UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Federal Trade Commission has conducted an investigation of certain acts and practices of Procraft, Inc. and Kryton Coatings International, Inc., corporations, ("proposed respondents"). Proposed respondents, having been represented by counsel, are willing to enter into an agreement containing a consent order resolving the allegations contained in the attached draft complaint. Therefore, IT IS HEREBY AGREED by and between Procraft, Inc., and Kryton Coatings International, Inc., by their duly authorized officers, and counsel for the Federal Trade Commission that: 1a. Proposed respondent Kryton Coatings International, Inc. is a Tennessee corporation with its principal office or place of business at 1701 Louisville Drive, Suite C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37921. 1b. Proposed respondent Procraft, Inc. is a Tennessee corporation with its principal office or place of business at 1701 Louisville Drive, Suite C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37921. 2. Proposed respondents admit all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the draft complaint. 3. Proposed respondents waive:
4. This agreement shall not become part of the public record of the proceeding unless and until it is accepted by the Commission. If this agreement is accepted by the Commission, it, together with the draft complaint, will be placed on the public record for a period of thirty (30) days and information about it publicly released. The Commission thereafter may either withdraw its acceptance of this agreement and so notify proposed respondents, in which event it will take such action as it may consider appropriate, or issue and serve its complaint (in such form as the circumstances may require) and decision in disposition of the proceeding. 5. This agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by proposed respondents that the law has been violated as alleged in the draft complaint, or that the facts as alleged in the draft complaint, other than the jurisdictional facts, are true. 6. This agreement contemplates that, if it is accepted by the Commission, and if such acceptance is not subsequently withdrawn by the Commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.34 of the Commission's Rules, the Commission may, without further notice to proposed respondents, (1) issue its complaint corresponding in form and substance with the attached draft complaint and its decision containing the following order in disposition of the proceeding, and (2) make information about it public. When so entered, the order shall have the same force and effect and may be altered, modified, or set aside in the same manner and within the same time provided by statute for other orders. The order shall become final upon service. Delivery of the complaint and the decision and order to proposed respondents' address as stated in this agreement by any means specified in Section 4.4(a) of the Commission's Rules shall constitute service. Proposed respondents waive any right they may have to any other manner of service. The complaint may be used in construing the terms of the order. No agreement, understanding, representation, or interpretation not contained in the order or in the agreement may be used to vary or contradict the terms of the order. 7. Proposed respondents have read the draft complaint and consent order. They understand that they may be liable for civil penalties pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 45(l) in the amount provided by law and other appropriate relief for each violation of the order after it becomes final. ORDER DEFINITIONS For purposes of this order, the following definitions shall apply: 1. "Competent and reliable scientific evidence" shall mean tests, analyses, research, studies, or other evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant area, that have been conducted and evaluated in an objective manner by persons qualified to do so, using procedures generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate and reliable results. 2. Unless otherwise specified, "respondents" shall mean Procraft, Inc. and Kryton Coatings International, Inc., corporations, and their successors and assigns. 3. "Commerce" shall mean as defined in Section 4 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44. I. IT IS ORDERED that respondents, and their officers, agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, in connection with the manufacturing, labeling, advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of Liquid Siding, Multi-Gard, Multi-Gard R-20, Liquid Vinyl, or any other liquid siding or coating product, in or affecting commerce, shall not make any representation, in any manner, expressly or by implication:
unless, at the time of making such representation, respondents possess and rely upon competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the representation. II. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents shall, for five (5) years after the last date of dissemination of any representation covered by this Order, maintain and upon request make available to the Federal Trade Commission for inspection and copying:
III. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents shall deliver a copy of this order to all current and future principals, officers, directors, managers, and to all current and future employees, and outside advertising agencies or consultants having responsibilities with respect to the subject matter of this order, and shall secure from each such person a signed and dated statement acknowledging receipt of the order. Respondents shall deliver this order to current personnel within thirty (30) days after the date of service of this order, and to future personnel within thirty (30) days after the person assumes such position or responsibilities. Respondents shall retain the signed, dated statements acknowledging receipt of the order for a period of five (5) years and upon request make them available to the Federal Trade Commission for inspection and copying. IV. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents shall, within thirty (30) days after the date of service of this order, send by first class certified mail, return receipt requested, to each purchaser for resale of Liquid Siding, Multi-Gard, Multi-Gard R-20, Liquid Vinyl, or any other liquid siding or coating product with which respondents have done business since January 1, 1999, the form attached as Attachment A and a copy of this order. The mailing shall not include any other documents. V. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any change in the corporations that may affect compliance obligations arising under this order, including but not limited to a dissolution, assignment, sale, merger, or other action that would result in the emergence of a successor corporation; the creation or dissolution of a subsidiary, parent, or affiliate that engages in any acts or practices subject to this order; the proposed filing of a bankruptcy petition; or a change in the corporate name or address. Provided, however, that, with respect to any proposed change in the corporation about which respondents learn less than thirty (30) days prior to the date such action is to take place, respondents shall notify the Commission as soon as is practicable after obtaining such knowledge. All notices required by this Part shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. VI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents shall, within sixty (60) days after the date of service of this order, and at such other times as the Federal Trade Commission may require, file with the Commission a report, in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which they have complied with this order. VII. This order will terminate twenty (20) years from the date of its issuance, or twenty (20) years from the most recent date that the United States or the Federal Trade Commission files a complaint (with or without an accompanying consent decree) in federal court alleging any violation of the order, whichever comes later; provided, however, that the filing of such a complaint will not affect the duration of:
Provided, further, that if such complaint is dismissed or a federal court rules that the respondents did not violate any provision of the order, and the dismissal or ruling is either not appealed or upheld on appeal, then the order will terminate according to this Part as though the complaint had never been filed, except that the order will not terminate between the date such complaint is filed and the later of the deadline for appealing such dismissal or ruling and the date such dismissal or ruling is upheld on appeal. Signed this __ day of _____, 2001 PROCRAFT, INC.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ APPROVED: _______________________________ _______________________________ |