Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Entry into Asset Purchase Agreements

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Entry into Asset Purchase Agreements
3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Entry into Asset Purchase Agreements [Abstract]  
Entry into Asset Purchase Agreements
2. Entry into Asset Purchase Agreements

Ashley Ellis, LLC

On August 31, 2011, General Employment Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an asset purchase agreement with Ashley Ellis LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (“Ashley Ellis”), and Brad A. Imhoff (the “Ashley Ellis Asset Purchase Agreement”), for the purchase of certain assets of Ashley Ellis, primarily customer lists, comprising Ashley Ellis' services business.  Ashley Ellis' services business was operated from offices in Illinois, Texas and Georgia and provided services related to the recruitment and placement of technical personnel.  The Ashley Ellis Asset Purchase Agreement was deemed effective on September 1, 2011.  

Brad A. Imhoff is the brother of Herbert F. Imhoff, Jr., a director and President of the Company.  Brad A. Imhoff and Ashley Ellis, an entity of which Brad A. Imhoff is the sole member and Chief Executive Officer, were parties to the transaction.  As consideration for the assets, the Company paid Ashley Ellis $200,000 on the date of closing and agreed to pay Ashley Ellis an additional $200,000 within six months of closing.  The Company also agreed to issue to Ashley Ellis 1,250,000 restricted shares of the Company's common stock.  As the sole member of Ashley Ellis, Brad A. Imhoff has an interest in the entire consideration paid by the Company to Ashley Ellis for the assets.
  
In connection with the transactions contemplated by the Ashley Ellis Asset Purchase Agreement, on August 31, 2011, the Company and Ashley Ellis entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which Ashley Ellis was granted certain piggyback registration rights with respect to the Shares to be issued to Ashley Ellis under the Ashley Ellis Asset Purchase Agreement.  The Registration Rights Agreement contains certain indemnification provisions for the benefit of the Company and Ashley Ellis and other customary provisions.  The total consideration is summarized as follows:

In Thousands
     
       
Stock consideration
  $ 331  
Future payout consideration
    200  
Payout consideration
    200  
         
Total consideration for acquisition
  $ 731  
 
The following table summarizes the approximate fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of closing.

In Thousands
     
       
Fixed assets
  $ 114  
Intangible assets – trade name
    17  
Intangible assets – customer relationships
    577  
Goodwill
    23  
         
Total fair value of assets acquired
  $ 731  

The assets purchased from Ashley Ellis constitute a business and as such, the acquisition of these assets was accounted for as a business combination. The assets purchased related to the Ashley Ellis, LLC acquisition were not considered a significant acquisition.  The results of operations of Ashley Ellis, LLC are included in the Company's statement of operations from the effective date of the acquisition, September 1, 2011.

Acquisition of DMCC Staffing, LLC and RFFG of Cleveland, LLC

Effective November 1, 2010, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Triad Personnel Services, Inc. (Triad), entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”), dated as of October 29, 2010, with DMCC Staffing, LLC (“DMCC”), RFFG of Cleveland, LLC (“RFFG of Cleveland”), and Thomas J. Bean, for the purchase of certain assets of DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland, primarily customer lists, comprising DMCC's and RFFG of Cleveland's services business.  Thomas Bean was the beneficial owner of approximately 9.9% of the Company's outstanding shares prior to acquisition.  The business is operated from offices in Ohio and provides labor and human resource solutions, including temporary staffing, human resources and payroll outsourcing services, labor and employment consulting and workforce solutions.  RFFG of Cleveland has one customer.

The closing of the Asset Purchase Agreement was subject to certain conditions, including entry into a definitive management and services agreement for the management of the businesses of certain affiliates of DMCC, RFFG of Cleveland and Mr. Bean (the “Management Agreement”) by the Company.  On November 30, 2010, Business Management Personnel, Inc. (“BMP”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into the Management Agreement, effective as of November 1, 2010, with RFFG, LLC (“RFFG”).

The assets purchased from RFFG of Cleveland and DMCC constitute businesses and as such the acquisition of these assets were accounted for as a business combination. Pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to issue $2,400,000 in shares of its common stock (5,581,395 shares based on the December 30, 2010 closing date) to DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland upon receipt of (a) stockholder approval of the transaction and of an increase to the Company's authorized Common Stock and (b) approval of an additional listing application by the NYSE Amex Stock Exchange.  On March 24, 2011, the Company received written consents in lieu of a meeting of shareholders from the holders of 71.9% of the shares of Common Stock, (i) approving the issuance of 5,581,395 shares of the Common Stock to DMCC Staffing and RFFG of Cleveland pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement and the issuance of any additional shares of Common Stock to DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland as may be necessary pursuant to certain earn-out payment provisions under the Asset Purchase Agreement; and (ii) approving an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company to increase the number of authorized shares of capital stock from 20,100,000 shares to 50,100,000 shares and to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 20,000,000 shares to 50,000,000 shares.

Commencing in 2011, if the aggregate EBITDA of the businesses acquired, plus any management fees paid to the Company under the Management Agreement meets certain targets (each, an “EBITDA Target”) over a four-year period ending December 31, 2014 (the “Earnout Period”), the Company will be required to make earn-out payments to DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland, each payable in three equal installments.  In the event that an EBITDA Target for a certain period is not met, the earn-out payment in respect to such period will be reduced proportionately.  The EBITDA Targets are $300,000, $600,000, $900,000 and $1,200,000 for each of the three-, six-, nine- and twelve-month periods, respectively, in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011, and earn-out payments will consist of quarterly payments of $150,000, payable in three equal monthly installments, if the relevant EBITDA Targets are met.  Starting in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012, the EBITDA Targets will be adjusted annually to reflect the EBITDA for the twelve-month period ending on December 31st of the most recently completed fiscal year (each, an “Annual EBITDA Target”) and earn-out payments for the year will be adjusted to equal 50% of the relevant Annual EBITDA Target divided by four.  At the end of each fiscal year during the Earnout Period, if the aggregate EBITDA for the 12-month period then ended is greater than the Annual EBITDA Target for such year, then the Company will pay to DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland the amount of such excess, 50% in cash and 50% in shares of common stock.  Through December 31, 2011, $556,000 of earn-out payments were currently due and are included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.

The accounting guidance requires that contingent consideration be added to the purchase price and the resultant liability be recorded at fair value.  Given the terms of the earn-out provisions of the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company believes that the earn-out will be paid and accordingly, has included the fair value of the projected total earn-out payments in the total consideration paid for the acquisition.  Any subsequent changes in the estimated fair value of this contingent consideration will be recorded in the Company's statement of operations.

The total consideration is summarized as follows:

In Thousands
     
       
Stock consideration
  $ 2,400  
Earn-out consideration
    2,198  
         
Total consideration for acquisition
  $ 4,598  

The following table summarizes the approximate fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of closing.

In Thousands
     
       
Fixed assets
  $ 5  
Intangible assets - management agreement
    1,396  
Intangible assets - customer relationships
    2,113  
Goodwill
    1,084  
         
Total fair value of assets acquired
  $ 4,598  

The results of operations of DMCC and RFFG of Cleveland are included in the Company's statement of operations from the effective date of the acquisition, November 1, 2010.  The Company wrote off the intangible asset associated with the management agreement and reduced the earn-out liability by $1,276,000 in September 2011 when it was determined that RFFG ceased doing business on July 15, 2011 and therefore, future management fees would no longer would be earned.   

In connection with the application of purchase accounting, the Company recorded its identifiable intangible assets at fair value.  Fair value of the intangible assets was determined primarily through the use of a discounted cash flow analysis.  The discounted cash flow analysis projected the estimated future cash flows to be generated by the underlying assets and discounted these at a rate reflecting perceived business and financial risks.  The projected cash flow estimates used in the discounted cash flow analysis are based on management's best estimate and actual results may differ.  The valuation of these intangible assets is based predominately on Level 3 inputs.  The levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets.

Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, included quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.
 
Level 3: Inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

Pro forma Information

The following unaudited pro forma information represents the Company's results of operations as if the acquisitions described above had occurred on the first day of the earliest period presented.

   
Three months ended
 
   
December 31
 
(In thousands)
 
2011
   
2010
 
             
Net revenues
  $ 12,780     $ 6,563  
Net income
  $ 23     $ 26  
                 
Basic and diluted loss per share
  $ 0.00     $ 0.00