carriers and potentially lower freight costs. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific rail networks. Our Hixton site is also located adjacent to a Class I rail line.

 

    Significant organic growth potential We believe that we have a significant pipeline of attractive opportunities to expand our sales volumes and our production capacity at our Oakdale facility, which commenced commercial operations in July 2012 and was expanded to 3.3 million tons of annual processing capacity in September 2015. We currently have one wet plant and one dryer in storage at Oakdale that would allow us to increase our annual processing capacity to approximately 4.4 million tons should market demand increase sufficiently to warrant capacity expansion. We believe these units could be installed and operational in approximately six to nine months from commencement of construction. We believe, under current regulations and permitting requirements, that we can ultimately expand our annual production capacity at Oakdale of up to 9 million tons. Other growth opportunities include the ability to expand our Byron Township transload facility to handle multiple unit trains simultaneously and to invest in transload facilities located in the shale operating basins. Investments in additional rail loading facilities should enable us to provide more competitive transportation costs and allow us to offer additional pricing and delivery options to our customers. We also have opportunities to expand our sales into the industrial sand market which would provide us the opportunity to diversify our customer base and sales product mix.

Additionally, as of July 31, 2016, we have approximately 2.1 million tons of washed raw frac sand inventory at our Oakdale facility available to be processed through our dryers and sold in the market. This inventory of available washed raw frac sand provides us with the ability to quickly meet changing market demand and strategically sell sand on a spot basis to expand our market share of raw frac sand sales if market conditions are favorable.

 

    Strong balance sheet and financial flexibility .  We believe that as a public company we will have a strong balance sheet and ample liquidity to pursue our growth initiatives. At the closing of this offering, we expect to have approximately $     million in liquidity from cash on hand. In addition, in connection with the repayment in full and retirement of our existing credit facility with a portion of the proceeds of this offering, we are in the process of negotiating a new $40 to 50 million revolving credit facility, which we expect will be effective at or shortly after the completion of this offering. Additionally, unlike some of our peers, we have minimal exposure to unutilized rail cars. We currently have 855 rail cars under long-term leases of which 710 are currently rented to our customers, which minimizes our exposure to storage and leasing expense for rail cars that are currently not being utilized for sand shipment and provides us greater flexibility in managing our transportation costs prospectively.

 

    Focus on safety and environmental stewardship.  We are committed to maintaining a culture that prioritizes safety, the environment and our relationship with the communities in which we operate. In August 2014, we were accepted as a “Tier 1” participant in Wisconsin’s voluntary “Green Tier” program, which encourages, recognizes and rewards companies for voluntarily exceeding environmental, health and safety legal requirements. In addition, we committed to certification under ISO standards and, in April 2016, we received ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 registrations for our quality management system and environmental management system programs, respectively. We believe that our commitment to safety, the environment and the communities in which we operate is critical to the success of our business. We are one of a select group of companies who are members of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association, which promotes safe and environmentally responsible sand mining standards.

 

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    Experienced management team .  The members of our senior management team bring significant experience to the market environment in which we operate. Their expertise covers a range of disciplines, including industry-specific operating and technical knowledge as well as experience managing high-growth businesses.

Business Strategies

Our principal business objective is to be a pure-play, low-cost producer of high-quality raw frac sand and to increase stockholder value. We expect to achieve this objective through the following business strategies:

 

    Focusing on organic growth by increasing our capacity utilization and processing capacity . We intend to continue to position ourselves as a pure-play producer of high-quality Northern White raw frac sand, as we believe the proppant market offers attractive long-term growth fundamentals. While demand for proppant has declined since late 2014 in connection with the downturn in commodity prices and the corresponding decline in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity, we believe that the demand for proppant will increase over the medium and long term as commodity prices rise from their recent lows, which will lead producers to resume completion of their inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells and undertake new drilling activities. We expect this demand growth for raw frac sand will be driven by increased horizontal drilling, increased proppant loadings per well (as operators increase lateral length and increase proppant per lateral foot above current levels), increased wells drilled per rig and the cost advantages of raw frac sand over resin-coated sand and manufactured ceramics. As market dynamics improve, we will continue to evaluate economically attractive facility enhancement opportunities to increase our capacity utilization and processing capacity. For example, our current annual processing capacity is approximately 3.3 million tons per year, and we believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

 

    Optimizing our logistics infrastructure and developing additional origination and destination points . We intend to further optimize our logistics infrastructure and develop additional origination and destination points. We expect to capitalize on our Oakdale facility’s ability to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains to maximize our product shipment rates, increase rail car utilization and lower transportation costs. With our recently developed transloading facility located on the Union Pacific rail network approximately 3.5 miles from our Oakdale facility, we have the ability to ship our raw frac sand directly to our customers on more than one Class I rail carrier. This facility provides increased delivery options for our customers, greater competition among our rail carriers, and potentially lower freight costs. In addition, we intend to continue evaluating ways to reduce the landed cost of our products at the basin for our customers, such as investing in transload and storage facilities and assets in our target shale basins to increase our customized service offerings and provide our customers with additional delivery and pricing alternatives, including selling product on an “as-delivered” basis at our target shale basins.

 

    Focusing on being a low-cost producer and continuing to make process improvements . We will focus on being a low-cost producer, which we believe will permit us to compete effectively for sales of raw frac sand and to achieve attractive operating margins. Our low-cost structure results from a number of key attributes, including, among others, our (i) relatively low royalty rates compared to other industry participants, (ii) balance of coarse and fine mineral reserve deposits and corresponding contractual demand that minimizes yield loss and (iii) Oakdale facility’s proximity to two Class I rail lines and other sand logistics infrastructure, which helps reduce transportation costs, fuel costs and headcount needs. We have strategically designed our operations to provide low per-ton production costs. For example, we completed the construction of a natural gas connection to our Oakdale facility in October 2015 that provides us the optionality to source lower cost natural gas (as compared to propane under current commodity pricing) as a fuel source for our drying operations. In addition, we seek to maximize our mining yields on an ongoing basis by targeting sales volumes that more closely match our reserve gradation in order to minimize mining and processing of superfluous tonnage and continue to evaluate the potential of mining by dredge to reduce the overall cost of our mining operations.

 

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    Pursuing accretive acquisitions and greenfield opportunities .  At the closing of this offering, we expect to have approximately $        million of liquidity in the form of cash on hand and anticipate entering into a new $40 to 50 million revolving credit facility with third-party lenders at or shortly after the completion of this offering. We believe this level of liquidity will position us to pursue strategic acquisitions to increase our scale of operations and our logistical capabilities as well as to potentially diversify our mining and production operations into locations other than our current Oakdale and Hixton locations. We may also grow by developing low-cost greenfield projects, where we can capitalize on our technical knowledge of geology, mining and processing.

 

    Maintaining financial strength and flexibility . We plan to pursue a disciplined financial policy to maintain financial strength and flexibility. We believe that our cash on hand, expected borrowing capacity and ability to access debt and equity capital markets after this offering will provide us with the financial flexibility necessary to achieve our organic expansion and acquisition strategy.

Our Assets and Operations

Overview

Our Oakdale facility is purpose-built to exploit the reserve profile in place and produce high-quality raw frac sand. Unlike some of our competitors, our mine, processing plants and primary rail loading facilities are in one location, which eliminates the need for us to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and dry processing facilities. Our on-site transportation assets include approximately seven miles of rail track in a double-loop configuration and three rail car loading facilities that are connected to a Class I rail line owned by Canadian Pacific, which enables us to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains and significantly increases our efficiency in meeting our customers’ raw frac sand transportation needs. We ship a substantial portion of our sand volumes (approximately 56% from April 1, 2016 to July 31, 2016) in unit train shipments through rail cars that our customers own or lease and deliver to our facility. We believe that we are one of the few raw frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering raw frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains. Our ability to handle multiple rail car sets allows for the efficient transition of locomotives from empty inbound trains to fully loaded outbound trains at our facility.

We believe our customized on-site logistical configuration yields lower overall operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train or single-unit train facilities as a result of our higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. Unit train operations such as ours can double or triple the average number of loads that a rail car carries per year reducing the number of rail cars needed to support our operations thus limiting our exposure to unutilized rail cars and the corresponding storage and lease expense. We believe that our Oakdale facility’s connection to the Canadian Pacific rail network, combined with our unit train logistics capabilities, will provide us enhanced flexibility to serve customers located in shale plays throughout North America. In addition, we have invested in a transloading facility on the Union Pacific rail network in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from our Oakdale facility. This facility is operational and provides us with the ability to ship directly on the Union Pacific network to locations in the major operating basins in the Western and Southwestern United States, which should facilitate more competitive pricing among our rail carriers. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only raw frac sand mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific, which should provide us more competitive logistics options to the market relative to other Wisconsin based sand mining and production facilities.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, our Hixton site consists of approximately 959 acres in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is fully permitted to initiate operations and is available for future development. As of August 2014, our Hixton site had approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves. This location is located on a Class I rail line, the Canadian National.

 

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The following tables provide key characteristics of our Oakdale facility and Hixton site (as of June 30, 2016, unless otherwise stated):

Our Oakdale Facility

 

Facility Characteristic

  

Description

Site geography

   Situated on 1,196 contiguous acres, with on-site processing and rail loading facilities.

Proven recoverable reserves

   244 million tons.

Probable recoverable reserves

   92 million tons.

Deposits

   Sand reserves of up to 200 feet; grade mesh sizes 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh.

Proven reserve mix

   Approximately 19% of 20/40 and coarser substrate, 41% of 40/70 mesh substrate and approximately 40% of 100 mesh substrate. Our 30/50 gradation is a derivative of the 20/40 and 40/70 blends.

Excavation technique

   Generally shallow overburden allowing for surface excavation.

Annual processing capacity

   3.3 million tons with the ability to increase to 4.4 million tons within approximately six to nine months.

Logistics capabilities

   Dual served rail line logistics capabilities. On-site transportation infrastructure capable of simultaneously accommodating multiple unit trains and connected to the Canadian Pacific rail network. Additional transload facility located approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility in Byron Township that provides access to the Union Pacific rail network.

Royalties

   $0.50 per ton sold of 70 mesh and coarser substrate.

Expansion Capabilities

   We believe that with further development and permitting the Oakdale facility could ultimately be expanded to allow production of up to 9 million tons of raw frac sand per year.

Our Hixton Site

Facility Characteristic

  

Description

Site geography

   Situated on 959 contiguous acres, with access to a Canadian National Class I rail line.

Proven recoverable reserves

   100 million tons.

Deposits

   Sand reserves with an average thickness of 120 feet; grade mesh sizes 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh.

Proven reserve mix

   Approximately 72% of 70 mesh and coarser substrate and approximately 28% of 100 mesh substrate.

Logistics capabilities

   Planned on-site transportation infrastructure capable of simultaneously accommodating multiple unit trains and connected to the Canadian National rail network.

Royalties

  

$0.50 per ton sold of 70 mesh and coarser substrate.

Our Reserves

We believe that our strategically located Oakdale and Hixton sites provide us with a large and high-quality mineral reserves base. Mineral resources and reserves are typically classified by confidence (reliability) levels based on the level of exploration, consistency and assurance of geologic knowledge of the deposit. This classification system considers different levels of geoscientific knowledge and varying degrees of technical and economic evaluation. Mineral reserves are derived from in situ resources through application of modifying factors, such as mining, analytical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors, relative to mining methods, processing techniques, economics and markets. In estimating our reserves, John T. Boyd does not classify a resource as a reserve unless that resource can be demonstrated to have reasonable

 

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certainty to be recovered economically in accordance with the modifying factors listed above. “Reserves” are defined by SEC Industry Guide 7 as that part of a mineral deposit that could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time of the reserve determination. Industry Guide 7 defines “proven (measured) reserves” as reserves for which (a) quantity is computed from dimensions revealed in outcrops, trenches, workings or drill holes; grade and/or quality are computed from the results of detailed sampling and (b) the sites for inspection, sampling and measurement are spaced so closely and the geologic character is so well defined that size, shape, depth and mineral content of reserves are well-established.

In estimating our reserves, John T. Boyd categorizes our reserves as proven recoverable in accordance with these SEC definitions. According to such definitions, John T. Boyd estimates that we, as of June 30, 2016, had a total of approximately 244 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves and approximately 92 million tons of probable recoverable sand reserves at our Oakdale facility and approximately 100 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves at our Hixton site. The quantity and nature of the sand reserves at our Oakdale site are estimated by third-party geologists and mining engineers, and we internally track the depletion rate on an interim basis. Before acquiring new reserves, we perform surveying, drill core analysis and other tests to confirm the quantity and quality of the acquired reserves.

Our Oakdale reserves are located on 1,196 contiguous acres in Monroe County, Wisconsin. We own our Monroe County acreage in fee and acquired surface and mineral rights on all of such acreage from multiple landowners in separate transactions. Our mineral rights are subject to an aggregate non-participating royalty interest of $0.50 per ton sold of coarser than 70 mesh, which we believe is significantly lower than many of our competitors.

In addition to the Oakdale facility, we own the Hixton site that is on approximately 959 acres in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The Hixton site is fully permitted and available for future development. We own our Jackson County acreage in fee and acquired surface and mineral rights on all of such acreage from multiple landowners in separate transactions. Our mineral rights are subject to an aggregate non-participating royalty interest of $0.50 per ton sold of coarser than 70 mesh, which we believe is significantly lower than many of our competitors.

To opine as to the economic viability of our reserves, John T. Boyd reviewed our financial cost and revenue per ton data at the time of the reserve determination. Based on their review of our cost structure and their extensive experience with similar operations, John T. Boyd concluded that it is reasonable to assume that we will operate under a similar cost structure over the remaining life of our reserves. John T. Boyd further assumed that if our revenue per ton remained relatively constant over the life of the reserves, our current operating margins are sufficient to expect continued profitability throughout the life of our reserves.

The cutoff grade used by John T. Boyd in estimating our reserves considers sand that falls between 20 and 140 mesh sizes as proven recoverable reserves, meaning that sands within this range are included in John T. Boyd’s estimate of our proven recoverable. In addition, John T. Boyd’s estimate of our reserves adjusts for mining losses of 10% and processing losses through the wet plant and dry plants, for a total yield of the in-place sand resource. Our processing losses are primarily due to minus 140 mesh sand being removed at the wet processing plant, plus 20 mesh sand being removed in the dry plants (including moisture) through normal attrition and all other material discarded as waste (including clay and other contaminants).

During wet plant processing operations, the wet plant process water leaving the wet plant is pumped into a settling basin for the ultra-fine (minus 140 mesh) sand to settle. The settling basin allows the wet plant process water to flow back to the fresh water pump pond via a canal system to its original starting point. The fresh water pump pond, wet plant, settling basin and canal system complete an enclosed circuit for continuous recycled wet plant process water.

Wet plant process tailings are temporarily piled and/or stored. Tailings are systematically used throughout the mining operation for various purposes such as reclamation, roads and soil stabilization. Dry plant process material discharged during the drying process is temporarily piled and/or stored for various purposes such as reclamation and soil stabilization, and it is commonly recycled through the wet plant process.

 

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Our Oakdale reserves are a mineral resource deposited over millions of years. Approximately 500 million years ago, quartz rich Cambrian sands were deposited in the upper Midwest region of the United States. During the Quaternary era, glaciation and erosion caused by the melting of glaciers removed millions of years of bedrock, to expose the Cambrian sandstone deposit, near the surface. Our deposits are located in an ancient marine setting, which is the reason our deposit is well sorted and rounded. The high quartz content of the Cambrian sands and the monocrystalline structure of our deposits are responsible for the extremely high crush strength relative to other types of sand. The deposit found in our open-pit Oakdale mine and our Hixton site is a Cambrian quartz sandstone deposit that produces high-quality Northern White raw frac sand with a silica content of 99%.

Although crush strength is one of a number of characteristics that define the quality of raw frac sand, it is a key characteristic for our customers and other purchasers of raw frac sand in determining whether the product will be suitable for its desired application. For example, raw frac sand with exceptionally high crush strength is suitable for use in high pressure downhole conditions that would otherwise require the use of more expensive resin-coated or ceramic proppants.

The sand deposit at our formation does not require crushing or extensive processing to eliminate clays or other contaminants, enabling us to cost-effectively produce high-quality raw frac sand meeting API specifications. In addition, the sand deposit is present to a depth of approximately 200 feet, with a generally shallow overburden of less than 10 feet, on average, over the entire property. The shallow depth of the sand deposits allows us to conduct surface mining rather than underground mining, which lowers our production costs and decreases safety risks as compared to underground mining. All of our surface mining is currently conducted utilizing excavators and trucks to deliver sand to the wet plant. We have considered utilizing other mining methods, such as a dredge operation, and may continue evaluating other mining methods from time to time in the future.

Our Oakdale Facility

We began construction of our Oakdale facility in November 2011 and commenced operations in July 2012. Prior to our commencement of operations, we performed surveying, drill core analysis and other tests to confirm the quantity and quality of the reserves. The process was performed with the assistance of John T. Boyd. Before acquiring new acreage in the future, including material additional acreage adjacent to our Oakdale site, we will perform similar procedures.

Our Oakdale wet plant facility is comprised of a steel structure and relies primarily on industrial grade aggregate processing equipment to process up to 3.3 million tons per year of wet sand. Our Oakdale dry plants sit inside insulated metal buildings designed to minimize weather-related effects during winter months. Each building contains one 200 ton per hour propane-or natural gas-fired fluid bed dryer as well as four to six high-capacity mineral separators. Each dryer is capable of producing over 1.1 million tons per year of dry Northern White raw frac sand in varying gradations, including 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we sold approximately 751,000 tons of raw frac sand and produced approximately 702,000 tons of raw frac sand. All of our sales volumes have historically, and are currently, sold FCA our Oakdale facility. Generally, logistics costs can comprise 60-80% of the delivered cost of Northern White raw frac sand, depending on the basin into which the product is delivered. Some of our competitors’ sales volumes are sold FCA basin.

The surface excavation operations at our Oakdale site are conducted by our employees with leased or purchased heavy equipment. The mining technique at our Oakdale site is open-pit excavation of our silica deposits. The excavation process involves clearing and grubbing vegetation and trees overlying the proposed mining area. The initial shallow overburden is removed and utilized to construct perimeter berms around the pit and property boundary. No underground mines are operated at our Oakdale site. In situations where the sand-bearing geological formation is tightly cemented, it may be necessary to utilize blasting to make the sand easier to excavate.

 

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A track excavator and articulated trucks are utilized for excavating the sand at several different elevation levels of the active pit. The pit is dry mined, and the water elevation is maintained below working level through a dewatering and pumping process. The mined material is loaded and hauled from different areas of the pit and different elevations within the pit to the primary loading facility at our mine’s on-site wet processing facility.

Once processed and dried, sand from our Oakdale facility is stored in one of ten on-site silos with a combined storage capacity of 27,000 tons. In addition to the 27,000 tons of silo capacity, we own approximately seven miles of on-site rail track (in a double-loop configuration) that is connected to the Canadian Pacific rail network and that is used to stage and store empty or recently loaded customer rail cars. Our strategic location adjacent to a Canadian Pacific mainline provides our customers with the ability to transport Northern White raw frac sand from our Oakdale facility to all major unconventional oil and natural gas basins currently producing in the United States. For additional information regarding our transportation logistics and infrastructure, please read “—Transportation Logistics and Infrastructure.”

Our Oakdale facility undergoes regular maintenance to minimize unscheduled downtime and to ensure that the quality of our raw frac sand meets applicable API and ISO standards and our customers’ specifications. In addition, we make capital investments in our facility as required to support customer demand and our internal performance goals. Because raw sand cannot be wet-processed during extremely cold temperatures, our wet plant typically operates only seven to eight months out of the year. Except for planned and unplanned downtime, our dry plants operate year-round.

As of July 31, 2016, we have utilized 135 acres for facilities and mining operations, or only 11.3% of Oakdale location.

Transportation Logistics and Infrastructure

Historically, all of our product has been shipped by rail from our approximately seven-mile on-site rail spur, in a double-loop configuration, that connects our Oakdale facility to a Canadian Pacific mainline. The length of this rail spur and the capacity of the associated product storage silos allow us to accommodate a large number of rail cars. This configuration also enables us to accommodate multiple unit trains simultaneously, which significantly increases our efficiency in meeting our customers’ raw frac sand transportation needs. Unit trains, typically 80 rail cars in length or longer, are dedicated trains chartered for a single delivery destination. Generally, unit trains receive priority scheduling and do not switch cars at various intermediate junctions, which results in a more cost-effective and efficient method of shipping than the standard method of rail shipment. While many of our competitors may be able to handle a single unit train, we believe that our Oakdale facility is one of the few raw frac sand facilities in the industry that is able to simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains in its rail yard.

The ability to handle multiple rail car sets is particularly important in order to allow for the efficient transition of the locomotive from empty inbound trains to fully-loaded outbound trains at the originating mine. For example, in a “hook-and-haul” operation, inbound locomotive power arriving at the mine unhooks from an empty train and hooks up to a fully loaded unit car train waiting at the rail yard with a turnaround time of as little as two hours. We believe that this type of operation typically yields lower operating and transportation costs compared to manifest train traffic movements as a result of higher rail car utilization, more efficient use of locomotive power and more predictable movement of product between mine and destination. We believe that this is a key differentiator as currently rail cars are in high demand in the industry and hook-and-haul operations can increase the average number of turns per year of a rail car from seven to nine turns per year for manifest train shipments to over 20 turns per year while reducing demand variability for locomotive services. We believe that we are one of the few raw frac sand producers with a facility custom-designed for the specific purpose of delivering raw frac sand to all of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins by an on-site rail facility that can simultaneously accommodate multiple unit trains, a capability that requires sufficient acreage, loading facilities and rail spurs.

 

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In addition, we recently constructed a transload facility on a rail line owned by the Union Pacific in Byron Township, Wisconsin, approximately 3.5 miles from the Oakdale facility. This transload facility will allow us to ship sand directly to our customers on more than one rail carrier. This facility has been operational since June 2016 and should provide increased delivery options for our customers, greater competition among our rail carriers and potentially lower freight costs. With the addition of this transload facility, we believe we are the only mine in Wisconsin with dual served railroad shipment capabilities on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, which should provide us more competitive logistics options to the market relative to other Wisconsin-based sand mining and production facilities.

The logistics capabilities of raw frac sand producers are important to customers, who focus on both the reliability and flexibility of product delivery. Because our customers generally find it impractical to store raw frac sand in large quantities near their job sites, they seek to arrange for product to be delivered where and as needed, which requires predictable and efficient loading and shipping of product. The integrated nature of our logistics operations, our approximate seven-mile on-site rail spur and our ability to ship using unit trains enable us to handle rail cars for multiple customers simultaneously, which:

 

    minimizes the time required to successfully load shipments, even at times of peak activity;

 

    eliminates the need to truck sand on public roads between the mine and the production facility or between wet and dry processing facilities; and

 

    minimizes transloading at our Oakdale site, lowers product movement costs and minimizes the reduction in sand quality due to handling.

In addition, with the transload facility now operational at Byron Township, our Oakdale facility is now dual served and capable of shipping sand directly on the Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific rail lines. Together, these advantages provide our customers with a reliable and efficient delivery method from our facility to each of the major U.S. oil and natural gas producing basins, and allow us to take advantage of the increasing demand for such a delivery method.

Permits

We operate in a highly regulated environment overseen by many government regulatory and enforcement bodies. To conduct our mining operations, we are required to obtain permits and approvals from local, state and federal governmental agencies. These governmental authorizations address environmental, land use and safety issues. We have obtained numerous federal, state and local permits required for operations at the Oakdale facility, the Byron Transload Facility and our Hixton mine location. Our current and planned areas for excavation of our Oakdale property are permitted for extraction of our proven reserves. Outlying areas at the edge of our Oakdale property’s boundaries that lie in areas delineated as wetlands will require additional local, state or federal permits prior to mining and reclaiming those areas.

We also meet requirements for several international standards concerning safety, greenhouse gases and rail operations. We have voluntarily agreed to meet the standards of the Wisconsin DNR’s “Green Tier” program and the “Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association.” Further, we have agreed to meet the standards required to maintain our ISO 9001/14001 quality/environmental management system registrations. These voluntary requirements are tracked and managed along with our permits.

While resources invested in securing permits are significant, this cost has not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. We cannot assure that existing environmental laws and regulations will not be reinterpreted or revised or that new environmental laws and regulations will not be adopted or become applicable to us. Revised or additional environmental requirements that result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

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Our Customers and Contracts

Our core customers are major oil and natural gas exploration and production and oilfield service companies. These customers have signed long-term take-or-pay contracts, which mitigate our risk of non-performance by such customers. Our contracts provide for a true-up payment in the event the customer does not take delivery of the minimum annual volume of raw frac sand specified in the contract and has not purchased in certain prior periods an amount exceeding the minimum volume, resulting in a shortfall. The true-up payment is designed to compensate us, at least in part, for our margins for the applicable contract year and is calculated by multiplying the contract price (or, in some cases, a discounted contract price ) by the tonnage shortfall. Any sales of the shortfall volumes to other customers on the spot market would provide us with additional margin on these volumes. For the year ended December 31, 2015, EOG Resources, US Well Services, Weatherford and Archer Pressure Pumping accounted for 35.0%, 24.6%, 18.4% and 15.8%, respectively, of our total revenues, and the remainder of our revenues represented sales to seven customers. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, US Well Services, Weatherford, and C&J Energy Services accounted for 37.3%, 32.8% and 17.6%, respectively, of our total revenues, and the remainder of our revenues represented sales to three customers. Beginning January 1, 2017, we will have approximately 1.0 million tons of average annual production (or approximately 30.6% of our current annual production capacity) contracted under long-term take-or-pay contracts, with a volume-weighted average remaining term of approximately 3.7 years. For the year ended December 31, 2015 and the six months ended June 30, 2016, we generated approximately 96.4% and 99.6%, respectively, of our revenues from raw frac sand delivered under long-term take-or-pay contracts. We sell raw frac sand under long-term contracts as well as in the spot market if we have excess production and the spot market conditions are favorable.

Our current contracts include a combination of either fixed prices or market based prices. For fixed price contracts, prices are fixed and subject to adjustment, upward or downward, based upon: (i) certain changes in published producer cost indices, including the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and the Producer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; or (ii) market factors, including a natural gas surcharge and/or a propane surcharge which are applied if the Average Natural Gas Price or the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu TX Propane Spot Price, respectively, as listed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, are above the benchmark set in the contract for the preceding calendar quarter. Contracts with market based pricing mechanisms allow for our raw frac sand prices to fluctuate within certain negotiated ranges depending on the price of crude oil (based upon the average WTI as listed on www.eia.doe.gov ) for the preceding three month period.

Our contracts generally provide that, if we are unable to deliver the contracted minimum volume of raw frac sand, the customer has the right to purchase replacement raw frac sand from alternative sources, provided that our inability to supply is not the result of an excusable delay. In the event that the price of replacement raw frac sand exceeds the contract price and our inability to supply the contracted minimum volume is not the result of an excusable delay, we are responsible for the price difference. At June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had significant levels of raw frac sand inventory on hand; therefore, the likelihood of any such penalties was considered remote.

Some of our long-term take-or-pay contracts contain provisions that allow our customers to extend the term of the contracts. Some of our customers executed such options to extend existing contracts. Each of our contracts contains a minimum volume purchase requirement and provides for delivery of raw frac sand FCA at our Oakdale facility. Certain of our contracts allow the customer to defer a portion of the annual minimum volume to future contract years, subject to a maximum deferral amount. The mesh size specifications in our contracts vary and include a mix of 20/40, 30/50, 40/70 and 100 mesh raw frac sand. In the event that one or more of our current contract customers decides not to continue purchasing our raw frac sand following the expiration of its contract with us, we believe that we will be able to sell the volume of sand that they previously purchased to other customers through long-term contracts or sales on the spot market.

 

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Our Relationship with Our Sponsor

Our sponsor is a fund managed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., which, together with its affiliates and related persons, we refer to as Clearlake. Clearlake is a private investment firm with a sector-focused approach. The firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational and strategic expertise. The firm’s core target sectors include technology, communications and business services; industrials, energy and power; and consumer products and services. Clearlake currently has over $3.0 billion of assets under management. We believe our relationship with Clearlake provides us with a unique resource to effectively compete for acquisitions within the industry by being able to take advantage of their experience in acquiring businesses to assist us in seeking out, evaluating and closing attractive acquisition opportunities over time.

Competition

The proppant industry is highly competitive. Please read “Risk Factors—Risks Inherent in Our Business—We face significant competition that may cause us to lose market share.” There are numerous large and small producers in all sand producing regions of the United States with whom we compete. Our main competitors include Badger Mining Corporation, Emerge Energy Services LP, Fairmount Santrol, Hi-Crush Partners LP, Unimin Corporation and U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.

Although some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do, we believe that we are competitively well positioned due to our low cost of production, transportation infrastructure and high-quality, balanced reserve profile. The most important factors on which we compete are product quality, performance, sand characteristics, transportation capabilities, reliability of supply and price. Demand for raw frac sand and the prices that we will be able to obtain for our products, to the extent not subject to a fixed price or take-or-pay contract, are closely linked to proppant consumption patterns for the completion of oil and natural gas wells in North America. These consumption patterns are influenced by numerous factors, including the price for hydrocarbons, the drilling rig count and hydraulic fracturing activity, including the number of stages completed and the amount of proppant used per stage. Further, these consumption patterns are also influenced by the location, quality, price and availability of raw frac sand and other types of proppants such as resin-coated sand and ceramic proppant.

Seasonality

Our business is affected to some extent by seasonal fluctuations in weather that impact the production levels at our wet processing plant. While our dry plants are able to process finished product volumes evenly throughout the year, our excavation and our wet sand processing activities are limited to non-winter months. As a consequence, we experience lower cash operating costs in the first and fourth quarter of each calendar year. We may also sell raw frac sand for use in oil and natural gas producing basins where severe weather conditions may curtail drilling activities and, as a result, our sales volumes to those areas may be reduced during such severe weather periods. For a discussion of the impact of weather on our operations, please read “Risk Factors—Seasonal and severe weather conditions could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition” and “Risk Factors—Our cash flow fluctuates on a seasonal basis.”

Insurance

We believe that our insurance coverage is customary for the industry in which we operate and adequate for our business. As is customary in the proppant industry, we review our safety equipment and procedures and carry insurance against most, but not all, risks of our business. Losses and liabilities not covered by insurance would increase our costs. To address the hazards inherent in our business, we maintain insurance coverage that includes physical damage coverage, third-party general liability insurance, employer’s liability, business interruption, environmental and pollution and other coverage, although coverage for environmental and pollution-related losses is subject to significant limitations.

 

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Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

We are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to protection of worker health, safety and the environment. Compliance with these laws and regulations may expose us to significant costs and liabilities and cause us to incur significant capital expenditures in our operations. Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, imposition of remedial obligations, and the issuance of injunctions delaying or prohibiting operations. Private parties may also have the right to pursue legal actions to enforce compliance as well as to seek damages for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations or for personal injury or property damage. In addition, the clear trend in environmental regulation is to place more restrictions on activities that may affect the environment, and thus, any changes in, or more stringent enforcement of, these laws and regulations that result in more stringent and costly pollution control equipment, the occurrence of delays in the permitting or performance of projects, or waste handling, storage, transport, disposal or remediation requirements could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial position.

We do not believe that compliance by us and our customers with federal, state or local environmental laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or results of operations or cash flows. We cannot assure you, however, that future events, such as changes in existing laws or enforcement policies, the promulgation of new laws or regulations or the development or discovery of new facts or conditions adverse to our operations will not cause us to incur significant costs. The following is a discussion of material environmental and worker health and safety laws, as amended from time to time. that relate to our operations or those of our customers that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Air Emissions

Our operations are subject to the CAA and related state and local laws, which restrict the emission of air pollutants and impose permitting, monitoring and reporting requirements on various sources. These regulatory programs may require us to install emissions abatement equipment, modify operational practices, and obtain permits for existing or new operations. Obtaining air emissions permits has the potential to delay the development or continued performance of our operations. Over the next several years, we may be required to incur certain capital expenditures for air pollution control equipment or to address other air emissions-related issues. Changing and increasingly stricter requirements, future non-compliance, or failure to maintain necessary permits or other authorizations could require us to incur substantial costs or suspend or terminate our operations.

Climate change

In recent years, the U.S. Congress has considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs. It presently appears unlikely that comprehensive climate legislation will be passed by either house of Congress in the near future, although energy legislation and other regulatory initiatives are expected to be proposed that may be relevant to GHG emissions issues. In addition, a number of states are addressing GHG emissions, primarily through the development of emission inventories or regional GHG cap and trade programs. Depending on the particular program, we could be required to control GHG emissions or to purchase and surrender allowances for GHG emissions resulting from our operations. Independent of Congress, the EPA has adopted regulations controlling GHG emissions under its existing authority under the CAA. For example, following its findings that emissions of GHGs present an endangerment to human health and the environment because such emissions contributed to warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes, the EPA has adopted regulations under existing provisions of the CAA that, among other things, establish construction and operating permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources that are already potential major sources for conventional pollutants. In addition, the EPA has adopted rules requiring the monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from specified production, processing, transmission and storage facilities in the United States on an annual basis. Also, the United States is one of almost 200 nations that, in December 2015, agreed to the Paris

 

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Agreement, an international climate change agreement in Paris, France that calls for countries to set their own GHG emissions targets and be transparent about the measures each country will use to achieve its GHG emissions targets. The agreement was signed in April 2016, and is expected to enter into force in November 2016. The United States is one of over 70 nations having ratified or otherwise consented to be bound by the agreement. Although it is not possible at this time to predict how new laws or regulations in the United States or any legal requirements imposed following the United States’ agreeing to the Paris Agreement that may be adopted or issued to address GHG emissions would impact our business, any such future laws, regulations or legal requirements imposing reporting or permitting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations as well as delays or restrictions in our ability to permit GHG emissions from new or modified sources. In addition, substantial limitations on GHG emissions could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas we produce. Finally, it should be noted that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and other climatic events; if any such effects were to occur, they could have an adverse effect on our exploration and production operations.

Water Discharges

The Clean Water Act (“CWA”), and analogous state laws impose restrictions and strict controls with respect to the discharge of pollutants, including spills and leaks of oil and other substances, into state waters or waters of the United States. The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or an analogous state agency. Spill prevention control and countermeasure requirements require containment to mitigate or prevent contamination of navigable waters in the event of an oil overflow, rupture or leak, and the development and maintenance of Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure, or SPCC, plans at our facilities. The CWA and regulations implemented thereunder also prohibit the discharge of dredge and fill material into regulated waters, including jurisdictional wetlands, unless authorized by the Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to an appropriately issued permit. In addition, the CWA and analogous state laws require individual permits or coverage under general permits for discharges of storm water runoff from certain types of facilities. The EPA has issued final rules attempting to clarify the federal jurisdictional reach over waters of the United States but this rule has been stayed nationwide by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals as that appellate court and numerous district courts ponder lawsuits opposing implementation of the rule. In February 2016, a split three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that it has jurisdiction to review challenges to these final rules and the Sixth Circuit subsequently elected not to review this decision en banc but it is currently unknown whether other federal Circuit Courts or state courts currently considering this rulemaking will place their cases on hold, pending the Sixth Circuit’s hearing of the case. Federal and state regulatory agencies can impose administrative, civil and criminal penalties as well as other enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance with discharge permits or other requirements of the CWA and analogous state laws and regulations.

Hydraulic Fracturing

We supply raw frac sand to hydraulic fracturing operators in the oil and natural gas industry. Hydraulic fracturing is an important and increasingly common practice that is used to stimulate production of natural gas and oil from low permeability hydrocarbon bearing subsurface rock formations. The hydraulic fracturing process involves the injection of water, proppants, and chemicals under pressure into the formation to fracture the surrounding rock, increase permeability and stimulate production. Although we do not directly engage in hydraulic fracturing activities, our customers purchase our raw frac sand for use in their hydraulic fracturing activities. Hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions and similar agencies. Some states have adopted, and other states are considering adopting, regulations that could impose new or more stringent permitting, disclosure or well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. Aside from state laws, local land use restrictions may restrict drilling in general or hydraulic fracturing in particular. Municipalities may adopt local ordinances attempting to prohibit hydraulic fracturing altogether or, at

 

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a minimum, allow such fracturing processes within their jurisdictions to proceed but regulating the time, place and manner of those processes. In addition, federal agencies have started to assert regulatory authority over the process and various studies have been conducted or are currently underway by the EPA, and other federal agencies concerning the potential environmental impacts and, in some instances, have pursued voter ballot initiatives of hydraulic fracturing activities. At the same time, certain environmental groups have suggested that additional laws may be needed to more closely and uniformly limit or otherwise regulate the hydraulic fracturing process, and legislation has been proposed by some members of Congress to provide for such regulation.

The adoption of new laws or regulations at the federal or state levels imposing reporting obligations on, or otherwise limiting or delaying, the hydraulic fracturing process could make it more difficult to complete natural gas wells, increase our customers’ costs of compliance and doing business, and otherwise adversely affect the hydraulic fracturing services they perform, which could negatively impact demand for our raw frac sand. In addition, heightened political, regulatory, and public scrutiny of hydraulic fracturing practices could expose us or our customers to increased legal and regulatory proceedings, which could be time-consuming, costly, or result in substantial legal liability or significant reputational harm. We could be directly affected by adverse litigation involving us, or indirectly affected if the cost of compliance limits the ability of our customers to operate. Such costs and scrutiny could directly or indirectly, through reduced demand for our raw frac sand, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Non-Hazardous and Hazardous Wastes

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state laws control the management and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. These laws and regulations govern the generation, storage, treatment, transfer and disposal of wastes that we generate. In the course of our operations, we generate waste that are regulated as non-hazardous wastes and hazardous wastes, obligating us to comply with applicable standards relating to the management and disposal of such wastes. In addition, drilling fluids, produced waters, and most of the other wastes associated with the exploration, development, and production of oil or natural gas, if properly handled, are currently exempt from regulation as hazardous waste under RCRA and, instead, are regulated under RCRA’s less stringent non-hazardous waste provisions, state laws or other federal laws. However, it is possible that certain oil and natural gas drilling and production wastes now classified as non-hazardous could be classified as hazardous wastes in the future. For example, in May 2016, several non-governmental environmental groups filed suit against the EPA in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for failing to timely assess its RCRA Subtitle D criteria regulations for oil and natural gas wastes, asserting that the agency is required to review its Subtitle D regulations every three years but has not conducted an assessment on those oil and natural gas waste regulations since July 1988. A loss of the RCRA exclusion for drilling fluids, produced waters and related wastes could result in an increase in our customers’ costs to manage and dispose of generated wastes and a corresponding decrease in their drilling operations, which developments could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Site Remediation

The CERCLA and comparable state laws impose strict, joint and several liability without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct on certain classes of persons that contributed to the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. These persons include the owner and operator of a disposal site where a hazardous substance release occurred and any company that transported, disposed of, or arranged for the transport or disposal of hazardous substances released at the site. Under CERCLA, such persons may be liable for the costs of remediating the hazardous substances that have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources, and for the costs of certain health studies. In addition, where contamination may be present, it is not uncommon for the neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury, property damage and recovery of response costs. We have not received notification that we may be potentially responsible for cleanup costs under CERCLA at any site.

 

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Endangered Species

The Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) restricts activities that may affect endangered or threatened species or their habitats. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As a result of a settlement approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required to consider listing numerous species as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act before the completion of the agency’s 2017 fiscal year. Current ESA listings and the designation of previously unprotected species as threatened or endangered in areas where we or our customers operate could cause us or our customers to incur increased costs arising from species protection measures and could result in delays or limitations in our or our customers’ performance of operations, which could adversely affect or reduce demand for our raw frac sand.

Mining and Workplace Safety

Our sand mining operations are subject to mining safety regulation. MSHA is the primary regulatory organization governing raw frac sand mining and processing. Accordingly, MSHA regulates quarries, surface mines, underground mines and the industrial mineral processing facilities associated with and located at quarries and mines. The mission of MSHA is to administer the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and to enforce compliance with mandatory miner safety and health standards. As part of MSHA’s oversight, representatives perform at least two unannounced inspections annually for each above-ground facility. To date, these inspections have not resulted in any citations for material violations of MSHA standards. In 2015, we experienced no lost time incidents in our mining facilities.

OSHA has promulgated new rules for workplace exposure to respirable silica for several other industries. Respirable silica is a known health hazard for workers exposed over long periods. The MSHA is expected to adopt similar rules, although they may change as a result of multiple legal challenges against the OSHA rules. Airborne respirable silica is associated with a limited number of work areas at our site and is monitored closely through routine testing and MSHA inspection. If the workplace exposure limit is lowered significantly, we may be required to incur certain capital expenditures for equipment to reduce this exposure. Smart Sand voluntarily adheres to the National Industrial Sand Association’s (NISA) respiratory protection program, and ensures that workers are provided with fitted respirators and ongoing radiological monitoring.

Environmental Reviews

Our operations may be subject to broad environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended, (“NEPA”). NEPA requires federal agencies to evaluate the environmental impact of all “major federal actions” significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. The granting of a federal permit for a major development project, such as a mining operation, may be considered a “major federal action” that requires review under NEPA. As part of this evaluation, the federal agency considers a broad array of environmental impacts, including, among other things, impacts on air quality, water quality, wildlife (including threatened and endangered species), historic and archeological resources, geology, socioeconomics, and aesthetics. NEPA also requires the consideration of alternatives to the project. The NEPA review process, especially the preparation of a full environmental impact statement, can be time consuming and expensive. The purpose of the NEPA review process is to inform federal agencies’ decision-making on whether federal approval should be granted for a project and to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the environmental impacts of a proposed project. Though NEPA requires only that an environmental evaluation be conducted and does not mandate a particular result, a federal agency could decide to deny a permit or impose certain conditions on its approval, based on its environmental review under NEPA, or a third party could challenge the adequacy of a NEPA review and thereby delay the issuance of a federal permit or approval.

State and Local Regulation

We are subject to a variety of state and local environmental review and permitting requirements. Some states, including Wisconsin where our current projects are located, have state laws similar to NEPA; thus our

 

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development of a new site or the expansion of an existing site may be subject to comprehensive state environmental reviews even if it is not subject to NEPA. In some cases, the state environmental review may be more stringent than the federal review. Our operations may require state-law based permits in addition to federal permits, requiring state agencies to consider a range of issues, many the same as federal agencies, including, among other things, a project’s impact on wildlife and their habitats, historic and archaeological sites, aesthetics, agricultural operations, and scenic areas. Wisconsin has specific permitting and review processes for commercial silica mining operations, and state agencies may impose different or additional monitoring or mitigation requirements than federal agencies. The development of new sites and our existing operations also are subject to a variety of local environmental and regulatory requirements, including land use, zoning, building, and transportation requirements.

Demand for raw frac sand in the oil and natural gas industry drove a significant increase in the production of frac sand. As a result, some local communities expressed concern regarding silica sand mining operations. These concerns have generally included exposure to ambient silica sand dust, truck traffic, water usage and blasting. In response, certain state and local communities have developed or are in the process of developing regulations or zoning restrictions intended to minimize dust from becoming airborne, control the flow of truck traffic, significantly curtail the amount of practicable area for mining activities, provide compensation to local residents for potential impacts of mining activities and, in some cases, ban issuance of new permits for mining activities. To date, we have not experienced any material impact to our existing mining operations or planned capacity expansions as a result of these types of concerns. We would expect this trend to continue as oil and natural gas production increases.

In August 2014, we were accepted as a “Tier 1” participant in Wisconsin’s voluntary “Green Tier” program, which encourages, recognizes and rewards companies for voluntarily exceeding environmental, health and safety legal requirements. Successful Tier 1 participants are required to demonstrate a strong record of environmental compliance, develop and implement an environmental management system meeting certain criteria, conduct and submit annual performance reviews to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, promptly correct any findings of non-compliance discovered during these annual performance reviews, and make certain commitments regarding future environmental program improvements. Our most recent annual report required under the Tier 1 protocol was submitted to the Green Tier Program contact on July 28, 2016.

Employees

As of July 31, 2016, we employed 97 people. None of our employees are subject to collective bargaining agreements. We consider our employee relations to be good.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows and are not aware of any material legal proceedings contemplated by governmental authorities.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers of Smart Sand, Inc.

The following table sets forth the names, ages and titles of our directors and executive officers. Directors hold office until their successors have been elected or qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, removal or disqualification. Executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the board of directors. The following table shows information for the directors and executive officers as of September 30, 2016.

 

Name

   Age   

Position with Smart Sand, Inc.

Charles E. Young

   48    Chief Executive Officer and Director

Lee E. Beckelman

   51    Chief Financial Officer

Robert Kiszka

   48    Executive Vice President of Operations

William John Young

   42    Executive Vice President of Sales and Logistics

Susan Neumann

   37    Vice President of Accounting, Controller and Secretary

Ronald P. Whelan

   39    Vice President of Business Development

José E. Feliciano

   43    Co-Chairman of the Board

Colin Leonard

   34    Director

Timothy J. Pawlenty

   55    Director

Tracy Robinson

   52    Director

Sharon Spurlin

   51    Director

Andrew Speaker

   53    Co-Chairman of the Board

Charles E. Young

Charles E. Young was named Chief Executive Officer in July 2014. Mr. Young has also served as a director since September 2011. Mr. Young founded Smart Sand, LLC (our predecessor) and served as its President from November 2009 to August 2011. Mr. Young served as our President and Secretary from September 2011 to July 2014. Mr. Young has over 20 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience in the high-technology, telecommunications and renewable energy industries. He previously served as the President and Founder of Premier Building Systems, a construction, solar, geothermal and energy audit company in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from 2006 to 2011. Mr. Young received a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University. Mr. Young is the brother of William John Young, our Vice President of Sales and Logistics. We believe that Mr. Young’s industry experience and deep knowledge of our business makes him well suited to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Director.

Lee E. Beckelman

Lee E. Beckelman was named Chief Financial Officer in August 2014. From December 2009 to February 2014, Mr. Beckelman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hilcorp Energy Company, an exploration and production company. From February 2008 to October 2009, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Price Gregory Services, Incorporated, a crude oil and natural gas pipeline construction firm until its sale to Quanta Services. Prior thereto, Mr. Beckelman served in various roles from 2002 to 2007 at Hanover Compressor Company, an international oil field service company, until its merger with Universal Compression to form Exterran Holdings. Mr. Beckelman received his BBA in Finance with High Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

Robert Kiszka

Robert Kiszka was named Executive Vice President of Operations in May 2014. Mr. Kiszka has served as the Vice President of Operations since September 2011. Mr. Kiszka has over 20 years of construction, real estate, renewable energy and mining experience. Prior to joining Smart Sand, Inc., Mr. Kiszka was President of A-1 Bracket Group Inc. from 2005 to 2011 and a member of Premier Building Systems LLC from 2010 to 2011. Mr. Kiszka attended Pedagogical University in Krakow, Poland and Rutgers University.

 

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William John Young

William John Young was named Executive Vice President of Sales and Logistics in October 2016. Mr. Young served as Vice President of Sales and Logistics from May 2014 to September 2016 and Director of Sales from November 2011 to April 2014. Prior to joining Smart Sand, Inc., Mr. Young was Director of Sales for Comcast Corporation from 2002 to 2011. Mr. Young brings over 20 years of experience in the mining, commercial telecommunications and broadband industries. Mr. Young received a BSc in Biology from Dalhousie University. Mr. Young is the brother of Charles E. Young, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors.

Susan Neumann

Susan Neumann was named Vice President of Accounting, Controller and Secretary in October 2016. Previously, Ms. Neumann was named Controller and Secretary in April 2013 and July 2014, respectively. Prior to joining Smart Sand, Inc. in April 2013, Ms. Neumann was an assurance senior manager at BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”). At BDO, she served in various roles in the assurance group from September 2000 to March 2013. Ms. Neumann received an MBA with a Global Perspective from Arcadia University in March 2008, and a B.A. in Accounting from Beaver College (currently Arcadia University) in May 2000.

Ronald P. Whelan

Ronald P. Whelan was named Vice President of Business Development in September 2016. Mr. Whelan has also served as Director of Business Development for Smart Sand, Inc. from April 2014 to August 2016 and prior to that he was the Operations Manager responsible for the design, development and production of the Oakdale facility from November 2011 to April 2014. Prior to joining Smart Sand, Mr. Whelan ran his own software design company from 2004 to 2011 and was a member of Premier Building Systems LLC from 2008 to 2009. Mr. Whelan has over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in mining, technology and renewable energy industries. Mr. Whelan received a B.A. in Marketing from Bloomsburg University and M.S. in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University.

José E. Feliciano

José E. Feliciano was appointed co-Chairman of the board of directors in June 2014 and previously served as the sole Chairman of the board of directors from September 2011 to June 2014. Mr. Feliciano is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Clearlake which he co-founded in 2006. Mr. Feliciano is responsible for the day-to-day management of Clearlake, and is primarily focused on investments in the industrials, energy and consumer sectors. Mr. Feliciano currently serves, or has served, on the boards of several private companies including AmQuip Crane Rental, Ashley Stewart, Globe Energy Services, Jacuzzi Brands and Sage Automotive. Mr. Feliciano graduated with High Honors from Princeton University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. He received his Masters of Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. We believe Mr. Feliciano’s experience as a current and former director of many companies and his financial expertise makes him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Colin M. Leonard

Colin M. Leonard was appointed as a member of the board of directors in September 2011. Mr. Leonard is a Principal of Clearlake and joined Clearlake in 2007. Prior to Clearlake, Mr. Leonard was an investment professional at HBK Investments L.P. where he focused on investments in the industrials and transportation/logistics sectors. Mr. Leonard currently serves, or has served, on the boards of several private companies including Globe Energy Services, Jacuzzi Brands and Sage Automotive. Mr. Leonard graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Economics (Wharton School) and a minor in Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania. We believe Mr. Leonard’s experience as a current and former director of many companies and his financial expertise makes him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

 

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Timothy J. Pawlenty

Timothy J. Pawlenty was appointed as a member of the board of directors in June 2012. Since November 2012, Mr. Pawlenty has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Services Roundtable, a leading advocacy organization for America’s financial services industry. From January 2011 to November 2012, Mr. Pawlenty served as an independent contractor. Mr. Pawlenty previously served as Governor of the State of Minnesota for two terms from 2003 to 2011. During his tenure as Governor, Mr. Pawlenty was responsible for overseeing a $60 billion biennial budget and 30,000 employees, and worked closely with state agencies including those dealing with natural resource and transportation issues. Mr. Pawlenty previously served as a director of Digital River, Inc., a company that provides global e-commerce solutions. Mr. Pawlenty served as a member of Digital River’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Pawlenty also serves as a director of several privately-held companies. Mr. Pawlenty received a degree in Political Science from University of Minnesota. He also received his law degree from the University of Minnesota. We believe Mr. Pawlenty’s knowledge of our business as well as his legal, regulatory and enterprise oversight experience make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Tracy Robinson

Tracy Robinson was appointed as a member of our board of directors in February 2015. Ms. Robinson holds the position of Vice President, Supply Chain for TransCanada Corporation, a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure, including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and storage facilities. In her role, Ms. Robinson has overall responsibility for the strategy and execution of sourcing and procurement, including material management, inventory, logistics and payables. Previous to this, Ms. Robinson served as Vice President Transportation, Liquids Pipelines for TransCanada. Prior to joining TransCanada in 2014, Ms. Robinson served as Vice President, Marketing and Sales for Canadian Pacific Railway with responsibility for the Energy and Merchandise team in advancement of the company’s strategy across a broad group of business sectors, accounting for $2.3 billion in annual revenues. Over her 27-year career with Canadian Pacific, Ms. Robinson advanced through positions across the Commercial, Operations and Finance area, most recently including Vice President Marketing and Sales, Vice President and Treasurer and General Manager, Operations. Ms. Robinson received her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and her Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan. Ms. Robinson also serves on the Board of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) Foundation and represents TransCanada at the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation. We believe that Ms. Robinson’s extensive experience and industry knowledge relating to railways, logistics and transportation make her well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Andrew Speaker

Andrew Speaker was appointed co-Chairman of our board of directors in June 2014. He was appointed as a director in September 2011. Mr. Speaker served as our Chief Executive Officer from April 2011 to June 2014. Since June 2014, Mr. Speaker has continued to work on special projects for us. Prior to joining Smart Sand, Inc., Mr. Speaker was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercer Insurance Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries since 2000. At Mercer, Mr. Speaker held various offices including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Since June 2015, Mr. Speaker also has served as a director of a privately-held company. Mr. Speaker received a BS in Accounting from LaSalle University. We believe that Mr. Speaker’s industry experience and deep knowledge of our business make him well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Sharon Spurlin

Sharon Spurlin was appointed as a member of our board of directors in February 2015. Ms. Spurlin is a finance executive with more than 25 years of experience leading various finance functions. Ms. Spurlin currently

 

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is the Vice President and Treasurer of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (“PAA”) and is responsible for financial planning activities, customer credit functions, insurance risk management, foreign exchange and interest rate management activities and coordination of banking transactions and lending arrangements. Prior to joining PAA in October 2014, Ms. Spurlin was Sr. Vice President and CFO of PetroLogistics from 2012 to 2014 where she held a lead role in PetroLogistics’ initial public offering as a master limited partnership. In addition, Ms. Spurlin held various positions with other privately owned PetroLogistics entities from 2009 to 2014. Ms. Spurlin was also elected to the board of AdvanSix Inc. in October 2016 in connection with its spin-off from Honeywell International Inc. We believe that Ms. Spurlin’s industry experience and deep knowledge of our business make her well qualified to serve on our board of directors.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The board of directors will have an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, and may have such other committees as the board of directors shall determine from time to time.

Audit Committee

Our audit committee will be comprised of Sharon Spurlin (Chair), Timothy J. Pawlenty and Tracy Robinson, all of whom meet the independence standards established by the NASDAQ and the Exchange Act. Our audit committee will assist the board of directors in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and corporate policies and controls. Our audit committee will have the sole authority to retain and terminate our independent registered public accounting firm, approve all auditing services and related fees and the terms thereof, and pre-approve any non-audit services to be rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm. Our audit committee will also be responsible for confirming the independence and objectivity of our independent registered public accounting firm. Our independent registered public accounting firm will be given unrestricted access to our audit committee.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee will be comprised of José E. Feliciano (Chair), Timothy J. Pawlenty and Tracy Robinson, all of whom meet the independence standards established by the NASDAQ and the Exchange Act. This committee will establish salaries, incentives and other forms of compensation for officers and directors. The compensation committee will also administer our long-term incentive plan.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our nominating and corporate governance committee will be comprised of Colin M. Leonard (Chair) and Tracy Robinson, all of whom meet the independence standards established by the NASDAQ and the Exchange Act. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for making recommendations to the board of directors regarding candidates for directorships and the size and composition of the board. In addition, the nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for overseeing our corporate governance guidelines and reporting and making recommendations to the board concerning corporate governance matters.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our executive officers serve on the board of directors or compensation committee of a company that has an executive officer that serves on our board or compensation committee. No member of our board is an executive officer of a company in which one of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of that company.

 

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Board Composition

In connection with this offering, we will enter into a stockholders agreement with Clearlake and Keystone Cranberry, LLC (the entity through which our Chief Executive Officer beneficially owns substantially all of his shares of our common stock) pursuant to which our board of directors will be comprised of seven members upon the completion of this offering. Our board of directors will initially include (i) three designees of Clearlake and (ii) two designees of our Chief Executive Officer. Each of our Principal Stockholders will separately retain the right to designate nominees to our board of directors subject to the maintenance of certain ownership thresholds in our company. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.”

Following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three classes. The members of each class will serve staggered, three-year terms (other than with respect to the initial terms of the Class I and Class II directors, which will be one and two years, respectively). Upon the expiration of the term of a class of directors, directors in that class will be elected for three-year terms at the annual meeting of stockholders in the year in which their term expires. Following the completion of this offering:

 

    Timothy J. Pawlenty and Sharon Spurlin will be Class I directors, whose initial terms will expire at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders;

 

    Colin Leonard and Andrew Speaker will be Class II directors, whose initial terms will expire at the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders; and

 

    José E. Feliciano, Charles E. Young and Tracy Robinson will be Class III directors, whose initial terms will expire at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders.

Our board of directors has determined that Timothy J. Pawlenty, Sharon Spurlin, Tracy Robinson, José E. Feliciano and Colin Leonard are independent under NASDAQ listing standards.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

Our corporate governance guidelines will provide that the board of directors is responsible for reviewing the process for assessing the major risks facing us and the options for their mitigation. This responsibility will be largely satisfied by our audit committee, which is responsible for reviewing and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm our major risk exposures and the policies management has implemented to monitor such exposures, including our financial risk exposures and risk management policies.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

This executive compensation disclosure provides an overview of the executive compensation program for the named executive officers identified below. For the year ended December 31, 2015, our named executive officers, or the NEOs, were:

 

    Charles E. Young, Chief Executive Officer;

 

    Lee E. Beckelman, Chief Financial Officer; and

 

    Robert Kiszka, Executive Vice President of Operations.

Summary Compensation Table For 2015

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the compensation paid to our NEOs for the year ended December 31, 2015. The amounts shown below include all compensation paid to these individuals for services in 2015.

 

Name and principal position

   Year      Salary ($)      All other
compensation ($)
    Total ($)  

Charles E. Young

     2015         498,077         210,590 (1)      708,667   

Chief Executive Officer

          

Lee E. Beckelman

     2015         298,846         11,944 (2)      310,790   

Chief Financial Officer

          

Robert Kiszka.

     2015         373,557         23,483 (3)      397,040   

Executive Vice President of Operations

          

 

(1) Amount shown represents costs associated with providing Mr. Young use of a company-owned automobile ($3,952), employer contributions made under our 401(k) Plan ($15,274) and relocation cost reimbursement ($191,364).
(2) Amount shown represents Mr. Beckelman’s employer contributions made under our 401(k) Plan ($11,944).
(3) Amount shown represents costs associated with providing Mr. Kiszka use of a company-owned automobile ($6,541) and employer contributions made under our 401(k) Plan ($16,942).

Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table

We provide compensation to our executives, including our NEOs, in the form of base salaries, annual cash incentive awards and participation in various employee benefit plans and arrangements, including participation in a qualified 401(k) retirement plan and health and welfare benefits on the same basis as offered to other full-time employees.

Base Salaries

We pay our NEOs a base salary to compensate them for the satisfactory performance of services rendered to our company. The base salary payable to each NEO is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive’s skill set, experience and responsibilities and has historically been set at levels deemed necessary to attract and retain individuals with superior talent.

Our NEOs’ base salaries for 2015 were $500,000 for Mr. Young, $300,000 for Mr. Beckelman and $375,000 for Mr. Kiszka. None of our NEOs received any base salary increases in 2015. In December 2015, due to market conditions generally affecting our industry, our NEO’s, with the support of the board of directors, determined to reduce their base salary amounts by 10% each. In September 2016 the compensation committee of our board of directors determined to reinstate the base salary amounts of our executives, including our NEOs, effective January 1, 2017.

 

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Performance Bonuses

We offer our NEOs the opportunity to earn annual cash incentive awards to compensate them for attaining short-term company or individual performance goals. Each NEO has an annual target bonus that is expressed as a percentage of his annual base salary. The target bonus percentages for our NEOs for 2015 were 100% of base salary for Mr. Young, 50% of base salary for Mr. Beckelman and 50% of base salary for Mr. Kiszka.

Our annual cash incentive awards have historically been determined by the compensation committee of our board of directors on a discretionary basis. In making individual bonus decisions, the compensation committee does not rely on predetermined financial performance targets or metrics. Instead, determinations regarding annual cash incentive awards are based on a subjective assessment of individual and company performance. For 2015, our compensation committee determined not to award any discretionary bonuses to our NEOs.

Pursuant to a letter agreement with Mr. Beckelman entered into in connection with his commencement of employment, Mr. Beckelman is entitled to receive a one-time bonus of $300,000 following the consummation of this offering.

Equity Compensation

In 2014, we granted shares of restricted stock to each of Mr. Beckelman and Mr. Kiszka as the long-term incentive component of their compensation. The restricted shares were granted under our 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2012 Plan, and vest in equal installments over a period of four (4) years for Mr. Beckelman or five (5) years for Mr. Kiszka, subject to continued employment through the applicable vesting date and accelerated vesting upon a change in control of us.

None of our NEOs received awards or grants of equity during 2015. In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, or the 2016 Plan, to facilitate the grant of cash and equity incentives to our directors, employees (including our NEOs) and consultants and to enable our company to obtain and retain the services of these individuals, which we believe is essential to our long-term success. Following the effective date of our 2016 Plan, we will not make any further grants under our 2012 Plan. However, the 2012 Plan will continue to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding awards granted under it. For additional information about the 2016 Plan and the 2012 Plan, please read “Incentive Compensation Plans” below.

Retirement, Health, Welfare and Additional Benefits

Our NEOs are eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans and programs, including medical and dental benefits, long-term care benefits, and short- and long-term disability and life insurance, to the same extent as our other full time employees, subject to the terms and eligibility requirements of those plans. We sponsor a 401(k) defined contribution plan in which our NEOs may participate, subject to limits imposed by the Code, to the same extent as our other full time employees. Currently, we match 100% of contributions made by participants in the 401(k) plan, up to 3% of eligible compensation, and 50% of contributions made between 3% and 5% of eligible compensation. Matching contributions are fully vested when made. Our NEOs are also entitled to certain perquisites, including relocation cost reimbursements and use of company-owned automobiles, as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table above.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2015

The following table sets forth the outstanding equity awards held by our NEOs as of December 31, 2015.

 

     Stock awards  

Name

   Number of
shares
that have
not vested (#)
    Market
value of
shares
that have
not vested
($)(3)
 

Charles E. Young.

     —          —     

Lee E. Beckelman

     26 (1)      220,064   

Robert Kiszka.

     28 (2)      236,992   

 

(1) The restricted shares vest in substantially equal installments on each of August 11, 2016, 2017 and 2018, subject to Mr. Beckelman’s continued employment on the applicable vesting date and accelerated vesting upon a change in control.
(2) The restricted shares vest in substantially equal installments on June 10, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, subject to Mr. Kiszka’s continued employment on the applicable vesting date and accelerated vesting upon a change in control.
(3) Amount shown is based on the fair value of our common stock as of December 31, 2015, as determined by a third party valuation firm.

Executive Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with each of Messrs. Young and Kiszka. Certain key terms of these agreements are described below. We have not entered into a current employment agreement with Mr. Beckelman.

Messrs. Young and Kiszka

We entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Young and Kiszka in September 2011, and these agreements were amended in 2014. As amended, Mr. Young’s employment agreement is for a term that will end on May 15, 2017, and Mr. Kiszka’s employment agreement was for an initial term that expired on May 15, 2016, but has renewed for at least one additional year. The agreements automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless thirty (30) days’ notice of non-renewal is delivered by either party. The agreements entitle the executives to an annual base salary, an annual bonus and participation in the benefit plans maintained by us from time to time.

If the employment of Messrs. Young or Kiszka terminates due to death or disability, then he or his estate, as applicable, will be entitled to receive an amount equal to six months of base salary, payable in monthly installments until the earlier to occur of (i) six months following the date of death or termination due to disability or (ii) February of the calendar year immediately following the year of death or termination due to disability, with the remaining amount payable in a lump sum. If the employment of Messrs. Young or Kiszka is terminated by us without cause or he resigns for good reason, then he will be entitled to receive an amount equal to 12 months of base salary, payable in monthly installments until the earlier to occur of (i) 12 months or (ii) February of the calendar year immediately following the year of termination, with the remaining amount payable in a lump sum. Receipt of payments upon termination due to disability, by us without cause or due to resignation for good reason is conditioned upon Messrs. Young and Kiszka signing a release of claims in our favor. In addition, Messrs. Young and Kiszka are subject to a 12-month non-competition and non-solicitation period following termination of employment for any reason.

For purposes of the employment agreements, “cause” is generally defined as (i) repeated failure by the executive to perform his duties, (ii) executive’s conviction or entry of a plea of nolo contendere for fraud,

 

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misappropriation or embezzlement, or any felony or crime of moral turpitude, (iii) willful material violation of a policy which is directly and materially injurious to the company or (iv) executive’s material breach of the employment agreement; in the case of items (i), (iii) or (iv), subject to notice and a 30-day cure period. “Good reason” is generally defined as (i) material diminution by the company of executive’s authority, duties and responsibilities, which change would cause executive’s position to become one of less responsibility, importance and scope or (ii) material reduction by the company of base salary, unless such reduction is a result of a reduction of salaries to all employees and is no greater than the average of the salary reductions imposed on other employees; in each case, subject to notice and a 30-day cure period.

Benefits Upon a Change in Control

The agreements governing Messrs. Beckelman’s and Kiszka’s restricted shares provide for full accelerated vesting of any unvested portion of the award in connection with a change in control.

Incentive Compensation Plans

The following summarizes the material terms of the incentive compensation plans in which our employees, including the NEOs, participate.

2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan

In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt and ask our stockholders to approve the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, or the 2016 Plan, under which we may grant cash and equity-based incentive awards to eligible service providers in order to attract, retain and motivate the persons who make important contributions to our company. The material terms of the 2016 Plan are summarized below.

Eligibility and Administration

Our employees, consultants and directors, and employees and consultants of our subsidiaries, will be eligible to receive awards under the 2016 Plan. The 2016 Plan will be administered by the compensation committee of the board of directors, which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to one or more officers, agents or advisors as provided in the 2016 Plan (referred to collectively as the plan administrator below), subject to the limitations imposed under the 2016 Plan, Section 16 of the Exchange Act, stock exchange rules and other applicable laws, or a sub-committee thereof or any other committee designated by the board of directors. The plan administrator will have the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the 2016 Plan, to interpret the 2016 Plan and award agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal rules for the administration of the 2016 Plan as it deems advisable. The plan administrator will also have the authority to determine which eligible service providers receive awards, grant awards and set the terms and conditions of all awards under the 2016 Plan, including any vesting and vesting acceleration provisions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the 2016 Plan.

Shares Available for Awards

The aggregate number of shares of our common stock that will initially be available for issuance under the 2016 Plan is equal to the sum of (i)                              shares and (ii) any shares of common stock which as of the effective date of the 2016 Plan are subject to awards granted under the 2012 Plan that are forfeited, expire or otherwise terminate without the issuance of shares. No more than              shares of common stock may be issued under the 2016 Plan upon the exercise of incentive stock options.

If an award under the 2016 Plan or the 2012 Plan expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, canceled without having been fully exercised or forfeited, any unused shares subject to the award will, as applicable, become or again be available for new grants under the 2016 Plan. Any shares of common stock repurchased on the open market using the proceeds from the exercise of an award under the 2016 Plan will not increase the number of shares available under the 2016 Plan.

 

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In addition, the maximum aggregate grant date fair value, as determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 (or any successor thereto), of awards granted to any non-employee director for services as a director pursuant to the 2016 Plan during any fiscal year may not exceed $600,000 (or, in the fiscal year of any director’s initial service, $1,000,000). The plan administrator may, however, make exceptions to such limit on director compensation in extraordinary circumstances, subject to the limitations in the 2016 Plan.

Awards

The 2016 Plan provides for the grant of stock options, including incentive stock options, or ISOs, and nonqualified stock options, or NSOs, stock appreciation rights, or SARs, restricted stock, dividend equivalents, restricted stock units, or RSUs, performance awards, performance cash awards and other stock or cash based awards. Certain awards under the 2016 Plan may constitute or provide for payment of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code. All awards under the 2016 Plan will be set forth in award agreements, which will detail the terms and conditions of awards, which may include any applicable vesting and payment terms and post-termination exercise limitations. A brief description of each award type follows.

 

    Stock Options and SARs . Stock options provide for the purchase of shares of our common stock in the future at an exercise price set on the grant date. ISOs, by contrast to NSOs, may provide tax deferral beyond exercise and favorable capital gains tax treatment to their holders if certain holding period and other requirements of the Code are satisfied. SARs entitle their holder, upon exercise, to receive from us an amount equal to the appreciation of the shares subject to the award between the grant date and the exercise date. The plan administrator will determine the number of shares covered by each option and SAR, the exercise price of each option and SAR and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each option and SAR. The exercise price of a stock option or SAR will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying share on the grant date (or 110% in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant stockholders). The term of a stock option or SAR may not be longer than ten years (or five years in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant stockholders).

 

    Restricted Stock and RSUs . Restricted stock is an award of nontransferable shares of our common stock that remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met and which may be subject to a purchase price. RSUs are contractual promises to deliver shares of our common stock in the future, which may also remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met and may be accompanied by the right to receive the equivalent value of dividends paid on shares of our common stock prior to the delivery of the underlying shares. The plan administrator may provide that the delivery of the shares underlying RSUs will be deferred on a mandatory basis or at the election of the participant. The terms and conditions applicable to restricted stock and RSUs will be determined by the plan administrator, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the 2016 Plan.

 

    Performance Awards . Performance awards are awards of cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination thereof, as determined by the plan administrator, that may be granted under the 2016 Plan based upon the achievement of one or more performance goals or other objectives over a specified performance period. The terms and conditions applicable to performance awards will be determined by the plan administrator, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the 2016 Plan.

 

    Performance Cash Awards . Performance cash awards are awards denominated in cash in such amounts and upon such terms as the plan administrator may determine, which may be based on the achievement of specified performance goals over a performance period.

 

    Other Stock or Cash Based Awards . Other stock based awards are awards of cash, fully vested shares of our common stock and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or otherwise based on, shares of our common stock or other property. Other cash based awards are awards denominated and paid in cash. The plan administrator will determine the terms and conditions of other stock or cash based awards, which may include any purchase price, performance goal, transfer restrictions and vesting conditions.

 

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Performance Measures

The plan administrator may select performance measures for an award to establish performance goals for a performance period. Performance measures under the 2016 Plan may include, but are not limited to, the following: net earnings (either before or after one or more of the following: interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and/or accretion, amortization, non-cash equity-based compensation expense, gain or loss on sale of assets, financing costs, development costs, non-cash charges, unusual or nonrecurring charges and gain or loss on extinguishment of debt); gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; net income (either before or after taxes); adjusted net income; operating earnings or profit; cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); return on assets; return on capital; return on stockholders’ equity; total stockholder return; return on sales; gross or net profit or operating margin; costs (including, but not limited to, production costs); funds from operations; expenses; working capital; earnings per share; adjusted earnings per share; price per share; regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product; implementation or completion of critical projects; market share; economic value; debt levels or reduction; sales-related goals; comparisons with other stock market indices; operating efficiency; financing and other capital raising transactions; recruiting and maintaining personnel; year-end cash; customer service; and marketing initiatives, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or on a per share, per ton, per product, per customer/prospect, per employee, or any other similar basis or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease. Such performance goals also may be based solely by reference to the company’s performance or the performance of a subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit of the company or a subsidiary, or based upon performance relative to performance of other companies or upon comparisons of any of the indicators of performance relative to performance of other companies. When determining performance goals, the plan administrator may provide for the inclusion or exclusion of the impact of an event or occurrence which the plan administrator determines should appropriately be included or excluded, including, without limitation, non-recurring charges or events, acquisitions or divestitures, changes in the corporate or capital structure, events unrelated to the business or outside of the control of management, foreign exchange considerations, and legal, regulatory, tax or accounting changes.

Certain Transactions

In the event of a change in control in which outstanding awards under the 2016 Plan are not assumed or substituted, then prior to the change in control (i) all outstanding options and SARs will become immediately exercisable in full and will terminate upon consummation of the change in control; (ii) all restrictions and vesting requirements applicable to any award based solely on the continued service of the participant will terminate; and (c) all awards, the vesting or payment of which are based on performance goals, will vest as though such performance goals were achieved at target. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with a change in control, the plan administrator may determine that outstanding stock-based awards granted under the 2016 Plan, whether or not exercisable or vested, will be canceled and terminated in exchange for a cash payment (or the delivery of shares, other securities or a combination of cash, shares and securities) equal to the difference, if any, between the consideration to be received by company stockholders in respect of a share of common stock in connection with such change in control and the purchase price per share, if any, under the award, multiplied by the number of shares of common stock subject to such award. In addition, in the event of certain non-reciprocal transactions with our stockholders, the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the 2016 Plan and outstanding awards as it deems appropriate to reflect the transaction.

Plan Amendment and Termination

Our board of directors may terminate the 2016 Plan at any time and the plan administrator may amend the 2016 Plan at any time; however, no amendment, other than an amendment that increases the number of shares available under the 2016 Plan, may adversely affect an award outstanding under the 2016 Plan without the consent of the affected participant, and stockholder approval will be obtained for any amendment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable laws. Further, the plan administrator cannot, without the approval of our stockholders, amend any outstanding stock option or SAR to reduce its price per share. The 2016 Plan will

 

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remain in effect until the day before the tenth anniversary of the date it was initially approved by our board of directors, unless earlier terminated by our board of directors. No awards may be granted under the 2016 Plan after its termination.

Foreign Participants, Claw-Back Provisions, Transferability and Participant Payments

The plan administrator may modify awards granted to participants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States or establish subplans or procedures to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such foreign jurisdictions. All awards will be subject to any company claw-back policy as set forth in such claw-back policy or the applicable award agreement. Except as expressly provided in the 2016 Plan or in an award agreement, awards under the 2016 Plan are generally non-transferrable, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution and are generally exercisable only by the participant. With regard to exercise price obligations arising in connection with the exercise of options under the 2016 Plan, such amounts must be paid in cash (including check, bank draft or money order), except that the plan administrator may allow such payments to be made by tender of a broker exercise notice, tender of previously acquired shares of our common stock, net exercise, a combination of such methods or any other method approved by the plan administrator. With regard to tax withholding obligations arising in connection with awards under the 2016 Plan, the plan administrator may permit or require such withholding obligations to be satisfied through the withholding of shares underlying an award, tender of previously acquired shares, delivery of a broker exercise notice, or a combination of such methods.

2012 Plan

Our board of directors and stockholders have approved the 2012 Plan, under which we have granted shares of restricted stock. We previously reserved a total of 400 shares of our common stock for issuance under the 2012 Plan.

Following the effectiveness of the 2016 Plan, we will not make any further grants under the 2012 Plan. However, the 2012 Plan will continue to govern the terms and conditions of outstanding awards granted under it. Shares of our common stock subject to awards granted under the 2012 Plan that are forfeited, lapse unexercised or are settled in cash and which following the effective date of the 2016 Plan are not issued under the 2012 Plan will be available for issuance under the 2016 Plan.

Administration

The 2012 Plan is administered by our board of directors, or a committee of the board to the extent the board has delegated its authority under the 2012 Plan to a committee. The board has authority to issue awards under the 2012 Plan; to adopt, alter and repeal administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the 2012 Plan; to establish the terms of awards granted under the 2012 Plan; to interpret the terms of the 2012 Plan and any awards granted thereunder; and to otherwise supervise the administration of the 2012 Plan. The board may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the 2012 Plan or in any outstanding award in the manner and to the extent it deems necessary to carry out the intent of the 2012 Plan. Following the effectiveness of this offering, we expect that the board of directors will delegate its general administrative authority under the 2012 Plan to its compensation committee.

Types of Awards

The 2012 Plan provides for the grant of stock options and restricted stock awards to employees, consultants and directors or other service providers of the company or its affiliates. As of the date of this prospectus, awards of restricted stock are outstanding under the 2012 Plan.

 

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Certain Transactions

In the event of certain events or transactions affecting our common stock, including a recapitalization, stock split or combination, or stock dividend, the 2012 Plan and outstanding awards may be adjusted with respect to the number, type and issuer of securities, as determined by the board of directors. In the event of a change in control, the board may take one or more of the following actions in its discretion: (i) cause any or all outstanding awards to become vested or non-forfeitable, in whole or in part; (ii) cancel any award in exchange for an award in the successor corporation; or (iii) cancel outstanding awards for cash or other consideration.

Amendment and Termination

The board of directors may amend, alter or terminate the 2012 Plan at any time, provided that, except with respect to actions that may be taken by the board in connection with a change in control as described above, no alteration, amendment or discontinuation of the 2012 Plan may impair the rights of a holder of an outstanding award without the holder’s consent. Any amendment that increases the total number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2012 Plan or changes the persons or class of persons eligible to receive awards under the 2012 Plan must be approved by our stockholders.

2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt and ask our stockholders to approve the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the 2016 ESPP. The material terms of the 2016 ESPP are summarized below.

Shares available for Awards; Administration

A total of              shares of our common stock are initially reserved for issuance under the 2016 ESPP and no more than              shares of our common stock may be issued on each purchase date under the 2016 ESPP. The number of shares available for issuance under the 2016 ESPP is subject to adjustment in certain events, as described below.

The compensation committee of our board of directors, or a subcommittee thereof, has authority to interpret the terms of the 2016 ESPP and determine the eligibility of participants. The compensation committee may delegate its duties, power and authority under the 2016 ESPP to any officers of the company in accordance with the terms of the 2016 ESPP.

Eligibility

Our employees are eligible to participate in the 2016 ESPP if they are customarily employed by us or a participating subsidiary for more than 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar year. However, an employee may not be granted rights to purchase stock under our 2016 ESPP if such employee, immediately after the grant, would own (directly or through attribution) stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of our common or other class of stock.

Grant of Rights

The 2016 ESPP is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code and stock will be offered under the 2016 ESPP during offering periods. The length of the offering periods under the 2016 ESPP will be determined by the plan administrator and may be up to 27 months long. Employee payroll deductions will be used to purchase shares on each purchase date during an offering period. The purchase dates for each offering period will be the final trading day in the offering period. Offering periods under the 2016 ESPP are initially intended to continue for six months and will commence on January 1 and July 1 of each year, except that the first offering period under the 2016 ESPP will commence and terminate when determined by the plan administrator. The plan administrator may, in its discretion, modify the terms of future offering periods.

 

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The 2016 ESPP permits participants to purchase common stock through payroll deductions of up to 20% of their eligible compensation, which includes a participant’s gross base compensation for services to us, including commissions that are included in regular compensation, amounts that would have constituted compensation but for a participant’s election to defer or reduce compensation pursuant to any deferred compensation, cafeteria, capital accumulation or any other similar plan of the company, and overtime and shift premiums, but excluding all other amounts such as amounts attributable to stock-based, cash-based and other incentive compensation and bonuses. The plan administrator will establish a maximum number of shares that may be purchased by a participant during any offering period, which, in the absence of a contrary designation, will be 1,000 shares. In addition, no employee will be permitted to accrue the right to purchase stock under the 2016 ESPP at a rate in excess of $25,000 worth of shares during any calendar year during which such a purchase right is outstanding (based on the fair market value per share of our common stock as of the first day of the offering period).

On the first trading day of each offering period, each participant will automatically be granted an option to purchase shares of our common stock. The option will expire at the end of the applicable offering period, and will be exercised at that time to the extent of the payroll deductions accumulated during the offering period. The purchase price of the shares, in the absence of a contrary designation, will be 85% of the lower of the fair market value of our common stock on the first trading day of the offering period or on the purchase date, which will be the final trading day of the offering period. Participants may voluntarily end their participation in the 2016 ESPP at any time prior to the end of the applicable offering period, and will be paid their accrued payroll deductions that have not yet been used to purchase shares of common stock. Participation ends automatically upon a participant’s termination of employment.

A participant may not transfer rights granted under the 2016 ESPP other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

Certain Transactions

In the event of certain non-reciprocal transactions or events affecting our common stock known as “equity restructurings,” the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the 2016 ESPP and outstanding rights. In the event of a merger or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the company, each outstanding option will be assumed or substituted by the successor corporation. In the event that the successor corporation does not assume or substitute for outstanding options, or in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the company, the offering period then in progress will be shortened by setting a new exercise date immediately prior to the effective date of such transaction.

Plan Amendment

The board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate the 2016 ESPP at any time. However, stockholder approval of any amendment to the 2016 ESPP will be obtained for any amendment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable laws.

 

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Director Compensation

The table below sets forth the compensation paid to our non-employee directors for their service on our board of directors during 2015.

 

Name

   Fees earned or
paid in cash ($)
     Stock awards
($)(1)
     All other
compensation
($)(2)
     Total ($)  

José E. Feliciano(3)

     60,000         —           —           60,000   

Colin Leonard(3)

     60,000         —           —           60,000   

Timothy J. Pawlenty(4)

     60,000         —           —           60,000   

Tracy Robinson(4)

     60,000         177,324         —           237,324   

Sharon Spurlin(4)

     60,000         177,324         —           237,324   

Andrew Speaker(5)

     200,000         —           7,308         207,308   

 

(1) Amount shown represents the grant date fair value of shares of restricted stock granted in 2015.
(2) Amount shown represents our contributions to Mr. Speaker’s 401(k) Plan account in 2015.
(3) These directors are employed by Clearlake and, pursuant to arrangements with Clearlake, amounts shown are paid to Clearlake at the direction of the directors.
(4) As of December 31, 2015, Mr. Pawlenty held 3 unvested shares of our restricted stock and Ms. Robinson and Ms. Spurlin each held 10 unvested shares of our restricted stock.
(5) Effective as of January 1, 2016, Mr. Speaker’s annual board retainer fee was reduced to $100,000.

In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a director compensation policy pursuant to which directors who are not officers, employees or paid consultants or advisors of us, may receive a combination of cash and equity-based awards under our 2016 Plan as compensation for their services on our board of directors. Such directors will also receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses associated with attending board or committee meetings and director and officer liability insurance coverage. Officers, employees or paid consultants or advisors of us who also serve as directors will not receive additional compensation for their service as directors. All directors will be indemnified by us for actions associated with being a director to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law.

 

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PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock that, upon the consummation of this offering, will be owned by:

 

    each person known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of any class of our outstanding common stock;

 

    each of our directors;

 

    each of our named executive officers;

 

    all of our directors and executive officers as a group; and

 

    the selling stockholders.

The amounts and percentage of shares of common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or “investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, common stock subject to options or warrants held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus, if any, are deemed outstanding, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as indicated by footnote, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them, subject to community property laws where applicable. Information presented in the table below is adjusted to reflect our          for 1 stock split that will occur prior to the completion of this offering.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner(1)

  Shares Beneficially
Owned Before this
Offering
    Shares Beneficially Owned
After this Offering (Assuming
No Exercise of  the
Underwriters’ Over-
Allotment Option)
    Shares Beneficially Owned
After this Offering (Assuming
the  Underwriters’ Over-
Allotment Option is
Exercised in Full)
 
  Number     Percentage     Number     Percentage     Number     Percentage  

Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P.(2)

                                

Keystone Cranberry, LLC(3)

                                
           

Directors/Named Executive Officers

           

Charles E. Young(4)

                                

Lee Beckelman

Robert Kiszka(5)

     

 

    

    


     

 

    

    


     

 

    

    


José E. Feliciano(2)

                                

Colin Leonard

                                

Timothy J. Pawlenty

                                

Andrew Speaker(6)

                                

Sharon Spurlin

                                

Tracy Robinson

                                

All Directors and Executive Officers as a group (12 persons)

                                

Other Selling Stockholders

           

Speaker Children 2012 Irrevocable Trusts(7)

                                

Frank Porcelli(8)

                                

F. Philip Handy(9)

                                

William John Young

                                

Susan Neumann

                                

Ronald P. Whelan

                                

 

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* Less than 1%.
(1) Unless otherwise indicated, the address for all beneficial owners in this table is c/o Smart Sand, Inc., 24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350, The Woodlands, Texas 77380.
(2) Represents shares held of record by Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“CCPII”). CCPII is managed by Clearlake Capital Management II, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“CCMII”). CCMII’s general partner is Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., whose general partner is CCG Operations, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“CCG Ops”). CCPII’s general partner is Clearlake Capital Partners II GP, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“CCPII GP”). CCPII GP’s general partner is Clearlake Capital Partners, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“CCP”). CCP’s managing member is CCG Ops. José E. Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali are managers of CCG Ops and may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power of the shares held of record by CCPII. The address of Messrs. Feliciano and Eghbali and the entities named in this footnote is c/o Clearlake Capital Group, 233 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
(3) Charles E. Young owns approximately 86% of the membership interests in Keystone Cranberry, LLC, is the sole managing member and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by Keystone Cranberry, LLC.
(4) Includes              shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of outstanding warrants that the company expects to be exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus. All shares are held by Keystone Cranberry, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company. Mr. Young owns approximately 86% of the membership interests in Keystone Cranberry, LLC, is the sole managing member and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by Keystone Cranberry, LLC. Also includes              shares of restricted stock issued under the 2012 Plan as the holders of such shares of restricted stock have executed a proxy in favor of Mr. Young.
(5) Includes              shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of outstanding warrants that the company expects to be exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus. Other than                          shares held directly by Mr. Kiszka, all shares are held by BAMK Associates, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company. Mr. Kiszka is the sole member and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by BAMK Associates, LLC.
(6) Includes              shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of outstanding warrants that the company expects to be exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
(7) Includes (i)              shares held by the Trust for Jessica L. Speaker dated October 18, 2012, (ii)              shares held by the Trust for Mary J. Speaker dated October 18, 2012, and (iii)              shares held by the Trust for Thomas A. Speaker dated October 18, 2012 (collectively, the “Speaker Children Trusts”). Joseph Speaker is trustee of the Speaker Children Trusts, and as trustee, Mr. Speaker has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by the Speaker Children Trusts. Mr. Speaker is also the brother of Andrew Speaker, who is the Co-Chairman of our Board of Directors.
(8) Includes              shares that may be purchased upon the exercise of outstanding warrants that the company expects to be exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.
(9) All shares are held by the Blaine Trust U/A/D dated January 26, 2001 (the “Blaine Trust”). Given the revocable nature of the Blaine Trust, Mr. Handy, as settlor and trustee, is deemed to have voting and investment power over the shares held by the Blaine Trust.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with the closing of this offering, we will enter into a registration rights agreement with certain stockholders, including the selling stockholders (the “Registration Rights Holders”). Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, we may be required to register under the Securities Act shares of common stock owned by the Registration Rights Holders (the “Registrable Securities”) upon their request in certain circumstances.

Demand Registration Rights . At any time after the closing of this offering following the expiration of the 180-day lockup period described in this prospectus, our Principal Stockholders will have the right to require us by written notice to register their Registrable Securities. We will be obligated to effect two demand registrations on a long-form registration statement in any twelve-month period and an unlimited number of demand registrations on a short-form registration statement, including “shelf registrations”; provided that we will not be obligated to file more than one registration statement in response to a demand registration within 90 days after the effective date of any registration statement filed by us in response to a demand registration. Upon written request of any of our Principal Stockholders, we will retain underwriters and facilitate an underwritten offering to dispose of Registrable Securities having a market price of at least $20.0 million held individually by a Principal Stockholder, or collectively by the Principal Stockholders.

Piggy-back Registration Rights . If, at any time, we propose to register an offering of our securities (subject to certain exceptions) for our own account or for the account of any stockholder other than the Registration Rights Holders, then we must give notice to the Registration Rights Holders holding at least $0.1 million in shares of our common stock to allow them to include a specified number of Registrable Securities in that registration statement.

Conditions and Limitations; Expenses . The registration rights are subject to certain conditions and limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of Registrable Securities to be included in a registration and our right to delay or withdraw a registration statement under certain circumstances. We will generally pay all registration expenses in connection with our obligations under the registration rights agreement, regardless of whether a registration statement is filed or becomes effective. The obligations to register Registrable Securities under the registration rights agreement will terminate when no Registrable Securities remain outstanding. Registrable Securities will cease to be covered by the registration rights agreement when they have (i) been sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (ii) been sold in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144), (iii) are held by the Company or one of its subsidiaries; (iv) at the time such Registrable Security has been sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under the registration rights agreement are not assigned to the transferee of such securities; or (v) are sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under the registration rights agreement are assigned to the transferee and such transferee is not an affiliate of the company, two years following the transfer of such Registrable Security to such transferee.

Stockholders Agreement

In connection with this offering, we intend to enter into a stockholders agreement with Clearlake and Keystone Cranberry, LLC (the entity through which our Chief Executive Officer beneficially owns substantially all of his shares of our common stock) that will provide each Principal Stockholder certain rights to designate nominees for election to our board of directors. The stockholders agreement will provide that, for so long as a Principal Stockholder beneficially owns at least 30% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate three directors; for so long as a Principal Stockholder beneficially owns at least 20% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate two directors; and for so long as a Principal Stockholder beneficially owns at least 10% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate one director.

 

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A Principal Stockholder shall be entitled to designate the replacement for any of their board designees whose board service terminates prior to the end of the director’s term regardless of their beneficial ownership at such time. Each Principal Stockholder shall also have the right, but not the obligation, to designate at least one of their nominees as a member to each of the committees of our board of directors for so long as they are allowed to designate at least one director, subject to compliance with applicable law and stock exchange rules.

For so long as such Principal Stockholder holds at least 20% of our outstanding common stock, we, and our subsidiaries, shall not effect any transaction or series of related transactions involving a change of control of the Company (or enter into an agreement to take such action) without the approval of such Principal Stockholder.

Additionally, for so long as such Principal Stockholder has one of its designees serving on our board of directors, we, and our subsidiaries, shall not take the following actions (or enter into an agreement to take such actions) without the approval of such Principal Stockholder:

 

    any increase or decrease in the size or composition of the board of directors, committees of the board of directors, and boards and committees of subsidiaries of the company; or

 

    any action that otherwise could reasonably be expected to adversely affect such Principal Stockholder’s board of directors and committee designation rights.

The rights and obligations of each Principal Stockholder under the stockholders agreement will be several and not joint, and no Principal Stockholder will be responsible in any way for the performance of the rights and obligations of any other Principal Stockholder under the stockholders agreement.

 

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Indemnification Agreements

Our amended and restated bylaws will provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition, we intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and certain officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our amended and restated bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our amended and restated bylaws.

Procedures for Review, Approval and Ratification of Related Person Transactions

Our board of directors will adopt a written policy on transactions with related persons in connection with the completion of this offering that will provide that the board of directors or its authorized committee will review on at least a quarterly basis all transactions with related persons that are required to be disclosed under SEC rules and, when appropriate, initially authorize or ratify all such transactions. In the event that the board of directors or its authorized committee considers ratification of a transaction with a related person and determines not to so ratify, the written policy on transactions with related persons will provide that our management will make all reasonable efforts to cancel or annul the transaction.

The written policy on transactions with related persons will provide that, in determining whether or not to recommend the initial approval or ratification of a transaction with a related person, the board of directors or its authorized committee should consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances available, including (if applicable) but not limited to whether the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s length dealings with an unrelated third party and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction and whether entering into the transaction would be consistent with the written policy on transactions with related persons.

The written policy on transactions with related persons described above will be adopted in connection with the completion of this offering and, therefore, the transactions described below were not reviewed under such policy.

Loan to Named Executive Officer

In January 2016, the company provided a one-year, 0% loan to its Chief Executive Officer in the amount of $61,000. During the third quarter of 2016, this loan was fully forgiven and included as compensation to the Chief Executive Officer.

Existing Stockholders Rights Agreement

The company is party to a stockholders agreement with certain of its existing stockholders (the “existing stockholders rights agreement”). The existing stockholders rights agreement provided for certain restrictions on transfer of shares of stock of the company and board designation, consent and expense reimbursement rights. Under the existing stockholders rights agreement, the company reimbursed Clearlake approximately $130,000 in 2014 for certain out-of-pocket and other expenses in connection with certain management and administrative support services provided. In connection with this offering, we expect to terminate the existing stockholders rights agreement and enter into a new stockholders agreement. See “—Stockholders Agreement”.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

Upon completion of this offering, the authorized capital stock of Smart Sand, Inc., will consist of              shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of which              shares will be issued and outstanding, and              shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share, of which no shares will be issued and outstanding. Please read “Summary—The Offering.”

The following summary of the capital stock and amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws of Smart Sand, Inc., does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of applicable law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws, stockholders agreement and the registration rights agreement, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Common Stock

Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, will have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and do not have cumulative voting rights. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of common stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) that relates solely to the terms of any outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) or pursuant to the DGCL. Subject to the rights of any holders of any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to the payment of dividends when and as declared by our board of directors in accordance with applicable law and to receive other distributions. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of common stock have no pre-emptive or other subscription rights. Subject to the rights of any holders of any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary, our funds and assets, to the extent they may be legally distributed to holders of common stock, shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding common stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of common stock held by each such holder.

Preferred Stock

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors, in accordance with the DGCL and subject to the stockholders agreement, without further stockholder approval, to establish and to issue from time to time one or more series of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. Our board of directors is authorized to determine the terms and rights of each such series of preferred stock, including the number of shares, voting rights, if any, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as our board of directors may deem advisable, all to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL and the stockholders agreement.

Outstanding Warrants

On September 13, 2011, we issued four warrants to purchase an aggregate of              shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $         per share. The material terms and provisions of our outstanding warrants are summarized below. The following description is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the common stock purchase warrants, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

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Term . The warrants (and the right to purchase shares of common stock upon the exercise thereof) terminate upon the earliest to occur of (i) the eight-year anniversary of the issue date (September 13, 2011) and (ii) a change of control (as defined in the warrants) of us.

Exercise Price . The exercise price of the warrants is $             per whole share of common stock. The exercise price is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of certain stock dividends and distributions, stock splits, stock combinations, stock issuances, reclassifications or similar events affecting our common stock.

Exercisability . Holders may exercise the warrants, in whole or in part, on and after the earlier of:

 

  (i) the date upon which we have achieved EBITDA in excess of $76.8 million over the course of any twenty-four month period;

 

  (ii) (A) the occurrence of a transaction in which our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction do not retain direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least 60% of the total outstanding shares of our common stock following the transaction and such transaction implies a valuation of our common stock of at least $300 million, or (B) the adoption of a plan relating to the dissolution or liquidation of us; provided that if such transaction is in connection with an initial public offering (as defined in the warrants), then the warrants shall become exercisable following the date described in clause (iii) below; and

 

  (iii) the date immediately following the 20 th consecutive trading day on which our common stock is actively traded on a national securities exchange and the aggregate market value of the common stock is at least $300 million for each of the 20 trading days.

We expect the existing stockholders holding warrants to exercise in full the outstanding warrants following this offering pursuant to clause (iii) above.

No Fractional Shares . No fractional shares will be issued upon the exercise of the warrants. As to any fraction of a share that the holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of one share of common stock on the date of exercise, as determined in good faith by our board of directors.

Transferability . Except for affiliate transfers (as defined in the warrants), the warrants may not be assigned or transferred by the registered holder without our prior written consent.

Authorized Shares . During the period the warrants are outstanding, we will reserve from our authorized and unissued common stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of shares of common stock underlying the warrants upon the exercise of the warrants.

Exchange Listing . The warrants are not listed on any securities exchange.

Fundamental Transactions . In the event of certain fundamental transactions, as described in the warrants and generally including any merger or consolidation with or into another entity in which the Company is not the surviving entity, then upon any subsequent exercise of a warrant the holder shall have the right to receive as alternative consideration, for each share of our common stock that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such fundamental transaction, the number of shares of common stock of the successor or acquiring corporation, and any additional consideration receivable upon or as a result of such transaction by a holder of the number of shares of our common stock for which the warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event.

Right as a Stockholder . Except as otherwise provided in the warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their warrants.

 

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Amendments or Waivers . Any term of the warrants may be amended or waived only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of the amendment or waiver is sought.

Classified Board

Our certificate of incorporation will divide our board of directors into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, with staggered three-year terms. Subject to our stockholders agreement, under our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the board of directors. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of us. See “Management—Board Composition” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.”

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware Law

Some provisions of Delaware law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws will contain provisions that could make acquisitions of us by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise or removal of our directors more difficult. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.

These provisions are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with us. We believe that the benefits of increased protection and our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because, among other things, negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Delaware Law

Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a Delaware corporation, including those whose securities are listed for trading on the NASDAQ, from engaging in any business combination (as defined in Section 203) with any interested stockholder (as defined in Section 203) for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

    the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before the date the interested stockholder attained that status;

 

    upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced; or

 

    on or after such time the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at a meeting of stockholders by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

A corporation may elect not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. We have elected to not be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL.

 

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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws

Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, which will become effective upon the closing of this offering, may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

Among other things, upon the completion of this offering, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will:

 

    establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our amended and restated bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting;

 

    provide our board of directors the ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock. This ability makes it possible for our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company;

 

    provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, with staggered three-year terms;

 

    subject to the stockholders agreement, provide that the size of our board of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors;

 

    subject to the stockholders agreement, provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, shall, except as otherwise required by law or, if applicable, the rights of holders of a series of preferred stock, be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;

 

    provide that, after such time as the Principal Stockholders cease to collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing in lieu of a meeting of such stockholders, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock with respect to such series;

 

    provide that, after such time as the Principal Stockholders cease to collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote, our stockholders may only amend or repeal our bylaws with the affirmative vote of at least 66  2 3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote;

 

    provide that special meetings of our stockholders may only be called by the board of directors (except that a Principal Stockholder may also call special meetings of our stockholders so long as such Principal Stockholder beneficially owns at least 20% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock);

 

    provide that, after such time as the Principal Stockholders cease to collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote, our stockholders may only amend our certificate of incorporation with the affirmative vote of at least 66  2 3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote;

 

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    provide that, subject to the rights of the preferred stockholders and the stockholders agreement, if any, any director may be removed only upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66  2 3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote; and

 

    provide that our bylaws can be amended or repealed by the board of directors.

Approval of Certain Significant Matters

Pursuant to the terms of the stockholders agreement, upon consummation of this offering, so long as either Principal Stockholder maintains certain beneficial ownership level of our common stock, such Principal Stockholder must provide consent to certain significant business actions before we are permitted to take such actions. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.”

Corporate Opportunity

Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, to the extent permitted by law:

 

    any of our directors or officers who is also a principal, officer, member, manager and/or employee (a “Covered Person”) of Clearlake or its affiliates will have the right to carry on and conduct, directly or indirectly, business with any business that is competitive or in the same line of business as us, do business with any of our clients, customers, vendors or lessors, or make investments in the kind of property in which we may make investments;

 

    if Clearlake, its affiliates or a Covered Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction that could be a corporate opportunity for either (a)(i) the Covered Person in their capacity as an officer, director, employee, managing director or other affiliate of Clearlake or (ii) Clearlake or its affiliates or (b) us, he or she will have no duty to offer such corporate opportunity to us;

 

    we have renounced any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, such corporate opportunities; and

 

    we have waived any claim against Clearlake, its affiliates or any Covered Person and shall indemnify, and will pay in advance any expenses incurred in defense of such claims by, Clearlake, its affiliates or a Covered Person against any claim that Clearlake, its affiliates or a Covered Person is liable to us or our stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that Clearlake, its affiliates or a Covered Person (x) pursues or acquires any corporate opportunity for his or her own account or the account of any affiliate, (y) directs, recommends, sells, assigns, or otherwise transfers such corporate opportunity to another person or (z) does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to us.

Forum Selection

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for:

 

    any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;

 

    any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders;

 

    any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; or

 

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    any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this forum selection provision. However, it is possible that a court could find our forum selection provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors.

Any amendment, repeal or modification of these provisions will be prospective only and would not affect any limitation on liability of a director for acts or omissions that occurred prior to any such amendment, repeal or modification.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that we will indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Under Delaware law we may purchase insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any liability arising out of that person’s actions as our officer, director, employee or agent, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our current and future directors and officers. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liability that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We believe that the limitation of liability, indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification agreements will facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.

Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with this offering, we will enter into the registration rights agreement with certain stockholders, including the selling stockholders, whereby such stockholders and certain of their respective affiliates and transferees will have specified rights, under certain circumstances and subject to certain restrictions, to require us to register under the Securities Act all or any portion of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by such stockholders. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Registration Rights Agreement.”

Stockholders Agreement

In connection with this offering, we will enter into the stockholders agreement with Clearlake and Keystone Cranberry, LLC pursuant to which our Principal Stockholders will have certain rights, including board of directors and committee designation rights and consent rights, including the right to consent to change in control transactions. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.”

Indemnification Agreements

In addition, we intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with of our directors and certain officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest

 

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extent permitted by law and our amended and restated bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our amended and restated bylaws.

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. Future sales of our common stock in the public market, or the availability of such shares for sale in the public market, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock prevailing from time to time. As described below, only a limited number of shares will be available for sale shortly after this offering due to contractual and legal restrictions on resale. Nevertheless, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market after such restrictions lapse, or the perception that those sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock at such time and our ability to raise equity-related capital at a time and price we deem appropriate.

Sales of Restricted Shares

Upon completion of this offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of              shares of common stock, after giving effect to the                  for 1 stock split of our common stock that we will effect prior to the completion of this offering. Of these shares, all of the                  shares of common stock to be sold in this offering (or              shares assuming the underwriters exercise the option to purchase additional shares in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, unless the shares are held by any of our “affiliates” as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All remaining shares of common stock will be deemed “restricted securities” as such term is defined under Rule 144. The restricted securities were, or will be, issued and sold by us in private transactions and are eligible for public sale only if registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144 or Rule 701 under the Securities Act, which rules are summarized below.

As a result of the lock-up agreements described below and the provisions of Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act, all of the shares of our common stock (excluding the shares to be sold in this offering) will be available for sale in the public market upon the expiration of the lock-up agreements, beginning 180 days after the date of this prospectus (subject to extension) and when permitted under Rule 144 or Rule 701.

Lock-up Agreements

We, all of our directors and executive officers, the selling stockholders and certain of our principal stockholders will agree not to sell any common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, subject to certain exceptions. For a description of these lock-up provisions, please read “Underwriting.”

Rule 144

In general, under Rule 144 under the Securities Act as currently in effect, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for a least six months (including any period of consecutive ownership of preceding non-affiliated holders) would be entitled to sell those shares, subject only to the availability of current public information about us. A non-affiliated person who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least one year would be entitled to sell those shares without regard to the provisions of Rule 144.

A person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is deemed to be an affiliate of ours and who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least six months would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of one percent of the then outstanding shares of our common stock or the average weekly trading volume of our common stock reported through the NASDAQ during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of notice of the sale. Such sales are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public information about us.

 

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Rule 701

In general, under Rule 701 under the Securities Act, any of our employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who purchases shares from us in connection with a compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement before the effective date of this offering is entitled to sell such shares 90 days after the effective date of this offering in reliance on Rule 144, without having to comply with the holding period requirement of Rule 144 and, in the case of non-affiliates, without having to comply with the public information, volume limitation or notice filing provisions of Rule 144. The SEC has indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical stock options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, along with the shares acquired upon exercise of such options, including exercises after the date of this prospectus.

Stock Issued Under Employee Plans

We intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register stock issuable under our LTIP. This registration statement on Form S-8 is expected to be filed following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and will be effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market following the effective date, unless such shares are subject to vesting restrictions with us, Rule 144 restrictions applicable to our affiliates or the lock-up restrictions described above.

Warrants

On September 13, 2011, we issued four warrants to purchase an aggregate of                  shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $             per share. During the period the warrants are outstanding, we will reserve from our authorized and unissued common stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of shares of common stock underlying the warrants upon the exercise of the warrants. Holders may exercise the warrants, in whole or in part, on and after the earlier of:

(i) the date upon which we have achieved EBITDA in excess of $76.8 million over the course of any twenty-four month period;

(ii) (A) the occurrence of a transaction in which our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction do not retain direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least 60% of the total outstanding shares of our common stock following the transaction and such transaction implies a valuation of our common stock of at least $300 million, or (B) the adoption of a plan relating to our dissolution or liquidation; and

(iii) the date immediately following the 20th consecutive trading day on which our common stock is actively traded on a national securities exchange and the aggregate market value of the common stock is at least $300 million for each of the 20 trading days.

Please read “Description of Capital Stock—Outstanding Warrants.”

Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with this offering, we will enter into a registration rights agreement with certain stockholders, including the selling stockholders, pursuant to which we will grant such stockholders and certain of their respective affiliates and transferees the right, under certain circumstances and subject to certain restrictions, to require us to register under the Securities Act shares of common stock owned by such stockholders. Securities registered under any such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market unless restrictions apply. See “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions—Registration Rights Agreement.”

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. The effects of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws, and any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws are not discussed. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Treasury Regulations”), judicial decisions, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), in each case as in effect as of the date hereof. These authorities may change or be subject to differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to those discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

This discussion is limited to Non-U.S. Holders that hold our common stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a Non-U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. In addition, it does not address consequences relevant to Non-U.S. Holders subject to special rules, including, without limitation:

 

    U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

 

    persons subject to the alternative minimum tax;

 

    persons holding our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy or as part of a conversion transaction or other integrated investment;

 

    banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions;

 

    real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies;

 

    brokers, dealers or traders in securities;

 

    “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;

 

    partnerships, or other entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

    tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations;

 

    persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

 

    persons who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation;

 

    “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(1)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds; and

 

    tax-qualified retirement plans.

If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, partnerships holding our common stock and partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them.

 

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THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.

Definition of a Non-U.S. Holder

For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is any beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a “U.S. person” nor an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any person that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as any of the following:

 

    an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

    a corporation, or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;

 

    an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

    a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Distributions

As described in the section entitled “Dividend Policy” we do not anticipate declaring or paying dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. However, if we do make distributions of cash or property on our common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Amounts not treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition.”

Subject to the discussion below on effectively connected income, dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividends (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty, provided the Non-U.S. Holder furnishes to us or our paying agent prior to the payment of dividends a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) certifying qualification for the lower treaty rate). A Non-U.S. Holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.

If dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such dividends are attributable), the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the U.S. federal withholding tax described above. To claim the exemption, the Non-U.S. Holder must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a valid IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States.

 

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Any such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include such effectively connected dividends. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

Sale or Other Taxable Disposition

A Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock unless:

 

    the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such gain is attributable);

 

    the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or

 

    our common stock constitutes a United States real property interest (“USRPI”) by reason of our status as a United States real property holding corporation (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Generally, a domestic corporation is a USRPHC if the fair market value of its USRPIs equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in its trade or business.

Gain described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include such effectively connected gain.

A Non-U.S. Holder described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on any gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by U.S. source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States), provided the Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.

With respect to the third bullet point above, we believe that we currently are, and expect to remain for the foreseeable future, a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, so long as our common stock is “regularly traded on an established securities market,” a Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to U.S. federal net income tax on a disposition of our common stock only if the Non-U.S. Holder actually or constructively holds or held (at any time during the shorter of the five-year period preceding the date of disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period) more than 5% of our common stock. If our common stock is not considered to be so traded, a Non-U.S. Holder generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the gain realized on a disposition of our common stock and generally would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return, and a 15% withholding tax would apply to the gross proceeds from such sale.

Non-U.S. Holders should also consult their tax advisors regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

 

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Payments of dividends on our common stock will not be subject to backup withholding, provided the applicable withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know the Non-U.S. Holder is a United States person and the Non-U.S. Holder either certifies its non-U.S. status, such as by furnishing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption. However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any dividends on our common stock paid to the Non-U.S. Holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting if the applicable withholding agent receives the certification described above and does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such Non-U.S. Holder is a United States person, or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of our common stock conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.

Copies of information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of an applicable treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts

Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or “FATCA”) on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code) (including, in some cases, when such foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity is acting as an intermediary), unless (1) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each direct and indirect substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules and provides appropriate documentation (such as IRS Form W-8BEN-E). If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” (each as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.

Under the applicable Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance, withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments of dividends on our common stock, and will apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such stock on or after January 1, 2019.

Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to their investment in our common stock.

 

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UNDERWRITING

Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated                     ,             , we and the selling stockholders have agreed to sell to the underwriters named below, for whom Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are acting as representatives, the following respective numbers of shares of common stock:

 

Underwriter

   Number
of Shares
 

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

  

Goldman, Sachs & Co. 

  

Jefferies LLC

  

Piper Jaffray & Co.

  

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc.

  

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

  
  

 

 

 

Total

  
  

 

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the shares of common stock in the offering if any are purchased, other than those shares covered by the over-allotment option described below. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults on the purchase commitments of non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the offering may be terminated.

The underwriters propose to offer the shares of common stock initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $        per share. The underwriters and selling group members may allow a discount of $        per share on sales to other broker/dealers. After the initial public offering the representatives and underwriters may change the public offering price and concession and discount to broker/dealers. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

The selling stockholders have also granted the underwriters an option exercisable for 30 days after the date of this prospectus, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of              shares from the selling stockholders at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions. The share amounts in the option assume that the public offering price is equal to $             per share (the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus). To the extent that the option is exercised, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase its pro rata portion of these additional shares based on the underwriter’s underwriting commitment in this offering as indicated in the table at the beginning of this “Underwriting” section.

The following table summarizes the compensation and estimated expenses we and the selling stockholders will pay:

 

     Per Share      Total  
     Without
Over-allotment
     With
Over-allotment
     Without
Over-allotment
     With
Over-allotment
 

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by us

   $                    $                    $                    $                

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by the selling stockholders

   $                    $                    $                    $                

The expenses of this offering that have been paid or are payable by us and the selling stockholders are estimated to be approximately $             million (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions). We have agreed to pay expenses incurred by the selling stockholders in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain of their expenses in an amount up to $            .

 

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We have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus.

Our officers, directors and the selling stockholders have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, that they will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock, enter into a transaction that would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our common stock, whether any of these transactions are to be settled by delivery of our common stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the prior written consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus.

We and the selling stockholders have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.

We have applied to list the shares of common stock on NASDAQ, under the symbol “SND.”

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. The initial public offering price was determined by negotiations among us, the selling stockholders and the representatives and will not necessarily reflect the market price of the common stock following this offering. The principal factors that were considered in determining the initial public offering price included:

 

    the information presented in this prospectus and otherwise available to the underwriters;

 

    the history of, and prospects for, the industry in which we compete;

 

    the ability of our management;

 

    the prospects for our future earnings;

 

    the present state of our development, results of operations and our current financial condition;

 

    the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

 

    the recent market prices of, and the demand for, publicly traded common stock of generally comparable companies.

We cannot assure you that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which the common stock will trade in the public market subsequent to this offering or that an active trading market for the common stock will develop and continue after this offering.

In connection with the offering the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions, penalty bids and passive market making in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

    Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

 

   

Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of shares in excess of the number of shares the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of shares that they may purchase in

 

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the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of shares involved is greater than the number of shares in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option and/or purchasing shares in the open market.

 

    Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of shares to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. If the underwriters sell more shares than could be covered by the over-allotment option, a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

 

    Penalty bids permit the representatives to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the common stock originally sold by the syndicate member is purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

 

    In passive market making, market makers in the common stock who are underwriters or prospective underwriters may, subject to limitations, make bids for or purchases of our common stock until the time, if any, at which a stabilizing bid is made.

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock. As a result the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on NASDAQ or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of shares to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. These investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions:

Notice to Canadian Residents

Resale Restrictions

The distribution of our common stock in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of our common stock in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary

 

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depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.

Representations of Canadian Purchasers

By purchasing our common stock in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:

 

    the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase our common stock without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106— Prospectus Exemptions ,

 

    the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103— Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations ,

 

    where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent, and

 

    the purchaser has reviewed the text above under Resale Restrictions.

Conflicts of Interest

Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that the underwriters are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105— Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.

Statutory Rights of Action

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the offering memorandum (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Enforcement of Legal Rights

All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.

Taxation and Eligibility for Investment

Canadian purchasers of our common stock should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in our common stock in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of our common stock for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.

United Kingdom

This document is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to

 

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whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling with Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”), each underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State it has not made and will not make an offer of common stock which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus to the public in that Relevant Member State other than:

 

    to any legal entity which is a “qualified investor” as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

    to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than “qualified investors” as defined in the Prospectus Directive), per Relevant Member State, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters; or

 

    in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,

provided that no such offer of common stock shall result in a requirement for us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or a supplemental prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of common stock to the public” in relation to any common stock in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the common stock, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State. The expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, including by Directive 2010/73/EU), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State.

Hong Kong

The shares have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance.

Japan

The shares have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial

 

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guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.

Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

  (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

 

  (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

  (a) to an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

 

  (b) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

 

  (c) where the transfer is by operation of law;

 

  (d) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

 

  (e) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas.

EXPERTS

The audited consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so included in reliance upon the report of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

The information appearing in this prospectus concerning estimates of our proven mineral reserves was derived from the report of John T. Boyd Company, independent mining engineers and geologists, and has been included herein on the authority of John T. Boyd Company as experts with respect to the matters covered by such report and in giving such report.

The information appearing in this prospectus concerning the crush strength of our raw frac sand and attributed to Stim-Lab, Inc. was derived from the results of third party testing performed by, and summarized in reports of, Stim-Lab, Inc. and has been included herein on the authority of Stim-Lab, Inc. as experts with respect to the matters covered by such reports and in giving such reports.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement. For further information regarding us and the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus, we refer you to the full registration statement, including its exhibits and schedules, filed under the Securities Act. The registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, including its exhibits and schedules, may be inspected and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of the materials may also be obtained from the SEC at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Room. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

The SEC maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, can be downloaded from the SEC’s website. After the completion of this offering, we will file with or furnish to the SEC periodic reports and other information. These reports and other information may be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC or obtained from the SEC’s website as provided above. Following the completion of this offering, our website will be located at www.              .com . We intend to make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

We intend to furnish or make available to our stockholders annual reports containing our audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We also intend to furnish or make available to our stockholders quarterly reports containing our unaudited interim financial information, including the information required by Form 10-Q, for the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or that include the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate” and other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and that do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include statements about our business strategy, our industry, our future profitability, our expected capital expenditures and the impact of such expenditures on our performance, the costs of being a publicly traded corporation and our capital programs.

A forward-looking statement may include a statement of the assumptions or bases underlying the forward-looking statement. We believe that we have chosen these assumptions or bases in good faith and that they are reasonable. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. You should also understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and should not consider the following list to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include:

 

    large or multiple customer defaults, including defaults resulting from actual or potential insolvencies;

 

    the level of production of crude oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbons and the resultant market prices of crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and other hydrocarbons;

 

    changes in general economic and geopolitical conditions;

 

    competitive conditions in our industry;

 

    changes in the long-term supply of and demand for oil and natural gas;

 

    actions taken by our customers, competitors and third-party operators;

 

    changes in the availability and cost of capital;

 

    our ability to successfully implement our business plan;

 

    our ability to complete growth projects on time and on budget;

 

    the price and availability of debt and equity financing (including changes in interest rates);

 

    changes in our tax status;

 

    technological changes;

 

    operating hazards, natural disasters, weather-related delays, casualty losses and other matters beyond our control;

 

    the effects of existing and future laws and governmental regulations (or the interpretation thereof);

 

    failure to secure or maintain contracts with our largest customers or non-performance of any of those customers under the applicable contract;

 

    the effects of future litigation; and

 

    other factors discussed in this prospectus.

You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs at the time they are made, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the factors described under “Risk Factors,” which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law.

 

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Smart Sand, Inc.

Historical Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June  30, 2016 (unaudited) and December 31, 2015

     F-2   

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 (unaudited)

     F-3   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 (unaudited)

     F-4   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended June  30, 2016 and 2015 (unaudited)

     F-5   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-6   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-22   

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2015 and December  31, 2014

     F-23   

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014

     F-24   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit for the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014

     F-25   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December  31, 2015 and 2014

     F-26   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-27   

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

     June 30,
2016
(unaudited)
    December 31,
2015
 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

   $ 1,867      $ 3,896   

Accounts and unbilled receivables, net, of which $346 is unbilled receivables at June 30, 2016 and $4,021 at December 31, 2015, respectively

     2,613        6,041   

Inventories, net

     4,349        4,181   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     862        1,524   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     9,691        15,642   

Inventories, long-term

     7,384        7,961   

Property, plant and equipment, net

     106,451        108,928   

Deferred financing costs, net

     404        486   

Other assets

     33        33   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 123,963      $ 133,050   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 930      $ 1,170   

Accrued and other expenses

     2,559        3,778   

Deferred revenue

     6,229        7,133   

Income taxes payable

     2,425        —     

Current portion of equipment financing obligations

     740        409   

Current portion of notes payable

     712        1,369   

Redeemable Series A preferred stock

$0.001 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 38,266 and 35,552 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively

     37,888        34,708   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     51,483        48,567   

Revolving credit facility, net

     57,197        63,254   

Equipment financing obligations, net of current portion

     717        1,246   

Notes payable, net of current portion

     288        569   

Deferred tax liabilities, long-term, net

     10,959        14,505   

Asset retirement obligation

     1,216        1,180   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     121,860        129,321   

Commitments and contingencies (Note 20)

    

Stockholders’ equity

    

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 15,000 shares authorized, 10,077 and 10,052 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively

     —          —     

Treasury stock, at cost, 18.0 shares and 11.3 shares respectively at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively

     (178     (123

Additional paid-in capital

     4,564        4,168   

Accumulated deficit

     (2,283     (316
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

     2,103        3,729   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 123,963      $ 133,050   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

 

     Six Months Ended June 30, 2016  
     2016     2015  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Revenues

   $ 18,853      $ 23,525   

Cost of goods sold

     11,869        12,288   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     6,984        11,237   

Operating expenses:

    

Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes

     2,295        2,828   

Depreciation and amortization

     181        169   

Selling, general and administrative

     1,926        2,547   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     4,402        5,544   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     2,582        5,693   

Other (expenses) income:

    

Preferred stock interest expense

     (3,123     (2,434

Other interest expense

     (1,671     (1,048

Other income

     189        351   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other expenses

     (4,605     (3,131
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax (benefit) expense

     (2,023     2,562   

Income tax (benefit) expense

     (56     1,633   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (loss) income

   $ (1,967   $ 929   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Per share information:

    

Net (loss) income per common share:

    

Basic

   $ (195.20   $ 92.51   

Diluted

   $ (195.20   $ 77.39   

Weighted-average number of common shares:

    

Basic

     10,077        10,042   

Diluted

     12,016        12,004   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

     Common Stock      Treasury
Stock
    Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
     Outstanding
Shares
    Par
Value
           
           (in thousands, except per share data)  

Balance at December 31, 2015

     10,052      $ —         $ (123   $ 4,168       $ (316   $ 3,729   

Vesting of restricted stock

     32        —           —          —           —          —     

Stock-based compensation, inclusive of $24 tax benefit

     —          —           —          396         —          396   

Restricted stock buy back

     (7     —           (55     —           —          (55

Net income (loss)

     —          —             —           (1,967     (1,967
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at June 30, 2016

     10,077      $ —         $ (178   $ 4,564       $ (2,283   $ 2,103   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

     Six Months Ended June 30, 2016  
             2016                     2015          
     (in thousands)  

Operating activities:

    

Net (loss) income

   $ (1,967   $ 929   

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

    

Depreciation, depletion and amortization of asset retirement obligation

     3,227        2,342   

(Gain) loss on disposal of assets

     (30     45   

Loss on derivatives

     5        335   

Provision for bad debt

     119        —     

Amortization of deferred financing cost

     80        70   

Accretion of debt discount

     159        145   

Deferred income taxes

     (3,568     162   

Stock-based compensation, net

     420        416   

Non-cash interest expense on revolving credit facility

     —          706   

Non-cash interest expense on Series A preferred stock

     3,123        2,434   

Changes in assets and liabilities:

    

Accounts and unbilled receivables

     3,309        3,441   

Inventories

     408        (355

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     667        1,541   

Deferred revenue

     (904     —     

Accounts payable

     (240     (558

Accrued and other expenses

     (1,163     (237

Income taxes payable

     2,425        30   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     6,070        11,446   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investing activities:

    

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

     (761     (21,806

Proceeds from disposal of assets

     71        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (690     (21,806
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financing activities:

    

Repayments of notes payable

     (938     (54

Payments under equipment financing obligations

     (198     (189

Payment of deferred financing and amendment costs

     1        (24

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

     —          11,000   

Repayment of revolving credit facility

     (6,216     (647

Cash dividend on Series A preferred stock

     (2     (2

Purchase of treasury stock

     (55     (101
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     (7,408     9,983   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash

     (2,028     (377

Cash at beginning of period

     3,896        802   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash at end of period

   $ 1,868      $ 425   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-cash activities:

    

Financing:

    

Equipment purchased with debt

   $ —        $ 1,080   

Capitalized expenditures in accounts payable and accrued expenses

     987        5,204   

Cash paid for:

    

Interest

     1,772        1,140   

Income taxes paid

     76        369   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 and 2015

(Dollars in thousands, except per share and percentage data)

1. Organization and Nature of Business

Smart Sand, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, was incorporated in July 2011. The Company is engaged in the excavation, processing and sale of industrial sand, or proppant, for use in hydraulic fracturing operations for the oil and gas industry. The Company completed construction of the first phase of its primary facility in Oakdale, Wisconsin and commenced operations in July 2012.

Immaterial Correction

The Company discovered that an immaterial correction should be made relating to the amortization of deferred transaction costs associated with the issuance of the Company’s outstanding preferred shares. The Company has been amortizing the deferred costs into interest expense from the date of issuance to the mandatory redemption date of the preferred shares, which is September 13, 2016. In March 2014, the Company redeemed certain preferred shares prior to the mandatory redemption date and wrote off a portion of the transaction costs as part of the early redemption. The Company never adjusted the quarterly amortization amount for the portion previously written off. The Company concluded the amounts were immaterial to its 2016 and 2015 interim financial statements in accordance with the guidance in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 99 “Materiality” and SAB No. 108 “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in the Current Year Financial Statements.” As a result, the correction resulted in a decrease in interest expense and corresponding increase to net income by $246 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The correction also resulted in a decrease to current liabilities by $1,107 and $861 as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The immaterial correction did not impact the statement of cash flows or cash paid for interest.

2. Basis of Presentation

General

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements (“interim statements”) of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments and disclosures necessary for a fair presentation of these interim statements have been included. The results reported in these interim statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be reported for the entire year. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015. These interim statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015.

3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates used in the preparation of these financial statements include, but are not limited to,

 

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the sand reserves and its impact on calculating the depletion expense under the units-of-production method; the depreciation associated with property and equipment, impairment considerations of those assets; estimated cost of future asset retirement obligations; stock-based compensation; recoverability of deferred tax assets; inventory reserve; collectability of receivables and certain liabilities. Actual results could differ from management’s best estimates as additional information or actual results become available in the future, and those differences could be material.

The Company utilizes significant estimates and assumptions in determining the fair value of its common stock. The Company determined the estimated fair value of the preferred and common stock based on a number of objective and subjective factors, including external market conditions affecting its industry, market comparables and future discounted cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of products has occurred, the sales price charged is fixed or determinable, collectability is reasonably assured, and the risk of loss is transferred to the customer. The Company’s sales are generally free carrier (“FCA”), payment made at the origination point at the Company’s facility, and title passes as the product is loaded into rail cars hired by the customer. Certain spot-rate customers have shipping terms of FCA, payment made at the destination; the Company recognizes this revenue when the sand is received at the destination.

The Company derives its revenue by mining and processing sand that its customers purchase. Its revenues are primarily a function of the price per ton realized and the volumes sold. In some instances, its revenues may also include a monthly reservation charge, at agreed-upon terms with its customers, or a charge for transportation services it provides to its customers. The Company’s transportation revenue fluctuates based on a number of factors, including the volume of product it transports and the distance between its plant and customers. The Company’s reservation revenue fluctuates based on negotiated contract terms and is recognized only when rights of use are expired; until such rights are expired, reservation charges are recorded as deferred revenue.

The Company sells a limited amount of its products under short-term price agreements or at prevailing market rates. The majority of the Company’s revenues are realized through take-or-pay supply agreements with five customers. The expiration dates of these contracts range from 2016 through 2020; however, certain contracts include extension periods, as defined in the respective contracts. These agreements define, among other commitments, the volume of product that its customers must purchase, the volume of product that the Company must provide, and the price that the Company will charge and that its customers will pay for each ton of contracted product. Prices under these agreements are generally either fixed or indexed to the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices and subject to adjustment, upward or downward, only for certain changes in published producer cost indices or market factors. As a result, the Company’s realized prices may not grow at rates consistent with broader industry pricing. For example, during periods of rapid price growth, its realized prices may grow more slowly than those of competitors, and during periods of price decline, its realized prices may outperform industry averages. With respect to the take-or-pay arrangements, if the customer is not allowed to make up deficiencies, the Company recognizes revenues of the minimum contracted quantity and minimum contract price, assuming payment has been received or is reasonably assured. If deficiencies can be made up, amounts billed and collected in excess of actual sales are recognized as deferred revenues until production is actually taken by the customer or the right to make up deficiencies expires. These agreements generally provide that, if the Company is unable to deliver the contracted minimum volumes, the customer has the right to purchase replacement product from alternative sources, provided that the inability to supply is not the result of an excusable delay, as defined in these agreements. In the event that the price of the replacement product exceeds the contract price and the inability to supply the contracted minimum volume is not the result of an excusable delay, the Company is responsible for the difference.

 

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The Company also recognizes revenue on the rental of its leased rail car fleet (Note 20) to customers either under long-term contracts or on an as-used basis. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized $2,942 and $1,656 of rail car revenue, respectively.

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized $2,997 and $0 of revenue relating to minimum required payments under take-or-pay contracts, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized $5,541 and $0 of monthly reservation charges required under certain customer contracts.

At June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company determined that no amounts related to minimum commitments under customer contracts were due or payable to the Company.

Accounts and Unbilled Receivables

Accounts receivable represents customer transactions that have been invoiced as of the balance sheet date; unbilled receivables represent customer transactions that have not yet been invoiced as of the balance sheet date. Accounts receivable are due within 30 days, or in accordance with terms agreed upon with customers, and are stated at amounts due from customers net of any allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company considers accounts outstanding longer than the payment terms past due. The Company determines the allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, previous loss history, the customer’s current ability to pay its obligation, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. Accounts receivables are written off when they are deemed uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to bad debt expense. As of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company maintained an allowance for doubtful accounts of $119 and $0, respectively.

Deferred Revenue

The Company receives advance payments from certain customers in order to secure and procure a reliable provision and delivery of product. The Company classifies such advances as current or noncurrent liabilities depending upon the anticipated timing of delivery of the supplied product. Revenue is recognized upon the delivery of the product.

The Company may receive an advance payment from a customer, based on the terms of the customer’s long-term contract, for a certain volume of product to be delivered. Revenue is recognized as product is delivered and the deferred revenue is reduced.

The deferred revenue balance at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 was $6,229 and $7,133, respectively.

Shipping

Shipping costs are classified as cost of sales. Shipping costs consist of railway transportation costs to deliver products to customers. Shipping revenue is classified as revenue. Revenue generated from shipping was $121 and $2,294, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Cost of sales generated from shipping was $157 and $2,257 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Inventories

The Company’s sand inventory consists of raw material (sand that has been excavated but not processed), work-in-progress (sand that has undergone some but not all processing) and finished goods (sand that has been completely processed and is ready for sale). The spare parts inventory consists of critical spare parts.

 

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Sand inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market using the average cost method. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company had no write-down of inventory as a result of any lower of cost or market assessment. Costs applied to the inventory include direct excavation costs, processing costs, overhead allocation, depreciation and depletion. Stockpile tonnages are calculated by measuring the number of tons added and removed from the stockpile. Costs are calculated on a per ton basis and are applied to the stockpiles based on the number of tons in the stockpile. The Company performs quarterly physical inventory measurements to verify the quantity of inventory on hand. Due to variation in sand density and moisture content and production processes utilized to manufacture the Company’s products, physical inventories will not necessarily detect all variances. To mitigate this risk, the Company recognizes a yield adjustment on its inventories.

Spare parts inventory is accounted for on a first-in, first-out basis at the lower of cost or market.

Deferred Financing Charges

Direct costs incurred in connection with the revolving credit facility have been capitalized and are being amortized using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method, over the life of the debt. Fees attributable to the lender of $1,664 are presented as a discount to the carrying value of debt.

Amortization expense of the deferred financing charges of $80 and $70, and accretion expense of debt discount of $159 and $145 are included in interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

As part of the December 2015 amendment to the revolving credit facility, the Company is required to calculate quarterly permanent reductions to the maximum commitment available under the revolving credit facility. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company accelerated amortization of $18 representing a portion of the remaining unamortized balance of debt issuance costs. Refer to Note 8—Credit Facilities for additional disclosure on the Company’s revolver credit agreement.

Financial Instruments

The carrying value of the Company’s financial instruments, consisting of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximates their fair value due to the short maturity of such instruments. Financial instruments also consist of debt for which fair value approximates carrying values as the debt bears interest at a variable rate which is reflective of current rates otherwise available to the Company. Unless otherwise noted, it is management’s opinion that the Company is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities are to be measured using inputs from the three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, which are as follows:

 

    Level 1—Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

    Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or other inputs corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and

 

    Level 3—Unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions that market participants would use in pricing assets or liabilities based on the best information available.

 

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Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (ASC 718), which requires the recognition of expense related to the fair value of stock-based compensation awards in the Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

For restricted stock issued to employees and members of the Board for their services on the Board, the Company estimates the grant date fair value of each share of restricted stock at issuance. For awards subject to service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, equal to the grant date fair value of stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting term. For awards subject to both performance and service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense using the straight-line recognition method when it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved. Forfeitures are required to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

Share-based payments issued to non-employees are recorded at their fair values, and are periodically revalued as the equity instruments vest and are recognized as expense over the related service period in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 and ASC Topic 505, Equity. The grant date fair value was calculated based on a weighted analysis of (i) publicly-traded companies in similar line of business to the Company (market comparable method)—Level 2 inputs, and (ii) discounted cash flows of the Company—Level 3 inputs.

Income Taxes

The Company applies the provisions of ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740), which principally utilizes a balance sheet approach to provide for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of net operating loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities.

ASC 740 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. The impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax returns must be recognized at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be required to be recognized upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. This standard also provides guidance on de-recognition, measurement, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition issues with respect to tax positions. The Company includes interest and penalties as a component of income tax expense in the consolidated statement of operations. For the periods presented, no interest and penalties were recorded.

Environmental Matters

The Company is subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. Management has established procedures for the ongoing evaluation of the Company’s operations, to identify potential environmental exposures and to comply with regulatory policies and procedures. Environmental expenditures that relate to current operations are expensed or capitalized as appropriate. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and do not contribute to current or future revenue generation are expensed as incurred. Liabilities are recorded when environmental costs are probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. The Company maintains insurance which may cover in whole or in part certain environmental expenditures. As of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were no probable environmental matters.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Comprehensive income (loss) was equal to net income (loss) for all periods presented.

 

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Segment Information

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the chief executive officer. The Company and the chief executive officer view the Company’s operations and manage its business as one operating segment. All long-lived assets of the Company reside in the United States.

Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share of Common Stock

Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding the dilutive effects of preferred stock, warrants to purchase common stock and restricted stock. Diluted net income per share of common stock is computed by dividing the net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the sum of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period plus the potential dilutive effects of preferred stock and warrants to purchase common stock, and restricted stock outstanding during the period calculated in accordance with the treasury stock method, although these shares, restricted stock and warrants are excluded if their effect is anti-dilutive. Because the impact of these items is anti-dilutive during periods of net loss, there was no difference between basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The following table reconciles the weighted-average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of basic net income per share to the weighted average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of diluted net income per share:

 

For six months ended June 30,

   2016      2015  

Determination of shares:

     

Weighted average common shares outstanding

     10,077         10,042   

Assumed conversion of warrant

     1,818         1,818   

Assumed conversion of restricted stock

     121         144   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted weighted-average common stock outstanding

     12,016         12,004   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, “Stock Compensation (ASC 718)—Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which is intended to simplify the tax accounting impacts of stock compensation. Additionally, the new standard provides accounting policy elections regarding vesting and forfeiture accounting. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (ASC 842), which replaces the existing guidance in ASC 840, “Leases.” ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use assets. The new lease standard does not substantially change lessor accounting. The new standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes—Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes”, which requires the presentation of deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as non-current on balance sheets. The amendments in this ASU are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company has elected to early

 

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adopt this guidance prospectively as of December 31, 2015. The adoption only impacted deferred tax presentation on the consolidated balance sheet and related disclosure. No prior periods were retrospectively adjusted.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”, which requires an entity to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The new standard is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not yet determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-15, “Interest-Imputation of Interest”, which simplifies presentation of debt issuance costs. The new standard requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The new standard will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not yet determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Going Concern”, which provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if “conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The ASU applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the future disclosure requirements under this guidance.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. The objective of ASU 2014-19 is to establish a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In applying the new guidance, an entity will (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the contract’s performance obligations; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017 for public companies. Early adoption is only permitted as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements nor decided upon the method of adoption.

 

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4. Inventories

Net inventories consisted of the following:

 

     June 30, 2016      December 31, 2015  

Raw material

   $ 120       $ 3   

Work-in-progress

     11,031         11,096   

Finished goods

     553         1,021   

Spare parts

     29         22   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     11,773         12,142   

Less: current portion

     4,349         4,181   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Inventories, long-term

   $ 7,384       $ 7,961   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

5. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets comprised of the following:

 

     June 30, 2016      December 31, 2015  

Prepaid insurance

   $ —         $ 100   

Prepaid expenses

     776         533   

Prepaid income taxes

     —           888   

Other receivables

     86         3   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

   $ 862       $ 1,524   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

6. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consists of:

 

     June 30, 2016      December 31, 2015  

Machinery, equipment and tooling

   $ 4,773       $ 4,673   

Vehicles

     928         952   

Furniture and fixtures

     303         303   

Plant and building

     64,248         64,001   

Real estate properties

     3,500         3,500   

Railroad and sidings

     7,920         7,868   

Land and improvements

     13,169         12,977   

Asset retirement obligation

     1,135         1,135   

Mineral properties

     9,785         9,785   

Deferred mining costs

     417         155   

Construction in progress

     16,461         16,637   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     122,639         121,986   

Less: accumulated depreciation and depletion

     16,188         13,058   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

   $ 106,451       $ 108,928   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Depreciation expense was $3,172 and $2,281 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company capitalized $139 and $979 of interest expense associated with the construction of new plant and equipment for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

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7. Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses were comprised of the following:

 

     June 30, 2016      December 31, 2015  

Employee related expenses

   $ 200       $ 216   

Accrued construction

     605         917   

Accrued real estate taxes

     344         —     

Accrued legal expenses

     51         99   

Accrued professional fees

     214         139   

Accrued freight and delivery charges

     80         162   

Accrued interest revolver

     241         701   

Derivative liability

     —           455   

Other accrued liabilities

     822         1,089   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Accrued and other expenses

   $ 2,557       $ 3,778   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

From time to time, the Company enters into fixed-price purchase obligations to purchase propane (which is used in its production operations). The contracts specify the quantity of propane to be delivered over a specified period of time and at a specified fixed price. The Company has historically concluded that these obligations are precluded from recognition in its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the normal sales and normal purchases exclusion as provided in ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging”. However, as the Company did not take physical delivery under its current fixed-price propane agreement, the Company accounted for this agreement under derivative accounting. As of December 31, 2015 the liability for this agreement was marked to market and was settled in February 2016 for $460. The settlement is presented as part of the change in accrued and other expenses in operating activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows.

8. Credit Facilities

On March 28, 2014, Smart Sand Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Fairview Cranberry Company, LLC entered into a $72,500 revolving credit and security agreement (“the Credit Agreement”) as borrowers (“the Borrowers”), and PNC Bank National Association, as administrative agent and collateral agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a $72,500 variable rate senior secured revolving credit facility (“revolving credit facility”) which was available to repay a $40,000 portion of the outstanding Preferred Shares (Note 10) and the outstanding balance of a previous line of credit described above. In addition, the revolving credit facility was available to fund fees and expenses totaling $1,675 incurred in connection with the credit facility, and for general business purposes, including working capital requirements, capital expenditures, and permitted acquisitions. In addition, the Credit Agreement includes a sublimit of up to $5,000 for the issuance of letters of credit. Substantially all of the assets of the Borrowers are pledged as collateral under the Credit Agreement. The revolving credit facility matures on March 28, 2019.

The Company also incurred certain commitment fees on committed amounts that are neither used for borrowings nor under letters of credit.

The Company initially borrowed $53,837 on March 28, 2014. Of the $1,675 of direct financing costs, $1,139 was recorded as debt discount against the amount borrowed, resulting in net proceeds of $52,698. The debt discount is being amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the credit facility using the effective interest rate method. The unamortized debt discount balance was $1.0 million as of September 30, 2014. The remaining direct costs for professional and legal fees of $537 were recorded as deferred financing costs. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized an approximate $1,230 loss on extinguishment of debt.

On October 29, 2014, the Company amended the Credit Agreement to provide for up to $100,000 variable senior secured revolving credit facility, as well as a sublimit of up to $15,000 for the issuance of letters of credit.

 

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Substantially all of the assets of the Borrowers are pledged as collateral under the amended Credit Agreement. The Company incurred a $275 commitment fee for this amendment.

On December 18, 2015, the Company entered into the fourth amendment to the Credit Agreement (“Fourth Amendment”). Under the Fourth Amendment, the event of default related to the September 30, 2015 leverage ratio was waived and the following terms were amended:

 

    The total commitment was reduced from $100,000 to $75,000.

 

    Quarterly permanent paydowns are required until the maximum commitment reaches $55,000 from the sharing of excess cash flow, as defined in the Fourth Amendment. As of June 30, 2016, the maximum commitment was $74,000.

 

    Application of the leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio covenants is foregone until the earlier of December 31, 2016 or such quarter that the Company cannot maintain a $3,000 excess availability (as defined in the Fourth Amendment).

 

    Annual capital expenditures are restricted, as defined in the Fourth Amendment, until the $55,000 maximum commitment level is reached.

In addition, the Fourth Amendment increased the interest rates applicable to borrowings under the revolving credit at the Borrowers’ option at either:

 

    A Base Rate, as defined, which will be the base commercial lending rate of PNC Bank, as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin of 3.00%; or

 

    LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 4.00%.

The Company incurred a $250 commitment fee for this amendment, recorded as debt discount against the revolving credit facility.

At June 30, 2016, the total amount drawn under the facility was $58,000, net of debt discount of $803, and the Company had $3,529 letters of credit outstanding. The total undrawn availability under the Fourth Amendment was $12,431. At June 30, 2016, outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement bore interest at a weighted-average rate of approximately 4.47%.

9. Equipment Lease Obligations

The Company entered into various lease arrangements to lease equipment. The equipment with a cost of $2,853 has been capitalized and included in the Company’s property, plant and equipment. Depreciation expense under capital lease assets was approximately $146 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Future minimum lease payments for equipment lease obligations as of June 30, 2016 are as follows:

 

Period ending June 30,

   Amount  

2017

   $ 810   

2018

     320   

2019

     425   

2020

     —     

2021

     —     
  

 

 

 

Total minimum lease payments

     1,555   

Amount representing interest at 4.8%—6.3%

     (98
  

 

 

 

Present value of payments

     1,457   

Less: current portion

     (740
  

 

 

 

Equipment financing obligations, net of current portion

   $ 717   
  

 

 

 

 

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10. Notes Payable

The Company financed certain equipment and automobile purchases by entering into various debt agreements. Interest rates on these notes ranged from 0% to 8.39%. Aggregate maturities of notes payable are as follows:

 

Period ending June 30,

   Amount  

2017

   $ 712   

2018

     288   

2019

     —     

2020

     —     

2021

     —     
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,000   

Less: current portion

     (712
  

 

 

 

Notes payable

   $ 288   
  

 

 

 

11. Asset Retirement Obligation

The Company had a post closure reclamation and site restoration obligation of $1,216 as of June 30, 2016. The following is a reconciliation of the total reclamation liability for asset retirement obligations:

 

Balance at December 31, 2015

   $ 1,180   

Additions to liabilities

     —     

Accretion expenses

     36   
  

 

 

 

Balance at June 30, 2016

   $ 1,216   
  

 

 

 

12. Mandatorily Redeemable Series A Preferred Stock

On September 13, 2011, the Company entered into a financing agreement with an Investor (“Series A Investor”). The agreement provides for the sale of Series A Preferred Stock (“Preferred Shares”) to the Company in three tranches. As part of this agreement, the investor received 22,000 Preferred Shares with an issuance price of $1,000 per share as well as 6,500 shares of common stock in exchange for gross proceeds of $22,000 in September 2011. The second tranche of 26,000 Preferred Shares was issued in January 2012, in exchange for gross proceeds of $26,000. The third tranche of up to 27,000 Preferred Shares is available to the Company at the discretion of the Company’s board of directors.

The Company authorized 200,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Effective July 1, 2013, the Company reduced the number of authorized Preferred Shares to 100,000. The holders of the Preferred Shares are not entitled to vote, but are entitled to elect four of the seven directors on the board of directors. In the event of liquidation, after provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Shares, before any payment shall be made to the holders of common stock, shall be entitled to receive the original issuance price per share, for all outstanding preferred shares plus any unpaid accrued dividends. If upon any such liquidation event the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which otherwise be respectively entitled. Dividends accrue and accumulate on the Preferred Shares, whether or not earned or declared, at the rate of 15% per annum and compound quarterly on April 1, July 1, October 1 and January 1. Dividends are paid in-kind with additional Preferred Shares; fractional share portion of calculated dividends are paid in cash. In-kind dividends are accounted for as interest expense and are accrued as part of the long-term liability in the consolidated balance

 

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sheets. The Company issued 2,714 and 2,343 Preferred Shares for dividends in the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015, the Company incurred $3,182 and $2,713 of interest expense related to the Preferred Shares, respectively. Of this expense, $59 and $279 was capitalized into property, plant and equipment in the consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Preferred Shares are mandatorily redeemable on September 13, 2016 only if certain defined pro forma covenants of the Credit Agreement (Note 8) are met. The redemption price is the original issuance price per share of all outstanding preferred shares plus any unpaid accrued dividends. The Company has an option to repay the Preferred Shares before September 13, 2016; if this option is exercised, the Company must repay at least $1,000. The Preferred Shares are not convertible into common stock or any other security issued by the Company. As a result of the Preferred Shares’ mandatory redemption feature, the Company classified these securities as current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. While the Company has classified the Preferred Shares as current, because of these covenant requirements the Company does not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Shares in the foreseeable future.

The Company incurred $1,698 of transaction costs in connection with the issuance of the first tranche of the Preferred Shares. The transaction costs and the allocation of value to the common shares (see Note 13) have been recorded as a reduction of the carrying amount of the Preferred Shares long-term liability. The Company incurred $1,639 of transaction costs in connection with the issuance of the second tranche of the Preferred Shares. The Preferred Shares liability will be accreted to the face value with a corresponding charge to interest expense over the remaining term of the Preferred Shares to present the face value of the Preferred Shares mandatory redemption date value on September 13, 2016.

At June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock consisted of:

 

     2016     2015  

Face Value

   $ 26,469      $ 26,469   

Accumulated dividends

     11,797        9,083   

Net Accretion of issuance & transaction cost

     (378     (844
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

   $ 37,888      $ 34,708   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

At June 30, 2016 the liquidation value of the Series A Preferred Stock is $38,266.

13. Common Stock

The Company had 15,000 authorized and 10,077 issued shares of common stock at June 30, 2016. The holders of the common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

The stockholders’ agreement provides certain restrictions on all classes of stock for the transfer of shares or the issuance of additional shares. In the event a stockholder proposes to sell their shares, other investors in the Company and then the Company itself have a right of first refusal to purchase the shares, as defined. Alternatively, if a stockholder proposes to sell their shares, other stockholders have the right to participate in the sale based on a formula, as defined. Additionally, the stockholders’ agreement also restricts the Company from selling or issuing additional shares of stock, securities convertible into stock or options, warrants or rights to purchase stock without stockholder approval, as defined.

In the event of a sale of the Company, as defined, where the board of directors of the Company and at least a majority of the Preferred Shares and common stockholders agree to sell substantially all the assets or capital stock of the Company, all remaining stockholders are required to participate in the transaction.

 

 

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The holder of the Series A Preferred Shares was issued 6,500 shares of common stock for no cash consideration in 2011. As a result and in order to recognize the value of the common stock issued, $1,179 was bifurcated from the proceeds of the Series A Preferred Shares and allocated to the 6,500 shares of common stock received by Series A Investor. The Company used a current value method to determine the fair value of the shares at the issuance date since the company was at such an early stage of development that no material progress had been made to the Company’s business plan. As discussed in Note 11, the amount allocated to the Series A Investor’s common shares will be accreted to the face value of the Preferred Shares with a corresponding charge to interest expense over the 5-year term of the Preferred Shares.

Certain management stockholders have pledged 2,680 shares of common stock as a guarantee of performance on the Series A Preferred Shares (Note 12).

14. Warrants

Contemporaneous with the financing transaction in 2011 described in Note 12, the Company issued certain management stockholders warrants to purchase 1,818 shares of common stock for a purchase price of $10 per share. The warrants are scheduled to expire 8 years after issuance. The warrants are exercisable upon the achievement of certain triggering events, as defined, in the warrant agreements. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, management determined that certain performance criteria for the warrants were met and therefore an immaterial amount of expense was recognized. No expense was recorded for the six months ended June 30, 2015.

15. Stock-Based Compensation

In May 2012, the Board approved the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (“Plan”), which provides for the issuance of Awards (as defined in the Plan) of up to a maximum of 200 shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, non-employee members of the Board, and consultants of the Corporation. During 2014, the Plan was amended to provide for the issuance of Awards up to 400 shares of the Company’s common stock. The awards can be issued in the form of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options or restricted stock, and have expiration dates of 5 or 10 years after issuance, depending whether the recipient already holds above 10% of the voting power of all classes of the Company’s shares. The exercise price will be based on the fair market value of the share on the date of issuance; vesting periods will be determined by the board upon issuance of the Award.

During the six months ended June 30, 2016, 73 shares of restricted stock were issued under the Plan. The grant date fair value of all restricted stock issuances ranged from $4,160-$17,732 per share. The grant date fair value was calculated based on a weighted analysis of (i) publicly-traded companies in similar line of business to the Company (market comparable method)—Level 2 inputs, and (ii) discounted cash flows of the Company—Level 3 inputs. The Company recognized $420 and $416 of compensation expense for the vested restricted stock during the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of June 30, 2016 the Company had unrecognized compensation expense of $2,046.

The following table summarizes restricted stock activity under the Plan from January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016:

 

     Number
of Units
    Weighted
Average
 

Unvested, January 1, 2015

     168.3      $ 17,365   

Granted

     20.0        17,332   

Vested

     (44.8     (16,734

Forfeiture

     (12.0     (17,054
  

 

 

   

Unvested, December 31,2015

     131.5      $ 17,636   

Granted

     73.0        8,464   

Vested

     (31.7     (17,598

Forfeiture

     —          —     
  

 

 

   

Unvested, June 30, 2016

     172.9      $ 15,251   
  

 

 

   

 

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The total fair value of the granted restricted stock is determined by utilizing the underlying fair value of the common stock at the date of grant. The grant date fair value was calculated based on a weighted analysis of (i) publicly-traded companies in similar line of business to the Company (market comparable method)-Level 2 inputs, and (ii) discounted cash flows of the Company-Level 3 inputs.

16. Income Taxes

The Company calculates its interim income tax provision in accordance with ASC 740. At the end of each interim period, the Company makes an estimate of the annual expected effective tax rate and applies that rate to its ordinary year to date earnings or loss. In addition, the effect of changes in enacted tax laws, rates or tax status is recognized in the interim period in which the change occurs.

The computation of the annual expected effective tax rate at each interim period requires certain estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, the expected operating income for the year, projections of the proportion of income (or loss) earned and taxed in foreign jurisdictions, permanent and temporary differences, and the likelihood of recovering deferred tax assets generated in the current year. The accounting estimates used to compute the provision for income taxes may change as new events occur, more experience is acquired or additional information is obtained. The computation of the annual effective tax rate includes modifications, which were projected for the year, for share based compensation, the domestic manufacturing deduction and state research and development credits among others.

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded a tax benefit of $(56) and a tax provision of $1,633, respectively, for federal and state income taxes. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company’s statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 34% and 53%, respectively. The difference in these tax rates was primarily due to state income tax, non-deductible interest expense on the preferred shares and certain book expenses not deductible for tax. The tax benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2016 also includes a 7% discrete rate impact for a provision-to-return adjustment associated with a change in estimate related to expenses that are not deductible for tax purposes. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, the Company’s statutory tax rate and effective tax rate were approximately 35% and 64%, respectively. The difference in these tax rates was primarily due to state income tax, non-deductible interest expense on the preferred shares and certain book expenses not deductible for tax.

17. 401(k) Plan

The Company has a defined contribution plan that covers all employees over the age of 21 who have been employed for at least 90 days. The plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In accordance with the provisions of the plan, the Company may make discretionary contribution to the account of each participant. During the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company made contributions of $98 and $91, respectively.

18. Concentrations

As of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, four suppliers accounted for 66% and four suppliers accounted for 71% of the Company’s accounts payable, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, two suppliers accounted for 39% and two suppliers accounted for 53% of the Company’s cost of goods sold, respectively.

As of June 30, 2016, five customers accounted for 99% of the Company’s accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2015, three customers accounted for 96% of the Company’s accounts receivable.

For the six months ended June 30, 2016, three customers accounted for 88% of the Company’s revenue. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, four customers accounted for 91% of the Company’s revenue. In July 2016, one of the Company’s customers, which accounted for 18% and 2% of revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.

 

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The Company’s inventory and operations are located in Wisconsin. There is a risk of loss if there are significant environmental, legal or economic change to this geographic area. The Company currently utilizes one third-party rail company to ship its products to customers from its plant. There is a risk of business loss if there are significant impacts to this third party’s operations.

19. Related Party Transactions

In January 2016, the Company provided a one-year, 0% loan to its Chief Executive Officer in the amount of $61,000; this receivable is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet. During the third quarter of 2016, this loan was fully forgiven and included as compensation to the Chief Executive Officer.

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company reimbursed the Series A Investor $3 and $14 respectively, for certain out-of-pocket and other expenses in connection certain management and administrative support services provided.

20. Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

The Company is obligated under certain operating leases and rental agreements for railroad cars, office space, and other equipment. Future minimum annual commitments under such operating leases at June 30, 2016 are as follows:

 

Six months ending June 30,

      

2017

   $ 6,723   

2018

     5,285   

2019

     3,949   

2020

     3,186   

2021

     2,357   

Thereafter

     1,230   

Expense related to operating leases and rental agreements was $3,437 and $1,808 for the six months ended June 30, 2016. Lease expense related to rail cars are included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statement of operations. Certain long-term rail car operating leases have been executed; however, payment on the company’s use of the lease does not begin until the cars arrive. These 30 cars are estimated to arrive beginning October 2016 and will result in additional annual lease expense of $232 when all cars are received. Due to the uncertain nature of the delivery, these rail car leases have not been included in the schedule above.

Litigation

The Company is periodically involved in litigation and claims incidental to its operation. Other than the below, management believes that any pending litigation will not have a material impact the Company’s financial position.

In August 2016, an affiliate of one of the Company’s customers, in conjunction with bankruptcy proceedings, demanded a refund of the remaining balance of prepayments it claimed to have made pursuant to the agreement with the Company’s customer. As of June 30, 2016, the balance of this prepayment was $4,969, and was presented as deferred revenue in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company disputes the threatened claim and will vigorously defend any action brought. If resolved unfavorably, this threatened claim may have a material impact to the Company’s financial position; however, there should be no material impact to the Company’s results of operations.

 

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Employment Agreements

Certain of the Company’s executives are employed under employment agreements, the terms of which provide for, among other things, a base salary plus additional compensation including an annual bonus based on the percentage as defined and agreed upon by the Board based on service and/or performance in a given calendar year. The agreements, which contain one-year automatic renewals, provide for benefits that are customary for senior-level employees. The Company is required to pay severance under these agreements under certain conditions, as defined, in the event employment of these key executives is terminated. The Company’s commitment under these agreements is $1,175 as of June 30, 2016. The agreements are scheduled to expire through May 2017.

Consulting Agreements

On August 1, 2010, the Company entered into a consulting agreement related to the purchase of land with a third party. The third party acted as an agent for the Company to obtain options to purchase certain identified real property in Wisconsin, as well as obtain permits and approvals necessary to open, construct and operate a sand mining and processing facility on such real property. The agreement continues for two years after the closing of one or more of the identified real properties. The third party’s compensation consists of $10 per month through the end of the agreement, reimbursement of expenses, and $1 per each acre purchased as a closing fee. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company paid the third party $0 and $841, respectively, in consulting fees, expense reimbursements and closing costs. These costs have been capitalized in property and equipment in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as they relate to the acquisition of land.

In addition to the aforementioned fees, the third-party agreement provides for tonnage fees based upon mining operations. The payment of $0.50 per sold ton of certain grades of sand that were mined and sold from the properties acquired under the agreement begins with the second year of operations of the plant and continues indefinitely. The minimum annual tonnage fee is $200. During the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company incurred $98 and $167 related to tonnage fees, respectively.

Letters of Credit

As of June 30, 2016, the Company had $3,529 outstanding letters of credit. The Company provided a $770 letter of credit to the favor of Monroe County, Wisconsin to assure performance under the reclamation plan filed with Monroe County. Additionally, the Company had two letters of credit to the favor of a fuel pipeline common carrier; a letter of credit for $627 issued in July 2014 amended in May 2016, to expand the pipeline capacity to the Company’s plant location and a letter of credit for $2,132 issued in March 2015 to assure future minimum annual usage payments.

Bonds

The Company entered into a performance bond with Jackson County, Wisconsin for $4,400. The Company provided this performance bond to assure performance under the reclamation plan filed with Jackson County. The Company entered into a $1,000 permit bond with the Town of Curran, Wisconsin to use certain town roadways. The Company provided this permit bond to assure maintenance and restoration of the roadway.

21. Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events and transactions subsequent to the balance sheet date and through August 11, 2016, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this evaluation, except for those events or transactions disclosed in Note 18, Note 19 and Note 20, the Company is not aware of any events or transactions that occurred subsequent to June 30, 2016 through August 11, 2016 that would require recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Smart Sand, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Smart Sand Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2015. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Smart Sand Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2015 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 31, 2016

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

     December 31,  
     2015     2014  
     (in thousands, except
per share data)
 

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

   $ 3,896      $ 802   

Accounts and unbilled receivables, net, of which $4,021 and $681 is unbilled receivables at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively

     6,041        8,578   

Inventories, net

     4,181        8,630   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     1,524        3,923   

Deferred tax assets, net

     —          225   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     15,642        22,158   

Inventories, long-term

     7,961        1,050   

Property, plant and equipment, net

     108,928        85,815   

Deferred financing costs, net

     486        573   

Other assets

     33        33   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 133,050      $ 109,629   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 1,170      $ 2,047   

Accrued and other expenses

     3,778        6,350   

Deferred revenue

     7,133        —     

Current portion of equipment financing obligations

     409        389   

Current portion of notes payable

     1,369        104   

Current Redeemable Series A preferred stock

     34,708        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     48,567        8,890   

Revolving credit facility, net

     63,254        59,126   

Equipment financing obligations, net of current portion

     1,246        1,655   

Notes payable, net of current portion

     569        61   

Deferred tax liabilities, long-term, net

     14,505        11,030   

Asset retirement obligation

     1,180        1,765   

Redeemable Series A preferred stock

    

$0.001 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 35,552 and 30,687 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively

     —          29,059   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     129,321        111,586   

Commitments and contingencies (Note 18)

    

Stockholders’ deficit

    

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 15,000 shares authorized, 10,052 and 10,018 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively

     —          —     

Treasury stock, at cost, 11.3 shares and 0.1 shares respectively at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively

     (123     (2

Additional paid-in capital

     4,168        3,351   

Accumulated deficit

     (316     (5,306
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

     3,729        (1,957
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)

   $ 133,050      $ 109,629   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
 
     2015     2014  
     (in thousands, except
per share data)
 

Revenues

   $ 47,698      $ 68,170   

Cost of goods sold

     21,003        29,934   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     26,695        38,236   

Operating expenses:

    

Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes

     5,055        5,088   

Depreciation and amortization

     388        160   

Selling, general and administrative

     4,669        7,222   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     10,112        12,470   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     16,583        25,766   

Other (expenses) income:

    

Preferred stock interest expense

     (5,078     (5,601

Other interest expense

     (2,748     (2,231

Other income

     362        370   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other expenses

     (7,464     (7,462

Loss on extinguishment of debt

     —          (1,230
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income tax expense

     9,119        17,074   

Income tax expense

     4,129        9,518   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 4,990      $ 7,556   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Per share information:

    

Net income per common share:

    

Basic

   $ 496.42      $ 754.23   

Diluted

   $ 415.83      $ 633.44   

Weighted-average number of common shares:

    

Basic

     10,052        10,018   

Diluted

     12,000        11,929   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

 

     Common Stock      Treasury
Stock
    Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Total
Stockholders’
Equity (Deficit)
 
     Outstanding
Shares
    Par
Value
           
           (in thousands, except per share data)  

Balance at December 31, 2013

     10,008      $ —         $ —        $ 2,914       $ (12,862   $ (9,948

Vesting of restricted stock

     10        —           —          —           —          —     

Stock-based compensation, inclusive of $18 tax benefit

     0        —           —          437         —          437   

Restricted stock buy back

     0        —           (2     —           —          (2

Net income

     0        —             —           7,556        7,556   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

     10,018        —           (2     3,351         (5,306     (1,957

Vesting of restricted stock

     45        —           —          —           —          —     

Stock-based compensation, inclusive of $24 tax benefit

     0        —           —          817         —          817   

Restricted stock buy back

     (11     —           (121     —           —          (121

Net income

     0        —             —           4,990        4,990   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2015

     10,052      $ —         $ (123   $ 4,168       $ (316   $ 3,729   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
 
     2015     2014  
     (in thousands)  

Operating activities:

    

Net income

   $ 4,990      $ 7,556   

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

    

Depreciation, depletion and amortization of asset retirement obligation

     5,318        3,642   

Loss on disposal of assets

     54        57   

Loss on derivatives

     455        —     

Loss on extinguishment of debt

     —          1,230   

Revenue reserve

     (92     —     

Amortization of deferred financing cost

     251        86   

Accretion of debt discount

     519        183   

Deferred income taxes

     3,700        8,378   

Stock-based compensation, net

     792        418   

Non-cash interest expense on revolving credit facility

     706        1,852   

Non-cash interest expense on Series A preferred stock

     5,078        5,601   

Changes in assets and liabilities:

    

Accounts and unbilled receivables

     2,629        (4,367

Inventories

     (2,462     316   

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     2,423        (3,492

Deferred revenue

     7,133        (183

Accounts payable

     (137     759   

Accrued and other expenses

     (654     272   

Income taxes payable

     —          (171
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     30,703        22,137   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investing activities:

    

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

     (29,375     (30,888
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (29,375     (30,888
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financing activities:

    

Repayment of line of credit

     —          (9,230

Repayments of notes payable

     (456     (139

Payments under equipment financing obligations

     (390     (231

Payment of deferred financing and amendment costs

     (415     (659

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

     12,800        61,199   

Repayment of revolving credit facility

     (9,647     (3,500

Repayment of Series A preferred stock

     —          (39,999

Cash dividend on Series A preferred stock

     (5     (5

Purchase of treasury stock

     (121     (2
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     1,766        7,434   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (decrease) increase in cash

     3,094        (1,317

Cash at beginning of year

     802        2,119   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash at end of year

   $ 3,896      $ 802   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-cash activities:

    

Investing:

    

Asset retirement obligation

   $ (614   $ 1,544   

Financing:

    

Equipment purchased with debt

     1,982        180   

Equipment purchased under equipment financing obligations

     —          2,217   

Capitalized non-cash interest into property, plant and equipment

     1,808        453   

Debt issuance costs netted against proceeds

     —          1,414   

Capitalized expenditures in accounts payable and accrued expenses

     3,113        4,386   

Cash paid for:

    

Interest

     2,270        2,782   

Income taxes paid, net of $1,443 refund

     (1,093     3,542   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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SMART SAND, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014

(Dollars in thousands, except per share and percentage data)

1. Organization and Nature of Business

Smart Sand, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, was incorporated in July 2011. The Company is engaged in the excavation, processing and sale of industrial sand, or proppant, for use in hydraulic fracturing operations for the oil and gas industry. The Company completed the construction of the first phase of its primary facility in Oakdale, Wisconsin and commenced operations in July 2012.

Immaterial Correction

The Company discovered that an immaterial correction should be made relating to the amortization of deferred transaction costs associated with the issuance of the Company’s outstanding preferred shares. The Company has been amortizing the deferred costs into interest expense from the date of issuance to the mandatory redemption date of the preferred shares, which is September 13, 2016. In March 2014, the Company redeemed certain preferred shares prior to the mandatory redemption date and wrote off a portion of the transaction costs as part of the early redemption. The Company never adjusted the quarterly amortization amount for the portion previously written off. The Company concluded the amounts were immaterial to its 2015 and 2014 financial statements in accordance with the guidance in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 99 “Materiality” and SAB No. 108 “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in the Current Year Financial Statements.” As a result, the correction resulted in a decrease in interest expense and corresponding increase to net income by $492 and 369 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The correction also resulted in a decrease to current liabilities by $861 and $369 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The immaterial correction did not impact the statement of cash flows or cash paid for interest.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

This summary of significant accounting policies of the Company is presented to assist in the understanding of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. These accounting policies conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and have been consistently applied in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Smart Sand, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Fairview Cranberry Company, LLC, Will Logistics, LLC, Smart Sand GP, LLC, Smart Sand Partners, Inc., Smart Sand Live Oak, LLC, Smart Sand Fayette County, LLC, Smart Sand Hixton, LLC, Smart Sand Reagan County, LLC, and Smart Sand Tom Green County, LLC. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates used in the preparation of these financial statements include, but are not limited to, the sand reserves and their impact on calculating the depletion expense under the units-of-production method; the depreciation associated with property and equipment, impairment considerations of those assets; estimated cost of future asset retirement

 

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obligations; stock-based compensation; recoverability of deferred tax assets; inventory reserve; collectability of receivables and certain liabilities. Actual results could differ from management’s best estimates as additional information or actual results become available in the future, and those differences could be material.

Cash

Cash is maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances may exceed federally insured limits of $250 at each financial institution. The Company has not experienced any losses related to these balances.

Accounts and Unbilled Receivables

Accounts receivables represent customer transactions that have been invoiced as of the balance sheet date; unbilled receivables represent customer transactions that have not yet been invoiced as of the balance sheet date. Accounts receivable are due within 30 days, or in accordance with terms agreed upon with customers, and are stated at amounts due from customers net of any allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company considers accounts outstanding longer than the payment terms past due. The Company determines the allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, previous loss history, the customer’s current ability to pay its obligation, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. Accounts receivable are written off when they are deemed uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to bad debt expense. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company maintained an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0 and $161, respectively. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, $3,875 and $0 of unbilled revenue represent transactions included in deferred revenue, respectively.

Deferred Financing Charges

Direct costs incurred in connection with the revolving credit facility have been capitalized and are being amortized using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method, over the life of the debt. Fees attributable to the lender of $1,664 are presented as a discount to the carrying value of debt. Amortization expense of the deferred financing charges of $251 and $86, and accretion expense of debt discount of $519 and $183 are included in interest expense as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

On December 18, 2015, the Company amended the revolving credit agreement. As a result of this modification, the Company accelerated amortization of $324 representing a portion of the remaining unamortized balance of debt issuance costs. Refer to Note 7—Credit Facilities for additional disclosure on our revolver credit agreement.

Inventories

The Company’s sand inventory consists of raw material (sand that has been excavated but not processed), work-in-progress (sand that has undergone some but not all processing) and finished goods (sand that has been completely processed and is ready for sale). The spare parts inventory consists of critical spare parts.

Sand inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market using the average cost method. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had no write-down of inventory as a result of any lower of cost or market assessment. Costs applied to the inventory include direct excavation costs, processing costs, overhead allocation, depreciation and depletion. Stockpile tonnages are calculated by measuring the number of tons added and removed from the stockpile. Costs are calculated on a per ton basis and are applied to the stockpiles based on the number of tons in the stockpile. The Company performs quarterly physical inventory measurements to verify the quantity of inventory on hand. Due to variation in sand density and moisture content and production processes utilized to manufacture the Company’s products, physical inventories will not detect all variances. To mitigate this risk, the Company recognizes a yield adjustment on its inventories.

Spare parts inventory is accounted for on a first-in, first-out basis at the lower of cost or market.

 

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Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Costs related to researching, surveying, drilling, and related activities are recorded at cost and capitalized once a determination has been made that the Company’s property has proven and probable reserves. Capitalized mining costs are depleted using the units-of-production method. Construction in progress is primarily comprised of machinery and equipment which has not been placed in service and is not depreciated until the related assets or improvements are ready to be placed in service. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the property, plant and equipment, which are:

 

     Years  

Land improvements

     10   

Plant and buildings

     5-15   

Real estate properties

     10-40   

Rail spur

     30   

Vehicles

     3-5   

Machinery, equipment and tooling

     3-15   

Furniture and fixtures

     3-10   

Deferred mining costs

     3   

Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged against income as incurred; betterments that increase the value or materially extend the life of the related assets are capitalized. Upon sale or disposition of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is recognized in the consolidated income statements.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. If the estimated future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) from the use of an asset are less than the carrying value, a write-down will be recorded to reduce the related asset to its estimated fair value. Management performed an impairment analysis as of December 31, 2015 due to the decline in the crude oil markets which resulted in no impairment charge. No impairment charge was recorded as of December 31, 2014.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of products has occurred, the sales price charged is fixed or determinable, collectability is reasonably assured, and the risk of loss is transferred to the customer. The Company’s sales are generally FCA, payment made at the origination point at the Company’s facility, and title passes as the product is loaded into rail cars hired by the customer. Certain spot-rate customers have shipping terms of FCA, payment made at the destination; the Company recognizes this revenue when the sand is received at the destination. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, there was no deferred revenue related to such transactions.

The Company derives its revenue by mining and processing sand that its customers purchase. Its revenues are primarily a function of the price per ton realized and the volumes sold. In some instances, its revenues may also include a monthly reservation charge, at agreed-upon terms with its customers, or a charge for transportation services it provides to its customers. The Company’s transportation revenue fluctuates based on a number of factors, including the volume of product it transports and the distance between its plant and customers.

The Company sells a limited amount of its products under short-term price agreements or at prevailing market rates. The majority of the Company’s revenues are realized through take-or-pay supply agreements with five customers. The expiration dates of these contracts range from 2016 through 2020; however, contracts

 

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include extension periods, as defined in the respective contracts. These agreements define, among other commitments, the volume of product that its customers must purchase, the volume of product that the Company must provide, and the price that the Company will charge and that its customers will pay for each ton of contracted product. Prices under these agreements are generally fixed and subject to adjustment, upward or downward, only for certain changes in published producer cost indices or market factors. As a result, the Company’s realized prices may not grow at rates consistent with broader industry pricing. For example, during periods of rapid price growth, its realized prices may grow more slowly than those of competitors, and during periods of price decline, its realized prices may outperform industry averages. With respect to the take-or-pay arrangements, if the customer is not allowed to make up deficiencies, the Company recognizes revenues to the extent of the minimum contracted quantity and minimum contract price, assuming payment has been received or is reasonably assured. If deficiencies can be made up, receipts in excess of actual sales are recognized as deferred revenues until production is actually taken or the right to make up deficiencies expires. These agreements generally provide that, if the Company is unable to deliver the contracted minimum volumes, the customer has the right to purchase replacement product from alternative sources, provided that the inability to supply is not the result of an excusable delay, as defined in these agreements. In the event that the price of the replacement product exceeds the contract price and the inability to supply the contracted minimum volume is not the result of an excusable delay, the Company is responsible for the difference. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had significant levels of inventory on hand; therefore, the likelihood of any such penalties was considered remote.

The Company also recognizes revenue on the rental of its leased rail car fleet (Note 19) to customers either under long-term contracts or on an as-used basis. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recognized $3,543 and $1,563 of rail car revenue, respectively.

At December 31, 2015, the Company recognized $10,095 of revenue relating to minimum required payments under take-or-pay contracts.

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company determined that no amounts related to minimum commitments under customer contracts were due or payable to the Company.

Amounts invoiced or received from customers in advance of sand deliveries are recorded as deferred revenue.

Deferred Revenue

The Company receives advanced payments from certain customers in order to secure and procure a reliable provision and delivery of product. The Company classifies such advances as current or non-current liabilities depending upon the anticipated timing of delivery of the supplied product.

The Company may receive an advance payment from a customer, based on the terms of the customer’s long-term contract, for a certain volume of product to be delivered. Revenue is recognized as product is delivered and the deferred revenue is reduced.

Deferred revenue balance at December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $7,133 and $0, respectively.

Shipping

Shipping revenue is classified as revenue. Revenue generated from shipping was $2,294 and $3,972, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. Shipping costs are classified as cost of sales. Shipping costs consist of railway transportation costs to deliver products to customers. Cost of sales generated from shipping was $2,257 and $4,246 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

 

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Asset Retirement Obligation

In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Account Standard Codification (“ASC”) 410-20, “Asset Retirement Obligation”, the Company recognizes reclamation obligations when extraction occurs and records them as liabilities at estimated fair value. In addition, a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset is recorded and depreciated over such asset’s useful life or the estimated number of years of extraction. The reclamation liability is accreted to expense over the estimated productive life of the related asset and is subject to adjustments to reflect changes in value resulting from the passage of time and revisions to the estimates of either the timing or amount of the reclamation costs. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company’s net asset retirement obligation was $1,180 and $1,765, respectively.

Financial Instruments

The carrying value of the Company’s financial instruments, consisting of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximates their fair value due to the short maturity of such instruments. Financial instruments also consist of debt for which fair value approximates carrying values as the debt bears interest at a variable rate which is reflective of current rates otherwise available to the Company. Unless otherwise noted, it is management’s opinion that the Company is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities are to be measured using inputs from the three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, which are as follows:

 

    Level 1—Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date;

 

    Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or other inputs corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and

 

    Level 3—Unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions that market participants would use in pricing assets or liabilities based on the best information available.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”, which requires the recognition of expense related to the fair value of stock-based compensation awards in the consolidated income statements.

For restricted stock issued to employees and members of the Board for their services on the Board, the Company estimates the grant date fair value of each share of restricted stock at issuance. For awards subject to service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, equal to the grant date fair value of stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting term. Forfeitures are required to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

 

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Income Taxes

The Company applies the provisions of ASC 740 “Income Taxes”, which utilizes a balance sheet approach to provide for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of net operating loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities.

ASC 740 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. The impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax returns must be recognized at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be required to be recognized upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. This standard also provides guidance on de-recognition, measurement, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition issues with respect to tax positions. The Company includes interest and penalties as a component of income tax expense in the consolidated income statements. For the periods presented, no interest and penalties were recorded. Additionally, for the periods presented, the Company has not recorded any liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits as it has not taken any filing position for which an unrecognized tax benefit would be required to be recorded.

Environmental Matters

The Company is subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. Management has established procedures for the ongoing evaluation of the Company’s operations, to identify potential environmental exposures and to comply with regulatory policies and procedures. Environmental expenditures that relate to current operations are expensed or capitalized as appropriate. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and do not contribute to current or future revenue generation are expensed as incurred. Liabilities are recorded when environmental costs are probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. The Company maintains insurance which may cover in whole or in part certain environmental expenditures. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, there were no environmental matters deemed probable.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Comprehensive income was equal to net income for all periods presented.

Segment Information

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the chief executive officer. The Company and the chief executive officer view the Company’s operations and manage its business as one operating segment. All long-lived assets of the Company reside in the United States.

Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share of Common Stock

Basic net income per share of common stock is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, warrants to purchase common stock and restricted stock. Diluted net income per share of common stock is computed by dividing the net income attributable to common stockholders by the sum of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period plus the potential dilutive effects of preferred stock and warrants to purchase common stock, and restricted stock outstanding during the period calculated in accordance with the treasury stock method, although these shares, restricted stock and warrants are excluded if their effect is anti-dilutive.

 

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The following table reconciles the weighted-average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of basic net income per share to the weighted average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of diluted net income per share for the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2014:

 

Year ended December 31,

   2015      2014  

Determination of shares:

     

Weighted average common shares outstanding

     10,052         10,018   

Assumed conversion of warrants

     1,818         1,818   

Assumed conversion of restricted stock

     130         93   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted weighted-average common stock outstanding

     12,000         11,929   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (ASC 842), which replaces the existing guidance in ASC 840, “Leases.” ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use assets. The new lease standard does not substantially change lessor accounting. The new standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes—Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes”, which requires the presentation of deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as non-current on balance sheets. The amendments in this ASU are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company has elected to early adopt this guidance prospectively as of December 31, 2015. The adoption only impacted deferred tax presentation on the consolidated balance sheet and related disclosure. No prior periods were retrospectively adjusted.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”, which requires an entity to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The new standard is effective for public entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not yet determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-15, “Interest-Imputation of Interest”, which simplifies presentation of debt issuance costs. The new standard requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The new standard will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not yet determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Going Concern”, which provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if “conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.” The ASU applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the future disclosure requirements under this guidance.

 

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In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. The objective of ASU 2014-19 is to establish a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In applying the new guidance, an entity will (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the contract’s performance obligations; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017 for public companies. Early adoption is only permitted as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance and has not determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements nor decided upon the method of adoption.

3. Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following at December 31, 2015 and 2014:

 

     2015      2014  

Raw material

   $ 3       $ —     

Work-in-progress

     11,096         9,478   

Finished goods

     1,021         180   

Spare parts

     22         22   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     12,142         9,680   

Less: current portion

     4,181         8,630   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Inventories, long-term

   $ 7,961       $ 1,050   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Long-term inventories represent the estimated volume of sand as of the consolidated balance sheet date that will be sold beyond the next twelve months.

4. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, prepaid expenses and other current assets were comprised of the following:

 

     2015      2014  

Prepaid insurance

   $ 100       $ 585   

Prepaid expenses

     533         514   

Prepaid income taxes

     888         2,393   

Other receivables

     3         264   

Other current assets

     —           167   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

   $ 1,524       $ 3,923   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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5. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consists of the following at December 31, 2015 and 2014:

 

     2015      2014  

Machinery, equipment and tooling

   $ 4,673       $ 4,011   

Vehicles

     952         733   

Furniture and fixtures

     303         206   

Plant and building

     64,001         43,785   

Real estate properties

     3,500         2,131   

Railroad and sidings

     7,868         7,193   

Land and improvements

     12,977         9,132   

Asset retirement obligation

     1,135         1,748   

Mineral properties

     9,785         9,734   

Deferred mining costs

     155         —     

Construction in progress

     16,637         14,941   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     121,986         93,614   

Less: accumulated depreciation and depletion

     13,058         7,799   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

   $ 108,928       $ 85,815   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Depreciation expense was $5,276 and $3,611 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Depletion expense was $13 and $14 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company capitalized $1,808 and $453 of interest expense associated with the construction of new plant and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

6. Accrued and Other Expenses

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, accrued and other expenses were comprised of the following:

 

     2015      2014  

Employee related expenses

   $ 216       $ 473   

Accrued construction

     917         3,440   

Accrued real estate taxes

     —           200   

Accrued legal fees

     99         73   

Accrued consulting expense

     139         400   

Accrued freight charges

     162         247   

Accrued site work

     —           27   

Accrued interest revolving credit facility

     701         699   

Derivative liability

     455         —     

Other accrued liabilities

     1,089         791   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Accrued and other expenses

   $ 3,778       $ 6,350   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

From time to time, the Company enters into fixed-price purchase obligations to purchase propane (which is used in its production operations). The contracts specify the quantity of propane to be delivered over a specified period of time and at a specified fixed price. The Company has historically concluded that these obligations are precluded from recognition in its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the normal sales and normal purchases exclusion as provided in ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging”. However, as the Company did not take physical delivery under its current fixed-price propane agreement, the Company accounted for this agreement under derivative accounting. As of December 31, 2015, the liability for this agreement was marked to market and was settled in February 2016 for $460.

 

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7. Credit Facilities

Line of Credit

On July 2, 2012, the Company obtained a one-year $10,000 line of credit from a bank. The line of credit had an interest rate of Prime plus 1%. In July 2012, the Company borrowed $6,000 under the line of credit. In August 2012, the Company borrowed the remaining $4,000 under the line of credit. The majority holder of the Company’s common stock (and the sole holder of the Series A Preferred Stock) guaranteed the line of credit. In connection with the guarantee, the Company agreed to pay the holder of the Series A Preferred Stock additional stock dividends of 0.32% per annum through the maturity date of the line of credit. In July 2013, the line of credit was extended through July 9, 2014 and bore an interest rate of Prime plus 0.35%. Once a portion of the line of credit has been repaid, it cannot be re-borrowed. There were no financial covenants associated with the agreement. Interest expense under the line of credit was $0 and $80 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

On March 28, 2014, as part of the financing transaction disclosed below, the outstanding balance of $9,256, which included accrued interest, was paid in full.

Revolving Credit Facility

On March 28, 2014, Smart Sand Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Fairview Cranberry Company, LLC entered into a $72,500 revolving credit and security agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) as borrowers (the “Borrowers”), and PNC Bank National Association, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and other lender. The Credit Agreement provides for a $72,500 variable rate senior secured revolving credit facility (“revolving credit facility”) which was available to repay a $40,000 portion of the outstanding Preferred Shares (Note 11) and the outstanding balance of the line of credit described above. In addition, the revolving credit facility was available to fund fees and expenses totaling $1,675 incurred in connection with the credit facility, and for general business purposes, including working capital requirements, capital expenditures, and permitted acquisitions. In addition, the Credit Agreement includes a sublimit of up to $5,000 for the issuance of letters of credit. Substantially all of the assets of the Borrowers are pledged as collateral under the Credit Agreement. The revolving credit facility matures on March 28, 2019.

Loans under the revolving credit facility bear interest at the Borrowers’ option at either:

 

    A Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), which will be the base commercial lending rate of PNC Bank, as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin ranging from 2.50% to 3.00% based on the total leverage ratio; or

 

    LIBOR plus an applicable margin ranging from 3.50% to 4.00% based on the total leverage ratio.

The Company also incurred certain commitment fees on committed amounts that are neither used for borrowings nor under letters of credit.

The Company initially borrowed $53,837. Of the $1,675 of direct financing costs, $1,139 was recorded as debt discount against the amount borrowed, resulting in net proceeds of $52,698. The debt discount is being amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the credit facility using the effective interest rate method. The unamortized debt discount balance was $962 and $956 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The remaining direct costs for professional and legal fees of $678 were recorded as deferred financing costs which are amortized through interest expense over the term of the facility. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized an approximate $1,230 loss on extinguishment of debt related to the accelerated accretion of the original issuance costs associated with the $40,000 repayment of the portion of the outstanding Preferred Shares.

On October 29, 2014, the Company amended the Credit Agreement to provide for up to $100,000 variable senior secured revolving credit facility, as well as a sublimit of up to $15,000 for the issuance of letters of credit.

 

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Substantially all of the assets of the Borrowers are pledged as collateral under the amended Credit Agreement. The Company incurred a $275 commitment fee for this amendment, recorded as debt discount against the revolving credit facility.

The Credit Agreement contains various covenants and restrictive provisions and requires maintenance of financial covenants, including a fixed charge coverage ratio and a total leverage ratio (as defined in the credit facility). As of September 30, 2015, the Company’s total leverage ratio exceeded the threshold of 3.00 to 1.00. The Company was in compliance with all other covenants at that time.

On December 18, 2015, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Credit Agreement (“Fourth Amendment”). Under the Fourth Amendment, the event of default related to the September 30, 2015 leverage ratio was waived and the following terms were amended:

 

    The total commitment was reduced from $100,000 to $75,000.

 

    Quarterly permanent paydowns are required until the maximum commitment reaches $55,000 from the sharing of excess cash flow, as defined in the Fourth Amendment.

 

    Application of the leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio covenants is foregone until the earlier of December 31, 2016 or such quarter that the Company cannot maintain a $3,000 excess availability (as defined in the Fourth Amendment).

 

    Annual capital expenditures are restricted, as defined in the Fourth Amendment, until the $55,000 maximum commitment level is reached.

In addition, the Fourth Amendment increased the interest rates applicable to borrowings under the revolving credit at the Borrowers’ option at either:

 

    A Base Rate, as defined, which will be the base commercial lending rate of PNC Bank, as publicly announced to be in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin of 3.00%; or

 

    LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 4.00%.

The Company incurred a $250 commitment fee for this amendment, recorded as debt discount against the revolving credit facility.

At December 31, 2015, the total amount drawn under the facility was $64,216, net of debt discount of $962, and the Company had $4,157 letters of credit outstanding. The total undrawn availability under the Fourth Amendment was $6,602. At December 31, 2015 outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement bore interest at a weighted-average rate of approximately 4.1%.

8. Equipment Financing Obligations

The Company entered into various arrangements to finance equipment. Accordingly, the equipment with a cost of $2,853 has been capitalized and included in the Company’s property, plant and equipment for year ended December 31, 2015. Depreciation expense under equipment financing obligation assets was $366 and $245 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

 

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Future annual payments for equipment financing obligations at December 31, 2015 are as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31,

   Amount  

2016

   $ 483   

2017

     720   

2018

     588   

2019

     —     

2020

     —     
  

 

 

 

Total payments

     1,791   

Less: amount representing interest at 4.8%—6.3%

     136   
  

 

 

 

Present value of payments

     1,655   

Less: current portion

     409   
  

 

 

 

Equipment financing obligations, net of current portion

   $ 1,246   
  

 

 

 

9. Notes Payable

The Company financed certain equipment and automobile purchases by entering into various debt agreements. Interest rates on these notes ranged from 0% to 4.75%. Aggregate maturities of notes payable are as follows:

 

Year ending December 31,

      

2016

   $ 1,369   

2017

     281   

2018

     288   

2019

     —     

2020

     —     
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,938   

Less: current portion

     1,369   
  

 

 

 

Notes payable, net of current portion

   $ 569   
  

 

 

 

10. Asset Retirement Obligation

The Company has recorded a post-closure reclamation and site restoration obligation in the consolidated balance sheet. The following is a reconciliation of the total reclamation liability for asset retirement obligations.

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   $ 204   

Additions to liabilities

     1,544   

Accretion expenses

     17   
  

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

   $ 1,765   

Additions to liabilities

     105   

Reductions to liabilities due to revision of estimates

     (719

Accretion expenses

     29   
  

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2015

   $ 1,180   
  

 

 

 

 

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11. Mandatorily Redeemable Series A Preferred Stock

On September 13, 2011, the Company entered into a financing agreement with an Investor (“Series A Investor”). The agreement provides for the sale of Preferred Shares to the Company in three tranches. As part of this agreement, the investor received 22,000 Preferred Shares with an issuance price of $1,000 per share as well as 6,500 shares of common stock in exchange for gross proceeds of $22,000 in September 2011. The second tranche of 26,000 Preferred Shares was issued in January 2012, in exchange for gross proceeds of $26,000. The third tranche of up to 27,000 Preferred Shares is available to the Company at the discretion of the Company’s Board.

The Company authorized 200,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Effective July 1, 2013, the Company reduced the number of authorized Preferred Shares to 100,000. The holders of the Preferred Shares are not entitled to vote, but are entitled to elect four of the seven directors on the Board. In the event of liquidation, after provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Shares, before any payment shall be made to the holders of common stock, shall be entitled to receive the original issuance price per share, for all outstanding Preferred Shares plus any unpaid accrued dividends. If upon any such liquidation event the assets of the Company available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be respectively entitled. Dividends accrue and accumulate on the Preferred Shares, whether or not earned or declared, at the rate of 15% per annum and compound quarterly on April 1, July 1, October 1 and January 1. Dividends are paid in-kind with additional Preferred Shares; fractional share portion of calculated dividends are paid in cash. In-kind dividends are accounted for as interest expense and are accrued as part of the Preferred Shares liability in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company issued 4,865 and 4,218 Preferred Shares for dividends in December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company incurred $5,652 and $5,965 of interest expense related to the Preferred Shares for the years ending December 31, 2015 and 2014. Of such interest expense $574 and $364 was capitalized into property, plant and equipment in the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The Preferred Shares are mandatorily redeemable on September 13, 2016, only if certain defined proforma covenants of the Credit Agreement (Note 7) are met and immediately prior, and after give effect to, such a redemption payment, undrawn availability would be the greater of $12,500 or a certain percentage of the maximum commitment level, as defined. While the Company has classified the Preferred Shares as current, because of these covenant requirements the Company does not anticipate being able to redeem the Preferred Shares in the foreseeable future (at least for one year and a day from the date the consolidated financial statements were available to be issued, as disclosed in Note 20.) The redemption price is the original issuance price per share of all outstanding Preferred Shares plus any unpaid accrued dividends. The Company has an option to repay the Preferred Shares before September 13, 2016; if this option is exercised, the Company must repay at least $1,000. The Preferred Shares are not convertible into common stock or any other security issued by the Company. As a result of the Preferred Shares’ mandatory redemption feature, the Company classified these securities as current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and long-term liabilities as of December 31, 2014, respectively.

The Company incurred $1,698 of transaction costs in connection with the issuance of the first tranche of the Preferred Shares. The transaction costs and the allocation of value to the common shares (see Note 12) have been recorded as a reduction of the carrying amount of the Preferred Shares liability. The Company incurred $1,639 of transaction costs in connection with the issuance of the second tranche of the Preferred Shares. The Preferred Shares liability will be accreted to the face value with a corresponding charge to interest expense over the remaining term of the Preferred Shares to present the face value of the Preferred Shares mandatory redemption date value on September 13, 2016.

 

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At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock consisted of:

 

December 31,

   2015     2014  

Face value

   $ 26,469      $ 26,469   

Unaccreted value of common stock and issuance costs

     (1,628     (1,938

Accumulated dividends

     9,083        4,218   

Current year accretion of common stock and issuance costs

     784        310   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock

   $ 34,708      $ 29,059   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the liquidation value of the Series A Preferred Stock is $35,552 and $30,687, respectively.

On March 28, 2014, as part of the financing transaction disclosed in Note 7, approximately $40,000 was redeemed by the Company and paid to the holders of Preferred Shares.

12. Common Stock

The Company had 15,000 authorized and 10,052 and 10,018 issued shares of common stock at December 31, 2015, and 2014, respectively. The holders of the common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

The stockholders’ agreement provides certain restrictions on all classes of stock for the transfer of shares or the issuance of additional shares. In the event a stockholder proposes to sell their shares, other investors in the Company and then the Company itself have a right of first refusal to purchase the shares, as defined. Alternatively, if a stockholder proposes to sell their shares, other stockholders have the right to participate in the sale based on a formula, as defined. Additionally, the stockholders’ agreement also restricts the Company from selling or issuing additional shares of stock, securities convertible into stock or options, warrants or rights to purchase stock without stockholder approval, as defined.

In the event of a sale of the Company, as defined, where the Board and at least a majority of the Preferred Shares and common stockholders agree to sell substantially all the assets or capital stock of the Company, all remaining stockholders are required to participate in the transaction.

The holder of the Series A Preferred Shares was issued 6,500 shares of common stock for no cash consideration in 2011. As a result and in order to recognize the value of the common stock issued, $1,179 was bifurcated from the proceeds of the Series A Preferred Shares and allocated to the 6,500 shares of common stock received by the Series A Investor. The Company used a current value method to determine the fair value of the shares at the issuance date since the Company was at such an early stage of development that no material progress had been made to the Company’s business plan. As discussed in Note 11, the amount allocated to the Series A Investor’s common shares will be accreted to the face value of the Preferred Shares with a corresponding charge to interest expense over the five-year term of the Preferred Shares.

Certain management stockholders have pledged 2,680 shares of common stock as a guarantee of performance on the Series A Preferred Shares (Note 11).

13. Warrants

Contemporaneous with the financing transaction in 2011 described in Note 11, the Company issued certain management stockholders warrants to purchase 1,818 shares of common stock for a purchase price of $10 per share. The warrants are scheduled to expire eight years after issuance. The warrants are exercisable upon the achievement of certain triggering events, as defined, in the warrant agreements. No expense was recorded related to these warrants during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, because the performance criteria were not met.

 

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14. Stock-Based Compensation

In May 2012, the Board approved the 2012 Plan, which provides for the issuance of Awards (as defined in the Plan) of up to a maximum of 200 shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, non-employee members of the Board, and consultants of the Company. During 2014, the Plan was amended to provide for the issuance of Awards of up to a maximum of 400 shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, non-employee members of the Board, and consultants of the Company.

The awards can be issued in the form of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options or restricted stock, and have expiration dates of 5 or 10 years after issuance, depending whether the recipient already holds above 10% of the voting power of all classes of the Company’s shares. The exercise price will be based on the fair market value of the share on the date of issuance; vesting periods will be determined by the Board upon issuance of the Award.

During 2015 and 2014, 20 and 154 shares of restricted stock were issued under the Plan, respectively. The grant date fair value range of the restricted stock per share was $4,160—$17,732. The shares vest over two to five years from their respective grant dates. The grant date fair value was calculated based on a weighted analysis of (i) publicly-traded companies in a similar line of business to the Company (market comparable method)—Level 2 inputs, and (ii) discounted cash flows of the Company—Level 3 inputs. The Company recognized $793 and $419 of compensation expense for the restricted stock during 2015 and 2014, respectively, in operating expenses on the consolidated income statements. At December 31, 2015 the Company had unrecognized compensation expense of $1,849. That expense is expected to be recognized as follows:

 

Year ending December 31,

  

2016

   $ 723   

2017

     544   

2018

     442   

2019

     140   
  

 

 

 
   $ 1,849   
  

 

 

 

The following table summarizes restricted stock activity under the Plan from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015:

 

     Number of
Shares
    Weighted
Average
 

January 1, 2014

     24.2      $ 4,761   

Granted

     154.0        17,732   

Vested

     (9.8     (6,605

Forfeiture

     (0.1     (4,960
  

 

 

   

Unvested, December 31, 2014

     168.3      $ 17,365   

Granted

     20.0        17,332   

Vested

     (44.8     (16,734

Forfeiture

     (12.0     (17,054
  

 

 

   

Unvested, December 31, 2015

     131.5      $ 17,636   
  

 

 

   

The total fair value of the granted restricted stock is determined by utilizing the underlying fair value of the common stock at the date of grant.

 

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15. Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes consists of the following:

 

     2015      2014  

Current:

     

Federal

   $ 245       $ 819   

State and local

     184         320   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current expense

     429         1,139   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred:

     

Federal

     3,610         8,199   

State and local

     90         180   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deferred income tax expense

     3,700         8,379   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total income tax expense

   $ 4,129       $ 9,518   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income tax expense related to operations differs from the amounts computed by applying the statutory income tax rate of 35% to pretax income as follows:

 

     2015     2014  

At statutory rate

   $ 3,192      $ 5,976   

Non-deductible interest expense

     1,777        2,136   

State taxes, net of US federal benefit

     211        393   

Change in valuation allowance

     —          —     

Change in applicable tax rate

     —          308   

Costs associated with possible restructuring

     (940     913   

Other

     (111     (208
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total income tax expense

   $ 4,129      $ 9,518   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of loss and credit carry-forwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.

Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets for federal and state income taxes are as follows:

 

December 31,

   2015     2014  

Deferred tax assets:

    

Reserves and accruals

   $ 537      $ 431   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross deferred tax assets

     537        431   

Deferred tax liabilities:

    

Prepaid expenses and other

     122        (304

Depreciation, amortization and depletion

     (15,164     (10,932
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross deferred tax liabilities

     (15,042     (11,236

Less: current net deferred tax assets

     —          (225
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities, net

   $ (14,505   $ (11,030
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, the Company considered whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the period in which those temporary

 

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differences become deductible. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, based on the Company’s future income projections, management determined it was more likely than not that the Company will be able to realize the benefits of the deductible temporary differences. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company determined no valuation allowance was necessary.

The Company has no state net operating losses as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The Company has evaluated its tax positions taken as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and believes all positions taken would be upheld under examination from income taxing authorities. Therefore, no liability for the effects of uncertain tax positions has been recorded in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 or 2014. The Company is open to examination by taxing authorities since incorporation.

16. 401(k) Plan

The Company has a defined contribution plan that covers all employees over the age of 21 who have been employed for at least 90 days. The plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In accordance with the provisions of the plan, the Company may make discretionary contribution to the account of each participant. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company made contributions of $181 and $121, respectively.

17. Concentrations

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, three customers accounted for 96% and four customers accounted for 93% of the Company’s total accounts receivable, respectively.

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, 94% of our revenues were earned from four of our customers and 79% from three of our customers, respectively.

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, three vendors accounted for 71% and three vendors accounted for 47% of the Company’s accounts payable, respectively.

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, four suppliers accounted for 33% and three suppliers accounted for 45% of the Company’s cost of goods sold, respectively.

The Company’s inventory and operations are located in Wisconsin. There is a risk of loss if there are significant environmental, legal or economic changes to this geographic area.

18. Related Party Transactions

During 2015 and 2014, the Company reimbursed the Series A Investor $27 and $130, respectively, for certain out-of-pocket and other expenses in connection with certain management and administrative support services provided. During 2015 and 2014, the Company expensed $0 and $104, respectively, for services under consulting agreements from relatives of certain Company stockholders. During 2014, the Company purchased vehicles from certain Company stockholders and upper management for $45.

 

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19. Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

The Company is obligated under certain operating leases and rental agreements for railroad cars, office space, and other equipment. Future minimum annual commitments under such operating leases at December 31, 2015 are as follows:

 

Years ending December 31,

      

2016

   $ 6,537   

2017

     5,750   

2018

     5,622   

2019

     3,452   

2020

     2,722   

Thereafter

     2,070   

Expense related to operating leases and rental agreements was $4,098 and $2,530 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Lease expense related to rail cars are included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statement of operations. Certain long-term rail car operating leases have been executed; however payment or the Company’s use of the lease does not begin until the cars arrive. These 50 cars are estimated to arrive beginning October 2016. Due to the uncertain nature of delivery, these rail car leases have not been included in the schedule above.

Litigation

The Company is periodically involved in litigation and claims incidental to its operation. Management believes that any pending litigation will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

Employment Agreements

Certain of the Company’s executives are employed under employment agreements, the terms of which provide for, among other things, a base salary plus additional compensation including an annual bonus based on the percentage as defined and agreed upon by the Board based on service and/or performance in a given calendar year. The agreements, which contain one-year automatic renewals, provide for benefits that are customary for senior-level employees. The Company is required to pay severance under these agreements under certain conditions, as defined, in the event employment of these key executives is terminated. The Company’s commitment under these agreements is $1,175 as of December 31, 2015. The agreements are scheduled to expire through May 2017.

Consulting Agreements

On August 1, 2010, the Company entered into a consulting agreement related to the purchase of land with a third party. The third party acted as an agent for the Company to obtain options to purchase certain identified real property in Wisconsin, as well as obtain permits and approvals necessary to open, construct and operate a sand mining and processing facility on such real property. The agreement continues for two years after the closing of one or more of the identified real properties. The third party’s compensation consists of $10 per month through the end of the agreement, reimbursement of expenses, and $1 per each acre purchased as a closing fee. In 2015 and 2014, the Company paid the third party $841 and $206, respectively, in consulting fees, expense reimbursements and closing costs. These costs have been capitalized in property and equipment in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as they relate to the acquisition of land.

 

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In addition to the aforementioned fees, the consulting agreement provides for tonnage fees based upon mining operations. The payment of $0.50 per sold ton of certain grades of sand that were mined and sold from the properties acquired under the consulting agreement begins with the second year of operations of the plant and continues indefinitely. The minimum annual tonnage fee is $200 per contract year, which runs from August 1 to July 31. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred $252 and $332, respectively, related to tonnage fees.

Letters of Credit

As of December 31, 2015, the Company has an outstanding letter of credit to the favor of Monroe County, Wisconsin for $770. The Company provided this letter of credit to assure performance under the reclamation plan filed with Monroe County. Additionally, the Company had two letters of credit to the favor of a fuel pipeline common carrier; a letter of credit for $1,254 issued in July 2014 to expand the pipeline capacity to the Company’s plant location and a letter of credit for $2,132 issued in March 2015 to assure future minimum annual usage payments.

Bonds

The Company entered into a performance bond with Jackson County, Wisconsin for $4,400. The Company provided this performance bond to assure performance under the reclamation plan filed with Jackson County. The Company entered into a $1,000 permit bond with the Town of Curran, Wisconsin to use certain town roadways. The Company provided this permit bond to assure maintenance and restoration of the roadway.

20. Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events and transactions subsequent to the consolidated balance sheet date and through March 31, 2016, the date the consolidated financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this evaluation, the Company is not aware of any events or transactions that occurred subsequent to December 31, 2015 through March 31, 2016 that would require recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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APPENDIX A:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

100 mesh frac sand : Sand that passes through a sieve with 60 holes per linear inch and is retained by a sieve with 140 holes per linear inch.

20/40 mesh frac sand : Sand that passes through a sieve with 20 holes per linear inch and is retained by a sieve with 40 holes per linear inch.

30/50 mesh frac sand : Sand that passes through a sieve with 30 holes per linear inch and is retained by a sieve with 50 holes per linear inch.

40/70 mesh frac sand : Sand that passes through a sieve with 40 holes per linear inch and is retained by a sieve with 70 holes per linear inch.

API : American Petroleum Institute.

Ceramic proppant : Artificially manufactured proppants of consistent size and sphere shape that offers a high crush strength.

Coarse sand : Sand of mesh size equal to or less than 70.

Crush strength : Ability to withstand high pressures. Crush strength is measured according to the pounds per square inch of pressure that can be withstood before the proppant breaks down into finer granules.

Dry plant : An industrial site where slurried sand product is fed through a dryer and screening system to be dried and screened in varying gradations. The finished product that emerges from the dry plant is then stored in silos before being transported to customers. Dry plants may also include a stone breaking machine and stone crusher.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) : The statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy.

FCA : “FCA” (abbreviation for “free carrier”) has the meaning given such term under the International Chamber of Commerce’s Incoterms ® 2010 rules.

Fine sand : Sand of mesh size greater than 70.

Frac sand : A proppant used in the completion and re-completion of unconventional oil and natural gas wells to stimulate and maintain oil and natural gas exploration and production through the process of hydraulic fracturing.

Hydraulic fracturing : The process of pumping fluids, mixed with granular proppants, into a geological formation at pressures sufficient to create fractures in the hydrocarbon-bearing rock.

ISO : means International Organization of Standards.

Mesh size : Measurement of the size of a grain of sand indicating it will pass through a sieve of a certain size.

Monocrystalline : Consisting of a single crystal rather than multiple crystals bonded together (polycrystalline). Monocrystalline frac sand typically exhibits higher crush strength than polycrystalline sand, as these structures are more prone to breaking down under high pressures than a single crystal.

Natural gas : A mixture of hydrocarbons (principally methane, ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes), water vapor, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen and other chemicals that occur naturally underground in a gaseous state.

 

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Northern White frac sand : A monocrystalline sand with greater sphericity and roundness enabling higher crush strengths and conductivity.

Overburden : The material that lies above an area of economic interest.

Probable reserves : Reserves for which quantity and grade and/or quality are computed from information similar to that used for proven reserves, but the sites for inspection, sampling and measurement are farther apart or are otherwise less adequately spaced. The degree of assurance, although lower than that for proven reserves, is high enough to assume continuity between points of observation.

Proppant : A sized particle mixed with fracturing fluid to hold fractures open after a hydraulic fracturing treatment.

Proven reserves : Reserves for which (a) quantity is computed from dimensions revealed in outcrops, trenches, workings or drill holes; grade and/or quality are computed from the results of detailed sampling and (b) the sites for inspection, sampling and measurement are spaced so closely and the geologic character is so well defined that size, shape, depth and mineral content of reserves are well-established.

Reserves : Sand that can be economically extracted or produced at the time of determination based on relevant legal, economic and technical considerations.

Resin-coated sand : Raw sand that is coated with a resin that increases the sand’s crush strength and prevents crushed sand from dispersing throughout the fracture.

Roundness : A measure of how round the curvatures of an object are. The opposite of round is angular. It is possible for an object to be round but not spherical (e.g., an egg-shaped particle is round, but not spherical). When used to describe proppant, roundness is a reference to having a curved shape which promotes hydrocarbon flow, as the curvature creates a space through which the hydrocarbons can flow.

Silica : A chemically resistant dioxide of silicon that occurs in crystalline, amorphous and cryptocrystalline forms.

Sphericity : A measure of how well an object is formed in a shape where all points are equidistant from the center. The more spherical a proppant, the more it promotes hydrocarbon flow.

Shale Play : A geological formation that contains petroleum and/or natural gas in nonporous rock that requires special drilling and completion techniques.

Turbidity : A measure of the level of contaminants, such as silt and clay, in a sample.

Wet plant : An industrial site where quarried sand is slurried into the plant. The sand ore is then scrubbed and hydrosized by washers or scrubbers to remove the deleterious materials from the ore, and then separated using a vibrating screen and waterway system to generate separate frac sand stockpiles, providing a uniform feedstock for the dryer. The ultra-fine materials are typically sent to a mechanical thickener, and eventually to settling ponds.

 

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LOGO

Smart Sand, Inc.

             Shares

 

 

Prospectus

 

 

                    ,         

Credit Suisse

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Jefferies

Simmons & Company International

Energy Specialists of Piper Jaffray

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Deutsche Bank Securities

Through and including                     ,          (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

 

 

 


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PART II

Information Not Required in Prospectus

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

Set forth below are the expenses (other than underwriting discounts and the structuring fee) expected to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered hereby. With the exception of the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee and the NASDAQ listing fee, the amounts set forth below are estimates.

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 10,070   

FINRA filing fee

     15,500   

NASDAQ listing fee

     150,000   

Printing and engraving expenses

     253,000   

Fees and expenses of legal counsel

     1,210,000   

Accounting fees and expenses

     393,000   

Transfer agent and registrar fees

     7,000   

Miscellaneous

     24,000   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 2,062,570   
  

 

 

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a director will not be liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. In addition, if the DGCL is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided for in our certificate of incorporation, will be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended DGCL. Our amended and restated bylaws will provide that the corporation will indemnify, and advance expenses to, any officer or director to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL.

Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits and proceedings whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, other than a derivative action by or in the right of the corporation, if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification extends only to expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification that may be granted by a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or otherwise.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also contain indemnification rights for our directors and our officers. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we shall indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL. Further, we may maintain insurance on behalf of our officers and directors against expense, liability or loss asserted incurred by them in their capacities as officers and directors.

We have obtained directors’ and officers’ insurance to cover our directors, officers and some of our employees for certain liabilities.

 

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In addition, we intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with of our directors and certain officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our amended and restated bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our amended and restated bylaws.

The underwriting agreement provides for indemnification by the underwriters of us and our officers and directors, and by us of the underwriters, for certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act or otherwise in connection with this offering.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

During the past three years, we have issued unregistered securities to a limited number of persons, as described below. None of these transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions or any public offering, and we believe that each of these transactions was exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to exemptions available under the Securities Act. All share and price information included in this section does not reflect the impact of the expected pre-offering split of our common stock.

The following table sets forth information on the restricted stock awards issued by us in the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement. The Company did not receive any consideration upon the grant of Restricted Stock.

 

Date

   Person or Class of Person    Restricted Stock

April 29, 2013

   Employee    5.0

August 14, 2013

   Employee    2.5

June 10, 2014

   Executive Officers    80.0

June 10, 2014

   Employee    15.0

June 10, 2014

   Director    5.0

August 1, 2014

   Executive Officer    15.0

August 11, 2014

   Executive Officer    35.0

August 11, 2014

   Employee    2.0

October 31, 2014

   Employee    2.0

February 4, 2015

   Director    10.0

February 4, 2015

   Director    10.0

March 15, 2016

   Executive Officers    37.0

March 15, 2016

   Employees    36.0

The issuances of common stock described above represent grants of restricted stock under our compensation plans to our officers, directors and employees in reliance upon an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including those contained in Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act. Among other things, we relied on the fact that, under Rule 701, companies that are not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act are exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to certain offers and sales of securities pursuant to “compensatory benefit plans” as defined under that rule.

 

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The following table sets forth information on the shares of Preferred Stock issued as paid-in-kind dividends on existing outstanding and issued shares of Preferred Stock in the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement.

Table presents paid-in-kind dividends of Preferred Stock (with a redemption value of $1,000 per share of Preferred Stock) for which stock certificates were issue, and does not included calculated accrued dividends for any redemptions, such as the March 28, 2014 $40 million redemption. The Company did not receive any consideration upon the issuance of paid-in-kind dividends of shares of Preferred Stock.

 

Date    # of PIK shares issued  

January 1, 2013

     2,062   

April 1, 2013

     2,143   

July 1, 2013

     2,225   

October 1, 2013

     2,310   

January 1, 2014

     2,399   

April 1, 2014

     1,013   

July 1, 2014

     1,029   

October 1, 2014

     1,068   

January 1, 2015

     1,108   

April 1, 2015

     1,150   

July 1, 2015

     1,193   

October 1, 2015

     1,238   

January 1, 2016

     1,284   

April 1, 2016

     1,332   

July 1, 2016

     1,382   

The Preferred Stock, to which these paid-in-kind distributions relate, was originally issued to a single accredited investor upon an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, primarily under the exemption provided for in Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act. The additional issuances of Preferred Stock are distributions in-kind on the previously issued Preferred Stock and are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, primarily under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The Company received no additional consideration for these paid-in-kind distributions.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits

See the Exhibit Index immediately following the signature page hereto, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 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 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that,

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(a) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

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(b) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(c) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(d) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, Texas, on October 18, 2016.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Charles E. Young

 

Charles E. Young

Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on October 18, 2016.

 

Signature

  

Title

/s/ Charles E. Young

Charles E. Young

  

Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Lee E. Beckelman

Lee E. Beckelman

  

Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)

*

Susan Neumann

  

Vice President of Accounting, Controller and Secretary
(Principal Accounting Officer)

*

José E. Feliciano

  

Director

(Co-Chairman of the Board)

*

Colin Leonard

  

Director

*

Timothy J. Pawlenty

  

Director

*

Andrew Speaker

  

Director

(Co-Chairman of the Board)

*

Tracy Robinson

  

Director

*

Sharon Spurlin

  

Director

 

*By:

 

/s/ Lee E. Beckelman

 

Lee E. Beckelman

 

Attorney-in-fact

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
number

  

Description

  1.1*   

Form of Underwriting Agreement (including form of lock-up agreement)

  3.1   

Form of Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Smart Sand, Inc.

  3.2   

Form of Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of Smart Sand, Inc.

  4.1   

Specimen Stock Certificate

  4.2**    Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated September 13, 2011, between Smart Sand, Inc. and Keystone Cranberry, LLC
  4.3**    Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated September 13, 2011, between Smart Sand, Inc. and Andrew Speaker
  4.4**    Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated September 13, 2011, between Smart Sand, Inc. and Frank Porcelli
  4.5**    Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated September 13, 2011, between Smart Sand, Inc. and BAMK Associates, LLC
  4.6    Form of Registration Rights Agreement
  4.7    Form of Stockholders Agreement
  5.1   

Form of opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered

10.1#   

Form of Smart Sand, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan

10.2#**   

Smart Sand, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan

10.3#**   

Amendment No. 1 to Smart Sand, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan

10.4#**   

Employment Agreement between Smart Sand, Inc. and Charles Young

10.5#**   

Amendment No. 1 to Employment Agreement Between Smart Sand, Inc. and Charles Young

10.6#**   

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under Smart Sand, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan

10.7#**   

Employment Agreement between Smart Sand, Inc. and Robert Kiszka

10.8#**   

Amendment No. 1 to Employment Agreement between Smart Sand, Inc. and Robert Kiszka

10.9#**   

Letter Agreement between Smart Sand, Inc. and Lee Beckelman, dated August 4, 2014

10.10†    Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of December 16, 2015 between Archer Pressure Pumping, LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.11†    Amended and Restated Railcar Usage Agreement dated as of December 16, 2015 between Archer Pressure Pumping, LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.12†    Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of November 15, 2013 between EOG Resources, Inc. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.13†    First Amendment to Master Product Purchase Agreement dated November 15, 2014 between EOG Resources, Inc. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.14†    Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of November 6, 2015 between US Well Services LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.15†    First Amendment to Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of May 1, 2016 between US Well Services LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.16†    Railcar Usage Agreement dated as of September 15, 2014 between US Well Services LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.

 

II-7


Table of Contents

Exhibit
number

 

Description

10.17†   First Amendment to Railcar Usage Agreement dated as of November 6, 2015 between US Well Services LLC and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.18†   Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of January 15, 2016 between Weatherford U.S., L.P. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.19†**   First Amendment to Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated as of May 1, 2016 between Weatherford U.S., L.P. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.20†   Amended and Restated Railcar Usage Agreement dated as of January 15, 2016 between Weatherford U.S., L.P. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.21†   Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement dated September 30, 2016 between Weatherford U.S., L.P. and Smart Sand, Inc.
10.22#   Form of 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
10.23  

Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Company and its officers and directors

21.1  

List of Subsidiaries of Smart Sand, Inc.

23.1  

Consent of Grant Thornton LLP

23.2**  

Consent of John T. Boyd Company

23.3**  

Consent of Stim-Lab Inc.

23.4**  

Consent of Spears & Associates

23.5**  

Consent of PropTester, Inc.

23.6**  

Consent of Freedonia Group

23.7*  

Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1**  

Powers of Attorney (contained on the signature page to this Registration Statement)

 

* To be filed by amendment.
** Previously filed.
# Compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
Certain portions have been omitted pursuant to a confidential treatment request. Omitted information has been separately filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

II-8

Exhibit 3.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SMART SAND, INC.

Smart Sand, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies as follows:

1. The name of the Corporation is “Smart Sand, Inc.” The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 19, 2011 under the name Smart Sand, Inc. An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on September 13, 2011 (the “ First A&R Certificate ”), as amended by the Certificate of Amendment to the First A&R Certificate filed on August 17, 2012, the Certificate of Amendment to the First A&R Certificate filed on July 24, 2013, the Third Certificate of Amendment to the First A&R Certificate filed on March 26, 2014, the Fourth Certificate of Amendment to the First A&R Certificate filed on March 28, 2014 and the Fifth Certificate of Amendment to the First A&R Certificate filed on February 20, 2015.

2. This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Second A&R Certificate ”) was duly adopted by the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL” ).

3. The text of the First A&R Certificate is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

FIRST : The name of the Corporation is Smart Sand, Inc.

SECOND : The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 160 Greentree Drive, in the City of Dover, County of Kent, 19904. The name of its registered agent at such address is National Registered Agents, Inc.

THIRD : The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented.

FOURTH : The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “ Common Stock ” and “ Preferred Stock .” The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is [ ● ]. The total number of shares of Common Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is [ ● ], having a par value of $0.001 per share, and the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is [ ● ], having a par value of $0.001 per share.

FIFTH : The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:


A. COMMON STOCK .

1. General . The voting, dividend, liquidation, conversion and stock split rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board of Directors ”) upon any issuance of the Preferred Stock of any series.

2. Voting . Each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held by such holder. Each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to notice of any stockholders’ meeting in accordance with the Bylaws of the Corporation (as in effect at the time in question) (the “ Bylaws ”) and applicable law on all matters put to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. No holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to exercise any right of cumulative voting.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Second A&R Certificate (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Second A&R Certificate (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto).

The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation (the “Voting Stock”) entitled to vote thereon, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

3. Dividends . Subject to the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to the payment of dividends when and as declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law and to receive other distributions from the Corporation. Any dividends declared by the Board of Directors to the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock shall be paid to the holders thereof pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder as of the record date of such dividend.

4. Liquidation . Subject to the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation that may be legally distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

5. No Preemptive or Subscription Rights . No holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to preemptive or subscription rights.


B. PREFERRED STOCK

Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.

Authority is hereby expressly granted to and vested in the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designations relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL and that certain stockholders agreement, dated as of October [●], 2016, by and among the Corporation and the other persons party thereto (as it may be amended from time to time, the “ Stockholders Agreement ”). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law.

The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

SIXTH : Upon the filing and effectiveness of this Second A&R Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “ Effective Time ”), each then-outstanding share of Common Stock (“ Old Common Stock ”) shall be automatically converted into [ ● ] validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock without any further action by the Corporation or the holder of such shares of Old Common Stock (the “ Common Stock Split ”). Each stock certificate representing shares of Old Common Stock shall thereafter represent a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the same number of shares of Old Common Stock previously represented by such stock certificate, multiplied by [ ● ] and rounded down to the nearest whole number; provided, however, that each person holding of record a stock certificate or certificates that represented shares of Old Common Stock shall receive, upon surrender of such certificate or certificates, a new certificate or certificates evidencing and representing the number of whole shares of Common Stock to which such person is entitled as a result of the Common Stock Split based on the aggregate number of shares of Old Common Stock held by such person. No fractional interest in a share of Common Stock shall be deliverable upon the Common Stock Split. Stockholders who otherwise would have been entitled to receive any fractional interest in a share of Common Stock, in lieu of receipt of such fractional interest, shall be entitled to receive from the Corporation an amount in cash equal to the fair value of such fractional interest as of the Effective Time. All share numbers, dollar amounts and other provisions set forth herein give effect to the Common Stock Split.


SEVENTH : Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, the total number of directors of the Corporation shall be determined from time to time exclusively by resolution of the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise required by law and subject to the Stockholders Agreement and the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, any vacancies and newly created directorships shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. Unless and except to the extent that the Bylaws so provide, the election of directors need not be by written ballot. Subject to the Stockholders Agreement and the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, any director may only be removed with cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2 / 3 % of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon.

The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in numbers as possible, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. At the Effective Time, each Director then in office shall be designated as a Class I Director, a Class II Director or a Class III Director. The initial Class I Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the Effective Time; the initial Class II Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time; and the initial Class III Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time. At each annual meeting of stockholders beginning with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the Effective Time, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders to be held following their election, with each director in each such class to hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, the Board of Directors is authorized to assign Directors already in office at the Effective Time to Class I, Class II and Class III. The provisions of this Article Seventh are subject to the rights of the holders of any class or series of Preferred Stock to elect directors.

EIGHT : Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that for so long as a Principal Stockholder (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) continues to beneficially own at least 20% of the Voting Stock, that Principal Stockholder may call a special meeting. Special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.

NINTH : In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the DGCL or other statutes or laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws whether adopted by them or otherwise, without any action on the part of the stockholders, but the stockholders may make new bylaws or alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws (i) in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, prior to the date the Principal Stockholders (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) and their Affiliates cease to beneficially own in aggregate at least 50% of the Voting Stock entitled to vote there on, by, a majority of the Voting Stock


entitled to vote thereon (the “ Trigger Date ”), and (ii) in addition to any other vote otherwise require by law, from and after the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66  2 3 % of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon. The Corporation may in its Bylaws confer powers upon its Board of Directors in addition to the foregoing and in addition to the powers and authorities expressly conferred upon the Board of Directors by applicable law.

TENTH : The Corporation is authorized to indemnify, and to advance expenses to, each current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL as it now exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto). To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware as it now exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto), no director shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. No amendment to, or modification or repeal of, this Article Tenth shall adversely affect any right or protection of a director or of any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation existing hereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, modification or repeal.

The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL. To the extent that the Corporation maintains any policy or policies providing such insurance, each such current, former or prospective director or officer, and each such agent or employee to which rights to indemnification have been granted as provided in the Bylaws or elsewhere, shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage thereunder for any such current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent.

ELEVENTH : The Corporation shall, through the Bylaws or otherwise, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto), indemnify, advance expenses and hold harmless any person who was or is a director or officer of the Corporation or its subsidiaries. The Corporation may, by action of the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to advancement of expenses to such other employees or agents of the Corporation or its subsidiaries to such extent and to such effect as the Board of Directors shall determine to be appropriate and authorized by the DGCL. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article Eleventh shall not adversely affect any rights or protection existing hereunder immediately prior to such repeal or modification.

TWELFTH : In recognition and anticipation that (i) the principals, officers, members, managers and/or employees of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (“Clearlake”) or its Affiliated Companies (as defined below) may serve as directors or officers of the Corporation,


(ii) Clearlake and its Affiliated Companies engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, and (iii) that the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies may engage in material business transactions with Clearlake and its Affiliated Companies, and that the Corporation is expected to benefit therefrom, the provisions of this Article Twelfth are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation as they may involve Clearlake and/or its Affiliated Companies and/or their respective principals, officers, members, managers and/or employees, including any of the foregoing who serve as officers or directors of the Corporation (collectively, the “Covered Persons”), and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its officers, directors and stockholders in connection therewith. As used in this Second A&R Certificate, “Affiliated Companies” shall mean (a) in respect of Clearlake, any entity that controls, is controlled by or under common control with Clearlake (other than the Corporation and any entity that is controlled by the Corporation) and any investment funds managed by Clearlake and (b) in respect of the Corporation, any company controlled by the Corporation.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Clearlake and nor any of its Affiliated Companies nor any of their respective Covered Persons, shall have any fiduciary duty to refrain from (A) carrying on and conduct, whether directly, or as a partner in any partnership, or as a joint venturer in any joint venture, or as an officer, director or stockholder of any corporation, or as a participant in any syndicate, pool, trust or association, any business of any kind, nature or description, whether or not such business is competitive with or in the same or similar lines of business as the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, (B) doing business with any client, customer, vendor or lessor of any of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, or (C) making investments in any kind of property in which the Corporation may make investments. In the event that Clearlake or any of its Affiliated Companies or any of their respective Covered Persons acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may constitute a corporate opportunity for both (1) (a) the Covered Person, in his or her capacity with Clearlake or any of its Affiliated Companies, or (b) Clearlake or any of its Affiliated Companies and (2) the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, none of Clearlake, its Affiliated Companies or any of their respective Covered Persons shall have any duty to offer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies hereby renounce any interest or expectancy of the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies in such corporate opportunity and waive any claim against each of Clearlake, its Affiliated Companies and their respective Covered Persons and shall indemnify Clearlake, its Affiliated Companies and each of their respective Covered Persons against any claim that Clearlake, its Affiliated Companies or their respective Covered Persons is liable to the Corporation, its Affiliated Companies or its stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty, as a director, officer or stockholder of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, solely by reason of the fact that Clearlake, any Affiliated Company or any of their respective Covered Persons (x) pursues or acquires any corporate opportunity for its own account or the account of any affiliate, (y) directs, recommends, sells, assigns, or otherwise transfers such corporate opportunity to another person or (z) does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies. The Corporation shall pay in advance any expenses incurred in defense of such claim as provided in this Article Twelfth.


To the fullest extent permitted by law, no potential transaction or business opportunity may be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies unless (i) the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies would be permitted to undertake such transaction or opportunity in accordance with this Second A&R Certificate, (ii) the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies at such time have sufficient financial resources to undertake such transaction or opportunity and (iii) such transaction or opportunity would be in the same or similar line of business in which the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies are then engaged or a line of business that is reasonably related to, or a reasonable extension of, such line of business.

No Covered Person will be liable to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies or stockholders for breach of any duty (at law, in equity, contractual or otherwise) by reason of any activities or omissions of the types referred to in this Article Twelfth.

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article Twelfth.

For purposes of this Article Twelfth, the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies shall not be deemed Affiliated Companies of Clearlake.

This Article Twelfth may not be amended, modified or repealed without the prior written consent of Clearlake.

THIRTEENTH : Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and, subject to the next sentence, may not be effected by any consent or consents in writing by stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, until the Trigger Date, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if (A) a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class(es) or series of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding (other than treasury stock) entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and (B) the action to be taken and the taking of the action by written consent are approved by the Board of Directors, including the directors designated by each of the Principal Stockholders.

FOURTEENTH : The Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Second A&R Certificate or the Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article Fourteenth.


FIFTEENTH : From time to time, any of the provisions of this Second A&R Certificate may be amended, altered, changed or repealed, and other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force may be added or inserted in the manner and at the time prescribed by said laws, and all rights at any time conferred upon the stockholders of the Corporation by this Second A&R Certificate are granted subject to the provisions of this Article Fifteenth. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Second A&R Certificate, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Second A&R Certificate, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage or separate class vote may be specified by law or otherwise, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any particular class or series of the capital stock required by law or otherwise, no provision of this Second A&R Certificate may be altered, amended or repealed in any respect, nor may any provision of this Second A&R Certificate or the Bylaws inconsistent therewith be adopted, unless in addition to any other vote required by this Second A&R Certificate or otherwise required by law, such alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption is approved, (i) prior to the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon, and (ii) from and after the Trigger Date, by the holders of at least 66  2 3 % of the outstanding Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon.

SIXTEENTH : The Corporation elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

[ Signature Page to Follow .]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has executed this Second A&R Certificate on this [ ● ]th day of [ ● ], 2016.

 

  SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Smart Sand, Inc. Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation]

Exhibit 3.2

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

SMART SAND, INC.

 

 

ARTICLE I

Meetings of Stockholders

Section 1.01. Annual Meetings . If required by applicable law, an annual meeting of stockholders of Smart Sand, Inc. (the “Corporation”) shall be held for the election of directors at such date, time and place, if any, either within or without the State of Delaware, as may be designated by resolution of the Board of Directors from time to time. The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.

Section 1.02. Special Meetings . Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called only in the manner provided in the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, dated as of [●], 2016 (as the same may be further amended, restated, amended and restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”). Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice. The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.

Section 1.03. Place of Meeting . The Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, as the case may be, may designate the place of meeting for any annual meeting or for any special meeting of the stockholders called by the Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors. If no designation is so made, the place of meeting shall be the principal executive offices of the Corporation.

Section 1.04. Notice of Meetings . Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a notice of the meeting shall be given that shall state the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting) and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.


Section 1.05. Adjournments . Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, if any, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to a stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.

Section 1.06. Quorum . Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, at each meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote at the meeting shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum, except that when specified business is to be voted on by a class or series of stock voting as a class, the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of such class or series shall constitute a quorum of such class or series for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, the stockholders so present may, by a majority in voting power thereof, adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 1.05 of these Bylaws until a quorum shall attend. Shares of its own stock belonging to the Corporation or to another entity, if a majority of the shares or other capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partner or other oversight board vested with the authority to direct the management of such other entity is held, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation, shall neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for quorum purposes; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation to vote shares of stock held by it in a fiduciary capacity.

Section 1.07. Organization . Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the President and Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence by any officer, or in the absence of the foregoing persons by a chairperson designated by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of such designation by a chairperson chosen at the meeting. The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in his or her absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

Section 1.08. Voting; Proxies . Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by such stockholder which has voting power upon the matter in question. At all meetings of

 

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stockholders, a stockholder may vote by proxy executed in writing (or in such manner prescribed by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) by the stockholder, or by his or her duly authorized attorney in fact. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Corporation a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date. Voting at meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, at all meetings of stockholders for the election of directors at which a quorum is present a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect such directors. All other elections and questions presented to the stockholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock of the Corporation which are present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon.

Section 1.09 Notice of Business To Be Brought Before a Meeting .

(a) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in a notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 1.09 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 1.09 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. For purposes of this Section 1.09, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or, if the proposing stockholder is not an individual, a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be, if such proposing stockholder is (i) a general or limited partnership, any general partner or person who functions as a general partner of the general or limited partnership or who controls the general or limited partnership, (ii) a corporation or a limited liability company, any officer or person who functions as an officer of the corporation or limited liability company or any officer, director, general partner or person who functions as an officer, director or general partner of any entity ultimately in control of the corporation or limited liability company or (iii) a trust, any trustee of such trust. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board of Directors must comply with Section 1.10 and Section 1.11, and this Section 1.09 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 1.10 and Section 1.11.

 

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(b) Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.09. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.09, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

(i) As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporation’s books and records); and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

(ii) As to each Proposing Person, (A) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (“Synthetic Equity Position”) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s business as a

 

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derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement) and (F) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (E) are referred to as “Disclosable Interests”); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

(iii) As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other record or beneficial holder(s) or persons(s) who have a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation or any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder; and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

For purposes of this Section 1.09, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation or associate (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act for purposes of these Bylaws) of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

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(d) A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 1.09 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

(e) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary and subject to Section 1.10 and Section 1.11, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 1.09. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 1.09, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the meeting, and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

(f) This Section 1.09 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 1.09 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 1.09 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

(g) For purposes of these Bylaws, “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

Section 1.10 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors .

(a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person (A) who was a beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 1.10 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 1.10, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the

 

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meeting of the Corporation, or, if the proposing stockholder is not an individual, a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be, if such proposing stockholder is (x) a general or limited partnership, any general partner or person who functions as a general partner of the general or limited partnership or who controls the general or limited partnership, (y) a corporation or a limited liability company, any officer or person who functions as an officer of the corporation or limited liability company or any officer, director, general partner or person who functions as an officer, director or general partner of any entity ultimately in control of the corporation or limited liability company or (z) a trust, any trustee of such trust. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting or special meeting.

(b) (i) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (A) provide Timely Notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (B) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 and (C) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11.

(ii) Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at a special meeting, the stockholder must (A) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (B) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 and (C) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.10. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 1.09) of the date of such special meeting was first made.

(iii) In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.10, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

(i) As to each Nominating Person (as defined below), the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 1.09(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 1.10 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 1.09(c)(i));

 

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(ii) As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 1.09(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 1.10 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 1.09(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 1.09(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and

(iii) As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such candidate for nomination that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 if such candidate for nomination were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidate’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (C) are referred to as “Nominee Information”), and (D) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 1.11(a).

For purposes of this Section 1.10, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner or any other participant in such solicitation.

(d) A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 1.10 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

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(e) In addition to the requirements of this Section 1.10 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations.

Section 1.11. Additional Requirements For Valid Nomination of Candidates To Serve as Director and, If Elected, To Be Seated as Directors .

(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 1.10 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board of Directors or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the Board of Directors), to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in a form provided by the Corporation) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Corporation) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein and (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such person’s term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect);

(b) The Board of Directors may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board of Directors in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidate’s nomination is to be acted upon in order for the Board of Directors to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

(c) No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidate’s name in nomination has complied with Section 1.10 and this Section 1.11, as applicable. The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 1.10 and this Section 1.11, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination at the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots case for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.

 

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(d) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with this Section 1.11.

Section 1.12 Effect of Other Rights . Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to limit the exercise, the method or timing of the exercise of, the rights of any person granted by the Corporation to nominate directors (including pursuant to that certain stockholders agreement, dated as of October [●], 2016, by and among the Corporation and the other persons party thereto (as it may be amended from time to time, the “ Stockholders Agreement ”)), which rights may be exercised without compliance with the provisions of Sections 1.10 and 1.11.

Section 1.13. Fixing Date for Determination of Stockholders of Record .

(a) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board of Directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board of Directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.

(b) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

(c) Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, in order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the

 

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Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If no record date for determining stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting is fixed by the Board of Directors, (i) when no prior action of the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law, and (ii) if prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

Section 1.14. List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote . The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of a date that is no more than ten (10) days before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder as of the record date (or such other date). Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of meeting or (ii) during ordinary business hours at the principal executive offices of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof and may be examined by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 1.14 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

Section 1.15. Action By Written Consent of Stockholders .

(a) Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders, subject to the next sentence, may not be effected by any consent or consents in writing by stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, until such time as the Principal Stockholders (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) and their affiliates collectively cease to beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “ Trigger Date ”), any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if (A) a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class(es) or series of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding (other than treasury stock) entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and (B) the action to be taken and the taking of the action by written consent are approved by the Board of Directors, including the directors designated by each of the Principal Stockholders.

 

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(b) So long as stockholders of the Corporation have the right to act by written consent in accordance with this Section 1.15, the following provisions shall apply:

(i) For the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting as may be permitted by the Certificate of Incorporation or the certificate of designation relating to any outstanding class or series of preferred stock, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than ten (10) (or the maximum number permitted by applicable law) days after the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. Any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take action by written consent shall, by written notice to the Secretary of the Corporation, request that the Board of Directors fix a record date, which notice shall include the text of any proposed resolutions. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section 1.15(b) or otherwise within ten (10) days of receipt of a valid request by a stockholder, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required pursuant to applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation pursuant to Section 1.15(b); provided , however , that if prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall in such an event be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

(ii) Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent, and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless written consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take such action are delivered to the Corporation, in the manner required by this Section 1.15(b), within sixty (60) (or the maximum number permitted by applicable law) days of the date of the earliest dated consent delivered to the Corporation in the manner required by this Section 1.15. A written record of the information upon which the person making such determination relied shall be made and kept in the records of the proceedings of the stockholders. Any such consent shall be inserted in the minute book as if it were the minutes of a meeting of stockholders. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall, to the extent required by law, be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation.

Section 1.15. Inspectors of Election . The Corporation may, and shall if required by law, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors of election, who may be employees of the Corporation, to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and to make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. In the event that no inspector so

 

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appointed or designated is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the person presiding at the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspector or inspectors so appointed or designated shall (i) ascertain the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding and the voting power of each such share, (ii) determine the shares of capital stock of the Corporation represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots, (iii) count all votes and ballots, (iv) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors, and (v) certify their determination of the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation represented at the meeting and such inspectors’ count of all votes and ballots. Such certification and report shall specify such other information as may be required by law. In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots cast at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the inspectors may consider such information as is permitted by applicable law. No person who is a candidate for an office at an election may serve as an inspector at such election.

Section 1.16. Conduct of Meetings . The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the presiding person of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the presiding person of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare at the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

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ARTICLE II

Board of Directors

Section 2.01. Number; Qualifications . The Board of Directors shall consist of one or more members, the number thereof to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors. Directors need not be stockholders.

Section 2.02. Election; Resignation; Vacancies . The Board of Directors shall initially consist of Charles E. Young, José E. Feliciano, Colin Leonard, Timothy Pawlenty, Tracy Robinson, Sharon Spurlin and Andrew Speaker. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Commencing with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the original effectiveness of Article Seventh of the Certificate of Incorporation, directors of each class the term of which shall then expire shall be elected to hold office for a three-year term and until the election and qualification of their respective successors in office. Any director may resign at any time upon notice to the Corporation. Except as otherwise required by law or the Stockholders Agreement and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office and entitled to vote thereon, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director entitled to vote thereon, and not by the stockholders. Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, any director so chosen shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his successor shall be elected and qualified. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, any director may be removed only with cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2 / 3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally for the election of directors.

Section 2.03. Regular Meetings . Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such places within or without the State of Delaware and at such times as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

Section 2.04. Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time or place within or without the State of Delaware whenever called by the President and Chief Executive Officer, or by any member of the Board of Directors. Notice of a special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given by the person or persons calling the meeting at least twenty-four hours before the special meeting.

Section 2.05. Telephonic Meetings Permitted . Members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this by-law shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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Section 2.06. Quorum; Vote Required for Action . At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the directors entitled to cast a majority of the votes of the whole Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except in cases in which the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or applicable law otherwise provides, a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.

Section 2.07. Organization . Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the President and Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence by a chairperson chosen at the meeting. The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in his or her absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

Section 2.08. Action by Unanimous Consent of Directors . Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee in accordance with applicable law.

Section 2.09. Compensation of Directors . Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or a stated salary or other compensation (which compensation may be paid in the form of cash, equity awards or any combination thereof) as a director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings. Any director of the Corporation may decline any or all such compensation payable to such director in his or her discretion.

 

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ARTICLE III

Committees of the Board of Directors

Section 3.01. Committees . The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, the Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of the committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he, she or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent permitted by law and to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it.

Section 3.02. Committee Rules . Unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides, each committee designated by the Board of Directors may make, alter and repeal rules for the conduct of its business. In the absence of such rules each committee shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board of Directors conducts its business pursuant to Article II of these Bylaws.

 

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ARTICLE IV

Officers

Section 4.01. Officers; Election; Qualifications; Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies . The Board of Directors shall elect a President and Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, and it may, if it so determines, choose a Chairperson of the Board of Directors and a Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors from among its members. The Board of Directors may also choose one or more Executive Vice Presidents, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other officers as it shall from time to time deem necessary or desirable. Each such officer shall hold office until the first meeting of the Board of Directors after the annual meeting of stockholders next succeeding his or her election, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the Corporation. The Board of Directors may remove any officer with or without cause at any time, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contractual rights of such officer, if any, with the Corporation. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation by death, resignation, removal or otherwise may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting.

Section 4.02. Powers and Duties of Officers . The officers of the Corporation shall have such powers and duties in the management of the Corporation as may be prescribed in a resolution by the Board of Directors and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may require any officer, agent or employee to give security for the faithful performance of his or her duties.

Section 4.03. Appointing Attorneys and Agents; Voting Securities of Other Entities . Unless otherwise provided by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Secretary may from time to time appoint an attorney or attorneys or agent or agents of the Corporation, in the name and on behalf of the Corporation, to cast the votes which the Corporation may be entitled to cast as the holder of stock or other securities in any other Corporation or other entity, any of whose stock or other securities may be held by the Corporation, at meetings of the holders of the stock or other securities of such other corporation or other entity, or to consent in writing, in the name of the Corporation as such holder, to any action by such other corporation or other entity, and may instruct the person or persons so appointed as to the manner of casting such votes or giving such consents, and may execute or cause to be executed in the name and on behalf of the Corporation and under its corporate seal or otherwise, all such written proxies or other instruments as he or she may deem necessary or proper. Any of the rights set forth in this Section 4.03 which may be delegated to an attorney or agent may also be exercised directly by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Secretary.

 

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ARTICLE V

Stock

Section 5.01. Certificates . The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the Corporation by the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or the President and Chief Executive Officer, or the Chief Financial Officer, or the Secretary, or by a Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or an Assistant Secretary, of the Corporation certifying the number of shares owned by such holder in the Corporation. Any of or all the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

Section 5.02. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Stock Certificates; Issuance of New Certificates . The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate.

 

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ARTICLE VI

Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

Section 6.01. Right to Indemnification . The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than permitted prior thereto), any person (a “Covered Person”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved (including involvement, without limitation, as a witness) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans and whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director or officer or in any other capacity while serving as a director or officer, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and related disbursements, judgments, fines, excise taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such Covered Person, and such indemnification shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 6.03, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a Covered Person in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Covered Person only if the commencement of such proceeding (or part thereof) by the Covered Person was authorized in the specific case by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The right to indemnification conferred in this Article VI shall be a contract right.

Section 6.02. Advancement of Expenses . The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Covered Person in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Covered Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article VI or otherwise.

Section 6.03. Claims . If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such proceeding) or advancement of expenses under this Article VI is not paid in full within thirty days after a written claim therefor by the Covered Person has been received by the Corporation, the Covered Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action, the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Covered Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.

 

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Section 6.04. Service for Subsidiaries. Any person serving as a director, officer, partner, member, trustee, administrator, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans or other enterprise, at least 50% of whose equity interests are owned by the Corporation (a “ subsidiary ” for purposes of this Article VI) shall be conclusively presumed to be serving in such capacity at the request of the Corporation.

Section 6.05. Reliance. Persons who after the date of the adoption of this provision become or remain directors or officers of the Corporation or who, while a director or officer of the Corporation, become or remain a director, officer, employee or agent of a subsidiary, shall be conclusively presumed to have relied on the rights to indemnity, advancement of expenses and other rights contained in this Article VI in entering into or continuing such service. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article VI shall apply to claims made against an indemnitee arising out of acts or omissions which occurred or occur both prior and subsequent to the adoption hereof.

Section 6.06. Nonexclusivity of Rights . The rights conferred on any Covered Person by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such Covered Person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

Section 6.07. Other Sources . The Corporation shall (i) be the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to a Covered Person shall be primary and any obligation of other entities or persons with respect to which a director or officer may have rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance for the same liability, loss or expenses incurred by such Covered Person (the “ Secondary Indemnitors ”), is secondary), and (ii) subject always to the provisions of Section 6.02, be required to advance the full amount of expenses actually and reasonably incurred by a Covered Person and shall be liable for the full amount of all liabilities, losses and expenses as required by the terms of this Article VI, without regard to any rights a Covered Person may have against any Secondary Indemnitor. Except as set forth in this Section 6.07, the Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or to advance expenses to any Covered Person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity shall be reduced by any amount such Covered Person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

Section 6.08. Amendment or Repeal . Any right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses of any Covered Person arising hereunder shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to or repeal of these Bylaws after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought.

Section 6.09. Other Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses . This Article VI shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than Covered Persons when and as authorized by appropriate corporate action.

 

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Section 6.10. Savings Clause. If this Article VI or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify and advance expenses to each person entitled to indemnification under this Article VI as to all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees and related disbursements, judgments, fines, excise taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such person and for which indemnification and advancement of expenses is available to such person pursuant to this Article VI to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article VI that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

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ARTICLE VII

Miscellaneous

Section 7.01. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 7.02. Seal . The corporate seal shall have the name of the Corporation inscribed thereon and shall be in such form as may be approved from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 7.03. Manner of Notice . Except as otherwise provided herein or permitted by applicable law, notices to directors and stockholders shall be in writing and delivered personally or mailed to the directors or stockholders at their addresses appearing on the books of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, and except as prohibited by applicable law, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a single written notice to stockholders who share an address if consented to by the stockholders at that address to whom such notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the Corporation. Any stockholder who fails to object in writing to the Corporation, within 60 days of having been given written notice by the Corporation of its intention to send the single notice permitted under this Section 7.03, shall be deemed to have consented to receiving such single written notice. Notice to directors may be given by telecopier, telephone or other means of electronic transmission.

Section 7.04. Waiver of Notice of Meetings of Stockholders, Directors and Committees . Any waiver of notice, given by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, directors or members of a committee of directors need be specified in a waiver of notice.

Section 7.05. Form of Records . Any records maintained by the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device or method, provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time.

Section 7.06. Amendment of Bylaws . In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the DGCL or other statutes or laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws whether adopted by them or otherwise, without any action on the part of the stockholders, but the stockholders may make new bylaws or alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws (i) in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, prior to the Trigger Date,

 

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by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation, and (ii) in addition to any other vote otherwise require by law, from and after the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66  2 3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation.

 

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Exhibit 4.1

 

LOGO

DELAWARE SEAL 2011 CORPORATE SMART SAND, INC. AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR (Brooklyn, NY) AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC BY COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED: VICE PRESIDENT OF ACCOUNTING, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CONTROLLER AND SECRETARY transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed. This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar. Witness the facsimile seal of the Corporation and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers. Dated: FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK, $0.001 PAR VALUE PER SHARE, OF SMART SAND, INC. IS THE RECORD HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFIES THAT SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS CUSIP 83191H 10 7 INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE SHARES COMMON STOCK SMART SAND, INC.


LOGO

THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15. Signature(s) Guaranteed: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER. NOTICE: Dated, to transfer the said stock on the books of the within-named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises. Attorney of the common stock represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Shares For value received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS INCLUDING ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list. (State) Act under Uniform Gifts to Minors (Cust) (Minor) as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT Custodian as tenants by the entireties as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common TEN COM TEN ENT JT TEN The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

Exhibit 4.6

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of [ ● ], 2016, by and among Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and the Persons listed on Schedule A hereto (the “ Stockholders ”).

WHEREAS, in connection with the Company’s initial public offering and the transactions related thereto, the Company has agreed to provide the registration and other rights set forth in this Agreement for the benefit of the Holders (as defined herein).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by each party hereto, the parties hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.01 Definitions . The terms set forth below are used herein as so defined:

Adverse Effect ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.03(b) .

Affiliate ” means, with respect to a specified Person, directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

Agreement ” has the meaning given to such term in the introductory paragraph.

Board ” means the board of directors of the Company.

Clearlake ” means Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.

Commission ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 1.02 .

Common Stock ” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001.

Company ” has the meaning given to such term in the introductory paragraph.

Demand Holder ” shall mean Clearlake and/or Keystone, as the context requires.

Demand Notice ” means a written request from a Demand Holder to the Company to (a) prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.01 or (b) effectuate an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02(a) , as applicable.

Effectiveness Period ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.01 .


Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Holder ” means each Stockholder for so long as such Person is a record holder of any Registrable Securities, including any transferee of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.10 .

Keystone ” means Keystone Cranberry, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company.

“Long-Form Registration Statement ” means a registration statement of the Company filed with the Commission on Form S-1 (or any successor form or other appropriate form under the Securities Act) covering the Registrable Securities.

Losses ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 1.01(a) of this Agreement.

Managing Underwriter ” means, with respect to any Underwritten Offering, the lead book-running manager of such Underwritten Offering.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, voluntary association, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability partnership, unincorporated organization, government or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, or any other form of entity.

Piggyback Notice ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.03(a) .

Piggyback Registration ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.03(a) .

Registrable Securities ” means the shares of Common Stock owned by the Stockholders, which Registrable Securities are subject to the rights provided herein until such rights terminate pursuant to the provisions hereof, and including any such shares of Common Stock transferred along with an assignment of rights hereunder pursuant to Section 2.10 .

Registration Expenses ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.07(b) .

Registration Statement ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.01 .

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Selling Expenses ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.07(b) .

Selling Holder ” means a Holder who is selling Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement.

Shelf Registration Statement ” has the meaning given to such term in Section 2.01(a).

 

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Short-Form Registration Statement ” means a registration statement of the Company filed with the Commission on Form S-3 (or any successor form or other appropriate form under the Securities Act).

Stockholders ” has the meaning given to such term in the introductory paragraph.

Underwritten Offering ” means an offering in which shares of Common Stock are sold to an underwriter on a firm commitment basis for reoffering to the public or an offering that is a “bought deal” with one or more investment banks.

Section 1.02 Registrable Securities . Any Registrable Security will cease to be a Registrable Security (a) at the time a registration statement covering such Registrable Security has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”), or otherwise has become effective, and such Registrable Security has been sold or disposed of pursuant to such registration statement; (b) at the time such Registrable Security has been sold (other than in a private transaction) pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in effect) under the Securities Act; (c) if such Registrable Security is held by the Company or one of its subsidiaries; (d) at the time such Registrable Security has been sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under this Agreement are not assigned to the transferee of such securities; or (e) if such Registrable Security has been sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under this Agreement are assigned to the transferee and such transferee is not an Affiliate of the Company, two years following the transfer of such Registrable Security to such transferee (as may be extended for any delays incurred pursuant to Section 2.04 ).

ARTICLE II.

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

Section 2.01 Demand Registration .

(a) Upon receipt of a written request from a Demand Holder at any time following the 180th day after the date hereof, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act (a “Registration Statement ”) providing for the resale of the Registrable Securities, which may, at the option of the Demand Holder, be a registration statement that provides for the resale of the Registrable Securities from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (a “ Shelf Registration Statement ”). Within five (5) business days of the receipt of a Demand Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such Demand Notice to all Holders, and the Holders shall have three (3) business days following receipt of such notice of the Demand Notice from the Company to request in writing (including by electronic mail) to the Company to be included as a seller of Registrable Securities in such Registration Statement. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after the initial filing of the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall provide for the resale pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, the Holders of any and all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (including those elected to be included in such Registration Statement following notice of a Demand Notice from the Company pursuant to this Section 2.01 ). The Company

 

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shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.01 to be continuously effective, supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that it is available for the resale of all Registrable Securities by the Holders until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have ceased to be Registrable Securities (the “ Effectiveness Period ”). The Registration Statement when effective (and the documents incorporated therein by reference) shall comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As soon as practicable following the date that the Registration Statement becomes effective, but in any event within two (2) business days of such date, the Company shall provide the Holders with written notice of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company shall only be obligated to effect two (2) demand registrations on a Long-Form Registration Statement under this Section 2.01 in any twelve-month period; provided, however, that a registration on a Long-Form Registration Statement shall not count as a registration under this Section 2.01 unless it has become effective. The Company shall be obligated to effect an unlimited number of registrations under this Section 2.01 on Short-Form Registration Statements. The Company shall not be obligated to file more than one (1) Registration Statement (including Short-Form Registration Statements) in response to requests pursuant to this Section 2.01 within 90 days after the effective date of any Registration Statement filed by the Company in response to requests pursuant to this Section 2.01 . Once a Holder’s Registrable Securities become eligible for resale without restriction and without the need for current public information pursuant to any section of Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in effect) under the Securities Act, assuming the Holder of such Registrable Securities is not an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144(a)(1) under the Securities Act) of the Company, then such Holder may, at its option, at any time, request that the Company take such steps as are reasonably necessary to deregister such Holder’s Registrable Securities. In connection with such request, such Holder’s rights under this Agreement shall all be terminated, including without limitation the right to demand an Underwritten Offering and the right to participate in a Piggyback Registration, and such Holder, to the extent such Holder beneficially owns less than 0.5% of the Common Stock then outstanding, shall no longer be subject to any obligations under this Agreement, including without limitation the obligation to enter into letter agreements with underwriters pursuant to Section 2.13 .

Section 2.02 Underwritten Offerings .

(a) Request for an Underwritten Offering . If a Demand Holder(s) elects to dispose of Registrable Securities (whether pursuant to an effective registration statement or a registration statement requested pursuant to Section 2.01 ) having a market price, based on the last sales price of the shares of Common Stock as of the trading date prior to the date of demand, of at least $20.0 million, individually or in aggregate with another Demand Holder (subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 3.04 ), the Company shall, upon the written request by such Demand Holder, retain underwriters (selected as provided in Section 2.02(c) ) in order to permit such Demand Holder to effect such sale through an Underwritten Offering. Within two (2) business days of the receipt of the Demand Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such Demand Notice to all Holders, and the Holders shall have three (3) business days following receipt of such notice of the Demand Notice from the Company to request in writing (including by electronic mail) to

 

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the Company to include, subject to Section 2.02(e ), any Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering; provided that, in the case of an already effective shelf registration statement, unless the Company is eligible to use an Automatic Registration Statement, Holders shall be entitled to include only those Registrable Securities that are available or can be made available for sale pursuant to such Registration Statement without the need for filing a new registration statement or a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement. The obligation of the Company to retain underwriters shall include the preparation and entry into an underwriting agreement, in customary form, with the Managing Underwriter or underwriters, which shall include, among other provisions, such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations as are customary and indemnities to the effect provided in Section 2.08 and taking all reasonable actions as requested by the Managing Underwriter or underwriters to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities, including causing its management to participate in a “roadshow” or similar marketing efforts.

(b) Block Trades . Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Demand Holder wishes to engage in an underwritten block trade off of a Short-Form Registration Statement, then notwithstanding the foregoing time periods, such Holder only need to notify the Company of the block trade offering two business days prior to the day such offering is to commence (unless a longer period is agreed to by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities wishing to engage in the underwritten block trade) and the Company shall promptly notify other holders of Registrable Securities and such other holders of Registrable Securities must elect whether or not to participate by the next business day ( i.e. one business day prior to the day such offering is to commence) (unless a longer period is agreed to by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities wishing to engage in the underwritten block trade) and the Company shall as expeditiously as possible use its commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate such offering (which may close as early as three business days after the date it commences); provided that the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such registration shall use commercially reasonable efforts to work with the Company and the underwriters prior to making such request in order to facilitate preparation of the Registration Statement and other offering documentation related to the underwritten block trade.

(b) Limitation on Offerings . In no event shall the Company be required hereunder to participate in more than one Underwritten Offering in any ninety-day period.

(c) Selection of Underwriters . The Demand Holder holding a majority of the Registrable Securities included in any Underwritten Offering requested pursuant to this Section 2.02 shall have the right to select the Managing Underwriter as well as other investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering, subject to the Company’s approval, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

(d) Withdrawal . If any Selling Holder disapproves of the terms of an Underwritten Offering, such Person may elect to withdraw its request that the Company undertake such offering by written notice to the Company; provided , however , that such withdrawal must be made at a time prior to the time of pricing of such offering. No such withdrawal shall affect the Company’s obligation to pay Registration Expenses, if applicable.

(e) Priority on Underwritten Offerings Pursuant to a Demand Notice . If in

 

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connection with an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02 , the Managing Underwriter shall advise the Company that, in its reasonable opinion, the number of securities requested and otherwise proposed to be included in such Underwritten Offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities to be offered (an “ Adverse Effect ”), then in the case of any such registration pursuant to Section 2.02 , the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering prior to the inclusion of any securities that are not Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter advises the Company can be sold without having such Adverse Effect, pro rata among the Holders that have requested to participate in such Underwritten Offering based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a Holder that exceed such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner).

Section 2.03 Piggyback Rights .

(a) Participation . So long as a Holder has Registrable Securities, if the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement or conduct an Underwritten Offering, whether for its own account or for the account of any holders of its securities (other than in connection with a Demand Notice, which shall be governed by Section 2.01 and Section 2.02), ( a “ Piggyback Registration ”), then the Company shall give prompt written notice (a “ Piggyback Notice ”) (including notice by electronic mail) to each Holder holding at least $0.1 million of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities of the Company (based on the last sales prices of the shares of Common Stock as of the trading date prior to the date of the Piggyback Notice) regarding such proposed registration, and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to include in such Piggyback Registration such number of Registrable Securities as each such Holder may request. Each Piggyback Notice shall specify, at a minimum, the number and type of securities proposed to be registered, the proposed date of filing of such Piggyback Registration with the Commission, the proposed means of distribution, the proposed Managing Underwriter or underwriters (if any and if known) and a good faith estimate by the Company of the proposed minimum offering price of such securities. Each such Holder shall make such request in writing to the Company (including by electronic mail) within five (5) business days (or one (1) business day in connection with any overnight or bought Underwritten Offering) after the receipt of any such Piggyback Notice, which request shall specify the number of Registrable Securities intended to be disposed of by such Holder, and, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to include in such Piggyback Registration all Registrable Securities held by such Holders; provided , that if, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to register equity securities and prior to the effective date of the registration statement filed in connection with such registration, the Company shall determine for any reason not to register its equity securities, the Company may, at its election, give written notice of such determination within five business days thereof to each Holder of Registrable Securities and, thereupon, shall not be obligated to register any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration (but shall nevertheless pay the Registration Expenses in connection therewith), without prejudice, however, to the rights of the Holders of Registrable Securities that a registration be effected under Section 2.01 or Section 2.02 .

 

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(b) Priority in Connection with Piggyback Registrations . If in connection with an Underwritten Offering pursuant to this Section 2.03 , the Managing Underwriter shall advise the Company that, in its reasonable opinion, the number of securities requested and otherwise proposed to be included in such Underwritten Offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without an Adverse Effect, then the Company shall include in such registration the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter advises the Company can be sold without having such Adverse Effect. In the case of a primary offering initiated by the Company, such number shall be allocated to (i) first, the securities the Company proposes to sell, (ii) second, the Registrable Securities of the Holders that have elected to participate in such Underwritten Offering pro rata among the Holders that have requested to participate in such Underwritten Offering based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a Holder that exceed such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner), and (iii) third, if any, the number of other securities that, in the opinion of such Managing Underwriter, can be sold without having such Adverse Effect In connection with a secondary registration on behalf of holders of the Company’s securities (other than the Holders pursuant to Section 2.02), such number shall be allocated to the securities requested to be sold by the holders initially requesting such registration and the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration, pro rata among such persons based on the relative number of securities then held by each such person ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a person that exceed such person’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting persons in like manner).

Section 2.04 Selection of Underwriters . If any Piggyback Registration is an Underwritten Offering, the selection of investment banker(s) and manager(s) for the offering shall be made (a) by the Company, in the event that the Underwritten Offering is conducted by the Company, for its own account or for the account of any holders of its securities (other than in connection with a Demand Notice), and no single Holder requests to include in the Underwritten Offering more Registrable Securities than the Company or any other holder of its securities, or (b) by the Holder that requests to include in the Underwritten Offering the most Registrable Securities if there is more than one Holder that requests to include more Registrable Securities than the Company; provided , that, in the case of Section 2.04(b) , any such investment banker(s) and manager(s) must be approved by the Company, with such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

Section 2.05 Delay Rights . If the Board determines in its reasonable good faith judgment that the Company’s compliance with its obligations under this Article II would be materially detrimental to the Company because such registration would (a) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, reorganization, financing or other similar transaction involving the Company, (b) require premature disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential or (c) render the Company unable to comply with applicable securities laws, then the Company shall have the right to postpone compliance with its obligations to all but not less than all Holders under this Article II until such time that, in the Board’s reasonable good faith determination, compliance would not be materially detrimental to the Company; provided , that such postponement does not exceed 60 calendar days in any twelve-month period.

 

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Section 2.06 Sale Procedures . In connection with its obligations under this Article II , the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:

(a) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement;

(b) if a prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar marketing document will be used in connection with the marketing of an Underwritten Offering and the Managing Underwriter notifies the Company in writing that, in the sole judgment of such Managing Underwriter, inclusion of detailed information in such prospectus supplement is of material importance to the success of such offering, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to include such information in such prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar marketing document;

(c) furnish to each Selling Holder (i) as far in advance as reasonably practicable before filing the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any supplement or amendment thereto, upon request, copies of reasonably complete drafts of all such documents proposed to be filed (including exhibits and each document incorporated by reference therein to the extent then required by the rules and regulations of the Commission) or use of a similar marketing instrument, and provide each such Selling Holder the opportunity to object to any information pertaining to such Selling Holder and its plan of distribution that is contained therein and make the corrections reasonably requested by such Selling Holder with respect to such information prior to filing the Registration Statement or such other registration statement or supplement or amendment thereto or use of a similar marketing instrument, and (ii) such number of copies of the Registration Statement or such other registration statement and the prospectus included therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or similar marketing instrument as such Persons may reasonably request in order to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement or other registration statement;

(d) if applicable, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Selling Holders or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering, the Managing Underwriter, shall reasonably request; provided, however , that the Company will not be required to qualify generally to transact business in any jurisdiction where it is not then required to so qualify or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject;

(e) promptly notify each Selling Holder and each underwriter, at any time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of (i) the filing of the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus

 

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or prospectus supplement to be used in connection therewith, or any amendment or supplement thereto, and, with respect to such Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has become effective; and (ii) any written comments from the Commission with respect to any filing referred to in clause (i) and any written request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus or prospectus supplement thereto;

(f) immediately notify each Selling Holder and/or the underwriters, at any time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of: (i) the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus or prospectus supplement contained in such Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any post-effective amendment thereto, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of any prospectus contained therein, in the light of the circumstances under which a statement is made); (ii) the issuance or threat of issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; or (iii) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities for sale under the applicable securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction. Following the provision of such notice, the Company agrees to, as promptly as practicable, amend or supplement the prospectus or prospectus supplement or take other appropriate action so that the prospectus or prospectus supplement does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing and to take such other reasonable action as is necessary to remove a stop order, suspension, threat thereof or proceedings related thereto;

(g) upon request and subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations, furnish to each Selling Holder copies of any and all transmittal letters or other correspondence with the Commission or any other governmental agency or self-regulatory body or other body having jurisdiction (including any domestic or foreign securities exchange) relating to any offering of Registrable Securities;

(h) in the case of an Underwritten Offering, furnish upon request, (i) an opinion of counsel for the Company dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement or purchase agreement, as applicable and (ii) a “cold comfort” letter, dated the pricing date of such offering (to the extent available) and a letter of like kind dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement, in each case, signed by the independent public accountants who have certified the Company’s financial statements included or incorporated by reference into the applicable registration statement, and each of the opinion and the “cold comfort” letter shall be in customary form and covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus and any prospectus supplement included therein) as have been customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to the underwriters or placement agents in public offerings or private placements, as applicable, of securities by the Company and such other matters as the underwriters or Selling Holders, as applicable, may reasonably request;

 

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(i) otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 promulgated thereunder;

(j) make available to the appropriate representatives of the underwriters or Selling Holders, as applicable, access to such information and Company personnel as is reasonable and customary to enable such parties to establish a due diligence defense under the Securities Act;

(k) cause all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement to be listed on each securities exchange or nationally recognized quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

(l) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registrable Securities to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company to enable the Selling Holders to consummate the disposition of the Registrable Securities;

(m) provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement not later than the effective date of such registration statement;

(n) enter into customary agreements and take such other actions as are reasonably requested by the Selling Holders or the underwriters, if any, in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities;

(o) at the request of the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities covered by a Shelf Registration Statement, file any prospectus supplement or, if the applicable Shelf Registration Statement is an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, any post-effective amendments and otherwise take any action necessary to include therein all disclosure and language deemed necessary or advisable by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to effect such Shelf Offering; and

(p) if the Company files any Automatic Shelf Registration Statement for the benefit of the holders of any of its securities other than the holders of Registrable Securities, and the holders of Registrable Securities do not request that their Registrable Securities be included in such Shelf Registration Statement, the Company agrees that, at the request of the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities, it shall include in such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement such disclosures as may be required by Rule 430B under the Securities Act in order to ensure that the holders of Registrable Securities may be added to such Shelf Registration Statement at a later time through the filing of a prospectus supplement rather than a post-effective amendment.

 

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Each Selling Holder, upon receipt of notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in subsection (f) of this Section 2.05 , shall forthwith discontinue disposition of the Registrable Securities by means of a prospectus or prospectus supplement until such Selling Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by subsection (f) of this Section 2.05 or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the prospectus may be resumed, and has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings incorporated by reference in the prospectus.

Section 2.07 Cooperation by Holders . (i) The Company shall have no obligation to include in a registration statement pursuant to Section 2.01 , an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02(a) or in a Piggyback Registration pursuant to Section 2.03(a ), Registrable Securities of a Selling Holder who has failed to timely furnish such information that, in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Company, is reasonably required in order for a registration statement or prospectus supplement, as applicable, to comply with the Securities Act.

(ii) No Person may participate in any Underwritten Offering unless such Person (i) agrees to sell such Person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Person or Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements (including, without limitation, pursuant to any over-allotment or “green shoe” option requested by the underwriters; provided that no holder of Registrable Securities shall be required to sell more than the number of Registrable Securities such Holder has requested to include) and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements. Each holder of Registrable Securities shall execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company and the Managing Underwriter(s) that are consistent with such Holder’s obligations hereunder.

(iii) In the case of an Underwritten Offering in response to a Demand Notice, the price, underwriting discount and other financial terms of the related underwriting agreement for the Registrable Securities shall be determined by the Demand Holder holding the majority of the Registrable Securities included in such Underwritten Offering.

Section 2.08 Expenses .

(a) Expenses . The Company will pay all reasonable Registration Expenses of the Registration Statement or Underwritten Offering, regardless of whether any sale of Registrable Securities is consummated. Each Selling Holder shall pay all Selling Expenses in connection with any sale of its Registrable Securities hereunder.

(b) Certain Definitions . “ Registration Expenses ” means all expenses incident to the Company’s performance under or compliance with this Agreement to effect the registration of Registrable Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to Section 2.01 or Section 2.03 and/or in connection with an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02 , and the disposition of such Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, all registration, filing, securities exchange listing and securities exchange fees, all registration, filing, qualification and other fees and expenses of complying with securities or blue sky laws, fees of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., fees of transfer agents and registrars, all word processing, duplicating

 

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and printing expenses, any transfer taxes and the fees and disbursements of counsel and independent public accountants for the Company, including the expenses of any special audits or “cold comfort” letters required by or incident to such performance and compliance and those counsel fees and disbursements described in clause (c) below. “ Selling Expenses ” means all underwriting discounts and selling commissions or placement agency fees applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities.

(c) Counsel Fees and Disbursements . In connection with each registration of Registrable Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to Section 2.01 or Section 2.03 and/or in connection with an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02 , and the disposition of such Registrable Securities, the Company shall reimburse the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration for the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel chosen by the Demand Holder holding a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such registration or participating in such offering and disbursements of each additional counsel retained by any Holder of Registrable Securities for the purpose of rendering a legal opinion on behalf of such Holder in connection with any Underwritten Offering.

Section 2.09 Indemnification .

(a) By the Company . In the event of a registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Selling Holder participating therein, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each Person, if any, who controls such Selling Holder within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and its directors, officers, employees or agents, against any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) (collectively, “ Losses ”), joint or several, to which such Selling Holder, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling Person may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact (in the case of any prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which such statement is made) contained in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, any preliminary prospectus, prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and will reimburse each such Selling Holder, its directors, officers, employee and agents, and each such controlling Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Loss or actions or proceedings as such expenses are incurred; provided, however , that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent that any such Loss arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by such Selling Holder, its directors, officers, employees and agents or such controlling Person in writing specifically for use in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, or prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, as applicable. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and

 

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effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Selling Holder or any such directors, officers, employees agents or controlling Person, and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Selling Holder.

(b) By Each Holder . Each Selling Holder agrees severally and not jointly to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, employees and agents and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or of the Exchange Act, and its directors, officers, employees and agents, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Selling Holders, but only with respect to information regarding such Selling Holder furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Holder expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, any preliminary prospectus, prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any amendment or supplement thereto; provided, however , that the liability of each Selling Holder shall not be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of any Selling Expenses) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification.

(c) Notice . Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party hereunder of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party hereunder, notify the indemnifying party in writing thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party other than under this Section 2.08 . In any action brought against any indemnified party, it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in and, to the extent it shall wish, to assume and undertake the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume and undertake the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 2.08 for any legal expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation and of liaison with counsel so selected; provided, however , that, (i) if the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense or employ counsel reasonably acceptable to the indemnified party or (ii) if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and counsel to the indemnified party shall have concluded that there may be reasonable defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or if the interests of the indemnified party reasonably may be deemed to conflict with the interests of the indemnifying party, then the indemnified party shall have the right to select a separate counsel and to assume such legal defense and otherwise to participate in the defense of such action, with the reasonable expenses and fees of such separate counsel and other reasonable expenses related to such participation to be reimbursed by the indemnifying party as incurred. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no indemnified party shall settle any action brought against it with respect to which such indemnified party is entitled to indemnification hereunder without the consent of the indemnifying party, unless the settlement thereof imposes no liability or obligation on, and includes a complete and unconditional release from all liability of, the indemnifying party and further, no indemnifying party shall settle any action brought against any indemnified party with respect to which such indemnified party is entitled to indemnification hereunder without the

 

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consent of such indemnified party, unless the settlement thereof imposes no liability or obligation on, and includes a complete and unconditional release from all liability of, the indemnified party.

(d) Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in this Section 2.08 is held by a court or government agency of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to any indemnified party or is insufficient to hold them harmless in respect of any Losses, then each indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Loss in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of such indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, however , that in no event shall the Selling Holder be required to contribute an aggregate amount in excess of the dollar amount of proceeds (net of Selling Expenses) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities following an offering giving rise to such indemnification. The relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact has been made by, or relates to, information supplied by such party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this paragraph were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the Losses referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph shall be deemed to include any legal and other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any Loss that is the subject of this paragraph. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who is not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

(e) Other Indemnification . The provisions of this Section 2.08 shall be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution that an indemnified party may have pursuant to law, equity, contract or otherwise.

Section 2.10 Distributions . If the Holders of Registrable Securities seek to effectuate a distribution in kind of all or part of their respective Registrable Securities to their respective direct or indirect equityholders, the Company shall, subject to any applicable lock-up agreements, work with the foregoing persons to facilitate such distribution in kind in the manner reasonably requested.

Section 2.11 Rule 144 Reporting . With a view to making available the benefits of certain rules and regulations of the Commission that may permit the sale of the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to:

 

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(a) make and keep public information regarding the Company available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, at all times from and after the date hereof;

(b) file with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act at all times from and after the date hereof; and

(c) so long as a Holder owns any Registrable Securities, furnish to such Holder forthwith upon request a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company, and such other reports and documents so filed as such Holder may reasonably request in availing itself of any rule or regulation of the Commission allowing such Holder to sell any such securities without registration.

Section 2.12 Transfer or Assignment of Registration Rights . The rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities granted to a Holder by the Company under this Article II and all other rights as a Holder hereunder (including rights as a Demand Holder) may be transferred or assigned by such Holder to one or more transferee(s) or assignee(s) of such Registrable Securities; provided, however , that (a) unless such transferee or assignee is an Affiliate of the Holder, each such transferee or assignee holds Registrable Securities representing at least $2.0 million of Registrable Securities (based on the last sales price of the shares of Common Stock as of the trading date prior to the time of such transfer or assignment), subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 3.04 , (b) the Company is given written notice prior to any said transfer or assignment, stating the name and address of each such transferee or assignee and identifying the Registrable Securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned and (c) each such transferee or assignee agrees to be bound by this Agreement.

In the event any Demand Holder elects to transfer or assigns its rights hereunder as a Demand Holder to a transferee or assignee of all or a portion of its Registrable Securities, such Demand Holder’s Registrable Securities and the Registrable Securities so transferred or assigned shall be aggregated for purposes of exercising the rights of any Demand Holder hereunder and any rights exercisable by Clearlake or Keystone as a Demand Holder hereunder will thereafter be exercisable by the holder of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by Clearlake and its assignees or transferees in aggregate or by the holder of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by Keystone and its assignees or transferees in aggregate, as applicable.

Section 2.13 Limitation on Subsequent Registration Rights . From and after the date hereof, the Company shall not enter into any agreement with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such current or future holder to require the Company to include securities in any registration statement filed by the Company on a basis that would reduce or limit the rights of the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder or otherwise on terms more favorable to such other holders than this Agreement.

Section 2.14 Holdback Agreements . (i) Each Holder of Registrable Securities agrees to enter into a customary letter agreement with underwriters providing such Holder will not effect

 

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any sale, transfer or distribution of the Registrable Securities during a period, in the case of the Company’s initial Public Offering, commencing on the earlier of the date on which the Company gives notice to the holders of Registrable Securities that a preliminary prospectus has been circulated for such initial Public Offering or the “pricing” of such offering and continuing to the date that is 180 days following the date of the final prospectus for such initial Public Offering and, in the case of any other offering, commencing on the earlier of the date on which the Company gives notice to the holders of Registrable Securities of the circulation of a preliminary or final prospectus for such Public Offering or the “pricing” of such offering and continuing to the date that is 90 days following the date of the final prospectus for such Public Offering (or, in each case, such shorter period as agreed to by the managing underwriter for such Underwritten Offering), provided that the duration of the foregoing restrictions shall be no longer than the duration of the shortest restriction generally imposed by the underwriters on the Company or the officers, directors or any stockholder of the Company on whom a restriction is imposed (the foregoing periods, “ the Hold-Back Period ”).

(ii) The Company (i) shall not file any registration statement for a Public Offering or cause any such registration statement to become effective, or effect any public sale or distribution of its equity securities, or any securities, options or rights convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities during any Holdback Period, (ii) (A) shall use its best efforts to cause each holder of at least one percent (1%) (on a fully-diluted basis) of its Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, purchased from the Company at any time after the date of this Agreement (other than in a Public Offering) to agree not to effect any of the foregoing transaction during any Holdback Period and (B) shall cause each of its directors and executive officers to agree not to effect any such transactions during any Holdback Period, in each case, except as part of such underwritten registration, if otherwise permitted, unless the underwriters managing the Public Offering otherwise agree in writing.

ARTICLE III.

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 3.01 Communications . All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by electronic mail, courier service or personal delivery:

(a) if to Clearlake:

Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P.

c/o Clearlake Capital Group

233 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Attn: José E. Feliciano

With a copy to:

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

 

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300 N. LaSalle

Chicago, IL 60654

Fax: (312) 862-2200

Attn: Carol Anne Huff and Hamed Meshki

(b) if to Keystone:

Keystone Cranberry, LLC

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Attn: Charles E. Young

With a copy to:

Fox Rothschild LLP

Princeton Pike Corporate Center

997 Lenox Drive, Building 3

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-2311

Fax: (609) 896-1469

Attn: Vincent Vietti

(c) if to any Holder, or except as permitted by Section 2.10 , if to a transferee of any Holder, to the contact information listed on Schedule A hereto; and

(d) if to the Company:

Smart Sand, Inc.

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Attn: Lee E. Beckelman

Email: lbeckelman@smartsand.com

With a copy to:

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, TX 77002

Fax: (713) 546-5401

Attn: Ryan J. Maierson

All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been received at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; when receipt acknowledged, if sent via facsimile or sent via electronic mail; and when actually received, if sent by courier service or any other means.

 

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Section 3.02 Successor and Assigns . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties, including subsequent Holders of Registrable Securities to the extent permitted herein.

Section 3.03 Assignment of Rights . All or any portion of the rights and obligations of the Holders under this Agreement may be transferred or assigned by the Holders in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof.

Section 3.04 Recapitalization, Exchanges, Etc. Affecting the Registrable Securities . The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to any and all securities of the Company or any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) that may be issued in respect of, in exchange for or in substitution of, the Registrable Securities, and shall be appropriately adjusted for combinations, splits, recapitalizations, pro rata distributions and the like occurring after the date of this Agreement.

Section 3.05 Specific Performance . Damages in the event of breach of this Agreement by a party hereto may be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, and it is therefore agreed that each party, in addition to and without limiting any other remedy or right it may have, will have the right to an injunction or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such breach, and enforcing specifically the terms and provisions hereof, and each of the parties hereto hereby waives any and all defenses it may have on the ground of lack of jurisdiction or competence of the court to grant such an injunction or other equitable relief. The existence of this right will not preclude any such party from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity that such party may have.

Section 3.06 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which counterparts, taken together, shall constitute but one and the same Agreement.

Section 3.07 Headings . The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

Section 3.08 Governing Law . The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern this Agreement.

Section 3.09 Severability of Provisions . Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof or affecting or impairing the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

Section 3.10 Scope of Agreement . This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth

 

18


or referred to herein with respect to the rights granted by the Company set forth herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.

Section 3.11 Amendment . (i) This Agreement may be amended only by means of a written amendment signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities; provided, however , that that no such amendment, modification or waiver that would adversely affect a Holder disproportionately to all other Holders, other than amendments and modifications required to implement the provisions of clause (ii) below, shall be effective against such Holder without the consent of the Holder adversely affected thereby.

(ii) Subject to the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities, the Company may permit any Person who acquires Common Stock or rights to acquire Common Stock from the Company after the date of this Agreement (the “Acquired Common”) to become a party to this Agreement and to succeed to all of the rights and obligations of a holder of Registrable Securities under this Agreement, if applicable, by obtaining an executed joinder to this Agreement from such Person in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (a “Joinder”). Upon the execution and delivery of a Joinder by such Person, the Acquired Common Stock shall constitute Registrable Securities and such Person shall be a holder of Registrable Securities under this Agreement with respect to the Acquired Common, and the Company shall add such Person’s name and address to Schedule A hereto and circulate such information to the holders of Registrable Securities.

Section 3.12 No Presumption . If any claim is made by a party relating to any conflict, omission, or ambiguity in this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion shall be implied by virtue of the fact that this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of a particular party or its counsel.

Section 3.13 Aggregation of Registrable Securities . All Registrable Securities held or acquired by Persons who are Affiliates of one another shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.

Section 3.14 Obligations Limited to Parties to Agreement . Each of the parties hereto covenants, agrees and acknowledges that no Person other than the Company and the Holders shall have any obligation hereunder and that, notwithstanding that one or more of the Holders may be a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, no recourse under this Agreement or under any documents or instruments delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be had against any former, current or future director, officer, employee, agent, general or limited partner, manager, member, stockholder or Affiliate of any of the Holders or any former, current or future director, officer, employee, agent, general or limited partner, manager, member, stockholder or Affiliate of any of the foregoing, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding, or by virtue of any applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any former, current or future director, officer, employee, agent, general or limited partner, manager, member, stockholder or Affiliate of any of the Holders or any former, current or future director, officer, employee, agent, general or limited partner, manager, member, stockholder or Affiliate of any of the foregoing, as such, for any obligations of the

 

19


Holders under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection herewith or therewith or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligation or its creation, except in each case for any assignee of the Holders hereunder.

Section 3.15 Independent Nature of Each Holder’s Obligations . The obligations of each Holder under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder under this Agreement. Nothing contained herein, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Holder shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

Section 3.16 Interpretation . All references to instruments, documents, contracts and agreements are references to such instruments, documents, contracts and agreements as the same may be amended, supplemented and otherwise modified from time to time, unless otherwise specified. The word “including” shall mean “including but not limited to.” Whenever any determination, consent or approval is to be made or given by the Holders under this Agreement, such action shall be in the Holders’ sole discretion unless otherwise specified.

Section 3.17 Termination of Initial Stockholders’ Agreement . Reference is made to the Stockholder Rights Agreement, dated as of September 13, 2011 (the “ Existing Stockholders Agreement ”) among the Company and certain of the parties hereto. The parties hereto that are party to the Existing Stockholders Agreement and the Company acknowledge and agree that the Existing Stockholders Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force and effect without any action of any party hereto upon the consummation of the Company’s initial Public Offering; provided that such termination shall not impair the Investors’ (as defined in the Existing Stockholders Agreement) rights to reimbursement pursuant to Section 7.13 of the Existing Stockholders Agreement with respect to any costs or expenses incurred by them prior to such termination, including those incurred in connection with Company’s initial Public Offering.

[Signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto execute this Agreement, effective as of the date first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


CLEARLAKE CAPITAL PARTNERS II (MASTER), L.P.
By: Clearlake Capital Partners II GP, L.P., its General Partner
By: Clearlake Capital Partners, LLC, its General Partner
By: CCG Operations, LLC, its Managing Member
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


Frank Porcelli
By:  

 

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


Andrew Speaker
By:  

 

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


Speaker Children 2012 Irrevocable Trusts
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


BAMK Associates, LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


Blane Trust U/A/D dated January 26, 2001
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement


SCHEDULE A

 

1. Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership

 

2. Keystone Cranberry, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company

 

3. Frank Porcelli

 

4. Andrew Speaker

 

5. Speaker Children 2012 Irrevocable Trusts

 

6. BAMK Associates, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company

 

7. Blaine Trust U/A/D dated January 26, 2001


EXHIBIT A

JOINDER TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

The undersigned is executing and delivering this Joinder pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of [●], 2016 (as the same may hereafter be amended, the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”), by and among Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and the Persons listed on Schedule A thereto.

By executing and delivering this Joinder to the Company, the undersigned hereby agrees to become a party to, to be bound by, and to comply with the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement as a holder of Registrable Securities in the same manner as if the undersigned were an original signatory to the Registration Rights Agreement, and the undersigned’s                      shares of Common Stock shall be included as Registrable Securities under the Registration Rights Agreement.

Accordingly, the undersigned has executed and delivered this Joinder as of the          day of                      ,              .

 

 

 

Signature of Stockholder
 

 

Print Name of Stockholder
Address:    
     
     

Agreed and Accepted as of

                                              .

SMART SAND, INC.,

By:                                                       

Its:                                                       

Exhibit 4.7

STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT

SMART SAND, INC.

[ ], 2016


SMART SAND, INC.

STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT

THIS STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of [●], 2016, by and among Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and each of Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“ Clearlake ”), and Keystone Cranberry, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company (“ Keystone ” and Clearlake, each a “ Principal Stockholder ”). This Agreement shall become effective (the “ Effective Date ”) upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”).

WHEREAS, the Company is contemplating making an initial public offering of shares of its Common Stock;

WHEREAS, in connection with the initial public offering, the Company and each of the Principal Stockholders wish to set forth certain understandings between such Principal Stockholder and the Company, including with respect to certain governance matters;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company agrees with each of the Principal Stockholders as follows:

1.     Certain Definitions . As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any person, any other person controlled by, controlling or under common control with such person; provided that the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of either of the Principal Stockholders. As used herein, “control” (including, with its correlative meanings, “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of securities, by contract or otherwise).

Beneficially Own ” means that a specified person has or shares the right, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to vote shares of capital stock of the Company.

Board ” means the board of directors of the Company.

Change of Control ” means (i) the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to any person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than to either of the Principal Stockholder or their respective Affiliates; or (ii) any transaction or series of related transactions (including, but not limited to, a merger or consolidation) that results in any person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than either of the Principal Stockholders and their respective Affiliates, acquiring shares of Common Stock or other equity interest of the Company that represent more than 50% of the total voting power of the Company (or any resulting company after such transaction).


Subsidiary ” or “ Subsidiaries ” of any person means any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other legal entity of which such person (either alone or through or together with any other person), owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the stock or other equity interests which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of such corporation or other legal entity.

2.     Board Nomination Rights .

(a)    The Company covenants and agrees with Clearlake that, on and after the Effective Date, at every meeting of the Board, or a committee thereof, for which directors of the Company are appointed by the Board or are nominated to stand for election by stockholders of the Company, Clearlake, together with its Affiliates, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to appoint or nominate for election to the Board, as applicable, a number of representatives equal to (such persons, the “ Clearlake Nominees ”): (i) three (3) directors so long as Clearlake (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least thirty percent (30%) of the then outstanding Common Stock; (ii) two (2) directors so long as Clearlake (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least twenty percent (20%) of the then outstanding Common Stock; and (iii) one (1) director so long as Clearlake (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least ten percent (10%) of the then outstanding Common Stock. At the Effective Date, the initial Clearlake Nominees shall be José E. Feliciano, Colin Leonard and Timothy Pawlenty.

(b)    The Company covenants and agrees with Keystone that, on and after the Effective Date, at every meeting of the Board, or a committee thereof, for which directors of the Company are appointed by the Board or are nominated to stand for election by stockholders of the Company, Keystone, together with its Affiliates, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to appoint or nominate for election to the Board, as applicable, a number of representatives equal to (such persons, the “ Keystone Nominees ” and together with the Clearlake Nominees, the “ Nominees ”): (i) three (3) directors so long as Keystone (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least thirty percent (30%) of the then outstanding Common Stock; (ii) two (2) directors so long as Keystone (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least twenty percent (20%) of the then outstanding Common Stock; and (iii) one (1) director so long as Keystone (together with its Affiliates) Beneficially Owns at least ten percent (10%) of the then outstanding Common Stock. At the Effective Date, the initial Keystone Nominees shall be Charles E. Young and Andrew Speaker.

(c)    At the Effective Date, the Board shall be comprised of seven members.

(d)    The Company covenants and agrees with each of the Principal Stockholders that, for so long as such Principal Stockholder has the right to designate at least one (1) director pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) , the Board shall be divided in three classes designated Class I, Class II and Class III, with each director serving a three-year term and one class being elected at each year’s annual meeting of stockholders of the Company. The term of office of the

 

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initial Class I directors shall expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Company after the Effective Date, the term of office of the initial Class II directors shall expire at the second succeeding annual meeting of stockholders of the Company after the Effective Date and the term of office of the initial Class III directors shall expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company after the Effective Date. The initial Clearlake Nominees shall be assigned to each class as follows: Timothy Pawlenty shall serve in Class I, Colin Leonard shall serve in Class II, and José E. Feliciano shall serve in Class III. The initial Keystone Nominees shall be assigned to Class II and Class III as follows: Andrew Speaker shall serve in Class II and Charles E. Young shall serve in Class III.

(e)    No reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock over which a Principal Stockholder and its respective Affiliates retain voting control shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

(f)    In the event that any Nominee shall cease to serve for any reason, the Principal Stockholder that nominated such Nominee shall be entitled to designate such person’s successor in accordance with this Agreement (regardless of the Principal Stockholder’s Beneficial Ownership in the Company at the time of such vacancy) and the Board shall promptly fill the vacancy with such successor Nominee (it being understood that any such Nominee shall serve the remainder of the term of the director whom such Nominee replaces).

(g)    If a Nominee is not appointed or elected to the Board because of such person’s death, disability, disqualification, withdrawal as a nominee or for other reason is unavailable or unable to serve on the Board, the Principal Stockholder that nominated such Nominee shall be entitled to designate promptly another Nominee and the director position for which the original Nominee was nominated shall not be filled pending such designation.

(h)    The Company shall use its best efforts to maintain in effect at all times directors and officers indemnity insurance coverage reasonably satisfactory to each of the Principal Stockholders and the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws (each as may be further amended, supplemented or waived in accordance with its terms) shall at all times provide for indemnification, exculpation and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law.

3.     Company Obligations . The Company covenants and agrees with each Principal Stockholder that, for so long as such Principal Stockholder has the right to designate at least one (1) director pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) , respectively, the Company agrees to use its best efforts to ensure that (i) each Nominee nominated pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) , as applicable, is included in the Board’s slate of nominees to the stockholders for each election of directors; and (ii) each Nominee is included in the proxy statement prepared by management of the Company in connection with soliciting proxies for every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board, and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of the Company or the Board with respect to the election of members of the Board.

 

4


4.     Committees . The Company covenants and agrees with each Principal Stockholder that, as of the Effective Date, the Board shall have three standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and a Compensation Committee, each comprised of three directors. The members of the Audit Committee shall initially include Sharon Spurlin, as committee chairman, Timothy Pawlenty and Tracy Robinson. The members of the Compensation Committee shall initially include José E. Feliciano, as committee chairman, Timothy Pawlenty and Tracy Robinson. The members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall initially include Colin Leonard, as committee chairman, and Tracy Robinson. The Company covenants and agrees with each Principal Stockholder that, for so long as such Principal Stockholder has the right to designate at least one (1) director pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) , as applicable, such Principal Stockholder shall have the right, but not the obligation, to designate at least one of its Nominees as a member to each of the committees of the Board, provided that any such Nominees shall be directors and shall be eligible to serve on the applicable committee under applicable law and the NASDAQ listing standards, including any applicable independence requirements (subject to any applicable exceptions, including those for newly public companies, and any applicable phase-in periods). Any additional members shall be designated by the Board.

 

5


5.     Approval Rights .

(a)    The Company covenants and agrees with each Principal Stockholder that, for so long as such Principal Stockholder Beneficially Owns at least 20% of the then outstanding Common Stock, the Company shall not take or commit to take, and (to the extent applicable) shall not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to take or commit to take, directly or indirectly, whether by amendment, merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise, any transaction or series of related transactions involving a Change of Control of the Company without the approval of such Principal Stockholder:

(b)    The Company covenants and agrees with each Principal Stockholder that, for so long as such Principal Stockholder has Nominee serving on the Board, the Company shall not take or commit to take, and (to the extent applicable) shall not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries to take or commit to take, directly or indirectly, whether by amendment, merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise, any of the following actions without the approval of such Principal Stockholder:

 

  1. any increase or decrease in the size or composition of the Board, committees of the Board, and boards and committees of Subsidiaries of the Company; or

 

  2. any action that otherwise could reasonably be expected to adversely affect such Principal Stockholder’s rights under Section 2 or Section 4 .

 

6


6.     Amendment and Waiver . Any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and, with respect to any provision applicable to such Principal Stockholder, such Principal Stockholder, or in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom the waiver is to be effective. No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

7.     Non-Promotion Language . The Company agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the applicable Principal Stockholder, (a) use in advertising, publicity, on the Company’s website or otherwise, the name of the such Principal Stockholder or any of its Affiliates or any partner or employee of such Principal Stockholder or its Affiliates, nor any trade name, trademark, trade device, service mark, symbol or any abbreviation, contraction or simulation thereof owned by such Principal Stockholder or its Affiliates, or (b) represent, directly or indirectly, that any product or any service provided by the Company has been approved or endorsed by such Principal Stockholder or its Affiliates.

8.     Benefit of Parties . This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Principal Stockholder. Nothing herein contained shall confer or is intended to confer on any third party or entity that is not a party to this Agreement any rights under this Agreement.

9.     Headings . Headings are for ease of reference only and shall not form a part of this Agreement.

10.     Governing Law . This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.

11.     Jurisdiction . Any suit, action or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Agreement may be brought against any of the parties in any federal court located in the State of Delaware or any Delaware state court, and each of the parties hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of such court (and of the appropriate appellate courts) in any such suit, action or proceeding and waives any objection to venue laid therein. Process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on any party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of any such court. Without limiting the foregoing, each of the parties agrees that service of process upon such party at the address referred to in Section 18 , together with written notice of such service to such party, shall be deemed effective service of process upon such party.

 

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12.     WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT.

13.     Entire Agreement . Without limiting any of the rights of any Principal Stockholder under the Company’s Second Amended Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Second Amended and Restated Bylaws as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and negotiations, both written and oral among the Company and each Principal Stockholder with respect to the subject matter hereof.

14.     Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. An executed copy or counterpart hereof delivered by means of a photographic, photostatic, facsimile or similar reproduction shall be deemed an original instrument.

15.     Severability . If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement and the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall be enforced to the greatest extent permitted by law.

16.     Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereto shall execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts and things as may be required to carry out the intent and purpose of this Agreement.

17.     Specific Performance . Each of the parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur if any provision of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with the terms hereof and that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement or to enforce specifically the performance of the terms and provisions hereof in any federal or state court located in the State of Delaware, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.

18.     Notices . All notices, requests and other communications to any party or to the Company shall be in writing (including telecopy or similar writing) and shall be given,

If to the Company :

Smart Sand, Inc.

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Fax:    (832) 791-5975

Attn:    Lee E. Beckelman

 

8


With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) :

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, TX 77002

Fax: (713) 546-5401

Attn: Ryan J. Maierson

If to Clearlake or any Clearlake Nominee :

Clearlake Capital Partners II (Master), L.P.

c/o Clearlake Capital Group

233 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Fax: (310) 400-8801

Attn: José E. Feliciano

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) :

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

300 N. LaSalle

Chicago, IL 60654

Fax: (312) 862-2200

Attn: Carol Anne Huff and Hamed Meshki

If to Keystone or any Keystone Nominee :

Keystone Cranberry, LLC

[ ● ]

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) :

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, TX 77002

Fax: (713) 546-5401

Attn: Ryan J. Maierson

or to such other address or telecopier number as such party or the Company may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to the other parties and the Company. Each such notice, request or other communication shall be effective when delivered at the address specified in this Section 18 during regular business hours.

 

9


19.     Enforcement . Each of the parties hereto covenant and agree that the disinterested members of the Board have the right to enforce, waive or take any other action with respect to this Agreement on behalf of the Company.

20.     Independent Nature of Each Principal Stockholder’s Rights and Obligations. The obligations of each Principal Stockholder’s Rights and Obligations under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Principal Stockholder, and no Principal Stockholder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Principal Stockholder under this Agreement. Nothing contained herein, and no action taken by any Principal Stockholder pursuant hereto, shall be deemed to create a presumption that the Principal Stockholders are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to the rights and obligations contemplated by this Agreement. Each Principal Stockholder shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights under this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Principal Stockholder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

*         *         *         *         *

 

10


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

[Smart Sand, Inc. - Stockholders Agreement]


CLEARLAKE CAPITAL PARTNERS II (MASTER), L.P.
By:   Clearlake Capital Partners II GP, L.P., its General Partner
By:   Clearlake Capital Partners, LLC, its General Partner
By:   CCG Operations, LLC, its Managing Member
By:   

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

[Smart Sand, Inc. - Stockholders Agreement]


KEYSTONE CRANBERRY, LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

[Smart Sand, Inc. - Stockholders Agreement]

Exhibit 5.1

 

   811 Main Street, Suite 3700
   Houston, TX 77002   
   Tel: +1.713.546.5400  Fax: +1.713.546.5401
   www.lw.com   

LOGO

 

   FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES   
   Barcelona    Moscow   
   Beijing    Munich   
   Boston    New Jersey   
   Brussels    New York   
   Century City    Orange County   
   Chicago    Paris   
[ ● ], 2016    Dubai    Riyadh   
   Düsseldorf    Rome   
   Frankfurt    San Diego   
   Hamburg    San Francisco   
   Hong Kong    Shanghai   
   Houston    Silicon Valley   
   London    Singapore   
Smart Sand, Inc.    Los Angeles    Tokyo   
24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350    Madrid    Washington, D.C.   
The Woodlands, Texas 77380    Milan      

 

Re: Initial Public Offering of Shares of Common Stock of Smart Sand, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the proposed issuance of up to                      shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“ Common Stock ”), up to                      shares of which are being offered by the Company (the “ Company Shares ”) and up to                      shares of which are being offered by certain selling stockholders of the Company (the “ Selling Stockholder Shares ,” and together with the Company Shares, the “ Shares ”). The Shares are included in a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on September 16, 2016 (Registration No. 333-213692) (as amended, the “ Registration Statement ”). The term “Shares” shall include any additional shares of Common Stock registered by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement. This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.


[ ], 2016

Page 2

 

LOGO

 

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:

1. When the Company Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the form of underwriting agreement most recently filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the issue and sale of the Company Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Company Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.

2. The Selling Stockholder Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement dated and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” We further consent to the incorporation by reference of this letter and consent into any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) with respect to the Shares. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

Exhibit 10.1

SMART SAND, INC.

2016 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN


Table of Contents

 

1. Purpose of Plan.

     1   

2. Definitions.

     1   

3. Plan Administration.

     7   

4. Shares Available for Issuance.

     10   

5. Participation.

     12   

6. Options.

     12   

7. Stock Appreciation Rights.

     14   

8. Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units.

     15   

9. Performance Awards.

     17   

10. Annual Performance Cash Awards.

     18   

11. Non-Employee Director Awards.

     18   

12. Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards.

     18   

13. Performance Measures.

     19   

14. Dividend Equivalents.

     23   

15. Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service.

     23   

16. Payment of Withholding Taxes.

     26   

17. Change in Control.

     27   

18. Rights of Eligible Recipients and Participants; Transferability.

     30   

19. Securities Law and Other Restrictions.

     31   

20. Deferred Compensation; Compliance with Section 409A.

     31   

21. Amendment, Modification and Termination.

     32   

22. Effective Date and Duration of this Plan.

     33   

23. Miscellaneous.

     33   


SMART SAND, INC.

2016 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1. Purpose of Plan .

The purpose of the Smart Sand, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) is to advance the interests of Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and its stockholders by enabling the Company and its Subsidiaries to attract and retain qualified individuals to perform services for the Company and its Subsidiaries, providing incentive compensation for such individuals that is linked to the growth and profitability of the Company and increases in stockholder value and aligning the interests of such individuals with the interests of its stockholders through opportunities for equity participation in the Company.

 

2. Definitions .

The following terms will have the meanings set forth below, unless the context clearly otherwise requires. Terms defined elsewhere in this Plan will have the same meaning throughout this Plan.

2.1    “ Adverse Action ” means any action or conduct by a Participant that the Committee, in its sole discretion, determines to be injurious, detrimental, prejudicial or adverse to the interests of the Company or any Subsidiary, including: (a) disclosing confidential information of the Company or any Subsidiary to any person not authorized by the Company or Subsidiary to receive it, (b) engaging, directly or indirectly, in any commercial activity that in the judgment of the Committee competes with the business of the Company or any Subsidiary or (c) interfering with the relationships of the Company or any Subsidiary and their respective employees, independent contractors, customers, prospective customers and vendors.

2.2    “ Annual Award Limit ” or “ Annual Awards Limits ” have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.

2.3    “ Annual Performance Cash Awards ” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1 of this Plan.

2.4    “ Applicable Accounting Standard ” means Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States, International Financial Reporting Standards or such other accounting principles or standards as may apply to the Company’s financial statements under United States federal securities laws from time to time.

2.5    “ Applicable Law ” means any applicable law, including without limitation, (a) provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations thereunder; (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether federal, state, local or foreign; and (c) rules of any securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system on which the shares are listed, quoted or traded.

2.6    “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.


2.7    “ Broker Exercise Notice ” means a written notice pursuant to which a Participant, upon exercise of an Option, irrevocably instructs a broker or dealer to sell a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock or loan a sufficient amount of money to pay all or a portion of the exercise price of the Option or any related withholding tax obligations and remit such sums to the Company and directs the Company to deliver shares of Common Stock to be issued upon such exercise directly to such broker or dealer or their nominee.

2.8    “ Cause ” means (a) conviction of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony or any other crime that causes the Company or any Subsidiary public disgrace or disrepute, or adversely affects the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s operations or financial performance or the relationship the Company has with any Subsidiary; (b) gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary, including, without limitation, fraud, embezzlement, theft or proven dishonesty in the course of the subject employment or engagement with the Company or any Subsidiary; (c) unlawful or irresponsible consumption of alcohol, or use of controlled substances, (other than in accordance with a physician’s prescription) which causes the Participant’s conduct, performance or attendance to be unsatisfactory, or which precludes the Participant from performing his/her duties; (d) refusal, failure or inability to perform any material obligation or fulfill any duty (other than any duty or obligation of the type described in clause (f) below) to the Company or any Subsidiary (other than due to a Disability), which failure, refusal or inability is not cured within 30 days after delivery of notice thereof; (e) material breach of any agreement with or duty owed to the Company or any Subsidiary; or (f) any breach of any obligation or duty to the Company or any Subsidiary (whether arising by statute, common law, contract or otherwise) relating to confidentiality, noncompetition, nonsolicitation or proprietary rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant and the Company or any Subsidiary have entered into an employment agreement, consulting agreement or other similar agreement that specifically defines “cause,” then with respect to such Participant, “Cause” shall have the meaning defined in that employment agreement, consulting agreement or other agreement.

2.9    “ Cash-Based Award ” means an Incentive Award made pursuant to this Plan that is denominated and paid in cash.

2.10    “ Change in Control ” means an event described in Section 17.1 of this Plan.

2.11    “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Code herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Code.

2.12    “ Committee ” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof, or any other committee comprised solely of directors designated by the Board to administer this Plan who are (a) “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, (b) “independent directors” as defined under the rules of any securities exchange or automatic quotation system on which the Common Stock may be traded or quoted and (c) unless otherwise determined by the Board, “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. The members of the Committee will be appointed from time to time by and will serve at the discretion of the Board. If the Committee does not exist or cannot function for any reason, the Board may take any action under this Plan that would otherwise be the responsibility of the Committee, except as otherwise provided in this Plan.

 

2


2.13    “ Common Stock ” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, or the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be changed in accordance with Section 4.5 of this Plan.

2.14    “ Company ” means Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Section 23.6 of this Plan.

2.15    “ Consultant ” means a person engaged to provide consulting or advisory services (other than as an Employee or a Director) to the Company or any Subsidiary that: (a) are not in connection with the offer and sale of the Company’s securities in a capital raising transaction and (b) do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities.

2.16    “ Covered Employee ” means any Employee who is or may become a “Covered Employee,” as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code, and who is designated, either as an individual Employee or class of Employees, by the Committee within the shorter of: (a) ninety (90) days after the beginning of any Performance Period, or (b) twenty-five percent (25%) of any Performance Period has elapsed, as a “Covered Employee” under this Plan for such applicable Performance Period.

2.17    “ Director ” means a member of the Board.

2.18    “ Director Fees ” means any compensation payable by the Company in the form of cash to a Non-Employee Director for service as a Non-Employee Director on the Board or any committee of the Board as may be approved from time to time by the Board, excluding expense allowances, reimbursements and insurance premiums paid to or on behalf of such Non-Employee Directors.

2.19    “ Disability ” means the disability of the Participant such as would entitle the Participant to receive disability income benefits pursuant to the long-term disability plan of the Company or Subsidiary then covering the Participant or, if no such plan exists or is applicable to the Participant, the permanent and total disability of the Participant within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.

2.20    “ Effective Date ” means the date immediately preceding the day on which the Company’s registration statement relating to its initial public offering becomes effective, provided that the Board has adopted the Plan prior to such date, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders.

2.21    “ Eligible Recipients ” means all Employees, all Non-Employee Directors and all Consultants.

2.22    “ Employee ” means any individual performing services for the Company or a Subsidiary and designated as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on the payroll records thereof. An Employee will not include any individual during any period he or she is classified or treated by the Company or Subsidiary as an independent contractor, a consultant, or any

 

3


employee of an employment, consulting or temporary agency or any other entity other than the Company or Subsidiary, without regard to whether such individual is subsequently determined to have been, or is subsequently retroactively reclassified as a common-law employee of the Company or Subsidiary during such period. An individual will not cease to be an Employee in the case of: (a) any leave of absence approved by the Company, or (b) transfers between locations of the Company or between the Company or any Subsidiaries. For purposes of Incentive Stock Options, no such leave may exceed ninety (90) days, unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, is not so guaranteed, then three (3) months following the ninety-first (91st) day of such leave, any Incentive Stock Option held by a Participant will cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and will be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Statutory Stock Option. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a Director’s fee by the Company will be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company.

2.23    “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Exchange Act herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Exchange Act.

2.24    “ Fair Market Value ” means, with respect to the Common Stock, as of any date: (a) the closing sale price of the Common Stock as of such date at the end of the regular trading session on an established securities market, such as the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT or any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed (or, if no shares were traded on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade) as reported in the Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; (b) if the Common Stock is not so listed, admitted to unlisted trading privileges or reported on any national exchange, the closing sale price as of such date at the end of the regular trading session, as reported by the OTC Bulletin Board or the Pink OTC Markets, or other comparable quotation service (or, if no shares were traded or quoted on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade or quote); or (c) if the Common Stock is not so listed or reported, such price as the Committee determines in good faith in the exercise of its reasonable discretion, and consistent with the definition of “fair market value” under Section 409A of the Code. If determined by the Committee, such determination will be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes and on all persons, including the Company, the stockholders of the Company, the Participants and their respective successors-in-interest. No member of the Committee will be liable for any determination regarding the fair market value of the Common Stock that is made in good faith.

2.25    “ Grant Date ” means the date an Incentive Award is granted to a Participant pursuant to this Plan and as determined pursuant to Section 5 of this Plan.

2.26    “ Incentive Award ” means, individually or collectively, an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, Annual Performance Cash Award, Non-Employee Director Award, Other Cash-Based Award or Other Stock-Based Award, in each case granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to this Plan.

 

4


2.27    “ Incentive Award Agreement ” means either: (a) a written or electronic (as provided in Section 23.8) agreement entered into by the Company and a Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Incentive Award granted under this Plan, including any amendment or modification thereof, or (b) a written or electronic (as provided in Section 23.8) statement issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and provisions of such an Incentive Award, including any amendment or modification thereof.

2.28    “ Incentive Stock Option ” means a right to purchase Common Stock granted to an Employee pursuant to Section 6 of this Plan that is designated as and intended to meet the requirements of an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

2.29    “ Non-Statutory Stock Option ” means a right to purchase Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 6 of this Plan that is not intended to meet the requirements of or does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

2.30    “ Non-Employee Director ” means a Director who is not an Employee.

2.31    “ Non-Employee Director Award ” means any Non-Statutory Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit granted, whether singly, in combination, or in tandem, to an Eligible Recipient who is a Non-Employee Director, pursuant to such applicable terms, conditions and limitations as the Board or Committee may establish in accordance with this Plan, including any Non-Employee Director Option.

2.32    “ Non-Employee Director Option ” means a Non-Statutory Stock Option granted to a Non-Employee Director pursuant to Section 11.1 of this Plan.

2.33    “ Option ” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option, including a Non-Employee Director Option.

2.34    “ Other Cash-Based Award ” means an Incentive Award, denominated and paid in cash, not otherwise described by the terms of this Plan, granted pursuant to Section 12 of this Plan.

2.35    “ Other Stock-Based Award ” means an equity-based or equity-related Incentive Award not otherwise described by the terms of this Plan, granted pursuant to Section 12 of this Plan.

2.36    “ Participant ” means an Eligible Recipient who receives one or more Incentive Awards under this Plan.

2.37    “ Participation Factor ” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2 of this Plan.

2.38    “ Performance Award ” means a right granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 9 of this Plan to receive an amount of cash, number of shares of Common Stock, or a combination of both, contingent upon and the value of which at the time it is payable is determined as a function of the extent of the achievement of one or more Performance Goals during a specified Performance Period or the achievement of other objectives during a specified period.

 

5


2.39    “ Performance-Based Compensation ” means compensation under an Incentive Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code for certain performance-based compensation paid to Covered Employees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Plan will be construed to mean that an Incentive Award which does not satisfy the requirements for performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code does not constitute performance-based compensation for other purposes, including Section 409A of the Code.

2.40    “ Performance Goals ” mean with respect to any applicable Incentive Award, one or more targets, goals or levels of attainment required to be achieved in terms of the specified Performance Measures during the specified Performance Period, as set forth in the related Incentive Award Agreement.

2.41    “ Performance Measure Element ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.1 of this Plan.

2.42    “ Performance Measures ” mean: (a) with respect to any Incentive Award intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, any one or more of the measures described in Section 13.1 of this Plan on which the Performance Goals are based and which measures are approved by the Company’s stockholders pursuant to this Plan in order to qualify Incentive Awards as Performance-Based Compensation; and (b) with respect to any other Incentive Award, any performance measures as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and set forth in the applicable Incentive Award Agreement for purposes of determining the applicable Performance Goal.

2.43    “ Performance Period ” means the period of time, as determined by the Committee, during which the Performance Goals must be met in order to determine the degree of payout or vesting with respect to an Incentive Award.

2.44    “ Plan ” means the Smart Sand, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time.

2.45    “ Plan Year ” means the Company’s fiscal year.

2.46    “ Previously Acquired Shares ” means shares of Common Stock that are already owned by the Participant or, with respect to any Incentive Award, that are to be issued to the Participant upon the grant, exercise, vesting or settlement of such Incentive Award.

2.47    “ Prior Plans ” mean the Smart Sand, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended to date.

2.48    “ Restricted Stock Award ” means an award of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 8 of this Plan that is subject to the restrictions on transferability and the risk of forfeiture imposed by the provisions of such Section 8.

2.49    “ Restricted Stock Unit ” means an award denominated in shares of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 8 of this Plan.

 

6


2.50    “ Retirement ,” unless otherwise defined in the Incentive Award Agreement or in a written employment, services or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or a Subsidiary, means “Retirement” as defined from time to time for purposes of this Plan by the Committee or by the Company’s chief human resources officer or other person performing that function or, if not so defined, means voluntary termination of employment or service by the Participant on or after the date the Participant reaches age fifty-five (55) with the present intention to leave the Company’s industry or to leave the general workforce.

2.51    “ Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Securities Act herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Securities Act.

2.52    “ Stock Appreciation Right ” means a right granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 7 of this Plan to receive a payment from the Company, in the form of shares of Common Stock, cash or a combination of both, equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of one or more shares of Common Stock and the exercise price of such shares under the terms of such Stock Appreciation Right.

2.53    “ Stock-Based Award ” means any equity-based or equity-related Incentive Award made pursuant to this Plan, including Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards denominated or payable in shares of Common Stock and Other Stock-Based Awards.

2.54    “ Subsidiary ” means any corporation or other entity, whether domestic or foreign, in which the Company has or obtains, directly or indirectly, an interest of more than fifty percent (50%) by reason of stock ownership or otherwise.

2.55    “ Successor Entity ” has the meaning set forth in Section 17.1 of this Plan.

2.56    “ Target Payout ” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2 of this Plan.

2.57    “ Tax Date ” means the date any withholding tax obligation arises under the Code for a Participant with respect to an Incentive Award.

 

3. Plan Administration .

3.1     The Committee . The Plan will be administered by the Committee. The Committee will act by majority approval of the members at a meeting or by unanimous written consent, and a majority of the members of the Committee will constitute a quorum. The Committee may exercise its duties, power and authority under this Plan in its sole discretion without the consent of any Participant or other party, unless this Plan specifically provides otherwise. The Committee will not be obligated to treat Participants or Eligible Recipients uniformly, and determinations made under this Plan may be made by the Committee selectively among Participants or Eligible Recipients, whether or not such Participants and Eligible Recipients are similarly situated. Each determination, interpretation or other action made or taken by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of this Plan will be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes and on all persons, and no member of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan or any Incentive Award

 

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granted under this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) the full Board, acting by a majority of its members in office, shall conduct the general administration of the Plan with respect to Incentive Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors and (b) the Board or Committee may delegate its authority hereunder to the extent permitted by Section 3.3 hereof.

3.2     Authority of the Committee . In accordance with and subject to the provisions of this Plan, the Committee will have full and exclusive discretionary power and authority to take such actions as it deems necessary and advisable with respect to the administration of this Plan, including the following:

(a)    To designate the Eligible Recipients to be selected as Participants;

(b)    To determine the nature and extent of the Incentive Awards to be made to each Participant, including the amount of cash or number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to each Incentive Award, any exercise price, the manner in which Incentive Awards will vest or become exercisable and whether Incentive Awards will be granted in tandem with other Incentive Awards, and the form of Incentive Award Agreement, if any, evidencing such Incentive Award;

(c)    To determine the time or times when Incentive Awards will be granted;

(d)    To determine the duration of each Incentive Award;

(e)    To determine the restrictions and other conditions to which the payment or vesting of Incentive Awards may be subject;

(f)    To construe and interpret this Plan and Incentive Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration and in so doing, to correct any defect, omission, or inconsistency in this Plan or in an Incentive Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make this Plan fully effective;

(g)    To determine Fair Market Value in accordance with Section 2.22 of this Plan;

(h)    To amend this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreement, as provided in this Plan;

(i)    To adopt subplans or special provisions applicable to Incentive Awards regulated by the laws of a jurisdiction other than, and outside of, the United States, which subplans or special provisions may take precedence over other provisions of this Plan;

(j)    To authorize any person to execute on behalf of the Company any Incentive Award Agreement or any other instrument required to effect the grant of an Incentive Award previously granted by the Committee;

(k)    To determine whether Incentive Awards will be settled in shares of Common Stock, cash or in any combination thereof;

 

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(l)    Subject to Section 14, to determine whether Incentive Awards will be adjusted for “dividend equivalents,” meaning a credit, made at the discretion of the Committee, to the account of a Participant in an amount equal to the cash dividends paid on one share of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock represented by an Incentive Award held by such Participant;

(m)    Accelerate wholly or partially the vesting or lapse of restrictions of any Incentive Award or portion thereof at any time after the grant of an Incentive Award, subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee and Section 4.5; and

(n)    To impose such restrictions, conditions or limitations as it determines appropriate as to the timing and manner of any resales by a Participant or other subsequent transfers by the Participant of any shares of Common Stock, including restrictions under an insider trading policy, restrictions as to the use of a specified brokerage firm for such resales or other transfers and other restrictions designed to increase equity ownership by Participants or otherwise align the interests of Participants with the Company’s stockholders.

3.3     Delegation . To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Committee may delegate to one or more of its members or to one or more officers of the Company or any Subsidiary or to one or more agents or advisors such administrative duties or powers as it may deem advisable, and the Committee or any individuals to whom it has delegated duties or powers as aforesaid may employ one or more individuals to render advice with respect to any responsibility the Committee or such individuals may have under this Plan. The Committee may, by resolution, authorize one or more directors of the Company or one or more officers of the Company to do one or both of the following on the same basis as can the Committee: (a) designate Eligible Recipients to be recipients of Incentive Awards pursuant to this Plan; and (b) determine the size of any such Incentive Awards; provided , however , that (x) the Committee will not delegate such responsibilities to any such director(s) or officer(s) for any Incentive Awards granted to an Eligible Recipient: (i) who is considered a Covered Employee or who is subject to the reporting and liability provisions of Section 16 under the Exchange Act, or (ii) to whom authority to grant or amend Incentive Awards has been delegated hereunder; provided, further , that any delegation of administrative authority shall only be permitted to the extent it is permissible under Section 162(m) of the Code and Applicable Law; (y) the resolution providing such authorization will set forth the type of Incentive Awards and total number of each type of Incentive Awards such director(s) or officer(s) may grant; and (z) such director(s) or officer(s) will report periodically to the Committee regarding the nature and scope of the Incentive Awards granted pursuant to the authority delegated. At all times, the delagatee appointed under this Section 3.3 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee.

3.4     No Re-pricing . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan other than Section 4.5, the Committee may not, without prior approval of the Company’s stockholders, seek to effect any re-pricing of any previously granted, “underwater” Option or Stock Appreciation Right by: (i) amending or modifying the terms of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to lower the exercise price; (ii) canceling the underwater Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for (A) cash; (B) replacement Options or Stock Appreciation Rights having a lower

 

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exercise price; or (C) other Incentive Awards; or (iii) repurchasing the underwater Options or Stock Appreciation Rights and granting new Incentive Awards under this Plan. For purposes of this Section 3.4, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right will be deemed to be “underwater” at any time when the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock is less than the exercise price of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

3.5     Participants Based Outside of the United States . In addition to the authority of the Committee under Section 3.2(i) and notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of this Plan or Incentive Awards with respect to Participants resident outside of the United States or employed by a non-U.S. Subsidiary in order to comply with local legal requirements, to otherwise protect the Company’s or Subsidiary’s interests or to meet objectives of this Plan, and may, where appropriate, establish one or more sub-plans (including the adoption of any required rules and regulations) for the purposes of qualifying for preferred tax treatment under foreign tax laws. The Committee will have no authority, however, to take action pursuant to this Section 3.5: (i) to reserve shares of Common Stock or grant Incentive Awards in excess of the limitations provided in Section 4.1; (ii) to effect any re-pricing in violation of Section 3.4; (iii) to grant Options or Stock Appreciation Rights having an exercise price less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date in violation of Section 6.3 or Section 7.3; or (iv) for which stockholder approval would then be required pursuant to Section 422 of the Code or the rules of any stock exchange on which shares of Common Stock may be listed for trading.

 

4. Shares Available for Issuance .

4.1     Maximum Number of Shares Available . Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.5 of this Plan, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance under this Plan will be the sum of:

(a)    [             ] [@10% of issued and outstanding] shares; and

(b)    the number of shares of Common Stock subject to Incentive Awards outstanding under the Prior Plans as of the Effective Date but only to the extent that such outstanding Incentive Awards are forfeited, expire or otherwise terminate without the issuance of such shares of Common Stock.

4.2     Restrictions on Incentive Stock Options . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan to the contrary and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.5 of this Plan, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance pursuant to Incentive Stock Options under this Plan will be [              ][@10% of issued and outstanding] shares.

4.3     Accounting for Incentive Awards . Shares of Common Stock that are issued under this Plan or that are subject to outstanding Incentive Awards will be applied to reduce the maximum number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance under this Plan only to the extent they are used; provided , however , that the full number of shares of Common Stock subject to a Stock Appreciation Right granted that are settled by the issuance of shares of

 

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Common Stock will be counted against the shares authorized for issuance under this Plan, regardless of the number of shares actually issued upon settlement of such Stock Appreciation Right. Furthermore, any shares of Common Stock withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations on Incentive Awards issued under this Plan, any shares of Common Stock withheld to pay the exercise price of Incentive Awards under this Plan and any shares of Common Stock not issued or delivered as a result of the “net exercise” of an outstanding Option pursuant to Section 6.5 or settlement of a Stock Appreciation Right in shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section 7.7 will not be counted against the shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under this Plan, will be available again for grant under this Plan and correspondingly increase the total number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under this Plan under Section 4.1. Any shares of Common Stock repurchased by the Company on the open market using the proceeds from the exercise of an Incentive Award will not increase the number of shares available for future grant of Incentive Awards. Any shares of Common Stock related to Incentive Awards granted under this Plan or under any Prior Plans that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation or otherwise without the issuance of the shares of Common Stock, or are settled in cash in lieu of shares of Common Stock, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission, prior to the issuance of shares of Common Stock, for Incentive Awards not involving shares of Common Stock, will be available again for grant under this Plan and correspondingly increase the total number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under this Plan under Section 4.1.

4.4     Non-Employee Director Annual Awards Limit . Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan, the Committee or the Board may establish compensation for Non-Employee Directors from time to time, subject to the limitations in the Plan. The Committee or the Board will from time to time determine the terms, conditions and amounts of all such Non-Employee Director compensation in its discretion and pursuant to the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time, provided that the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of Incentive Awards granted to a non-employee Director as compensation for services as a Non-Employee Director during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $600,000 increased to $1,000,000 in the fiscal year of a Non-Employee Director’s initial service as a Non-Employee Director. The Committee or the Board may make exceptions to this limit for individual Non-Employee Directors in extraordinary circumstances, as the Committee or the Board may determine in its discretion, provided that the Non-Employee Director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other contemporaneous compensation decisions involving Non-Employee Directors.

4.5     Adjustments to Shares and Incentive Awards .

(a)    In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin off) or any other similar change in the corporate structure or shares of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation) will make appropriate adjustment (which determination will

 

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be conclusive) as to: (i) the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) available for issuance or payment under this Plan, including the sub-limits set forth in Section 4.2 and the Annual Award Limits set forth in Section 4.4, and (ii) in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants, the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) subject to outstanding Incentive Awards and the exercise price of outstanding Incentive Awards. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, will be final, conclusive and binding on Participants under this Plan.

(b)    Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, without affecting the number of shares of Common Stock reserved or available hereunder, the limits in Section 4.2 and the Annual Award Limits in Section 4.4, the Committee may authorize the issuance or assumption of benefits under this Plan in connection with any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock or reorganization upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate, subject to compliance with the rules under Sections 422 and 424 of the Code, as and where applicable.

4.6     Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Incentive Award, and the Incentive Award Agreement shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule, and such additional limitations shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into such Incentive Award to the extent permitted by Applicable Law.

 

5. Participation .

Participants in this Plan will be those Eligible Recipients who, in the judgment of the Committee, have contributed, are contributing or are expected to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Eligible Recipients may be granted from time to time one or more Incentive Awards, singly or in combination or in tandem with other Incentive Awards, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Incentive Awards will be deemed to be granted as of the date specified in the grant resolution of the Committee, which date will be the Grant Date of any related Incentive Award Agreement with the Participant.

 

6. Options .

6.1     Grant . An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Options under this Plan, and such Options will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee may designate whether an Option is to be considered an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option. To the extent that any Incentive Stock Option (or portion thereof) granted under this Plan ceases for any reason to qualify as an “incentive stock option” for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Incentive Stock Option (or portion thereof) will continue to be outstanding for purposes of this Plan but will thereafter be deemed to be a Non-Statutory Stock Option. Options may be granted to an Eligible Recipient for services provided to

 

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a Subsidiary only if, with respect to such Eligible Recipient, the underlying shares of Common Stock constitute “service recipient stock” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii).

6.2     Incentive Award Agreement . Each Option grant will be evidenced by an Incentive Award Agreement that will specify the exercise price of the Option, the maximum duration of the Option, the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Option pertains, the conditions upon which an Option will become vested and exercisable, and such other provisions as the Committee will determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan. The Incentive Award Agreement also will specify whether the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option.

6.3     Exercise Price . The per share price to be paid by a Participant upon exercise of an Option granted pursuant to this Section 6 will be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of the Option grant; provided , however , that such price will not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date (one hundred and ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value if, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, the Participant owns, directly or indirectly, more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company).

6.4     Exercisability and Duration . An Option will become exercisable at such times and in such installments and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant, including (i) the achievement of one or more of the Performance Goals; or that (ii) the Participant remain in the continuous employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period; provided , however , that no Option may be exercisable after ten (10) years from the Grant Date (five (5) years from the Grant Date in the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is granted to a Participant who owns, directly or indirectly, more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the exercise of an Option that is exercisable in accordance with its terms is prevented by the provisions of Section 19, the Option will remain exercisable until thirty (30) days after the date such exercise first would no longer be prevented by such provisions, but in any event no later than the expiration date of such Option.

 

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6.5     Payment of Exercise Price .

(a)    The total purchase price of the shares to be purchased upon exercise of an Option will be paid entirely in cash (including check, bank draft or money order); provided , however , that the Committee, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, may allow such payments to be made, in whole or in part, by (i) tender of a Broker Exercise Notice; (ii) by tender, either by actual delivery or attestation as to ownership, of Previously Acquired Shares; (iii) a “net exercise” of the Option (as further described in paragraph (b), below); (iv) by a combination of such methods; or (v) any other method approved or accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant who is a Director or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to make payment with respect to any Incentive Awards granted under the Plan, or continue any extension of credit with respect to such payment with a loan from the Company or a loan arranged by the Company in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

(b)    In the case of a “net exercise” of an Option, the Company will not require a payment of the exercise price of the Option from the Participant but will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise by the largest number of whole shares that has a Fair Market Value on the exercise date that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price for the shares exercised under this method. Shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under an Option (and will therefore not thereafter be exercisable) following the exercise of such Option to the extent of (i) shares used to pay the exercise price of an Option under the “net exercise,” (ii) shares actually delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise and (iii) any shares withheld for purposes of tax withholding pursuant to Section 16 of this Plan.

(c)    For purposes of such payment, Previously Acquired Shares tendered or covered by an attestation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date of the Option.

6.6     Manner of Exercise . An Option may be exercised by a Participant in whole or in part from time to time, subject to the conditions contained in this Plan and in the Incentive Award Agreement evidencing such Option, by delivery in person, by facsimile or electronic transmission or through the mail of written notice of exercise to the Company at its principal executive office in The Woodlands, Texas (or to the Company’s designee as may be established from time to time by the Company and communicated to Participants) and by paying in full the total exercise price for the shares of Common Stock to be purchased in accordance with Section 6.5 of this Plan.

 

7. Stock Appreciation Rights .

7.1     Grant . An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Stock Appreciation Rights under this Plan, and such Stock Appreciation Rights will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted to an Eligible

 

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Recipient for services provided to a Subsidiary only if, with respect to such Eligible Recipient, the underlying shares of Common Stock constitute “service recipient stock” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii).

7.2     Incentive Award Agreement . Each Stock Appreciation Right will be evidenced by an Incentive Award Agreement that will specify the exercise price of the Stock Appreciation Right, the term of the Stock Appreciation Right, and such other provisions as the Committee will determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan.

7.3     Exercise Price . The exercise price of a Stock Appreciation Right will be determined by the Committee, in its discretion, at the Grant Date; provided , however , that such price may not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date.

7.4     Exercisability and Duration . A Stock Appreciation Right will become exercisable at such times and in such installments as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant; provided , however , that no Stock Appreciation Right may be exercisable after ten (10) years from its Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right that is exercisable in accordance with its terms is prevented by the provisions of Section 19, the Stock Appreciation Right will remain exercisable until thirty (30) days after the date such exercise first would no longer be prevented by such provisions, but in any event no later than the expiration date of such Stock Appreciation Right.

7.5     Manner of Exercise . A Stock Appreciation Right will be exercised by giving notice in the same manner as for Options, as set forth in Section 6.6, subject to any other terms and conditions consistent with the other provisions of this Plan as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

7.6     Settlement . Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, a Participant will be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:

(a)    The excess of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise over the per share exercise price; by

(b)    The number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised.

7.7     Form of Payment . Payment, if any, with respect to a Stock Appreciation Right settled in accordance with Section 7.6 will be made in accordance with the terms of the applicable Incentive Award Agreement, in cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination thereof, as the Committee determines.

 

8. Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units .

8.1     Grant . An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Restricted Stock Awards or Restricted Stock Units under this Plan, and such awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Restricted Stock Units will be similar to Restricted Stock

 

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Awards except that no shares of Common Stock are actually awarded to the Participant on the Grant Date of the Restricted Stock Units. Restricted Stock Units will be denominated in shares of Common Stock but paid in cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock as the Committee, in its sole discretion, will determine, and as provided in the Incentive Award Agreement.

8.2     Incentive Award Agreement . Each Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit grant will be evidenced by an Incentive Award Agreement that will specify the type of Incentive Award, the period(s) of restriction, the number of shares of restricted Common Stock, or the number of Restricted Stock Units granted, and such other provisions as the Committee will determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan.

8.3     Conditions and Restrictions . The Committee will impose such restrictions or conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, to the vesting of such Restricted Stock Awards or Restricted Stock Units as it deems appropriate, including (a) the achievement of one or more of the Performance Goals; or that (b) the Participant remain in the continuous employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period.

8.4     Rights as a Stockholder . Except as provided in Sections 8.1, 8.5, 8.6 and 18.3 of this Plan, upon a Participant becoming the holder of record of shares of Common Stock issued under a Restricted Stock Award pursuant to this Section 8, the Participant will have all voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights with respect to such shares (other than the right to sell or transfer such shares) as if such Participant were a holder of record of shares of unrestricted Common Stock. A Participant will have no voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder.

8.5     Dividends and Distributions . Unless the Committee determines otherwise in its sole discretion (either in the Incentive Award Agreement evidencing the Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of the Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit), any dividends or distributions paid with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares to which such dividends or distributions relate. The Committee will determine in its sole discretion whether any interest will be paid on such dividends or distributions.

8.6     Enforcement of Restrictions . To enforce the restrictions referred to in this Section 8, the Committee may place a legend on the stock certificates representing Restricted Stock Awards referring to such restrictions and may require the Participant, until the restrictions have lapsed, to keep the stock certificates, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in the custody of the Company or its transfer agent, or to maintain evidence of stock ownership, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in a certificateless book entry stock account with the Company’s transfer agent. Alternatively, Restricted Stock Awards may be held in non-certificated form pursuant to such terms and conditions as the Company may establish with its registrar and transfer agent or any third-party administrator designated by the Company to hold Restricted Stock Awards on behalf of Participants.

 

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8.7     Lapse of Restrictions; Settlement . Except as otherwise provided in this Section 8, shares of Common Stock underlying a Restricted Stock Award will become freely transferable by the Participant after all conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares have been satisfied or lapse (including satisfaction of any applicable tax withholding obligations). Upon the vesting of a Restricted Stock Unit, the Restricted Stock Unit will be settled, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Incentive Award Agreement, (a) in cash, based upon the Fair Market Value of the vested underlying shares of Common Stock, (b) in shares of Common Stock or (c) a combination thereof, as provided in the Incentive Award Agreement, except to the extent that a Participant has properly elected to defer income that may be attributable to a Restricted Stock Unit under a Company deferred compensation plan or arrangement.

8.8     Section 83(b) Election for Restricted Stock Award . If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to a Restricted Stock Award, the Participant must file, within thirty (30) days following the Grant Date of the Restricted Stock Award, a copy of such election with the Company and with the Internal Revenue Service, in accordance with the regulations under Section 83 of the Code. The Committee may provide in the Incentive Award Agreement that the Restricted Stock Award is conditioned upon the Participant’s making or refraining from making an election with respect to the award under Section 83(b) of the Code.

 

9. Performance Awards.

9.1     Grant . An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Performance Awards under this Plan, and such awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, including the achievement of one or more Performance Goals.

9.2     Incentive Award Agreement . Each Performance Award will be evidenced by an Incentive Award Agreement that will specify the amount of cash, shares of Common Stock or combination of both to be received by the Participant upon payout of the Performance Award, any Performance Goals upon which the Performance Award is subject, any Performance Period during which any Performance Goals must be achieved and such other provisions as the Committee will determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan.

9.3     Vesting . The Committee may impose such restrictions or conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, to the vesting of such Performance Awards as it deems appropriate, including the achievement of one or more of the Performance Goals.

9.4     Form and Timing of Performance Award Payment . Subject to the terms of this Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Awards will be entitled to receive payment on the value and number of Performance Awards earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding Performance Goals have been achieved. Payment of earned Performance Awards will be as determined by the Committee and as evidenced in the Incentive Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of this Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Awards in the form of cash or in shares of Common Stock (or in a combination thereof) equal to the value of the earned Performance Awards at the close of the

 

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applicable Performance Period. Payment of any Performance Award will be made as soon as practicable after the Committee has determined the extent to which the applicable Performance Goals have been achieved and not later than the March 15 th immediately following the end of the performance period, or earlier than the January 1 st preceding such March 15, except to the extent that a Participant has properly elected to defer payment that may be attributable to a Performance Award under a Company deferred compensation plan or arrangement. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payment of Performance Awards will be set forth in the Incentive Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the award. Any shares of Common Stock issued in payment of earned Performance Awards may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee, including that the Participant remain in the continuous employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period.

 

10. Performance Cash Awards .

10.1     Grant . Subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant to Participants Incentive Awards denominated in cash in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee may determine, which may be based on the achievement of specified Performance Goals for annual periods or other time periods as determined by the Committee (the “ Annual Performance Cash Awards ”).

10.2     Target Payout . The target amount that may be paid with respect to an Annual Performance Cash Award (the “ Target Payout ”) will be determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 13.2 and may be based on a percentage of a Participant’s actual annual base compensation at the time of grant (“ Participation Factor ”), within the range established by the Committee for each Participant and subject to adjustment as may be determined by the Committee or its delegate.

 

11. Non-Employee Director Awards .

11.1     Automatic and Non-Discretionary Awards to Non-Employee Directors . The Committee at any time and from time to time may approve resolutions providing for the automatic grant to Non-Employee Directors of Non-Employee Director Awards granted under this Plan and may grant to Non-Employee Directors such discretionary Non-Employee Director Awards on such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, and set forth in an applicable Incentive Award Agreement.

11.2     Deferral of Incentive Award Payment . The Committee may permit a Non-Employee Director the opportunity to defer payment of an Incentive Award pursuant to such terms and conditions as the Committee may prescribe from time to time.

 

12. Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards .

12.1     Other Cash-Based Awards . Subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Other Cash-Based Awards to Participants in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee may determine.

 

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12.2     Other Stock-Based Awards . Subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, the Committee may grant Other Stock-Based Awards not otherwise described by the terms of this Plan (including the grant or offer for sale of unrestricted shares of Common Stock) in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee will determine. Such Incentive Awards may involve the transfer of actual shares of Common Stock to Participants or payment in cash or otherwise of amounts based on the value of shares, and may include Incentive Awards designed to comply with or take advantage of the applicable local laws of jurisdictions other than the United States.

12.3     Value of Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards . Each Other Cash-Based Award will specify a payment amount or payment range as determined by the Committee. Each Other Stock-Based Award will be expressed in terms of shares of Common Stock or units based on shares of Common Stock, as determined by the Committee. The Committee may establish Performance Goals in its discretion for any Other Cash-Based Award or any Other Stock-Based Award. If the Committee exercises its discretion to establish Performance Goals for any such Incentive Awards, the number or value of Other Cash-Based Awards or Other Stock-Based Awards that will be paid out to the Participant will depend on the extent to which the Performance Goals are met.

12.4     Payment of Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards . Payment, if any, with respect to an Other Cash-Based Award or an Other Stock-Based Award will be made in accordance with the terms of the Incentive Award, in cash for any Other Cash-Based Award and in cash or shares of Common Stock for any Other Stock-Based Award, as the Committee determines, except to the extent that a Participant has properly elected to defer payment that may be attributable to an Other Cash-Based Award or Other Stock-Based Award under a Company deferred compensation plan or arrangement.

 

13. Performance Measures .

13.1     Performance Measures . The Performance Goals upon which the payment or vesting of an Incentive Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation may be based on one or more specified objective Performance Measures that are based on any of the following Performance Measure elements as determined by the Committee (each, a “ Performance Measure Element ”):

(a)    net earnings (either before or after one or more of the following: (i) interest, (ii) taxes, (iii) depreciation, depletion and/or accretion (iv) amortization, (v) non-cash equity-based compensation expense, (vi) gain or loss on sale of assets, (vii) financing costs (viii) development costs (ix) non-cash charges and (x) unusual or non-recurring charges and (xi) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt);

(b)    gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth;

(c)    net income (either before or after taxes);

(d)    adjusted net income;

 

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(e)    operating earnings or profit;

(f)    cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow);

(g)    return on assets;

(h)    return on capital;

(i)    return on stockholders’ equity;

(j)    total stockholder return;

(k)    return on sales;

(l)    gross or net profit or operating margin;

(m)    costs (including, but not limited to, production costs);

(n)    funds from operations;

(o)    expenses;

(p)    working capital;

(q)    earnings per share;

(r)    adjusted earnings per share;

(s)    price per share;

(t)    regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product;

(u)    implementation or completion of critical projects;

(v)    market share;

(w)    economic value;

(x)    debt levels or reduction;

(y)    sales-related goals;

(z)    comparisons with other stock market indices;

(aa)    operating efficiency;

(bb)    financing and other capital raising transactions;

(cc)    recruiting and maintaining personnel;

 

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(dd)    year-end cash;

(ee)    customer service; and

(ff)    marketing initiatives, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms for the Company or any operating unit of the Company or on per share basis, per ton basis, per product basis, per customer or prospect basis, per employee basis, or any other similar basis for the Company or any operating unit of the Company or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or to market performance indicators or indices.

Any Performance Measure Element can be a Performance Measure. In addition, any of the Performance Measure Element(s) can be used in an algebraic formula (e.g., averaged over a period, combined into a ratio, compared to a budget or standard, compared to previous periods or other formulaic combinations) based on the Performance Measure Elements to create a Performance Measure. Any Performance Measure(s) may be used to measure the performance of the Company or Subsidiary as a whole or any division or business unit of the Company, product or product group, region or territory, or Subsidiary, or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate. Any Performance Measure(s) can be compared to the performance of a peer group, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Company may select any Performance Measure(s) above as compared to various stock market indices. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Incentive Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to any Performance Measure(s) specified in this Section 13.1.

13.2     Establishment of Performance Goals . Any Incentive Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation will be granted, and Performance Goals for such an Incentive Award will be established, by the Committee in writing not later than ninety (90) days after the commencement of the Performance Period to which the Performance Goals relate, or such other period required under Section 162(m) of the Code; provided that the outcome is substantially uncertain at the time the Committee establishes the Performance Goal; and provided further that in no event will a Performance Goal be considered to be pre-established if it is established after twenty-five percent (25%) of the Performance Period (as scheduled in good faith at the time the Performance Goal is established) has elapsed.

13.3     Certification of Payment . Before any payment is made in connection with any Incentive Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee must certify in writing, as reflected in the minutes, that the Performance Goals established with respect to such Incentive Award have been achieved.

13.4     Evaluation of Performance . The Committee may provide in any such Incentive Award Agreement including Performance Goals that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occurs during a Performance Period: (a) items related to a change in accounting principles; (b) items relating to financing activities; (c) expenses for restructuring or productivity initiatives; (d) other non-operating items; (e) items related to acquisitions; (f) items attributable to the business operations of any entity acquired by the Company during the Performance Period; (g) items related to the disposal of a business or

 

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segment of a business; (h) items related to discontinued operations that do not qualify as a segment of a business under applicable accounting standards; (i) items attributable to any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of stock occurring during the Performance Period; (j) any other items of significant income or expense which are determined to be appropriate adjustments; (k) items relating to unusual or extraordinary corporate transactions, events or developments; (l) items related to amortization of acquired intangible assets; (m) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities; (n) items related to acquired in-process research and development; (o) items relating to changes in tax laws; (p) items relating to major licensing or partnership arrangements; (q) items relating to asset impairment charges; (r) items relating to gains or losses for litigation, arbitration and contractual settlements; (s) foreign exchange gains and losses; or (t) items relating to any other unusual or nonrecurring events or changes in applicable laws, accounting principles or business conditions. To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Incentive Awards to Covered Employees, they will be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code for deductibility.

13.5     Adjustment of Performance Goals, Performance Periods or other Vesting Criteria . Subject to Section 13.6, the Committee may amend or modify the vesting criteria (including any Performance Goals, Performance Measures or Performance Periods) of any outstanding Incentive Awards based in whole or in part on the financial performance of the Company (or any Subsidiary or division, business unit or other sub-unit thereof) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including the events described in Section 4.5(a) hereof) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under this Plan. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be final, conclusive and binding on Participants under this Plan. For all Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such determinations shall be made within the time prescribed by, and otherwise in compliance with, Section 162(m) of the Code.

13.6     Adjustment of Performance-Based Compensation . Incentive Awards that are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation may not be adjusted upward. The Committee will retain the discretion to adjust such Incentive Awards downward, either on a formula or discretionary basis or any combination, as the Committee determines.

13.7     Committee Discretion . In the event that applicable tax or securities laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Measures without obtaining stockholder approval of such changes, the Committee will have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining stockholder approval. In addition, in the event that the Committee determines that it is advisable to grant Incentive Awards that will not qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee may make such grants without satisfying the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and base vesting on Performance Measures other than those set forth in Section 13.1.

 

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14. Dividend Equivalents .

Any Participant selected by the Committee may be granted dividend equivalents based on the dividends declared on shares of Common Stock that are subject to any Incentive Award, to be credited as of dividend payment dates, during the period between the date the Incentive Award is granted and the date the Incentive Award is exercised, vests or expires, as determined by the Committee. Such dividend equivalents will be converted to cash or additional shares of Common Stock by such formula and at such time and subject to such limitations as may be determined by the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not grant dividend equivalents based on the dividends declared on shares of Common Stock that are subject to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right and further, no dividend or dividend equivalents will be paid out with respect to any unvested Incentive Awards, the vesting of which is based on the achievement of Performance Goals.

 

15. Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service .

15.1     Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement . Unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee in its sole discretion in an Incentive Award Agreement, and subject to Sections 15.3 and 15.4 of this Plan, in the event a Participant’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability or Retirement (other than with respect to a Non-Employee Director):

(a)    All outstanding Options (excluding Non-Employee Director Options) and Stock Appreciation Rights held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination will, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such termination, remain exercisable for a period of one year after the date of such termination (but in no event after the expiration date of any such Option or Stock Appreciation Right) and Options and Stock Appreciation Rights not exercisable as of the date of such termination will be terminated and forfeited;

(b)    All outstanding Restricted Stock Awards held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination that have not vested as of the date of such termination will be terminated and forfeited;

(c)    All outstanding but unpaid Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination will be terminated and forfeited; provided , however , that with respect to any such Incentive Awards the vesting of which is based on the achievement of Performance Goals, if a Participant’s employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, is terminated by reason of death, Disability or Retirement prior to the end of the Performance Period of such Incentive Award, but after the conclusion of a portion of the Performance Period (but in no event less than one year), the Committee may, in its sole discretion, cause shares of Common Stock to be delivered or payment made with respect to the Participant’s Incentive Award, but only if otherwise earned for the entire Performance Period and only with respect to the portion of the applicable Performance Period completed at the date of such event, with proration based on full fiscal years only and no shares to be delivered for

 

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partial fiscal years. The Committee will consider the provisions of Section 15.5 of this Plan and will have the discretion to consider any other fact or circumstance in making its decision as to whether to deliver such shares of Common Stock or other payment, including whether the Participant again becomes employed; and

(d)    If the effective date of such termination is before the end of the Performance Period to which an Annual Performance Cash Award relates, then any such Annual Performance Cash Award held by a Participant will be terminated and forfeited; if the effective date of such termination is on or after the end of the Performance Period to which an Annual Performance Cash Award relates, then any such Annual Performance Cash Award held by a Participant will be paid to the Participant in accordance with the payment terms of such Award.

15.2     Termination for Reasons Other than Death, Disability or Retirement . Unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee in its sole discretion in an Incentive Award Agreement, and subject to Sections 15.4 and 15.5 of this Plan, in the event a Participant’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement:

(a)    All outstanding Options (including Non-Employee Director Options) and Stock Appreciation Rights held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination will, to the extent exercisable as of such termination, remain exercisable for a period of three months after such termination (but in no event after the expiration date of any such Option or Stock Appreciation Right) and Options and Stock Appreciation Rights not exercisable as of such termination will be terminated and forfeited.

(b)    All Restricted Stock Awards held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination that have not vested as of such termination will be terminated and forfeited;

(c)    All outstanding unpaid Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards held by the Participant as of the effective date of such termination will be terminated and forfeited; and

(d)    All outstanding Annual Performance Cash Awards held by a Participant as of the effective date of such termination will be terminated and forfeited.

15.3     Modification of Rights upon Termination . Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 15, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, the Committee may, in its sole discretion (which may be exercised at any time on or after the Grant Date, including following such termination) cause Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or any part thereof) held by such Participant as of the effective date of such termination to terminate, become or continue to become exercisable or remain exercisable following such termination of employment or service, and Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Annual Performance Cash Awards, Non-Employee Director Awards, Other Cash-Based Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards held by such Participant as of the effective date of such termination to terminate, vest or

 

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become free of restrictions and conditions to payment, as the case may be, following such termination of employment or service, in each case in the manner determined by the Committee; provided , however , that (a) no Option or Stock Appreciation Right may remain exercisable beyond its expiration date; (b) the Committee may not take any action not permitted pursuant to Section 13.6; (c) the Committee taking any such action relating to Non-Employee Director Awards will consist solely of “independent directors” as defined in the NASDAQ Listing Rules (or other applicable exchange or market on which the Common Stock may be traded or quoted); and (d) any such action by the Committee adversely affecting any outstanding Incentive Award will not be effective without the consent of the affected Participant (subject to the right of the Committee to take whatever action it deems appropriate under Section 4.5, 15.5, 17 or 21).

15.4     Determination of Termination of Employment or Other Service .

(a)    The change in a Participant’s status from that of an Employee to that of a Consultant will, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to result in a termination of such Participant’s employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries, unless the Committee otherwise determines in its sole discretion.

(b)    The change in a Participant’s status from that of a Consultant to that of an Employee will not, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to result in a termination of such Participant’s service as a Consultant, and such Participant will thereafter be deemed to be an Employee until such Participant’s employment is terminated, in which event such Participant will be governed by the provisions of this Plan relating to termination of employment or service (subject to paragraph (a) above).

(c)    Unless the Committee otherwise determines in its sole discretion, a Participant’s employment or other service will, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to have terminated on the date recorded on the personnel or other records of the Company or the Subsidiary for which the Participant provides employment or other service, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion based upon such records.

(d)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if payment of an Incentive Award that is subject to Section 409A of the Code is triggered by a termination of a Participant’s employment or other service, such termination must also constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, and any change in employment status that constitutes a “separation from service” under Section 409A of the Code will be treated as a termination of employment or service, as the case may be.

15.5     Additional Forfeiture Events .

(a)     Effect of Actions Constituting Cause or Adverse Action . Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary and in addition to the other rights of the Committee under this Section 15.5, if a Participant is determined by the Committee, acting in its sole discretion, to have taken any action that would constitute Cause or an Adverse Action during or after the termination of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, irrespective of whether such action or the Committee’s determination occurs before or after termination of such Participant’s employment or other service with the

 

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Company or any Subsidiary and irrespective of whether or not the Participant was terminated as a result of such Cause or Adverse Action, (i) all rights of the Participant under this Plan and any Incentive Award Agreements evidencing an Incentive Award then held by the Participant will terminate and be forfeited without notice of any kind, and (ii) the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority to rescind the exercise, vesting or issuance of, or payment in respect of, any Incentive Awards of the Participant that were exercised, vested or issued, or as to which such payment was made, and to require the Participant to pay to the Company, within ten (10) days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, any amount received or the amount of any gain realized as a result of such rescinded exercise, vesting, issuance or payment (including any dividends paid or other distributions made with respect to any shares subject to any Incentive Award). The Company may defer the exercise of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right for a period of up to six (6) months after receipt of the Participant’s written notice of exercise or the issuance of share certificates upon the vesting of any Incentive Award for a period of up to six (6) months after the date of such vesting in order for the Committee to make any determination as to the existence of Cause or an Adverse Action. The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligations. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an applicable Incentive Award Agreement, this Section 15.5(a) will not apply to any Participant following a Change in Control.

(b)     Forfeiture of Incentive Awards . If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, then any Participant who is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will reimburse the Company for the amount of any Incentive Award received by such individual under this Plan during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement. In addition, all Awards under this Plan will be subject to forfeiture or other penalties pursuant to any clawback or forfeiture policy of the Company, as in effect from time to time, and such forfeiture and/or penalty conditions or provisions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. In addition, the Company may seek to recover any Incentive Award made as required by the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or any other clawback, forfeiture or recoupment provision required by Applicable Law or under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which the shares of Common Stock are then listed or traded.

 

16. Payment of Withholding Taxes .

16.1     General Rules . The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts necessary to satisfy any and all federal, foreign, state and local withholding

 

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and employment related tax requirements attributable to an Incentive Award, including the grant, exercise, vesting or settlement of, or payment of dividends with respect to, an Incentive Award or a disqualifying disposition of stock received upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option, or (b) require the Participant promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to an Incentive Award. When withholding shares of Common Stock for taxes is effected under this Plan, it shall be withheld only up to an amount based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Participant’s applicable tax jurisdiction or such other rate that will not trigger a negative accounting impact on the Company.

16.2     Special Rules . The Committee may, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, permit or require a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, any withholding or employment related tax obligation described in Section 16.1 of this Plan by withholding shares of Common Stock underlying an Award, by electing to tender, or by attestation as to ownership of, Previously Acquired Shares, by delivery of a Broker Exercise Notice or a combination of such methods. For purposes of satisfying a Participant’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation, shares of Common Stock withheld by the Company or Previously Acquired Shares tendered or covered by an attestation will be valued at their Fair Market Value.

 

17. Change in Control .

17.1     Change in Control . For purposes of this Section 17, a “ Change in Control ” of the Company will mean (a) the consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (i) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination, (ii) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (iii) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case, other than a transaction which (x) results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “ Successor Entity ”)) directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and (y) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this Section 17.1(a)(iii)(y) as beneficially owning fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction, (b) the approval by the stockholders of the Company of any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, (c) any Person becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors in one transaction or a series of related transactions or (d) individuals who constitute the Board on the Effective Date of this Plan cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent

 

27


to the Effective Date of this Plan whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors comprising the Board on the Effective Date of this Plan (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without objection to such nomination) will be, for purposes of this clause (d), considered as though such person were a member of the Board on the Effective Date of this Plan unless such person’s initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of Directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person other than the Board.

17.2     Acceleration of Vesting . Without limiting the authority of the Committee under Sections 3.2 and 4.5 or 17.3 of this Plan, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, then, unless otherwise provided by the Committee in its sole discretion either in the Incentive Award Agreement evidencing an Incentive Award at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of an Incentive Award the following provisions will apply:

(a)    If the Successor Entity does not assume the outstanding Incentive Awards or does not substitute equivalent equity awards relating to the securities of such Successor Entity or its affiliates for such Incentive Awards, then prior to the Change in Control (a) all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights will become immediately exercisable in full and will remain exercisable until immediately prior to the consummation of the Change in Control and terminate upon consummation of the Change in Control; (b) all restrictions and vesting requirements applicable to any Incentive Award based solely on the continued service of the Participant will terminate; and (c) all Incentive Awards the vesting or payment of which are based on Performance Goals will vest as though such Performance Goals were fully achieved at target and will become immediately payable; provided , however , that no Incentive Award that provides for a deferral of compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code will be cashed out upon the occurrence of a Change in Control unless the event or circumstances constituting the Change in Control also constitute a “change in the ownership” of the Company, a “change in the effective control” of the Company or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the Company, in each case as determined under Section 409A of the Code. The treatment of any other Incentive Awards in the event of a Change in Control will be as determined by the Committee in connection with the grant thereof, as reflected in the applicable Incentive Award Agreement.

(b)    If the Successor Entity assumes the outstanding Incentive Awards or substitutes equivalent equity awards relating to the securities of such Successor Entity or its affiliates for such Incentive Awards, then all such Incentive Awards or such substitutes therefore shall remain outstanding and be governed by their respective terms and the provisions of the Plan or its successor.

17.3     Alternative Treatment of Stock-Based Awards . In connection with a Change in Control, the Committee in its sole discretion, either in an Incentive Award Agreement at the time of grant of a Stock-Based Award or at any time after the grant of such an Incentive Award, may determine that any or all outstanding Stock-Based Awards granted under this Plan, whether or

 

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not exercisable or vested, as the case may be, will be canceled and terminated and that in connection with such cancellation and termination the holder of such Stock-Based Award will receive for each share of Common Stock subject to such Incentive Award a cash payment (or the delivery of shares of stock, other securities or a combination of cash, stock and securities with a fair market value (as determined by the Committee in good faith) equivalent to such cash payment) equal to the difference, if any, between the consideration to be received by stockholders of the Company in respect of a share of Common Stock in connection with such Change in Control and the purchase price per share, if any, under the Incentive Award, multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock subject to such Incentive Award (or in which such Incentive Award is denominated); provided that if such product is zero ($0) or less or to the extent that the Incentive Award is not then exercisable, the Incentive Award may be canceled and terminated without payment therefor; provided , however , that no Stock-Based Award that provides for a deferral of compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code will be cashed out upon the occurrence of a Change in Control unless the event or circumstances constituting the Change in Control also constitute a “change in the ownership” of the Company, a “change in the effective control” of the Company or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the Company, in each case as determined under Section 409A of the Code. The treatment of any other Stock-Based Awards in the event of a Change in Control will be as determined by the Committee in connection with the grant thereof, as reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. If any portion of the consideration pursuant to a Change in Control may be received by holders of shares of Common Stock on a contingent or delayed basis, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine the fair market value per share of such consideration as of the time of the Change in Control on the basis of the Committee’s good faith estimate of the present value of the probable future payment of such consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock-Based Award that immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Change in Control are subject to no further restrictions pursuant to this Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement (other than pursuant to the securities laws) will be deemed to be outstanding shares of Common Stock and receive the same consideration as other outstanding shares of Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control.

17.4     Limitation on Change in Control Payments . Notwithstanding anything in Section 17.2 or 17.3 to the contrary, if, with respect to a Participant, the acceleration of the vesting of an Incentive Award as provided in Section 17.2 or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of a Stock-Based Award as provided in Section 17.3 (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other “payments” that such Participant has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the “payments” to such Participant pursuant to Section 17.2 or 17.3 will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such “payments” being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, that such reduction will be made only if the aggregate amount of the payments after such reduction exceeds the difference between (a) the amount of such payments absent such reduction minus (b) the aggregate amount of the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code attributable to any such excess parachute payments; and provided further that such payments will be reduced (or

 

29


acceleration of vesting eliminated) in the following order: (i) options with an exercise price above fair market value that have a positive value for purposes of Section 280G of the Code, (ii) pro rata among Incentive Awards that constitute deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, and (iii) finally, among the Incentive Awards that are not subject to Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if a Participant is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or an Affiliate or Subsidiary that expressly addresses the potential application of Section 280G or 4999 of the Code, then this Section 17.4 will not apply and any “payments” to a Participant pursuant to Section 17.2 or 17.3 will be treated as “payments” arising under such separate agreement.

 

18. Rights of Eligible Recipients and Participants; Transferability .

18.1     Employment . Nothing in this Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of any Eligible Recipient or Participant at any time, nor confer upon any Eligible Recipient or Participant any right to continue employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary.

18.2     No Rights to Awards . No Participant or Eligible Recipient will have any claim to be granted any Incentive Award under this Plan.

18.3     Rights as a Stockholder . Except as otherwise provided herein, a Participant will have no rights as a stockholder with respect to shares of Common Stock covered by any Stock-Based Award unless and until the Participant becomes the holder of record of such shares.

18.4     Restrictions on Transfer .

(a)    Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by subsections (b) and (c) below, no right or interest of any Participant in an Incentive Award prior to the exercise (in the case of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) or vesting, issuance or settlement of such Incentive Award will be assignable or transferable, or subjected to any lien, during the lifetime of the Participant, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise.

(b)    A Participant will be entitled to designate a beneficiary to receive an Incentive Award upon such Participant’s death, and in the event of such Participant’s death, payment of any amounts due under this Plan will be made to, and exercise of any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 15 of this Plan) may be made by, such beneficiary. If a deceased Participant has failed to designate a beneficiary, or if a beneficiary designated by the Participant fails to survive the Participant, payment of any amounts due under this Plan will be made to, and exercise of any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 15 of this Plan) may be made by, the Participant’s legal representatives, heirs and legatees. If a deceased Participant has designated a beneficiary and such beneficiary survives the Participant but dies before complete payment of all amounts due under this Plan or exercise of all exercisable Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, then such payments will be made to, and the exercise of such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be made by, the legal representatives, heirs and legatees of the beneficiary.

 

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(c)    Upon a Participant’s request, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a transfer of all or a portion of a Non-Statutory Stock Option, other than for value, to such Participant’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, any person sharing such Participant’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which any of the foregoing have more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interests, a foundation in which any of the foregoing (or the Participant) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Participant) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests. Any permitted transferee will remain subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to the Participant prior to the transfer. A permitted transfer may be conditioned upon such requirements as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine, including execution or delivery of appropriate acknowledgements, opinion of counsel, or other documents by the transferee.

18.5     Non-Exclusivity of this Plan . Nothing contained in this Plan is intended to modify or rescind any previously approved compensation plans or programs of the Company or create any limitations on the power or authority of the Board to adopt such additional or other compensation arrangements as the Board may deem necessary or desirable.

 

19. Securities Law and Other Restrictions .

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreements entered into pursuant to this Plan, the Company will not be required to issue any shares of Common Stock under this Plan, and a Participant may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Incentive Awards granted under this Plan, unless (a) there is in effect with respect to such shares a registration statement under the Securities Act and any applicable securities laws of a state or foreign jurisdiction or an exemption from such registration under the Securities Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, and (b) there has been obtained any other consent, approval or permit from any other U.S. or foreign regulatory body which the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable. The Company may condition such issuance, sale or transfer upon the receipt of any representations or agreements from the parties involved, and the placement of any legends on certificates representing shares of Common Stock, as may be deemed necessary or advisable by the Company in order to comply with such securities law or other restrictions.

 

20. Deferred Compensation; Compliance with Section 409A .

It is intended that all Incentive Awards issued under the Plan be in a form and administered in a manner that will comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, or the requirements of an exception to Section 409A of the Code, and the Incentive Award Agreements and this Plan will be construed and administered in a manner that is consistent with and gives effect to such intent. The Committee is authorized to adopt rules or regulations deemed necessary or appropriate to qualify for an exception from or to comply with the

 

31


requirements of Section 409A of the Code. With respect to an Incentive Award that constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A: (i) if any amount is payable under such Incentive Award upon a termination of service, a termination of service will be treated as having occurred only at such time the Participant has experienced a “separation from service” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A; (ii) if any amount is payable under such Incentive Award upon a Disability, a Disability will be treated as having occurred only at such time the Participant has experienced a “disability” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A; (iii) if any amount is payable under such Incentive Award on account of the occurrence of a Change of Control, a Change of Control will be treated as having occurred only at such time a “change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation” as such terms are defined for purposes of Code Section 409A, (iv) if any amount becomes payable under such Incentive Award on account of a Participant’s separation from service at such time as the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then no payment shall be made, except as permitted under Code Section 409A, prior to the first business day after the earlier of (y) the date that is six months after the date of the Participant’s separation from service or (z) the Participant’s death, and (v) no amendment to or payment under such Incentive Award will be made except and only to the extent permitted under Code Section 409A.

 

21. Amendment, Modification and Termination .

21.1     Generally . Subject to other subsections of this Section 21 and Sections 3.4 and 21.3, the Board at any time may suspend or terminate this Plan (or any portion thereof) or terminate any outstanding Incentive Award Agreement and the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may amend this Plan or amend or modify the terms of an outstanding Incentive Award. The Committee’s power and authority to amend or modify the terms of an outstanding Incentive Award includes the authority to modify the number of shares or other terms and conditions of an Incentive Award, extend the term of an Incentive Award, accelerate the exercisability or vesting or otherwise terminate any restrictions relating to an Incentive Award, accept the surrender of any outstanding Incentive Award or, to the extent not previously exercised or vested, authorize the grant of new Incentive Awards in substitution for surrendered Incentive Awards; provided , however that the amended or modified terms are permitted by this Plan as then in effect and that any Participant adversely affected by such amended or modified terms has consented to such amendment or modification.

21.2     Stockholder Approval . No amendments to this Plan will be effective without approval of the Company’s stockholders if stockholder approval of the amendment is then required pursuant to Section 422 of the Code, the rules of the primary stock exchange or stock market on which the Common Stock is then traded, applicable U.S. state corporate laws or regulations, applicable U.S. federal laws or regulations, and the applicable laws of any foreign country or jurisdiction where Incentive Awards are, or will be, granted under this Plan.

21.3     Incentive Awards Previously Granted . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, no termination, suspension or amendment of this Plan may adversely affect any outstanding Incentive Award without the consent of the affected Participant; provided , however , that this sentence will not impair the right of the Committee to take whatever action it deems appropriate under Sections 3.4, 4.5, 13.5, 15, 17, 20 or 21.4 of this Plan.

 

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21.4     Amendments to Conform to Law . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Committee may amend this Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement, to take effect retroactively or otherwise, as deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of conforming this Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement to any present or future law relating to plans of this or similar nature, and to the administrative regulations and rulings promulgated thereunder. By accepting an Incentive Award under this Plan, a Participant agrees to any amendment made pursuant to this Section 21.4 to any Incentive Award granted under this Plan without further consideration or action.

 

22. Effective Date and Duration of this Plan .

The Plan is effective as of the Effective Date. The Plan will terminate at midnight on the day before the ten year anniversary of the date the Plan was initially approved by the Board, and may be terminated prior to such time by Board action. No Incentive Award will be granted after termination of this Plan, but Incentive Awards outstanding upon termination of this Plan will remain outstanding in accordance with their applicable terms and conditions and the terms and conditions of this Plan.

 

23. Miscellaneous .

23.1     Usage . In this Plan, except where otherwise indicated by clear contrary intention, (a) any masculine term used herein also will include the feminine, (b) the plural will include the singular, and the singular will include the plural, (c) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding such term, and (d) “or” is used in the inclusive sense of “and/or”.

23.2     Unfunded Plan . Participants will have no right, title or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company or its Subsidiaries may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under this Plan. Nothing contained in this Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other individual. To the extent that any individual acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Subsidiary under this Plan, such right will be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be. All payments to be made hereunder will be paid from the general funds of the Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, and no special or separate fund will be established and no segregation of assets will be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in this Plan.

23.3     Relationship to Other Benefits . No payment under this Plan will be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare, or benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary unless provided otherwise in such plan.

23.4     Fractional Shares . No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued or delivered under this Plan or any Incentive Award. The Committee will determine whether cash, other Incentive Awards or other property will be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock or whether such fractional shares of Common Stock or any rights thereto will be forfeited or otherwise eliminated by rounding up or down.

 

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23.5     Governing Law . Except to the extent expressly provided herein or in connection with other matters of corporate governance and authority (all of which will be governed by the laws of the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation), the validity, construction, interpretation, administration and effect of this Plan and any rules, regulations and actions relating to this Plan will be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, notwithstanding the conflicts of laws principles of any jurisdictions.

23.6     Successors . All obligations of the Company under this Plan with respect to Incentive Awards granted hereunder will be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company.

23.7     Construction . Wherever possible, each provision of this Plan and any Incentive Award Agreement will be interpreted so that it is valid under the applicable law. If any provision of this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreement is to any extent invalid under the applicable law, that provision will still be effective to the extent it remains valid. The remainder of this Plan and the Incentive Award Agreement also will continue to be valid, and the entire Plan and Incentive Award Agreement will continue to be valid in other jurisdictions.

23.8     Delivery and Execution of Electronic Documents . To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company may: (a) deliver by email or other electronic means (including posting on a Web site maintained by the Company or by a third party under contract with the Company) all documents relating to this Plan or any Incentive Award hereunder (including prospectuses required by the Securities and Exchange Commission) and all other documents that the Company is required to deliver to its security holders (including annual reports and proxy statements), and (b) permit Participants to use electronic, internet or other non-paper means to execute applicable Plan documents (including Incentive Award Agreements) and take other actions under this Plan in a manner prescribed by the Committee.

23.9     Indemnification . Subject to any limitations and requirements of Delaware law, each individual who is or shall have been a member of the Board, or a Committee appointed by the Board, or an officer or Employee of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with Section 3.3, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under this Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his/her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such individuals may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

 

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*  *  *  *  *

I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of Smart Sand, Inc. on                     , 2016.

*  *  *  *  *

I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was approved by the stockholders of Smart Sand, Inc. on                     , 2016.

Executed on this              day of                     , 2016.

 

 

 

Corporate Secretary

 

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Exhibit 10.10

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

EXECUTION COPY

AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE

AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of this 16th day of December, 2015 (the “ Execution Date ”) by and between Smart Sand, Inc. a Delaware Corporation, with a place of business at 1010 Stony Hill Rd, Ste 175, Yardley, PA 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”) and Archer Pressure Pumping, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, with a place of business at 10613 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N., Suite 600, Houston Texas 77064 (“ Buyer ”).

RECITALS

A.    Whereas, Smart Sand mines, processes and sells certain industrial sand products; and

B.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer are parties to that certain Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 19, 2014 (the “ Original Agreement ”); and

d.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Original Agreement, as set forth in this Agreement, to provide for the terms under which Smart Sand will sell such products to Buyer, based on firm monthly and yearly commitments as more particularly described herein.

AGREEMENT

Now therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

  1. Products, Forecasts and Quantity Commitments

1.1    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Term (as defined in Section 7.1), Smart Sand agrees to sell and deliver to Buyer, and Buyer agrees to purchase and accept from Smart Sand, frac sand products based on the specifications (the “ Specifications ”) set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated by reference (each a “ Product ” and collectively, the “ Products ”), and based on the product mix and monthly minimum volumes specified in Appendix B , subject to the minimum yearly tonnage amounts as follows:

 

Contract

Year

 

Minimum

Tons per Year

 

Minimum Tons

per Quarter

1

  ***   ***

2

  ***   ***

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as limiting either party’s right to enter into a Product purchase agreement with a third party at any time.

1.2    For purposes of this Agreement: (i) the “ Interim Period ” shall mean the period beginning on the Execution Date and ending at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2017; and (ii) a “ Contract Year ” shall mean (i) the period beginning April 1 of a given year and ending at 11:59 p.m. on March 31 st of the immediately following year. For the avoidance of doubt, Contract Year 1 shall be April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018, and Contract Year 2 shall be of April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.


EXECUTION COPY

 

Buyer shall provide Smart Sand with an initial *** non-binding forecast for all Product requirements prior to the first month of delivery in Contract Year 1 hereunder for each quarter. On a monthly basis, after issuance of the initial *** forecast as specified above, and on or before the first day of each ensuing calendar month, Buyer shall update its forecast to maintain a *** rolling forecast (each such forecast, a “ Forecast ”). All quantities stated for the first *** period of any Forecast shall be firm commitments of Buyer to purchase the stated quantity of each Product (each, a “ Commitment ”). Any estimate for periods between *** provided by Buyer shall be a non-binding good faith forecast of delivery requirements. If Buyer does not provide an updated Forecast in any given month, the Forecast for such month, including the *** Commitment, shall be the greater of the previous month’s volume or the Minimum Tons per Month.     

1.3    During the Interim Period, subject to availability as determined by Smart Sand in its sole discretion, Buyer may purchase Products from Smart Sand at a Base Price of *** per ton (plus applicable surcharges). The aggregate of the Minimum Tons per Year in Contract Years 1 and 2 shall be reduced in the aggregate by an amount equal to *** of the total tons of Products purchased (and paid for in full per the terms of this Agreement) by Buyer during the Interim Period. Such reduction shall be split *** Conract Year 1 and Contract Year 2, and shall be proportionally applied to each quarter therein. By way of example, if Buyer purchases an aggregate of *** tons of Products during the Interim Period, the Minimum Tons per Year in each of Contract Year 1 and 2 shall be reduced by *** tons, and the Minimum Tons per Quarter in each Contract Year shall be reduced by *** tons.

1.4    Commencing in Contract Year 1, Smart Sand shall guarantee Products equal to the minimum monthly volumes set forth on Appendix B attached hereto. In no event will Smart Sand be required to provide to Buyer in any given month during the Term an aggregate quantity of Products exceeding *** percent of the Minimum Tons per Year for the applicable Contract Year.

1.5    In the event that Buyer purchases less than the Minimum Tons per Quarter stated in Section 1.1 above during any quarter in any Contract Year during the Term, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on or before the date that is *** following the end of such quarter an amount (the “ Quarterly Shortfall Payment ”) equal to (i) a price calculated by *** (the “ Quarterly Shortfall Price ”), multiplied by (ii) the difference between (a) the applicable Minimum Tons per Quarter stated above and (b) the total of the actual tons of Product purchased by the Buyer during such quarter (“ Quarterly Purchased Tons ”) plus tons of all Replacement Products (as defined in Section 4.2) purchased during such quarter (the resulting amount, the “ Quarterly Net Tons ”) (i.e. (i) Quarterly Net Tons = Minimum Tons per Quarter – (Quarterly Purchased Tons + Replacement Products), and (ii) Quarterly Shortfall Payment = Quarterly Net Tons * Quarterly Shortfall Price). Any Quarterly Shortfall Payment for the fourth quarter of Contract Year 2 shall be payable notwithstanding the expiration of this Agreement. If the Quarterly Net Tons is equal to or less than 0, then the Quarterly Shortfall Payment shall be $0.

1.6    Buyer shall issue purchase orders to Smart Sand setting forth the quantities of Products, applicable prices, requested ship dates, destination of shipment and other details related to a specific order. All purchase orders and requested ship dates are subject to written acceptance and acknowledgment by Smart Sand.

1.7    The terms and conditions of this Agreement are the controlling terms and conditions for the purchase of Products by Buyer. The printed terms and conditions of any purchase order, acknowledgment form, invoice or other business form of Buyer and Smart Sand shall not apply to any order. Buyer and Smart Sand agree that any purchase order issued by Buyer is for quantity and timing purposes only, and such purchase order does not form the basis of any contract.

 

  2. Price and Payment Terms

2.1    The pricing for each of the Products for each Contract Year shall be as set forth on Appendix C attached hereto and incorporated by reference (“ Contract Price ”). Smart Sand agrees that all Products ordered by Buyer and shipped prior to November 30, 2017 will be loaded onto Smart Sand supplied railcars, which have been provided in accordance with that certain Railcar Usage Agreement, dated August 19, 2014, and subsequently amended and restated on the Execution Date, by and between Smart Sand and Buyer (as amended, the “ Railcar Usage Agreement ”), and shipped as specified in the purchase order, provided , however , that (i)

 

2


EXECUTION COPY

 

Buyer agrees to comply with all freight scheduling mechanisms and timeframes designated by Smart Sand in writing to Buyer from time to time, and (ii) delivery of the Products shall occur upon the transfer of Products into the applicable railcar via a delivery chute. Delivery will be, and all prices are quoted, FCA Smart Sand’s facility in which such Products are loaded onto railcars (i.e. the Oakdale Facility, the Hixton Facility, or such other facility as determined by the mutual consent of Smart Sand and Buyer), Incoterms 2010. For the avoidance of doubt, all rail and shipping costs, including, without limitation, insurance costs and in the event that all railcars subject to the Railcar Usage Agreement are not returned in accordance with the terms of the Railcar Usage Agreement, an amount equal to *** per day per railcar for each day that any such railcars are not timely returned, shall be borne exclusively by Buyer. Buyer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to establish a trade account with Smart Sand’s preferred rail carrier and transloader. Prior to the establishment of such trade accounts, Smart Sand shall pay all freight charges and transloading charges for any shipment, after which Smart Sand shall provide an invoice to Buyer for such charges and Buyer shall pay Smart Sand within *** of the date of such invoice. After the establishment of such trade accounts, Smart Sand may, at its option and with written notice to Buyer in response to the applicable purchase order that it intends to, pay all freight charges and transloading charges for any shipment, after which Smart Sand shall provide an invoice to Buyer for such charges and Buyer shall pay Smart Sand within *** of the date of such invoice. The Contract Price shall be subject to adjustments implemented during the Term in accordance with the terms set forth in Appendix C .

2.2    Unless stated otherwise in an order, prices quoted by Smart Sand do not include sales, VAT use or similar taxes. And such taxes, fees, duties, and customs charges imposed on Smart Sand in the country or area of operations shall be reimbursed to Smart Sand by Buyer. The provisions of this clause shall continue after termination of this Agreement.

2.3    Smart Sand shall invoice Buyer upon shipment of Products. Other than as provided for freight charges and transloading charges in Section 2.1, payment by Buyer shall be due and payable within *** after the date of invoice. Past due invoices (including invoices for freight charges and transloading charges) are subject to a monthly service charge at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law.

2.4    Smart Sand’s Credit Department may revoke credit approval at any time and require credit enhancements such as a prepayment or a letter of credit posted by Buyer to continue performing under this Agreement. Upon placing this instrument with an attorney for collection of past due payments or repossession of Products, Buyer shall reimburse Smart Sand for reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other expenses incurred by Smart Sand to enforce the terms and conditions stated herein.

2.5    Within *** after the Execution Date, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand the amount of ***, representing payment in full for all True-Up Payments (as defined in the Original Agreement) payable by Buyer with respect to Contract Year 1 of the Original Agreement (the “ Prior Shortfall Payment ”). Any failure by Buyer to pay the Prior Shortfall Payment when due shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement, and, in addition to (and not in lieu of) any other rights and remedies that Smart Sand has, the Prior Shortfall Payment shall automatically and without notice accrue interest at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law, whichever is greater.

 

  3. Specifications

In the event Buyer desires to change the Specifications, a request for change shall be submitted to Smart Sand in writing. Smart Sand must agree to any such changes in writing prior to amendment of the Specifications, and Smart Sand is under no obligation to accept any such changes. Smart Sand shall notify Buyer of any adjustment to the Contract Prices resulting from the changes to the Specifications requested by Buyer. Buyer must agree to the adjustment to the Contract Prices in writing prior to any amendment of the Specifications.

 

3


EXECUTION COPY

 

  4. Delivery

4.1    The Products shall be delivered in accordance with Section 2.1 of this Agreement. Smart Sand reserves the right to charge Buyer a storage fee for any Buyer controlled rail car that remains at Smart Sand’s rail facility longer than *** after arrival.

4.2    In the event that Smart Sand is unable to supply Buyer’s requirements, Buyer shall have the right to purchase replacement Product (“ Replacement Products ”) from alternative sources (up to the amount that Smart Sand is unable to supply) after receipt of notification of Smart Sand’s failure to supply. Provided that Smart Sand’s inability to supply is not the result of an Excusable Delay under Section 9 below, then all Replacement Products purchased by Buyer shall count towards the Buyer’s requirements obligation set forth in Section 1.1 above. Except to the extent Smart Sand’s inability to supply is the result of an Excusable Delay, if the Replacement Products are purchased by Buyer at a price that is higher than the then-applicable Contract Price, Smart Sand shall be responsible for the difference between the Contract Price and the price of the Replacement Products, which may be paid by shipping additional Products or providing a credit to Buyer towards future purchases of Products.

4.3    In connection herewith, until November 30, 2017 Buyer shall borrow railcars from Smart Sand, pursuant to the Railcar Use Agreement (the “Railcar Use Agreement”), substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A . Commencing December 1, 2017 Buyer shall be responsible for supplying all railcars required to load and transport all Product purchased hereunder from Smart Sand to the Buyer. Any failure by Buyer to supply any such railcars shall not reduce or limit in any way any of Buyer’s obligations hereunder, including but not limited to, its obligation to purchase the Minimum Tons Per Year of Products in Contract Year 1 and Contract Year 2 set forth in Section 1.1.

 

  5. Inspection

Smart Sand shall test the Products in accordance with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D for compliance with the Specifications. Smart Sand shall retain all testing records for a period of six months and shall, at Buyer’s request, supply to Buyer a copy of Smart Sand’s test sheets, certified by Smart Sand to be a true copy. Because deliveries made pursuant to this Agreement shall be via large individual loads by rail, any inspection by Buyer can be made at the point of loading. Buyer may, at its expense, have a representative at Smart Sand’s facility for the purpose of such inspection.

 

  6. Warranty

6.1    Smart Sand warrants to Buyer that Smart Sand shall conform with the Specifications and comply in all material respects with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D attached hereto and incorporated by reference with respect to each Product. If Buyer and Smart Sand agree in good faith that any Product sold under this Agreement does not meet the Specifications, Smart Sand, at its cost and expense, shall promptly correct the defect by either (i) delivering substitute Product meeting the Specifications, or (ii) refunding any amounts paid to Smart Sand for such non-conforming Product.

6.2    Buyer acknowledges that Products may become damaged by improper handling after delivery and that Smart Sand shall have no obligation to replace such damaged Products.

6.3    THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES. SMART SAND MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PRODUCTS.

 

  7. Term and Termination

7.1    This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”), and shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 2 (the “Term”) unless sooner terminated as provided herein.

 

4


EXECUTION COPY

 

7.2    Either party may terminate this Agreement, immediately upon written notice to the other party, (i) if such other party is in material breach of any of its obligations under the Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) business days (five (5) days for the nonpayment of money) after written notice thereof to such other party, or (ii) if such other party is insolvent or makes any arrangement with its creditors generally, or has a receiver appointed for all or a substantial part of its business or properties, or an insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceeding is brought by or against such other party and involving such other party is not dismissed within 60 business days of its institution, or if such other party goes into liquidation or otherwise ceases to function as a going concern.

7.3    In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 7.2, this Agreement shall immediately become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of any party hereto; provided , that (i) any such termination shall not relieve any party from liability for any willful breach of this Agreement or any fraud, (ii) the provisions of this Section 7.3 (Effect of Termination) and Sections 8 (Confidentiality), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 12 (Notices), 13 (Resolution of Disputes), 14 (Compliance with Laws) and 15 (Miscellaneous) of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement, and (iii) if termination is by Smart Sand, Buyer shall pay, within thirty (30) days of the effective date of termination, an amount equal to:

 

  (A) all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination; plus

 

  (B) an amount equal to: (i) *** of the then-applicable Contract Price for each of the *** Products, multiplied by (ii) the difference between (X) the Minimum Tons per Year for Contract Year 1 and Contract Year 2 as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 1.3 and (Y) the actual tons of each Product purchased by Buyer during Contract Year 1 and Contract Year 2 minus any payments made by Buyer to Smart Sand under Section 1.5; plus

 

  (C) all amounts due or to become due to Smart Sand under the Railcar Use Agreement.

 

  8. Confidentiality

8.1    The parties acknowledge that either party may disclose (orally or in writing) to the other confidential and proprietary information relating to the Products or each party’s business (together the “ Confidential Information ”). Each party agrees that it will keep the Confidential Information of the other party disclosed to it in confidence by using at least the same degree of care to prevent unauthorized disclosure or use thereof as such party uses to protect its own confidential information of like nature, and that it will not knowingly disclose, directly or indirectly, any item of Confidential Information to any person, without the prior written consent of the disclosing party, except only to those of the recipient’s employees who need to know the same in the performance of their duties for the recipient in connection with this Agreement.

8.2    The parties’ non-disclosure obligations restrictions hereunder shall continue with respect to any item of Confidential Information until the earlier of the expiration of ten (10) years following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, or until such item: (a) is or has become publicly available; or (b) was in the possession of, or known by, the recipient without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (c) has been disclosed to the recipient by an unrelated third party, without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (d) has been independently developed by the recipient.

 

  9. Excusable Delay

Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform to the extent caused by fire, flood, adverse weather conditions, explosion, war, riot, embargo, labor disputes, strike, shortage of utilities, delay in transportation, compliance with any laws, regulations, orders, acts or requirements from the government, civil or

 

5


EXECUTION COPY

 

military authorities, government-mandated facility shutdowns or limitations, acts of God or the public enemy, or any other similar act or event of any nature reasonably beyond such party’s control. In such circumstances, neither party shall be liable for its failure to perform its obligations hereunder to the limited extent that such failure is due to an event hereunder; provided , however , that (i) such non-performance shall only be permitted during the duration of such event, and (ii) a party legitimately claiming such event shall be obligated to remedy the applicable event with all reasonable and diligent dispatch; and provided , further , that the party claiming such event shall use commercially reasonable efforts to take such actions as such party deems necessary or advisable to mitigate the negative impact of such event on the other party. If Smart Sand’s production capacity is impaired as a result of one of the foregoing events of force majeure, then Smart Sand will allocate to Buyer a pro rata portion of Smart Sand’s total remaining capacity taking into account Smart Sand’s impaired production capacity, Buyer’s requirements pursuant to the forecast provided by Buyer in accordance with Section 1.2, and Smart Sand’s aggregate requirements for Products under purchase agreements with other customers.

 

  10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST GOODWILL, LOST PROFITS, WORK STOPPAGE OR IMPAIRMENT OF OTHER GOODS, AND WHETHER ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR IF SUCH DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN.

 

  11. PRODUCT NOTIFICATION

WARNING ! MATERIAL SOLD PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY CONTAIN FREE SILICA – IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, SEE MATERIAL WARNINGS AND DO NOT BREATHE DUST OR USE FOR SANDBLASTING. IF YOU BREATHE FINE SILICA DUST POSSIBLY CONTAINED IN PRODUCTS YOU CAN SUFFER SEVERE, IRREVERSIBLE LUNG DAMAGE AND DEATH. SOME MEDICAL REPORTS STATE INHALATION OF SILICA DUST MAY CAUSE LUNG CANCER. MEDICAL REPORTS ALSO LINK BREATHING SILICA DUST TO CRIPPLING ARTHRITIS AND SKIN AND EYE IRRITATION. NEVER USE PRODUCTS CONTAINING SILICA DUST WITHOUT NIOSH/MSHA APPROVED RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Buyer acknowledges the above warning and assumes responsibility and shall be liable for communicating this warning and providing to its employees, contractors and/or agents any equipment necessary for their protection.

 

  12. Notice

Any notice or other communication hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective when delivered personally, by fax (and confirmed by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested), or by overnight carrier, addressed to a party at its address stated below or to such other address as such party may designate by written notice to the other party in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

To Smart Sand:

Smart Sand, Inc.

1010 Stony Hill Rd, Ste 175

Yardley, PA 19067

Attn: Susan Neumann

Facsimile: 215.295.7911

 

6


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With a copy to:

    Fox Rothschild LLP  
      997 Lenox Drive, 3rd Floor  
      Lawrenceville, NJ 08648  
      Attn: James D. Young  
      Facsimile: 609.895.3317  
 

To Buyer:

    Archer Well Services  
      10613 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N.  
      Suite 600  
      Houston Texas 77064  
      Attn: Legal Department  

 

  13. Resolution of Disputes

13.1    BOTH PARTIES AGREE THAT, TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY THE GOVERNING LAW, EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY LITIGATION INVOLVING THIS AGREEMENT.

13.2    It is the intent of the parties to exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980). Nothing herein shall prohibit a party from availing itself of a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of injunctive relief. The parties acknowledge and agree that the respective parties may have available to them laws or remedies available under applicable local legislation; it is the intent of the parties to have the terms of this Agreement apply in every instance, including, without limitation, the choice of law and forum provisions and the respective parties agree not to avail themselves of such alternate local legislation or remedies available thereunder. The parties acknowledge that this is a fundamental foundation for the risk allocation undertaken in this Agreement and should this provision be breached it would deny the other party the full benefit of its risk allocation and the agreed pricing structure. Accordingly, should a party avail itself of local legislation that conflicts or negates the risk allocation contained in this Agreement, then such party shall be liable to the non-breaching party for all damages arising therefrom.

 

  14. Compliance with Law

14.1     Compliance with Law.  Subject to the limitations of this Agreement, it is agreed that in the performance of this Agreement all matters shall be conducted in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws, rules and regulations in the area(s) in which the matters are being conducted. Any performance obligation arising under this Agreement is contingent on the prior receipt of all necessary government authorizations. If either party is required to pay any fine or penalty, or is subject to a claim from the other party’s failure to comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, the party failing to comply shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the other party for all damages, fees and/or fines for such failure to comply to the extent of the indemnifying party’s allocable share of the failure to comply.

14.2     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither party shall be required to take any action or be required to refrain from taking any action prohibited, penalized or required, as applicable, under the laws of the United States, including, without limitation, the U.S. antiboycott laws.

 

  15. Miscellaneous .

15.1    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written and all contemporaneous oral negotiation, commitments and understandings of the parties. This Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties hereto.

 

7


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15.2    This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (to the extent this Agreement is assignable). Either party may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement without the other party’s consent to (i) one of its affiliates, (ii) the purchaser of substantially all of such party’s assets, (iii) the surviving entity in a merger involving such party or (iv) any financial institution providing financing to such party. Except for such assignment, no party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. Any prohibited assignment or attempted assignment without the other party’s prior written consent shall be void.

15.3    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to that state’s conflicts of laws principles or choice of law rules. The parties agree that Wilmington, Delaware shall be the exclusive forum and venue for resolving any disputed matter.

15.4    No delay or failure by either party to exercise or enforce at any time any right or provision of this Agreement shall be considered a waiver thereof or of such party’s right thereafter to exercise or enforce each and every right and provision of this Agreement. A waiver to be valid shall be in writing, but need not be supported by consideration. No single waiver shall constitute a continuing of subsequent waiver.

15.5    The rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement to the extent that any performance is required under this Agreement after such termination or expiration.

15.6    This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

15.7    The headings herein are for reference purposes only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

15.8    If any provision of this Agreement shall be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such provision shall be modified to render it legal, valid and enforceable while to the fullest extent possible preserving the business and financial intent and impact of the original provision, and the legality, validity and enforceability of all other provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

[signature page follows]

 

8


EXECUTION COPY

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.

   

Archer Pressure Pumping, LLC

By:

 

/s/ John Young

    By:  

/s/ Max Bouthillette

Name:

 

John Young

    Name:  

Max Bouthillette

Title:

 

Vice President Sales

    Title:  

VP and General Counsel

 

9


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APPENDIX A

Specifications

As of the Effective Date of this Agreement the standards of ISO 13503-2 and API RP 19C are identical and as indicated below.

 

     ISO 13503-2

Turbidity (NTU)

   ***

Kumbein Shape Factors:

  

Roundness

   ***

Sphericity

   ***

Clusters (%)

   ***

Sieve Analysis:

  

<0.1% of sample larger than first specified sieve size

  

            % In Size -***

   ***

            % In Size -***

   ***

            % In Size -***

   ***

            % In Size -***

   ***

<1.0% in pan

  

Solubility in 12/3 HCL/HF for 0.5 HR

@150 o F (% Weight Loss)

   ***


EXECUTION COPY

 

APPENDIX B

Product Mix Parameters

Buyer acknowledges the need for a balanced Product sales mix output from Smart Sand’s facility. Therefore, the following shall serve as a benchmark Product volume mix (the “ Initial Product Mix ”) for each month during the Term.    

 

Product

  

Minimum Monthly Volumes (Tons)

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume
  

 

Total

   100% (*** tons)
  

 

Buyer shall have an option to change the benchmark Product volume mix at the beginning of Contract Year 2 (the “ Product Mix Change Option ”) by sending written notice to Smart Sand indicating its desire to exercise the Product Mix Change Option, which option shall become effective following the expiration of forty-five (45) days from the delivery of the Product Mix Change Option notice. From and after the effectiveness of Buyer’s first exercise of the Product Mix Change Option, the following shall serve as the benchmark Product volume mix for each month during the Term:

 

Product

  

Minimum Monthly Volumes (Tons)

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume

***

   *** of Minimum Monthly Volume
  

 

Total

   100% (*** tons)
  

 

 


EXECUTION COPY

 

APPENDIX C

Product Pricing

Contract Prices are the sum of annual Base Prices and Quarterly fuel surcharges, as detailed below. Pricing for

shipments each month should be based on the Contract Prices for the most recent quarter.

 

1) Base Prices starting during Contract Year 1 will be based upon the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter (the “ Oil Price Average ”) ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=Oil Price Average) as follows:

 

    

Base Price Based Upon Preceding Calendar Quarter Oil Price Average (per barrel)

Product    Less than $***   

At least $***

and less than

$***

  

At least $***

and less than

$***

   At least $***

***

   ***    ***    ***    ***

***

   ***    ***    ***    ***

***

   ***    ***    ***    ***

 

2) Base Prices are subject to quarterly diesel and natural gas/propane fuel surcharges adjustments, starting on the Execution Date, with details below:

Natural Gas Surcharge : A Natural Gas Surcharge will be applied if the Average Natural Gas Price (ANGP) as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per MMBTU, and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the Agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per MMBTU increase for the ANGP for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the ANGP for a prior quarter averages *** per MMBTU, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for January, February and March is ***, then ***will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is *** or less, then *** will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.

Propane Surcharge : A Propane Surcharge will be applied if the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot Price (AMBTX) as listed on WWW.EIA.GOV (http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=eer_epllpa_pf4_y44mb_dpg&f=m) for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per gallon of Propane ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=AMBTX), and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the Agreement. A surcharge of $*** per ton for every *** per gallon increase in the AMBTX for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the AMBTX for a prior quarter averages *** per Gallon, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot for January, February and March is ***/gallon, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of AMBTX propane for April, May and June is ***/gallon or less, then *** will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.


EXECUTION COPY

 

APPENDIX D

Testing Procedures

This schedule provides an explanation of how Smart Sand will test its Products to confirm that they are compliant with the Specifications set forth in Appendix A . All testing shall be conducted during periods when Smart Sand’s Oakdale Facility or Hixton Facility, as the case may be, is operational and not during down time. Testing shall be conducted on sand samples taken from the transfer area that leads to Smart Sand’s storage silo(s).

The testing to be performed and its frequency, shall be as follows:

 

  1. ***

 

  2. ***

 

  3. ***

 

  4. ***

Exhibit 10.11

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

EXECUTION COPY

AMENDED AND RESTATED RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT (“ Agreement ”) is made as of this 16th day of December 2015, by and between Smart Sand, Inc., having an address of 1010 Stony Hill Rd, Ste 175, Yardley, PA 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”); and Archer Pressure Pumping, LLC, having an address of 10613 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N., Suite 600, Houston Texas 77064    (“ Borrower ”).

BACKGROUND

A.    Smart Sand has agreed to sell to Borrower frac sand pursuant to a Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated August 19, 2014, as amended and restated by that certain Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated of even date herewith (as amended and restated, the “Restated PPA ”), which frac sand shall be shipped from Smart Sand’s facility via railcar.

B.    Smart Sand and Borrower are parties to that certain Railcar Usage Agreement, dated as of August 19, 2014 (the “ Original Agreement ”); and

C.    Smart Sand and Borrower desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Original Agreement, as set forth in this Agreement, to provide for the terms under which Smart Sand will lend to Borrower, and Borrower will use, *** railcars during the period ending November 30, 2017.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1.     Term . The term of this Agreement shall commence on the date hereof and expire upon the termination or November 30, 2017. All borrowed railcars will be returned to the Facility (as defined below), or another facility or location designated by Smart Sand, and all outstanding fees must be paid to Smart Sand within 30 days of termination.

2.     Railcar Usage . Smart Sand and Borrower hereby agree as follows:

A.     Smart Sand shall provide railcars exclusively to Borrower and Borrower shall use such railcars solely for the purpose of shipping frac sand pursuant to the Restated PPA from Smart Sand’s Oakdale, Wisconsin facility (the “ Facility ”). During the term, Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand a monthly fee of *** (consisting of *** for the railcar and *** for insurance coverage) for each railcar (plus all costs associated with the initial delivery of such railcar by the owner/lessor of such railcar (the “ Owner ”) to Smart Sand, such costs not to exceed *** per car) set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, which schedule may be amended at any time and from time to time upon the written consent of both parties as required to ship the volume of products to Borrower set forth in the Restated PPA. Smart Sand agrees to add the Borrower as an “additional insured” to its insurance policy relating to the railcars, and in good faith to pursue abatements, reductions and concessions from Owner on the number of railcars under rental and the monthly fee per railcar, and to provide the Borrower with the benefit of any rent abatement, reduction or other concession that Smart Sand may receive from the Owner. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower shall not have the right to review all or any portion of the railcar lease between the Owner and Smart Sand, unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Owner and Smart Sand. Once delivery of a frac sand shipment pursuant to the Restated PPA has been completed, Borrower shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure the prompt return of all borrowed railcars to the Facility. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on March 31, 2017 Borrower may sublease any railcars borrowed hereunder to one or more third parties upon (i) Borrower entering into a mutually agreeable sublease with Smart Sand, which sublease shall contain standard and customary terms and conditions, shall provide that Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand a rate of *** per railcar, and shall be subject to the Owner’s review, feedback and approval, and (ii) Borrower entering into a sublease with the third party that is leasing the railcars from Borrower, which sublease shall contain standard and customary terms and conditions and shall be subject to the Owner’s review, feedback and approval. Upon expiration of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, Borrower shall promptly, but in no event greater than ten (10) days after such termination or expiration, return all railcars to the Facility and pay to Smart Sand all amounts due and payable hereunder. If the Restated PPA is terminated or expires prior to November 30, 2017 then Borrower shall promptly, but in no event greater than ten (10) days after the termination or expiration of the Restated PPA, return all railcars to the Facility and pay to Smart Sand, in addition to all amounts due and payable hereunder, all remaining payments to become due to Smart Sand hereunder plus all early termination fees payable by Smart Sand to all Owners of the railcars pursuant to Smart Sand’s lease with such Owners. By way of example, if the Restated PPA terminates and *** are borrowed pursuant to this Agreement, and, but for the Restated


EXECUTION COPY

 

PPA’s termination there would have been twelve (12) months remaining under the term of this Agreement, the accelerated sum of *** will become immediately due and payable to Smart Sand (12 months x *** cars x ***), plus all fees payable by Smart Sand to each Owner pursuant to its lease. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, at the time of termination or expiration, another customer has expressed to Smart Sand an interest in borrowing railcars from Smart Sand (and Borrower has not exercised its right to sublease the railcars as set forth above), then Smart Sand shall use reasonable efforts to provide all or any portion of the railcars subject to this Agreement to such customer, after which Borrower shall have no further obligation to pay monthly fees for any railcar transferred to such customer (so long as such customer is paying a monthly fee of at least *** per car per month); provided , however , that Borrower shall remain fully liable to pay for any railcars that are not transferred in accordance with the provisions above; and provided , further , that Borrower shall promptly reimburse Smart Sand for all expenses incurred by Smart Sand in transferring such railcars to such customer (including, without limitation, reasonably attorneys’ fees and transportation expenses), and, if such customer pays a rate less than the *** per car per month, then Borrower shall promptly pay to Smart Sand an amount equal to the difference between *** and the amount paid by such new customer, multiplied by the number of cars transferred to such customer, multiplied by the number of months remaining in this Agreement (((***-New Customer Rate) * Number of Transferred Cars) * Number of Remaining Months).

B.     Borrower will preserve in good condition Smart Sand’s railcars and will not alter the structure of such railcars. The railcars shall be used exclusively within the continental United States and/or between Canada and the continental United States. All cross border fees/duty/taxes associated with usage of the railcars to and from Canada shall be borne by the Borrower. The Borrower shall return the borrowed cars empty and clean.

C.    During the time while the railcars are borrowed, Borrower assumes the entire responsibility for the railcars and shall be responsible and liable to Smart Sand for any and all damage to or destruction of same, except for damage caused by normal wear and tear and for damage that is covered under Smart Sand’s insurance policy related to the railcars. Smart Sand shall not be liable for loss of or damage to the product or any part thereof that may be handled or stored in the borrowed railcars. Borrower assumes responsibility for, and indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from, any such loss or damage or claim therefore, except where such loss or damage is caused solely by Smart Sand’s negligence. Borrower indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from any liability resulting from injuries to persons or damage to property arising out of or in connection with the use of borrowed railcars except when caused solely by Smart Sand’s negligence.

3.     Amounts Payable . The parties agree that the outstanding amounts due and payable under Section 2A of the Original Agreement for or with respect to period prior to the date hereof are reflected on Invoice No. *** and that such amounts shall be paid in accordance with the terms of such invoices.

4.     Relationship of Parties . Smart Sand and Borrower acknowledge and agree that their relationship is that of contracting parties and independent contractors only, and neither is the partner, employee, joint venturer or agent of the other.

5.     Governing Law; Interpretation . This Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware and without regard to customary principles of interpretation and construction of legal instruments which construe ambiguities against the party causing an instrument to be drafted. For purposes of this Agreement, the neuter shall include the masculine and feminine, the masculine shall include the feminine, the feminine shall include the masculine, the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular, as the context may require.

6.     Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

7.     Amendment . Other than an amendment to Schedule A attached hereto in accordance with Section 2A., this Agreement may only be amended by a written document executed by Smart Sand and Borrower.

[signature page follows]

 


EXECUTION COPY

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to this Agreement have executed this Amended and Restated Railcar Usage Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:  

John Young

Title:  

Vice President of Sales

ARCHER PRESSURE PUMPING, LLC
By:  

/s/ Max Bouthillette

Name:  

Max Bouthillette

Title:  

VP and General Counsel

 


Schedule A

Railcars

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***


***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

Exhibit 10.12

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made and entered into as of this 15th day of November, 2013 (“Effective Date”) by and between Smart Sand, Inc. a Delaware Corporation, with a place of business at 1010 Stony Hill Rd., Suite 175, Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”) and EOG Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with a place of business at 421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 150, Fort Worth, Texas 76102 (“ EOG ”).

RECITALS

A.    Whereas, Smart Sand mines, processes and sells certain industrial sand products; and

B.    Whereas, Smart Sand and EOG desire to enter into an agreement setting forth the terms under which Smart Sand will mine, process and sell such products to EOG, based on firm monthly and yearly commitments as more particularly described herein, from Smart Sand’s mine and processing facility located in Oakdale, Wisconsin.

AGREEMENT

Now therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.      Products, Forecasts and Quantity Commitments

1.1    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Term (as defined in Section 7.1) of this Agreement, Smart Sand agrees to sell and deliver to EOG, and EOG agrees to purchase and accept from Smart Sand, *** frac sand products (or other size Products on an as agreed basis) mined and processed at Smart Sand’s facility in Oakdale, Wisconsin based on the specifications (the “ Specifications ”) set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated by reference (each a “ Product ” and collectively, the “ Products ”), and based on the product mix specified in Appendix B attached hereto and incorporated by reference, subject to the tonnage requirements as follows:

 

Contract Year

  

Minimum

Tons per Year

1    ***
2    ***
3    ***
4*    ***
5*    ***
6*    ***

Contract Years 1, 2 and 3 constitute the “Initial Term”.

*    Indicates years that are only applicable in the event EOG exercises its options under Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

†    Indicates amounts subject to adjustment upon exercise of EOG’s additional purchase options, as set forth Section 1.8. “Minimum Tons per Year” shall mean the tons of Product EOG commits to purchase during a Contract Year, whether the base volume or through the exercise of the Options.

 

1


1.2    For purposes of this Agreement, a “ Contract Year ” shall mean (i) the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending at 11:59 p.m. on the day immediately preceding the one year anniversary of the Effective Date and (ii) for each other Contract Year during the Term, the annual period beginning on applicable anniversary of the Effective Date and ending at 11:59 p.m. on the day immediately preceding the one year anniversary of the commencement of the applicable annual period. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Effective Date is November 1, 2013, then Contract Year 1 will consist of November 1, 2013 through October 31, 2014, Contract Year 2 will consist of November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015, Contract Year 3 will consist of November 1, 2015 through October 31, 2016, and continuing in this manner until the expiration of the Term.

1.3    Except as otherwise agreed by the parties, EOG shall provide Smart Sand with an initial *** non-binding forecast for all Product requirements prior to the first month of delivery in the first Contract Year hereunder for each quarter. On a monthly basis, after issuance of the initial *** forecast as specified above, and on or before the first day of each ensuing calendar month, EOG shall update its forecast to maintain a *** rolling forecast (each such forecast, a “ Forecast ”).

1.4     In no event will Smart Sand be required to provide to EOG in any given month during the Term an aggregate quantity of Products exceeding *** tons during Contract Year 1 and *** tons during and after Contract Year 2; provided , however , that if EOG exercises its options to purchase additional Products, as set forth in Section 1.8, then the foregoing maximum monthly amount shall be increased by *** of the Minimum Tons per Year EOG elects to purchase. EOG shall have the first right, but not the obligation, to purchase additional *** (over and above the *** ton or *** ton annual commitment, as applicable) Product each Contract Year, under the terms and at the price provided for herein, during the Term of this Agreement (the “ Right of First Refusal ”). Smart Sand may only sell such quantities of *** Product to third parties as are specifically refused by EOG in writing; provided , however , that EOG shall have no right to specify price or other commercial terms of such third party sales as a condition of its refusal. Any refusal of sand or partial waiver of EOG’s Right of First Refusal (regardless of whether such refusal or partial waiver is for a specified quantity in tons of Product, period of time or otherwise) shall not terminate EOG’s Right of First Refusal for any and all sand not specifically refused or waived by EOG in writing. Smart Sand may only sell *** to third parties, pursuant to *** (the “ Third Party Products ”), if Smart Sand has first provided EOG with written notice of its intent to enter into a third party agreement(s) and EOG has subsequently provided Smart Sand with written notice of its election not to exercise its Right of First Refusal prior to Smart Sand and such third parties entering into such agreement(s). In the event EOG elects, in writing, not to exercise its Right of First Refusal, EOG may only exercise the Right of First Refusal in each Contract Year for the amount of *** equal to *** tons minus the aggregate Third Party Products that Smart Sand has committed to sell for such Contract Year minus the Minimum Tons per Year EOG elects to purchase in such Contract Year.

1.5    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that EOG purchases less than the Minimum Tons per Year stated in Section 1.1 above during any Contract Year during the Term and has not, ***, purchased an amount exceeding *** (“ Prior Excess ”) by an amount greater than or equal to any such shortfall, EOG shall pay to Smart Sand, on or before the date which is *** after receipt of an invoice from Smart Sand, an amount (a “ True-Up Payment ”) equal to (i) the applicable Contract Price (as determined pursuant to Appendix C attached hereto and incorporated by reference) for the applicable Contract Year multiplied by the difference between the applicable Minimum Tons per Year stated above and the actual tons purchased by the EOG during such Contract Year (“ Actual Tons ”) for any Product below the cumulative initial *** tons EOG committed to purchase; (ii) plus *** multiplied by the difference between the Minimum Tons per Year and *** Tons for any Product above the cumulative initial *** tons EOG committed to Purchase; (iii) minus the Prior Excess multiplied by the applicable Contract Price; provided , however , that EOG may choose to defer payment of a True-Up Payment by applying the net tons for the applicable Contract Year to the Tonnage Deferment Amount (as defined in Section 1.6 below), provided that the aggregate amount of net tons applied to the Tonnage Deferment Amount during the Initial Term does not exceed the Maximum Deferment Amount (as defined in Section 1.6).

1.6    For purposes of this Agreement, the “ Tonnage Deferment Amount ” shall mean, at any given time during the Initial Term or Renewal Term, the aggregate amount of net tons that have been applied by EOG to the Tonnage Deferment Amount, in accordance with Section 1.5 above, in an amount not to exceed *** of the

 

2


committed annual volume of Product (the “ Maximum Deferment Amount ”). For example, (a) during Contract Year 1 the Maximum Deferment Amount will be *** tons, (b) commencing on Contract Year 2 (and assuming that EOG does not exercise the Options (as defined in Section 1.8(A)), the Maximum Deferment Amount will be *** tons, and (c) if EOG exercises the Options, the Maximum Deferment Amount will be ***. Within *** after completion of the Initial Term or Renewal Term, whichever is later, EOG shall pay to Smart Sand (the “ Deferment Payment ”) an amount equal to the sum of (i) the net tons applied to the Tonnage Deferment Amount during the Term which remain deferred upon expiration of the Term, if any, multiplied by (ii) the Contract Price in effect upon completion of the Term.

1.7    Upon payment of the Deferment Payment, EOG shall have twelve (12) months to take delivery of the deferred Products. Smart Sand shall deliver to EOG the Products that have been and remain deferred pursuant to the Tonnage Deferment Amount, under a reasonable and mutually agreeable delivery schedule. If EOG does not timely take delivery of some or all of such Products, EOG shall not be entitled to any refund of all or any portion of the Deferment Payment made to Smart Sand and EOG shall forfeit any title to or right to receive the amount of Products that EOG has chosen not to receive.

1.8    Smart Sand will construct a new sand dry processing plant located in Oakdale, Wisconsin (the “ New Facility ”), which must commence operations no later than the beginning of Contract Year 2.

(A)    Commencing on the first day of Contract Year 2 and continuing until the *** after the commencement of Contract Year 3 (the “ Options Exercise Period ”), EOG shall have the options to purchase up to an additional *** tons of *** Products per year for the remainder of the Initial Term, which EOG may exercise by providing written notice to Smart Sand prior to the expiration of the Options Exercise Period (the “ Options ”). If EOG exercises its Options, EOG will be committed for the remainder of the Initial Term to the Minimum Monthly Volumes set forth in Appendix B at “Options Exercise”, subject to adjustment as provided in (B) below. In the event EOG exercises its rights to renew this Agreement for the first, second or third Renewal Term, as applicable, EOG shall, at the time of delivery of EOG’s written notice(s) to Smart Sand of EOG’s intent to renew, provide Smart Sand with written notice of the amount of Product that EOG will commit to purchase during the following one year Renewal Term; provided , however , EOG may not increase or decrease its Minimum Tons per Year for the following Renewal Term by more than *** of the Minimum Tons per Year EOG committed to purchase in the prior Contract Year; provided , further , that in no event shall the Minimum Tons per Year be less than *** tons.

(B)    If the New Facility is not capable of producing the then-applicable Minimum Monthly Volumes, as set forth in Appendix B , then: (i) if such incapability occurs during or after Contract Year 2 and the Options has not been exercised, (a) the price of Products, during the period commencing on the first day of Contract Year 2 and ending on the day in which the New Facility is capable of producing *** tons of Products per month, shall be *** per ton, subject to any increases provided for in Appendix C , and (b) the commitment to purchase Products shall be reduced for Contract Year 2 and each subsequent Contract Year until the New Facility is capable of producing *** tons of Product per month, by an amount equal to *** divided by 365 multiplied by the number of days between the beginning of the applicable Contract Year and the day in which the New Facility is capable of producing *** tons of Product per month; or (ii) if such incapability occurs during or after Contract Year 2 and after the Options have been exercised (if such exercise occurs), (a) the price of Products, during the period commencing on the first day of Contract Year 2 and ending on the day in which the New Facility is capable of producing *** of the tons of Products EOG elects to purchase in a Contract Year per month, shall be *** per ton, subject to any increases provided for in Appendix C , and (b) the commitment to purchase Products after exercise of the Options shall be reduced in the first Contract Year in which the applicable option is exercised, and each subsequent Contract Year until the New Facility is capable of producing *** of the tons of Product EOG elects to purchase in a Contract Year per month, by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of Product EOG elects to purchase in a Contract Year and *** divided by 365 multiplied by the number of days between the beginning of the Contract Year and the day in which the New Facility is capable of producing *** of the tons of Product EOG elects to purchase in a Contract Year per month.

 

3


(C)    The parties intend and agree that the Options and the Right of First Refusal are for commercial convenience, based on EOG’s need for the Product, and are not intended to be regulated as options under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended by the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

1.9    EOG shall issue purchase orders or other mutually agreeable documentation to Smart Sand setting forth the quantities of Products, applicable prices, requested ship dates, destination of shipment and other details related to a specific order.

1.10    The terms and conditions of this Agreement are the controlling terms and conditions for the purchase of Products by EOG. The printed terms and conditions of any purchase order, acknowledgment form, invoice or other business form of EOG and Smart Sand shall not apply to any order. EOG and Smart Sand agree that any purchase order issued, acknowledgment form, invoice or other business form of EOG or Smart Sand is for quantity and timing purposes only, and such documents do not form the basis of any contract.

2.     Price and Payment Terms

2.1    The pricing for the Products for each Contract Year shall be as set forth on Appendix C attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (“ Contract Price ”). Smart Sand agrees that all Products ordered by EOG will be loaded onto EOG supplied railcars and shipped as specified in the purchase order or other mutually agreeable documentation, provided , however , that (i) EOG agrees to comply with all reasonable freight scheduling mechanisms and timeframes designated by Smart Sand in writing to EOG from time to time, and (ii) all railcars supplied by EOG will be set up to receive unpackaged Products, and delivery of the Products shall occur upon the transfer of Products into the applicable railcar via a delivery chute. Delivery will be, and all prices are quoted, FCA Smart Sand’s rail spur facility located in Oakdale, Wisconsin, Incoterms 2010. For the avoidance of doubt, all rail and shipping costs, including, without limitation, insurance costs, shall be borne exclusively by EOG. The Contract Price shall be subject to adjustments implemented during the Term in accordance with the terms set forth in Appendix C .

2.2    Unless separately stated otherwise on an invoice, prices quoted by Smart Sand do not include sales, VAT, use or similar taxes. And such taxes, fees, duties, and customs charges imposed on Smart Sand, except for income, profits, franchise or other such taxes, in the country or area of operations shall be reimbursed to Smart Sand by EOG, unless an exemption from the Wisconsin state and local sales tax is applicable. The provisions of this clause shall continue after termination of this Agreement.

2.3    Smart Sand shall invoice EOG upon shipment of Products. Payment by EOG shall be due and payable within *** after the date of invoice. Past due invoices are subject to a monthly service charge at a rate equal to the lesser of *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law.

2.4    Upon placing this instrument with an attorney for collection of undisputed past due payments or repossession of Products, EOG shall reimburse Smart Sand for reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other taxable expenses incurred by Smart Sand to enforce the terms and conditions stated herein.

3.     Specifications

In the event EOG desires to change the Specifications, a request for change shall be submitted to Smart Sand in writing. Smart Sand must agree to any such changes in writing prior to amendment of the Specifications. Smart Sand shall notify EOG of any adjustment to the Contract Prices resulting from the changes to the Specifications requested by EOG. EOG must agree to the adjustment to the Contract Prices in writing prior to any amendment of the Specifications.

 

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4.      Delivery

4.1    The Products shall be delivered in accordance with Section 2.1 of this Agreement. EOG may store up to *** railcars (*** railcars after exercise of the Options) at Smart Sand’s Oakdale, Wisconsin facility to be used solely to “hook and haul” (i.e. one-half of the cars will be dropped off empty and one-half of the cars will be promptly removed) the Products. Smart Sand reserves the right to charge EOG a storage fee of *** per car per day for any EOG controlled rail car that remains at Smart Sand’s rail facility longer than *** after the complete unit train (approximately ***) is fully loaded with Product, which amount shall increase to *** per car per day for any car that remains at Smart Sand’s rail facility longer than *** after being fully loaded with Product.

4.2    In the event that, during a consecutive *** period, Smart Sand is unable to supply an average of at least *** of the Products requested by EOG and provided that Smart Sand’s inability to supply is not the result of an Excusable Delay under Section 9 below that continues for a period of less than ***, then EOG shall have the option, but not the obligation, to reduce the Minimum Tons per Year EOG is obligated to purchase to the Minimum Tons per Year that Smart Sand is capable of supplying, and the Minimum Monthly Volume EOG is obligated to purchase shall be reduced accordingly. In the event Smart Sand becomes capable of producing the original Minimum Tons per Year (the Minimum Tons per Year EOG committed to purchase prior to being reduced by EOG) not later than *** after EOG elects to reduce the Minimum Tons per Year, EOG shall have the option, but not the obligation, to increase the Minimum Tons per Year back to the original Minimum Tons per Year, proportionately reduced by the number of days in which the Minimum Tons per Year were reduced.

5.     Inspection

Smart Sand shall test the Products in accordance with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D attached hereto and incorporated by reference for compliance with the Specifications. Smart Sand shall retain all testing records for a period of *** and shall, at EOG’s request, supply to EOG a copy of Smart Sand’s test sheets, certified by Smart Sand to be a true copy. Because deliveries made pursuant to this Agreement shall be via large individual loads by rail, any inspection by EOG can be made at the point of loading. EOG may, at its expense, have a representative at Smart Sand’s facility for the purpose of such inspection. Any Products not conforming to Specifications as determined by the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D prior to delivery are hereby rejected. Any such Products shall promptly be replaced by Smart Sand at no expense to EOG.

6.     Warranty

6.1    Smart Sand warrants to EOG that Smart Sand shall have complied in all material respects with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D with respect to each Product. All Products delivered to EOG shall meet the Specifications.

6.2    EOG acknowledges that Products may become damaged by improper handling after leaving Smart Sand’s facility or terminal and that Smart Sand shall have no obligation to replace such damaged Products, except to the extent such damage is caused, in whole or in part, by the negligence or willful acts of Smart Sand, and its employees, contractors, agents and representatives.

6.3    THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES. SMART SAND MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PRODUCTS.

7.     Term and Termination

7.1    This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”), and shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 3 (the “Term”) unless sooner terminated as provided herein. This Agreement may be renewed by EOG for three additional one-year terms (each a “Renewal Term”, and together with the Initial Term, collectively, the “Term”) upon delivery of written notice to Smart Sand of EOG’s intent to renew no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term, or first or second

 

5


Renewal Term, as applicable. If the EOG exercises its right to renew the agreement for the first Renewal Term but does not exercise its right for a second Renewal Term, the Agreement shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 4 and there shall be no further right of renewal. If the EOG exercises its right to renew the Agreement for the first and second Renewal term but does not exercise its right for a third Renewal Term, the Agreement shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 5 and there shall be no further right of renewal. If the EOG exercises its right to renew the Agreement for the first, second and third Renewal Term but does not exercise its right for a fourth Renewal Term, the Agreement shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 6 and there shall be no further right of renewal.

7.2    (a) Either party may terminate this Agreement, immediately upon written notice to the other party, (i) if such other party is in material breach of any of its obligations under the Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days (fifteen (15) for the nonpayment of money) after receipt of written notice thereof from such other party or (ii) if such other party is insolvent or makes any arrangement with its creditors generally, or has a receiver appointed for all or a substantial part of its business of properties, or an insolvency, bankruptcy of similar proceeding is brought by or against such other party and involving such other party is not dismissed within sixty (60) business days of its institution, or if such other party goes into liquidation or otherwise ceases to function as a going concern.

(b) If an Excusable Delay set forth in Section 9 continues for a period of at least ninety (90) days then the party not claiming Excusable Delay may, at its option, immediately upon written notice to the other party, elect to terminate this Agreement.

7.3    In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 7.2, this Agreement shall immediately become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of any party hereto; provided , that (i) any such termination shall not relieve any party from liability for any willful breach of this Agreement or any fraud and (ii) the provisions of this Section 7.3 (Effect of Termination) and Sections 8 (Confidentiality), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 11 (Notices), 12 (Resolution of Disputes) and 15 (Miscellaneous) of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement.

7.4    Notwithstanding the anything to the contrary in Section 7.3, in the event EOG terminates this Agreement pursuant to Sections 7.2(a)(i) or (ii), or either party terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.2(b), EOG shall pay, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of an invoice from Smart Sand, all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination. In the event Smart Sand terminates this Agreement pursuant to Sections 7.2(i) or (ii), EOG shall pay, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of an invoice from Smart Sand, an amount equal to:

 

  (A) all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination; plus

 

  (B) an amount equal to: (i) *** multiplied by the difference between *** and the actual tons purchased by the EOG during the Term, plus (ii) *** multiplied by the difference between the amount of tons in excess of *** that EOG has committed to purchase during the Term and the actual tons in excess of *** purchased by EOG during the Term. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event EOG makes any Deferred Payment(s) and/or True-Up Payment(s) during the Term, it shall be treated as though the net tons applied to or relating to such payments were delivered by Smart Sand and purchased and received by EOG.

For example, if upon termination, (i) EOG previously purchased *** tons of Product during the Term but failed to purchase and receive *** tons, then EOG shall pay Smart Sand *** times *** tons for total liquidated damages of ***, or (ii) EOG previously purchased *** tons of Product during the Term but had committed to purchasing *** tons of Product, then EOG shall pay Smart Sand *** times *** tons for total liquidated damages of ***.

 

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  8. Confidentiality

8.1    The parties acknowledge that either party may disclose (orally or in writing) to the other confidential and proprietary information relating to the Products or each party’s business, including but not limited to this Agreement and in particular the price terms (together the “ Confidential Information ”). Each party agrees that it will keep the Confidential Information of the other party disclosed to it and the existence of this Agreement in confidence by using at least the same degree of care to prevent unauthorized disclosure or use thereof as such party uses to protect its own confidential information of like nature, and that it will not knowingly disclose, directly or indirectly, any item of Confidential Information or the existence of this Agreement, or any part thereof, to any person, without the prior written consent of the disclosing party, except only to those of the recipient’s employees, contractors, agents and representatives who need to know the same in the performance of their duties for the recipient in connection with this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the parties may disclose this Agreement, including the price terms, to (i) third-parties who own working interests in oil and/or gas wells where the Product is delivered and/or used, (ii) their attorneys, (iii) their bankers and lenders to the extent necessary to comply with loan covenants and disclosure requirements imposed by their loan documents, (iv) their accountants and auditors, and (v) to any government authority in accordance with any law, rule or regulation.

8.2    The parties’ non-disclosure obligations restrictions hereunder shall continue with respect to any item of Confidential Information until the earlier of the expiration of two (2) years following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, or until such item: (a) is or has become publicly available; or (b) was in the possession of, or known by, the recipient without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (c) has been disclosed to the recipient by an unrelated third party, without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (d) has been independently developed by the recipient.

 

  9. Excusable Delay

Upon providing the other party notice and reasonably full particulars of an event of force majeure (as described below) in writing, within a reasonable time after the occurrence of such event of force majeure, such party shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform to the extent caused by fire, flood, adverse weather conditions, explosion, war, riot, embargo, labor disputes, strike, shortage of utilities, material or labor, delay in transportation, compliance with any laws, regulations, orders, acts or requirements from the government, civil or military authorities, government-mandated facility shutdowns or limitations, acts of God or the public enemy, or any other act or event of any nature reasonably beyond such party’s control. In such circumstances, the party not claiming force majeure may, at its option, elect to cancel the portion of any order subject to such delay by providing to the other party prompt written notice of its election, provided that , such cancellation shall apply only to that portion of the order affected by the foregoing circumstances and the balance of the order shall continue in full force and effect. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Smart Sand’s production capacity is impaired as a result of one or more of the foregoing events of force majeure, then the Minimum Tons per Year, for the Contract Year(s) in which the event(s) of force majeure occur, shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Minimum Tons Per Year divided by 365 multiplied by the number of days in the Contract Year that Smart Sand’s production capacity is impaired as a result of such event(s) of force majeure.

 

  10.     LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST GOODWILL, LOST PROFITS, WORK STOPPAGE OR IMPAIRMENT OF OTHER GOODS, AND WHETHER ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR IF SUCH DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN.

 

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  11. Notice

Any notice or other communication hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective when delivered personally, by fax, by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or by overnight carrier, addressed to a party at its address stated below or to such other address as such party may designate by written notice to the other party in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

 

To Smart Sand:

  

Smart Sand, Inc.

  

1010 Stony Hill Rd., Suite 175

  

Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067

  

Attention: Andrew Speaker

  

Facsimile: 215.295.7911

With a copy to:

  

Fox Rothschild LLP

  

997 Lenox Drive, 3rd Floor

  

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

  

Attn: James D. Young

  

Facsimile: 609.896.1469

To EOG:

  

EOG Resources, Inc.

  

19100 Ridgewood Parkway, Bldg. 2

  

San Antonio, Texas 78259

  

Attn: Bobby Sanders

  

Facsimile: 210.403.7805

With a copy to:

  

EOG Resources, Inc.

  

421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 150

  

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

  

Attn: General Manager, Shared Services

 

  12. Resolution of Disputes

Nothing herein shall prohibit a party from availing itself of a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of injunctive relief. The parties acknowledge and agree that the respective parties may have available to them laws or remedies available under applicable law; it is the intent of the parties to have the terms of this Agreement apply in every instance, including, without limitation, the choice of law provisions and the respective parties agree not to avail themselves of such alternate local legislation or remedies available thereunder. The parties acknowledge that this is a fundamental foundation for the risk allocation undertaken in this Agreement and should this provision be breached it would deny the other party the full benefit of its risk allocation and the agreed pricing structure.

 

  13. Compliance with Law

13.1    Subject to the limitations of this Agreement, it is agreed that in the performance of this Agreement all matters shall be conducted in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws, rules and regulations in the area(s) in which the matters are being conducted. If either party is required to pay any fine or penalty, or is subject to a claim from the other party’s failure to comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, the party failing to comply shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the other party for all damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees, fees and/or fines for such failure to comply to the extent of the indemnifying party’s allocable share of the failure to comply.

13.2     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither party shall be required to take any action or be required to refrain from taking any action prohibited, penalized or required, as applicable, under the laws of the United States, including, without limitation, the U.S. antiboycott laws.

 

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  14. Assignment

This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (to the extent this Agreement is assignable). Neither party may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement in whole or in part, assign any of its rights hereunder nor delegate any of its obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party. Any such prohibited assignment or attempted assignment without the other party’s prior written consent shall be void.

 

  15. Miscellaneous .

15.1    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written and all contemporaneous oral negotiation, commitments and understandings of the parties. This Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties hereto.

15.2    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Texas without giving effect to that state’s conflicts of laws principles or choice of law rules. Venue for the resolution of all disputes hereunder shall exclusively be in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

15.3    No delay or failure by either party to exercise or enforce at any time any right or provision of this Agreement shall be considered a waiver thereof or of such party’s right thereafter to exercise or enforce each and every right and provision of this Agreement. A waiver to be valid shall be in writing, but need not be supported by consideration. No single waiver shall constitute a continuing of subsequent waiver.

15.4    The rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement to the extent that any performance is required under this Agreement after such termination or expiration.

15.5    This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

15.6    The headings herein are for reference purposes only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

15.7    If any provision of this Agreement shall be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such provision shall be modified to render it legal, valid and enforceable while to the fullest extent possible preserving the intent of the original provision, and the legality, validity and enforceability of all other provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby

[remainder of page intentionally blank]

 

9


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.   EOG Resources, Inc.
  By:  

/s/ Andrew Speaker

    By:  

/s/ William R. Thomas

  Name:  

Andrew Speaker

    Name:  

William R. Thomas

  Title:  

CEO

    Title:  

President & CEO


APPENDIX A

Specifications

 

     ISO 13503-2

Turbidity (NTU)

   ***

Kumbein Shape Factors:

  

Roundness

   ***

Sphericity

   ***

Clusters (%)

   ***

Sieve Analysis:

  

<0.1% of sample larger than first specified sieve size

  

% In Size -***

   ***

% In Size -***

   ***

% In Size -***

   ***

*** % In Size -***

   ***

<1.0% in pan

  

Solubility in 12/3 HCL/HF for 0.5 HR @150 o F (% Weight Loss)

   ***


APPENDIX B

Product Mix Parameters

The Products sold hereunder shall consist entirely of *** size and the minimum monthly volume during the Term shall be as follows:

 

    

Minimum Monthly

Volumes (Tons)

Base Volume (Contract Year 1)    ***
Base Volume (Contract Year 2 and thereafter)    ***
Options Exercise    *** of the amount of Product EOG elects to purchase each Contract Year

EOG and Smart Sand acknowledge that they may, but are not obligated to, agree to substitute other size Products ( i.e. , ***) for Products contemplated to be purchased pursuant to this Agreement if such other Products are available for sale and EOG and Smart Sand can agree upon a price for the same.


APPENDIX C

Product Pricing

Contract Prices are the sum of annual Base Prices and Quarterly fuel surcharges, as detailed below. Pricing for shipments each month should be based on the Contract Prices for the most recent quarter.

 

  1) Base Prices are as follows:

 

Product

  

Base Prices ($ / Ton) aggregate amount of

Product ordered during Contract Term of

1 to *** tons

  

Base Prices ($ / Ton) aggregate amount

of Product ordered during Contract

Term of *** tons and above

*** Frac Sand    ***    ***

The foregoing prices are subject to adjustment as provided in Section 1.8(B). Commencing at the beginning of Contract Year 4 (if the Term is extended pursuant to Section 7.1) and continuing for each Contract Year thereafter if any, Base Prices will be increased annually in an amount equal to the year over year increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) – All items, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

  2) Quarterly diesel and natural gas/propane fuel surcharges adjustments, starting on the first quarter of Contract Year 1, with details below:

Natural Gas Surcharge : A Natural Gas Surcharge will be applied if the Average Natural Gas Price (ANGP) as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per MMBTU, and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per MMBTU increase for the ANGP for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the ANGP for a prior quarter averages *** per MMBTU, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for January, February and March is ***, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is *** or less, then $0 will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.

[Appendix C continues on following page]


Propane Surcharge : A Propane Surcharge will be applied if the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot Price (AMBTX) as listed on WWW.EIA.GOV (http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=eer_epllpa_pf4_y44mb_dpg&f=m)

for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per gallon of Propane ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=AMBTX), and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per gallon increase in the AMBTX for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the AMBTX for a prior quarter averages *** per Gallon, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot for January, February and March is ***/gallon, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is ***/gallon or less, then $0 will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.


APPENDIX D

Testing Procedures

This schedule provides an explanation of how Smart Sand will test its Products to confirm that they are compliant with the Specifications set forth in Appendix A. All testing shall be conducted during periods when Smart Sand’s facility in Oakdale, Wisconsin (or any other facility owned and operated by Smart Sand during the Term, as the case may be), is operational and not during down time. Testing shall be conducted on sand samples taken from the transfer area that leads to Smart Sand’s storage silo(s).

The testing to be performed and its frequency, shall be as follows:

 

  1. ***

 

  2. ***

 

  3. ***

 

  4. ***

EOG or its representative(s) may be present to witness the testing and may, at EOG’s cost, conduct its own testing.

Exhibit 10.13

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

FIRST AMENDMENT TO MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This First Amendment to Master Product Purchase Agreement (“Amendment”) is made and entered into as of this the 15th day of November, 2014 (“Effective Date”) by and between Smart Sand, Inc. a Delaware Corporation, with a place of business at 1010 Stony Hill Rd., Suite 175, Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067 (“Smart Sand”) and EOG Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with a place of business at 421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 150, Fort Worth, Texas 76102 (“EOG”).

WHEREAS, EOG and Smart Sand entered into that certain Master Product Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) effective November 15, 2013;

WHEREAS, pursuant to section 1.8(A) of the Agreement, EOG exercised its option to purchase an additional *** tons of *** Products per year for the remainder of the Initial Term of the Agreement, effective October 1, 2014 (the “Exercise”); and

WHEREAS, EOG and Smart Sand desire to amend the Agreement as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged and confessed, EOG and Smart Sand do hereby agree as follows:

1.    Section 1.1 of the Agreement is deleted in its entirety and is replaced with the following:

1.1     Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Term (as defined in Section 7.1) of this Agreement, Smart Sand agrees to sell and deliver to EOG, and EOG agrees to purchase and accept from Smart Sand, *** products (or other size Products on an as agreed basis) mined and processed at Smart Sand’s facility in Oakdale, Wisconsin based on the specifications (the “ Specifications ”) set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated by reference (each a “ Product ” and collectively, the “ Products ”), and based on the product mix specified in Appendix B attached hereto and incorporated by reference, subject to the tonnage requirements as follows:

 

Contract Year

  

Minimum

Tons per Year

1

   ***

2

   ***

3

   ***

4*

   ***

5*

   ***

6*

   ***

Contract Years 1, 2 and 3 constitute the “Initial Term”.


^    Includes the exercise of the Options, as set forth in Section 1.8, and the purchase by EOG of additional Products.

*    Indicates years that are only applicable in the event EOG exercises its options to renew under Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

†    Indicates amounts subject to adjustment upon exercise of the Options, as set forth Section 1.8. “Minimum Tons per Year” shall mean the tons of Product EOG commits to purchase during a Contract Year, whether the base volume or through the exercise of the Options.

2.    In no event shall Smart Sand be required to provide EOG in any given month during the Term an aggregate quantity of Products exceeding *** of the Minimum Tons per Year.

3.    Except as specifically set forth in this Amendment, EOG and Smart Sand hereby ratify and confirm each and every term of the Agreement which shall remain in full force and effect; provided, however, that in the event of any conflict between the Agreement, the Exercise and this Amendment, this Amendment shall govern and control. Unless otherwise specifically provided for in this Amendment, all capitalized terms used throughout this Amendment shall have the same meaning as such terms are defined in the Agreement.

4.    This Amendment and the Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (to the extent this Amendment and the Agreement are assignable).

IN WHITNESS WHEREOF, EOG and Smart Sand have executed this Amendment effective as of the Effective Date.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.   EOG Resources, Inc.
By:  

/s/ John Young

  By:  

/s/ William R. Thomas

Name:  

John Young

  Name:  

William R. Thomas

Title:  

VP Sales

  Title:  

Chairman and CEO

Exhibit 10.14

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Product Purchase Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of this 6th day of November, 2015 (the “ Execution Date ”) by and between Smart Sand, Inc. a Delaware Corporation, with a place of business at 1010 Stony Hill Rd., Ste 175, Yardley, PA 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”) and US Well Services LLC a Delaware limited liability company with a place of business at 770 South Post Oak Lane, Ste 405, Houston, TX 77056 (“ Buyer ”).

RECITALS

A.    Whereas, Smart Sand mines, processes and sells certain industrial sand products;

B.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer are parties to that certain Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 8 th , 2014, as amended by that certain First Amendment to Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated effective as of April 1, 2015 (as amended, the “ Original Agreement ”); and

C.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Original Agreement, as set forth in this Agreement, to provide for the terms under which Smart Sand will sell such products to Buyer, based on firm monthly and yearly commitments as more particularly described herein.

AGREEMENT

Now therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.      Products, Forecasts and Quantity Commitments

1.1    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Term of this Agreement, Smart Sand agrees to sell and deliver to Buyer, and Buyer agrees to purchase and accept from Smart Sand, frac sand products based on the specifications (the “ Specifications ”) set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated by reference (each a “ Product ” and collectively, the “ Products ”), and based on the product mix specified in Appendix B , subject to the minimum tonnage amounts as follows:

 

Contract Year

  

Minimum

Tons per Year*

1    ***
2    ***
3    ***
4    ***

 

* For all purposes of calculating compliance with the Minimum Tons per Year requirement, each ton of *** Products shall count as *** Products, as further described in Appendix B .

The Minimum Tons per Year is subject to adjustment based on railcar availability. Smart Sand will use commercially reasonable efforts to supply *** (the “Minimum Railcars”) to transport the Minimum Tons per Year. If, at any time, Smart Sand is unable to supply the Minimum Railcars, the Minimum Tons per Year shall be automatically (and without penalty) adjusted downward by an amount equal to *** by Smart Sand (***). After such reduction, the Minimum Tons per Year shall be automatically adjusted upward by *** tons for each additional railcar that Smart Sand supplies until the total number of railcars supplied by Smart Sand meets ***.


Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Smart Sand and Buyer, the number of railcars supplied by Smart Sand shall not exceed *** and the maximum tons per Contract Year of Products that Buyer is required to purchase pursuant to this Agreement shall not exceed *** tons (subject to the treatment of *** Products as further described above and in Appendix B ).

The parties agree that any amounts due and payable under the Original Agreement for or with respect to any failure to purchase a minimum amount of Products during periods prior to the Execution Date are hereby waived and released. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing waiver shall not apply to any amounts due and payable on or after the date hereof or for frac sand that was delivered but not paid for prior to the date hereof.

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as limiting either party’s right to enter into a frac sand product purchase agreement with a third party at any time.

1.2    For purposes of this Agreement: (i) the “ Interim Period ” shall mean the period beginning on the Execution Date and ending on 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2016; and (ii) a “ Contract Year ” shall mean (i) the period beginning on May 1 st of a given year and ending on 11:59 p.m. on April 30 th of the immediately following year. For the avoidance of doubt, Contract Year 1 will consist of May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017, Contract Year 2 will consist of May 1, 2017 through April 30, 2018, Contract Year 3 will consist of May 1, 2018 through April 30, 2019, and Contract Year 4 will consist of May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2020.

Buyer shall provide Smart Sand with an initial *** non-binding forecast for all Product requirements prior to the first month of delivery in the first Contract Year hereunder for each quarter. On a monthly basis, after issuance of the initial *** forecast as specified above, and on or before the first day of each ensuing calendar month, Buyer shall update its forecast to maintain a *** rolling forecast (each such forecast, a “ Forecast ”). All quantities stated for the first *** period of any Forecast shall be firm commitments of Buyer to purchase the stated quantity of each Product (each, a “ Commitment ”). Any estimate for periods between *** provided by Buyer shall be a non-binding good faith forecast of delivery requirements. If Buyer does not provide an updated Forecast in any given month, the Forecast for such month, including the *** Commitment, shall be the *** (assuming no *** Products).     

1.3    In no event will Smart Sand be required to provide to Buyer in any given month during the Term an aggregate quantity of Products exceeding *** percent of the Minimum Tons per Year for the applicable Contract Year. By way of example, given the Minimum Tons per Year for a Contract Year of *** tons of Product, the maximum tonnage of Product that Smart Sand will be required to deliver in a month is *** tons.

1.4    Subject to Section 1.5 below, in the event that Buyer purchases less than the Minimum Tons per Year stated in Section 1.1 above during any Contract Year during the Term and has not, in the prior Contract Year, purchased an amount exceeding *** (“ Prior Excess ”) by an amount greater than or equal to any such shortfall, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on or before the date which is *** following the start of the ensuing Contract Year (or within *** of notice of such shortfall, whichever is later) an amount equal to *** multiplied by the difference between the applicable Minimum Tons per Year stated above and the actual Tons purchased by the Buyer during such Contract Year (“ Actual Tons ”) plus the Prior Excess (*** * (Minimum Tons per Year – (Actual Tons + Prior Excess))) (the “ True Up Payment ”).

1.5    So long as Buyer is not in breach of this Agreement, Buyer may choose to defer up to *** Products until the end of the Term, which shall reduce the Minimum Tons per Year for any Contract Year in which any such deferral occurs by the amount so deferred in such Contract Year ***; provided , however , *** the types of Products that Buyer chooses to defer must be consistent with the product mix set forth on Appendix B ***. If, in any Contract Year, there is Prior Excess from the preceding Contract Year remaining after applying such Prior Excess to the True Up Payment in accordance with Section 1.4, then the Outstanding Deferred Tons shall be reduced by an amount equal to such remaining Prior Excess. Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on or before the date that is *** following the end of the Term an amount (the “ Cumulative Shortfall Payment ”) equal to *** multiplied by the difference between the aggregate Minimum Tons per Year during the Term (i.e. *** tons) and the actual tons of Products (including any tonnages of substituted *** at the ratio and proportion set forth in Section 1.1. and Appendix B) purchased by the Buyer during the Term (“ Cumulative Purchased

 

2


Tons ”) plus tons of Replacement Products (the resulting amount, the “ Cumulative Net Tons ”) (i.e. (i) Cumulative Net Tons = *** - (Cumulative Purchased Tons + tons of Replacement Products), and (ii) Cumulative Shortfall Payment = Cumulative Net Tons * ***. If the Cumulative Net Tons is equal to or less than 0, then the Cumulative Shortfall Payment shall be $0. If Buyer does not pay any True Up Payment when due (and fails to cure such nonpayment within *** after such True Up Payment is due), or if Buyer wrongfully rejects any Products, in addition to (and not in lieu of) any other remedies available at law or under this Agreement, Smart Sand may, in its sole discretion, eliminate Buyer’s deferral right hereunder by providing written notice of such elimination to Buyer, in which case Buyer shall promptly (but in no event greater than *** after Smart Sand’s notice) pay to Smart Sand an amount equal to the product of *** multiplied by the then Outstanding Deferred Tons.

1.6    Buyer shall issue purchase orders to Smart Sand setting forth the quantities of Products, applicable prices, requested ship dates, destination of shipment and other details related to a specific order. All purchase orders and requested ship dates are subject to written acceptance and acknowledgment by Smart Sand.

1.7    The terms and conditions of this Agreement are the controlling terms and conditions for the purchase of Products by Buyer. The printed terms and conditions of any purchase order, acknowledgment form, invoice or other business form of Buyer and Smart Sand shall not apply to any order. Buyer and Smart Sand agree that any purchase order issued by Buyer is for quantity and timing purposes only, and such purchase order does not form the basis of any contract.

2.     Price and Payment Terms

2.1    The pricing for each of the Products for each Contract Year shall be as set forth on Appendix C attached hereto and incorporated by reference (“ Contract Price ”). Smart Sand agrees that all Products ordered by Buyer will be loaded onto Smart Sand supplied railcars, which shall be provided in accordance with the Railcar Usage Agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A , and shipped as specified in the purchase order, provided , however , that (i) Buyer agrees to comply with all freight scheduling mechanisms and timeframes designated by Smart Sand in writing to Buyer from time to time, and (ii) delivery of the Products shall occur upon the transfer of Products into the applicable railcar via a delivery chute. Delivery will be, and all prices are quoted, FCA Smart Sand’s facility in which such Products are loaded onto railcars (i.e. the Oakdale Facility, the Hixton Facility (if constructed), or such other facility as determined by the mutual consent of Smart Sand and Buyer), Incoterms 2010. For the avoidance of doubt, all rail and shipping costs, including, without limitation, insurance costs, shall be borne exclusively by Buyer. Smart Sand may, at its option, pay all freight charges and transloading charges for any shipment, after which Smart Sand shall provide an invoice to Buyer for such charges and shall pay Smart Sand within *** of the date of such invoice. The Contract Price shall be subject to adjustments implemented during the Term in accordance with the terms set forth in Appendix C .

2.2    Unless stated otherwise in an order, prices quoted by Smart Sand do not include sales, VAT use or similar taxes. Any such taxes, fees, duties, and customs charges imposed on Smart Sand in the country or area of operations shall be reimbursed to Smart Sand by Buyer. The provisions of this clause shall continue after termination of this Agreement.

2.3    Smart Sand shall invoice Buyer upon shipment of Products. Other than as provided for freight charges and transloading charges in Section 2.1, payment by Buyer shall be due and payable within *** after the date of invoice. Past due invoices (including invoices for freight charges and transloading charges) are subject to a monthly service charge at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law.

2.4    Smart Sand’s Credit Department may revoke credit approval at any time and require credit enhancements such as a prepayment or a letter of credit posted by Buyer to continue performing under this Agreement. Upon placing this instrument with an attorney for collection of past due payments or repossession of Products, Buyer shall reimburse Smart Sand for reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other expenses incurred by Smart Sand to enforce the terms and conditions stated herein.

 

3


2.5    In consideration of this Agreement, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand the amount of *** (the “ Prepayment Amount ”), which is due and payable as follows: (i) *** on ***; and (ii) *** on ***. The Prepayment Amount shall be used by Smart Sand to reduce the amount payable by Buyer for Products ordered by *** per ton, which will be reflected on the invoice described in Section 2.3 as a credit to the Contract Price. The foregoing payment reduction shall cease when the aggregate payment reductions for Products purchased equal ***. Within *** after the end of each calendar quarter, Smart Sand will provide to Buyer a statement reflecting the outstanding balance of the Prepayment Amount, until the Prepayment Amount has been applied in full to the payment reductions as provided in the immediately preceding sentence.

2.6    In addition to paying the Prepayment Amount, commencing on the Execution Date and continuing on the first day of each month during the Interim Period, Smart Sand will invoice Buyer for a capacity reservation charge of *** per month (the “ Reservation Charge ”), which shall be paid by Buyer within *** after the date of each such invoice. The Reservation Charge shall be payable regardless of whether Buyer purchases any Products during any month in the Interim Period.

2.7    Any failure by Buyer to pay any portion of the Prepayment Amount or a Reservation Charge when due shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement, and, in addition to (and not in lieu of) any other rights and remedies that Smart Sand has, the entire balance of the Prepayment Amount and all unpaid Reservation Charges that have accrued or will accrue during the Interim Period shall automatically and without notice become immediately due and payable and shall accrue interest at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law, whichever is greater.

3.     Specifications

In the event Buyer desires to change the Specifications, a request for change shall be submitted to Smart Sand in writing. Smart Sand must agree to any such changes in writing prior to amendment of the Specifications, and Smart Sand is under no obligation to accept any such changes. Smart Sand shall notify Buyer of any adjustment to the Contract Prices resulting from the changes to the Specifications requested by Buyer. Buyer must agree to the adjustment to the Contract Prices in writing prior to any amendment of the Specifications.

4.      Delivery

4.1    The Products shall be delivered in accordance with Section 2.1 of this Agreement. Smart Sand reserves the right to charge Buyer a storage fee for any Buyer controlled rail car that remains at Smart Sand’s rail facility longer than *** after arrival.

4.2    In the event that Smart Sand is unable to supply Buyer’s requirements, Buyer shall have the right to purchase replacement Product (“ Replacement Products ”) from alternative sources (up to the amount that Smart Sand is unable to supply) after receipt of notification of Smart Sand’s failure to supply. Provided that Smart Sand’s inability to supply is not the result of an Excusable Delay under Section 9 below, then all Replacement Products purchased by Buyer shall be exempt from the Buyer’s requirements obligation set forth in Section 1.1 above. Except to the extent Smart Sand’s inability to supply is the result of an Excusable Delay, if the Replacement Products are purchased by Buyer at a price that is higher than the then-applicable Contract Price, Smart Sand shall be responsible for the difference between the Contract Price and the price of the Replacement Products.

5.     Inspection

Smart Sand shall test the Products in accordance with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D for compliance with the Specifications. Smart Sand shall retain all testing records for a period of *** and shall, at Buyer’s request, supply to Buyer a copy of Smart Sand’s test sheets, certified by Smart Sand to be a true copy. Because deliveries made pursuant to this Agreement shall be via large individual loads by rail, any inspection by Buyer can be made at the point of loading. Buyer may, at its expense, have a representative at Smart Sand’s facility for the purpose of such inspection.

 

4


6.     Warranty

6.1    Smart Sand warrants to Buyer that Smart Sand shall have complied in all material respects with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D attached hereto and incorporated by reference with respect to each Product.

6.2    Buyer acknowledges that Products may become damaged by improper handling after delivery and that Smart Sand shall have no obligation to replace such damaged Products.

6.3    THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES. SMART SAND MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PRODUCTS.

7.     Term and Termination

7.1    This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”), and shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 4 (the “Term”) unless sooner terminated as provided herein.

7.2    Either party may terminate this Agreement, immediately upon written notice to the other party, (i) if such other party is in material breach of any of its obligations under the Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) business days (five (5) days for the nonpayment of money except with respect to the Prepayment Amount and the Reservation Charges, in which case there is no cure period and no notice related thereto is required) after written notice thereof to such other party, or (ii) if such other party is insolvent or makes any arrangement with its creditors generally, or has a receiver appointed for all or a substantial part of its business of properties, or an insolvency, bankruptcy of similar proceeding is brought by or against such other party and involving such other party is not dismissed within 60 business days of its institution, or if such other party goes into liquidation or otherwise ceases to function as a going concern.

7.3    In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 7.2, this Agreement shall immediately become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of any party hereto; provided , that (i) any such termination shall not relieve any party from liability for any willful breach of this Agreement or any fraud, (ii) the provisions of this Section 7.3 (Effect of Termination) and Sections 7.4 (Payment), 8 (Confidentiality), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 12 (Notices), 13 (Resolution of Disputes) and 15 (Miscellaneous) of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement.

7.4    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 7.3: (i) in the event Buyer terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.2, Buyer shall pay, within thirty (30) days of the effective date of termination, all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination, payment for any Outstanding Deferred Tons at the rate of *** per ton, and all other amounts payable by Buyer hereunder that have accrued but remain unpaid at the effective date of termination, including, without limitation, railcar storage costs due and owing which have not been paid prior to termination, and any outstanding True Up Payments, and Smart Sand shall have no further obligations to pay any costs for any Replacement Products; and (ii) in the event Smart Sand terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.2, Buyer shall pay, within thirty (30) days of the effective date of termination, an amount equal to:

 

  (A) all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination; plus

 

  (B) an amount equal to: (i) ***, multiplied by (ii) the difference between the total tons of each Product that Buyer was committed to purchase hereunder and the actual tons of each Product purchased by Buyer during the Term; minus

 

5


  (C) an amount equal to the difference between: (i) the Prepayment Amount (or if the entire Prepayment Amount has not yet been paid to Smart Sand, such lesser amount that has been paid to Smart Sand in accordance with Section 2.5), and (ii) the total payment reductions for purchased Products in connection with the Prepayment Amount during the Term.

8.     Confidentiality

8.1    The parties acknowledge that either party may disclose (orally or in writing) to the other confidential and proprietary information relating to the Products or each party’s business (together the “ Confidential Information ”). Each party agrees that it will keep the Confidential Information of the other party disclosed to it in confidence by using at least the same degree of care to prevent unauthorized disclosure or use thereof as such party uses to protect its own confidential information of like nature, and that it will not knowingly disclose, directly or indirectly, any item of Confidential Information to any person, without the prior written consent of the disclosing party, except only to those of the recipient’s employees who need to know the same in the performance of their duties for the recipient in connection with this Agreement.

8.2    The parties’ non-disclosure obligations restrictions hereunder shall continue with respect to any item of Confidential Information until the earlier of the expiration of ten (10) years following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, or until such item: (a) is or has become publicly available; or (b) was in the possession of, or known by, the recipient without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (c) has been disclosed to the recipient by an unrelated third party, without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (d) has been independently developed by the recipient.

9.     Excusable Delay

Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform to the extent caused by fire, flood, adverse weather conditions, explosion, war, riot, embargo, labor disputes, strike, shortage of utilities, material or labor, delay in transportation, compliance with any laws, regulations, orders, acts or requirements from the government, civil or military authorities, government-mandated facility shutdowns or limitations, acts of God or the public enemy, or any other act or event of any nature reasonably beyond such party’s control. In such circumstances, Buyer or Smart Sand may cancel the portion of any order subject to such delay by giving prompt written notice, provided that , such cancellation shall apply only to that portion of the order effected by the foregoing circumstances and the balance of the order shall continue in full force and effect. If Smart Sand’s production capacity is impaired as a result of one of the foregoing events of force majeure, then Smart Sand will allocate to Buyer a pro rata portion of Smart Sand’s total remaining capacity taking into account Smart Sand’s impaired production capacity, Buyer’s requirements pursuant to the forecast provided by Buyer in accordance with Section 1.2, and Smart Sand’s aggregate Buyer requirements for Products under this Agreement.

10.     LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST GOODWILL, LOST PROFITS, WORK STOPPAGE OR IMPAIRMENT OF OTHER GOODS, AND WHETHER ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR IF SUCH DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN.

11.     PRODUCT NOTIFICATION

WARNING ! MATERIAL SOLD PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY CONTAIN FREE SILICA – IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, SEE MATERIAL WARNINGS AND DO NOT BREATHE DUST OR USE FOR SANDBLASTING. IF YOU BREATHE FINE SILICA DUST

 

6


POSSIBLY CONTAINED IN PRODUCTS YOU CAN SUFFER SEVERE, IRREVERSIBLE LUNG DAMAGE AND DEATH. SOME MEDICAL REPORTS STATE INHALATION OF SILICA DUST MAY CAUSE LUNG CANCER. MEDICAL REPORTS ALSO LINK BREATHING SILICA DUST TO CRIPPLING ARTHRITIS AND SKIN AND EYE IRRITATION. NEVER USE PRODUCTS CONTAINING SILICA DUST WITHOUT NIOSH/MSHA APPROVED RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Buyer acknowledges the above warning and assumes responsibility and shall be liable for communicating this warning and providing to its employees, contractors and/or agents any equipment necessary for their protection.

12.     Notice

Any notice or other communication hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective when delivered personally, by fax (and confirmed by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested), or by overnight carrier, addressed to a party at its address stated below or to such other address as such party may designate by written notice to the other party in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

 

  To Smart Sand:     
       Smart Sand, Inc.
       1010 Stony Hill Rd., Ste 175,
       Yardley, PA 19067
       Attn: Susan Neumann
       Facsimile: 215.295.7911
  With a copy to:      Fox Rothschild LLP
       997 Lenox Drive, 3rd Floor
       Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
       Attn: James D. Young
       Facsimile: 609.896.1469
  To Buyer:      US Well Services LLC
       770 South Post Oak Lane
       Ste 405
       Houston, TX 77056
       Attn: Brian Stewart

13.     Resolution of Disputes

13.1    BOTH PARTIES AGREE THAT, TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY THE GOVERNING LAW, EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY LITIGATION INVOLVING THIS AGREEMENT.

13.2    It is the intent of the parties to exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980). Nothing herein shall prohibit a party from availing itself of a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of injunctive relief. The parties acknowledge and agree that the respective parties may have available to them laws or remedies available under applicable local legislation; it is the intent of the parties to have the terms of this Agreement apply in every instance, including, without limitation, the choice of law and forum provisions and the respective parties agree not to avail themselves of such alternate local legislation or remedies available thereunder. The parties acknowledge that this is a

 

7


fundamental foundation for the risk allocation undertaken in this Agreement and should this provision be breached it would deny the other party the full benefit of its risk allocation and the agreed pricing structure. Accordingly, should a party avail itself of local legislation that conflicts or negates the risk allocation contained in this Agreement, then such party shall be liable to the non-breaching party for all damages arising therefrom.    

14.     Compliance with Law

14.1     Compliance with Law.  Subject to the limitations of this Agreement, it is agreed that in the performance of this Agreement all matters shall be conducted in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws, rules and regulations in the area(s) in which the matters are being conducted. Any performance obligation arising under this Agreement is contingent on the prior receipt of all necessary government authorizations. If either party is required to pay any fine or penalty, or is subject to a claim from the other party’s failure to comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, the party failing to comply shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the other party for all damages, fees and/or fines for such failure to comply to the extent of the indemnifying party’s allocable share of the failure to comply.

14.2     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither party shall be required to take any action or be required to refrain from taking any action prohibited, penalized or required, as applicable, under the laws of the United States, including, without limitation, the U.S. antiboycott laws.

15.     Miscellaneous .

15.1    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written and all contemporaneous oral negotiation, commitments and understandings of the parties. This Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties hereto.

15.2    This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (to the extent this Agreement is assignable). Smart Sand may assign or otherwise transfer this Agreement without Buyer’s consent to (i) one of its affiliates, or (ii) the purchaser of substantially all of the assets of Smart Sand, or (iii) any financial institution providing financing to Smart Sand. Except for such assignment by Smart Sand, no party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. Any prohibited assignment or attempted assignment without the other party’s prior written consent shall be void.

15.3    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to that state’s conflicts of laws principles or choice of law rules. The parties agree that Wilmington, Delaware shall be the exclusive forum and venue for resolving any disputed matter.

15.4    No delay or failure by either party to exercise or enforce at any time any right or provision of this Agreement shall be considered a waiver thereof or of such party’s right thereafter to exercise or enforce each and every right and provision of this Agreement. A waiver to be valid shall be in writing, but need not be supported by consideration. No single waiver shall constitute a continuing of subsequent waiver.

15.5    The rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement to the extent that any performance is required under this Agreement after such termination or expiration.

15.6    This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

15.7    The headings herein are for reference purposes only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

 

8


15.8    If any provision of this Agreement shall be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such provision shall be modified to render it legal, valid and enforceable while to the fullest extent possible preserving the business and financial intent and impact of the original provision, and the legality, validity and enforceability of all other provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

[signature page follows]

 

9


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.     US Well Services LLC
By:  

/s/ John Young

    By:  

/s/ Brian Stewart

Name:  

John Young

    Name:  

Brian Stewart

Title:  

Vice President of Sales

    Title:  

CEO


APPENDIX A

Specifications

As of the Execution Date of this Agreement, the standards of ISO 13503-2 and API RP 19C are identical and as indicated below.

 

     ISO 13503-2

Turbidity (NTU)

   ***

Kumbein Shape Factors:

  

Roundness

   ***

Sphericity

   ***

Clusters (%)

   ***

Sieve Analysis:

  

<0.1% of sample larger than first specified sieve size

  

% In Size -***

   ***

% In Size -***

   ***

% In Size -***

   ***

% In Size -***

   ***

<1.0% in pan

  

Solubility in 12/3 HCL/HF for 0.5 HR @150 o F (% Weight Loss)

   ***


APPENDIX B

Product Mix Parameters

Buyer acknowledges the need for a balanced Product sales mix output from Smart Sand’s facility. Therefore, the following shall serve as a benchmark Product volume mix target for each month during the Term.

The following product mix shall apply commencing on Contract Year 1:

 

Product

  

Minimum Monthly

Volumes (Tons)

***    ***
***    ***
***    ***
Total    100%

Subject to availability, as determined by Smart Sand in its sole discretion, Buyer may, in lieu of purchasing *** Products, purchase up to *** tons per Contract Year of *** Products at a Base Price of *** per ton; provided , however , that each ton of *** Products purchased shall count as *** of a ton towards the Minimum Tons per Year. The Product volume mix shall continue to apply for all Products purchased by Buyer that are not *** Products. For the avoidance of doubt, assuming a Minimum Tons per Year of *** tons, if Buyer purchases *** tons of *** Products and no other Products, then such purchase shall count as *** tons towards the Minimum Tons per Year requirement, and in order to satisfy the Minimum Tons per Year requirement, Buyer must purchase *** tons of *** Products, consisting of *** tons of *** Products, *** tons of *** Products, and *** tons of *** Products.


APPENDIX C

Product Pricing

Contract Prices are the sum of annual Base Prices and Quarterly fuel surcharges, as detailed below. Pricing for shipments each month should be based on the Contract Prices for the most recent quarter.

 

  1) Base Prices during the Interim Period are as follows:

a)    For the first *** tons of Products purchased in a given month during the Interim Period:

 

Product

  

Base Prices ($ /Ton)

***    ***
***    ***
***    ***
***    ***

b)    For all Products purchased in a given month during the Interim Period after the *** tons described in a) above has been purchased:

 

Product

  

Base Prices ($ /Ton)

***    ***
***    ***
***    ***
***    ***

 

  2) Base Prices starting during Contract Year 1 are as follows:

 

Product

  

Base Prices ($ / Ton)

***    ***
***    ***
***    ***
***    ***

Commencing at the beginning of Contract Year 2 and continuing for each Contract Year during the Term of the Agreement, Base Prices will be increased annually in an amount equal to:

 

  i) ***; PLUS

 

  ii) The percent increase in accordance with changes in the annual Producer Price Index (PPI), published in January of each year during the Term of the Agreement; provided , however , that in the event the PPI is negative in any given Contract Year, the percentage amount under this Section 1(ii) with respect to such Contract Year shall equal zero.


  3) Quarterly diesel and natural gas/propane fuel surcharges adjustments, starting on the first quarter of Contract Year 1, with details below:

Natural Gas Surcharge : A Natural Gas Surcharge will be applied if the Average Natural Gas Price (ANGP) as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per MMBTU, and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per MMBTU increase for the ANGP for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the ANGP for a prior quarter averages *** per MMBTU, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for January, February and March is ***, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is *** or less, then *** will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.

[Appendix C continues on following page]


Propane Surcharge : A Propane Surcharge will be applied if the Average Quarterly Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot Price (AMBTX) as listed on WWW.EIA.GOV (http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=eer_epllpa_pf4_y44mb_dpg&f=m) for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per gallon of Propane ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=AMBTX), and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per gallon increase in the AMBTX for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. The calculation will be prorated, i.e., if the AMBTX for a prior quarter averages *** per Gallon, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot for January, February and March is ***/gallon, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is ***/gallon or less, then $0 will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.


APPENDIX D

Testing Procedures

This schedule provides an explanation of how Smart Sand will test its Products to confirm that they are compliant with the Specifications set forth in Appendix A . All testing shall be conducted during periods when Smart Sand’s Oakdale Facility or Hixton Facility (if constructed), as the case may be, is operational and not during down time. Testing shall be conducted on sand samples taken from the transfer area that leads to Smart Sand’s storage silo(s).

The testing to be performed and its frequency, shall be as follows:

 

  1. ***

 

  2. ***

 

  3. ***

 

  4. ***

 

Exhibit 10.15

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This F IRST A MENDMENT TO A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT (the “ Amendment ”) is effective as of May 1, 2016 by and between Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Smart Sand ”), and US Well Services LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Buyer ”).

R ECITALS

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Buyer have entered into an Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 6, 2015 (the “ Agreement ”);

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Buyer desire to amend the Agreement to modify certain pricing and volume terms set forth therein; and

W HEREAS , pursuant to Section 15.1 of the Agreement, the Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties.

N OW , T HEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual promises set forth herein, sufficiency of which is acknowledged by the undersigned, the Buyer and Smart Sand hereby agree as follows:

1.      A MENDMENT TO THE A GREEMENT .  The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1.1     The first paragraph of Section 1.2 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“For purposes of this Agreement: (i) the “ Interim Period ” shall mean the period beginning on the Execution Date and ending on 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2016; and (ii) a “ Contract Year ” shall mean the period beginning on May 1 st of a given year and ending on 11:59 p.m. on April 30 th of the immediately following year. For the avoidance of doubt, Contract Year 1 will consist of May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017, Contract Year 2 will consist of May 1, 2017 through April 30, 2018, Contract Year 3 will consist of May 1, 2018 through April 30, 2019, Contract Year 4 will consist of May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2020, and in the event of a Term Extension, Contract Year 5 will consist of May 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021, Contract Year 6 will consist of May 1, 2021 through April 30, 2021, and Contract Year 7 will consist of May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023.”

1.2     Section 1.4 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“Subject to Section 1.5 below, in the event that Buyer purchases less than the Minimum Tons per Year of Products (as adjusted pursuant to Section 1.5 below) during any Contract Year during the Term and has not, in the prior Contract Year, purchased an amount exceeding *** tons (“ Prior Excess ”) by an amount greater than or equal to any such shortfall, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on or before the date which is *** following the start of the ensuing Contract Year (or within *** of notice of such shortfall, whichever is later) an amount equal to *** multiplied by the difference between the applicable Minimum Tons per Year stated above and the actual Tons purchased by the Buyer during such Contract Year (“ Actual Tons ”) plus the Prior Excess *** (*** * (Minimum Tons per Year – (Actual Tons + Prior Excess)) – ***) (the “ True Up Payment ”).”


1.3     Section 1.5 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“1.5    (a)So long as Buyer is not in breach of this Agreement, Buyer may choose to defer up to *** Products per Contract Year until the end of Contract Year 4 which shall reduce the Minimum Tons per Year for any Contract Year in which any such deferral occurs by the amount so deferred in such Contract Year; provided , however , that the types of Products that Buyer chooses to defer must be consistent with the product mix set forth on Appendix B (i.e. ***). If, in any Contract Year, there is Prior Excess from the preceding Contract Year remaining after applying such Prior Excess to the True Up Payment in accordance with Section 1.4, then the total amount of deferred tons of Products (the “ Outstanding Deferred Tons ”) shall be reduced by an amount equal to such remaining Prior Excess. For the avoidance of doubt: (i) Buyer shall not have any right to defer the purchase of Products during Contract Years 5, 6 and 7 and (ii) notwithstanding any deferrals provided for under this Agreement, Buyer shall remain committed to purchasing *** tons of Products under this Agreement.

(b)    During the Term Extension (as defined in Section 7.1), the Minimum Tons per Year shall be the lesser of *** tons or the remaining Outstanding Deferred Tons. By way of example, if at the end of Contract Year 4, the Outstanding Deferred Tons is *** tons, then the Minimum Tons per Year in Contract Years 5, 6 and 7 shall be ***.

(c)    Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on or before the date that is thirty *** following the end of the Term an amount (the “ Cumulative Shortfall Payment ”) equal to *** multiplied by the difference between the aggregate Minimum Tons per Year during the Term (i.e. *** tons) and the actual tons of Products (including any tonnages of substituted *** at the ratio and proportion set forth in Section 1.1. and Appendix B ) purchased by the Buyer during the Term (“ Cumulative Purchased Tons ”) plus tons of Replacement Products (the resulting amount, the “ Cumulative Net Tons ”) *** (i.e. (i) Cumulative Net Tons = *** - (Cumulative Purchased Tons + tons of Replacement Products), and (ii) Cumulative Shortfall Payment = (Cumulative Net Tons * ***) – prior True Up Payments – ***. If the Cumulative Net Tons is equal to or less than 0, then the Cumulative Shortfall Payment shall be $0.

(d)    If Buyer does not pay any True Up Payment when due (and fails to cure such nonpayment within *** after such True Up Payment is due), or if Buyer wrongfully rejects any Products, in addition to (and not in lieu of) any other remedies available at law or under this Agreement, Smart Sand may, in its sole discretion, eliminate Buyer’s deferral right hereunder by providing written notice of such elimination to Buyer, in which case Buyer shall promptly (but in no event greater than *** after Smart Sand’s notice) pay to Smart Sand an amount equal to the product of *** multiplied by the then Outstanding Deferred Tons.”

 

2


1.4     Section 2.6 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“Commencing on May 1, 2016, and continuing on or about the first day of each month during the Term, Smart Sand will invoice Buyer for a non-refundable capacity reservation charge of *** per month (the “ Reservation Charge ” ), which shall be paid by Buyer within *** after the date of each such invoice. The Reservation Charge shall be payable regardless of whether Buyer purchases any Products during any month during the Term. ***.”

1.5     The reference to “Interim Period” in Section 2.7 shall be deleted and replaced with “Term”.

1.6     Section 7.1 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“7.1    Subject to the immediately following sentence, this Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”), and shall expire at 11:59p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 4 (the “ Term ”) unless sooner terminated as provided herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Term shall be extended automatically and without any further action of the parties for that number of years (the “ Term Extension ”) calculated by dividing *** at the end of Contract Year 4 by *** and rounding up the quotient to the nearest whole number. By way of example, if *** at the end of Contract Year 4 is *** tons, then the Term Extension shall be three years and the Agreement will expire at 11:59p.m. on the last day of Contract Year 7, unless sooner terminated as provided herein. For the avoidance of doubt, any reference to the “ Term ” in this Agreement shall include the additional years of the Term Extension.”

1.7     Subsection (C) of Section 7.4 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“an amount equal to the difference between: (i) the Prepayment Amount (or if the entire Prepayment Amount has not yet been paid to Smart Sand, such lesser amount that has been paid to Smart Sand in accordance with Section 2.5), and (ii) the total payment reductions for purchased Products in connection with the Prepayment Amount during the Term; ***”

1.8     A new Subsection (D) is added to Section 7.4 to provide in its entirety as followed:

“the *** for the Contract Year in which this Agreement is terminated.”

 

3


1.9     Subsection (2) of Appendix C shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“Base Prices starting in Contract Year 1 (and subject to adjustment beginning in Contract Year 2 as set forth below) shall be determined on the first day of each quarter of each Contract Year (i.e. May 1, August 1, November 1 and February 1) based upon the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV (the “ Oil Price Average ”) for the preceding three month period ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=Oil Price Average) as follows:

 

   

Base Price Based Upon Preceding Calendar Quarter Oil Price Average (per barrel)

Product

 

Less than

$***

 

At least $***

and less than

$***

 

At least $***

and less than

$***

 

At least $***

and less than

$***

 

At least $***

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Commencing at the beginning of Contract Year 2 and continuing at the beginning of each Contract Year during the Term of the Agreement, Base Prices will be increased annually in an amount equal to:

 

  i) ***; PLUS

 

  ii) a percentage equal to the increase in the annual Producer Price Index (PPI), published in January of each year during the Term of the Agreement; provided , however , that in the event the PPI is negative in any given Contract Year, the percentage amount under this Section 1(ii) with respect to such Contract Year shall equal zero.”

2.    G ENERAL P ROVISIONS .

2.1      Defined Terms .  Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have those definitions as set forth in the Agreement.

2.2      Successors and Assigns .  The terms and conditions of this Amendment shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Amendment, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Amendment, except as expressly provided in this Amendment.

2.3      Counterparts; Facsimile .  This Amendment may be executed and delivered by facsimile or pdf signature and in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

2.4      Severability .  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

2.5      No Other Changes .  Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all of the terms of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

2.6      Entire Agreement .  This Amendment, the Agreement and the agreements and documents referred to herein, together with all the Exhibits hereto and thereto, constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Amendment, and supersede any and all prior understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between or among the parties hereto with respect to the specific subject matter hereof.

[R EMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ]

 

4


In Witness Whereof , the parties hereto have executed this F IRST A MENDMENT TO A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT as of the date first written above.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:   John Young
Title:   VP Sales
US WELL SERVICES LLC
By:  

/s/ Nathan Houston

Name:   Nathan Houston
Title:   President & CEO


[S IGNATURE P AGE TO F IRST A MENDMENT TO A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT ]

Exhibit 10.16

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT

THIS RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT (“ Agreement ”) is made as of this 15th day of September, 2014, by and between Smart Sand, Inc., having an address of 1010 Stony Hill Rd, Ste 175, Yardley, PA 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”); and US Well Services LLC., having an address of 770 South Post Oak Lane, Ste 405, Houston, TX 77056 (“ Borrower ”).

BACKGROUND

A.    Smart Sand has agreed to sell to Borrower frac sand pursuant to a Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated May 8, 2014 (the “ PPA ”) (all capitalized terms contained herein that are not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the PPA), which frac sand shall be shipped from Smart Sand’s facility via railcar.

B.    The parties hereby desire to set forth the terms and conditions of Borrowers usage of Smart Sand’s railcars.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1.     Railcar Usage . Smart Sand and Borrower hereby agree as follows:

A.     Borrower may, upon receiving the prior written consent of Smart Sand, use Smart Sand’s railcars solely for the purpose of shipping frac sand pursuant to the PPA from Smart Sand’s Oakdale, Wisconsin facility (the “ Facility ”). Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand a monthly fee of *** for each railcar set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, which schedule may be unilaterally amended from time to time by Smart Sand upon the delivery to Smart Sand of additional railcars, up to a maximum of *** railcars, provided , however , that if Smart Sand exercises the Option under the PPA, such maximum shall be automatically increased to *** railcars. If either party reasonably believes that additional railcars are required in excess of the maximum amounts set forth in the preceding sentence, the parties will negotiate in good faith to mutually agree upon a new maximum number of railcars, and the failure to agree on such new maximum number will not relieve Borrower of its obligations to purchase all amounts required to be purchased pursuant to the PPA. Once delivery has been completed, all borrowed railcars must be promptly returned to the Facility.

B.     Borrower will preserve in good condition Smart Sand’s railcars and will not alter the structure of such railcars. The railcars shall be used exclusively within the continental United States and/or between Canada and the continental United States. All cross border fees/duty/taxes associated with usage of the railcars to and from Canada shall be borne by the Borrower. The Borrower shall return the borrowed cars empty and clean.

C.    During the time while the railcars are borrowed, Borrower assumes the entire responsibility for the railcars and shall be responsible and liable to Smart Sand for any and all damage to or destruction of same, except for damage caused by normal wear and tear. Smart Sand shall not be liable for loss of or damage to the product or any part thereof that may be handled or stored in the borrowed railcars. Borrower assumes responsibility for, and indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from, any such loss or damage or claim therefore, except where such loss or damage is caused solely by Smart Sand’s negligence. Borrower indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from any liability resulting from injuries to persons or damage to property arising out of or in connection with the use of borrowed railcars except when caused solely by Smart Sand’s negligence.

2.     Term . The term of this Agreement shall continue until the termination or expiration of the PPA. All borrowed railcars will be returned to the Facility, or another facility or location designated by Smart Sand, and all outstanding fees must be paid within *** of termination.

3.     Relationship of Parties . Smart Sand and Borrower acknowledge and agree that their relationship is that of contracting parties and independent contractors only, and neither is the partner, employee, joint venturer or agent of the other.

4.     Governing Law; Interpretation . This Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware and without regard to customary principles of interpretation and construction of legal instruments which construe ambiguities against the party causing an instrument to be drafted. For purposes of this Agreement, the neuter shall include the masculine and feminine, the masculine shall include the feminine, the feminine shall include the masculine, the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular, as the context may require.


5.     Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

6.     Amendment . Other than Schedule A attached hereto, which may be unilaterally amended by Smart Sand in accordance with in Section 1.A., this Agreement may only be amended by a written document executed by Smart Sand and Borrower.

[signature page follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to this Agreement have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:  

John Young

Title:  

VP Sales

US WELL SERVICES LLC
By:  

/s/ Brian Stewart

Name:  

Brian Stewart

Title:  

CEO


Schedule A

Railcars

 

Rail Car#     
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   
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***   
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***   
***   

Exhibit 10.17

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

FIRST AMENDMENT TO RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT

This F IRST A MENDMENT TO R AILCAR U SAGE A GREEMENT (the “ Amendment ”) is effective as of November 6, 2015 by and between Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Smart Sand ”), and US Well Services LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Borrower ”).

R ECITALS

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Borrower have entered into a Railcar Usage Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2014 (the “ Agreement ”);

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Borrower desire to amend the Agreement to modify certain terms set forth therein; and

W HEREAS , pursuant to Section 6 of the Agreement, subject to limited exceptions, the Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties.

N OW , T HEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual promises set forth herein, sufficiency of which is acknowledged by the undersigned, Borrower and Smart Sand hereby agree as follows:

1.      A MENDMENT TO THE A GREEMENT .  The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

1.1     Section 1.A. shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“1.     Railcar Usage . Smart Sand and Borrower hereby agree as follows:

A.     Borrower may, upon receiving the prior written consent of Smart Sand, use Smart Sand’s railcars solely for the purpose of shipping frac sand pursuant to the PPA from Smart Sand’s Oakdale, Wisconsin facility (the “ Facility ”). Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand, within *** of being invoiced, a monthly fee of *** for each railcar set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, which schedule may be unilaterally amended from time to time by Smart Sand upon the delivery to Smart Sand of additional railcars, up to a maximum of *** railcars (the “ Railcar Maximum ”), provided , however , that during the period commencing on November 6, 2015 (which shall be deemed to be November 1, 2015 solely for purposes of calculating the monthly fee for November) and ending at 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2016, Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand, within *** of being invoiced, an aggregate monthly fee of ***, representing a *** fee for each railcar and a total number of railcars equal to ***. Smart Sand currently holds in storage *** of the aforementioned *** railcars, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make such railcars available to Borrower within *** after receiving a written request from Borrower to release such railcars from storage. If either party reasonably believes that additional railcars are required in excess of the Railcar Maximum, the parties will negotiate in good faith to mutually agree upon a new maximum number of railcars, and the failure to agree on such new maximum number will not relieve Borrower of its obligations to purchase all amounts required to be purchased pursuant to the PPA. Once delivery has been completed, all borrowed railcars must be promptly returned to the Facility.”

1.2      Schedule A shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.


2.    G ENERAL P ROVISIONS .

2.1      Defined Terms .  Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have those definitions as set forth in the Agreement.

2.2      Amounts Payable . The parties agree that the outstanding amounts due and payable under Section 1.A of the Agreement for or with respect to period prior to the date hereof are reflected on Invoice Nos. 2015USW0261 and 2015USW0268 and that such amounts shall be paid in accordance with the terms of such invoices.

2.3      Successors and Assigns .  The terms and conditions of this Amendment shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Amendment, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Amendment, except as expressly provided in this Amendment.

2.4      Counterparts; Facsimile .  This Amendment may be executed and delivered by facsimile or pdf signature and in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

2.5      Severability .  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

2.6      No Other Changes .  Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all of the terms of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

2.7      Entire Agreement .  This Amendment, the Agreement and the agreements and documents referred to herein, together with all the Exhibits hereto and thereto, constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Amendment, and supersede any and all prior understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between or among the parties hereto with respect to the specific subject matter hereof.

[R EMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ]

 

2


In Witness Whereof , the parties hereto have executed this F IRST A MENDMENT TO R AILCAR U SAGE A GREEMENT as of the date first written above.

SMART SAND, INC.

 

By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:   John Young
Title:   VP Sales

US WELL SERVICES LLC

 

By:  

/s/ Brian Stewart

Name:   Brian Stewart
Title:   CEO

[S IGNATURE P AGE TO F IRST A MENDMENT TO R AILCAR U SAGE A GREEMENT ]


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Exhibit 10.18

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into this 15 th day of January 2016 (the “ Execution Date ”), and effective as of November 1, 2015 (the “ Effective Date ”), by and between Smart Sand, Inc. a Delaware Corporation, with a place of business at 1010 Stony Hill Rd., Suite 175, Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”) and Weatherford U.S., L.P., a Louisiana limited partnership with a place of business at 2000 St. James Place, Houston, Texas 77056 (“ Buyer ”).

RECITALS

A.    Whereas, Smart Sand mines, processes and sells certain industrial sand products; and

B.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer are parties to that certain Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 3, 2012, and subsequently amended effective as of November 1, 2014 and March 1, 2015 (as so amended, the “ Original Agreement ”); and

B.    Whereas, Smart Sand and Buyer desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Original Agreement, as set forth in this Agreement, to provide for the terms under which Smart Sand will sell such products to Buyer, based on firm monthly and yearly commitments as more particularly described herein.

AGREEMENT

Now therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.     Products, Forecasts and Quantity Commitments

1.1    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Term (as defined in Section 7.1), Smart Sand agrees to sell and deliver to Buyer, and Buyer agrees to purchase and accept from Smart Sand, ISO grade *** frac sand products based on the specifications (the “ Specifications ”) set forth in Appendix C attached hereto and incorporated by reference (each a “ Product ” and collectively, the “ Products ”), in the product mix specified in Appendix B , and in quantities at least equal to the following minimum annual tonnage requirements (as applicable, the “ Minimum Tons per Year ”):

 

Contract Year

  

Minimum

Tons per Year

1    ***
2    ***
3    ***
4    ***


Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as limiting either party’s right to enter into a purchase or sale agreement with respect to any of the Products with a third party at any time.

1.2    For purposes of this Agreement: (i) the “ Interim Period ” shall mean the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending at 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2016; and (ii) a “ Contract Year ” shall mean the period beginning on August 1 of a given year and ending at 11:59 p.m. on July 31 of the immediately following year. For the avoidance of doubt, Contract Year 1 shall be August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2017, Contract Year 2 shall be August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018, and continuing in this manner until the expiration of the Term. For the avoidance of doubt, the Interim Period is not a Contract Year.

Buyer shall provide to Smart Sand a non-binding forecast for all Product requirements in each quarter at least *** prior to the first day of the first month of the applicable quarter.

1.3    In no event will Smart Sand be required to provide to Buyer (i) in any given month during the Interim Period, an aggregate amount exceeding *** tons of Products, and (ii) in any given month during the Term, an aggregate amount exceeding *** tons of Products.

1.4    In the event that Buyer purchases an amount of Products less than the Minimum Tons per Year stated in Section 1.1 above in any Contract Year during the Term (a “ Shortfall ”) and has not, in all preceding Contract Years, purchased an amount of Products exceeding, in total over all of the preceding Contract Years, the aggregate Minimum Tons per Year for all such preceding Contract Years (subject to further downward adjustment pursuant to Section 1.5) (“ Prior Excess ”) equal to or exceeding such Shortfall, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand, on or before the date which is *** following the start of the ensuing Contract Year (or in the case of a Shortfall for Contract Year , *** after expiration of the Term), an amount (a “ True-Up Payment ”) equal to (i) ***, multiplied by the difference between the applicable Minimum Tons per Year stated above for such Contract Year and the actual tons purchased by the Buyer during such Contract Year (“ Actual Tons ”) plus the Prior Excess (the “ Net Tons ”), (i.e. (i) Net Tons = Minimum Tons per Year – (Actual Tons + Prior Excess), and (ii) True-Up Payment = (Net Tons * ***)). Any True-Up Payment that is less than $0 shall be automatically deemed to be $0, and Buyer shall not be entitled to any payment or credit from Smart Sand in connection with a True-Up Payment that is less than $0.

1.5    Buyer may choose to defer payment of a portion of the True-Up Payment by deferring the purchase of a certain amount of Products to the end of the Term (“Deferred Tons”). The total amount of Deferred Tons for all of the Products during the Term cannot exceed *** tons. Smart Sand and Buyer each acknowledge and agree that Buyer has deferred the purchase of *** tons of Products under the Original Agreement, which Products shall constitute the Deferred Tons hereunder, and subject to any reduction in the Deferred Tons as provided below, Buyer shall have no additional right to defer Products hereunder. If Buyer purchases more than the Minimum Tons per Year in any given Contract Year, (i) such excess shall automatically reduce the outstanding Deferred Tons, and, (ii) in the following Contract Year, the Prior Excess shall be reduced by the amount of such excess. By way of example (i) if Buyer purchases *** tons of Products in Contract Year 1 (and taking into account the *** tons of Deferred Tons hereunder), the Deferred Tons shall be decreased to *** tons of Products, and the Prior Excess in Contract Year 2 shall be ***, and (ii) if Buyer purchases *** tons of Products in Contract Year 1 (and taking into account the *** tons of Products that have been deemed deferred hereunder) , the Deferred Tons shall be decreased to *** and the Prior Excess in Contract Year 2 shall be *** tons. Within *** after completion of the Term, Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand (the “ Deferment Payment ”) an amount equal to *** multiplied by the amount of Deferred Tons as of the end of the Term.


Promptly after receiving the Deferment Payment, Smart Sand shall deliver to Buyer, in one or more shipments to be determined in Smart Sand’s reasonable discretion, the Deferred Tons. Buyer may, at its option, choose to not take delivery of some or all of the Products to be delivered in connection with the foregoing; provided , however , that if Buyer chooses not to take delivery of such Products, Buyer shall not be entitled to any refund of all or any portion of the Deferment Payment made to Smart Sand. Buyer’s choice to not take delivery shall be irrevocable and Buyer shall forfeit any title to or right to receive the Products that Buyer has chosen not to receive.

1.6    Smart Sand guarantees availability of *** tons of Product during the Interim Period, in the proportions provided in the product mix set forth on Appendix B . Subject to availability (as determined by Smart Sand in its sole discretion), Buyer may purchase Products in excess of *** tons per month during the Interim Period.

1.7    Buyer shall issue purchase orders to Smart Sand setting forth the quantities of Products, applicable prices, requested ship dates, destination of shipment and other details related to a specific order.

1.8    The terms and conditions of this Agreement are the controlling terms and conditions for the purchase of Products by Buyer. The printed terms and conditions of any purchase order, acknowledgment form, invoice or other business form of Buyer and Smart Sand shall not apply to any order. Buyer and Smart Sand agree that any purchase order issued by Buyer is for quantity and timing purposes only, and such purchase order does amend the terms of this Agreement.

2.     Price and Payment Terms

2.1    The pricing for each of the Products for the Interim Period and each Contract Year shall be as set forth on Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated by reference (“ Contract Price ”). The parties agree that all Products ordered by Buyer will be loaded onto Weatherford or Smart Sand supplied railcars (which Smart Sand railcars shall consist of *** railcars for Products), and shipped as specified in the purchase order, provided , however , that (i) Buyer agrees to comply with all freight scheduling mechanisms and timeframes designated by Smart Sand in writing to Buyer from time to time, and (ii) all railcars supplied by Weatherford will be set up to receive unpackaged Products, and delivery of the Products shall occur upon the transfer of Products into the applicable railcar via a delivery chute. Delivery will be, and all prices are quoted, FCA Smart Sand’s facility, Incoterms 2010. For the avoidance of doubt, all rail and shipping costs, including, without limitation, transloading charges and insurance costs, shall be borne exclusively by Buyer, including with respect to any Smart Sand supplied railcars. Any railcars to be provided by Smart Sand shall be provided in accordance with that certain Railcar Usage Agreement, by and between Smart Sand and Buyer, dated as of November 1, 2014, and subsequently amended and restated as of the Effective Date (as amended and restated, the “ Railcar Usage Agreement ”). Smart Sand shall endeavor in good faith to develop the ability to ship a portion of the Products shipped from its Oakdale facility (not to exceed *** of the total annual volume of Products shipped from the Oakdale facility to Buyer) on the Union Pacific Railroad, provided that (i) Buyer shall pay all additional rail and shipping costs associated with shipping such Products on the Union Pacific Railroad, including all costs related to delivering such Products via truck to a Union Pacific Railroad terminal, and (ii) if any federal, state or local government authority restricts Smart Sand’s ability to ship products from its Oakdale facility via truck, Smart Sand shall have no obligation to ship any Products on the Union Pacific Railroad unless and until such restrictions are removed. The Contract Price shall be subject to adjustments implemented during the Term in accordance with the terms set forth in Appendix A .


2.2    Unless stated otherwise in an order, prices quoted by Smart Sand do not include sales, VAT use or similar taxes. And such taxes, fees, duties, and customs charges imposed on Smart Sand in the country or area of operations shall be reimbursed to Smart Sand by Buyer up to the amount quoted in an order. Smart Sand shall provide all necessary documentation to support any amounts sought to be reimbursed. Buyer shall not reimburse any amounts not supported by documentation or in excess of the amounts agreed in the order. All taxes and duties arising as a consequence of the performance of Smart Sand’s business or the sale of the Products, prior to delivery to Buyer, other than those expressly undertaken by Buyer are for the account of and the responsibility of Smart Sand. Buyer shall not be liable for any such taxes or duties or securities that are or may become payable, and Smart Sand shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless Buyer for Smart Sand’s failure to pay same. The terms “taxes” and “duties” shall mean all fees or charges imposed, assessed or levied by any governmental or other authority and shall include, but shall not be limited to, property, sales, use taxes, royalties, value added and excise taxes or other charges of a similar nature, customs or other duties, harbour and port dues, demurrage, wharfage, pilotage, stevedoring, customs agent fees and other such charges and other fees. The provisions of this clause shall continue after termination of this Agreement.

2.3    Smart Sand shall invoice Buyer upon shipment of Products. Other than as provided in Section 2.5 below, payment by Buyer shall be due and payable within *** after the date of invoice. Past due invoices are subject to a monthly service charge at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law.

2.4    Smart Sand’s Credit Department may, upon the failure by Buyer to pay any amounts owed to Smart Sand on or before the applicable due date and failure to cure within applicable cure period set forth in Section 7.2 below, revoke credit approval and require (on a good faith and reasonable basis) credit enhancements such as a prepayment or a letter of credit posted by Buyer to continue performing under this Agreement. Upon placing this instrument with an attorney for collection of past due payments or repossession of any Products, Buyer shall reimburse Smart Sand for reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other expenses incurred by Smart Sand to enforce the terms and conditions stated herein.

2.5    Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand the amount of ***, representing payment in full for all True-Up Payments up to the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in the Original Agreement) payable by Buyer under the Original Agreement (but, for the avoidance of doubt, not including the Deferred Tons) (the “ Original Agreement Shortfall Amount ”), which is due and payable ***. The foregoing *** shall be paid by Buyer within *** of being invoiced by Smart Sand.

2.6    Commencing on the Effective Date and continuing on or about the first day of each month during the Interim Period, Smart Sand will invoice Buyer for a non-refundable capacity reservation charge of *** per month (the “ Interim Reservation Charge ”), which shall be paid by Buyer within *** after the date of each such invoice. The Interim Reservation Charge shall be payable regardless of whether Buyer purchases any Products during any month in the Interim Period. Buyer shall pay to Smart Sand on the Execution Date an amount equal to ***, representing the Interim Reservation Charge for November and December 2015. Each monthly Interim Reservation Charge received by Smart Sand shall be used by Smart Sand to reduce the amount payable by Buyer for the first *** tons of Products purchased during such month by *** per ton. The foregoing payment reduction shall cease in any month of the Interim Period when the total payment reductions for Products purchased during such month is equal to ***; provided , however , that at the end of *** period during the Interim Period (i.e ***) (each, a “ Measurement Period ”), the parties will evaluate all purchases made during such Measurement Period, and if the average of the tons of Products purchased each month during such Measurement Period is at least *** tons per month, then Smart Sand shall provide a credit against future purchases of Products equal to the amount of any Interim Reservation Charge paid during such Measurement Period that has not been


used to reduce the amount payable by Buyer for Products purchased during such Measurement Period. For the avoidance of doubt, Buyer is not entitled to any credit for tons of Products purchased in excess of *** tons per month. By way of example, if Buyer purchases *** tons in ***, *** tons in ***, and *** tons in ***, since the average purchases during the *** period was at least *** tons per month, Smart Sand will provide Buyer with a credit in the following Measurement Period of *** for the remaining unapplied portion of the Interim Reservation Charge in ***.

2.7    Commencing on August 1, 2016, and continuing on or about the first day of each month during the Term, Smart Sand will invoice Buyer for a non-refundable capacity reservation charge of *** per month (the “ Monthly Reservation Charge ” ), which shall be paid by Buyer within *** after the date of each such invoice. The Monthly Reservation Charge shall be payable regardless of whether Buyer purchases any Products during any month during the Term. ***.

2.8    Any failure by Buyer to pay any portion of the Original Agreement Shortfall Amount, or any Interim Reservation Charge or Monthly Reservation Charge when due shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement, and, in addition to (and not in lieu of) any other rights and remedies that Smart Sand has, the entire balance of the Original Agreement Shortfall Amount and all unpaid Interim Reservation Charges and Monthly Reservation Charges, as applicable, that have accrued or will accrue during the Term shall automatically and without notice become immediately due and payable and shall accrue interest at a rate equal to *** per month or the maximum rate from time to time permitted by applicable law, whichever is greater.

3.     Specifications

In the event Buyer desires to change the Specifications, a request for change shall be submitted to Smart Sand in writing. Smart Sand must agree to any such changes in writing prior to amendment of the Specifications. Smart Sand shall notify Buyer of any adjustment to the Contract Prices resulting from the changes to the Specifications requested by Buyer. Buyer must agree to the adjustment to the Contract Prices in writing prior to any amendment of the Specifications.

4.      Delivery

4.1    The Products shall be delivered in accordance with Section 2.1 of this Agreement. Smart Sand reserves the right to charge Buyer a storage fee for any Buyer controlled rail car that remains at Smart Sand’s rail facility longer than *** after arrival through no fault of Smart Sand.

4.2    In the event that Smart Sand is unable to supply Buyer’s requirements, Buyer shall have the right to purchase replacement Products from alternative sources (“ Replacement Products ”) after receipt of notification of Smart Sand’s failure to supply. Provided that Smart Sand’s inability to supply is not the result of an Excusable Delay under Section 9 below, then all Replacement Products purchased by Buyer shall be exempt from the Buyer’s requirements obligation set forth in Section 1.1 above. Except to the extent the failure to supply is a result of an Excusable Delay, Smart Sand shall be responsible for the difference between the Contract Price and the price of Replacement Products along with any additional transportation cost made necessary by such failure to supply.

5.     Inspection

Smart Sand shall test the Products in accordance with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D for compliance with the Specifications. Smart Sand shall retain all testing records for a period of *** and shall, at Buyer’s request, supply to Buyer a copy of Smart Sand’s test sheets, certified


by Smart Sand to be a true copy. Because deliveries made pursuant to this Agreement shall be via large individual loads by rail, any inspection by Buyer shall be made at the point of loading. Buyer may, at its expense, have a representative at Smart Sand’s facility for the purpose of such inspection. Any Products not conforming to Specifications as determined by the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D prior to delivery are hereby rejected. Any such Products shall promptly be replaced by Smart Sand at no expense to Buyer. Buyer reserves the right to inspect Products within a reasonable time at Buyer’s location and reject any Products provided not in accordance with Specifications.

6.     Warranty

6.1    Smart Sand warrants to Buyer that Smart Sand shall have complied in all material respects with the testing procedures set forth on Appendix D attached hereto and incorporated by reference with respect to each Product.

6.2    Buyer acknowledges that Products may become damaged by improper handling after leaving Smart Sand’s facility or terminal and that Smart Sand shall have no obligation to replace such damaged Products.

6.3    THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES. SMART SAND MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PRODUCTS.

7.     Term and Termination

7.1    This Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date and shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of July 31, 2020 (the “ Term ”) unless sooner terminated as provided herein. The provisions of Sections 8 (Confidentiality), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 12 (Notices), 13 (Resolutions of Disputes), 14.1 (Compliance with Law), and 15 (Miscellaneous) shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement.

7.2    Either party may terminate this Agreement, immediately upon written notice to the other party (i) if such other party is in material breach of any of its obligations under the Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) business days after written notice thereof to such other party, or (ii) if such other party is insolvent or makes any arrangement with its creditors generally, or has a receiver appointed for all or a substantial part of its business of properties, or an insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceeding is brought by or against such other party and involving such other party which is not dismissed within sixty (60) business days of its institution, or if such other party goes into liquidation or otherwise ceases to function as a going concern.

7.3    Subject to Section 9 below, Buyer shall have the right to terminate this Agreement immediately upon written notice to Smart Sand if Smart Sand has been advised by Buyer of performance, service or delivery problems and said problems have not been corrected within sixty (60) days.

8.     Confidentiality

8.1    The parties acknowledge that either party may disclose (orally or in writing) to the other confidential and proprietary information relating to the Products or each party’s business (together the “Confidential Information). Each party agrees that it will keep the Confidential Information of the other party disclosed to it in confidence by using at least the same degree of care to prevent unauthorized


disclosure or use thereof as such party uses to protect its own confidential information of like nature, and that it will not knowingly disclose, directly or indirectly, any item of Confidential Information to any person, without the prior written consent of the disclosing party, except (i) only to those of the recipient’s employees who need to know the same in the performance of their duties for the recipient in connection with this Agreement; or (ii) to comply with any law, rule or regulation applicable to such party.

8.2    The parties’ non-disclosure obligations restrictions hereunder shall continue with respect to any item of Confidential Information until the earlier of the expiration of two (2) years following the termination of this Agreement for any reason, or until such item: (a) is or has become publicly available; or (b) was in the possession of, or known by, the recipient without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (c) has been disclosed to the recipient by an unrelated third party, without an obligation to keep it confidential; or (d) has been independently developed by the recipient.

9.     Excusable Delay

Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform to the extent caused by fire, flood, adverse weather conditions, explosion, war, riot, embargo, labor disputes, shortage of utilities, compliance with any laws, regulations, orders, acts or requirements from the government, civil or military authorities of which the party was unaware at the effective date of this Agreement, acts of God or the public enemy, or any act or event of any nature reasonably beyond such party’s control. In such circumstances, Buyer or Smart Sand may cancel the portion of any order subject to such delay by giving prompt written notice, provided that, such cancellation shall apply only to that portion of the order effected by the foregoing circumstances and the balance of the order shall continue in full force and effect. If Smart Sand’s production capacity is impaired as a result of one of the foregoing events of force majeure, then Smart Sand will allocate to Buyer a pro rata portion of Smart Sand’s total remaining capacity taking into account Smart Sand’s impaired production capacity, Buyer’s requirements pursuant to the forecast provided by Buyer in accordance with Section 1.2, and Smart Sand’s aggregate requirements for Products under purchase agreements with other customers. If Smart Sand’s production capacity is materially impaired after August 1, 2016 as a result of one of the foregoing events of force majeure and such impairment continues for ***, then Buyer may, at its sole discretion, choose to terminate this Agreement upon providing at least *** prior written notice and with no further liability other than paying for any unpaid (i) Interim Reservation Charges, (ii) Monthly Reservation Charges, (iii) Products delivered in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, (iv) Original Shortfall Amount and (iv) amounts due and payable under the Railcar Usage Agreement.

10.     LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST GOODWILL, LOST PROFITS, WORK STOPPAGE OR IMPAIRMENT OF OTHER GOODS, AND WHETHER ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE OR IF SUCH DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN.

11.     PRODUCT NOTIFICATION

WARNING ! MATERIAL SOLD PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY CONTAIN FREE SILICA – IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, SEE MATERIAL WARNINGS AND DO NOT


BREATHE DUST OR USE FOR SANDBLASTING. IF YOU BREATHE FINE SILICA DUST POSSIBLY CONTAINED IN PRODUCTS YOU CAN SUFFER SEVERE, IRREVERSIBLE LUNG DAMAGE AND DEATH. SOME MEDICAL REPORTS STATE INHALATION OF SILICA DUST MAY CAUSE LUNG CANCER. MEDICAL REPORTS ALSO LINK BREATHING SILICA DUST TO CRIPPLING ARTHRITIS AND SKIN AND EYE IRRITATION. NEVER USE PRODUCTS CONTAINING SILICA DUST WITHOUT NIOSH/MSHA APPROVED RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Buyer acknowledges the above warning and assumes responsibility and shall be liable for communicating this warning and providing to its employees, contractors and/or agents any equipment necessary for their protection.

12.     Notice

Any notice or other communication hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective when delivered personally, by fax (and confirmed by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested), or by overnight carrier, addressed to a party at its address stated below or to such other address as such party may designate by written notice to the other party in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

 

To Smart Sand:     
     Smart Sand, Inc.
     1010 Stony Hill Rd., Ste 175,
     Yardley, PA 19067
     Attention: Susan Neumann
     Facsimile: 215.295.7911
With a copy to:      Fox Rothschild LLP
     997 Lenox Drive, 3rd Floor
     Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648
     Attn: James D. Young
     Facsimile: 609.896.1469
To Buyer:      Weatherford U.S., L.P.
     2000 St. James Place
     Houston, Texas 77056
     Attn: Legal Department

13.     Resolution of Disputes

13.1    BOTH PARTIES AGREE THAT, TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY THE GOVERNING LAW, EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY LITIGATION INVOLVING THIS AGREEMENT.


13.2    It is the intent of the parties to exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980). Nothing herein shall prohibit a party from availing itself of a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of injunctive relief. The parties acknowledge and agree that the respective parties may have available to them laws or remedies available under applicable local legislation; it is the intent of the parties to have the terms of this Agreement apply in every instance, including, without limitation, the choice of law provisions and the respective parties agree not to avail themselves of such alternate local legislation or remedies available thereunder. The parties acknowledge that this is a fundamental foundation for the risk allocation undertaken in this Agreement and should this provision be breached it would deny the other party the full benefit of its risk allocation and the agreed pricing structure. Accordingly, should a party avail itself of local legislation that conflicts or negates the risk allocation contained in this Agreement, then such party shall be liable to the non-breaching party for all damages arising therefrom.

14.     Compliance with Law

14.1     Compliance with Law.  Subject to the limitations of this Agreement, it is agreed that in the performance of this Agreement all matters shall be conducted in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws, rules and regulations in the area(s) in which the matters are being conducted. Any performance obligation arising under this Agreement is contingent on the prior receipt of all necessary government authorizations. If either party is required to pay any fine or penalty, or is subject to a claim from the other party’s failure to comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, the party failing to comply shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the other party for all damages, fees and/or fines for such failure to comply to the extent of the indemnifying party’s allocable share of the failure to comply.

14.2     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, neither party shall be required to take any action or be required to refrain from taking any action prohibited, penalized or required, as applicable, under the laws of the United States, including, without limitation, the U.S. antiboycott laws.

14.3     Code of Conduct/ Gifts, Entertainment and Travel.  It is considered to be in conflict with Buyer’s interest for its employees or any member of their immediate family to accept gifts, payments, extravagant entertainment, services, or loans in any form from anyone soliciting business, or who may already have established business relations with Buyer. Gifts of nominal value, entertainment, meals, and social invitations that are customary and proper under the circumstances, and do not place the recipient under any obligation, are acceptable. All Buyer employees are required to abide by and advise Smart Sand of the gifts and entertainment limits set forth in the Buyer Corporate Code of Conduct. Any travel or trips offered by Smart Sand to any Buyer employee is required to be approved by an appropriate vice president, or, as per Buyer Corporate Travel Policy. Accordingly, any gifts, payment of individual expenses, including, without limitation, trips, or conveyances to Buyer employees shall be disclosed in writing to the Buyer Ethics and Compliance Group. Certain policies will be published from time to time at the Buyer website [www.Weatherford.com] under Governance. The direct link for the Buyer code of conduct and other related policies is as follows:

http://www.weatherford.com/AboutWeatherford/CorporateGovernance/CodeofConduct/

14.4     Trade.  Smart Sand recognizes and agrees to comply with Buyer’s trade compliance policy. Said policy prohibits involvement in this Agreement of any entity known to be headquartered in, or owned or controlled by a national of, these countries: Cuba, Iran, Sudan or Syria. Smart Sand is also hereby on notice that Buyer will not accept goods originating from any country subject to trade sanctions including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria. Should goods of such country of origin be delivered to Buyer against this explicit instruction, the goods will be immediately returned by Buyer to Smart Sand


at Smart Sand’s expense. When the goods provided to Buyer (or part thereof) are subject to export control laws and regulations imposed by a government, Smart Sand will provide Buyer with applicable export control classification or rating number(s), and Harmonized Tariff Schedule Number(s) including certificates of manufacture in accordance with the origin rules imposed by the applicable governmental authorities. If said goods are eligible for preferential tax or tariff treatment (such as free trade or international agreement), Smart Sand will provide Buyer with the documentation required to participate in said treatment.    

15.      Miscellaneous .

15.1    This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements and all contemporaneous oral negotiation, commitments and understandings of the parties. This Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties hereto.

15.2    No party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Any prohibited assignment or attempted assignment without the other party’s prior written consent shall be void.

15.3    This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to that state’s conflicts of laws principles or choice of law rules.

15.4    No delay or failure by either party to exercise or enforce at any time any right or provision of this Agreement shall be considered a waiver thereof or of such party’s right thereafter to exercise or enforce each and every right and provision of this Agreement. A waiver to be valid shall be in writing, but need not be supported by consideration. No single waiver shall constitute a continuing of subsequent waiver.

15.5    The rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement to the extent that any performance is required under this Agreement after such termination or expiration.

15.6    This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

15.7    The headings herein are for reference purposes only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

15.8    If any provision of this Agreement shall be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such provision shall be modified to render it legal, valid and enforceable while to the fullest extent possible preserving the business and financial intent and impact of the original provision, and the legality, validity and enforceability of all other provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

Smart Sand, Inc.     Weatherford U.S., L.P.
(“Smart Sand”)     (“Buyer”)
By:  

/s/ John Young

    By:  

/s/ Charity R. Kohl

Name:  

John Young

    Name:  

Charity R. Kohl

Title:  

Sales VP

    Title:  

Vice President


APPENDIX A

Product Pricing

Contract Prices are the sum of annual Base Prices and Quarterly fuel surcharges, as detailed below. Pricing for shipments each month should be based on the Contract Prices for the current quarter.

(1)(A)

Base Prices during the Interim Period will be *** per ton of *** Products and *** per ton of *** Products.

(1)(B)

Base Prices starting during Contract Year 1 will be based upon the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices per barrel as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter (the “ Oil Price Average ”) ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=Oil Price Average) as follows:

 

   

Base Price Based Upon Oil Price Average (per barrel)

Product

 

Less than ***

 

At least ***

and less than

***

 

At least ***

and less than

***

 

At least ***

***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***
***   ***   ***   ***   ***

2)    Quarterly natural gas surcharges adjustments, starting on the Effective Date, with details below:

Natural Gas Surcharge : A Natural Gas Surcharge will be applied if the Average Natural Gas Price (ANGP) as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the preceding calendar quarter is above the Bench Mark, set at *** per MMBTU, and shall be adjusted at the end of each calendar quarter for the duration of the Agreement. A surcharge of *** per ton for every *** per MMBTU increase for the ANGP for the preceding calendar quarter will apply in addition to the Base Price for all products. For increases of less than *** per ton, the surcharge will be prorated, i.e., if the ANGP for a prior quarter averages *** per MMBTU, the surcharge will be *** per ton for the following quarter.

As an example, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for January, February and March is ***, then *** will be added to the applicable Base Price for April, May and June. Additionally, if the average of the monthly closes of NYMEX natural gas for April, May and June is *** or less than *** will be added to the Base Price for July August and September.

3)    The amount payable by Buyer upon the termination of the Agreement prior to July 31, 2020 for any reason, other than a breach by Smart Sand, shall be *** per ton of Products that Buyer is committed to purchase under the Agreement for the entire Term and does not purchase during the Term, along with all amounts due and owing to Smart Sand for Products delivered by Smart Sand prior to the effective date of termination, all Interim Reservation Charges that have accrued or will accrue and have not been paid, and all amounts that have accrued or will accrue under the Railcar Usage Agreement and have not been paid.


APPENDIX B

Product Mix Parameters

Buyer acknowledges the need for a balanced Product sales mix output from Smart Sand’s facilities. Therefore, the following shall serve as a benchmark Product volume mix for each month during the Interim Period and the Term.    

The following product mix shall apply commencing on the Effective Date:

 

Product

  

Minimum Monthly

Volumes (Tons)*

***    ***
***    ***
***    ***
Total    100%

 

* Buyer may, at its option (but subject to availability as determined by Smart Sand in its sole discretion), purchase up to *** tons per month of *** Products, which shall be applied to the Minimum Monthly Volume at a ratio of *** ton of *** Products for *** tons of other Products (the “*** Ratio”). By way of example, assuming a Minimum Monthly Volume of *** tons, if Buyer purchases *** tons of *** Products, *** tons shall be applied towards the Minimum Monthly Volume, resulting in the Minimum Monthly Volume for the other Products being reduced to *** tons in the month in which such *** Products are purchased.


APPENDIX C

Specifications

As of the Effective Date of this Agreement the standards of ISO 13503-2 and API RP 19C are identical and as indicated below.

 

     ISO 13503-2  

Turbidity (NTU)

     ***   

Kumbein Shape Factors:

  

Roundness

     ***   

Sphericity

     ***   

Clusters (%)

     ***   

Sieve Analysis:

  

<0.1% of sample larger than first specified sieve size

  

% In Size – ***

     ***   

% In Size – ***

     ***   

% In Size – ***

     ***   

% In Size – ***

     ***   

<1.0% in pan

  

Solubility in 12/3 HCL/HF for 0.5 HR @150 o F (% Weight Loss)

     ***   


APPENDIX D

Testing Procedures

This schedule provides an explanation of how Smart Sand will test its Products to confirm that they are compliant with the Specifications set forth in Appendix C . All testing shall be conducted during periods when Smart Sand’s facility is operational and not during down time. Testing shall be conducted on sand samples taken from the transfer area that leads to Smart Sand’s storage silo(s).

The testing to be performed and its frequency, shall be as follows:

 

  1. ***

 

  2. ***

 

  3. ***

 

  4. ***

In addition Smart Sand will test and provide a sieve analysis of every rail car and send a COA for each car with the corresponding invoice.

Exhibit 10.20

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

AMENDED AND RESTATED RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED RAILCAR USAGE AGREEMENT (“ Agreement ”) is made on January 15, 2016 (the “ Execution Date ”) and effective as of November 1, 2015 (the “ Effective Date ”), by and between Smart Sand, Inc., having an address of 1010 Stony Hill Rd, Ste 175, Yardley, PA 19067 (“ Smart Sand ”); and Weatherford U.S., L.P., a Louisiana limited partnership (“ Borrower ”).

BACKGROUND

A.    Smart Sand has agreed to sell to Borrower frac sand pursuant to a Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 3, 2012, as amended effective as of November 1, 2014 and March 1, 2015 (as amended, the “ Restated PPA ”) (all capitalized terms contained herein that are not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the PPA), which frac sand shall be shipped from Smart Sand’s facility via railcar.

B.    Smart Sand and Borrower are parties to that certain Railcar Usage Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2014 (the “ Original Agreement ”).

C.    Smart Sand and Borrower desire to amend and restate in its entirety the Original Agreement, as set forth in this Agreement, to provide for the terms under which Smart Sand will lend to Borrower, and Borrower will use, *** railcars during the period ending upon expiration of the Restated PPA.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1.     Railcar Usage . Smart Sand and Borrower hereby agree as follows:

A.     Borrower may use Smart Sand’s railcars set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, solely for the purpose of shipping frac sand pursuant to the Restated PPA from Smart Sand’s designated sand mining and processing facilities (each, a “ Facility ” and collectively, the “ Facilities ”). During the Interim Period, Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand a monthly fee of *** for each railcar set forth on Schedule A attached hereto (i.e. total monthly payment of ***). During the Term, Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand a monthly fee of *** for each railcar set forth on Schedule A attached hereto (i.e. total monthly payment of ***); provided , however , that if the Average Cushing Oklahoma WTI Spot Prices as listed on WWW.EIA.DOE.GOV for the three months preceding any month during the Term (the “Oil Price Average”) ((Month 1 Average + Month 2 Average + Month 3 Average)/3=Oil Price Average) is less than *** per barrel, then the monthly fee for such month shall be reduced from *** to *** (i.e. *** per railcar to *** per railcar). Once delivery has been completed, all borrowed railcars must be promptly returned to the Facility.

B.    Borrower shall pay to Smart Sand on the Execution Date the amount of ***, representing the payments due under Section 1.A. above for November 2015.

C.     Borrower will preserve in good condition Smart Sand’s railcars and will not alter the structure of such railcars. The railcars shall be used exclusively within the continental United States and/or between Canada and the continental United States. All cross border fees/duty/taxes associated with usage of the railcars to and from Canada shall be borne by the Borrower. The Borrower shall return the borrowed cars empty and clean.

D.    During the time while the railcars are borrowed, Borrower assumes the entire responsibility for the railcars and shall be responsible and liable to Smart Sand for any and all damage to or destruction of same, except for damage caused by normal wear and tear. Smart Sand shall not be liable for loss of or damage to the product or any part thereof that may be handled or stored in the borrowed railcars. Borrower assumes responsibility for, and indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from, any such loss or damage or claim therefore, except where such loss or damage is caused solely by Smart Sand’s negligence. Borrower indemnifies and holds Smart Sand harmless from any liability resulting from injuries to persons or damage to property arising out of or in connection with the use of borrowed railcars except to the extent caused by Smart Sand’s negligence.

2.     Term . The term of this Agreement shall continue until the termination or expiration of the Restated PPA. Within 30 days of termination, all borrowed railcars will be returned to the Facility or other location designated by Smart Sand, and all outstanding fees, and, if this Agreement is terminated or expires prior to July 31, 2020 (other than due to a breach by Smart Sand), an amount equal to *** multiplied by the number of railcars set forth on Schedule A (i.e. ***) multiplied by the number of months between the effective date of termination and July 31, 2020, must be paid to Smart Sand.


3.     Relationship of Parties . Smart Sand and Borrower acknowledge and agree that their relationship is that of contracting parties and independent contractors only, and neither is the partner, employee, joint venturer or agent of the other.

4.     Governing Law; Interpretation . This Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware and without regard to customary principles of interpretation and construction of legal instruments which construe ambiguities against the party causing an instrument to be drafted. For purposes of this Agreement, the neuter shall include the masculine and feminine, the masculine shall include the feminine, the feminine shall include the masculine, the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular, as the context may require.

5.     Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

6.     Amendment . Other than Schedule A attached hereto, which may be unilaterally amended by Smart Sand in accordance with in Section 1.A., this Agreement may only be amended by a written document executed by Smart Sand and Borrower.

[signature page follows]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to this Agreement have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:  

John Young

Title:  

Sales VP

WEATHERFORD U.S., L.P.
By:  

/s/ Charity R. Kohl

Name:  

Charity R. Kohl

Title:  

Vice President


Schedule A

Railcars

[see attached]


Schedule A

 

Count    Railcar #
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
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***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   


***   
***   
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***   
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***   
***   
***   
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***   
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***   
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***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   
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***   
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***   
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***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   


***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
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***   
***   
***   
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***   
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***   
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***   
***   
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***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   
***   

Exhibit 10.21

SPECIFIC TERMS IN THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE TERMS HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE REDACTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN SEPARATELY SUBMITTED TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND THE TERMS HAVE BEEN MARKED AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE WITH THREE ASTERISKS (***).

SECOND AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER PRODUCT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This S ECOND A MENDMENT TO THE A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT (the “ Amendment ”) is made and entered into this 30th day of September 2016, by and between Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Smart Sand ”), and Weatherford U.S., L.P., a Louisiana limited partnership (“ Buyer ”).

R ECITALS

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Buyer have entered into an Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement, effective as of November 1, 2015, and the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Master Product Purchase Agreement, dated January 20, 2016 and effective as of November 1, 2015 (as so amended, the “ Agreement ”);

W HEREAS , Smart Sand and Buyer wish to modify Appendix A of the Agreement; and

W HEREAS , pursuant to Section 15.1 of the Agreement, the Agreement may not be changed or amended except by a writing executed by both parties.

N OW , T HEREFORE , in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual promises set forth herein, the sufficiency of which is acknowledged by the undersigned, the Buyer and Smart Sand hereby agree as follows:

1.      A MENDMENT TO THE A GREEMENT .  The table set forth in Section (1)(B) of Appendix A of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and restated as follows:

 

   

Base Price Based Upon Oil Price Average (per barrel)

Product

 

Less than ***

 

At least ***

and less than

***

  

At least ***

and less than

***

  

At least ***

and less than

***

  

At least ***

***   ***   ***    ***    ***    ***
***   ***   ***    ***    ***    ***
***   ***   ***    ***    ***    ***
***   ***   ***    ***    ***    ***

2.      G ENERAL P ROVISIONS .

2.1      Defined Terms .  Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have those definitions as set forth in the Agreement.

2.2      Successors and Assigns .  The terms and conditions of this Amendment shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Amendment, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Amendment, except as expressly provided in this Amendment.


2.3      Counterparts; Facsimile .  This Amendment may be executed and delivered by facsimile or pdf signature and in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

2.4      Severability .  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

2.5      No Other Changes .  Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all of the terms of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

2.6      Entire Agreement .  This Amendment, the Agreement and the agreements and documents referred to herein and therein, together with all the Exhibits hereto and thereto, constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Amendment, and supersede any and all prior understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between or among the parties hereto with respect to the specific subject matter hereof.

[R EMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ]

 

2


In Witness Whereof , the parties hereto have executed this S ECOND A MENDMENT TO THE A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT as of the date first written above.

 

SMART SAND, INC.
By:  

/s/ John Young

Name:   John Young
Title:   EVP Sales and Logistics
WEATHERFORD U.S., L.P.
By:  

/s/ Philip Scott

Name:   Philip Scott
Title:   Vice President

[S IGNATURE P AGE TO S ECOND A MENDMENT TO THE A MENDED AND R ESTATED M ASTER P RODUCT P URCHASE A GREEMENT ]

Exhibit 10.22

SMART SAND, INC.

2016 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

1. Purpose . This Smart Sand, Inc. 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ Plan ”) is intended to advance the interests Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor thereto (the “ Company ”), and its stockholders by providing Eligible Employees of the Company and each Designated Subsidiary with opportunities to acquire Shares on favorable terms through payroll deductions. The Plan is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”), and will be construed so as to extend and limit participation in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

2. Definitions . For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

(a) “ Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

(b) “ Committee ” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof consisting solely of not less than two (2) members of the Board who are “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

(c) “ Common Stock ” shall mean shares of common stock, par value $0.001 of the Company or the stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be changed in accordance with Section 13 of the Plan.

(d) “ Company Group ” shall mean the Company, together with each Designated Subsidiary.

(e) “ Compensation ” shall mean regular straight-time earnings and commissions that are included in regular compensation, including amounts that would have constituted compensation but for a Participant’s election to defer or reduce compensation pursuant to any deferred compensation, cafeteria, capital accumulation or any other similar plan of the Company and including overtime and shift premium, but excluding all other amounts such as amounts attributable to stock-based, cash-based and other incentive compensation and bonuses (except to the extent that the inclusion of any such item is specifically directed by the Committee), determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

(f) “ Designated Subsidiary ” shall mean a Subsidiary that has been designated by the Board from time to time, in its sole discretion, as eligible to participate in the Plan.

(g) “ Eligible Employee ” shall mean an Employee of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary who does not, immediately after an Option is granted, own (directly or through attribution) stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of Common Stock or other stock of the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary (as determined under Section 423(b)(3) of the Code). For purposes of the foregoing, the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code with regard to the attribution of stock ownership shall


apply in determining the stock ownership of an individual, and stock which an Employee may purchase under outstanding Options shall be treated as stock owned by the Employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may determine in its discretion, and if so determined, shall set forth in the terms of the applicable Offering, that an Employee of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary shall not be eligible to participate in such Offering if: (a) such Employee has been in the employ of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary for less than two years (or any shorter period); (b) such Employee’s customary employment with the Company or any Designated Subsidiary is twenty (20) hours or less per week and/or not more than five (5) months per calendar year (or any lesser number of hours per week or months per calendar year); (c) such Employee is a “highly compensated employee” of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary (within the meaning of Code Section 414(q)), or is such a “highly compensated employee” (i) with compensation above a specified level, (ii) who is an officer and/or (iii) is subject to the disclosure requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act; and/or (d) such employee is a citizen or resident of a foreign jurisdiction and the grant of an Option under the Plan or Offering is prohibited under the laws of such foreign jurisdiction, or compliance with the laws of such foreign jurisdiction would cause the Plan or Offering to violate the requirements of Code Section 423; provided , that any exclusion in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) shall be applied in an identical manner under each Offering to all employees of the Company and all Designated Subsidiaries, in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(e).

(h) “ Employee ” shall mean any person, including an officer, who renders services to the Company or a Designated Subsidiary in the status of an employee within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code. “Employee” shall not include any director of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary who does not render services to the Company or a Designated Subsidiary in the status of an employee within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code. For purposes of the Plan, the employment relationship shall be treated as continuing intact while the individual is on sick leave or other leave of absence approved by the Company or Designated Subsidiary and meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-7(h)(2). Where the period of leave exceeds ninety (90) days and the individual’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by contract, the employment relationship shall be deemed to have terminated on the ninety first (91 st ) day of such leave.

(i) “ Employer ” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, the member of the Company Group by which the Participant is principally employed.

(j) “ Enrollment Date ” shall mean the first Trading Day of each Offering Period.

(k) “ Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(l) “ Exercise Date ” shall mean the last Trading Day of each Offering Period.

(m) “ Fair Market Value ” shall mean, with respect to the Shares, as of any date: (i) the closing sale price of the Shares as of such date at the end of the regular trading session, as

 

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reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE/MKT LLC or any national securities exchange on which the Shares are then listed or quoted (or, if no shares were traded on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade); (ii) if the Shares are not so listed, admitted to unlisted trading privileges, or reported on any national securities exchange, the closing sale price as of such date at the end of the regular trading session, as reported by the OTC Bulletin Board or the OTC Markets Group, Inc., or other comparable service (or, if no shares were traded or quoted on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade or quote); or (iii) if the Shares are not so listed or reported, such price as the Committee determines in its sole discretion in a manner acceptable under Section 423 of the Code.

(n) “ New Exercise Date ” is defined in Section 19(b) below.

(o) “ Offering ” means any of the offerings to Participants of Options to purchase Shares under the Plan, as described in Section 4 below.

(p) “ Offering Period ” is defined in Section 4 below.

(q) “ Option ” shall mean the right to purchase Shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan during each Offering.

(r) “ Participant ” shall mean an Eligible Employee who participates in the Plan pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan.

(s) “ Purchase Price ” shall mean eighty five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the Enrollment Date or on the Exercise Date, whichever is lower; provided , however , that the Purchase Price may be adjusted by the Committee pursuant to Section 19 of the Plan; provided , further , that the Purchase Price shall not be less than the par value of one Share.

(t) “ Securities Act ” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(u) “ Shares ” shall mean the shares of Common Stock of the Company, or the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be changed in accordance with Section 13 of the Plan.

(v) “ Subsidiary ” shall mean any subsidiary corporation of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code.

(w) “ Trading Day ” shall mean a day on which the principal exchange on which the Shares are traded is open for trading.

3. Eligibility .

(a) Any Employee who is an Eligible Employee on the Enrollment Date for an Offering Period (as defined in Section 4 below) shall be eligible to participate in the Plan during such Offering Period, subject to the requirements of Section 3(b) of the Plan and the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code.

 

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(b) No Eligible Employee shall be granted an Option under the Plan if the amount of payroll deductions that the Eligible Employee has elected to have withheld under such Option (pursuant to Section 5 below) would permit the Eligible Employee to purchase Shares under all “employee stock purchase plans” (within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code) of the Company or any Subsidiary to accrue ( i.e. , become exercisable) at a rate that exceeds twenty five thousand dollars (USD $25,000) of Fair Market Value of such Shares (determined as of the Enrollment Date) for each calendar year in which such Option is outstanding at any time.

4. Offering Periods . Options to purchase Shares shall be offered to Participants under the Plan through a continuous series of Offerings, each continuing for six months and each of which shall commence on January 1 and July 1 of each year, as the case may be, and shall terminate on June 30 and December 31 of such year, as the case may be (each such period being, an “ Offering Period ”);  provided however , that (a) the Committee may suspend Offerings under the Plan or any Offering Period at any time and for any reason and (b) the first Offering Period under the Plan and any subsequent Offering Period commenced immediately after a suspension of the Plan shall have an Enrollment Date and Exercise Date as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Offerings under the Plan shall continue until either (i) the Committee decides, in its sole discretion, (x) to suspend Offerings under the Plan or (y) that no further Offerings shall be made because the number of Shares remaining available under the Plan is insufficient to make an Offering to all Eligible Employees, or (ii) the Plan is terminated under Section 20 below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and without limiting the authority of the Committee under Sections 14, 19 and 20 of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may (a) accelerate the Exercise Date of the then current Offering Period and provide for the exercise of Options thereunder by Participants in accordance with Section 8 of the Plan, or (b) accelerate the Exercise Date of the then current Offering Period and provide that all payroll deductions credited to the accounts of Participants will be paid to Participants as soon as practicable after such Exercise Date and that all Options for such Offering Period will automatically be canceled and will no longer be exercisable, if such change is announced at least five (5) days prior to the newly scheduled Exercise Date.

5. Participation .

(a) Each Eligible Employee may become a Participant with respect to any Offering Period by completing a subscription agreement authorizing payroll deductions in a form acceptable to the Committee and filing it with the Company (or its designated third-party stock plan administrator) at least fifteen (15) calendar days (or a different number of days as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion) prior to the first day of such Offering Period. A Participant’s completion of a subscription agreement with respect to any Offering Period will enroll such Participant in the Plan for each subsequent Offering Period on the terms contained therein until the Participant either submits a new subscription agreement, withdraws from participation under the Plan as provided in Section 10 of the Plan, or otherwise becomes ineligible to participate in the Plan.

 

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(b) Payroll deductions for a Participant shall commence on the first payday following the Enrollment Date and shall end on the last payday in the Offering Period with respect to which such authorization is applicable, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 10 of the Plan.

(c) During a Participant’s leave of absence approved by the Participant’s Employer and meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-7(h)(2), such Participant may continue to participate in the Plan by making cash payments to the Company on each payday equal to the amount of the Participant’s payroll deductions under the Plan for the payday immediately preceding the first day of such Participant’s leave of absence. If a leave of absence is unapproved or fails to meet the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-7(h)(2), the Participant will automatically cease to participate in the Plan and may not make any further contributions to the Plan hereunder. In such event, the Company will automatically cease to deduct the Participant’s payroll under the Plan. The Company will pay to the Participant his or her total payroll deductions for the Offering Period, in cash in one lump sum (without interest), as soon as practicable after the Participant ceases to participate in the Plan.

(d) The subscription agreement(s) used in connection with the Plan shall be in a form prescribed by the Committee, and the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine whether such agreement shall be submitted in written or electronic form.

6. Payroll Deductions .

(a) At the time a Participant files a subscription agreement, such Participant shall elect to have payroll deductions made on each payday (such amount to be deducted after any applicable deduction for tax and other withholding) during the Offering Period in an amount from one percent (1%) to twenty percent (20%) of the Compensation which the Participant receives on each pay day during the Offering Period.

(b) All payroll deductions made for a Participant shall be credited to his or her account under the Plan and shall be withheld in whole percentages only. Except as described in Section 5(c) of the Plan, a Participant may not make any additional payments into such account.

(c) A Participant may discontinue his or her participation in the Plan as provided in Section 10 of the Plan. A Participant may not increase or decrease the rate of his or her payroll deductions during the Offering Period.

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(b) of the Plan, a Participant’s payroll deductions may be decreased to zero percent (0%) at any time during an Offering Period.

 

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(e) At the time an Option is exercised, in whole or in part, or at the time some or all of the Shares issued under the Plan are disposed of, the Participant must make adequate provision for any foreign, federal, state, or other tax obligations, if any, which arise upon the exercise of the Option or the disposition of the Shares. At any time, the Company may, but shall not be obligated to, withhold from all of the Participant’s compensation the amount necessary for the Company to meet applicable withholding obligations, including any withholding required to make available to the Company any tax deductions or benefits attributable to the sale or early disposition of Shares by the Participant.

7. Grant of Option . On the Enrollment Date of each Offering Period, each Participant in such Offering Period shall be granted an Option to purchase on the Exercise Date with respect to such Offering Period (at the applicable Purchase Price) up to a number of the Shares determined by dividing such Participant’s payroll deductions accumulated prior to such Exercise Date and retained in the Participant’s account as of the Exercise Date by the applicable Purchase Price; provided, however, that (i) such purchase shall be subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 3 and 13 of the Plan, and (ii) in no event may more than [one thousand (1,000)] Shares be purchased by any Participant during any Offering Period. Exercise of the Option shall occur as provided in Section 8 of the Plan, unless the Participant has withdrawn from participation pursuant to Section 10 of the Plan or otherwise becomes ineligible to participate in the Plan. The Option shall expire on the last day of the Offering Period.

8. Exercise of Option .

(a) Unless a Participant withdraws from the Plan as provided in Section 10 of the Plan or otherwise becomes ineligible to participate in the Plan, such Participant’s Option for the purchase of Shares shall be exercised automatically on the Exercise Date, and the maximum number of full Shares subject to the Option shall be purchased for such Participant at the applicable Purchase Price with the accumulated payroll deductions in his account. No fractional Shares shall be purchased, and any payroll deductions accumulated in a Participant’s account which are not sufficient to purchase a full Share shall be retained in such Participant’s account for the subsequent Offering Period. During a Participant’s lifetime, a Participant’s Option to purchase Shares hereunder is exercisable only by such Participant.

(b) If the Committee determines that, on a given Exercise Date, the number of Shares with respect to which Options are to be exercised may exceed (i) the number of Shares that were available for sale under the Plan on the Enrollment Date of the applicable Offering Period (notwithstanding any authorization of additional Shares for issuance under the Plan by the Company’s stockholders subsequent to such Enrollment Date); (ii) the number of Shares available for sale under the Plan on such Exercise Date; or (iii) the number of Shares available for sale on such Exercise Date, the Committee shall provide that the Company (or its designated third-party stock plan administrator) shall make a pro rata allocation of the Shares available for purchase on such Enrollment Date or Exercise Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all Participants exercising Options to purchase Shares on such Exercise Date, and shall decide, in its

 

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sole discretion, to either (x) continue all Offering Periods then in effect or (y) terminate any or all Offering Periods then in effect pursuant to Section 20 of the Plan. In the event of such a pro rata allocation of Shares pursuant to this Section 8(b), the balance of the amount credited to the account of each Participant that has not been applied to the purchase of Shares shall be paid to each such Participant in one lump sum in cash as soon as reasonably practicable after the Exercise Date, without any interest thereon.

9. Deposit of Shares. As promptly as practicable after each Exercise Date on which a purchase of Shares occurs, the Company may arrange for the deposit, into each Participant’s account with any broker designated by the Company to administer this Plan, of the number of Shares purchased upon exercise of each such Participant’s Option.

10. Withdrawal .

(a) At any time prior to the Exercise Date, a Participant, by giving written notice to the Company (or its designated third-party stock plan administrator) in a form acceptable to the Committee, may withdraw all but not less than all of the payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account and not yet used to exercise an Option under the Plan. All of the Participant’s payroll deductions credited to his or her account during the Offering Period, plus any balance retained in his or her account from a prior Offering Period, if any, shall be paid to such Participant as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt of notice of withdrawal, and such Participant’s Option for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated, and no further payroll deductions for the purchase of Shares shall be made for such Offering Period. If a Participant withdraws from an Offering Period, payroll deductions shall not resume at the beginning of any subsequent Offering Period unless the Participant delivers to the Company (or its designated third-party stock plan administrator) a new subscription agreement in accordance with the terms of Section 5(a) of the Plan.

(b) A Participant’s withdrawal from an Offering Period shall not have any effect upon such Participant’s eligibility to participate in any similar plan which may hereafter be adopted by the Company or in Offering Periods which commence after the termination of the Offering Period from which the Participant withdraws.

11. Termination of Employment . Upon a Participant’s ceasing to be an Eligible Employee, for any reason, such Participant shall be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan, and the payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account during the Offering Period, plus any balance retained in his or her account from a prior Offering Period, if any, shall be paid to the Participant, or in the case of his or her death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under Section 15 of the Plan, as soon as reasonably practicable, and such Participant’s Option for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated.

12. Interest . No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions or lump sum contributions of a Participant in the Plan.

13. Shares Subject to Plan .

 

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(a) Subject to adjustment upon changes in capitalization of the Company as provided in Section 19 of the Plan, a maximum of [                ] (            ) Shares shall be made available for sale under the Plan and no more than maximum of [                ] (            ) Shares may be issued on each Exercise Date. If any Option granted under the Plan shall for any reason terminate without having been exercised, the Shares not purchased under such Option shall again become available for issuance under the Plan. The Shares subject to the Plan may be unissued shares or reacquired shares bought on the market or otherwise.

(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, with respect to Shares subject to an Option granted under the Plan, a Participant shall not be deemed to be a stockholder of the Company, and the Participant shall not have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder, until such Shares have been issued to the Participant or his or her nominee following exercise of the Participant’s Option. No adjustments shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash securities, or other property) or distributions or other rights for which the record date occurs prior to the date of such issuance, except as otherwise expressly provided herein.

14. Administration . The Plan will be administered by the Committee. To the extent consistent with applicable corporate or other law, the Committee may delegate to any officers of the Company the duties, power and authority of the Committee under the Plan pursuant to such conditions or limitations as the Committee may establish;  provided however , that only the Committee may exercise such duties, power and authority with respect to Participants who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The Committee may exercise its duties, power and authority under the Plan in its sole discretion without the consent of any Participant or other party, unless the Plan specifically provides otherwise. Each determination, interpretation or other action made or taken by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan will be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes and on all persons, including, without limitation, the Company, the stockholders of the Company, the Participants and their respective successors-in-interest. No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Option granted under the Plan.

15. Designation of Beneficiary .

(a) A Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any Shares and cash, if any, from such Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death subsequent to an Exercise Date on which the Option is exercised but prior to delivery to such Participant of such Shares and cash. In addition, a Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death prior to exercise of the Option. To the extent required under applicable law, spousal consent shall be required for such designation to be effective if the Participant is married and the designated beneficiary is not the Participant’s spouse.

(b) Such beneficiary designation may be changed by the Participant at any time by written notice to the Company. In the event of the death of a Participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such

 

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Participant’s death, the Company shall deliver such Shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company may, in its discretion, deliver such Shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent, or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.

16. Transferability . Neither payroll deductions credited to a Participant’s account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an Option or to receive Shares under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged, or otherwise disposed of in any way by the Participant (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or as provided in Section 15 of the Plan). Any such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge, or other disposition shall be without effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to withdraw funds from an Offering Period in accordance with Section 10 of the Plan.

17. Use of Funds . All payroll deductions received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions.

18. Reports . Individual accounts shall be maintained for each Participant in the Plan. Statements of account shall be given to Participants following each Offering Period, which statements shall set forth the amounts of payroll deductions, the Purchase Price, the number of Shares purchased, and the remaining cash balance, if any.

19. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization, Merger, Asset Sale, Dissolution or Liquidation .

(a) Changes in Capitalization . The number of Shares which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but not yet placed under Option, the maximum number of Shares that may be issued on any Exercise Date (pursuant to Section 13 of the Plan), the maximum number of Shares each Participant may purchase in each Offering Period (pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan), as well as the price per Share and the number of Shares covered by each Option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued Shares resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, combination, or reclassification of the Shares, or any other increase or decrease in the number of Shares effected without receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been “effected without receipt of consideration.” Such adjustment shall be made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all Participants and the Company. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of any class, or securities convertible into shares of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of Shares subject to an Option.

(b) Merger, Asset Sale, Dissolution or Liquidation . In the event of a proposed merger of the Company with or into another corporation or a proposed sale of all or substantially all of

 

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the assets of the Company, each outstanding Option shall be assumed or an equivalent Option substituted by the successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of the successor corporation. In the event that the successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of the successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the Option, or in the event of the proposed dissolution, or liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period then in progress shall be shortened by the Committee by setting a new Exercise Date (the “ New Exercise Date ”), which shall occur no later than immediately prior to the effective date of such proposed merger, sale, dissolution or liquidation, as applicable. The Company shall notify each Participant in writing, at least ten (10) business days prior to the New Exercise Date, that the Exercise Date for the Participant’s Option has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that the Participant’s Option shall be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such New Exercise Date the Participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section 10 of the Plan.

20. Amendment or Termination .

(a) The Board may at any time and for any reason terminate or amend the Plan. Except as provided in Section 19 of the Plan and this Section 20, no amendment or termination of the Plan may make any change in any Option theretofore granted which adversely affects the rights of any Participant without the consent of such Participant; provided, however, that an Offering Period may be terminated by the Board if the Board determines that the termination of the Offering Period or the Plan is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. To the extent necessary to comply with Section 423 of the Code (or any successor rule or provision or any other applicable law, regulation, or stock exchange rule), the Company shall obtain stockholder approval of any amendment in such a manner and to such a degree as required.

(b) Without stockholder approval and without regard to whether any Participant’s rights may be considered to have been “adversely affected,” the Committee shall be entitled to change the Offering Periods (but in no event may an Offering Period have a duration in excess of twenty seven (27) months), limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an Offering Period, permit payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of properly completed withholding elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Shares for each Participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the Participant’s Compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Committee determines in its sole discretion advisable which are consistent with the Plan.

(c) Upon termination of the Plan, the balance in each Participant’s account under the Plan shall be refunded as soon as practicable after such termination, without any interest thereon.

(d) In the event the Board determines that the ongoing operation of the Plan may result in unfavorable financial accounting consequences, the Board may, in its discretion and, to the extent necessary or desirable, modify, or amend the Plan to reduce or eliminate such financial accounting consequences, including, but not limited to:

 

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(i) altering the Purchase Price for any Offering Period including an Offering Period underway at the time of the change in Purchase Price;

(ii) shortening any Offering Period so that the Offering Period ends on a new Exercise Date, including an Offering Period underway at the time of the Committee action; and

(iii) allocating Shares.

Such modifications or amendments shall not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Participants.

21. Notices . All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

22. Conditions to Issuance of Shares .

(a) The Company shall not be required to issue Shares purchased upon the exercise of Options prior to fulfillment of all the following conditions:

(i) The admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges, if any, on which the Shares are then listed;

(ii) The obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any governmental agency which the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable;

(iii) Such Participant’s payment to the Company of all amounts which it is required to withhold under federal, state or local law upon exercise of the Option; and

(iv) The lapse of such reasonable period of time following the exercise of the Option as the Committee may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience.

(b) The obligation of the Company to issue Shares or otherwise shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required. Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Option to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling any Shares pursuant to an Option unless such Shares has been properly registered for sale with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the

 

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Company, that such Shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale or resale under the Securities Act any of the Shares to be offered or sold under the Plan or any Shares issued upon exercise or settlement of Options. If the Shares offered for sale or sold under the Plan is offered or sold pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, the Company may restrict the transfer of such Shares and may make a book-entry notation representing such Shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.

23. Term of Plan . The Plan shall become effective as of the date the Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders (the “ Effective Date ”). Subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company in accordance with this Section 23, the Plan shall be in effect until the day before the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the Effective Date, unless sooner terminated under Section 20 of the Plan. In the event the Company’s stockholders do not approve this Plan pursuant to this Section 23, neither this Plan nor any elections made hereunder shall be of any force or effect, any outstanding Option shall be cancelled for no consideration, and all amounts deducted from each Participant’s paycheck shall be repaid to such Participant as soon as practicable without interest.

24. Equal Rights and Privileges . All Eligible Employees shall have equal rights and privileges under this Plan so that this Plan qualifies as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code. Any provision of this Plan that is inconsistent with this requirement to provide equal rights and privileges shall, without further act or amendment by the Company, the Board or the Committee, be reformed to comply with the equal rights and privileges requirement of Section 423 of the Code.

25. Code Section 409A . The Options to purchase Shares under the Plan are not intended to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. However, if at any time the Committee determines that the Options may be subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Committee shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to amend the Plan and any outstanding Options as it may determine is necessary or desirable either to exempt the Options from the application of Section 409A of the Code or to cause the Options to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

26. No Employment Rights . Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to give any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) the right to remain in the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary, or to affect the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) at any time, with or without cause.

27. Notice of Disposition of Shares . If required by the Company, each Participant shall give prompt notice to the Company (at its local Human Resources office), or cause a designated third-party stock administrator to give prompt notice to the Company, of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares purchased upon exercise of an Option hereunder if such disposition or transfer is made either (a) within two (2) years from the Enrollment Date of the Offering Period in which the Shares were purchased or (b) within one (1) year after the

 

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Exercise Date on which such Shares were purchased. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness, or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

28. Tax Withholding Obligations . Regardless of any action the Company or any Designated Subsidiary takes with respect to any or all income tax (including U.S. federal, state and local taxes and/or non-U.S. taxes), social insurance, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-related withholding (“ Tax-Related Items ”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by a Participant will be the Participant’s responsibility. If a Participant becomes subject to taxation in more than one country between the Enrollment Date and the date of any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, Company or any Designated Subsidiary may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one country.

29. Governing Law . Subject to any applicable provisions of federal law (including, without limitation, Section 423(b) of the Code), and except to the extent expressly provided herein or in connection with other matters of corporate governance and authority (all of which shall be governed by the laws of the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation), the validity, construction, interpretation, administration and effect of the Plan and any rules, regulations, and actions relating to the Plan shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, notwithstanding the conflicts of laws principles of any jurisdictions.

 

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Exhibit 10.23

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of October [●], 2016 by and between Smart Sand, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [●] (“Indemnitee”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities;

WHEREAS, directors, officers, and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself;

WHEREAS, the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”). The Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified;

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder;


WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Bylaws and insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee be so indemnified;

[WHEREAS, Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification and/or insurance provided by [Clearlake Capital Partners, LLC] (“ Clearlake ”) or affiliates of Clearlake that Indemnitee and Clearlake intend to be secondary to the primary obligation of the Company to indemnify Indemnitee as provided herein, with the Company’s acknowledgment of and agreement to the foregoing being a material condition to Indemnitee’s willingness to serve as a director or in any other capacity for the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise;] 1 and

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

Section 1. Services to the Company. Indemnitee agrees to serve as [a director] [an officer] of the Company. Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by operation of law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to continue Indemnitee in such position. This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee. Indemnitee specifically acknowledges that Indemnitee’s employment with the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), if any, is at will, and the Indemnitee may be discharged at any time for any reason, with or without cause, except as may be otherwise provided in any written employment contract between Indemnitee and the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), other applicable formal severance policies duly adopted by the Board, or, with respect to service as a director or officer of the Company, by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the DGCL. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as [an officer] [a director] of the Company.

Section 2. Definitions. As used in this Agreement:

(a) A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:

(i) Acquisition of Stock by Third Party. Any Person (as defined below) (other than any Beneficial Owner as of the date of this Agreement) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;

 

1   NTD: Bracketed provisions apply only to Clearlake directors.


(ii) Change in Board of Directors. During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director designated by a Person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(a)(i), 2(a)(iii) or 2(a)(iv)) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved or who was otherwise nominated by Clearlake or any of its affiliates, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;

(iii) Corporate Transactions. The effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such surviving entity;

(iv) Liquidation. The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or, if such approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale, or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions; and

(v) Other Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

For purposes of this Section 2(a), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(A) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(B) “Person” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Person shall exclude (i) the Company, (ii) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, and (iii) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.


(C) “Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Beneficial Owner shall exclude any Person otherwise becoming a Beneficial Owner by reason of the stockholders of the Company approving a merger of the Company with another entity.

(b) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any Enterprise.

(c) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

(d) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

(e) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable, direct and indirect costs, including attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts and other professionals, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, out-of-pocket expenses and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding, or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, successfully establishing a right to indemnification under this Agreement, whether in whole or part. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

(f) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, Liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.


(g) “Liabilities” means all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, judgments (including pre- and post-judgment interest), orders, fines, penalties and other amounts payable in connection with, arising out of, or in respect of or relating to any Proceeding, including, without limitation, amounts paid in settlement in any Proceeding and all costs and Expenses in complying with any judgment, order or decree issued or entered in connection with any Proceeding or any settlement agreement, stipulation or consent decree entered into or issued in settlement of any Proceeding.

(h) The term “Proceeding” shall include any actual, threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened, pending or completed proceeding, and any appeal thereof, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the Corporate Status of Indemnitee, by reason of any action taken by Indemnitee or of any inaction on Indemnitee’s part while acting in such Corporate Status, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any Liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement. If the Indemnitee believes in good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the institution of a Proceeding, this shall be considered a Proceeding under this paragraph.

(i) Reference to “other enterprise” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.

Section 3. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses and Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.


Section 4. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses and Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. No indemnification for Expenses or Liabilities shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that such indemnification may be made.

Section 5. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. If the Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue, or matter on which the Indemnitee was successful. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

Section 6. Indemnification For Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.

Section 7. Additional Indemnification.

(a) Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, 5, or 6, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all reasonable Expenses and Liabilities actually incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

(b) For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by law” shall include, but not be limited to:


i. to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the DGCL, and

(ii) to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors.

Section 8. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:

(a) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

(b) in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation, (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law, or (iii) the Proceeding is one to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

Section 9. Advances of Expenses. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall advance the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement. Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed. The Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking providing that the Indemnitee undertakes to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company. This Section 9 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to Section 8.

Section 10. Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.

(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, not later than thirty (30)


days after receipt by Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any Proceeding. The omission to notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee otherwise than under this Agreement. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification.

(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

Section 11. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

(a) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 10(a), a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case: (i) if a Change in Control shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, at the sole discretion of the Indemnitee, (A) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (B) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (C) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee or (D) by the stockholders of the Company; and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

(b) In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 11(b). If a Change in Control shall not have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. If a Change in Control shall have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors, in which event the preceding sentence shall apply), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected. In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within 10 days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the


objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within 20 days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding; provided that, in absence of any such determination with respect to such Proceeding, the Company shall pay all Liabilities and advance Expenses with respect to such Proceeding as if the Company had determined the Indemnitee to be entitled to indemnification and advancement of Expenses with respect to such Proceeding.

Section 12. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

(b) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 11 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such 60-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person,


persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 12(b) shall not apply (i) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination the Board of Directors has resolved to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat, or (ii) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement.

(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

(d) Reliance as Safe Harbor . For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers, directors, managers, employees, agents or representatives of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with the reasonable care by the Enterprise. The provisions of this Section 12(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

(e) Actions of Others . The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

Section 13. Remedies of Indemnitee.

(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within 45 days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the


last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3, 4 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of Expenses. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within 180 days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 13(a); provided, however, that the foregoing clause shall not apply in respect of a proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce his rights under Section 5 of this Agreement. The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

(d) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

(e) The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore) advance such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

Section 14. Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; [Primacy of Indemnification;] Subrogation.


(a) The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

(b) The Company shall, if commercially reasonable, obtain and maintain in effect during the entire period for which the Company is obligated to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement, one or more policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies to provide the directors and officers of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts and omissions and to ensure the Company’s performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or agent under such policy or policies. In all such policies, Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors and officers. At the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

(c) [The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by Clearlake and certain of Clearlake’s affiliates that, directly or indirectly, (i) are controlled by, (ii) control or (iii) are under common control with, Clearlake (collectively, the “ Fund Indemnitors ”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance Expenses or to provide indemnification for the same Liabilities or Expenses incurred by Indemnitee is secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of Expenses actually incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Liabilities and Expenses as required by the terms of this Agreement and the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or


payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 14(c) .]

(d) [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above,] in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee [(other than against the Fund Indemnitors)], who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

(e) [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above,] the Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable (or for which advancement is provided) hereunder if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

(f) [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above,] the Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

Section 15. Duration of Agreement. This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later of: (a) 10 years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve in any Corporate Status or (b) 1 year after the final termination of any Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto) in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder and of any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement relating thereto (including any rights of appeal thereto). This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his heirs, executors and administrators.


Section 16. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Agreement is intended to confer upon Indemnitee indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. In the event any provision hereof conflicts with any applicable law, such provision shall be deemed modified, consistent with the aforementioned intent, to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict.

Section 17. Enforcement.

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director or officer of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director or officer of the Company.

(b) Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Section 18. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, waiver or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

Section 19. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.


Section 20. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not so confirmed, then, on the next business day, (c) if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, or (d) if sent via a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt, on the next business day after the dae on which it is so mailed:

(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.

(b) If to the Company to

Smart Sand, Inc.

24 Waterway Avenue, Suite 350

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Attn: [Chief Financial Officer]

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

Section 21. Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

Section 22. Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 10(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”), and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, irrevocably National Registered Agents, Inc., 160 Greentree Drive, Dover, Delaware 19904 as its agent in the State of Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if


served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

Section 23. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

Section 24. Miscellaneous. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

SMART SAND, INC.    INDEMNITEE
By:  

 

  

 

Name:    Name:
Officer:    Address:

Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiaries of Smart Sand, Inc.

 

Subsidiaries

  

State of Organization

Fairview Cranberry Company, LLC

   Wisconsin

Will Logistics, LLC

   Pennsylvania

Smart Sand Partners LP

   Delaware

Smart Sand GP LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Live Oak LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Fayette County LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Hixton LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Reagan County LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Tom Green County LLC

   Delaware

Smart Sand Oakdale LLC

   Delaware

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have issued our report dated March 31, 2016, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Smart Sand, Inc. and Subsidiaries contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. We consent to the use of the aforementioned report in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and to the use of our name as it appears under the caption “Experts.”

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 18, 2016