RiceBran Technologies Announces $8M Private Placement of Debt and Equity
13 Feb 2017 --- RiceBran Technologies, a global leader in the production and marketing of value-added products derived from rice bran, has entered into definitive agreements with a group of accredited investors for the purchase of $6 million of non-convertible original issue discount debentures and $2 million of convertible preferred stock.
The Company intends to use net proceeds from the offering to repay approximately $4.2 million in debt, including the repayment of all of its outstanding debt with Great Elm Capital (formerly Full Circle Capital). The remaining proceeds, net of expenses, will be used as working capital to fuel the growth of the Company's rice bran ingredient business in both the food-grade and animal nutrition markets as well as to begin the implementation of the Company's strategic business realignment to improve overall operating efficiencies.
Commenting on the financing, Dr. Robert Smith, CEO of RiceBran Technologies, stated, "The completion of this capital infusion is an important inflection point in positioning our Company for future growth in order to build significant shareholder value. With this capital we now have the ability to move forward with our aggressive business plans and streamlining efforts designed to drive future sales growth and greatly improve our financial performance.”
“We are confident that the marked reduction in debt service costs coupled with the operating efficiencies, we believe we can obtain through the relocation of a majority of our operations to California in the heart of rice country, will set the stage for us to meet the ingredient needs of large CPG and specialty food companies. It will also enable us to achieve a significant improvement in operating cash to fuel future growth. Our products are perfectly positioned to meet growing consumer demand for non-GMO foods that contain protein, fiber and are rich in antioxidants. We look forward to using this capital to deliver positive results for our shareholders in 2017 and beyond."
Brent Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RiceBran Technologies, also commented, "RiceBran Technologies has been undergoing a major transformation in the past several months since I became the Chairman and this financing is a very large step forward in reaching our goal of generating significant shareholder value. We have significantly increased the food industry experience of our board and management team and together we have laid out a comprehensive vision to monetize the intrinsic value of our intellectual property through the execution of a strategic plan to target large CPG opportunities. This financing removes a large overhang of debt service and provides us with capital to begin the realignment of our operations and upgrade of our facilities to meet the stringent food safety standards of large CPG companies while reducing inefficiencies. Our singular objective is to unlock the significant value of our proprietary ingredients and products and we look forward working together to build lasting value in the coming years for the benefit of our stockholders."
