Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR)

Possible Effects of the Amendment and Additional Anti-takeover Consideration

If the amendment to the Certificate is approved, the additional authorized shares would be available for issuance at the discretion of the Board and without further stockholder approval, except as may be required by law or the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The additional shares of authorized common stock would have the same rights and privileges as the shares of common stock currently issued and outstanding. The adoption of the amendment would not have any immediate dilutive effect on the proportionate voting power or other rights of existing stockholders. The proposed stock split, should it be effected, would reduce the Company’s earnings per share but would not affect voting rights of current stockholders, as each stockholder would continue to hold the same percentage interest in the Company. However, to the extent that the additional authorized shares of common stock are issued in the future outside of the considered stock split, they may decrease existing stockholders’ percentage equity ownership and, depending on the price at which they are issued, could be dilutive to the voting rights of existing stockholders and have a negative effect on the market price of the common stock. Current stockholders have no preemptive or similar rights, which means that current stockholders do not have a prior right to purchase any new issue of common stock in order to maintain their proportionate ownership thereof.

The Company has not proposed the increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock with the intention of using the additional authorized shares for anti-takeover purposes, but the Company would be able to use the additional shares to oppose a hostile takeover attempt or delay or prevent changes in control or management of the Company. For example, without further stockholder approval, the Board could sell shares of common stock in a private transaction to purchasers who would oppose a takeover or favor the current Board. Although this proposal to increase the authorized number of shares of common stock has been prompted by business and financial considerations and not by the threat of any known or threatened hostile takeover attempt, stockholders should be aware that approval of this proposal could facilitate future efforts by the Company to oppose changes in control of the Company and perpetuate the Company’s management, including transactions in which the stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then current market prices. The Company could also use the additional shares of common stock for potential strategic transactions including, among other things, acquisitions, spin-offs, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, restructurings, divestitures, business combinations and investments, although the Company has no present plans to do so.