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Bond Laboratories, Inc.

 

Targeting the Largest Categories in the Dietary Supplements Business:

Energy Drinks, Pain Relief, and Weight Loss

 

Bond Laboratories, Inc. ("Bond" or the "Company") is focused on development of dietary supplements in three large categories: energy drinks, pain relief, and weight loss.  Initial energy drink and pain relief products are in launch mode, and marketing efforts are scaling up rapidly.  Product development efforts are on-going, and acquisitions might play a longer-term role in broadening Bond Laboratories' product line.

 

Bond Laboratories' first energy drink offering is Fusion®, a two-ounce, six-hour energy shot that has no sugar, no carbs, no herbal stimulants, and only eight calories.  Bond has entered into a consulting and marketing agreement with Wasserman Media Group, a firm heavily involved in youth subcultures and action sports, to formulate and implement a product design/promotion/sponsorship/media plan for the Fusion® line of energy products.  On the distribution front, Bond recently entered into an important cross-marketing agreement with ampm® stores (approximately 930 stores throughout five western states).

 

 

 

 

The Company is also launching Migratol 24/7, a nutraceutical product designed to relieve symptoms of migraine headaches.  The potential market is very large, with 24% of the U.S. population (18% of women and 6% of men) report having had at lease one migraine episode during the previous year.  The product can presently be purchased on the Company's web site, and infomercials are under active consideration before product release into retail channels.

 

 

 

 

Longer-term opportunities include nutraceuticals to promote weight loss, and possible acquisitions.  The fact that Bond Laboratories' shares are publicly traded should be viewed positively in any negotiations for acquisitions.

 

 

 

 

Bond Laboratories' financial position appears sound.  Bond has positive working capital and no long-term debt.  Management hopes that public and/or private equity will provide  liquidity requirements over the intermediate term.

 

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Stock symbol: OTCBB:BNLB

Average daily volume (3 months): NA

Stock price 2/22/08: $3.00

Common shares (9/30): 18,134,450

52-week price range: $3.00 - $3.25

Equity market capitalization: $54 million

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Contact Information

 

Address: 777 South Highway 101, Suite 215, Solana Beach, CA 92975

 

Telephone: (858) 847-9000

 

Web site: www.got-fusion.com

 

State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization: Nevada

 

Auditors: Jewett, Schwartz, Wolfe & Associates (Hollywood, Florida).  In their report on the Company's 2006 financial statements, the auditors expressed a "going-concern" qualification.

 

Transfer agent: Colonial Stock Transfer, 66 Exchange Place, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.  Telephone (801) 355-5740.

 

Investor contact: Scott Landow, CEO, at (858) 847-9000

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The Business Model

 

Bond Laboratories, Inc., founded in July 2005, is focused on development of dietary supplements in three large categories: energy drinks, pain relief, and weight loss.  Energy drinks were chosen as the initial category, since management deemed it to be the easiest and least expensive of the three target product lines.

 

It is important to note that both marketing and distribution play key roles in the success of all of these targeted lines and that relationships developed for the marketing and distribution of energy drinks would likely also prove to be valuable for the introduction of the other product lines.

 

Energy Drinks

 

Marketplace.  According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (2007), the market for energy drinks in 2006 exceeded $2.5 billion, which represented a 516% gain from 2000.  New product introductions, which throughout that seven-year interim numbered in the hundreds, accounted for a significant percentage of the sales growth.  The principal marketing channels in 2006 were convenience/gasoline stores (35.7%), mass merchandisers (16.5%), and supermarkets (11.3%), with most of the growth occurring in mass merchandiser and supermarket channels.

 

Energy "Shots" have been particularly successful since their launch in 2005, growing to 11.7% of total energy drink spending.  Benefits include convenient portability (small size), less carbohydrates and sugar than full-sized drinks, added vitamins and minerals, easy consumption of the small volume of liquid (two ounces), and no need for refrigeration.  Retailers enjoy the small footprint of the marketing cubes, high margins, and rapid inventory turns.  The small footprint allows retailers to merchandise the shots in high-impulse locations.

 

A Primer on Caffeine.  Caffeine, which in its pure form is a white powder, is an important ingredient in all energy drinks.  It is a central nervous system stimulant in humans, helping to ward off drowsiness and restore alertness.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies caffeine as a (Multiple Purpose, Generally Recognized as Safe Food Substance", and it is unregulated in most jurisdictions.  The principal source of caffeine is the coffee bean, and lesser sources include tea, cocoa, yerba mate, and guarana plants, and chemical synthesis.

 

An estimated 85% of adults in the U.S. consume caffeine on a daily basis, with mean caffeine intake exceeding 200 milligrams per day.  Here are some common sources of caffeine: an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee (135mg), an 8-ounce cup of tea (50mg), a cola soft drink (34mg), and aspirin tablet (65 mg).

 

Caffeine is normally absorbed by the body within 45 minutes of ingestion.  Caffeine's half-life, which is the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the caffeine injested at a given time, is generally 3-4 hours.  Smoking and various other factors can shorten caffeine's half-life, while pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives, and liver disease usually lengthen the half-life.

 

Studies cited in Wikipedia.org have shown that caffeine boosts the capacity for mental or physical labor.  A 1979 study demonstrated that those who consumed caffeine before the test showed a 7% increase in distance cycled over a two-hour period as compared to control tests.  One study of athletes receiving a dosage of 9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight showed runners having a 44% increase in "race-pace" endurance and cyclers showing a 51% increase in endurance.  Another study of cyclers who received 5.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass resulted in a 29% lengthening of their high-intensity circuits.

 

There have been many studies regarding caffeine's effect on memory and learning.  One study seemed to demonstrate that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled in related to the current train of thought, but those same researchers hypothesized that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated.  Another study showed that caffeinated subjects (100mg) performed better than control subjects on memory tasks, and that they had increased activity in the frontal lobe brain regions where a part of the working memory network is located and in the anterior cingulum, which is a part of the brain that controls attention.

 

Those who regularly consume large doses of caffeine adapt to its continual presence, and the stimulatory effects are substantially reduced.  In addition, reduced caffeine intake by these heavy caffeine consumers usually results in withdrawal symptoms (sometimes called a "crash"), including head and stomach aches, irritability, and inability to concentrate.  Crash symptoms often peak 48 hours or so after stoppage of heavy caffeine intake.

 

Energy Drink "Crash" Effect  Some consumers of energy drinks complain about a "crash" (sharp energy-level reduction) some time after consumption of energy drinks.  Such an experience may be related to the high sugar content of many such drinks.  When elevated blood glucose levels boost the body's production of insulin, the subject may feel lethargic or tired.

 

Fusion®  Bond's energy drink offering is Fusion®, a two-ounce, six-hour energy shot that has no sugar, no carbs, no herbal stimulants, and only eight calories.  Fusion® has triple the caffeine (240mg) of the leading canned energy drink (80mg), and it metabolizes faster than canned energy drinks.  Management believes that Fusion® has the strongest/longest-lasting formula available - 6+ hours of energy.  In addition, at the recent NACS Expo, Fusion® was recently voted as the best-tasting energy shot.  The product is presently available in Berry flavor, with Limon flavor launching in 2008.

 

Fusion® ingredients are a proprietary blend of 2100mg of energy ingredients (Taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, malic acid, and L-phenylalanine), 1mg. of enzymes (Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Cellulase, and Lactase), B vitamins (40mg of Pyridoxine Hydrochloride and 500mcg of Cyanocobalamin), 10mg of Sodium, 100mg of Ascorbic Acid, 33mg of Niacin, and 400mcg of Folic Acid.

 

Retailers have found that the energy shot product category is #1 in both dollar sales at the front-end checkout and in dollar sales per square inch of display space.  (Source: A.C. Nielsen, May 2007).  A 6-piece counter display for Fusion® is 12.75 square inches, and a 12-piece counter display is 25.9 square inches).  Fusion® also has an attractive gross profit for the retailer.  With a regular wholesale price of $1.50 per unit and a suggested retail price of $2.99, the retailer's gross profit is 49.8%.

 

Fusion® Blast  This product is a "pour on your tongue" instant energy supplement.  It can be consumed on the run without having to be chilled.  The serving size is only 15g, yet it has significantly more energy benefit than a full can of regular energy drink.  Fusion® Blast contains more than 20 vitamins, herbs, and antioxidants, helping to provide an instant energy boost.  Flavor offerings are Berry and Tropical.  The packages will be sold in a 30-count shelf display.  The suggested retail price is $1.29.

 

The target market for Fusion® Blast is consumers between 15 and 25 years of age.  Distribution channels will likely include convenience, mass merchandise, and drug stores, as well as college bookstores.

 

Marketing Program

 

Wasserman Media Group  In November 2007, Bond entered into a consulting and marketing agreement with Wasserman Media Group ("WMG") to formulate and implement a product design/promotion/sponsorship/media plan for the Fusion® line of energy products.  The plan targets youth subcultures and involves media and events marketing relating to action sports.

 

WMG is a leading global sports management company, representing a large number of athletes in a wide variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, BMX, motocross, rugby, skateboarding, snowboarding, soccer, and surfing.  The firm has closed more than $2 billion in sponsorship revenue.  Consulting work has included creation of the Wachovia Championship, development and management of the Nationwide Tour, and conceptualization of Nokia's music strategy.  WMG also develops, markets, and distributes sports and entertainment content, and it operates Sportnet LLC (www.sportnet.com), an internet-based sports network.

 

In addition to the foregoing strengths, WMG has experience in launching energy products.  WMG-affiliated athletes provided early endorsements for Monster Beverage Company's Monster Energy® (www.monsterenergy.com).

 

The L&M Racing Team  On January 3, 2008, Bond announced that it had signed on as an associate sponsor of The L&M Racing Team, which fields two of the top names in Supercross (Chad Reed and Nathan Ramsey).  In 2008, L&M is concentrating on the AMA and World Supercross Championships, as well as additional stadium races throughout the season.

 

Print Advertising  The Company is committing to an extensive print adverting program during 2008.  It is purchasing spreads in BMX, Skate, Snow, Motocross, X Games/AST, and Army & Navy Times/Stars & Stripes.  It also plans to purchase web banners and participate in various events, including the Snow Life Tour, the College Tour/Guerrilla, and the Mack Dog Tour.

 

Distribution  Distribution plays an important role in driving sales.  Desirable outlets include convenience stores (150,000 potential locations), gas stations (130,000), drug stores (57,000), grocery stores (70,000), warehouse clubs (3,000), mass merchandiser stores (33,800), and vitamin/health food stores (10,000).  There are also a great number of non-traditional outlets, including health clubs (80,200); casinos, airport shops, and hotel shops (46,000); surf, bicycle, and moto stores (16,300); game, video, and electronics stores (56,000); colleges (4,200); bars (55,000); military outlets (17,000); auto parts, boat stores, and car washes (160,000); and tattoo shops (22,000).

 

Bond scored a significant plus when WMG introduced Bond to ampm® convenience stores (www.ampm.com).  Bond has since entered into a cross-marketing agreement with ampm®, giving bond promotional opportunities in the ampm® stores.  ampm®, founded in 1978, now has approximately 930 stores throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.  These stores are run at ARCO®-branded gasoline stations.  Approximately 70% of the ampm® stores are franchisee operated.  Both ARCO® and ampm® are U.S. brands of UK-based BP plc and franchised by BP West Coast Products.

 

As of February 15, 2008, Bond had developed relationships with well over a dozen distributors, more than a score of retail chains, and a number of non-traditional outlets.

 

Manufacturing  Bond has positioned itself as a company that formulates products and develops brands, and, as such, it has no in-house manufacturing operations.  Contract manufacturers for both Fusion® and Fusion® Blast are readily available, and the Company has in place relationships with manufacturers that meet Good Manufacturing Practice ("GMP") standards.  Such standards are enforced in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA").

 

Competition  Management estimates that there are more than 600 ready-to-drink energy brands competing for share of the $2.5+ billion U.S. market.  The market leader is believed to be Red Bull®, followed by Monster Energy®.

 

Red Bull® is the brand name of an energy drink marketed by Red Bull GmbH.  Serving size is 250 ml, and the product is available in both sweetened and sugar-free versions.  It is commonly used as a mixer in alcoholic drinks.  According to Wikipedia, worldwide sales for 2006 were believed to be 2.6 billion euros (approximately 3 billion cans).  The product has been sold in the U.S. since 1997.

 

Monster Energy®  is a brand of energy drink manufactured by Monster Beverage Company Inc., which, in turn, is owned by Hansen Beverage Company (NasdaqGS:HANS).  Wikipedia notes that Monster is known for its high advertising budget.  The product is available in regular and lo-carb versions.  In April 2007, Hansen launched a line of coffee-flavored energy drinks.

 

Other competitors for ready-to-drink energy products  There are hundreds of other competitors in the marketplace.  Management estimates that during the past 12 months more than 150 brands died, but they were replaced by an even greater number of new brands.

 

Energy shots  The market for energy shots is relatively new, and there are not nearly as many competitors.  The leading brand is believed to be 5-Hour Energy® (www.5hourenergy.com), which was released in 2004.  The brand's web site says that the product is formulated for hours of "smooth energy" without the jitters and crash associated with other energy drinks.  There is no sugar, no net carbohydrates, and only four calories.

 

Pain Relief from Migraine Headaches

 

Migraine is a neurological disease, with moderate-to-severe headache as the most commonly thought of symptom.  Twenty-four percent of the U.S. population (18% of women and 6% of men) report having had at lease one migraine episode during the previous year.  Individual attacks, left untreated, generally last from 4 to 72 hours.  Eight million migraine sufferers have frequent and severe migraines that cause them to miss work and school, and 2.8 million people 12 and older get at least one migraine a week.  Here are some resources/links relating to migraines: www.migratol247.com/links.shtml

 

Bond has finalized Migratol 24/7, a nutraceutical product designed to address the nutritional factors to support overall nerve health.  The ingredients were selected following management reviews of more than 185 articles, some of the more recent of which can be viewed here: www.migratol247.com/studies.shtml

 

Migratol 24/7's key ingredients include Feverfew Select, Butterbur Root, Magnesium Oxide, Grape Seed Extract, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, and Coenzyme Q10.  The Company has negotiated and signed an exclusive agreement for Feverfew Select, a key ingredient in Migratol 24/7.

 

There is both an AM and a PM formula.  The PM formula, designed to promote sleep, has reduced levels of Feverfew Select and Vitamin B6.

 

The Company has begun marketing Migratol 24/7 on the internet.  It can be purchased at the Migratol 24/7 web site: www.migratol247.com.  In addition, management is exploring the potential for infomercials before handing off the product to retail channels.

 

Weight Loss Products

 

Management has been studying weight-loss dietary supplement powders to enhance the body's metabolism and thereby help to stabilize or shed weight.  The key ingredients under study are derived from the green coffee bean and the coffee cherry (an antioxidant).

 

Penetration of the market for weight loss products would likely require a major financial commitment.  There are many other products on the market, and breaking through the industry's marketing clutter would be expensive.

 

Possible Acquisitions

 

Management thinks that there are a plethora of acquisition opportunities in the dietary supplements arena and that over time it would be worthwhile to explore some of those opportunities.  Many of the companies operating in the supplements business are believed to have only limited management, marketing, and financial resources, and they might benefit from a buyout by a larger firm.  In addition, some of the family-held businesses might be receptive to a buyout as an exit strategy.

 

Negotiation of a valuation for privately held businesses is probably more art than science.  In many cases, the principal determinant of an enterprises value will be its EBITDA, and an acquisition would be valued at a negotiated multiple of such earnings.  Payment might be in the form of cash and/or securities.  The fact that Bond's common stock is publicly traded is likely a plus in any such transaction.

 

Company History

 

On November 5, 2007, Bond shares started to publicly trade on the OTC Exchange.

 

The Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada in July 2005.

 

Shareholder Profile

(August 14, 2006)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Landow

1,250,000 shares

 

 

Small World Traders, Inc.

1,250,000 shares

 

 

Landow Revocable Trust 2006

1,250,000 shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:  Scott Landow, through Landow Revocable Turst 2006, which is controlled by Scott Landow, controls Small World Traders, Inc.  This table depicts beneficial ownership as determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC; some of the shares may be double counted.  Source: Bond Laboratories, Inc.

 

Balance Sheet on September 30, 2007

(in $000s)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash & equivalents

103

 

Current liabilities

15

 

 

Other current assets

2

 

Long-term liabilities

0

 

 

Total current assets

105

 

Stockholders' equity

312

 

 

Other assets

221

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

326

 

Total liabilities & equity

326

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Bond Laboratories, Inc.

 

On September 30, 2007, the Company had working capital of $90,774.  Current assets included cash and equivalents of $102,996.  The Company had no long-term debt.  Stockholders' equity consisted of preferred stock (5,000,000 shares issued and outstanding and 10,000,000 shares authorized), and common stock (9,067,225 shares issued and outstanding and 75,000,000 shares authorized).  The preferred shares are each entitled to one vote.  The Company's accumulated deficit during the development stage was $1,685,363.

 

On December 31, 2006, the Company issued $430,000 in two-year secured convertible notes, convertible into shares of common stock at $1.00 per share.  All of these notes were subsequently converted into common stock.

 

On September 30, 2007, there were no common stock purchase options outstanding.

 

Income Statements

(in $000s, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q 3/07

Q 6/07

Q 9/07

 

 

Revenue

 

0

1

2

 

 

Cost of goods sold

 

0

0

1

 

 

Gross profit

 

0

1

1

 

 

G&A expense

 

166

194

238

 

 

Selling & marketing expense

 

11

26

47

 

 

D&A

 

4

6

4

 

 

R&D expense

 

0

61

85

 

 

Operating income

 

(181)

(285)

(372)

 

 

Non-operating income (expense)

 

(41)

4

5

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

(222)

(281)

(367)

 

 

EPS

 

$(0.02)

$(0.02)

$(0.02)

 

 

Average # of shares (000s)

 

13,658

16,266

17,580

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Bond Laboratories, Inc.

 

The Company was in a start-up mode until late 2007 when its first products were launched.  Since the initial product launch, management has made considerable progress in broadening its distribution channels and increasing consumer awareness.

 

Statements of Cash Flows

(in $000s, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended:

 

9/30/07

 

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

Other operating activities, net