SACRAMENTO, California – December 21, 2017
S&W Seed Company (Nasdaq: SANW), an innovative global agricultural company focused on alfalfa, sorghum, sunflower and stevia, today announced the nomination of Robert D. Straus, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Wynnefield Capital, for election to its Board of Directors at its fiscal 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Mr. Straus has served as Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Wynnefield Capital, Inc., an investment management firm, since April 2015. Prior to joining Wynnefield Capital, Inc., Mr. Straus served as a Senior Equity Analyst of Gilford Securities, an investment banking firm, from February 2009 through March 2015. Mr. Straus has served as Managing Director or Senior Analyst at several investment banks over nearly 20 years. Since June 2017, Mr. Straus has served on the Board of Directors for Nature’s Sunshine – a NASDAQ-listed nutritional and personal care products company. Mr. Straus is also a member of the Board of Directors of two private companies. Mr. Straus received a B.S.B.A. degree from the University of Hartford and a M.B.A. from Bentley University.
Mark Harvey, Chairman of S&W’s Board of Directors, commented, “S&W Seed Company’s Board of Directors is very pleased to nominate an investment management professional such as Robert for election to S&W Seed Company’s Board of Directors at its fiscal 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. If elected to S&W Seed Company’s Board of Directors, we anticipate benefiting from Robert’s financial and public company experience.”
Mr. Straus commented, “Wynnefield Capital has invested in seed companies for 25 years and has extensive experience with creating value for shareholders in the small-cap universe. My visits to S&W’s facilities in California, Idaho and Australia showcased the company’s unique assets and extraordinary human capital talent. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors and the entire S&W team.”
About S&W Seed Company
Founded in 1980, S&W Seed Company is a global agricultural company, headquartered in the San Joaquin Valley of California. S&W’s vision is to be the world’s preferred proprietary seed company which supplies a range of forage and specialty crop products that supports the growing global demand for animal proteins and healthier consumer diets. S&W is a global leader in alfalfa seed, with significant research and development, production and distribution capabilities. S&W’s capabilities span the world’s alfalfa seed production regions, with operations in the Western United States, including the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys of California, Australia, and Canada. S&W sells its seed products in more than 30 countries around the globe. S&W also provides hybrid sorghum and sunflower, and is utilizing its research and breeding expertise to develop and produce stevia, the all-natural, zero calorie sweetener for the food and beverage industry. For more information, please visit www.swseedco.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may,” “future,” “plan” or “planned,” “will” or “should,” “expected,” “anticipates,” “draft,” “eventually” or “projected.” Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the potential election of Mr. Straus to S&W Seed Company’s Board of Directors and the anticipated benefits of Mr. Straus’ experience in assessing capital allocation programs, evaluating business strategy and conducting in-depth due diligence. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected. These and other risks are identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, and in our other filings subsequently made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. S&W Seed Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.
Proxy Statement
On November 30, 2017 S&W Seed Company filed a proxy statement relating to, among other things, the election of its directors, including Mr. Straus, for its fiscal 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The proxy statement contains important information about S&W Seed Company and its director nominees. Stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement carefully. Stockholders and other interested persons are able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov and through S&W Seed Company’s website at www.swseedco.com/investors. S&W Seed Company, its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the fiscal 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.