You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Taitron Components Incorporated (“Annual Meeting”), a California corporation (the “Company”), to be held on Thursday, May 29, 201428, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time, at our corporate headquarters, located at 28040 West Harrison Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355.
At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and act upon the following matters:
We hope that you will use this opportunity to take an active part in the affairs of the Company by voting on the business to come before the Annual Meeting, either by executing and returning the enclosed Proxy Card or by casting your vote in person at the Annual Meeting.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SHARES YOU HOLD. YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON, BUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND, PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. IF YOU DO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU MAY, IF YOU PREFER, REVOKE YOUR PROXY AND VOTE YOUR SHARES IN PERSON.
TAITRON COMPONENTS INCORPORATED
PROXY STATEMENT FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD MAY 29, 201428, 2015
INTRODUCTION
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of Taitron Components Incorporated, a California corporation (the “Company”), for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (“Annual Meeting”), to be held on Thursday, May 29, 2014,28, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time, at our corporate headquarters, located at 28040 West Harrison Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355. Accompanying this Proxy Statement is the Board of Directors’ Proxy for the Annual Meeting, which you may use to indicate your vote as to the proposals described in this Proxy Statement.
The expense of this solicitation of proxies will be borne by the Company. Solicitations will be made only by use of the mail except that, if deemed desirable, officers and regular employees of the Company may solicit proxies by telephone, electronic mail or personal calls. Brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries will be requested to forward the proxy soliciting material to the beneficial owners of the stock held of record by those persons and the Company will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses incurred in this regard.
The purpose of the meeting and the matters to be acted upon are set forth in the attached Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board of Directors knows of no other business that may be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting. All proxies which are properly completed, signed and returned to the Company prior to the Annual Meeting and which have not been revoked will be voted in favor of the proposals described in this Proxy Statement unless otherwise directed. A shareholder may revoke his or her proxy at any time before it is voted either by filing with the Secretary of the Company, at its principal executive offices, a written notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by attending the Annual Meeting and expressing a desire to vote his or her shares in person. If any other business properly comes before the meeting, votes will be cast pursuant to those proxies in respect of any other business in accordance with the judgment of the persons acting under those proxies.
The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 28040 West Harrison Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355. It is anticipated that the mailing to shareholders of this Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy will commence on or about May 5, 2014.2015.
OUTSTANDING SECURITIES AND VOTING RIGHTS
The close of business on April 25, 2014,24, 2015, has been fixed as the record date (“Record Date”) for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof. As of the Record Date, the Company had outstanding 4,777,144 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share, (the “Class A Common Stock”), and 762,612 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock,” and together with the Class A Common Stock, the “Common Stock”). The Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock are the only outstanding voting securities of the Company. As of the Record Date, the Company had 2928 holders of record of the Class A Common Stock. The Company believes there are approximately 500 additional beneficial holders of its Class A Common Stock. There is one (1) holder of the Class B Common Stock.
A holder of Class A Common Stock is entitled to cast one (1) vote for each share held on the Record Date on all matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting. A holder of Class B Common Stock is entitled to cast 10ten (10) votes for each share held on the Record Date on all matters to be considered at the Annual Meeting.
All matters that may properly come before the Annual Meeting require for approval the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented and voting at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present (which shares voting affirmatively also constitute at least a majority of the required quorum).
A quorum, which is a majority of the outstanding shares as of the Record Date, must be present to hold the Annual Meeting. A quorum is calculated based on the number of shares represented by the shareholders attending in person and by their proxy holders. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be included in the determination of shares present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum. Abstentions will be counted toward the tabulation of votes cast on proposals submitted to shareholders and will have the same effect as negative votes, while broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast for or against these matters.
PROPOSAL 1 - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Proposal 1 is the election of five members of the Board of Directors. In accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, the Board of Directors consists of not less than three (3) nor more than seven (7) members, the exact number to be determined by the Board of Directors. At each annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company, directors are elected for a one-year term. The Board of Directors is currently set at five (5) members, and there currently are no vacancies. At the 20142015 Annual Meeting, each director will be elected for a one-year term expiring at the 20152016 Annual Meeting.
Unless marked otherwise, proxies received will be voted FOR the election of each of the nominees named below. If any person is unable or unwilling to serve as a nominee for the office of director at the date of the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, the proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee, designated by the present Board of Directors to fill the vacancy. The Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any nominee will be unwilling or unable to serve if elected a director.
Should any of the nominees fail to receive the vote required to be elected in accordance with the Company’s Bylaws, the term of his or her service as a director will end on the date that is the earlier of (i) 60 days after the date on which the voting results are determined pursuant to California law or (ii) the date on which the Board of Directors selects a person to fill the office held by that director, unless he or she has earlier resigned.
The following table sets forth the nominees the Board of Directors proposes to be elected at the Annual Meeting, the year each such nominee was first elected a director and the current position(s) with the Company held by each nominee:
| Name | | Year First Became a Director | | Position(s) |
Tzu Sheng (Johnson) Ku | | 1989 | | Director and Chairman |
| Stewart Wang | | 1989 | | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director |
| Richard Chiang | | 1989 | | Director |
| Felix Sung | | 1995 | | Director |
| Craig Miller | | 2000 | | Director |
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF THE DIRECTORS NOMINATED ABOVE.
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to each director nominee, director, and executive officer of the Company as of March 31, 2014.2015. All officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. There are no family relationships between any directors or officers of the Company. The Board believes that the attributes, leadership skills and other experiences of its board members described in the paragraphs below (the “Specific Qualifications”), provide the Company with a diverse range of perspectives and judgment necessary to guide the Company’s strategies and monitor their execution.
| Name | | Age | | Position(s) |
Tzu Sheng (Johnson) Ku | | 6566 | | Director and Chairman |
| Stewart Wang | | 6465 | | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director |
| Richard Chiang | | 5758 | | Director |
| Felix Sung | | 6465 | | Director |
| Craig Miller | | 6061 | | Director |
| David Vanderhorst | | 4950 | | Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary |
The Company is not aware of any material proceedings to which any director, officer or affiliate of the Company, any owner of record or beneficially of more than five percent of the Common Stock of the Company, or any associate of any such director, officer or affiliate of the Company, or security holder, is a party adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has a material interest adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
Tzu Sheng (“Johnson”) Ku, a co-founder of the Company, has been the Chairman of the Company since it was founded in 1989. Mr. Ku is also Chairman of both Johnson Premium Hardwood Flooring and Americana Floors Incorporated. Johnson Premium Hardwood Flooring is a manufacturer of pre-finished solid wood floors and Americana Floors Incorporated is an importer, wholesaler and retailer of name brand hardwood floors.
Specific Qualifications:
• Business leadership experience as our Chairman and director since 1989.
• Large stockholder with a significant investment in the Company.
Stewart Wang, a co-founder of the Company, has served as Chief Executive Officer, President and a Director of the Company since its organization in 1989. In addition, from November 2002 to May 2008, Mr. Wang has also served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Prior to founding the Company, Mr. Wang attended Pepperdine University, where he received his Masters of Business Administration degree in 1989. From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Wang was employed by Diodes Incorporated, a manufacturer and reseller of discrete rectifiers, as Purchasing and MIS Manager and later as Chief Operating Officer and President from 1986 to 1987. Prior thereto, from 1983 to 1985, Mr. Wang was Sales Manager for Rectron Limited, a rectifier manufacturer in Taiwan.
Specific Qualifications:
• Business leadership experience as our Chief Executive Officer and director since 1989.
• Large stockholder with a significant investment in the Company.
Richard Chiang has been a Director of the Company since it was founded in 1989. Since 1986, Mr. Chiang has been the Chairman of Princeton Technology Corporation, a fabless integrated circuit design company. Mr. Chiang is also Chairman of Triton Management Corporation, a venture capital fund management company managing in excess of $80 million.
Specific Qualifications:
• Previous history on the Company’s Board of Directors since 1989.
| • | Previous history on the Company’s Board of Directors since 1989. |
• Knowledge of past and current business strategies.
| • | Knowledge of past and current business strategies. |
• International business leadership experiences qualify him to serve as the chair of our Compensation Committee.
| • | International business leadership experiences qualify him to serve as the chair of our Compensation Committee. |
Felix Sung became a director of the Company in February 1995. Since 1978, Mr. Sung has been the Managing Director and former Vice President of Tai North Company, a company engaged in exporting electronics, plastic parts and finished products to the United States and various European countries.
Specific Qualifications:
• Previous history on the Company’s Board of Directors since 1995.
| • | Previous history on the Company’s Board of Directors since 1995. |
• Knowledge of past and current business strategies.
| • | Knowledge of past and current business strategies. |
• International business leadership experience.
| • | International business leadership experience. |
Craig Miller became a director of the Company in May 2000. Since 2014, Mr. Miller has been a Vice President-Senior Relationship Manager for Preferred Bank. From 2012 to 2013, he was director for Opus Bank specializing in commercial lending solutions. From 2011 to 2012, he held the same position at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust. From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Miller was a Managing Director of Janas Associates, an investment-banking firm, Mergers & Acquisitions. From 1998 to 2005, Mr. Miller was a director of Mosaic Capital, LLC, an investment-banking firm. Prior thereto, Mr. Miller served as Regional Vice President with Comerica Bank since 1994. From 1987 to 1994, Mr. Miller served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Told Corporation, an industrial real estate development firm. He started his career with Union Bank in 1976 as a management trainee and left in 1987 as Senior Vice President.
Specific Qualifications:
• Previous history on the Company’s Board of Directors since 2000.
• Knowledge of past and current business strategies.
• Finance and accounting expertise qualifying him to serve as the chair of our Audit Committee.
David Vanderhorst has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2008 and also as Corporate Secretary since 2002. Mr. Vanderhorst joined the Company in July 1999 as its Controller. Prior thereto, from 1991 to 1998, Mr. Vanderhorst served as Chief Financial Officer for various companies. From 1987 to 1991, the national accounting firm of Kenneth Leventhal & Company, now a division of Ernst & Young, LLP, employed Mr. Vanderhorst. Mr. Vanderhorst is a Certified Public Accountant, receiving his professional certification in 1991.
Code of Ethics. The Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Ethics for all officers, including its principal executive officer and its principal financial officer and is posted on our website, www.taitroncomponents.com, under the link “Investors”.
Board Leadership Structure. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines describe our policies concerning, among other things, the role of the Board of Directors and management, proper Board functions, independence, and committee matters. The positions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer are currently held by different persons, although we do not have a policy requiring that to be the case. Instead, our Board of Directors has the authority to choose its Chairman in any way it deems best for us at any given point in time. Accordingly, our Board of Directors reserves the right to vest the responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman in the same person or in two (2) different individuals depending on what it believes is in our best interest. At this time, our Board of Directors has determined that separation of these roles most appropriately suits us. Mr. Ku is uniquely qualified to serve as our Chairman given his leadership of our Board of Directors since inception in 1989 and his extensive international and domestic business experience. Further, our Board of Directors believes that this division of roles allows Mr.Wang to focus more of his efforts to achieving the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. Our Board of Directors believes that there is no single leadership structure that would be most effective in all circumstances and, therefore, retains the authority to modify our Board's structure to best address our circumstances as and when appropriate.
Role of Our Board of Directors in Risk Oversight. The Board of Directors, as a whole and at the committee level, has overall responsibility for overseeing our risks, including general oversight of our executive officers’ management of risks relevant to the Company. A fundamental part of risk oversight is not only understanding the material risks a company faces and the steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for the Company. The involvement of our Board of Directors in reviewing our strategic plan is an integral aspect of the Board’s assessment of management’s tolerance for risk and also its determination of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for the Company.
Director Independence. The Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that each of the Company’s non-employee directors and all members of each of the Company’s Audit and Compensation committees (Messrs. Chiang, Miller and Sung) are independent within the meaning of the director independence standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including Rule 10A-3(b)(1) under the Exchange Act.
Annual Meeting Attendance. We encourage, but do not require, all incumbent directors and director nominees to attend our annual meetings of shareholders. At the 20132014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, only Mr. Wang was in attendance.
Director Meeting Attendance. During fiscal year 2013,2014, the Board of Directors took one (1) action by unanimous written consent.
Committees of the Board of Directors and Meetings. The Board currently has, and appoints the members of, a standing Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. Each committee is comprised solely of non-employee Directors, reports regularly to the full Board and annually evaluates its performance. The members of the committees are identified in the following table:
| Director | | Audit | | Compensation | |
| Richard Chiang | | ü | | Chair | |
| Felix Sung | | ü | | ü | |
| Craig Miller | | Chair | | ü | |
Audit Committee – The Audit Committee generally has direct responsibility and oversight for our accounting policies and internal controls, financial reporting practices, and legal and regulatory compliance. More specifically, the Audit Committee has responsibility to review and discuss the annual audited financial statements and disclosures with management and the independent auditor; review the financial statements and disclosures provided in our quarterly and periodic reports with management and the independent auditor; and oversee the external audit coverage, including appointment and replacement of the independent auditor and pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditor.
All members of the Audit Committee satisfy the current independence standards promulgated by the SEC and NASDAQ, as such standards apply specifically to members of audit committees. The Board has determined that Mr. Miller is an “audit committee financial expert,” as the SEC has defined that term in Item 407 of Regulation S-K. The Audit Committee Charter is available online by accessing our website at www.taitroncomponents.com under "Investors", but does not constitute part of this Proxy Statement.
During fiscal year 2013,2014, our Audit Committee held no meetings and took three (3) actions by unanimous written consent all of which`which were related to our financial reporting requirements. In addition, Mr. Miller discussed the results of the annual audit with management and the independent registered public accounting firm prior to the filing of our annual financial statements.
Compensation Committee – The Compensation Committee reviews, makes recommendations and approves the compensation level of executive officers and key employees based on an evaluation of their performance in light of our goals and objectives, including administration of our equity based compensation plan.
During fiscal year 2013,2014, our Compensation Committee held no meetings and took one (1) action by unanimous written consent.
Nominating Committee – We do not have a standing nominating committee. The Board of Directors does not believe that it is necessary for us to have a standing nominating committee since we have a relatively small Board of Directors and our independent directors will serve in the capacity of a nominating committee when necessary. All of our directors participate in the consideration of director nominees. However, consistent with applicable NASDAQ listing standards, each director nominee must be selected or recommended for the Board of Directors’ selection by a majority of the independent directors of the Board of Directors. In considering candidates for directorship, the Board of Directors considers the entirety of each candidate’s credentials and does not have any specific minimum qualifications that must be met in order to be recommended as a nominee. The Board of Directors does believe, however, that all Board members should have the highest character and integrity, a reputation for working constructively with others, sufficient time to devote to Board matters and no conflict of interest that would interfere with their performance as a director of a public corporation.
The Board of Directors may employ a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating nominees for director, including shareholder recommendations. Periodically, the Board of Directors assesses its size, the need for particular expertise on the Board of Directors and whether any vacancies are expected due to retirement or otherwise. If vacancies are anticipated or otherwise arise, the Board of Directors will consider various potential candidates for director who may come to the Board of Directors’ attention through current Board members, professional search firms or consultants, shareholders or other persons. The Board of Directors may hire and pay a fee to consultants or search firms to assist in the process of identifying and evaluating candidates. In 2013,2014, no professional search firms or consultants were needed and, accordingly, no fees were paid in this regard to professional search firms or consultants in 2013.2014. The Board of Directors does not evaluate candidates differently based on who made the recommendation for consideration.
Shareholders who wish to nominate a director for election at an annual shareholder meeting must submit their recommendations at least 120 days before the date of the next scheduled annual meeting of shareholders. Shareholders may recommend candidates for consideration by the Board of Directors by writing to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at 28040 West Harrison Parkway, Valencia, California 91355, giving the candidate’s name, contact information, biographical data, and qualifications. A written statement from the candidate consenting to be named as a candidate and, if nominated and elected, to serve as a director should accompany any shareholder recommendation. There were no director candidates put forward by shareholders for consideration at the 20132014 Annual Meeting.
SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shareholders may communicate with the Board of Directors by sending a letter to Board of Directors of Taitron Components Incorporated, c/o Office of the Corporate Secretary, 28040 West Harrison Parkway, Valencia, California 91355. All communications must contain a clear notation indicating that they are a “Shareholder — Board Communication” or “Shareholder — Director Communication” and must identify the author as a shareholder. The office of the Corporate Secretary will receive the correspondence and forward it to the Chairman of the Board or to any individual director or directors to whom the communication is directed, unless the communication is unduly hostile, threatening, illegal, does not reasonably relate to the Company or its business, or is similarly inappropriate. The office of the Corporate Secretary has authority to discard any inappropriate communications or to take other appropriate actions with respect to any inappropriate communications.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table discloses information regarding compensation paid to our non-employee directors for our fiscal year December 31, 2013.2014.
| Name | | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash [1] ($) | | | Stock Awards ($) | | | Option Awards [2] ($) | | | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Comp. ($) | | | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Comp. Earnings ($) | | | All Other Comp. ($) | | | Total ($) | | | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash [1] ($) | | | Stock Awards ($) | | | Option Awards [2] ($) | | | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Comp. ($) | | | Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Comp. Earnings ($) | | | All Other Comp. ($) | | | Total ($) | |
| R.Chiang | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,712 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 3,212 | | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,117 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 2,617 | |
| F.Sung | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,712 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 3,212 | | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,117 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 2,617 | |
| C.Miller | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,712 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 3,212 | | | | 1,500 | | | | - | | | | 1,117 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 2,617 | |
The following table summarizes the total compensation of each of our named executive officers for the previous two (2) fiscal years ended December 31. No other executive officer received compensation exceeding $100,000 during the last fiscal year. The Company has no employment agreements with any employee.
Since 1995, the Company has had an Audit Committee composed entirely of independent directors. The members of the Audit Committee meet the independence and experience requirements of NASDAQ listing standards. The Audit Committee has adopted, and the Board of Directors approved, a charter outlining the practices it follows.
In performing all of these functions, the Audit Committee acts only in an oversight capacity. The Audit Committee does not complete its reviews prior to the Company’s public announcements of financial results and, necessarily, in its oversight role, the Audit Committee relies on the work and assurances of the Company’s management, which has the primary responsibility for financial statements and reports, and of the independent auditors, who, in their report, express an opinion on the conformity of the Company’s annual financial statements to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
In reliance on these reviews and discussions, and the report of the independent auditors, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013,2014, for filing with the SEC.
The information in this Audit Committee Report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material,” or to be “filed” with the SEC or to be subject to Regulation 14A or 14C as promulgated by the SEC, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in future filings with the SEC except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The Audit Committee and Board of Directors has appointed the firm of Anton & Chia LLP as its independent registered public accounting firm for 2014.2015.