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Amy
M. Trombly, Esq.
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my@tromblybusinesslaw.com
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Attn:
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Mr.
H. Christopher Owings
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Re:
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FTS
Group, Inc.
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Preliminary
Proxy Materials on Schedule 14A
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Filed
March 7, 2006
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File
Number: 0-24829
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General
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Comment
1.
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Please
confirm that you have not distributed to shareholders proxy materials
which were recorded as filed on our system as definitive proxy materials
on February 21, 2006.
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Response
1.
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The
proxy filed on February 21, 2006 was filed with the incorrect EDGAR
code
by the Company’s EDGAR filer. Instead of filing the proxy with the EDGAR
code for a preliminary proxy, the EDGAR filer filed it with the code
for a
definitive proxy. The cover page of the February 21, 2006 filing
indicates
that it is a preliminary filing. When the Company realized the error,
it
refiled the proxy with the correct EDGAR code that identified it
as a
preliminary proxy. The Company’s EDGAR filer contacted the SEC to request
that the proxy filed on February 21, 2006 be deleted from EDGAR but
was
informed that it could not be deleted. The Company confirms that
it has
not distributed to shareholders proxy materials that were recorded
on the
SEC system as definitive proxy materials on February 21, 2006.
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Comment
2.
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Please
confirm that the annual report you will distribute to shareholders
will
include financial statements for the fiscal year 2005. See Rule
14a-3(b)(1) of Regulation 14A.
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Response
2.
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The
Company confirms that the annual report it will distribute to shareholders
will include financial statements for fiscal year 2005.
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Comment
3.
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Please
include in your proxy statement the date by which a shareholder proposal
must be submitted to be eligible for inclusion in your next proxy
statement for an annual meeting of shareholders. See Item 1(c) of
Schedule
14A.
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Response
3.
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The
Company has amended the proxy to include the information requested
by the
Staff.
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Comment
4.
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Please
include all information required by Item 9 of Schedule 14A.
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Response
4.
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The
Company has amended the proxy to include the information requested
by the
Staff.
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Comment
5.
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It
appears that certain issues of stock receiving their shares upon
conversion of convertible notes or the exercise of warrants issued
in the
private placement of December 29, 2005 may qualify as shareholders
of 5%
or more of outstanding stock, pursuant to Rule 13d-3. Please revise
to
include these persons, or tell us why they should not be included
here.
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Response
5.
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The
Company respectfully informs the Staff that the convertible notes
and
warrants issued in the private placement of December 29, 2005 each
contain
a provision that states that the holder of those instruments can
not
convert those instruments into common stock if such conversion would
cause
the holder to own more than 4.99% of the Company’s stock. As a result, the
Company believes most of the investors in the private placement would
not
beneficially own more than 5% of the Company’s stock based on the
conversion of convertible notes and the exercise of warrants. The
Company
issued common stock in the private placement that was allocated among
the
investors, however the Company is not aware of any investor owning
over 5%
of the Company’s stock other than Alpha Capital Aktiengesellschaft which
filed a Schedule 13G/A. Additionally, the Company notes that Alpha
Capital
was the only investor in that private placement to file a Schedule
13
relating to the December 29, 2005 private placement. As a result,
the
Company included Alpha Capital in its Security Ownership of Certain
Beneficial Owners and Management table, however it excluded the other
investors.
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Proposal
to Elect Directors to the Board of Directors, page 6
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Comment
6.
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If
you retain, in your discussion of Mr. Gallagher’s experience, the
reference to license series 7, 63 and 24 please delete the reference
to
S.E.C., and point out clearly that these licenses are issued by the
National Association of Securities
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Response
6.
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The
Company has deleted the reference to the licenses.
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Comment
7.
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Please
disclose the information required by Item 404 or confirm to us that
this
information is not required. See Items 7(b) and (c) of Schedule 14A.
Also
as required by Item 7(b) of Schedule 14A, please disclose the information
required by Item 405 of Regulation S-B, at the sub-caption specified
by
that Item.
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Response
7.
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The
Company has added the information requested by the Staff.
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Comment
8.
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Please
state, as required by Item 7(d)(2)(i) of Schedule 14A, your basis
for the
view of the board of directors that it is appropriate not to have
a
nominating committee.
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Response
8.
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The
Company has added the information requested by the Staff.
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Comment
9.
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We
note that your entire board of directors performs the functions of
the
nominating committee. Please disclose, to the extent applicable to
the
nomination process as performed by the board of directors, the information
required by Item 7(d)(2)(ii) of Schedule 14A.
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Response
9.
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The
Company has added the information requested by the Staff.
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Comment
10.
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Please
state whether or not your board of directors provides a process for
security holders to send communications to the board of directors.
If you
do not have such a process, state the basis for the view of the board
of
directors that it is appropriate for you not to have such a process.
See
Item 7(h)(1) of Schedule 14A.
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Response
10.
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The
Company has added the information requested by the
Staff.
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Comment
11.
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We
note your disclosure at the caption Board Meetings. Please state
your
policy regarding attendance at board meetings, as required by Item
7(h)(3)
of Schedule 14A.
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Response
11. The attendance of our directors at board meetings, as required
by Item
7(h)(3) of
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Schedule
14A has been added.
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Comment
12.
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Please
revise your disclosure in footnote (1) to the table to describe more
clearly the aggregate amounts which were converted into stock equivalents,
and to state the market rate(s) applied in the conversion. Please
confirm
that the $120,000 paid pursuant to an employment contract consisted
of the
$75,000 payment referred to and the previously unpaid $45,000. Please
also
disclose whether the total amount converted included $6,000 of director’s
fees or the bonus of $25,000.
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Response
12.
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Pursuant
to Item 402 of Regulation S-B, the Company is only required to give
three
years of compensation information. Footnote 1 related to disclosure
provide for 2002. The Company has deleted the 2002 disclosure but
has
retained the disclosure for 2005, 2004 and 2003.
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Comment
13.
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We
note your references to various employment agreements with Messrs.
Gallagher and Rasmussen; however, we do not find any record of these
agreements having been filed publicly. It appears that Item 1.01
of Form
8-K and Instruction 1 to that Item would require such filings. Please
advise, or revise.
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Response
13.
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The
Company filed both employment agreements as exhibits to its most
recent
10-QSB.
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Comment
14.
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In
footnotes (2) and (3) to the table, please clarify whether the issuances
of 625,000 shares of stock in 2004 and 2003 were also intended in
lieu of
the bonus payment.
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Response
14.
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The
Company has made the changes requested by the Staff.
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Proposal
to Increase the Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock, page
9
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Comment
15.
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It
appears that the private placement of December 29, 2005 constituted
a
merger or acquisition within the meaning of Item 14 of Regulation
14A.
Since this proxy solicitation is partly for the purpose of approving
the
authorization of additional securities which are to be used to acquire
the
company which was the subject of that transaction, Note A to Schedule
14A
would apply, and you should include in the proxy statement the additional
information required by Items 11, 13, and 14 of Schedule 14A. Please
revise your proxy material to include all the additional information
required by these Items, or tell us why you believe that Item 14
of
Schedule 14A and Note A to that Schedule do not apply.
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Response
15.
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The
Company issued securities to investors in a private placement on
December
29, 2006. The transaction documents were filed with an 8-K on January
5,
2006. The Company does not believe such transaction constitutes a
merger
or acquisition within the meaning of Item 14 of Regulation 14A. Other
than
the financing transaction described in those documents, the Company
did
not acquire or sell any assets, nor did it agree to a merger with
any
entity. The Company does not believe the disclosure requested by
the Staff
is appropriate given that an acquisition or merger did not occur.
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Comment
16.
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With
respect to proposal one, please revise to provide one of the means
specified by Item 14a-4(b)(2) for shareholders to withhold, rather
than
abstain, their votes with respect to particular nominees. We have
noted
your related disclosure in the penultimate paragraph at the caption
Votes
Required on page 4.
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Response
16.
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The
Company has made the change as requested by the
Staff.
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Regards,
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/s/
Amy M. Trombly
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Amy
M. Trombly
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Counsel
for FTS Group, Inc.
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cc:
FTS Group, Inc.
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