sched14a.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section
14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
|
|
|
Filed
by the Registrant x
|
|
Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant o
|
|
Check
the appropriate box: |
|
|
|
|
|
o
Preliminary Proxy Statement
|
|
o Confidential, for
Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
|
x Definitive Proxy
Statement
|
|
o Definitive
Additional Materials
|
|
o
Soliciting Material Pursuant to
§240.14a-12
|
AeroCentury
Corp.
|
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
|
(Name of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
|
x No fee
required.
|
|
o Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and
0-11.
|
|
1)
Title of each class of securities to whcih transaction
applies:
|
|
2)
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
|
3)
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
|
|
4)
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
|
o
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
|
|
oCheck
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
|
|
1)
Amount Previously Paid:
|
|
2)
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:
|
AEROCENTURY
CORP.
NOTICE
OF 2009 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON APRIL 30, 2009
TO OUR
STOCKHOLDERS:
You are
cordially invited to attend the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of
AeroCentury Corp. (the "Company"), which will be held at the Hiller Aviation
Museum, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, California at 5:30 p.m. on April 30, 2009,
for the following purposes:
1. To
elect one director to the Board of Directors; and
|
2.
|
To
consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the selection of BDO Seidman,
LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for
the fiscal year ending December 31,
2009;
|
|
3.
|
To
act upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
|
These
matters are more fully described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this
Notice.
The Board
of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 2, 2009 as the record date
for determining those stockholders who will be entitled to vote at the 2009
Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The stock transfer books will not be closed
between the record date and the date of the meeting.
A quorum
comprising the holders of the majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
of the Company on the record date must be present or represented by proxy for
the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, it is important
that your shares be represented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE AND SIGN
THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. Your proxy may
be revoked at any time prior to the time it is voted.
If you
plan to attend the meeting, please call the Company’s Investor Relations
Department at (650) 340-1888, so that your name can be placed on the guest list
at the Hiller Aviation Museum entrance.
Please
read the proxy material carefully. Your vote is important and the Company
appreciates your cooperation in considering and acting on the matters
presented.
Sincerely
yours,
/s/ Neal
D. Crispin
CHAIRMAN
OF THE BOARD
March 23,
2009
Burlingame,
California
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR
2009
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
OF
AEROCENTURY
CORP.
TO
BE HELD ON APRIL 30, 2009
This
Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of
Directors (the “Board”) of AEROCENTURY CORP. (the "Company") of proxies to be
voted at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2009 Annual Meeting” or
the “Annual Meeting”), which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on April 30, 2009, at the
Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, California, or at any
adjournments or postponements thereof, for the purposes set forth in the
accompanying Notice of 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. This Proxy Statement
and the proxy card were first mailed to stockholders on or about March 23, 2009.
The Company's 2008 Annual Report was mailed to stockholders concurrently with
this Proxy Statement. The 2008 Annual Report is not to be regarded as proxy
soliciting material or as a communication by means of which any solicitation of
proxies is to be made.
VOTING
RIGHTS AND SOLICITATION
The close
of business on March 2, 2009, was the record date for stockholders entitled to
notice of and to vote at the 2009 Annual Meeting. As of that date, the Company
had 1,543,257 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value (the "Common Stock"),
issued and outstanding. The presence at the Annual Meeting of a majority of the
issued and outstanding Common Stock, or 771,629 shares, either present in person
or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at the Annual Meeting. All of the shares of the Company's
Common Stock outstanding on the record date are entitled to vote at the 2009
Annual Meeting, and stockholders of record entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting will have one vote for each share of Common Stock so held with regard to
each matter to be voted upon. Your proxy may be revoked at any time
prior to the time it is voted.
If your
shares are registered directly in your name with the Company’s transfer agent,
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Co., you are considered, with respect to
those shares, the “stockholder of record” and these proxy materials are being
sent directly to you by the Company. As the stockholder of record,
you have the right to grant your voting proxy directly to the Company or to vote
in person at the Annual Meeting. The Company has enclosed a proxy
card for your use, which should be returned to the Company.
If your
shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you
are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held “in street name” and these
proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your broker or nominee who is
considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of
record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your
broker on how to vote and are also invited to attend the Annual
Meeting. However, since you are not the stockholder of record, you
may not vote those shares in person at the Annual Meeting. Your
broker or nominee has enclosed a voting instruction card for your use, which
must be returned to your broker or nominee.
Shares of
the Company's Common Stock represented by proxies in the accompanying form that
are properly executed and returned to the Company will be voted at the 2009
Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions of the stockholder of record
contained therein. In the absence of contrary instructions, shares represented
by such proxies will be voted FOR the election the director nominee as described
herein under "Proposal 1: Election of Director"; and FOR ratification of the
selection of BDO Seidman, LLP as independent registered public accounting firm
as described herein under "Proposal 2: Ratification of Selection of Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm.” The Company does not know of any
matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting other than those set forth in this
Proxy Statement and in the Notice accompanying this Proxy Statement. If other
matters should properly come before the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will
vote on such matters in accordance with their best judgment. Proxies
will confer upon the proxy holders discretionary authority to vote upon matters
that may properly be raised at the Annual Meeting, but which, as of the date
hereof, are unknown to the Company. In addition, the proxies confer
upon the proxy holders the authority to adjourn or postpone the Annual Meeting
in order to assure that all stockholders who wish to vote on the matters will be
able to cast their votes and to act upon the matters incident to the conduct of
the meeting. Any stockholder of record has the right to revoke his or
her proxy at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting.
Abstentions
and broker non-votes are each included in the determination of the number of
shares present for quorum purposes. For the purpose of determining whether the
stockholders have approved matters other than the election of directors,
abstentions are treated as shares present or represented and voting, so
abstentions have the same effect as negative votes. Broker non-votes
are not included in the tabulation of the voting results on the election of
directors or issues requiring approval of a majority of the shares present or
represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and, therefore,
do not have the same effect as votes in opposition to a specific
proposal. Broker non-votes are included in the tabulation of the
voting results on issues requiring approval of a majority of the outstanding
shares and, therefore, have the same effect as negative votes on such
matters. Neither abstentions nor broker non-votes are counted in the
tabulation of the votes for election of directors.
Proposal 1. The
election of director by stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the
votes cast by the stockholders of record entitled to vote at the election
present in person or represented by proxy, and the nominee receiving the
greatest number of affirmative votes of the shares present in person, or
represented by proxy, and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be
elected, provided a quorum is present. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not
be counted toward a nominee’s total.
Proposal
2. Ratification of the Company’s selection of independent
registered public accounting firm will require the affirmative vote of a
majority of the shares present in person, or represented by proxy, and entitled
to vote at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is present. As a
result, abstentions will have the same effect as votes against the
proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this
vote.
The
entire cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. Proxies will be
solicited principally through the use of the mails, but, if deemed desirable,
may be solicited personally or by telephone, telegraph or special letter by
officers and Company employees for no additional
compensation. Arrangements may be made with brokerage houses and
other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to send proxies and proxy material to
the beneficial owners of the Company's Common Stock, and such persons may be
reimbursed for their expenses.
HOUSEHOLDING
OF ANNUAL MEETING MATERIALS
Some
brokers and other nominee record holders may be participating in the practice of
“householding” proxy statements and annual reports. This means that
only one copy of the proxy statement and annual report may have been sent to
multiple stockholders sharing the same household. The Company will
promptly deliver a separate copy of either document to any stockholder who
contacts the Company’s Investor Relations Department at (650) 340-1888 or by
mail to 1440 Chapin Avenue, Suite 310, Burlingame, California 94010, requesting
such copies. If a stockholder is receiving multiple copies of the
proxy statement and annual report at the stockholder’s household and would like
to receive only a single copy of the proxy statement and annual report for a
stockholder’s household in the future, stockholders should contact their broker,
other nominee record holder, or the Company’s Investor Relations Department to
request mailing of a single copy of the proxy statement and annual
report.
PROPOSAL
1
ELECTION
OF DIRECTOR
One of
the Company’s five directors will be elected at the 2009 Annual Meeting. The
Board has nominated the nominee set forth below. The proxy holders intend to
vote all proxies received by them in the accompanying form FOR the nominee for director
listed below, unless instructions to the contrary are marked on the proxy. In
the event that a nominee is unable or declines to serve as a director at the
time of the 2009 Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for any nominee who
shall be designated by the present Board of Directors to fill the vacancy. In
the event that additional persons are nominated for election as director, the
proxy holders intend to vote all proxies received by them for the nominee listed
below. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board of Directors is not
aware of any nominee who is unable or will decline to serve as a director. The
term of office of the person elected as a director at the Annual Meeting will
continue until the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until the director's
resignation, removal or successor has been elected.
Nominee
To Board Of Directors
Mr. Thomas W. Orr, age
75. Mr. Orr has served on the Company’s Board of Directors since
1997, and was also, during that time, Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board
of Directors. Mr. Orr is currently a self-employed consultant on
accounting matters. From 1992 until 2002, he was a partner at the
accounting firm of Bregante + Company LLP. Prior to that, beginning
in 1986, Mr. Orr was Vice President, Finance, at Scripps League Newspapers,
Inc. Beginning in 1958, Mr. Orr was in the audit department of Arthur
Young & Co., Certified Public Accountants, where he retired as a partner in
1986. Mr. Orr received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Administration, with distinction (Accounting major), from the University of
Minnesota. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and
a former member of the California State Board of Accountancy.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE NOMINEE LISTED
ABOVE.
PROPOSAL
2
RATIFICATION
OF SELECTION OF
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The firm
of BDO Seidman, LLP served as independent registered public accounting firm for
the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. The Board of Directors
desires the firm to continue in this capacity for the current fiscal year.
Accordingly, a proposal will be presented at the Annual Meeting to ratify the
selection of BDO Seidman, LLP by the Board of Directors as independent
registered public accounting firm to audit the accounts and records of the
Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009, and to perform other
appropriate services. In the event that stockholders fail to ratify the
selection of BDO Seidman, LLP, the Board of Directors would reconsider such
selection.
A
representative of BDO Seidman, LLP will be present at the Annual Meeting, will
have the opportunity to make a statement if he or she so desires and will be
available to respond to appropriate questions.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE RATIFICATION OF THE
SELECTION OF BDO SEIDMAN, LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM.
INFORMATION REGARDING
AUDITORS
Audit and Audit-Related
Fees. The
aggregate fees accrued by the Company as payable to BDO Seidman, LLP (the
"Auditor") for professional services rendered for the audit of the Company's
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, and for the
reviews of the financial statements included in the Company's Forms 10-Q during
the 2008 fiscal year was $354,000. During the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008, the Company did not accrue any fees payable to the Auditor
for audit-related services or Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls compliance
review.
The
aggregate fees accrued by the Company as payable to the Auditor for professional
services rendered for the audit of the Company's financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, and for the reviews of the financial
statements included in the Company's Forms 10-QSB during the 2007 fiscal year
was $243,000. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, the
Company accrued no fees payable to the Auditor for audit-related services or
Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls compliance review.
Prior to
the Company's engagement of BDO Seidman, LLP in October 2006, the Company's
auditor was PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the "Former Auditor"). In
2008, the Company paid the Former Auditor $5,000 for a review of the Company's
Form 10-KSB filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. In
2007, the Company paid the Former Auditor $6,000 for a review of the Company's
Form 10-KSB filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Tax Fees. The Company
paid the Auditor $38,000 for tax-related services, including tax planning and
preparation of returns, in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, and $42,000
for such services in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
All Other Fees. No
other fees were paid the Auditor or Former Auditor in the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2008 and 2007.
Audit Committee
Approval. The retainer agreements between the Company and the
Auditor containing the terms and conditions and estimated fees to be paid to the
Auditor for audit and tax return preparation services were pre-approved by the
Audit Committee at the beginning of their respective engagements. The Audit Committee’s
policy is to pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided by the
Auditor. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax
services and other services. Pre-approval is generally provided for up to one
year and any pre-approval is detailed as to the particular service or category
of services and is generally subject to a specific budget. The Audit Committee
has delegated pre-approval authority to its Chair when expedition of services is
necessary. One hundred percent of the audit-related fees and tax fees
paid in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008, and 2007, were pre-approved by
the Audit Committee. The Auditor and management are required to
periodically report to the full Audit Committee regarding the extent of services
provided by the Auditor in accordance with this pre-approval, and the fees for
the services performed to date. None of the services rendered by the
Auditor were rendered pursuant to the de minimis exception
established by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE REPORT
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in any of the Company’s previous filings
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, that might incorporate future filings, including this Proxy
Statement, in whole or in part, the following Report of the Audit Committee
shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated
by reference into any such filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company serves as the representative
of the Board for general oversight of the Company's financial accounting and
reporting process, internal controls, audit process and process for monitoring
compliance with laws and regulations. The Audit Committee is
responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of the
Auditor. The members of the Audit Committee are independent (as
defined in Section 803A of the NYSE Alternext US Company Guide). The
Company's management has primary responsibility for preparing the Company's
financial statements and the Company's financial reporting process. The
Company's Auditor, BDO Seidman, LLP, is responsible for expressing an opinion on
the fairness and conformity of the Company's audited financial statements to
generally accepted accounting principles. In this context, the Audit
Committee hereby reports as follows:
1. The
Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with
the Company's management.
2. The
Audit Committee has discussed with the Auditor the matters required to be
discussed by SAS 114 (The Auditor’s Communication With Those Charged With
Governance).
3. The
Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the
independent accountants required by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
Rule 3526 and has discussed with the Auditor its independence.
4. Based
on the review and discussion referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3) above,
the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors of the Company, and
the Board has approved, that the audited financial statements be included in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2008, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Audit Committee held seven meetings
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.
Submitted
by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors:
Thomas W.
Orr, Chair
Roy E.
Hahn
Evan M.
Wallach
INFORMATION REGARDING THE
COMPANY’S
DIRECTORS
AND OFFICERS
Current
Board Of Directors
The
following director has a term expiring at the Company’s 2009 Annual
Meeting: Thomas W. Orr. He has been nominated for
re-election to the Board of Directors. For his biographical
information, see “PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTOR,” above.
The
following directors have terms expiring at the Company’s 2010 Annual Stockholder
Meeting:
Mr. Neal D. Crispin, age
63. Mr. Crispin is Chairman of the Board and President of the
Company. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board and
has served on the Board since the Company’s inception in 1997. He has
also served as President and Chairman of the Board of JetFleet Management Corp.
("JMC"), the management company for AeroCentury Corp. since JMC’s founding in
1997. Since 1983, he has been President and Chairman of CMA
Consolidated, Inc. (“CMA”), an investment management firm that is no longer
active. Since 2005, he has been President of Structured Funding,
Inc., an investment management firm. Since 2007, he has been
President of Passport Holding Corp., an investment services
firm. Prior to forming CMA in 1983, Mr. Crispin spent two years as
Vice President-Finance of an oil and gas company. Previously, Mr.
Crispin was a manager with Arthur Young & Co., Certified Public
Accountants. Prior to joining Arthur Young & Co., Mr. Crispin
served as a management consultant, specializing in financial
consulting. Mr. Crispin is the husband of Toni M. Perazzo, a director
and officer of JMC and the Company. He received a Bachelor’s Degree
in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Master’s
Degree in Business Administration (specializing in Finance) from the University
of California at Berkeley. Mr. Crispin, a certified public
accountant, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public
Accountants.
Mr. Evan M. Wallach, age
54. Mr. Wallach is a Managing Director at Guggenheim Capital Markets,
LLC, a securities broker/dealer. Prior to that he served as Managing
Director, Fixed Income Institutional Sales, at Piper Jaffray LLC from 2001 to
2005 and as Vice President, Finance of C-S Aviation, an aviation consulting firm
from 1998 to 2001. Mr. Wallach is a member of the Audit Committee and
has served on the Board since 1997. From 1996 to 1998, he was
President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Airfinance Corporation, an
aviation consulting firm. He has specialized in aircraft and airline
financing for over twenty years, having held senior level positions with The CIT
Group, Bankers Trust Company, Kendall Capital Partners, Drexel Burnham Lambert,
and American Express Aircraft Leasing. Mr. Wallach received a
Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from State University of New York at
Stony Brook and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University
of Michigan.
The
following directors have terms expiring at the Company’s 2011 Annual Stockholder
Meeting:
Mr. Roy E. Hahn, age
57. Mr. Hahn is a member of the Audit Committee of the Board of
Directors and has served on the Board since 2007. Mr. Hahn is
currently Managing Director of Marbridge Group, LLC, an alternative investment
management firm he founded in 2004. Prior to his founding of
Marbridge Group, LLC, he was Managing Director of Chenery Associates, an
investment management firm. From 1994 to 2003, Mr. Hahn was a tax
partner at Coopers & Lybrand, and a Director of that firm from 1989 to
1993. Prior to Coopers & Lybrand, he was a partner at Arthur
Young & Co. His educational background includes a Bachelor's
Degree in Accounting from San Francisco State University. Mr. Hahn,
who is a certified public accountant, is a member of the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public
Accountants.
Ms. Toni M. Perazzo, age
62. Ms. Perazzo is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board
of Directors and has served on the Board since the Company’s inception in
1997. She is the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Senior
Vice President-Finance and Secretary and has held these same positions with
JetFleet Management Corp ("JMC"), the management company for AeroCentury Corp.,
since 1994, and CMA Consolidated, Inc. ("CMA"), an investment management firm
which is no longer active, since 1990. Since 2005, she has also been
Senior Vice President-Finance at Structured Funding, Inc., an investment
management firm. Prior to joining CMA in 1990, she was Assistant Vice
President for a savings and loan, controller of an oil and gas syndicator and a
senior auditor with Arthur Young & Co., Certified Public
Accountants. Ms. Perazzo is the wife of Neal D. Crispin, a director
and officer of JMC and the Company. She received her Bachelor’s
Degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Master’s Degree in
Business Administration from the University of Southern
California. Ms. Perazzo, who is a certified public accountant, is a
member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Board
Meetings and Committees
The Board
of Directors of the Company held a total of seven meetings during the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2008. Each director attended every
meeting of the Board and every meeting held by all committees of the Board on
which the director served, except for Evan Wallach who was absent from one Audit
Committee meeting.
The
Company has an Audit Committee and an Executive Committee of the Board of
Directors. The Audit Committee operates under a Charter approved by the Board of
Directors. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter was filed as an
appendix to the Company’s proxy statement for the annual meeting of stockholders
held on May 1, 2008. The Audit Committee meets with the Company's
financial management and its independent registered public accounting firm to
review internal financial information, audit plans and results, and financial
reporting procedures. This committee currently consists of Thomas W. Orr, Chair,
Roy E. Hahn, and Evan M. Wallach. The Board has determined that
Mr. Orr, Mr. Hahn and Mr. Wallach are independent within the meaning of
"independence" as set forth in the rules of the NYSE Alternext US Company
Guide.
The Board
of Directors has determined that at least two members of the Audit Committee,
Messrs. Orr and Hahn, are “audit committee financial experts” within the meaning
of Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. Each of Messrs. Orr and Hahn is also an “independent director” within
the meaning of Section 803A of the NYSE Alternext US Company
Guide. Mr. Orr is a self-employed accounting consultant and
former partner of the accounting firms Bregante + Co. LLP and Arthur Young &
Co., Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Hahn is a founder of Marbridge
Group, LLC, an alternative investment management firm, and prior to that was a
tax partner in the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. In the
course of their respective careers, each of Mr. Orr and Mr. Hahn acquired (i) an
understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and financial
statements, (ii) the ability to assess the general application of such
principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals and
reserves, (iii) experience preparing, auditing,
analyzing
or evaluatingfinancial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity
of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity
of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company’s
financial statements, (iv) an understanding of internal control over financial
reporting, and (v) an understanding of audit committee functions.
The Audit
Committee held seven meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008,
and has held two meetings during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009 to
date.
The
Executive Committee has the authority to acquire, dispose of and finance
investments for the Company and execute contracts and agreements, including
those related to the borrowing of money by the Company, and generally exercises
all other powers of the Board of Directors except for those which require action
by all of the directors or the independent directors under the Certificate of
Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Company, or under applicable law. The
Executive Committee currently consists of two directors, Neal D. Crispin,
Chairman, and Toni M. Perazzo.
The
Company does not have a formal Nominating Committee. The independent directors
separately consider and make recommendations to the full Board of Directors
regarding any candidate being considered to serve on the Board of
Directors. The full Board of Directors reviews potential candidates
for the Board of Directors. While the Board of Directors does not have a
specific policy for considering nominees recommended by stockholders, this does
not mean that a recommendation would not be considered if received from a
stockholder. The Board has not yet considered a procedure for
considering nominees recommended by stockholders in addition to the procedures
already set forth in the Bylaws of the Company. It believes that the
current informal consideration process has been adequate in light of the
historical absence of stockholder proposals. In any event, there
would be no difference between the manner in which the Board would evaluate a
nominee for director whether recommended by a stockholder or recommended by a
member of the Board or one of the Company’s executive officers. The
Company does not pay any third party to identify or assist in identifying or
evaluating potential nominees.
In
reviewing potential candidates for the Board, the Board of Directors considers
the individual's experience in the Company's industry, the general business or
other experience of the candidate, the needs of the Company for an additional or
replacement director, the personality of the candidate, the candidate's interest
in the business of the Company, as well as numerous other subjective
criteria. Of greatest importance is the individual's integrity,
willingness to actively participate and ability to bring to the Company his or
her experience and knowledge in areas that are most beneficial to the
Company. The Board intends to continue to evaluate candidates for
election to the Board on the basis of the foregoing criteria.
Since the
Company receives management services from JMC, the Company has no employees and
does not pay any compensation to its officers. As a result, the
Company has no compensation committee.
Communication
between Stockholders and Directors
The
Company’s Board of Directors currently does not have a formal process for
stockholders to send communications to the Board of Directors and does not
believe such procedures are necessary at this time because it believes that
informal communications are sufficient to communicate questions, comments and
observations that could be useful to the Board.
Director
Attendance at Annual Meeting
It is the
policy of the Company and Board of Directors that directors attend the Annual
Meeting and be available for questions from the stockholders. The two
sitting directors nominated for election were in attendance at the 2008 Annual
Meeting. It is anticipated that the director nominated for election at the 2009
Annual Meeting also will be in attendance at that meeting.
Board
Independence
If Mr.
Orr is elected, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company, consisting
of Messrs. Orr, Hahn and Wallach, will be “independent directors,” as that term
is used in the NYSE Alternext US Company Guide.
Involvement
in Legal Proceedings
No
director or associate of a director is involved in a material proceeding as a
party adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or with a material
interest adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
Director
Compensation
In 2009,
non-employee members of the Board will be paid an annual fee of $20,000 and are
reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket costs incurred in connection with
their attendance at Board meetings. Non-employee members also receive $1,000
annually for each committee membership, and the audit committee chair receives
an additional $3,000. Board members who are officers of the Company
do not receive any compensation for Board or committee membership.
The table below provides the compensation of the
Company’s directors for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2008:
FISCAL YEAR 2008 DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Name
|
|
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash
($) (1)
|
|
|
Stock Awards
($)
|
|
|
Option Awards
($)
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Change
in Pension
Value and
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
|
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
Thomas W. Orr
|
|
|
24,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Evan M. Wallach
|
|
|
21,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Roy E. Hahn
|
|
|
21,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
(1)
|
Marc. Anderson, Neal Crispin and Toni Perazzo were
directors of the Company during 2008
but were also officers of the Company and JMC, and, therefore, did not
receive any compensation for Board or committee membership. Mr.
Orr earned $20,000 as a non-employee member of the Board, an additional
$1,000 for his membership on the Audit Committee and an additional $3,000
for chairing the Audit Committee. Each of Messrs. Wallach and
Hahn earned $20,000 as a non-employee member of the Board and an
additional $1,000 for his membership on the Audit
Committee.
|
Officers
And Key Employees
For
biographies of Neal D. Crispin, President & Chairman of the Board, and Toni
M. Perazzo, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Senior Vice President - Finance,
& Secretary, see “Board of Directors” above.
Listed
below are the other officers of the Company who are also key officers and
employees of JetFleet Management Corp. ("JMC"), the Company’s management
company, and are responsible for the management of various aspects of the
Company’s business:
Mr. Brian J. Ginna, Vice President,
Corporate Development, age 40. Mr. Ginna is responsible for all corporate
communications, investor relations and public relations of the Company and
JMC. Mr. Ginna joined the Company and JMC in 2001 and he is also
Controller for CMA, which he joined in 1991 and where he has held various
positions of increasing responsibility. Mr. Ginna received a
Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Babson College.
Mr. Jack Humphreys, Vice President,
Maintenance, age 61. Mr. Humphreys is responsible for portfolio
aircraft maintenance and acts as
a liaison with manufacturers and the technical departments of
lessees. Mr. Humphreys has over thirty-five years of experience in
aviation and has been with the Company and JMC since July 2002. He
has held several positions in the industry in the areas of aviation maintenance
management, quality assurance, aviation safety and training development. Before
joining the Company, Mr. Humphreys was an Aviation Quality Control Manager for
Raytheon-Range Systems Engineering-Raytheon Corporation from 1992 to 2002, where
he was responsible for maintaining airworthiness for a fleet of airplanes and
helicopters. Mr. Humphreys holds a degree in Professional Aeronautics
from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Management from Columbia College, and an FAA Airframe and Powerplant
certification.
Mr. Byron Hurey, Vice President,
Aircraft Acquisitions,
age 61. Mr. Hurey is responsible for identifying, recommending
and completing aircraft acquisition and lease opportunities. Mr.
Hurey joined the Company and JMC in February 2007. From 2001 to 2007,
Mr. Hurey was a self-employed consultant specializing in equipment
leasing. Mr. Hurey is a former naval aviator and has held significant
marketing and sales positions in the aerospace and financial community over the
past thirty years. Among his past responsibilities were positions at Gates
Learjet, PLM International, ATEL Financial Corporation and Sansome Street
Holdings. Mr. Hurey is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree
in Business Administration.
Mr. Harold M. Lyons, Vice President,
Finance, age 50. Mr. Lyons is responsible for overseeing tax
accounting and tax analysis as well as Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls
compliance review. Mr. Lyons joined the Company and JMC in October
2003. Mr. Lyons is also Senior Vice President of Structured Funding,
Inc. (since 2005) and CMA, (since 1992). Before joining CMA in 1992,
Mr. Lyons was a Manager in the Tax Department of Coopers & Lybrand,
Certified Public Accountants and, before that, Mr. Lyons was a Manager in the
Tax Department of Arthur Young & Co., Certified Public
Accountants. He received a Bachelors Degree in Business
Administration (specializing in Accounting and Applied Economics) and a Masters
Degree in Business Administration (specializing in finance and management
science) from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Lyons is a certified
public accountant, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (and a member of the Tax Section) and of the California Society of
Public Accountants.
Mr. John S. Myers, Senior Vice
President, age 63. Mr. Myers is responsible for the
administration of aircraft leases, marketing agreements and vendor agreements
for the Company and JMC. Mr. Myers joined the Company and JMC in
March 2001. From 1991 to 2001, Mr. Myers was Vice President of
Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corporation, where he was responsible for the
management of a $1.3 billion commuter airline portfolio, customer financing
transactions, credit risk analysis, and structuring, negotiating, and
documentation of aircraft financing transactions. From 1976 until
1991, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Air Midwest,
Inc., a regional airline. Mr. Myers received a Bachelor’s Degree in
Business Administration from Wichita State University.
Mr. Glenn Roberts, Vice President,
Controller, age 44. Mr. Roberts is responsible for financial
accounting and analysis. Mr. Roberts joined JMC in 1994 and the
Company in 1997. He has been employed by affiliates of the Company
for twenty years in various capacities of increasing
responsibility.
Mr. Christopher B. Tigno,
General Counsel, age
47. Mr. Tigno is responsible for all legal matters of the Company and
JMC and its related companies, including supervision of outside counsel,
documentation of aircraft asset acquisition transactions and corporate and
securities matters. He has also served as General Counsel of
Structured Funding, Inc. since 2005 and of CMA since
1996. He joined the Company in 1997 and joined JMC and
CMA in 1996. He was also Senior Counsel with the law firm of
Wilson, Ryan & Campilongo from 1992 to 1996, and prior to that was
associated with the law firm of Fenwick & West from 1988 to 1992 and the law
firm of Morrison & Foerster from 1986 to 1988. Mr. Tigno received his Juris
Doctor Degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School
of Law, and was admitted to the California Bar in 1986. He also holds a
Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.
Mr. Steven H. Wallace, Vice
President, Aircraft Remarketing, age 63. Mr. Wallace is
responsible for remarketing of the Company's portfolio of aircraft
assets. Prior to joining the Company and JMC in June 2002, Mr.
Wallace was an aviation consultant from June 2000 to June 2002, and prior to
that was Aviation Services Manager for Raytheon Aircraft Services from January
1995 to June 2000. Prior to his tenure at Raytheon Aircraft Services, Mr.
Wallace served in the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of
Major. Mr. Wallace graduated from Troy State University with a
Bachelor's Degree in 1971, and received a Master’s Degree in Business
Administration from Pepperdine University in 1975.
Executive
Compensation.
Because
the Company receives management services from JMC, the Company has no employees
and does not pay any compensation to its executive officers. Instead,
the executive officers of the Company are compensated in their capacities as
employees of JMC. JMC is an at-will employer, and none of the
Company’s current executive officers has an employment agreement with
JMC. The compensation paid by JMC to the Company’s executive officers
consists solely of base salary plus bonus payments. Bonus payments
are determined annually at the sole discretion of Mr. Crispin as the President
of JMC.
The
following table sets forth certain information for the fiscal years ending
December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 concerning compensation paid by JMC to
the Company’s principal executive officer and two most highly compensated other
executive officers who were serving as such at December 31, 2008:
Summary
Compensation Table
Name
and Position |
Year |
Salary($) |
Bonus($) |
All OtherCompensation($) |
|
Total($) |
Neal
D. Crispin
President
& Chairman
|
2008 |
1 |
0 |
210,000 |
(1)
|
210,001 |
|
2007 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
Marc
J. Anderson
Sr.
V.P. Operations, COO (2)
|
2008 |
311,019 |
1,875 |
0 |
|
312,894 |
|
2007 |
250,000 |
7,875 |
0 |
|
257,875 |
Toni
M. Perazzo,
Sr.
V.P. Finance, CFO
|
2008 |
190,000 |
16,500 |
0 |
|
206,500 |
|
2007 |
172,000 |
69,300 |
0 |
|
241,300 |
(1)
Paid by JMC to an affiliate of Mr. Crispin as a success based fee in connection
with services rendered to JMC in connection with the Company's subordinated note
offering.
(2)
Mr. Anderson resigned as Sr. V.P. Operations and Chief Operating Officer on
December 31, 2008.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks And Insider Participation
Neal D.
Crispin and Toni M. Perazzo are executive officers and directors of both the
Company and JMC. As described above under “Employee Compensation,” the Company
has no employees and does not pay any compensation to its executive officers. No
executive officers of the Company currently serve on the compensation committee
(or any other committee of the board of directors performing similar functions)
of another entity.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of the
Company's Common Stock as of March 2, 2009, by: (i) each person or entity that
is known to the Company to own beneficially more than five percent of the
outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock; (ii) each director; and (iii)
all directors and executive officers as a group.
Name,
Position
& Address
|
No.
of Shares (1)
|
Percentage
of
Common
Stock (2)
|
Neal
D. Crispin
Chairman
of Board of
Directors,
President,
and Principal
Stockholder
(3)(4)
|
339,005
|
21.97%
|
Toni
M. Perazzo
Director,
Sr. V.P Finance,
Secretary
and
Principal
Stockholder (3)(5)
|
339,005
|
21.97%
|
Thomas
W. Orr
Director
(3)
|
1,700
|
*
|
Evan
M. Wallach
Director
(3)
|
100
|
*
|
Roy
E. Hahn
Director
(3)
|
0
|
0%
|
JetFleet
Holding Corp.
Principal
Stockholder (6)
|
198,067
|
12.83%
|
All
directors and executives
officers
as a group
(5
persons)
|
340,805
|
22.08%
|
----------------------------------
* Less
than 1%
Footnotes
to Security Ownership:
(1)Except as indicated in the footnotes to
this table, the stockholders named in the table are known to the Company to 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.
(2) For
purposes of calculating percentages, total outstanding shares consists of
1,543,257 shares of outstanding Common Stock, which excludes shares held by the
Company as treasury stock.
(3) The
mailing address is c/o AeroCentury Corp., 1440 Chapin Avenue Suite 310,
Burlingame, California 94010.
(4) Includes
198,067 shares owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary of JetFleet Holding Corp. of
which Mr. Crispin is an officer, director and/or principal shareholder and
99,100 shares of a trust of which Mr. Crispin is a beneficial
owner.
(5) Includes
198,067 shares owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary of JetFleet Holding Corp. of
which Ms. Perazzo is an officer, director and/or principal shareholder and
99,100 shares of a trust of which Ms. Perazzo is a beneficial
owner.
(6) Consists
of 198,067 shares owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary.
RELATED
PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Management Agreement. JMC acts
as the management company for the Company under the Management Agreement, dated
December 31, 1997, as amended on February 3, 1998, between JMC and the
Company. The officers of the Company are also officers of JMC and two
members of JMC’s Board of Directors are on the Board of Directors of the
Company.
Under the
Management Agreement, the Company pays a monthly management fee to JMC equal to
0.25% of the net book value of the Company’s assets as of the end of the month
for which the fee is due. In addition, JMC may receive an acquisition
fee for locating assets for the Company, provided that the aggregate purchase
price including chargeable acquisition costs and any acquisition fee does not
exceed the fair market value of the asset based on appraisal, and a remarketing
fee in connection with the sale or re-lease of the Company’s
assets. The management fees, acquisition fees and remarketing fees
may not exceed the customary and usual fees that would be paid to an
unaffiliated party for such services. During 2008 and 2007, the Company
recognized as expense $3,677,000 and $3,017,000, respectively, of management
fees payable to JMC. In connection with aircraft purchases during
2008 and 2007, the Company paid JMC a total of $437,000 and $1,068,000,
respectively, in acquisition fees, which are included in the capitalized cost of
the aircraft. Remarketing fees accrued to JMC were $0 in both 2008 and
2007.
Office Space. The
Company maintains its principal office at the offices of JMC at 1440 Chapin
Avenue, Suite 310, Burlingame, California, 94010, without reimbursement to
JMC.
16(a)
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company's
directors and executive officers and persons who own more than ten percent of a
registered class of the Company's equity securities, to file with the Securities
and Exchange Commission initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in
ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of the Company. Officers,
directors and greater than ten percent stockholders are required by Securities
and Exchange Commission regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all
Section 16(a) reports they file.
Based
solely upon review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and
written representations that no other reports were required, the Company
believes that there was compliance for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008
with all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to the Company's officers,
directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners.
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS
Requirements for Stockholder
Proposals to be Brought Before 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(“2010 Annual
Meeting”). For
stockholder proposals to be considered properly brought before an annual meeting
by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in
writing to the Secretary of the Company. For the 2010 Annual Meeting,
to be timely, notice of stockholder proposals must be delivered to, or mailed
and received by, the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive offices
of the Company between January 6, 2010 and February 7, 2010. A
stockholder's notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter the
stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting (i) a brief description
of the business desired to be brought before the Annual Meeting and the reasons
for conducting such business at the Annual Meeting, (ii) the name and record
address of the stockholder proposing such business, (iii) the number of shares
of the Company’s Common Stock which are beneficially owned by the stockholder,
and (iv) any material interest of the stockholder in such business.
Requirements for Stockholder
Proposals to be Considered for Inclusion in the
Company's Proxy Materials. Stockholder proposals submitted
pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and intended to be presented at
the Company's 2010 Annual Meeting must be received by the Company not later than
November 24, 2009in order to be considered for inclusion in the Company's proxy
materials for that meeting.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON FORM 10-K
A
copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008 is available without charge to each person solicited by this
Proxy Statement upon the written request of such person to Investor Relations,
AeroCentury Corp., 1440 Chapin Avenue, Suite 310, Burlingame, California
94010.
OTHER
MATTERS
Management
does not know of any matters to be presented at this Annual Meeting other than
those set forth herein and in the Notice accompanying this Proxy
Statement.
It is
important that your shares be represented at the Annual Meeting, regardless of
the number of shares that you hold. YOU ARE, THEREFORE, URGED TO EXECUTE
PROMPTLY AND RETURN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY IN THE ENVELOPE THAT HAS BEEN
ENCLOSED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. Stockholders who are present at the Annual
Meeting may revoke their proxies and vote in person or, if they prefer, may
abstain from voting in person and allow their proxies to be voted.
By Order
of the Board of Directors,
/s/ Neal D. Crispin
Neal D.
Crispin, President
March 23,
2009
Burlingame,
California