View:
sgrp20160609_8k.htm

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

______________

 

FORM 8-K

 

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 10, 2016

 

SPAR Group, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

  

Delaware 

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

0-27824

(Commission

File No.)

33-0684451

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

     

333 Westchester Avenue, South Building, Suite 204, White Plains, NY

10604

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)     

(Zip Code)
   
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (914) 332-4100

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ] 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ]

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ]

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 
-1-

 

 

Item 5.02

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

On June 10, 2016, SPAR Group, Inc. ("SGRP" or the "Registrant"), issued a Press Release (the "Release") announcing that Jill M. Blanchard, the Company's CEO, has informed the Company that she is resigning to pursue other interests. Ms. Blanchard will continue to serve as CEO of the Company through July 31, 2016, and support a search for her replacement and the transition of her duties. SPAR Group‘s Board of Directors has begun the search for the Company’s next CEO and is committed to a seamless transition.

 

A copy of the Release is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K (including such Release, this "Current Report") as Exhibit 99.1 and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

 

Information Not "Filed"

 

The information in Item 5.02 of this Current Report shall, to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law, not be deemed to be "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section. Such information, to the extent deemed or determined to have been not "filed" under applicable law, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This Current Report contains "forward-looking statements" made by SPAR Group, Inc. ("SGRP", and together with its subsidiaries, the "SPAR Group" or the "Company") and this Current Report has been filed by SGRP with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). There also are "forward looking statements" contained in SGRP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 (as filed, the "Annual Report"), as filed with the SEC on April 28, 2016, in SGRP's definitive Proxy Statement respecting its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on or about May 19, 2016 (as filed, the "Proxy Statement"), which SGRP filed with the SEC on April 27, 2016, and SGRP's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports and statements as and when filed with the SEC (including this Current Report, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement, and such other reports, each a "SEC Report"). "Forward-looking statements" are defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and other applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations, as amended (together with the Securities Act and Exchange Act, collectively, "Securities Laws").

 

The forward-looking statements made by the Company in this Current Report includes (without limitation) any expectations, guidance or other information respecting the pursuit or achievement of the Company's five corporate objectives (growth, customer value, employee development, productivity & efficiency, and earnings per share), building upon the Company's strong foundation, leveraging compatible global opportunities, improving on the value we already deliver to customers, our growing client base, continuing balance sheet strength, customer contract expansion, growing revenues and becoming profitable through organic growth and acquisitions, attracting new business that will increase SPAR Group's revenues, improving product mix, continuing to maintain or reduce costs and consummating any transactions. The Company's forward-looking statements also include, in particular and without limitation, those made in "Business", "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Annual Report. You can identify forward-looking statements in such information by the Company's use of terms such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "believe", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue" or similar words or variations or negatives of those words.

 

You should carefully consider (and not place undue reliance on) the Company's forward-looking statements, risk factors and the other risks, cautions and information made, contained or noted in or incorporated by reference into this Current Report, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement and the other applicable SEC Reports that could cause the Company's actual performance or condition (including its assets, business, capital, cash flow, credit, expenses, financial condition, income, liabilities, liquidity, locations, marketing, operations, performance, prospects, sales, strategies, taxation or other achievement, results, risks, trends or condition to differ materially from the performance or condition planned, intended, expected, estimated or otherwise expected by the Company (collectively, "expectations") and described in the information in the Company's forward-looking and other statements, whether express or implied. Although the Company believes them to be reasonable, those expectations involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors (many of which are beyond the Company's control) that could cause those expectations to fail to occur or be realized or such actual performance or condition to be materially and adversely different from the Company's expectations. In addition, new risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company to predict these matters or how they may arise or affect the Company. Accordingly, the Company cannot assure you that its expectations will be achieved in whole or in part, that the Company has identified all potential risks, or that the Company can successfully avoid or mitigate such risks in whole or in part, any of which could be significant and materially adverse to the Company and the value of your investment in the Company's Common Stock.

 

 
-2-

 

 

You should carefully review the risk factors described in the Annual Report (See Item 1A – Risk Factors) and any other risks, cautions or information made, contained or noted in or incorporated by reference into this Current Report, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement or other applicable SEC Report. All forward-looking and other statements or information attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly subject to and qualified by all such risk factors and other risks, cautions and information.

 

The Company does not intend or promise, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, risk factors or other risks, cautions or information (in whole or in part), whether as a result of new information, risks or uncertainties, future events or recognition or otherwise, except as and to the extent required by applicable law. 

  

 
-3-

 

 

Item 9.01.          Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(a)           Exhibits:

 

99.1     Press Release of the Registrant dated June 10, 2016, as attached hereto

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

SPAR Group, Inc.  

Date:     June 10, 2016

 

 

 

By:

/s/ James R. Segreto 

 

 

James R. Segreto, Chief Financial Officer

  

 
-4-

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

Number

Description
   

99.1

Press Release of the Registrant dated June 10, 2016, as attached hereto.

  

 

-5- 

ex99-1.htm

 

Exhibit 99.1

SPAR Group Announces Departure of CEO at the End of July

 

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 10, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPAR Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGRP), a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, today announced that Jill M. Blanchard, the Company's CEO, has informed the Company that she is resigning to pursue other interests. Ms. Blanchard will continue to serve as CEO of the Company through July 31, 2016, and support a search for her replacement and the transition of her duties. SPAR Group‘s Board of Directors has begun the search for the Company’s next CEO and is committed to a seamless transition.

 

Jill has led SPAR Group for the last two and one-half years. During her tenure, she has been driving a strategy focused on bringing in strong new talent, strengthening our strategic relationships with clients, improving our working relationship with our joint venture partners around the world, building strategic relationships with our key global clients, improving the industry profile for SPAR through involvement with Associations and industry insights and strengthening our employees with training and development programs.

 

Jill has brought in significant talent such as a U.S. SVP of Customer Development, an SVP of Marketing, and will be hiring and helping integrate into the Company a new President of International Business.

 

“I’m proud of the work we have done to build a strong foundation” said Jill Blanchard. “It’s time for a new management team to take up the challenge of building on top of what we have established. I look forward to helping SPAR through this transition and expanding SPAR’s footprint with new geographies, clients, and services.”

 

Robert Brown, SPAR Chairman of the Board, thanking Jill for her contributions and tireless work to move the Company forward stated “The relationships Jill has built with our clients in the U.S and worldwide as well as our J.V. partners will continue to pay dividends for SPAR for many years. Her many skills, talents, leadership and hard work have set us up for strong growth. On behalf of our Board of Directors and employees we thank Jill for her work to date and appreciate her willingness to support us these next couple months.”

 

About SPAR Group

 

SPAR Group, Inc. is a diversified international merchandising and marketing services Company and provides a broad array of services worldwide to help companies improve their sales, operating efficiency and profits at retail locations. The Company provides merchandising and other marketing services to manufacturers, distributors and retailers worldwide, primarily in mass merchandiser, office supply, value, grocery, drug, independent, convenience, toy, home improvement and electronics stores, as well as providing furniture and other product assembly services, audit services, in-store events, technology services and marketing research. The Company has supplied these project and product services in the United States since certain of its predecessors were formed in 1979 and internationally since the Company acquired its first international subsidiary in Japan in May of 2001. Product services include restocking and adding new products, removing spoiled or outdated products, resetting categories "on the shelf" in accordance with client or store schematics, confirming and replacing shelf tags, setting new sale or promotional product displays and advertising, replenishing kiosks, providing in-store event staffing and providing assembly services in stores, homes and offices. Audit services include price audits, point of sale audits, out of stock audits, intercept surveys and planogram audits. Other merchandising services include whole store or departmental product sets or resets (including new store openings), new product launches, in-store demonstrations, special seasonal or promotional merchandising, focused product support and product recalls. The Company currently does business in 9 countries that encompass approximately 50% of the total world population through its operations in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa, India, China, Australia, Mexico and Turkey. For more information, please visit the SPAR Group's website at http://www.sparinc.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

  

This Press Release may contain "forward-looking statements" made by SPAR Group, Inc. ("SGRP", and together with its subsidiaries, the "SPAR Group" or the "Company") and will be filed shortly by SGRP with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in a Current Report on Form 8-K. There also are "forward looking statements" contained in SGRP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 (as filed, the "Annual Report"), as filed with the SEC on April 15, 2015, in SGRP's definitive Proxy Statement respecting its Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on May 12, 2015 (as filed, the "Proxy Statement"), which SGRP filed with the SEC on April 20, 2015, in SGRP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six months ended June 30, 2015 (the "Quarterly Report"), which was filed on August 14, 2015, by SGRP with the SEC, and SGRP's Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports and statements as and when filed with the SEC (including the Current Report that containing this Press Release, the Quarterly Report, the Annual Report and the Proxy Statement, each a "SEC Report"). "Forward-looking statements" are defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and other applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations, as amended (together with the Securities Act and Exchange Act, collectively, "Securities Laws").

 

 
 

 

 

The forward-looking statements made by the Company in this Press Release may include (without limitation) any expectations, guidance or other information respecting the pursuit or achievement of the Company's five corporate objectives (growth, customer value, employee development, productivity & efficiency, and earnings per share), building upon the Company's strong foundation, leveraging compatible global opportunities, improving on the value we already deliver to customers, our growing client base, continuing balance sheet strength, customer contract expansion, growing revenues and becoming profitable through organic growth and acquisitions, attracting new business that will increase SPAR Group's revenues, improving product mix, continuing to maintain or reduce costs and consummating any transactions. The Company's forward-looking statements also include, in particular and without limitation, those made in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Liquidity and Capital Resources" in the Quarterly Report, and those made in "Business", "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Annual Report. You can identify forward-looking statements in such information by the Company's use of terms such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "believe", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue" or similar words or variations or negatives of those words.

 

You should carefully consider all forward-looking statements, risk factors and the other risks, cautions and information made, contained or noted in or incorporated by reference into this Press Release, the above referenced conference call, the Quarterly Report, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement and the other applicable SEC Reports that could cause the Company's actual performance or condition (including its assets, business, capital, cash flow, credit, expenses, financial condition, income, liabilities, liquidity, locations, marketing, operations, performance, prospects, sales, strategies, taxation or other achievement, results, risks, trends or condition to differ materially from the performance or condition planned, intended, expected, estimated or otherwise expected by the Company (collectively, "expectations") and described in the information in the Company's forward-looking and other statements, whether express or implied, as those expectations are based upon the Company's plans, intentions, expectations and estimates and (although the Company believes them to be reasonable) involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors (many of which are beyond the Company's control) that could cause those expectations to fail to occur or be realized or such actual performance or condition to be materially and adversely different from the Company's expectations.

 

Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions, estimates and other expectations reflected or implied in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot assure you that such plans, intentions, estimates or other expectations will be achieved in whole or in part, that the Company has identified all potential risks, or that the Company can successfully avoid or mitigate such risks in whole or in part. You should carefully review the risk factors described in the Annual Report (See Item 1A – Risk Factors) and any other risks, cautions or information made, contained or noted in or incorporated by reference into this Press Release, the above referenced conference call, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement or other applicable SEC Report. All forward-looking and other statements or information attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly subject to and qualified by all such risk factors and other risks, cautions and information.

  

You should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements and similar information because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond its control. The Company's forward-looking statements, risk factors and other risks, cautions and information (whether contained in this Release, the above reference conference call, the Quarterly Report, the Annual Report, the Proxy Statement or any other applicable SEC Report) are based on the information currently available to the Company and speak only as of the date specifically referenced, or if no date is referenced, then in the case of the Annual Report or the Proxy Statement as of December 31, 2014, and in the case of this Press Release, the Quarterly Report or other applicable SEC Report the last day of the period covered by it. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company to predict these matters or how they may arise or affect the Company. Over time, the Company's actual performance and condition (including its assets, business, capital, cash flow, credit, expenses, financial condition, income, liabilities, liquidity, locations, marketing, operations, performance, prospects, sales, strategies, taxation) or other achievements, results, risks, trends or condition will likely differ from those expressed or implied by the Company's applicable forward-looking statements, risk factors and other risks, cautions and information, and such difference could be significant and materially adverse to the Company and the value of your investment in the Company's Common Stock.

 

The Company does not intend or promise, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, risk factors or other risks, cautions or information (in whole or in part), whether as a result of new information, risks or uncertainties, future events or recognition or otherwise, except as and to the extent required by applicable law. 

 

Company Contact:

James R. Segreto
Chief Financial Officer
SPAR Group, Inc.
(914) 332-4100

 

Investor Contact: 

Dave Mossberg
Three Part Advisors
(817) 310-0051