As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2020

No. 333-            

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Freshpet, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		20-1884894
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

400 Plaza Drive, 1st Floor

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

(201) 520-4000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Richard Kassar

Chief Financial Officer

400 Plaza Drive, 1st Floor

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

(201) 520-4000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

Christian O. Nagler

Luke R. Jennings

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(212) 446-4800

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

 

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  ☐

 

Large accelerated filer		☒				Accelerated filer		☐
Non-accelerated filer		☐				Smaller reporting company		☐
						Emerging growth company		☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered		Amount to be Registered		Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price		Amount of Registration Fee
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share		(1)		(1)		(1)		(1)

(1)	An indeterminate number of shares of common stock is being registered as may from time to time be issued at indeterminate prices. In accordance with Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee.

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

Freshpet, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

We will provide specific terms of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share (our “common stock”), to be offered by us or our stockholders in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any supplement carefully before you invest.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “FRPT.”

The address of our principal executive office is 400 Plaza Drive, 1st Floor, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094. Our telephone number is (201) 520-4000.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated by reference herein, as well as in any other recently filed quarterly or current reports and, if any, in the relevant prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor any state securities commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is February 25, 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
SUMMARY			1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			2
USE OF PROCEEDS			3
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK			4
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			8
LEGAL MATTERS			10
EXPERTS			10

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, and amendments to those reports, are also available for download, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are filed with the SEC, at our website at investors.freshpet.com.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with it. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings (but not portions of such filings which are furnished) made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), until the offering is complete:

 

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2020.

We encourage you to read our periodic and current reports. These reports provide additional important information about our company. You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing to or telephoning us at the following address:

Freshpet, Inc.

400 Plaza Drive, 1st Floor

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

(201) 520-4000

Attention: Investor Relations

We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of the document.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, the net proceeds we receive from the sale of common stock offered by us pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement will be used for general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include repayment of indebtedness, acquisitions, additions to working capital, repurchases of common stock, dividends, capital expenditures and investments in our subsidiaries. Net proceeds may be temporarily invested prior to use.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by selling stockholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following summary of certain provisions of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and the provisions of applicable law. Copies of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part.

Authorized Capitalization

General

The total amount of our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 100,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

Common Stock

Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive or other similar subscription rights to purchase any of our securities. Our common stock is neither convertible nor redeemable. Unless our Board of Directors determines otherwise, we will issue all of our capital stock in uncertificated form.

Preferred Stock

Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue shares of preferred stock from time to time on terms it may determine, to divide shares of preferred stock into one or more series and to fix the designations, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of any series to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The issuance of our preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the trading price of our common stock, restricting dividends on our capital stock, diluting the voting power of our common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of our capital stock, or delaying or preventing a change in control of our Company.

Voting Rights

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders. Our Bylaws provide that the presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of shares representing a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote at a stockholders’ meeting shall constitute a quorum. When a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast is required to take action, unless otherwise specified by law or our Certificate of Incorporation, and except for the election of directors, which is determined by a plurality vote. There are no cumulative voting rights.

Dividend Rights

Each holder of shares of our capital stock is entitled to receive such dividends and other distributions in cash, stock or property as may be declared by our Board of Directors from time to time out of our assets or funds legally available for dividends or other distributions. These rights are subject to the preferential rights of the holders of our preferred stock, if any, and any contractual limitations on our ability to declare and pay dividends.

Other Rights

Each holder of common stock is subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

 

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Liquidation Rights

If our company is involved in a consolidation, merger, recapitalization, reorganization, voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, or similar event, each holder of common stock will participate pro rata in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.

Anti-Takeover Effects of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with the Board of Directors, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give the Board of Directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.

Action by Written Consent, Special Meeting of Stockholders and Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and cannot be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can be called only pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors that we would have if there were no vacancies. Except as described above, stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting or to require the Board of Directors to call a special meeting.

In addition, our Bylaws require advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders, including the nomination of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider the proposals specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered a timely written notice in proper form to our secretary, of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting.

These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting any stockholder actions, even if they are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

Classified Board

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors, with the classes as nearly equal in number as possible. As a result, approximately one-third of our Board of Directors is elected each year. The classification of directors has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board.

Removal of Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors may only be removed from office for cause and only upon the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the voting power of our outstanding shares of common stock.

Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote on amendments to a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws is required to approve such amendment,

 

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unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our Bylaws may be amended, altered, changed or repealed by a majority vote of our Board of Directors, provided that, in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the voting power of our outstanding shares of common stock is required to amend, alter, change or repeal our Bylaws. Additionally, the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on the adoption, alteration, amendment or repeal of our Certificate of Incorporation, voting as a single class, is required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provision inconsistent with specified provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation. This requirement of a supermajority vote to approve amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws could enable a minority of our stockholders to exercise veto power over any such amendments.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute

Section 203 of the DGCL provides that if a person acquires 15% or more of the voting stock of a Delaware corporation, such person becomes an “interested stockholder” and may not engage in certain “business combinations” with the corporation for a period of three years from the time such person acquired 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock, unless: (1) the Board of Directors approves the acquisition of stock or the merger transaction before the time that the person becomes an interested stockholder, (2) the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at the time the merger transaction commences (excluding voting stock owned by directors who are also officers and certain employee stock plans), or (3) the merger transaction is approved by the Board of Directors and by the affirmative vote at a meeting, not by written consent, of stockholders of 2/3 of the holders of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. A Delaware corporation may elect in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws not to be governed by this particular Delaware law.

Under our Certificate of Incorporation, we opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL and therefore are not subject to Section 203.

Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation limits the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and our Bylaws provide that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law. We have entered and expect to continue to enter into agreements to indemnify our directors, executive officers and other employees as determined by our Board of Directors. Under the terms of such indemnification agreements, we are required to indemnify each of our directors and officers, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware, if the basis of the indemnitee’s involvement was by reason of the fact that the indemnitee is or was a director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or was serving at the Company’s request in an official capacity for another entity. We must indemnify our officers and directors against all reasonable fees, expenses, charges and other costs of any type or nature whatsoever, including any and all expenses and obligations paid or incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in, participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness or participate in any completed, actual, pending or threatened action, suit, claim or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, or establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under the indemnification agreement. The indemnification agreements also require us, if so requested, to advance within 30 days of such request all reasonable fees, expenses, charges and other costs that such director or officer incurred, provided that such person will return any such advance if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification by us. Any claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims against us and may reduce the amount of money available to us.

Exclusive Jurisdiction of Certain Actions

Our Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in the name of the Company, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and

 

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other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel. Although we believe this provision benefits the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We and our stockholders may from time to time sell shares of our common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the common stock is traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices.

We and our stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of shares of common stock:

 

•

on NASDAQ or any other national securities exchange or U.S. inter-dealer system of a registered national securities association on which our common stock may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

 

•

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

•

one or more underwritten offerings;

 

•

block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

•

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

•

an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

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privately negotiated transactions;

 

•

through agents;

 

•

in “at the market” offerings, within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise;

 

•

broker-dealers may agree with the Company or selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; and

 

•

a combination of any such methods of sale.

In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders.

The aggregate proceeds to us or the selling stockholders, as applicable, from the sale of our common stock will be the purchase price of our common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common stock by our stockholders. We and any selling stockholders reserve the right to accept and, together with our or their agents, as applicable, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of our common stock to be made directly or through agents.

Any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of our common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit they earn on any resale of the common stock may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Underwriters and their controlling persons, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us and, if applicable, any selling stockholders, to indemnification against and contribution toward specific civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

To the extent required, the common stock to be sold, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agents, dealers or underwriters, and any applicable discounts, commissions, concessions or other compensation with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

 

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Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates may have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

To facilitate the offering of the common stock offered by us or the selling stockholders, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our common stock. This may include over-allotments or short sales, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more shares than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of our common stock by bidding for or purchasing shares in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if shares sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of our common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

Selling stockholders may use this prospectus in connection with resales of our common stock. Such selling stockholders may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act in connection with the shares of our common stock they resell and any profits on the sales may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York will pass upon the validity of the common stock offered hereby on our behalf. If any legal matters relating to offerings made in connection with this prospectus are passed upon by counsel for underwriters, dealers or agents, such counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to any such offering. Certain partners of Kirkland & Ellis LLP own shares of Freshpet common stock representing less than 1% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Freshpet, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019 have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the various expenses expected to be incurred by the Registrant in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

SEC registration fee				(1)
Accounting fees and expenses				(2)
Legal fees and expenses				(2)
Printing and engraving expenses				(2)
Registrar and Transfer Agent’s fees				(2)
Miscellaneous fees and expenses				(2)
Total				(2)

 

(1)	Pursuant to Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the Company is deferring payment of the registration fee relating to the securities that are registered and available for sale under this registration statement.

(2)	Estimated expenses are not presently known. The foregoing sets forth the general categories of expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) that we anticipate we will incur in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement on Form S-3.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

The Company is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) allows a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached the duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for this limitation of liability.

Section 145 of the DGCL (“Section 145”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was, is or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation’s best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was illegal. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses that such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred.

Section 145 further authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise, against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would otherwise have the power to indemnify him or her under Section 145.

 

II-1

Our Bylaws provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL and must also pay expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition upon delivery of an undertaking, by or on behalf of an indemnified person, to repay all amounts so advanced if it should be determined ultimately that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.

We entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and officers. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a)

Exhibits.

The exhibit index attached hereto is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings

 

(a)	The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

 

(i)

to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii)

to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement; and

 

(iii)

to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement.

 

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4)

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(i)

each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(ii)

each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of

 

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the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

(5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)

any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)

any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)

the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)

any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number		Description
1.1*		Form of Underwriting Agreement.
4.1		Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Freshpet, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Freshpet, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, File No. 333-200936, filed on December 12, 2014).
4.2		Certificate of Amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Freshpet, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 21, 2017).
4.3		Amended and Restated Bylaws of Freshpet, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Freshpet, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, File No. 333-200936, filed on December 12, 2014).
5.1		Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
23.1		Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.2		Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on signature page to this Registration Statement).

 

*	To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference herein in connection with an offering.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Secaucus, New Jersey, on February 25, 2020.

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each officer and director of Freshpet, Inc. whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints William B. Cyr, Richard Kassar and Heather Pomerantz and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute any and all amendments including any post-effective amendments and supplements to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons on February 25, 2020 in the capacities indicated:

 

Name		Title
/s/ William B. Cyr William B. Cyr		Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Richard Kassar Richard Kassar		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Charles A. Norris Charles A. Norris		Director
/s/ J. David Basto J. David Basto		Director
/s/ Daryl G. Brewster Daryl G. Brewster		Director
/s/ Lawrence S. Coben Lawrence S. Coben		Director
/s/ Walter N. George III Walter N. George III		Director

 

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Name		Title
/s/ Leta D. Priest Leta D. Priest		Director
/s/ Robert C. King Robert C. King		Director
/s/ Olu Beck Olu Beck		Director
/s/ Craig D. Steeneck Craig D. Steeneck		Director
/s/ Jacki S. Kelley Jacki S. Kelley		Director

 

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