Exhibit 10.18
*** Indicates omitted material that is the subject
of a confidential treatment request filed separately with the
Commission.
SALES
AGREEMENT
This Agreement made and entered into
this 1st day of January, 2006 (the “Effective Date”) by
and between Mannatech™ Incorporated (“BUYER”)
with its principle place of business at 600 S. Royal Lane, Suite
200, Coppell, Texas 75019 and Larex, Inc. (“SELLER”)
with its principle place of business located at 4099 White Bear
Parkway, Suite 102, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 hereinafter
collectively referred to as the
“Parties”.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, BUYER develops and sells proprietary nutritional
supplements and topical products through a network marketing system
throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom and
Japan by distributors referred to as Independent Associates
(“Associates”);
WHEREAS, SELLER is engaged in the development,
manufacture and sale of products and possesses particular
technology and know-how which it is applying to develop products
intended for human use;
WHEREAS, SELLER desires to sell the Products (as defined
below) exclusively to BUYER (even as to SELLER) within the
Territory (as defined below) and during the Term (as defined
below), and BUYER desires to be the exclusive BUYER (even as to
SELLER) of the Products within the Territory and during the Term;
and
WHEREAS , SELLER has represented that it presently has
the ability to manufacture and deliver all of the Product that
BUYER needs in accordance with the Specifications provided by
BUYER.
NOW THEREFORE,
promises considered, and in
consideration of the covenants, releases, and obligations of the
Parties herein, the Parties agree as follows:
As used in this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
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1.1
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“Product” or “Products” means Manna
2000 and any other dietary supplement or food other similar product
preparation or containing larch arabinogalactans in which the
arabinogalactan is combined with two or more of the following
ingredients:
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Naturally-derived gums and resins, including gum
tragacanth and gum ghatti;
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Aloe Vera,
including any extracts, derivatives or fractions
thereof;
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Any type of
algal derived extracts, and
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The Product
shall be intended as a dietary ingredient or food ingredient and/or
dietary supplement or food (in capsule, powder, tablet or liquid
form, as the case may be) intended for sale to the ultimate
consumer in the Territory (as defined herein) in which Mannatech
conducts business.
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1.2
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“Price” means those prices on Exhibit “A”
– “Product Pricing and Minimum
Orders”.
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1.3
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“
Territory” means global.
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1.4
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“Secondary Term”
shall refer to a 365 day period
commencing on, and on each anniversary of the Effective
Date
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1.5
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“Vendors” shall refer to third party manufacturers who may
from time to time be designated by BUYER to make purchases of the
Product on BUYER’S behalf. SELLER agrees that all purchases
by Vendors pursuant to this Sales Agreement shall be credited on a
monthly basis against any requirements by BUYER as set forth in
this Sales Agreement.
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2.1
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Primary
Term . Unless terminated
by either Party this Agreement shall be effective for a period of
five (5) years (the “Initial Term”) commencing on
the Effective date of this Agreement. Within sixty (60) days
of the termination date of the Initial Term, either party may
provide notice to the other than it does not intend to extend the
Agreement into the Secondary Term. If such sixty (60) day
notice does not occur, this Agreement may automatically extend for
successive twelve (12) month terms (the “Secondary
Term”). In the event the Agreement extends to any Secondary
Term or successive terms thereafter, either party may terminate the
Agreement, upon sixty (60) days notice prior to the end of the
then Secondary Term. Either Party may terminate this Agreement in
the event that regulatory requirements, including but not limited
to quality assurance, good manufacturing practices and legality for
sale are not met regarding product and manufacturing, such
determination at its sole discretion.
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2.2
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At least thirty
(30) days prior to the end of the Term, BUYER and SELLER
mutually agree in writing on the price of the Product to be sold by
SELLER and purchased by BUYER hereunder during such additional
one-year period. At least sixty (60) days prior to the end of
the Term, SELLER and BUYER shall commence good faith negotiations
to determine and agree upon such price for such additional one-year
period. If BUYER and SELLER are unable to so agree on such price,
the Agreement shall terminate effective at the end of the
then-current Term. Nothing contained in this Paragraph shall be
deemed to (i.) obligate BUYER and SELLER to agree upon such price,
(ii.) obligate a party to negotiate with the other party regarding
such price is such other part is then in breach of or in default
under this Agreement or (iii.) limit the rights of BUYER and SELLER
under Paragraph 13 hereof.
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2.3
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At the
termination of this Agreement (or any renewal or extension
thereof), BUYER shall have the right and ability to make products,
particularly using its proprietary information and
formulae.
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3.1
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Product
Exclusivity. BUYER shall
have an exclusive right to purchase Products as defined in
paragraph 1.1 hereof.
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3.2
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Validation
of Claims . SELLER shall
provide to BUYER all required scientific data to substantiate
product claims (if any). SELLER and BUYER shall further ensure all
aspects as contemplated hereunder comport with regulatory
guidelines in place by the Food and Drug Administration
(“FDA”) and/or other country-specific regulatory agency
during the term of this Agreement.
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3.3.1
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The Products
specification shall include, among other things, those product
specifications as provided by BUYER to SELLER, from time to time
(the “Specifications”). Such Specifications to be
provided to BUYER by SELLER and may be amended by BUYER and SELLER
by mutual written consent, from time-to-time, subject to variance
within ranges of contents and other factors Exhibit “C”
– “Current Specifications”.
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3.3.2
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SELLER shall
also provide formulation documentation for those countries outside
of the United States in which BUYER conducts business and sells the
Product. Such documentation shall include, but is not necessarily
limited to raw material specifications, certificates of analysis,
manufacturing processing (e.g. to determine whether specific raw
materials are allowable), amounts of ingredients (e.g. to determine
whether the ingredient in the formulation is within upper and lower
limits allowable in the specified country.
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3.4
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Packaging . SELLER shall package the products in packaging
that is approved by BUYER. Exhibit “D” - Current
Packaging Specifications.
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4.1
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SELLER shall
bear all responsibility for product and quality control for all
Products.
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4.2
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SELLER warrants
and represents that it has established procedures for the
manufacture and supply of the Products. SELLER agrees that all
Products manufactured, packaged, labeled, supplied and delivered to
BUYER (or its designee), will be manufactured in a professional,
clean, safe and sanitary manner, in accordance with good
manufacturing practices and the specifications established by BUYER
and SELLER from time-to-time.
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4.3
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BUYER has the
right to inspect and test all Product as contemplated herein, to
the extent practicable, at all places and times, including the
period of manufacture, and in any event prior to acceptance
thereof. BUYER shall perform inspections and tests for quality
assurance in a manner that will not unduly delay the production of
the Product. BUYER may require repair, reformulation or replacement
of nonconforming Product, those constituting, without limitation of
the foregoing, unacceptable formulation(s), scientific validation,
safety, efficacy, shelf life and nonconformity with FDA
regulations. BUYER reserves the right to run adequate tests to
determine whether the Product conforms to the specifications as
contemplated hereby. Use of a portion of the Product shall not
constitute acceptance thereof.
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4.4
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All books and
records maintained by SELLER with respect to the Product shall be
available at all reasonable times for inspection and verification
by BUYER or any of its designated agents or representatives. BUYER
reserves the right, at any time, to examine SELLER’s books
and records related to the Product at BUYER’s expense, and
SELLER shall cooperate with any person making such examination on
behalf of BUYER.
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5.1
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The purchase
price(s) for the Products are set forth on Exhibit
“A”.
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5.1.1
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The purchase
price(s) include wrapping and packing labor.
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5.1.2
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Purchase
Price(s) do not include any foreign, federal, state or local sales,
value added, use or other taxes, all of which shall be borne by
BUYER.
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5.2
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Orders . BUYER shall provide purchase orders for all
production a minimum of thirty (30) days in advance of the
requested delivery date. The purchase orders shall designate the
desired quantities, delivery dates and destinations. SELLER shall
allow for up to three (3) shipping destinations per purchase
order. Additional destinations may be accommodated for a shipping
preparation fee to be negotiated between BUYER and
SELLER.
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5.3
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Payment . SELLER shall submit invoices to BUYER for the
balance due on the Products when quantities of the Products are
available for shipment to BUYER. SELLER’s invoices are due on
receipt of goods (net 45) and must be paid in USD.
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6.
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Delivery,
Shipment. & Rejected Product
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6.1
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Delivery dates
and quantities of the Products shall be as set forth on Purchase
Order(s) – of sufficient quantity for SELLER’s batch
processing, as acknowledged and approved by SELLER. All quantities
of the Products purchased by BUYER hereunder shall be shipped FOB
SELLER’s manufacturing plant located at White Bear Lake, MN
(the “Point of Delivery”). SELLER’s sole
responsibility shall be to deliver the ordered Products to the
commercial carrier at the Point of Delivery.
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6.2
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BUYER shall be
responsible for all costs of transportation, shipping, freight,
insurance, import and export fees, and taxes for the quantities of
the Products beyond the Point of Delivery. Title to, and risk of
loss associated with, the shipments shall pass to BUYER when SELLER
delivers the shipments to the commercial carrier at the Point of
Delivery.
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6.3
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Upon written
notice to SELLER, BUYER may cancel any order, in whole or in part,
that SELLER has previously accepted but not yet shipped to
BUYER.
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6.4.1
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In the event
Product is rejected (“Rejected Product”) because of
information, formulations or materials supplied by BUYER and SELLER
has manufactured, tested, stored and handled all materials and
products in a manner consistent with current good manufacturing
practices and good laboratory practices and has complied with all
applicable laws and regulations, applicable written procedures and
the requirements of this agreement, BUYER shall bear 100% of all
costs directly related to an invoice for Rejected Product,
including cost of Rejected Product’s destruction, which shall
be conducted by SELLER in accordance with all applicable laws and
regulations.
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6.4.2
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In the event
Rejected Product is due to the failure of SELLER to manufacture,
test, store or handle all material and products in a manner
consistent with good manufacturing practices and good laboratory
practices and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations,
applicable written procedures and the requirements of this
Agreement,
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except for
which any minor departures from specifications or nonconformities
not impairing the safety or efficacy of products to which BUYER may
reasonably waive objection, SELLER shall bear 100% of the
manufacturing fees, costs of materials supplied by SELLER, and
costs of destruction.
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6.4.3
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In the event
the Product does not meet the Specifications and Warranties, and
such failure is not due to either (i.) information, formulations or
materials supplied by BUYER, or (ii) SELLER’s failure to
follow written procedures or to manufacture, test, store and handle
all materials and products in a manner consistent with good
manufacturing practices and good laboratory practices, or
(iii) in the event that SELLER AND BUYER are both partially to
blame, BUYER shall bear all material and destruction costs of
Rejected Product and SELLER shall bear all manufacturing fees of
Rejected Product. Destruction of Rejected Product shall be in
conformance with all applicable laws and regulations, and SELLER
shall indemnify BUYER for any liability, costs or expense,
including attorney’s fees and court costs relating to a
failure to dispose of such Rejected product in accordance with
applicable laws and regulations.
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6.4.4
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BUYER shall pay
for any Product that is rendered obsolete as a result of formula,
artwork or packaging changes requested by BUYER or as required by
any regulatory authority governing those Products.
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7.1
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SELLER shall
not directly or indirectly develop, manufacture or market an
“equivalent or derivative product” of the Product for
any other multi-level marketing company and/or direct selling
company. For the purpose of this Agreement, “equivalent or
derivative product” means any product formulated by SELLER
which substantially replicates the Product. The foregoing
notwithstanding, nothing in this Agreement is deemed to preclude
SELLER from developing, manufacturing or marketing any other type
of product.
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7.2
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The Parties
agree that as an inducement for BUYER to enter this Agreement and
pay the funds hereunder, it shall have worldwide marketing rights
to the Products as BUYER expands into other countries, whether
through the expansion within the normal course of marketing through
its Associates or through a Personal Consumption Program, whatever
the case may be.
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7.3
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The Parties
agree that as an inducement for SELLER to enter this Agreement and
offer Exclusivity of Product, BUYER shall submit Purchase Orders
and take delivery of minimum amounts per month as outlined in
Exhibit “A”. If BUYER fails to purchase the minimum
volume of Products required under this Section at any time during
the term of the agreement, then the agreement becomes
non-exclusive, allowing SELLER to provide Product to other
customers at SELLERS sole discretion. The minimum volume commitment
for additional terms of this Agreement will be agreed upon within
90 days after the end of the prior term. If both parties are unable
to agree on the minimum volumes for the Secondary Term then the
agreement becomes non-exclusive.
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8.
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Trademarks and Tradenames
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8.1
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The Parties
recognize that the name and/or respective marks of the other are
valuable and that all goodwill associated with use of such names
and marks shall inure to the benefit of the other. BUYER shall have
the right to terminate this Agreement immediately in the event that
SELLER acts in a manner which would
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negatively
impact the reputation of BUYER and/or of its name or marks
(“BUYER Marks”) and/or would infringe or dilute the
value of BUYER’s marks or which is not in compliance with
applicable law in the United States or any other country in which
BUYER conducts business as the case may be.
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8.2
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BUYER shall be
the sole owner and shall have perpetual use and control of all
Promotional Materials produced for BUYER bearing its trade name
and/or BUYER Marks related to the Product. BUYER shall be free to
dispose of and treat in any way all Promotional Materials under
this Agreement, including but not limited to selling, advertising,
distributing, and permitting their use in other mediums, whether
for profit or otherwise. SELLER has no right or license to use any
of the trademarks or tradenames owned by, licensed to or associated
with the BUYER Marks during the term of this Agreement without
prior approval and express permission from BUYER, such approval and
permission is within the sole discretion of BUYER and may be
withheld at any time.
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8.3
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The Parties
agree that any idea, technology, know-how, process, patent,
formula, product, composition, publication, tape, iteration, use,
information, or other intellectual property (“Intellectual
Property”) which shall come to SELLER and/or be researched
and developed related to the Product shall be the sole and
exclusive property of BUYER, and any compensation therefore shall
be embraced within the compensation stated in paragraph 4 herein.
SELLER specially represents and warrants that any of the
Intellectual Property that is researched and developed for BUYER is
of independent and novel origin, and does not rely in any aspect on
other technologies and ideas that SELLER has, in the past,
conceived, researched and/or developed for Manufacturer or others.
Further SELLER hereby represents and warrants as
follows:
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8.3.1
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that none of
the Intellectual Property of which SELLER conceives, researches or
develops, and ultimately conveys to BUYER shall violate or infringe
any patent, copyright, right of privacy, nor constitute the misuse
of misappropriation of any trade secret or confidential information
which is the subject of an agreement or legal requirement involving
a third-party;
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8.3.2
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that SELLER
shall take reasonable steps to identify and secure any approvals or
permission
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