NOTE 10 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Lease Obligations

On July 26, 2021, the Company entered a new operating lease agreement for office and warehouse combination space of 40,000 square feet, with the lease commencing on November 1, 2021, and ending April 30, 2032. This new space combines the Company’s two separate work locations into one facility, which allows for greater collaboration and also accommodates a larger anticipated workforce and manufacturing facility. On November 24, 2021, the lease was amended to commence on December 1, 2021, and end on May 31, 2032. The Company recognized a ROU asset and operating lease liability in the amount of $4,980,104 at lease commencement. Rent for the first eleven months of the term was calculated based on 30,000 rentable square feet. The rent is subject to an annual escalation of 2.5%, beginning November 1, 2023. The Company made a security deposit payment in the amount of $600,000 on July 26, 2021. The right of use asset balance at December 31, 2022, net of amortization, was $4,689,931.

As of December 31, 2022, the office and warehouse lease is the Company’s only lease with a term greater than twelve months. The office and warehouse lease has a remaining term of approximately 9.5 years and includes an option to extend for two renewal terms of five years each. The renewal options are not reasonably certain to be exercised, and therefore, they are not included when determining the lease term used to establish the right-of use asset and lease liability. The Company also has several short-term leases, primarily related to equipment. The Company made an accounting policy election to not recognize short-term leases with terms of twelve months or less on the consolidated balance sheet and instead recognize the lease payments in expense as incurred. The Company has also elected to account for real estate leases that contain both lease and non-lease components (such as common area maintenance) as a single lease component. 

The following table shows supplemental information related to leases:

At December 31, 2022, future minimum lease payments due under the operating lease are as follows:

Executive Severance Agreement

On April 1, 2018, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “Arcaini Employment Agreement”) with Gianni B. Arcaini, pursuant to which Mr. Arcaini served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. Under the Arcaini Employment Agreement, Mr. Arcaini was paid an annual salary of $249,260 and an annual car allowance of $18,000. In addition, as incentive-based compensation, Mr. Arcaini was entitled to 1% of annual gross revenues of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Arcaini Employment Agreement had an initial term through March 31, 2020, subject to renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party gave notice of that party’s election to not renew to the other at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. The Arcaini Employment Agreement was approved by the Compensation Committee.

As previously disclosed, on July 10, 2020, the Company announced that Mr. Arcaini would retire from these positions, effective as of September 1, 2020 (the “CEO Transition”). In order to facilitate a transition of his duties, the Company and Mr. Arcaini entered into a separation agreement which became effective as of July 10, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Mr. Arcaini’s employment with the Company ended on September 1, 2020 and he will receive separation payments over a 36-month period equal to his base salary plus $75,000 as well as certain limited health and life insurance benefits. The Separation Agreement also contains confidentiality, non-disparagement and non-solicitation covenants and a release of claims by Mr. Arcaini who continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee did not submit Mr. Arcaini for re-election as a director and on November 19, 2020 at the Annual Shareholders meeting a new non-Executive Chairman was appointed.

In accordance with the Separation Agreement, the Company will pay to Mr. Arcaini the total sum of $747,788. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the status of Mr. Arcaini as a “Specified Employee” as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 409A has the effect of delaying any payments to Mr. Arcaini under the Separation Agreement for six months after the Separation Date. On March 1, 2021, the Company paid to Mr. Arcaini a lump-sum amount equal to the first six months of payments, or $124,631, owed to Mr. Arcaini and the Company will continue to pay him in semi-monthly installments for 30 months thereafter, as contemplated in Mr. Arcaini’s Separation Agreement. The remaining balance of approximately $228,673 as of December 31, 2022 is included in accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. In addition, the Company will pay one-half of Mr. Arcaini’s current life insurance premiums for 36 months of approximately $1,200 per month and provide and pay for his health insurance for 36 months following the Separation Date of approximately $450 per month. Unvested options in the amount of 50,358 became exercisable and vested in their entirety on the Separation Date valued at $95,127. The Company made payment of his attorneys’ fees for legal work associated with the negotiation and drafting of the Separation Agreement of approximately $17,000.