• | the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filings; |
• | staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and |
• | the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. |
/s/ JOHN HRUDICKA | /s/ MICHAEL G. TROYANOVICH | |
John Hrudicka | Michael G. Troyanovich | |
Chief Financial Officer | Secretary and General Counsel | |
1. | We note a press release dated November 6, 2015, on your website, announcing that you entered into a licensing agreement with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to distribute and sell Goodyear-brand farm tires in countries including Sudan and Syria. Sudan and Syria are designated by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism, and are subject to U.S. economic sanctions and export controls. Your Form 10-K does not include disclosure about contacts with Sudan or Syria. Please describe to us the nature and extent of any past, current and anticipated contacts with Sudan and Syria, whether through direct or indirect arrangements. You should describe any products, services or technology you have provided into Sudan and Syria, directly or indirectly, and any agreements, commercial arrangements or other contacts you have had with the governments of those countries or entities they control. |
2. | Please discuss the materiality of any contacts with Sudan and Syria you describe in response to the comment above, and whether the contacts constitute a material investment risk for your security holders. You should address materiality in quantitative terms, including the approximate dollar amounts of any revenues, assets and liabilities associated with Sudan and Syria for the last three fiscal years and the subsequent interim period. Also, address materiality in terms of qualitative factors that a reasonable investor would deem important in making an investment decision, including the potential impact of corporate activities upon a company’s reputation and share value. Various state and municipal governments, universities and other investors have proposed or adopted divestment or similar initiatives regarding investment in companies that do business with U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism. You should address the potential impact of the investor sentiment evidenced by such actions directed toward companies that have operations associated with Sudan and Syria. |