Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

INVESTMENT IN PARAGON WASTE SOLUTIONS LLC

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INVESTMENT IN PARAGON WASTE SOLUTIONS LLC
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
INVESTMENT IN PARAGON WASTE SOLUTIONS LLC

NOTE 7– INVESTMENT IN PARAGON WASTE SOLUTIONS LLC

 

In 2010, the Company and Black Stone Management Services, LLC (“Black Stone”) formed PWS, whereby a total of 1,000,000 membership units were issued, 600,000 membership units to the Company and 400,000 membership units to Black Stone. Fortunato Villamagna, who serves as President of our PWS subsidiary, is a managing member and Chairman of Black Stone. In June 2012, the Company and Blackstone each allocated 10% of their respective membership units in PWS to Mr. J John Combs III, an officer and shareholder of the Company and Mr. Michael Cardillo, a shareholder of the Company and an officer of a subsidiary. There was no value attributable to the units at the time of the allocation. At December 31, 2014 and 2013 the Company owned 54% of the membership units, Black Stone owned 26% of the membership units, an outside third party 10% of the membership units and two related parties (as noted above), each owned 5% of the membership units.

 

In August, 2011, we acquired certain intellectual property in regards to waste destruction technology (the “IP”) from Black Stone in exchange for 1,000,000 shares of our common stock valued at $100,000. We estimated the useful life of the IP at ten years, which was consistent with the useful life of other technology included in our intangible assets, and management’s initial assessment of the potential marketability of the IP. In March 2012, the Company entered into an Irrevocable License & Royalty Agreement with PWS that grants PWS an irrevocable world-wide license to the IP in exchange for a 5% royalty on all revenues from PWS and its affiliates. The term commenced as of the date of the Agreement and shall continue for a period not to exceed the life of the patent or patents filed by the Company. PWS may sub license the IP and any revenue derived from sub licensing shall be included in the calculation of Gross Revenue for purposes of determining royalty payments due the Company. Royalty payments are due 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. PWS generated licensing revenues of approximately $118,200 and $69,000 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as such, royalties of $9,400 and $3,500 were due at December 31, 2015 and 2014.

 

Since its inception through December 31, 2015, we have provided approximately $5.1 million in funding to PWS for working capital and the further development and construction of various prototypes and commercial waste destruction units. No members of PWS have made capital contributions or other funding to PWS other than SEER. The intent of the operating agreement is that we will provide the funding as an advance against future earnings distributions made by PWS.

 

Licensing Agreements

 

In September 2013, PWS entered into an Exclusive Use License and Joint Operations Agreement ("License Agreement") with Sterall Inc. ("Sterall"). The License Agreement granted Sterall the use of the PWS Technology and the CoronaLux™ waste destruction units for an initial five year term in the State of Florida and renewable for two additional five year terms, for the treatment and/or destruction of any and all regulated medical waste from any sources. The agreement required Sterall to pay a $300,000 License Initiation Fee and in order for Sterall to maintain its exclusive license for the State of Florida, a total of $200,000 was to be paid to PWS by May 23, 2014, regardless of net operating profits of Sterall ("NOP"). During the initial 5-year term, a minimum of $500,000 of total royalty payments to PWS must be made either from NOP or otherwise (in addition to the $300,000 Initial Fee, set forth below), in order for the second-phase five-year term to be exclusive. During the second-phase five-year term, a minimum of $750,000 of royalty must be paid, out of NOP or otherwise, in order for the third phase five-year term to be exclusive. PWS will receive a one-time license initiation fee of $300,000 payable from NOP of Sterall as a priority payment before any other distributions or payouts. Sterall can take delivery of additional CoronaLux™ waste destruction units upon payment of a placement fee per unit of either $168,000 or $207,000 depending upon the size of the unit. The unit placement fees do not include freight, start-up and commissioning costs, which shall be borne by the facility. PWS, at its sole discretion will select the installation, startup and commissioning teams. Sterall has not generated any NOP and has not paid any licensing fees to PWS as required by the License Agreement, including the minimum payments required under the agreement. Black Stone is a minority shareholder of Sterall.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2014, Sterall ordered a total of six CoronaLux™ units, of which one unit has been delivered, and five units are pending delivery at December 31, 2015. Sterall paid a non-refundable placement fee of $236,300 for the unit delivered in 2014 and has paid a deposit of $330,000 for the five units ordered and a balance of $851,500 is still owed.

 

On February 22, 2014, SEER and PWS entered into an Agreement with Daniel McAteer & Associates (“DMA”) to develop, permit and exploit the PWS waste destruction technology in Ireland and United Kingdom (“Limited Territory”). The Agreement called for the formation of a Joint Venture to be owned 50% by SEER and 50% by DMA. In accordance with the agreement, DMA was to pay a one-time license fee of $350,000 for an exclusive license for the limited purpose of medical waste destruction in the Limited Territory. On June 10, 2014 Paragon Waste (UK) Ltd (“Paragon UK”, “UK Joint Venture”), was formed in accordance with the laws of Northern Ireland. A total of 300,100 shares were issued upon formation, 100 Ordinary A voting shares were issued, of which PWS received 50 Ordinary A shares and 300,000 Ordinary B non-voting shares were issued. In 2015, the Agreement with DMA was amended to where Paragon UK purchased the CoronaLux™ unit from PWS for $350,000. Operations to date of the Paragon UK Joint Venture have been limited to formation, the delivery of a CoronaLux™ unit with a third party in the United Kingdom and application and permitting efforts with regulatory entities.

 

On March 4, 2014, PWS entered into a Licensing and Equipment Lease Agreement with eCycling International of South Carolina, LLC (“eCycling”). The License Agreement grants to eCycling the use of the PWS Technology and the CoronaLux™ waste destruction units for an initial term of five years and requires a payment of $176,875 as a non-refundable initial licensing fee and distributions of 50% of net operating profits, as defined in the agreement, in lieu of continuing royalty payments for the use of the licensed technology. As of December 31, 2015, eCycling is still in the process of permitting the unit, and therefore, has not yet generated any NOP. As such, eCycling has made no payments to PWS.

 

On November 17, 2014, PWS entered into an Exclusive Licensing and Equipment Lease Agreement, for a limited license territory, with Medical Waste Services, LLC (“MWS”). The License Agreement grants to MWS the use of the PWS Technology and the CoronaLux™ waste destruction units for an initial term of seven years and requires a payment of $225,000 as a non-refundable initial licensing fee and distributions of 50% of net operating profits, as defined in the agreement, in lieu of continuing royalty payments for the use of the licensed technology. PWS and Medical Waste Services, LLC (“MWS”) formed a contractual joint venture to exploit the PWS medical waste destruction technology through the permitting and approved for commercial operations by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (“SCAQMD”) and the California Department of Public Health a CoronaLux™ unit licensed by MWS. Operations to date have included the destruction of medical waste under a temporary operating permit issued by SCAQMD since May 2015 and efforts to obtain a full operating permit from SCAQMD.

 

In February 2015, PWS entered into a License Agreement with Particle Science Tech of Environmental Protection, Inc (“Particle”) a US subsidiary of Xinhua Energy Environmental Technology Co., Ltd (“Xinhua”), a large multi-national environmental company based in China. The agreement provides for the exclusive rights to distribute PWS’s patented technology in China, Hong Kong, Macau and the Taiwan territories (“Territory”). The grant was for both the medical waste, as well as the refinery vertical markets within the Territory. The Agreement calls for, among other things, the formation of a U.S. joint venture company, (“P&P Company”), to be owned 50/50 by PWS and Particle) and an obligation by Xinhua to fund all necessary and reasonable capital requirements to permit and roll out the PWS technology in the Territory as well as staff and manage the JV Entity’s operations. In 2015, PWS sold a CoronaLux™ unit to Xinhua for $430,500.

 

Upon the occurrence of certain events and timely performance by Xinhua, a second placement fee of $350,000 is required to be paid and, upon that second payment, it will then be granted exclusive manufacturing rights to produce the units to be deployed in the Territory.

 

Payments received for non-refundable licensing and placement fees have been recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 and are recognized as revenue ratably over the term of the contract.