GrowGeneration Corp. 10-K

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS The risks and uncertainties described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. You should read these Risk Factors in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 and our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes in Item 8. There also may be other factors that we cannot anticipate or that are not described in this report generally because we do not currently perceive them to be material. Those factors could cause results to differ materially from our expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to mitigate its impact may have an adverse effect on our business, liquidity, results of operations, financial condition and price of our securities. The pandemic involving the novel strain of coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the measures taken to combat it, may have adverse effect on our business. Public health authorities and governments at local, national and international levels have announced various measures to respond to this pandemic. Some measures that directly or indirectly impact our business include: ● voluntary or mandatory quarantines; ● restrictions on travel; ● limiting gatherings of people in public places: and Congestion at all ports, product delays from overseas. Although we have been deemed an “essential” business by state and local authorities in the areas in which we operate, we have undertaken the following measures in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 including limiting store business hours and encouraging employees to work remotely if possible. We also have enacted our business continuity plans, including implementing procedures requiring employees working remotely where possible which may make maintaining our normal level of corporate operations, quality controls and internal controls difficult. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused temporary or long-term disruptions in our supply chains and/or delays in the delivery of our inventory. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation efforts have also adversely affected our customers’ financial condition, resulting in reduced spending for the products we sell. As events are rapidly changing, we do not know how long the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures that have been introduced to respond to it will disrupt our operations or the full extent of that disruption. Further, once we are able to restart normal business hours and operations doing so may take time and will involve costs and uncertainty. We also cannot predict how long the effects of COVID-19 and the efforts to contain it will continue to impact our business after the pandemic is under control. Governments could take additional restrictive measures to combat the pandemic that could further impact our business or the economy in the geographies in which we operate. It is also possible that the impact of the pandemic and response on our suppliers, customers and markets will persist for some time after governments ease their restrictions. These measures have negatively impacted, and may continue to impact, our business and financial condition as the responses to control COVID-19 continue. 9 Economic conditions could adversely affect our business. Uncertain global economic conditions, in particular in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business. Negative global economic trends, such as decreased consumer and business spending, high unemployment levels and declining consumer and business confidence, pose challenges to our business and could result in declining revenues, profitability and cash flow. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands, unfavorable economic conditions may negatively affect demand for our products. We face competition that could prohibit us from developing or increasing our customer base. The specialty gardening and hydroponic product industry is highly competitive. More established gardening companies with much greater financial resources which do not currently compete with us may be able to easily adapt their existing operations to sales of hydroponic growing equipment. Our competitors may also introduce new hydroponic growing equipment, and manufacturers may sell equipment direct to consumers. Due to this competition, there is no assurance that we will not encounter difficulties in increasing revenues and maintaining and/or increasing market share. In addition, increased competition may lead to reduced prices and/or margins for products we sell. Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services. Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers, especially our Chief Executive Officer, Darren Lampert, our President, Michael Salaman, and our Chief Operating Officer, Tony Sullivan. We do not maintain key man life insurance on any of our executive officers and directors. If one or more of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Therefore, our business may be severely disrupted, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new officers. Litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. From time to time in the normal course of our business operations, we may become subject to litigation that may result in liability material to our financial statements as a whole or may negatively affect our operating results if changes to our business operation are required. The cost to defend such litigation may be significant and may require a diversion of our resources. There also may be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could negatively affect customer perception of our business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Certain of our products may be purchased for use in new and emerging industries or segments and/or be subject to varying, inconsistent, and rapidly changing laws, regulations, administrative practices, enforcement approaches, judicial interpretations, and consumer perceptions. We sell hydroponic gardening products that end users may purchase for use in new and emerging industries or segments, including the growing of cannabis, that may not grow or achieve market acceptance in a manner that we can predict. The demand for these products depends on the uncertain growth of these industries or segments. In addition, we sell products that end users may purchase for use in industries or segments, including the growing of cannabis, that are subject to varying, inconsistent, and rapidly changing laws, regulations, administrative practices, enforcement approaches, judicial interpretations, and consumer perceptions. For example, certain countries and 34 U.S. states have adopted frameworks that authorize, regulate, and tax the cultivation, processing, sale, and use of cannabis for medicinal and/or non-medicinal use, while the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and the laws of other U.S. states prohibit growing cannabis. 10 Our hydroponic gardening products are multi-purpose products designed and intended for growing a wide range of plants and are generally purchased from retailers by end users who may grow any variety of plants, including cannabis. Although the demand for our products may be negatively impacted depending on how laws, regulations, administrative practices, enforcement approaches, judicial interpretations, and consumer perceptions develop, we cannot reasonably predict the nature of such developments or the effect, if any, that such developments could have on our business. Acquisitions, other strategic alliances and investments could result in operating difficulties, dilution, and other harmful consequences that may adversely impact our business and results of operations. Acquisitions are an important element of our overall corporate strategy and use of capital, and these transactions could be material to our financial condition and results of operations. We expect to continue to evaluate and enter into discussions regarding a wide array of potential acquisitions and strategic transactions. The areas where we may face risks in connection with acquisitions include, but are not limited to, the failure to successfully further develop the acquired business, the implementation or remediation of controls, procedures and policies at the acquired business, the transition of operations, users and customers onto our existing platforms, and cultural challenges associated with integrating employees from the acquired business into our organization, and retention of employees from the businesses we acquire. Our failure to address these risks or other problems encountered in connection with our acquisitions could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, investments or alliances, incur unanticipated liabilities, and harm our business generally. Our acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses, or impairment of goodwill and purchased long-lived assets, and restructuring charges, any of which could harm our financial condition or results of operations and cash flows. Also, the anticipated benefits and synergies of many of our acquisitions may not materialize. If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities. We face a potential risk of product liability as a result of any of the products that we offer for sale. For example, we may be sued if any product we sell allegedly causes injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability and a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in: ● decreased demand for products that we may offer for sale; ● injury to our reputation; ● costs to defend the related litigation; ● a diversion of management’s time and our resources; ● substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients; ● product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions; and ● a decline in our stock price. We do not maintain any product liability insurance. Our inability to obtain and retain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products we developed. Even if we obtain product liability insurance in the future, we may have to pay amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts. 11 We may acquire businesses or products, or form strategic alliances, in the future, and we may not realize the benefits of such acquisitions. We may acquire additional businesses or products, form strategic alliances or create joint ventures with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our existing business. If we acquire businesses with promising markets or products, we may not be able to realize the benefit of acquiring such businesses if we are unable to successfully integrate them with our existing operations and company culture. We may encounter numerous difficulties in developing, manufacturing and/or marketing any new products resulting from a strategic alliance or acquisition that delay or prevent us from realizing their expected benefits or enhancing our business. We cannot assure you that, following any such acquisition, we will achieve the expected synergies to justify the transaction. Risks Related to Our Common Stock There are risks, including stock market volatility, inherent in owning our common stock. The market price and volume of our common stock have been, and may continue to be, subject to significant fluctuations. These fluctuations may arise from general stock market conditions, the impact of risk factors described herein on our results of operations and financial position, or a change in opinion in the market regarding our business prospects or other factors, many of which may be outside our immediate control. The shares of our common stock may experience substantial dilution by exercises of outstanding warrants and options. As of the date hereof, we had outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,393,472 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $7.49 per share, and options to purchase an aggregate of 1,803,108 shares of our common stock (out of which 1,057,734 are vested as of this date) at a weighted average exercise prices of $3.92 per share. The exercise of such outstanding options and warrants will result in substantial dilution of your investment. In addition, our shareholders may experience additional dilution if we issue common stock in the future. Any of such dilution may have adverse effect on the price of our common stock. We are an “emerging growth company,” and will be able take advantage of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to “emerging growth companies,” which could make our common stock less attractive to investors. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, and, for as long as we continue to be an “emerging growth company,” we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period. For as long as we remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies.” 12 Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible. After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS None.