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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
___________________

Form 10-K

[X]

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended January 1, 2005

 

 

[  ]

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ____________________ to ____________________

Commission File Number: 1-6024

WOLVERINE WORLD WIDE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

38-1185150
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

9341 Courtland Drive, Rockford, Michigan
(Address of principal executive offices)

49351
(Zip Code)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (616) 866-5500

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act:

Title of each class

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $1 Par Value

New York Stock Exchange/Pacific Exchange, Inc.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

Yes

X


 

No

 


 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  [  ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).

 

Yes

X


 

No

 


 

The aggregate market value of the registrant's voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant based on the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange on June 19, 2004, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $939,739,102.

Number of shares outstanding of the registrant's Common Stock, $1 par value (excluding shares of treasury stock) as of March 11, 2005: 57,903,836.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive proxy statement for the registrant's annual stockholders' meeting to be held April 21, 2005, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.






FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

          This Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the footwear business, worldwide economics and the Company itself. Statements, including without limitation, those related to: future revenue, earnings, margins, growth, cash flows, operating measurements, tax rates and tax benefits; expected economic returns; projected 2005 operating results and dividend rates; future share repurchase activity; future strength of the Company; future pension costs; future marketing investments; the introduction of new lines or categories of products; future growth or success in specific countries, categories or market sectors; liquidity; capital resources and market risk are forward-looking statements. In addition, words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "is likely," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "should," "will," variati ons of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions ("Risk Factors") that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.

          Risk Factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainties relating to changes in demand for the Company's products; changes in consumer preferences or spending patterns; cancellation of future orders, changes in planned customer demand or at-once orders; the availability and pricing of foreign footwear factory capacity; reliance on foreign sourcing and concentration of production in China; the availability and price of power, labor and resources in key foreign sourcing countries, including China; the impact of competition and pricing; changes in government and regulatory policies; foreign currency fluctuations; changes in trading policies or import and export regulations; changes in interest rates, tax laws, duties, tariffs, quotas or applicable assessments; technological developments; changes in local, domestic or international economic and market conditions; the size and growth of footwear markets; service interruptions at shipping and receiving ports; changes in the price of oil and other raw materials; changes in the amount or severity of inclement weather; changes due to the growth of Internet commerce; popularity of particular designs and categories of footwear; the ability of the Company to manage and forecast its growth and inventories; the ability to secure and protect trademarks, patents and other intellectual property; integration of operations of newly acquired businesses; changes in business strategy or development plans; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; labor strikes or disruptions; the ability to retain rights to brands licensed by the Company; loss, bankruptcy and credit limitations of significant customers; relationships with international distributors and licensees; the Company's ability to meet at-once orders; the exercise of future purchase options by the U.S. Department of Defense on previously awarded contracts; the risk of doing business in developing countries and economically volatile areas; domestic and international terrori sm and war; retail buying patterns; consolidation in the retail sector; and the acceptability of U.S. brands in international markets. Additionally, concern regarding acts of terrorism, the war in Iraq and subsequent events have created significant global economic and political uncertainties that may have material and adverse effects on consumer demand, foreign sourcing of footwear, shipping and transportation, product imports and exports and the sale of products in foreign markets. These matters are representative of the Risk Factors that could cause a difference between an ultimate actual outcome and a forward-looking statement. Historical operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future. The Risk Factors included here are not exhaustive. Other Risk Factors exist, and new Risk Factors emerge from time-to-time, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, inves tors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation


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to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART 1

Item 1.  Business.

General.

          Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (the "Company") is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad line of quality casual shoes, rugged outdoor and work footwear, and constructed slippers and moccasins. The Company, a Delaware corporation, is the successor of a Michigan corporation of the same name, originally organized in 1906, which in turn was the successor of a footwear business established in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1883.

          Consumers around the world purchased more than 42.7 million pairs of Company branded footwear during fiscal 2004, making the Company a global leader among footwear companies in the marketing of branded casual, work and outdoor footwear. The Company's products generally feature contemporary styling with proprietary technologies designed to provide maximum comfort and performance. The products are marketed throughout the world under widely recognized brand names, including Bates®, CAT®, Harley-Davidson®, Hush Puppies®, HyTest®, Merrell®, Sebago®, Stanley® and Wolverine®. The Company believes that its primary competitive strengths are its well-recognized brand names, broad range of comfortable footwe ar, patented and proprietary designs and comfort technologies, numerous distribution channels and diversified manufacturing and sourcing base.

          The Company's footwear is sold under a variety of brand names designed to appeal to most consumers of casual, work and outdoor footwear at numerous price points. The Company's footwear products are currently organized under five operating units: (i) the Wolverine Footwear Group, focusing on the Bates®, HyTest®, Stanley® and Wolverine® product lines of work, outdoor, uniform and lifestyle boots and shoes, (ii) the Outdoor Group, focusing on the Sebago® and Merrell® product lines of performance and lifestyle footwear, (iii) the Heritage Brands Group, focusing on the CAT® product lines of work and lifestyle footwear and the Harley-Davidson® lines of lifestyle and performance footwear, (iv) The Hush Puppies Company, focusing on the Hush Puppies® brand of comfortable casual and dress footwear and slippers, and (v) Other Branded Footwear, focusing on the design and manufacture of private label footwear. The Company also licenses its brands for use on non-footwear products including apparel, eyewear, watches, socks, gloves, handbags and plush toys.

          The Company's Global Operations Group is responsible for manufacturing, sourcing, distribution and customer support for the various Company brands. The Company's footwear is distributed domestically through 70 Company-owned retail stores and to numerous accounts including department stores, footwear chains, catalogs, specialty retailers, mass merchants and Internet retailers. Many of the retailers to whom Wolverine distributes operate multiple storefront locations. The Company's products are distributed worldwide in over 140 markets through licensees and distributors.

          The Company, through its Wolverine Leathers Division, operates a tannery which is one of the premier tanners of quality pigskin leather for the shoe and leather goods industries. Pigskin leather tanned by the Company is used in a significant portion of the footwear marketed by the Company, and is also sold to Company licensees and other domestic and foreign manufacturers of footwear. In addition, Wolverine Procurement, Inc., a Company-owned subsidiary, performs skinning operations and purchases

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raw pigskins which it then cures and sells to outside customers for processing into pigskin leather products.

          For financial information regarding the Company, see the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto, which are attached as Appendix A to this Form 10-K. The Company has one reportable segment, Branded Footwear and Licensing. The Branded Footwear and Licensing segment is engaged in manufacturing, sourcing, licensing, marketing and distributing branded footwear, including casual shoes, slippers, moccasins, dress shoes, boots, uniform shoes, work shoes and performance outdoor footwear. The Company's Other Business units consist of its retail stores, tannery and pigskin procurement operations. Financial information regarding the Company's business segments and financial information about geographic areas is found in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements of the Company that are attached as Appendix A to this Form 10-K.

Branded Footwear and Licensing.

          The Company sources and markets a broad range of footwear styles including shoes, boots, slippers, moccasins and sandals under many recognizable brand names including Bates®, CAT®, Harley-Davidson®, Hush Puppies®, HyTest®, Merrell®, Sebago®, Stanley® and Wolverine®. The Company combines quality materials and skilled workmanship from around the world to produce footwear according to its specifications at both Company-owned and independent manufacturing facilities. The Company also licenses its brands for use on non-footwear products including apparel, eyewear, watches, socks, handbags and plush toys. Current significant licensing programs include Hush Puppies® apparel , eyewear, watches and plush toys, and Wolverine® brand apparel, gloves and eyewear.

          The Company's five branded footwear and licensing operating units are described below.

          1.          Wolverine Footwear Group. The Wolverine Footwear Group encompasses footwear primarily under the Wolverine®, Bates®, HyTest® and Stanley® brands and markets footwear designed with performance and comfort features to serve a variety of work, outdoor and lifestyle functions.

          Wolverine® Work and Industrial Footwear. The Wolverine® brand has built its reputation by offering high quality work boots and shoes that incorporate innovative technologies to deliver comfort and durability. The Wolverine® brand, which has been in existence for 122 years, markets work and outdoor footwear in three categories: (i) work and industrial; (ii) outdoor sport; and (iii) rugged casual. The development of DuraShocks® technology and, in 2004, Wolverine MultiShox™ technology, has allowed the Wolverine® brand to introduce a broad line of work footwear with a focus on comfort. The Wolverine Fusion®, DuraShocks SR™ and Wolverine Compressor™ technologies represent the Company's tradition of comfortable work and industrial footwear, a tradition that is continued and enhanced with the development of the Wolverine MultiShox™ Individual Comfort System. The Wolverine® work product line features work boots and shoes, including steel toe boots and shoes, targeting male and female industrial and farm workers. The Wolverine® rugged casual and outdoor sport product lines incorporate DuraShocks® technology and other comfort features into products designed for casual and outdoor sport use. The rugged casual line targets active lifestyles and includes walking shoes, rugged casuals and outdoor sandals. The outdoor sport line is designed to meet the demands of hunters, fishermen and other active outdoor sportsmen and women. Warmth, waterproofing and comfort are achieved through the use of Gore-Tex® and Thinsulate® brand fabrics, the Company's performance leathers


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and patented DuraShocks® technologies. In addition, the Wolverine® brand is licensed for use on apparel, eyewear, watches and gloves.

          Bates® Uniform Footwear. The Bates Uniform Footwear Division is an industry leader in supplying footwear to military and civilian uniform users. The Bates Uniform Footwear Division utilizes DuraShocks®, DuraShocks SR™, CoolTech® and other proprietary comfort technologies in the design of its military-style boots and oxfords including the Bates®, Enforcer Series® and Special Ops™ footwear lines. The Bates Uniform Footwear Division contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and the militaries of several foreign countries to supply military footwear. Civilian uniform uses include police, security, postal, restaurant and other industrial occupations. Bates Uniform Footwear Division's products are also distributed through specialty retailers and catalogs.

          HyTest® Safety Footwear. The HyTest® product line consists primarily of high-quality work boots and shoes designed to protect male and female industrial workers from foot injuries. HyTest® footwear incorporates various specialty safety features into its product lines, including steel toe, composite toe, metatarsal guards, electrical hazard, static dissipating and conductive footwear to protect against hazards of the workplace. In addition, HyTest® brand footwear incorporates features such as FootRests® comfort technology to provide comfort together with safety for working men and women. HyTest® footwear is distributed primarily through a network of independently-owned Shoemobile® mobile truck retail outlets providing direct sales of the Company 's occupational and work footwear brands to workers at industrial facilities and also through direct sales arrangements with large industrial customers.

          Stanley® Footgear. Pursuant to a license arrangement with The Stanley Works, the Company has exclusive rights to manufacture, market, distribute and sell footwear under the Stanley® brand. The Stanley® Footgear line is designed primarily for and marketed in the value-priced work footwear market. Stanley® Footgear is currently sold in Payless ShoeSource, Inc. stores throughout the United States.

          2.          The Outdoor Group. The Outdoor Group consists of Merrell® and Sebago® footwear and includes performance outdoor, hiking and nautical footwear as well as casual and after-sport footwear.

          Merrell® Footwear. The Merrell® product line consists primarily of technical hiking, rugged outdoor and outdoor-inspired casual footwear designed for backpacking, day hiking and everyday use. The Merrell® product line also includes the "After-Sport" category, incorporating Merrell® footwear's technical hiking and outdoor expertise with Wolverine Performance Leathers™ and other technical materials to create footwear with unique styling, performance and comfort features. In spring of 2005, the Outdoor Group launched its tightly-focused Merrell® Continuum™ product offering, featuring four product categories that are organized by end use (Hiking, Active Speed, Multi-Sport, and Aqua Sport). In addition to footwear, the Outdoor Group markets a line of Merrell® packs, bags and luggage. Merrell® products are sold primarily through outdoor specialty retailers, department stores and catalogs. Merrell® footwear is marketed in over 120 countries worldwide.

          Sebago® Footwear. The Sebago® product line consists primarily of performance nautical and American-inspired casual footwear for men and women such as


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handsewn loafers and boat shoes that have been manufactured and distributed since 1946. Highly recognized Sebago® line extensions include Docksides, Drysides and Campsides. The Sebago® product line is distributed in over 85 countries worldwide. The Sebago® manufacturing and design tradition of quality componentry, durability, comfort and "Americana" heritage is further supported by targeted distribution to better-grade independent, marine and department store retailers throughout the world.

          3.          The Heritage Brands Group. The Heritage Brands Group was formed in 2004 and consists of Caterpillar® Footwear and Harley-Davidson® Footwear. Previously Caterpillar® Footwear was operated as a separate operating unit and Harley-Davidson® Footwear was part of the Wolverine Footwear Group.

          Caterpillar® Footwear. Pursuant to a license arrangement with Caterpillar Inc., the Company has exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture, market and distribute footwear under the Caterpillar®, CAT & Design®, Walking Machines® and other trademarks. The Company believes the association with CAT® equipment enhances the reputation of its footwear for quality, ruggedness and durability. CAT® brand footwear products include work boots and shoes, sport boots, rugged casuals and lifestyle footwear, including lines of work and casual footwear featuring CAT® iTechnology and Hidden Tracks® comfort features. In addition, the Company also manufactures and markets CAT® Marine Power® footwear, designed for industrial and recreational marine uses. CAT® footwear products target work and industrial users and active lifestyle users. CAT® footwear is marketed in over 130 countries worldwide.

          Harley-Davidson® Footwear. Pursuant to a license arrangement with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the Company has the exclusive right to manufacture, market, distribute and sell Harley-Davidson® brand footwear throughout the world. Harley-Davidson® brand footwear products include motorcycle, casual, fashion, work and western footwear for men, women and children. Harley-Davidson® footwear is sold globally through a network of independent Harley-Davidson® dealerships as well as through department stores and specialty retailers.

          4.          The Hush Puppies Company. Since 1958, the Hush Puppies® brand has been a leader in the casual footwear market. The brand offers shoes and boots for men, women and children, and is sold in over 110 countries. The modern styling is complemented by a variety of comfort features and proprietary technologies that have earned the brand its reputation for comfort. In addition, the Hush Puppies® brand is licensed for use on apparel, eyewear, handbags and plush toys.

          5.          Other Branded Footwear. The Company designs and manufactures constructed slippers, aftersport footwear, moccasins and children's footwear on a private label basis according to customer specifications. The styling of the Company's footwear reflects consumer demand for the "rugged indoor" look by using natural leathers such as moosehide, shearling and suede in constructed slipper and indoor and outdoor moccasin designs. In addition to its traditional line of private label products, the Company has developed a College Clogs™ program for the sale of licensed collegiate slipper products.




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Other Businesses.

          In addition to manufacturing, sourcing, marketing and distributing the Company's footwear products as reported in the Branded Footwear and Licensing segment, the Company also (i) operates a Company-owned pigskin tannery through its Wolverine Leathers Division, (ii) purchases and cures raw pigskins for sale to various customers through its wholly-owned subsidiary Wolverine Procurement, Inc., and (iii) operates 70 domestic retail footwear stores.

          1.          The Wolverine Leathers Division. The Wolverine Leathers Division produces pigskin leathers primarily for use in the footwear industry. Wolverine Leathers® brand products are primarily manufactured in the Company's pigskin tannery located in Rockford, Michigan. The Company believes these leathers offer superior performance and advantages over cowhide leathers. The Company's waterproof and stain resistant leathers are featured in many of the Company's domestic footwear lines and many products offered by the Company's international licensees and distributors. Wolverine performance leathers are also featured in certain outside brands of athletic and outdoor footwear.

          2.          Wolverine Procurement, Inc. Wolverine Procurement, Inc. performs skinning operations and purchases raw pigskins from third parties, which it cures and sells to the Wolverine Leathers Division and to outside customers for processing into pigskin leather products.

          3.          Wolverine Retail. The Company operates 70 domestic retail shoe stores as of February 2005. These stores are under the Hush Puppies and FamilySM and Track'n Trail® names. The Company expects to open new stores under both formats in 2005. Both retail formats carry a large selection of Company branded footwear featuring such brands as Wolverine®, Merrell®, Hush Puppies®, CAT®, Sebago® and Harley-Davidson®. The Company also operates direct-to-customer retail websites, including www.upfootgear.com, www.trackandtrail.com, www.catfootwear.com and www.hushpuppies.com.

Marketing.

          The Company's overall marketing strategy is to develop brand-specific plans and related promotional materials for the United States and international markets to foster a differentiated and consistent image for each of the Company's core footwear brands. Each footwear brand group has its own marketing personnel who develop the marketing strategy for products within that group. Marketing campaigns and strategies vary by brand and may target accounts and/or end users as they strive to increase overall brand awareness for the Company's branded products. The Company's advertisements typically emphasize fashion, comfort, quality, durability, functionality and other performance and lifestyle aspects of the Company's footwear. Components of the brand-specific plans vary and may include print, radio and television advertising, event sponsorships, in-store point of purchase displays, promotional materials, and sales and technical assistance.

          The Company's footwear brand groups provide its international licensees and distributors with creative direction and materials to convey consistent messages and brand images. Examples of marketing assistance that may be provided by the Company to its licensees and distributors are (i) direction on the categories of footwear to be promoted, (ii) photography and layouts, (iii) broadcast advertising, including commercials and film footage, (iv) point of purchase presentation specifications, blueprints and packaging, (v) sales materials and (vi) consulting on retail store layout and design. The Company believes its footwear brand names provide a competitive advantage and the Company makes significant


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expenditures on marketing and promotion to support the position of its products and enhance brand awareness.

Domestic Sales and Distribution.

          The Company uses a wide variety of distribution channels to distribute its branded footwear products. To meet the diverse needs of its broad customer base, the Company uses the following distribution strategies.

 

Traditional wholesale distribution is used to service department stores, large footwear chains, specialty retailers, catalogs, independent retailers and uniform outlets. A dedicated sales force and customer service team, advertising and point of purchase support, and in-stock inventories are used to service these accounts.

 

 

 

 

Volume direct programs provide branded and private label footwear at competitive prices with limited marketing support. These programs service major retail, mail order, mass merchant and government customers.

 

 

 

 

A network of independent Shoemobile® distribution outlets is used to distribute the Company's work and occupational footwear at industrial facilities.

 

 

 

 

The Company solicits all branches of the United States military and enters bids for contracts to supply specific footwear products.

          In addition to its wholesale activities, the Company also operates a domestic retail operation as described above. The Company continues to develop various programs, both independently and with its retail customers, for the distribution of its products.

          A broad distribution base insulates the Company from dependence on any one customer. No customer of the Company accounted for more than 10% of the Company's revenue in fiscal 2004.

          The Company experiences moderate fluctuations in sales volume during the year as reflected in quarterly revenue (and taking into consideration the 16 weeks or 17 weeks included in the fourth accounting period versus the 12 weeks included in the first three accounting periods). The Company also experiences some fluctuation in its levels of working capital, typically including an increase in working capital requirements near the end of the third quarter. The Company provides working capital for such fluctuations through internal financing and through a revolving credit agreement that the Company has in place. The Company expects current seasonal sales patterns to continue in future years.

International Operations and Global Licensing.

          The Company records revenue from foreign sources through a combination of sales of branded footwear products generated from the Company's owned operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland and from royalty income through a network of independent licensees and distributors. The Company's owned operations include Hush Puppies (UK) Ltd., Merrell Europe B.V., Merrell (Europe) Limited, Wolverine Europe Limited and Wolverine World Wide Corporation, Inc. (formerly known as Hush Puppies Canada Footwear, Ltd.). In addition, in January 2005, the Company's Canadian subsidiary, Wolverine World Wide Corporation, Inc., purchased selected assets of the Canadian CAT and Wolverine footwear businesses from the Company's former independent distributor, Wolverine Canada, Inc.; and also


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acquired the assets of the Company's Merrell Canada division to centralize its Canadian operations. The Company also acquired selected assets of its Merrell distributors in Sweden and Finland and began direct distribution of Sebago® brand products to retailers in the U.K. and Germany. The Company's owned operations are located in markets where the Company believes it can gain a strategic advantage.

          The Company derives royalty income from sales of products (primarily Company footwear) bearing the Hush Puppies®, Wolverine®, Bates®, HyTest®, Merrell®, Sebago® and other trademarks by independent distributors and licensees. The Company also derives royalty income from sales of footwear bearing the CAT®, and Harley-Davidson® trademarks through foreign distributors. License and distribution arrangements enable the Company to develop sales in international markets without the capital commitment required to maintain related foreign operations, employees, inventories or localized marketing programs.

          The Company continues to develop a global network of licensees and distributors to market its footwear brands. The Company assists in designing products that are appropriate to each foreign market but are consistent with the global brand position. Independent licensees and distributors purchase goods from either the Company or authorized third-party manufacturers pursuant to distribution agreements or manufacture branded products consistent with Company standards pursuant to license agreements. Distributors and licensees are responsible for independently marketing and distributing Company branded products in their respective territories, with product and market support provided by the Company.

Manufacturing and Sourcing.

          The Company controls the sourcing and manufacture of approximately 76% of the pairs of footwear marketed under the Company's brand names globally. The balance is controlled directly by the Company's licensees. Of the pairs controlled by the Company, approximately 88% are purchased or sourced from third parties, with the remainder produced at Company-operated facilities. Footwear produced by the Company is manufactured at Company-operated facilities in several domestic and certain affiliated foreign facilities located in Michigan, Arkansas, and the Dominican Republic. For some of the Company-produced footwear, a "twin plant" concept is utilized whereby a majority of the labor intensive cutting and fitting construction of the "upper" portion of shoes and boots is performed at the Company's facilities in the Dominican Republic and Arkansas, and the technology intensive construction, or "bottoming," is performed primarily at the Company's Michigan facilities.

          The Company's factories each have the flexibility to produce a variety of footwear, which departs from the industry's historical practice of dedicating a given facility to production of specific footwear products. This flexibility allows the Company to quickly respond to changes in market preference and demand. The Company currently produces slippers, military footwear and work, casual and dress casual footwear in its domestic and/or Dominican Republic facilities.

          The Company sources a majority of its footwear from a variety of foreign manufacturing facilities in the Asia-Pacific region, Central and South America, India and Europe. The Company maintains technical offices in the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate the sourcing and importation of quality footwear. The Company has established guidelines for each of its third-party manufacturers in order to monitor product quality, labor practices and financial viability. In addition, the Company has adopted "Engagement Criteria for Partners & Sources" to require that its domestic and foreign manufacturers, licensees and distributors use ethical business standards, comply with all applicable health and safety laws and regulations, are committed to environmentally safe practices, treat employees fairly with respect to wages, benefits and working conditions, and do not use child or prison labor.



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          The Company's domestic manufacturing operations allow the Company to (i) reduce its production lead time, enabling it to quickly respond to market demand and reduce inventory risk, (ii) lower freight and shipping costs, and (iii) closely monitor product quality. The Company's foreign manufacturing strategy allows the Company to (i) benefit from lower manufacturing costs and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, (ii) source the highest quality raw materials from around the world, and (iii) avoid additional capital expenditures necessary for owned factories and equipment. The Company believes that its overall global manufacturing strategy gives the Company maximum flexibility to properly balance the need for timely shipments, high quality products and competitive pricing.

          The Company owns and operates a pigskin tannery through its Wolverine Leathers Division, which is one of the premier tanners of quality leather for the footwear industry. The Company and its licensees receive virtually all of their pigskin requirements from the tannery. The Company believes the tannery provides a strategic advantage for the Company by producing pigskin leather using proprietary technology at prices below those available from other sources.

          The Company's principal required raw material is quality leather, which it purchases from a select group of domestic and offshore suppliers, including the Company's tannery. The global availability of common upper materials and specialty leathers eliminates any reliance by the Company upon a sole supplier. The Company currently purchases the vast majority of the raw pigskins used in a significant portion of its tannery operations from one domestic source. This source has been a reliable and consistent supplier for over 30 years. Alternative sources of pigskin are available; however the price, processing and/or product characteristics are less advantageous to the Company. The Company purchases all of its other raw materials and component parts from a variety of sources, none of which is believed by the Company to be a dominant supplier.

          The Company is subject to the normal risks of doing business abroad due to its international operations, including the risk of expropriation, acts of war or terrorism, political disturbances and similar events, the imposition of trade barriers, quotas and tariffs, loss of most favored nation trading status and currency and exchange rate fluctuations. With respect to international sourcing activities, management believes that over a period of time, it could arrange adequate alternative sources of supply for the products currently obtained from its foreign suppliers. A sustained disruption of such sources of supply could have an adverse impact on the Company's operations and financial condition.

Trademarks, Licenses and Patents.

          The Company holds a significant portfolio of registered and common law trademarks that identify its branded footwear products. The owned trademarks that are most widely used by the Company include Hush Puppies®, Wolverine®, Bates®, Wolverine Fusion®, DuraShocks®, Wolverine MultiShox, Wolverine Compressor™, Hidden Tracks®, iTechnology, Bounce®, Comfort Curve®, HyTest®, Merrell®, Continuum™, Sebago®, and Track'n Trail®. The Company has obtained license rights to manufacture, market and distribute footwear throughout the world under the CAT&re g; and Harley-Davidson® trademarks, and the right to manufacture, market and distribute footwear in the United States and other countries under the Stanley® trademark, all pursuant to license arrangements with the respective trademark owners. The CAT®, Harley-Davidson®, and Stanley® licenses are long-term and extend for five or more years with conditional renewal options and are subject to early termination for breach. Pigskin leather produced by the Company's Wolverine Leathers Division is sold under the trademarks Wolverine Leathers®, Weather Tight® and All Season Weather Leathers™.

          The Company believes that its products are identified by consumers by its trademarks and that its trademarks are valuable assets. The Company is not aware of any infringing uses or any prior claims of


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ownership of its trademarks that could materially affect its current business. It is the policy of the Company to pursue registration of its primary marks whenever possible and to vigorously defend its trademarks against infringement or other threats to the greatest extent practicable under the laws of the United States and other countries. The Company also holds many design and utility patents, copyrights and various other proprietary rights. The Company protects all of its proprietary rights to the greatest extent practicable under applicable laws.

Order Backlog.

          At March 14, 2005, the Company had an order backlog of approximately $326 million compared with an order backlog of approximately $274 million at March 13, 2004. Substantially all of the backlog relates to demand for products expected to be shipped in 2005. Orders in backlog are subject to cancellation by customers and to changes in planned customer demand or at-once orders. The backlog at a particular time is affected by a number of factors, including seasonality, retail conditions, expected customer demand, product availability and the schedule for the manufacture and shipment of products. Accordingly, a comparison of backlog from period to period is not necessarily meaningful and may not be indicative of eventual actual shipments.

Competition.

          The Company's footwear lines are manufactured and marketed in a highly competitive environment. The Company competes with numerous domestic and foreign marketers, manufacturers and importers of footwear, some of which are larger and have greater resources than the Company. The Company's major competitors for its brands of footwear are located in the United States and Europe. The Company has at least ten major competitors in connection with the sale of its work shoes and boots, at least ten major competitors in connection with the sale of its sport boots, and at least thirty major competitors in connection with the sale of its casual, work and outdoor shoes. Product performance and quality, including technological improvements, product identity, competitive pricing, and the ability to adapt to style changes are all important elements of competition in the footwear markets served by the Company. The footwear industry in general is subject to changes in consumer preferences . The Company strives to maintain its competitive position through promotion of brand awareness, manufacturing efficiencies, its tannery operations, and the style, comfort and value of its products. Future sales by the Company will be affected by its continued ability to sell its products at competitive prices and to meet shifts in consumer preferences.

          Because of the lack of reliable published statistics, the Company is unable to state with certainty its position in the footwear industry. Market shares in the non-athletic footwear industry are highly fragmented and no one company has a dominant market position.

Research and Development.

          In addition to normal and recurring product development, design and styling activities, the Company engages in research and development related to the development of new production techniques and to improving the function, performance, reliability and quality of its branded footwear and other products. The Company's continuing relationship with the Biomechanics Evaluation Laboratory at Michigan State University, for example, has led to specific biomechanical design concepts, such as Bounce®, DuraShocks® and Hidden Tracks® comfort technologies, that have been incorporated in the Company's footwear. While the Company continues to be a leading developer of footwear innovations, research and development costs do not represent a material portion of operating expenses.



11


Environmental Matters.

          Compliance with federal, state and local provisions which have been enacted or adopted regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment have not had, nor are they expected to have, any material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company uses and generates certain substances and wastes that are regulated or may be deemed hazardous under certain federal, state and local regulations with respect to the environment. The Company from time to time works with federal, state and local agencies to resolve cleanup issues at various waste sites and other regulatory issues.

Employees.

          As of January 1, 2005, the Company had approximately 5,134 domestic and foreign production, office and sales employees. Approximately 640 employees were covered by three union contracts expiring at various dates through May 1, 2006. The Company presently considers its employee relations to be good.

Available Information.

          Information about the Company, including the Company's Code of Conduct & Compliance, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Director Independence Standards, Accounting and Finance Code of Ethics, Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Executive Committee Charter and Governance Committee Charter, is available at its website, http://www.wolverineworldwide.com. Printed copies of the documents listed above are available by writing to the Company at 9341 Courtland Drive, N.E., Rockford, MI 49351, Attention: Director of Investor Relations.

          The Company also makes available on or through its website, free of charge, the Company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports (along with certain other Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC")) as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC. These materials are also accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Item 2.  Properties.

          The Company operates its domestic administration, sales and marketing operations primarily from an owned facility of approximately 225,000 square feet in Rockford, Michigan. The Company's manufacturing and tanning operations are primarily conducted at a combination of leased and owned facilities in Arkansas, Michigan and the Dominican Republic. The Company operates its warehousing operations primarily through owned warehouses in Rockford, Michigan, totaling approximately 475,000 square feet, a leased warehouse in Cedar Springs, Michigan, of approximately 362,000 square feet and a leased warehouse in Howard City, Michigan, of approximately 350,000 square feet, which the Company currently expects to expand by approximately 100,000 square feet.

          The Company also leases and owns various other offices and warehouses in the United States to meet its operational requirements. In addition, the Company's subsidiary, Hush Puppies Retail, Inc., operates retail stores through leases with various third-party landlords. International operations are conducted in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe through leased warehouses, offices and


12


showrooms. The Company believes that its current facilities are suitable and adequate for its current needs.

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings.

          The Company is involved in litigation and various legal matters arising in the normal course of business, including certain environmental compliance activities. The Company has considered facts related to legal and regulatory matters and opinions of counsel handling these matters, and does not believe the ultimate resolution of such proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition or future results of operations.

Item 4.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

          No matter was submitted to a vote of security holders, through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise, during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by this report.

Supplemental Item.  Executive Officers of the Registrant.

          The following table lists the names and ages of the Executive Officers of the Company as of January 1, 2005, and the positions presently held with the Company. The information provided below the table lists the business experience of each such Executive Officer during the past five years. All Executive Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the Company, or if not appointed by the Board of Directors, they serve at the pleasure of management.

 

Name

Age

Positions held with the Company

 

 

 

 

 

Steven M. Duffy

52

Executive Vice President and President,
   Global Operations Group

 

V. Dean Estes

55

Vice President and President,
   Wolverine Footwear Group

 

Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.

47

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
   Officer and Treasurer

 

Blake W. Krueger

51

Executive Vice President, Secretary, and
   President, Heritage Brands Group

 

Timothy J. O'Donovan

59

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

Nicholas P. Ottenwess

42

Vice President of Finance and Corporate
   Controller

 

Robert J. Sedrowski

55

Vice President of Human Resources

 

James D. Zwiers

37

General Counsel and Assistant
   Secretary

          Steven M. Duffy has served the Company as Executive Vice President since April 1996 and is President of the Company's Global Operations Group. From 1993 to 1996 he served as Vice President. From 1989 to 1993 he served in various senior manufacturing positions.

          V. Dean Estes has served the Company as Vice President since 1995. Mr. Estes is also President of the Wolverine Footwear Group. Since he joined the Company in 1975, Mr. Estes has served in various positions relating to the sales, marketing and product development functions of the Company's work boot and shoe related businesses.



13


          Stephen L. Gulis, Jr., has served the Company as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since April 1996. From 1994 to April 1996 he served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. From 1993 to 1994 he served as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller and from 1986 to 1993 he was the Vice President of Administration and Controller for The Hush Puppies Company.

          Blake W. Krueger has served the Company as Executive Vice President, Secretary and President of the Heritage Brands Group since August 2004. From November 2003 to August 2004 he served the Company as Executive Vice President, Secretary, and President of Caterpillar Footwear. From April 1996 to November 2003 he served the Company as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. From 1993 to April 1996 he served as General Counsel and Secretary. From 1985 to 1996 he was a partner with the law firm of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP.

          Timothy J. O'Donovan has served the Company as Chief Executive Officer and President since April 2000. From 1996 to April 2000 he served as Chief Operating Officer and President. From 1982 to April 1996 he served as Executive Vice President.

          Nicholas P. Ottenwess has served the Company as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller since June 2001. From September 1997 to June 2001 he served as Corporate Controller. From 1993 to September 1997 he served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for The Hush Puppies Company.

          Robert J. Sedrowski has served the Company as Vice President of Human Resources since October 1993. From 1990 to 1993 he served as Director of Human Resources.

          James D. Zwiers has served the Company as General Counsel and Assistant Secretary since December 2003. From January 1998 to December 2003 he served the Company as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. From 1995 to 1998 he was an attorney with the law firm of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP.


PART II

Item 5.

Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

          The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Exchange under the symbol "WWW." The following table shows the high and low stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange and dividends declared by calendar quarter for 2004 and 2003. The prices and dividends shown below have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the three-for-two stock split distributed on February 1, 2005. The number of stockholders of record on March 1, 2005 was 1,518.

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


      2004


 


    2003


 


 


Stock Price


High


 


Low


 


High


 


Low


 


 

First quarter

$

16.10

 

$

13.40

 

$

11.72

 

$

9.53

 

 

Second quarter

 

18.81

 

 

15.38

 

 

12.87

 

 

10.70

 

 

Third quarter

 

17.92

 

 

14.27

 

 

14.00

 

 

12.35

 

 

Fourth quarter

 

21.66

 

 

16.18

 

 

14.39

 

 

13.00

 



14


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Cash Dividends Declared Per Share:


2004


 


2003


 


 

     First quarter

$

.043

 

$

.037

 

 

     Second quarter

 

.043

 

 

.037

 

 

     Third quarter

 

.043

 

 

.037

 

 

     Fourth quarter

 

.065

 

 

.037

 


 

A quarterly dividend of $.065 per share was declared during the first quarter of fiscal 2005.

 

 

 

See Item 12 for information with respect to the Company's equity compensation plans.

The following table relates information regarding the Company's purchases of its own common stock during the fourth quarter:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities (1)









Period







Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased








Average
Price Paid
per Share


Total Number
of
Shares
Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs




Maximum
Number
of Shares that
May
Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs


 

Period 1 (September 12, 2004 to October 9, 2004)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common Stock Repurchase Program(2)

     

$

     

 

     

 

3,326,832

 

   Employee Transactions(3)

24,111

 

18.30

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Period 2 (October 10, 2004 to November 6, 2004)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common Stock Repurchase Program(2)

     

 

     

 

     

 

3,326,832

 

   Employee Transactions(3)

256,466

 

19.87

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Period 3 (November 7, 2004 to December 4, 2004)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common Stock Repurchase Program(2)

365,550

 

19.55

 

365,550

 

2,961,282

 

   Employee Transactions(3)

     

 

     

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Period 4 (December 5, 2004 to January 1, 2005)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common Stock Repurchase Program(2)

     

 

     

 

     

 

2,961,282

 

   Employee Transactions(3)

592,545

 

20.80

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Total for Fourth Quarter ended January 1, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common Stock Repurchase Program(2)

365,550

$

19.55

 

365,550

 

2,961,282

 

   Employee Transactions(3)

873,122

 

20.46

 

N/A

 

N/A

 


 

1.

The information in this table and in these notes has been adjusted to reflect the three-for-two stock split distributed on February 1, 2005.

 

2.

The Company's Board of Directors approved two common stock repurchase programs, one on October 5, 2004, and one on December 9, 2003. Each program authorizes the repurchase of 3.0 million shares of common stock over a 24-month period commencing on the effective date of the program. All shares repurchased during the period covered by this report were purchased under publicly announced programs.

 

3.

Employee transactions include: (1) shares delivered or attested in satisfaction of the exercise price and/or tax withholding obligations by holders of employee stock options who exercised



15


 

 

options and (2) restricted shares withheld to offset tax withholding that occurs upon vesting of restricted shares. The Company's employee stock compensation plans provides that the value of the shares delivered or attested to, or withheld, shall be the average of the high and low price of the Company's common stock on the date the relevant transaction occurs.



Item 6.  Selected Financial Data.

Five-Year Operating and Financial Summary(1)

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004


 


2003


 


2002


 


2001


 


2000


 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data) 

 

Summary of Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

$

991,909

 

$

888,926

 

$

827,106

 

$

720,066

 

$

701,291

 

   Net earnings

 

65,938

 

 

51,716

 

 

47,912

 

 

45,240

 

 

10,690

 

   Per share of common stock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Basic net earnings(2)(3)

$

1.15

 

$

.88

 

$

.79

 

$

.74

 

$

.17

 

     Diluted net earnings(2)(3)

 

1.09

 

 

.85

 

 

.77

 

 

.71

 

 

.17

 

     Cash dividends declared(2)

 

.19

 

 

.15

 

 

.12

 

 

.11

 

 

.09

 

Financial Position at Year End

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Total assets

$

639,571

 

$

593,762

 

$

531,994

 

$

543,678

 

$

494,568

 

   Long-term debt

 

43,904

 

 

59,923

 

 

72,915

 

 

90,848

 

 

92,194

 

Notes to Five-Year Operating and Financial Summary

1.

This summary should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, which are attached as Appendix A to this Form 10-K. In particular, see the discussions of the fiscal 2000 $45.0 million realignment charge as discussed in the Company's 2000 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and Note 11 - Business Acquisitions.

 

 

2.

On December 15, 2004, the Company announced a three-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend on shares of common stock outstanding at January 3, 2005 distributed to stockholders on February 1, 2005. All per share data has been retroactively adjusted for the increased shares resulting from this stock split. Treasury shares were excluded from the stock split.

 

 

3.

Basic earnings per share are based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year after adjustment for nonvested common stock. Diluted earnings per share assume the exercise of dilutive stock options and the vesting of all outstanding restricted stock.

Item 7.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Overview
During 2004, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (the "Company") achieved record revenue and earnings. Revenue increased 11.6% to $991.9 million, marking a fifth consecutive annual revenue increase. Earnings per share growth extended for a fourth consecutive year, improving 28.2% to $1.09 per share. The Company ended 2004 with $72.2 million in cash on hand and a debt balance at an eight-year low. For the sixth year in a row, the Company recorded positive cash generation from operating activities with 2004 cash generation reaching a record $106.4 million. Continued focus on asset management programs contributed to significant reductions in accounts receivable days sales outstanding as well as improved inventory turnover ratios.



16


The Company's 2004 performance is a direct result of the execution of the Company's strategic growth plan unveiled several years ago. The key growth strategies of this plan include:

Expanding our global reach - Consumers in more than 140 countries purchased over 42.7 million pairs of footwear bearing our brand names during 2004. The Company's European-based wholesale operations represented over 17% of the Company's 2004 revenue and achieved year-over-year revenue growth exceeding 20%.

Pursuing and delivering product excellence - Our product development process continues to strengthen as the Company strives to deliver innovative, high quality, market-right products. This strategy has resulted in an increased global market share. A benefit of the evolving product development process is the creation of tightly-focused product collections and improved inventory turns for the Company.

Strengthening our brand/business portfolio - The Company successfully integrated the Sebago® brand, acquired in November 2003, into its business portfolio. The first full year's revenue was on plan while earnings exceeded expectations. The Company continued to reach consumers directly through global concept stores and shop-in-shops for the Merrell® and Hush Puppies® brands and expanded its Track'n Trail® retail concept stores.

Providing service excellence to our customers - In an effort to better serve its customers, and to deliver product to market faster, the Company added several enhancements to its strong suite of business systems. SAP® upgrades included the launch of the business warehouse and strategic enterprise management modules to more effectively meet today's rigorous financial reporting requirements. The Company's Online Account Service capabilities were made available in Canada and Europe. Customers in those markets now have the same 24/7 access to online ordering and account review capabilities that have proven beneficial to U.S. retailers.

Building a strong team and Company culture - The Company continues to attract and retain excellent leadership throughout the business. We continue to improve our management strength through training and career development, and our success is a result of the dedication, skills and experience of our global team.

During 2005, the Company expects to achieve a significant milestone - crossing the $1.0 billion revenue mark. Our strategic plan is focused on creating shareholder value through the delivery of consistent revenue and earnings growth, improved operating leverage, effective asset utilization and strong cash generation. The three-year growth goals include:

Producing annual revenue growth averaging mid- to upper-single digits - The Company expects this growth to be generated through global expansion and market share gains from its operations.

Generating earnings growth at approximately 1.5 times the rate of revenue growth - The Company expects its operating model to generate earnings at a rate significantly greater than revenue growth.

Driving the global growth of the Company's brands through investments in marketing and product development - The Company plans to increase its investment in marketing and product development at rates faster than revenue growth by reinvesting a portion of expected margin gains into brand building activities.




17


The following is a discussion of the Company's results of operations and liquidity and capital resources. This section should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes. All share and per share amounts in management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations have been adjusted for all periods to reflect the three-for-two stock split distributed on February 1, 2005.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - FISCAL 2004 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2003

Financial Summary - 2004 versus 2003

 


2004


 


2003


 


Change


 


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

Revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Branded footwear and licensing

$

903.6

 

91.1%

 

$

812.6

 

91.4%

 

$

91.0

 

11.2%

 

   Other business units


 


88.3


 


8.9%


 


 


76.3


 


8.6%


 


 


12.0


 


15.7%


 


      Total revenue


$


991.9


 


100.0%


 


$


888.9


 


100.0%


 


$


103.0


 


11.6%


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross margin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Branded footwear and licensing

$

343.1

 

38.0%

 

$

300.1

 

36.9%

 

$

43.0

 

14.3%

 

   Other business units


 


31.0


 


35.1%


 


 


26.5


 


34.7%


 


 


4.5


 


17.0%


 


      Total gross margin


$


374.1


 


37.7%


 


$


326.6


 


36.7%


 


$


47.5


 


14.5%


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling and administrative expenses

$

274.1

 

27.6%

 

$

246.7

 

27.7%

 

$

27.4

 

11.1%

 

Interest expense-net

 

3.2

 

0.3%

 

 

5.5

 

0.6%

 

 

(2.3

)

(41.8%

)

Other income-net

 

(0.3

)

0.0%

 

 

(0.7

)

(0.1%

)

 

(0.4

)

(57.1%

)

Earnings before income taxes and minority
   interest

 


97.1

 


9.8%

 

 


75.1

 


8.5%

 

 


22.0

 


29.3%

 

Net earnings

 

65.9

 

6.6%

 

 

51.7

 

5.8%

 

 

14.2

 

27.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share

$

1.09

 

-

 

$

0.85

 

-

 

$

0.24

 

28.2%

 

The Company has one reportable segment that is engaged in manufacturing, sourcing, marketing and distributing branded footwear, licensed apparel and accessories. Within the Branded Footwear and Licensing segment, the Company has identified five operating units, consisting of the Wolverine Footwear Group (comprised of the Bates®, HyTest®, Stanley® and Wolverine® brands), the Outdoor Group (comprised of the Merrell® and Sebago® brands), the Heritage Group (comprised of Harley-Davidson® Footwear and CAT® Footwear), The Hush Puppies Company, and Other Branded Footwear. The Company's other business units consist of Hush Puppies® Retail and Wolverine® Leathers (comprised of the Tannery and Procurement operations). The following is supplemental information on total revenue:

Total Revenue

 


2004


 


2003


 


Change


 


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


(Millions of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolverine Footwear Group

$

269.3

 

27.1%

 

$

255.4

 

28.7%

 

$

13.9

 

5.4%

 

Outdoor Group

 

286.6

 

28.9%

 

 

223.2

 

25.1%

 

 

63.4

 

28.4%

 

Heritage Group

 

159.4

 

16.1%

 

 

152.2

 

17.1%

 

 

7.2

 

4.7%

 

The Hush Puppies Company

 

157.8

 

15.9%

 

 

151.1

 

17.0%

 

 

6.7

 

4.4%

 

Other Branded Footwear


 


30.5


 


3.1%


 


 


30.7


 


3.5%


 


 


(0.2


)


(0.7%


)


   Total branded footwear and licensing revenue

$

903.6

 

91.1%

 

$

812.6

 

91.4%

 

$

91.0

 

11.2%

 

   Other business units


 


88.3


 


8.9%


 


 


76.3


 


8.6%


 


 


12.0


 


15.7%


 


      Total revenue


$


991.9


 


100.0%


 


$


888.9


 


100.0%


 


$


103.0


 


11.6%


 




18


REVENUE
Revenue for 2004 increased $103.0 million over 2003. A full year of revenue from Sebago® represented $26.3 million of the increase. Increases in unit volume, changes in product mix and changes in selling price for the Branded Footwear and Licensing segment operations, as discussed below, contributed $58.5 million of the revenue increase. The impact of translating foreign denominated revenue to U.S. dollars improved revenue by $18.2 million. Both domestic and international revenue increased with international revenue accounting for 27.6% of total revenue in 2004 compared to 24.5% in 2003.

The Wolverine Footwear Group's revenue increase was due to the success of the Bates® division. The Bates® brand improvements were driven by increased shipments of technical boot products to the U.S. military and the civilian uniform markets. A significant portion of the sales gain resulted from accelerated demand under a combat boot contract for the Department of Defense. Wolverine® Boots and Shoes recorded a decline in revenue principally as a result of lower average selling prices as the business responded to consumer demand for more boot product in the $80 - $120 retail price point category.

The Outdoor Group reported its seventh year of double-digit revenue growth. The Merrell® business accounted for over half of the increase. Merrell® experienced double-digit growth in the four wholesale markets that it services - U.S., Canada, U.K. and Europe. The Merrell® brand's presence continues to grow with 134 U.S. shop-in-shops in operation at year end. The Sebago® brand, in its first full year of operations, met its planned revenue goal. Approximately 60% of the Sebago® revenue was generated outside of the United States.

The Heritage Group recorded a mid-single-digit revenue increase for 2004. The Harley-Davidson® Footwear business recorded a slight increase for the year, with growth coming from new distribution channels. The CAT® Footwear business recorded revenue growth in the U.S., U.K. and, Europe and with the brand's international distributors. New product technologies introduced during the year as well as the impact of translating foreign denominated revenue to U.S. dollars contributed to the increase.

The Hush Puppies Company's revenue increase was generated from the U.K., Canada and the international licensing businesses. Within The Hush Puppies Company's foreign wholesale operations, Hush Puppies® U.K. reported a strong increase as a result of expanded distribution with fashion accounts. The Hush Puppies® Canada business recorded an increase in a challenging retail environment. Hush Puppies® U.S. experienced a revenue decrease as the business continued its transition plan from mature, lower-priced product to a younger, more contemporary-styled footwear assortment.

Revenue for Other Branded Footwear decreased as the Company executed a strategy to revamp its private label footwear offerings.

Within the Company's other business units, Hush Puppies® Retail reported a mid-single-digit same-store sales increase. Wolverine® Leathers recorded a revenue increase driven primarily by market demand for sueded leather footwear.

The Company ended 2004 with an order backlog approximately 13% above 2003 year-end levels. This backlog principally reflects demand for the first half of 2005.

GROSS MARGIN
The total gross margin level for 2004 of 37.7% was a 100 basis point improvement over the prior year. Benefits from favorable exchange rates comprise 60 basis points of the improvement. Inventory management programs as well as a higher margin product mix also contributed to the improvement.



19


SELLING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
The increase in selling and administrative expenses includes an additional $7.0 million investment in product development and marketing for the Company's branded products. The Company also recognized increases in profit sharing expense of $6.0 million. The impact of translating foreign denominated operating expense to U.S. dollars increased total expense by $4.9 million in 2004. The Company recorded a $1.2 million decrease in pension expense. The remaining increase relates primarily to selling costs that are directly variable to the increase in revenue.

INTEREST, OTHER & TAXES
The net decrease in interest expense reflects lower average outstanding amounts on senior notes and lower working capital borrowings during the year as well as interest income from invested cash.

The change in other income primarily relates to the change in realized gains or losses on foreign currency transactions.

The Company's 2004 effective income tax rate was 31.8% compared to 31.0% for 2003 and was in line with the Company's estimated annualized rate. The 2003 income tax rate included the cumulative impact of research and development tax credits, while 2004 reflected only one year of credit taken. The estimated annualized effective tax rate for fiscal 2005 is 32.0%.

NET EARNINGS
As a result of the revenue, gross margin and expense changes discussed above, the Company achieved 2004 net earnings of $65.9 million, an increase of $14.2 million over 2003.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - FISCAL 2003 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2002

Financial Summary - 2003 versus 2002

 


2003


 


2002


 


Change


 


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Branded footwear and licensing

$

812.6

 

91.4%

 

$

748.8

 

90.5%

 

$

63.8

 

8.5%

 

   Other business units


 


76.3


 


8.6%


 


 


78.3


 


9.5%


 


 


(2.0


)


(2.6%


)


      Total revenue


$


888.9


 


100.0%


 


$


827.1


 


100.0%


 


$


61.8


 


7.5%


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross margin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Branded footwear and licensing

$

300.1

 

36.9%

 

$

265.1

 

35.2%

 

$

35.0

 

13.2%

 

   Other business units


 


26.5


 


34.7%


 


 


29.1


 


39.2%


 


 


(2.6


)


(8.9%


)


      Total gross margin


$


326.6


 


36.7%


 


$


294.2


 


35.6%


 


$


32.4


 


11.0%


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling and administrative expenses

$

246.7

 

27.7%

 

$

217.2

 

26.3%

 

$

29.5

 

13.6%

 

Interest expense

 

5.5

 

0.6%

 

 

6.5

 

0.8%

 

 

(1.0

)

(15.3%

)

Other income-net

 

(0.7

)

0.1%

 

 

(1.0

)

0.1%

 

 

0.3

 

(34.4%

)

Earnings before income taxes and
   minority interest

 


75.1

 


8.5%

 

 


71.7

 


8.7%

 

 


3.4

 


4.9%

 

Net earnings

 

51.7

 

5.8%

 

 

47.9

 

5.8%

 

 

3.8

 

7.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share

$

0.85

 

-

 

$

0.77

 

-

 

$

0.08

 

10.4%

 



20


The following is supplemental information on total revenue:

Total Revenue

 


2003


 


2002


 


Change


 


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


$


 


%


 


(Millions of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolverine Footwear Group

$

255.4

 

28.7%

 

$

243.9

 

29.6%

 

$

11.5

 

4.7%

 

Outdoor Group

 

223.2

 

25.1%

 

 

180.0

 

21.7%

 

 

43.2

 

24.0%

 

Heritage Group

 

152.2

 

17.1%

 

 

149.8

 

18.1%

 

 

2.4

 

1.6%

 

The Hush Puppies Company

 

151.1

 

17.0%

 

 

143.9

 

17.4%

 

 

7.2

 

5.0%

 

Other Branded Footwear


 


30.7


 


3.5%


 


 


31.2


 


3.7%


 


 


(0.5


)


(1.6%


)


   Total branded footwear and
      licensing revenue


$


812.6

 


91.4%

 


$


748.8

 


90.5%

 


$


63.8

 


8.5%

 

   Other business units


 


76.3


 


8.6%


 


 


78.3


 


9.5%


 


 


(2.0


)


(2.6%


)


      Total revenue


$


888.9


 


100.0%


 


$


827.1


 


100.0%


 


$


61.8


 


7.5%


 


REVENUE
Revenue for 2003 increased $61.8 million over 2002. Increases in unit volume, changes in product mix and changes in selling prices for the branded footwear operations as discussed below contributed $45.1 million of the revenue increase. The impact of translating foreign denominated revenue to U.S. dollars improved revenue by $15.6 million. The acquisition of Sebago® added $3.1 million to revenue. These increases were offset by a $2.0 million decrease in the other business units. Both domestic and international revenue increased, with international revenue accounting for 24.1% of total revenue.

The Wolverine Footwear Group's revenue increase was largely due to the success of the Bates® division. The Bates® brand improvements were driven by increased shipments of technical boot products to the U.S. military and tactical ultra-light uniform footwear for the civilian uniform market. Wolverine® Boots and Shoes (including HyTest® and Stanley®) recognized an increase in units sold, but experienced a slight decline in revenue dollars per unit sold reflecting a continued shift in the marketplace to more moderately priced footwear.

The Outdoor Group reported its sixth consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth. The Merrell® U.S. footwear business accounted for approximately half of the increase, with growth coming from the outdoor/sporting goods and department store distribution channels. The Merrell® European and Canadian wholesale businesses also contributed to the increase, due to the expansion of multi-sport and casual footwear product sales. Revenue from the Merrell® international business increased with Italy, Japan, Argentina and Sweden/Finland each recognizing over a 100,000 pair increase from the prior year. Sebago®, which was purchased in November 2003, also contributed to the revenue increase for the Outdoor Group.

The Heritage Group had a slight sales increase for the year. Revenue from Harley-Davidson® Footwear improved due to expanded product offerings in the existing Harley-Davidson® dealerships, as well as in new distribution channels. CAT® Footwear realized a revenue decrease due to lower sales in the CAT® U.S. wholesale business, primarily caused by a reduction in shipments of work and industrial product resulting from cautious inventory reorders by large national chain retailers. The CAT® international distribution business reported improved revenues, reflecting an increase in pairs sold in Canada, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and the Pacific Rim. The CAT® European business recognized an increase in revenue reflecting the impact of translating foreign denominated revenue to U.S. dollars.



21


The Hush Puppies Company's increase was generated primarily from the international divisions as a result of expanded retail distribution and higher royalty income from international licensees in the Pacific Rim and Europe. Within The Hush Puppies Company's foreign wholesale operations, Hush Puppies® U.K. reported strong increases in revenue as a result of expanded distribution of its better grade products while Hush Puppies® Canada revenue was up slightly for the year. Hush Puppies® U.S. experienced a slight decrease in revenue as it continued to transition from lower-priced, more mature products in favor of higher-priced, better-grade footwear aimed at a younger, more contemporary consumer.

Revenue for Other Branded Footwear decreased slightly due to lower shipments of private label product.

Within the Company's other business units, Hush Puppies® Retail reported an increase in the low-single-digit range as a result of same-store revenue increases and new store openings. Wolverine® Leathers recorded decreases in revenue due to reduced market demand for sueded leather used for footwear.

The Company ended 2003 with an order backlog of approximately 19% above 2002 year-end levels. The purchase of Sebago® contributed 4% of the increase.

GROSS MARGIN
The gross margin dollar and percentage increases for the branded footwear segment relate to the increased sales mix of the Company's lifestyle product offerings (80 basis points), fewer required markdowns on slow moving inventories (50 basis points) and favorable foreign exchange rate changes (20 basis points). The gross margin percentage for the other business units decreased as a result of inefficiencies and overhead absorption losses experienced in the Wolverine® Leathers operation due to reduced production levels. Hush Puppies® Retail's gross margin level remained flat.

SELLING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
The increase in selling and administrative expenses includes planned increases of $7.3 million in pension expense, due to reductions in the market value of assets and interest rates used in the actuarial valuation, and $2.3 million in employee benefit costs. The impact of translating foreign denominated operating expense to U.S. dollars increased total expenses by $6.6 million in 2003. The remaining increase relates primarily to selling and distribution costs that are directly variable to the increase in revenue.

INTEREST, OTHER & TAXES
The decrease in interest expense reflects lower average outstanding amounts on senior notes and minimal borrowing under the revolving credit facility.

The change in other income primarily relates to the change in realized gains or losses on foreign currency transactions.

The Company's 2003 effective income tax rate was 31.0% compared to 32.9% for 2002. This reduced effective tax rate reflects the overall profit mix from the Company's foreign entities and the cumulative impact of research and development tax credits recorded in 2003. The Company expects the research and development tax credit will have an ongoing positive benefit.

NET EARNINGS
As a result of the revenue, gross margin and expense changes discussed above, the Company achieved 2003 net earnings of $51.7 million, an increase of $3.8 million over 2002.



22


LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES


 


 


 


 


 

January 1,

January 3,

Change


 

 


2005


2004


$


 


%


 


(Millions of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

$    72.2   

$    55.4   

$   16.8

 

30.4%

 

Accounts receivable

151.2   

146.9   

4.3

 

2.9%

 

Inventories

182.9   

164.9   

18.0

 

10.9%

 

Accounts payable

50.5   

26.3   

24.2

 

91.9%

 

Accrued salaries and wages

19.4   

16.7   

2.7

 

16.4%

 

Other accrued liabilities

28.6   

26.7   

1.9

 

6.9%

 

Debt

43.9   

59.9   

(16.0

)

(26.7%

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by operating activities

106.4   

102.2   

4.2

 

4.1%

 

Additions to property, plant and equipment

18.1   

16.0   

2.1

 

12.9%

 

Depreciation and amortization

19.1   

17.9   

1.2

 

6.3%

 

The Company continued to strengthen its balance sheet in 2004. Accounts receivable increased 2.9% on an 11.6% revenue gain. Cash of $106.4 million was generated from operating activities in 2004, with cash of $12.2 million generated from working capital improvements. Inventory levels were up 10.9%, which was slightly less than the revenue gain. The inventory increase reflects receipt of the Merrell® Continuum™ product line for spring 2005, which was accelerated as retail demand was high. The accounts receivable days sales outstanding was reduced by 10.2% and inventory SKU (stock keeping unit) levels were reduced by 5.1%.

The increase in accounts payable was attributed to the timing of inventory purchases from contract suppliers, specifically the acceleration of the Merrell® Continuum™ product noted above. The increase in accrued salaries and wages was due to profit sharing accruals. The increase in other accrued liabilities was a result of a 50% increase in the level of cash dividends declared in the fourth quarter and distributed on February 1, 2005.

The majority of capital expenditures were for information system enhancements, distribution equipment and building improvements and consumer-direct initiatives. The Company leases machinery, equipment and certain warehouse, office and retail store space under operating lease agreements that expire at various dates through 2018.

The Company has a long-term revolving credit agreement that expires in May 2006 and allows for borrowings up to $150.0 million, of which $10.0 million is allocated to the Company's Canadian subsidiary. Of the remaining $140.0 million facility, $35.0 million can be utilized by the Company's European subsidiaries. The revolving credit facility is used to support working capital requirements. No amounts were outstanding under revolving credit facilities at January 1, 2005 or January 3, 2004. The Company was in compliance with all debt covenant requirements at January 1, 2005. Proceeds from existing credit facilities and anticipated renewals, along with cash flows from operations, are expected to be sufficient to meet capital needs in the foreseeable future. Any excess cash flows from operating activities are expected to be used to purchase property, plant and equipment, pay down existing debt, fund internal and external growth initiatives, pay dividends or repurchase the Company's common stock.

The decrease in debt was the result of annual principal payments on the Company's senior notes. The Company had commercial letter-of-credit facilities outstanding of $3.2 million and $2.4 million at the end


23


of 2004 and 2003, respectively. The total debt to total capital ratio for the Company was 8.7% in 2004 and 12.2% in 2003.

The Company's pension benefit results are based upon actuarial valuations. Inherent in these valuations are key assumptions, including discount rates and expected returns on plan assets. The Company is required to consider market conditions, including changes in interest rates, in selecting these assumptions. Pre-tax expense resulting from the Company's qualified defined benefit pension plans decreased $1.2 million ($0.01 per share) for 2004 when compared to 2003 as a result of market conditions that positively affected asset values of the plan investments. The Company also recorded a net change of $1.0 million within the accumulated other comprehensive income component of stockholders' equity in 2004 which reduced a portion of the previously recorded minimum pension liability. This adjustment had no impact on the net earnings or cash flows of the Company. The Company estimates that pre-tax expense related to qualified defined benefit pension plans will increase by an additional $3.1 million (approximatel y $0.04 per share) in 2005 as compared to 2004 as a result of the amortization of prior losses incurred as a result of market value declines and discount rate deductions.

Applying the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 87 and SFAS No. 132, the Company's qualified pension plans (the "Plans") were overfunded by $3.5 million in 2004 and underfunded by $2.4 million in 2003. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Plans had no minimum funding requirements for 2004 and a requirement of $0.6 million for 2003. Discretionary cash contributions were made to the Plans totaling $5.0 million in 2004 and $8.9 million in 2003 to provide long-term stability to the Plans.

No provision has been made for U.S. federal and state income taxes or foreign taxes that may result from future remittances of the undistributed earnings ($96.1 million at January 1, 2005 and $69.6 million at January 3, 2004) of foreign subsidiaries as the Company expects such earnings will be reinvested overseas indefinitely. However, the Company is analyzing the potential impact of the repatriation provision of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the "Act"), which would allow the Company to bring these foreign earnings back to the United States at reduced tax rates effective until December 31, 2005. If elected, the amount of repatriation is not expected to exceed $70.0 million because a dividend of earnings from certain jurisdictions would not result in a tax benefit where foreign statutory rates exceed the U.S. rate. Technical corrections to the Act are pending issuance and therefore it is not currently practicable to estimate the potential range of impact on income taxes.

The Company's Board of Directors has approved three common stock repurchase programs each authorizing the repurchase of 3.0 million shares of common stock over a 24-month period commencing on the effective dates listed below. The primary purpose of these stock repurchase programs is to increase shareholder value. The Company intends to continue to repurchase shares of its common stock in open market or privately negotiated transactions, from time to time, depending upon market conditions and other factors.





24


 


 


 


 


 


 


 





Effective date



Shares
repurchased
in 2004


Market
price of
shares
repurchased



Shares
repurchased
in 2003


Market
price of
shares
repurchased



Cumulative
shares
repurchased


Market
price of
cumulative
shares


October 5, 2004

38,718

$   773,000

-

-

38,718

$    773,000

December 9, 2003

3,000,000

49,020,000

-

-

3,000,000

49,020,000

August 19, 2002

211,500

3,219,000

1,933,800

$24,296,000

3,000,000

36,529,000

The Company declared dividends of $11.2 million in 2004, or $0.19 per share, which was a 26.7% increase over the $8.6 million, or $0.15 per share, declared in 2003. On February 10, 2005, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.065 per share of common stock, an increase of 50.0% as compared to the same period of 2004. The quarterly dividend is payable on May 2, 2005, to shareholders of record on April 1, 2005. On December 15, 2004 the Company announced a three-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend on shares of common stock outstanding at January 3, 2005 distributed on February 1, 2005.

On January 3, 2005, the Company expanded its owned Wolverine® and CAT® operations in Canada. Based on a preliminary purchase price allocation, assets consisting primarily of inventory and fixed assets totaling approximately $1.7 million were acquired from the Company's former Wolverine® and CAT® Footwear distributor for cash of $2.2 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments, and resulted in goodwill and intangible assets of approximately $0.5 million.

On January 3, 2005, the Company expanded its owned Merrell® operations in Sweden and Finland and its Sebago® operations in the United Kingdom and Germany. Based on a preliminary purchase price allocation, assets consisting primarily of inventory totaling approximately $0.5 million were acquired from former distributors for cash.

On November 3, 2003, the Company acquired significant operating assets of Sebago, Inc., a global distributor of performance nautical and American-inspired footwear, consisting of accounts receivable, inventory, fixed assets, trademarks and other amortizable intangible assets totaling approximately $18.6 million and assumed liabilities of approximately $2.0 million. Subject to certain post-closing adjustments, the total purchase price of Sebago, Inc., was $16.9 million, which consisted of $14.9 million paid in cash and a note payable for $2.0 million ($1.0 million paid in 2004 and $1.0 million payable in 2005), resulting in goodwill of $0.2 million.

These acquisitions are discussed further in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
On December 16, 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123(R), Share-Based Payment, which would require all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated statements of operations based on their fair values, effective for public companies for interim periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company intends to adopt SFAS No. 123(R) effective June 19, 2005. SFAS No. 123(R) permits public companies to adopt its requirements using either the modified prospective or retrospective method. The Company is currently evaluating the alternative methods of adoption.

The impact of adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) cannot be predicted at this time because it will depend on levels of share-based payments granted in the future. However, had the Company adopted SFAS No. 123(R) in prior periods, the impact of that standard would have approximated the pro forma impact of


25


SFAS No. 123 as disclosed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements. SFAS No. 123(R) also requires the benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation cost to be reported as a financing cash flow, rather than as an operating cash flow as required under current literature.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates these estimates. Estimates are based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Historically, actual results have not been materially different from the Company's estimates. However, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

The Company has identified the following critical accounting policies used in determining estimates and assumptions in the amounts reported. Management believes that an understanding of these policies is important to an overall understanding of the consolidated financial statements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION
The Company's revenue consists of sales to customers, license fees and royalties. Revenue is recognized on the sale of products manufactured or sourced by the Company when the related goods have been shipped and legal title has passed to the customer. Revenue generated through programs with licensees and distributors involving products bearing the Company's trademarks is recognized as earned according to stated contractual terms upon either the purchase or shipment of branded products by distributors and licensees.

The Company records provisions against gross revenue for estimated stock returns and cash discounts in the period when the related revenue is recorded. These estimates are based on factors that include, but are not limited to, historical stock returns, historical discounts taken and analysis of credit memorandum activity. The actual amount of customer returns or allowances, which is uncertain, may differ from the Company's estimates. The Company would record either an increase or decrease to net sales in the period in which it determined an adjustment to be appropriate.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
The Company maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable for estimated losses resulting from its customers' inability to make required payments. Company management evaluates the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable based on a review of current customer status and historical collection experience. Historically, losses have been within the Company's expectations. Adjustments to these estimates may be required if the financial condition of the Company's customers were to change. If the Company were to determine that increases or decreases to the allowance for uncollectible accounts were appropriate, the Company would record either an increase or decrease to general and administrative expenses in the period the Company made such a determination. At January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, management believes that it has provided sufficient reserves to address future collection uncertainties.

INVENTORY
The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method for all domestic raw materials and work-in-process inventories, and most domestic finished goods inventories. Cost is determined using methods approximating cost under the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method for all raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods inventories in foreign


26


countries where LIFO is not permitted. The FIFO method is also used for all finished goods inventories of the Company's retail business, due to the unique nature of that operation, and for certain domestic finished goods inventories that were acquired as part of asset purchase transactions. Once elected, the Company has applied these inventory cost valuation methods consistently from year to year. The Company reduces the value of its inventories to the lower of cost or market for excess or obsolete inventories based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If the Company were to determine that the estimated market value of its inventory is less than the carrying value of such inventory, the Company would provide a reserve for such difference as a charge to cost of sales. If actual market conditions are different from those projected, adjustments to those inventory reserves may be required. The adjustments would increase or decrease the Company's cost of sales and net income in the period i n which they were realized or recorded. Inventory quantities are verified at various times throughout the year by performing annual physical inventory observations and perpetual inventory cycle count procedures. If the Company determines that adjustments to the inventory quantities are appropriate, an increase or decrease to the Company's cost of sales and inventory would be recorded in the period in which such determination was made.

GOODWILL AND OTHER NON-AMORTIZABLE INTANGIBLES
Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized, but are subject to impairment tests at least annually. The first step of the goodwill impairment test requires that the fair value of the applicable reporting unit be compared with its recorded value. The Company establishes fair value by calculating the present value of the future cash flows of the reporting unit. The Company uses assumptions about expected future operating performance in determining estimates of those cash flows, which may differ from actual cash flows. If the recorded values of these assets are not recoverable, based on this discounted cash flow analysis, management performs the next step which compares the fair value of the reporting unit calculated in step one to the fair value of the tangible and intangible assets of the reporting unit, which results in an implied fair value of goodwill. Goodwill is reduced by any shortfall of implied goodwill to its carrying value. Impairment tests for other non-amortiza ble intangibles require the determination of the fair value of the intangible asset. The carrying value is reduced by any excess over fair value. The Company reviewed the carrying amounts of goodwill and other non-amortizable intangible assets and there was no impairment indicated for 2004 or 2003.

INCOME TAXES
The Company operates in multiple tax jurisdictions both inside and outside the United States. Accordingly, management must determine the appropriate allocation of income in accordance with local law for each of these jurisdictions. The Company believes its tax accruals are adequate to cover exposures related to changes in income allocation between tax jurisdictions. The carrying value of the Company's deferred tax assets assumes that the Company will be able to generate sufficient taxable income in future years to utilize these deferred tax assets. If these assumptions change, the Company may be required to record valuation allowances against its gross deferred tax assets in future years, which would result in additional income tax expense in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Management evaluates the potential for realizing gross deferred tax assets and assesses the need for valuation allowances on a quarterly basis. The Company did not record a valuation allowance in 2004 or 2003.

On a periodic basis, the Company estimates what the effective tax rate will be for the full fiscal year and records a quarterly income tax provision in accordance with the anticipated annual rate. As the fiscal year progresses, that estimate is refined based upon actual events and earnings by tax jurisdictions during the year. This continual estimation process periodically results in a change to the expected effective tax rate for the fiscal year. When this occurs, the Company adjusts the income tax provision during the quarter in which the change in estimate occurs so that the year-to-date provision equals the expected annual rate.


27


QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company faces market risk to the extent that changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the Company's foreign assets, liabilities and inventory purchase commitments and to the extent that its long-term debt requirements are affected by changes in interest rates. The Company manages these risks by attempting to denominate contractual and other foreign arrangements in U.S. dollars and by maintaining a significant percentage of its debt on a fixed-rate basis. The Company does not believe that there has been a material change in the nature of the Company's primary market risk exposures, including the categories of market risk to which the Company is exposed and the particular markets that present the primary risk of loss to the Company. As of the date of this Annual Report, the Company does not know of or expect there to be any material change in the general nature of its primary market risk exposure in the near term.

Under the provisions of SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended by SFAS Nos. 137 and 138, the Company is required to recognize all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. Derivatives that are not hedges must be adjusted to fair value through earnings. If a derivative is a hedge, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of derivatives are either offset against the change in fair value of the hedged assets, liabilities or firm commitments through earnings or recognized in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.

The Company conducts wholesale operations outside of the United States in Europe and Canada where the functional currencies are primarily the British pound, euro, and Canadian dollar. The Company utilizes foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage the volatility associated with inventory purchases made by non-U.S. wholesale operations in foreign currencies in the normal course of business. At January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, the Company had outstanding forward currency exchange contracts to purchase $47.0 million and $37.9 million, respectively, of various currencies (principally U.S. dollars) with maturities ranging up to 280 days.

The Company also has production facilities in the Dominican Republic where financial statements reflect U.S. dollars as the functional currency; however, operating costs are paid in the local currency. Royalty revenue generated by the Company from third party foreign licensees is calculated in the licensees' local currencies, but paid in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, the Company could be subject to related foreign currency remeasurement gains and losses in 2005 and beyond.

Assets and liabilities outside the United States are primarily located in the United Kingdom, Canada and The Netherlands. The Company's investments in foreign subsidiaries with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are generally considered long-term. Accordingly, the Company does not hedge these net investments. For the years ended January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, the strengthening of foreign currencies increased the value of these investments in net assets by $9.7 million and $10.9 million, respectively. This gain resulted in cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments at January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004 of $23.8 million and $14.1 million, respectively, that are deferred and recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity.

Because the Company markets, sells and licenses its products throughout the world, it could be affected by weak economic conditions in foreign markets that could reduce demand for its products.

The Company is exposed to changes in interest rates primarily as a result of its long-term debt requirements. The Company's interest rate risk management objectives are to limit the effect of interest rate changes on earnings and cash flows and to effectively manage overall borrowing costs. To achieve its objectives, the Company maintains substantially all fixed-rate debt to take advantage of lower relative


28


interest rates currently available and finances seasonal working capital needs with variable-rate debt. The Company has not historically utilized interest rate swaps or similar hedging arrangements to fix interest rates; however, in 1998 the Company entered into an interest rate lock agreement to fix the interest rate prior to the issuance of 6.5% senior notes in the amount of $75 million. The contract was settled in 1998 and resulted in a prepayment of interest of $2.2 million that is being amortized over the term of the senior notes. The amortization of the prepayment creates an effective interest rate of 6.78% on the senior notes.

The Company does not enter into contracts for speculative or trading purposes, nor is it a party to any leveraged derivative instruments.

The following table lists required principal payments and related interest rates for the Company's short- and long-term debt by fiscal year of maturity.

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004


 


2003



 



2005



 



2006



 



2007



 



2008



 



2009



 


There-
after



 



Total



 


Fair
Value



 



Total



 


Fair
Value


(Millions of Dollars, Except Percentages)

Denominated in U.S. Dollars:

   Fixed rate

$11.7

 

$10.8

 

$10.7

 

$10.7

 

-

 

-

 

$43.9

 

$46.0

 

$59.9

 

$65.5

   Average interest rate

6.4

%

6.5

%

6.5

%

6.5

%

-

 

-

 

6.5

%

-

 

6.5

%

-

The Company has the following payments under contractual obligations due by period:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

  Less than

 

 

  More than

 


    Total


  1 year


1-3 years


3-5 years


  5 years


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt

$  43,857

$  11,714

$21,429

$10,714

$      -

Estimated interest on long-term debt

2,834

746

1,392

696

-

Capital leases

47

20

23

4

-

Operating leases

55,517

10,736

16,901

12,503

15,377

Purchase obligations (1)

147,720

147,720

-

-

-

Deferred compensation

2,356

325

628

544

859

Pension (2)

3,000

3,000

-

-

-

SERP

12,871

589

1,177

1,177

9,928

Dividends declared

7,387

7,387

-

-

-

Minimum royalties

4,620

1,118

1,788

1,714

-

Minimum advertising


7,606


1,433


2,995


3,178


-


Total


$287,815


$184,788


$46,333


$30,530


$26,164



(1)

Purchase obligations primarily relate to inventory and capital expenditure commitments.

 

 

(2)

Pension obligations reflect only planned pension funding as there are currently no required funding obligations under government regulation. Funding amounts are calculated on an annual basis and no required or planned funding beyond one year has been determined.


Should additional funds be required, the Company had $173.5 million of additional borrowing capacity available under all of its existing credit facilities at January 1, 2005. The Company's additional borrowing capacity is summarized as follows:



29


 


 


 


 


 


Expiration of availability



 



 


Total commitments
available



 


Less than
1 year



 


1 year or
greater


(Millions of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revolving credit

 

$150.0              

 

$      -      

 

$150.0    

Commercial letters of credit

 

21.5              

 

21.5      

 

-    

Standby letters of credit

 

2.0              

 

2.0      

 

-    



Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

          The response to this Item is set forth under the caption "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

          The response to this Item is set forth in Appendix A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.  Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

          None.

Item 9A.  Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.

          An evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures. Based on and as of the time of such evaluation, the Company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report in timely alerting them to material information relating to the Company (including its consolidated subsidiaries) required to be included in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

          Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005, based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of January 1, 2005.

          Management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting

30


firm, as stated in their attestation report which is included in Appendix A and is incorporated into this Item 9A by reference.


Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

          There was no change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the sixteen-week period ended January 1, 2005 that has materially affected, or that is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.


PART III

Item 10.  Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant.

          The Company's Audit Committee is comprised of four Board members, all of whom are independent under independence standards adopted by the Board and applicable regulations of the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange (including independence standards related specifically to Audit Committee membership). The Audit Committee members each have financial and business experience with companies of substantial size and complexity and have a significant understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements, internal controls and audit committee functions. The Company's Board of Directors has determined that David T. Kollat and Phillip D. Matthews are audit committee financial experts as defined by the SEC. Additional information regarding the Audit Committee is provided in the Definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, under the caption "Wolverine's Board of Directors" under the subheading "Board Committees and Meetings-Audit Committee. "

          The Company has adopted an Accounting and Finance Code of Ethics that applies to the Company's principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. The Accounting and Finance Code of Ethics is available on the Company's website, www.wolverineworldwide.com. Any waiver from or amendment to the Accounting and Finance Code of Ethics will be disclosed on the Company's website.

          The information regarding directors of the Company contained under the caption "Election of Directors" and under the caption "Wolverine's Board of Directors" under the subheadings "Nominees for Terms Expiring in 2008," "Continuing Directors - Terms Expiring in 2007," and "Continuing Directors - Terms Expiring in 2006" in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.

          In addition to the directors discussed in the definitive Proxy Statement, the Company's Board of Directors currently includes Elizabeth A. Sanders (age 59), who will retire at this year's annual meeting. Her term was scheduled to expire at the annual meeting in 2006. Ms. Sanders is retiring after 10 years of service as a director. Ms. Sanders is the principal of The Sanders Partnership, a management consulting practice. Ms. Sanders has held that position since 1990. Ms. Sanders was previously Vice President of Nordstrom, Inc., a retailer. Ms. Sanders is also a director of Washington Mutual, Inc.; Denny's Corporation; and Wellpoint Health Networks, Inc.

          The information regarding directors and executive officers of the Company under the caption "Related Matters" under the subheading "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance" in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, is incorporated herein by


31


reference. Additional information regarding Executive Officers is provided in the Supplemental Item following Item 4 of Part I above.

Item 11.

Executive Compensation.

          The information contained under the caption "Wolverine's Board of Directors" under the subheadings "Compensation of Directors" and "Board Committees and Meetings-Compensation Committee," and under the captions "Executive Compensation," "Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation," "Employment Agreements and Termination of Employment and Change in Control Arrangements" and "Wolverine's Stock Price Performance" in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

          The information contained under the caption "Ownership of Wolverine Stock" and under the caption "Executive Compensation" under the subheading "Equity Compensation Plan Information" contained in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.

          The information contained under the caption "Related Matters" under the subheading "Certain Relationships and Related Transactions" contained in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14.  Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

          The information contained under the caption "Selection of Auditors" in the definitive Proxy Statement of the Company dated March 14, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

Item 15.  Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

          Item 15(a)(1).  Financial Statements. Attached as Appendix A.

          The following consolidated financial statements of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and subsidiaries are filed as a part of this report:

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004.

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive Income for the Fiscal Years Ended January 1, 2005, January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002.

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Fiscal Years Ended January 1, 2005, January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002.

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Fiscal Years Ended January 1, 2005, January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002.



32


 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements as of January 1, 2005.

 

 

 

 

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

          Item 15(a)(2).  Financial Statement Schedules. Attached as Appendix B.

          The following consolidated financial statement schedule of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and subsidiaries is filed as a part of this report:

 

Schedule II--Valuation and Qualifying Accounts of Continuing Operations.

          All other schedules (I, III, IV, and V) for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the SEC are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and, therefore, have been omitted.

          Item 15(a)(3).  Exhibits.

          The following exhibits are filed as part of this report:

Exhibit
Number


Document

 

 

3.1

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

3.2

Amended and Restated By-laws. Previously filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.1

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. See Exhibit 3.1 above.

 

 

4.2

Amended and Restated By-laws. See Exhibit 3.2 above.

 

 

4.3

Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed with the Company's Form 8-A filed April 12, 1997. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.4

Amendment No. 1 dated as of June 30, 2000, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.5

Second Amendment dated as of February 11, 2002, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 23, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.6

Third Amendment dated as of December 10, 2002, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.6 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.



33


4.7

Note Purchase Agreement dated as of December 8, 1998, relating to 6.50% Senior Notes due on December 8, 2008.

 

 

4.8

The Registrant has several classes of long-term debt instruments outstanding in addition to those described in Exhibits 4.7 and 4.9. The authorized amount of none of these classes of debt exceeds 10% of the Company's total consolidated assets. The Company agrees to furnish copies of any agreement defining the rights of holders of any such long-term indebtedness to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

 

 

4.9

Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001, with Bank One, Michigan, as agent. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 16, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.10

First Amendment dated as of February 8, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 23, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.11

Second Amendment dated as of August 30, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.12

Third Amendment dated as of December 19, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.13 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.13

Fourth Amendment dated as of April 30, 2003, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001.

 

 

4.14

Fifth Amendment dated as of August 31, 2004, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001.

 

 

10.1

1988 Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed July 21, 1988, Registration No. 33-23196. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.2

1993 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed June 22, 1993, Registration No. 33-64854. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.3

1995 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed October 26, 1995, Registration No. 33-63689. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.4

1997 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.15 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.



34


10.5

Stock Incentive Plan of 1999.*

 

 

10.6

Stock Incentive Plan of 2001.* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 26, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.7

Stock Incentive Plan of 2003.* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 24, 2003. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.8

Amended and Restated Directors Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.9

Amended and Restated Directors' Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 14, 2003. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.10

Amended and Restated Outside Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan.* Previously filed as Appendix E to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.11

Amended and Restated Executive Short-Term Incentive Plan (Annual Bonus Plan).* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.12

Amended and Restated Executive Long-Term Incentive Plan (3-Year Bonus Plan).* Previously filed as Appendix C to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.13

Amended and Restated Stock Option Loan Program.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.14

Executive Severance Agreement.* An updated participant schedule is attached as Exhibit 10.14.

 

 

10.15

Form of Indemnification Agreement.* The Company has entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each director and executive officer. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.11 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.16

Benefit Trust Agreement dated May 19, 1987, and Amendments Number 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereto.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.



35


10.17

Amended and Restated Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.9 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. An updated participant schedule is attached as Exhibit 10.17.

 

 

10.18

Employees' Pension Plan (Restated as amended through July 7, 2004).*

 

 

10.19

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.20

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement for Steven M. Duffy, Stephen L. Gulis, Blake W. Krueger and Timothy J. O'Donovan. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.21

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement for other employees. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.22

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.23

Form of Stock Option Agreement for non-employee directors.*

 

 

21

Subsidiaries of Registrant.

 

 

23

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

 

24

Powers of Attorney.

 

 

31.1

Certification of President and Chief Executive Officer under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

31.2

Certification of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

32

Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.

____________________________
*Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

          The Company will furnish a copy of any exhibit listed above to any stockholder without charge upon written request to Mr. Blake W. Krueger, Executive Vice President and Secretary, 9341 Courtland Drive, Rockford, Michigan 49351.








36


SIGNATURES

                    Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

WOLVERINE WORLD WIDE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated  March 16, 2005

By:

/s/ Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.


 

 

Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.
Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)

                    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

 

Title

Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Geoffrey B. Bloom


Geoffrey B. Bloom

 

Chairman of the Board
of Directors

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Timothy J. O'Donovan


Timothy J. O'Donovan

 

Chief Executive Officer,
President (Principal Executive Officer)
and Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.


Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.

 

Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Nicholas P. Ottenwess


Nicholas P. Ottenwess

 

Vice President of Finance and
Corporate Controller (Principal
Accounting Officer)

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Donald V. Fites


Donald V. Fites

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Alberto L. Grimoldi


Alberto L. Grimoldi

 

Director

March 16, 2005



37


*/s/ David T. Kollat


David T. Kollat

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Brenda J. Lauderback


Brenda J. Lauderback

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Phillip D. Matthews


Phillip D. Matthews

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ David P. Mehney


David P. Mehney

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Elizabeth A. Sanders


Elizabeth A. Sanders

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*/s/ Paul D. Schrage


Paul D. Schrage

 

Director

March 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*by /s/ Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.


Stephen L. Gulis, Jr.
Attorney-in-Fact

 

Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial Officer)

March 16, 2005












38


APPENDIX A

Financial Statements



























1


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 


 


As of Fiscal Year End


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cash and cash equivalents

$

72,172

 

$

55,356

 

   Accounts receivable, less allowances (2004-$8,200; 2003-$10,462)

 

151,174

 

 

146,879

 

   Inventories:

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Finished products

 

161,315

 

 

143,127

 

      Raw materials and work-in-process


 


21,609


 


 


21,777


 


 

 

182,924

 

 

164,904

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Deferred income taxes

 

6,113

 

 

6,528

 

   Other current assets


 


18,472


 


 


12,969


 


Total current assets

 

430,855

 

 

386,636

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Land

 

962

 

 

1,080

 

   Buildings and improvements

 

65,246

 

 

64,235

 

   Machinery and equipment

 

136,950

 

 

128,954

 

   Software


 


49,686


 


 


44,081


 


 

 

252,844

 

 

238,350

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less accumulated depreciation


 


157,914


 


 


142,343


 


 

 

94,930

 

 

96,007

 

Other assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Goodwill

 

35,552

 

 

34,391

 

   Other non-amortizable intangibles

 

8,090

 

 

7,739

 

   Cash surrender value of life insurance

 

26,930

 

 

24,880

 

   Prepaid pension costs

 

35,289

 

 

34,332

 

   Other


 


7,925


 


 


9,777


 


 


 


113,786


 


 


111,119


 


Total assets


$


639,571


 


$


593,762


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Accounts payable

$

50,521

 

$

26,328

 

   Salaries, wages and other compensation

 

19,435

 

 

16,696

 

   Income taxes

 

-

 

 

1,513

 

   Taxes, other than income taxes

 

4,736

 

 

3,416

 

   Other accrued expenses

 

23,824

 

 

21,793

 

   Current maturities of long-term debt


 


11,735


 


 


16,020


 


Total current liabilities

 

110,251

 

 

85,766

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt, less current maturities

 

32,169

 

 

43,903

 

Deferred compensation

 

9,024

 

 

5,736

 

Accrued pension liabilities

 

14,979

 

 

14,881

 

Deferred income taxes

 

14,291

 

 

13,068

 

Minority interest

 

566

 

 

314

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders' equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Common stock, $1 par value: authorized 80,000,000 shares; issued,

 

 

 

 

 

 

      including treasury shares: 2004-67,350,495; 2003-66,389,233

 

67,350

 

 

66,389

 

   Additional paid-in capital

 

99,518

 

 

81,980

 

   Retained earnings

 

437,406

 

 

382,603

 

   Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

19,446

 

 

8,540

 

   Unearned compensation

 

(4,954

)

 

(4,138

)

   Cost of shares in treasury: 2004-9,452,361 shares; 2003-7,209,313 shares


 


(160,474


)


 


(105,280


)


Total stockholders' equity


 


458,291


 


 


430,094


 


Total liabilities and stockholders' equity


$


639,571


 


$


593,762


 


( ) Denotes deduction.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.



2


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 


 


Fiscal Year


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

$

66,389

 

$

65,825

 

$

66,192

 

   Common stock issued under stock incentive plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      (2004-2,081,586 shares; 2003-1,234,893 shares;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       2002-639,814 shares)

 

2,082

 

 

1,235

 

 

640

 

   Impact of stock split on treasury shares


 


(1,121


)


 


(671


)


 


(1,007


)


   Balance at end of the year

 

67,350

 

 

66,389

 

 

65,825

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Paid-In Capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

 

81,980

 

 

71,009

 

 

65,993

 

   Amounts associated with common stock issued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      under stock incentive plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Proceeds over par value

 

8,878

 

 

8,281

 

 

3,333

 

         Income tax benefits

 

7,782

 

 

1,710

 

 

531

 

   Impact of stock split on treasury shares

 

1,121

 

 

671

 

 

1,007

 

   Issuance of treasury shares (2004-8,924 shares;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      2003-27,886 shares; 2002-142,894 shares)

 

87

 

 

51

 

 

409

 

   Net change in employee notes receivable


 


(330


)


 


258


 


 


(264


)


   Balance at end of the year

 

99,518

 

 

81,980

 

 

71,009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retained Earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

 

382,603

 

 

339,475

 

 

298,755

 

   Net earnings

 

65,938

 

 

51,716

 

 

47,912

 

   Cash dividends (2004-$.19 per share;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      2003-$.15 per share; 2002-$.12 per share)


 


(11,135


)


 


(8,588


)


 


(7,192


)


Balance at end of the year

 

437,406

 

 

382,603

 

 

339,475

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

 

8,540

 

 

(23,522

)

 

(4,109

)

   Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

9,727

 

 

10,922

 

 

6,101

 

   Change in fair value of foreign exchange contracts, net of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      taxes (2004-$174; 2003-$730; 2002- $89)

 

160

 

 

(1,393

)

 

(244

)

   Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      (2004-$524; 2003-$11,608; 2002-$13,016)


 


1,019


 


 


22,533


 


 


(25,270


)


   Balance at end of the year

 

19,446

 

 

8,540

 

 

(23,522

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unearned Compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

 

(4,138

)

 

(3,833

)

 

(4,649

)

   Awards under restricted stock incentive plans

 

(4,165

)

 

(2,488

)

 

(2,037

)

   Compensation expense


 


3,349


 


 


2,183


 


 


2,853


 


   Balance at end of the year

 

(4,954

)

 

(4,138

)

 

(3,833

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of Shares in Treasury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Balance at beginning of the year

 

(105,280

)

 

(79,857

)

 

(48,030

)

   Common stock purchased for treasury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      (2004-2,251,972 shares; 2003-1,367,770 shares;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         2002-2,154,335 shares)

 

(55,331

)

 

(25,656

)

 

(33,626

)

   Issuance of treasury shares (2004-8,924 shares;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      2003-27,886 shares; 2002-142,894 shares)


 


137


 


 


233


 


 


1,799


 


   Balance at end of the year


 


(160,474


)


 


(105,280


)


 


(79,857


)


Total stockholders' equity at end of the year


$


458,291


 


$


430,094


 


$


369,097


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Net earnings

$

65,938

 

$

51,716

 

$

47,912

 

   Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

9,727

 

 

10,922

 

 

6,101

 

   Change in fair value of foreign exchange contracts, net of taxes

 

160

 

 

(1,393

)

 

(244

)

   Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of taxes


 


1,019


 


 


22,533


 


 


(25,270


)


Total comprehensive income


$


76,844


 


$


83,778


 


$


28,499


 


( ) Denotes deduction.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.



3


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 


 


Fiscal Year


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

991,909

 

$

888,926

 

$

827,106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cost of products sold

 

617,774

 

 

562,338

 

 

532,878

 

   Selling and administrative expenses

 

274,125

 

 

246,652

 

 

217,154

 

   Interest expense

 

4,185

 

 

5,896

 

 

6,721

 

   Interest income

 

(940

)

 

(422

)

 

(255

)

   Other income - net


 


(305


)


 


(686


)


 


(1,046


)


 


 


894,839


 


 


813,778


 


 


755,452


 


Earnings before income taxes and minority interest

 

97,070

 

 

75,148

 

 

71,654

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income taxes


 


30,879


 


 


23,262


 


 


23,599


 


Earnings before minority interest

 

66,191

 

 

51,886

 

 

48,055

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minority interest


 


253


 


 


170


 


 


143


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings


$


65,938


 


$


51,716


 


$


47,912


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Basic

$

1.15

 

$

0.88

 

$

0.79

 

   Diluted


 


1.09


 


 


0.85


 


 


0.77


 




See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.







4


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 


 


Fiscal Year


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

$

65,938

 

$

51,716

 

$

47,912

 

Adjustments necessary to reconcile net earnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Depreciation

 

18,683

 

 

17,664

 

 

16,633

 

      Amortization

 

388

 

 

283

 

 

227

 

      Deferred income taxes (credit)

 

1,179

 

 

(902

)

 

216

 

      Unearned compensation

 

3,349

 

 

2,183

 

 

2,853

 

      Other

 

4,624

 

 

(3,721

)

 

(185

)

      Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Accounts receivable

 

(2,332

)

 

15,534

 

 

(5,879

)

         Inventories

 

(15,833

)

 

17,069

 

 

24,884

 

         Other operating assets

 

(2,776

)

 

529

 

 

(1,076

)

         Accounts payable

 

21,229

 

 

(5,820

)

 

(656

)

         Other operating liabilities


 


11,912


 


 


7,668


 


 


3,350


 


Net cash provided by operating activities

 

106,361

 

 

102,203

 

 

88,279

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

-

 

 

(14,780

)

 

(27,366

)

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

(18,080

)

 

(16,015

)

 

(13,875

)

Other


 


(104


)


 


58


 


 


607


 


Net cash used in investing activities

 

(18,184

)

 

(30,737

)

 

(40,634

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payments of short-term debt

 

-

 

 

-

 

 

(90

)

Proceeds from long-term borrowings

 

44,385

 

 

66,194

 

 

94,215

 

Payments of long-term debt

 

(60,404

)

 

(81,176

)

 

(112,226

)

Cash dividends

 

(11,135

)

 

(8,588

)

 

(7,192

)

Purchase of common stock for treasury

 

(55,331

)

 

(25,656

)

 

(33,626

)

Proceeds from shares issued under stock incentive plans


 


6,688


 


 


7,570


 


 


2,202


 


Net cash used in financing activities

 

(75,797

)

 

(41,656

)

 

(56,717

)

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes


 


4,436


 


 


(1,532


)


 


330


 


Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

16,816

 

 

28,278

 

 

(8,742

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year


 


55,356


 


 


27,078


 


 


35,820


 


Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year


$


72,172


 


$


55,356


 


$


27,078


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Cash Flow Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

$

4,056

 

$

5,461

 

$

6,633

 

Net income taxes paid


 


23,868


 


 


22,725


 


 


18,201


 


( ) Denotes reduction in cash and cash equivalents.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.



5


NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad line of quality casual shoes, performance outdoor footwear, work shoes and boots, uniform shoes and boots, constructed slippers and moccasins. The Company's global portfolio of owned and licensed brands includes: Bates, CAT®, Harley-Davidson®, Hush Puppies®, HyTest®, Merrell®, Sebago®, Stanley® and Wolverine®. Apparel and licensing programs are utilized to extend the Company's owned brands into product categories beyond footwear. The Company also operates a retail division to showcase its brands and branded footwear from other manufacturers, a tannery that produces Wolverine Performance Leathers™ and a pigskin procurement operation.

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and its wholly and majority owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

FISCAL YEAR
The Company's fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the Saturday nearest to December 31. Fiscal years presented in this report include the 52-week period ended January 1, 2005, the 53-week period ended January 3, 2004 and the 52-week period ended December 28, 2002.

USE OF ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

REVENUE RECOGNITION
Revenue is recognized on the sale of products manufactured or sourced by the Company when the related goods have been shipped and legal title has passed to the customer. Revenue generated through programs with licensees and distributors involving products bearing the Company's trademarks is recognized as earned according to stated contractual terms upon either the purchase or shipment of branded products by distributors and licensees.

The Company records provisions against gross revenue for estimated stock returns and cash discounts in the period when the related revenue is recorded. These estimates are based on factors that include, but are not limited to, historical stock returns, historical discounts taken and analysis of credit memorandum activity.

COST OF PRODUCTS SOLD
Cost of products sold for the Company's operations include the actual product costs, including inbound freight charges, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, and internal transfer costs. Warehousing costs are included in selling and administrative expenses.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING COSTS
Shipping and handling costs that are charged to and reimbursed by the customer are recognized as revenue, while the related expenses incurred by the Company are recorded as cost of products sold in the consolidated statements of operations.

CASH EQUIVALENTS
All short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased are considered cash equivalents.



6


ALLOWANCE FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS
The Company maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable for estimated losses resulting from its customers' inability to make required payments. Company management evaluates the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable based on a review of current customer status and historical collection experience. Adjustments to these estimates may be required if the financial condition of the Company's customers were to change. The Company does not require collateral or other security on trade accounts receivable.

INVENTORIES
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method for all domestic raw materials and work-in-process inventories, and certain domestic finished goods inventories. Cost is determined using methods approximating cost under the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method for all raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods inventories in foreign countries where LIFO is not permitted. The FIFO method is also used for all finished goods inventories of the Company's retail business, due to the unique nature of that operation, and for certain domestic finished goods inventories that were acquired as part of asset purchase transactions. Once elected, the Company has applied these inventory cost valuation methods consistently from year to year.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property, plant and equipment are stated on the basis of cost and include expenditures for new facilities, major renewals, betterments and software. Normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is computed using the straight-line method. The depreciable lives range from five to forty years for buildings and improvements and from three to ten years for machinery, equipment and software.

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLES
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of acquired businesses. Other intangibles consist primarily of trademarks, brand names, patents and customer lists. Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized, but are subject to impairment tests at least annually in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. The Company reviews the carrying amounts of goodwill and other non-amortizable intangible assets annually to determine if such assets may be impaired. If the carrying amounts of these assets are not recoverable based upon a discounted cash flow analysis, such assets are reduced by the estimated shortfall of fair value to recorded value. Other amortizable intangible assets (principally patents) are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives (periods ranging from two to fifteen years). Ot her amortizable intangible assets are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets and have net carrying amounts of $1,492,000 and $986,000 for 2004 and 2003, respectively, and accumulated amortization of $1,159,000 and $694,000 for 2004 and 2003, respectively. Estimated aggregate amortization expense for such intangibles for each of the five fiscal years subsequent to 2004 are as follows: 2005-$440,000; 2006-$407,000; 2007-$317,000; 2008-$181,000; 2009-$89,000.

The Company has performed the required annual impairment tests and has determined that there was no impairment indicated for recorded goodwill and other non-amortizable intangibles.

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill and other non-amortizable intangibles for the years ended January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004 are as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Goodwill


 


Trademarks


 


Total


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at December 28, 2002

$

30,706

 

$

2,582

 

$

33,288

 

Intangibles acquired

 

820

 

 

5,157

 

 

5,977

 

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

(614

)

 

-

 

 

(614

)

Foreign currency translation effects


 


3,479


 


 


-


 


 


3,479


 


Balance at January 3, 2004

 

34,391

 

 

7,739

 

 

42,130

 

Intangibles acquired

 

-

 

 

351

 

 

351

 

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

(613

)

 

-

 

 

(613

)

Foreign currency translation effects


 


1,774


 


 


-


 


 


1,774


 


Balance at January 1, 2005


$


35,552


 


$


8,090


 


$


43,642


 




7


IMPAIRMENT OR DISPOSAL OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS
The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or an asset group may not be recoverable. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the assets or asset group. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment amount to be recognized is the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds their fair value.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
The Company has elected to follow Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related interpretations, in accounting for its stock incentive awards. Under APB Opinion No. 25, compensation expense is recognized when the market price of the stock underlying an award on the date of grant exceeds any related exercise price.

Where compensation expense has been determined by APB Opinion No. 25, pro forma information regarding net earnings and earnings per share is required by SFAS No. 123, and has been determined as if the Company had accounted for its stock awards using the fair value method. The fair value of these awards was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 3.4% (2.9% in 2003 and 4.2% in 2002); dividend yield of 1.0% (1.3% in 2003 and 1.1% in 2002); expected market price volatility factor of 0.317 (0.386 in 2003 and 0.420 in 2002); and an expected option life of four years.

The estimated weighted-average fair value for each option granted was $4.68 in 2004, $3.30 in 2003 and $3.65 in 2002.

For purposes of pro forma disclosures, the estimated fair values of stock options are amortized to expense over the related vesting periods. The Company recognizes compensation cost for fixed awards with pro rata vesting using the straight-line attribution method. The Company's pro forma information under SFAS No. 123 is as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings, as reported

$

65,938

 

$

51,716

 

$

47,912

 

Add:

Total stock-based employee compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

expense included in reported net income, net of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

related tax effects

 

3,374

 

 

2,326

 

 

2,862

 

Deduct:

Total stock-based employee compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

expense determined under fair value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


method for all awards, net of related tax effects


 


8,330


 


 


5,456


 


 


5,873


 


Pro forma net earnings


$


60,982


 


$


48,586


 


$


44,901


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Basic-as reported

$

1.15

 

$

0.88

 

$

0.79

 

   Basic-pro forma

 

1.06

 

 

0.83

 

 

0.75

 

   Diluted-as reported

 

1.09

 

 

0.85

 

 

0.77

 

   Diluted-pro forma

 

1.01

 

 

0.79

 

 

0.72

 

On December 16, 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 123(R), Share-Based Payment, which would require all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated statements of operations based on their fair values, effective for public companies for interim periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company intends to adopt SFAS No. 123(R) effective June 19, 2005. SFAS No. 123(R) permits public companies to adopt its requirements using either the modified prospective or retrospective method. The Company is currently evaluating the alternative methods of adoption.

The impact of adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) cannot be predicted at this time because it will depend on levels of share-based payments granted in the future. However, had the Company adopted SFAS No. 123(R) in prior periods, the impact of that standard would have approximated the pro forma impact of SFAS No. 123 as disclosed above. SFAS No.123(R) also requires the benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation cost to be reported as a financing cash flow, rather than as an operating cash flow as required under current literature.


8


ADVERTISING COSTS
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and customer specific advertising dollars are expensed when earned by customers.  Total advertising expense was $38,611,000 in 2004, $35,254,000 in 2003, and $33,584,000 in 2002 and includes customer specific advertising dollars of $9,689,000 in 2004, $9,652,000 in 2003, and $8,311,000 in 2002. The Company provides sales incentives to certain retail customers in the form of a cooperative advertising program and accounts for this in accordance with EITF 01-9, Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a Customer (Including a Reseller of the Vendor's Products).  Under this program, customers are reimbursed for Company-approved advertising expenditures where the value to the Company is objectively verifiable.

INCOME TAXES
The provision for income taxes is based on the earnings reported in the consolidated financial statements. A deferred income tax asset or liability is determined by applying currently enacted tax laws and rates to the cumulative temporary differences between the carrying values of assets and liabilities for financial statement and income tax purposes.

EARNINGS PER SHARE
Basic earnings per share is computed based on weighted average shares of common stock outstanding during each year after adjustment for restricted nonvested common stock issued under restricted stock incentive plans. Diluted earnings per share assumes the exercise of dilutive stock options and the vesting of all common stock under restricted stock programs.

The following table sets forth the reconciliation of weighted average shares used in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004


 


2003


 


2002


 


Weighted average shares outstanding during the year

58,498,042

 

59,846,151

 

61,524,543

 

Adjustment for nonvested common stock


(1,099,677


)


(1,081,869


)


(1,156,123


)


Denominator for basic earnings per share

57,398,365

 

58,764,282

 

60,368,420

 

Effect of dilutive stock options

2,265,984

 

1,570,782

 

1,165,296

 

Adjustment for nonvested common stock - treasury method


809,708


 


746,343


 


799,695


 


Denominator for diluted earnings per share


60,474,057


 


61,081,407


 


62,333,411


 


Options to purchase 588,978 shares of common stock in 2004, 988,601 shares in 2003 and 1,194,730 shares in 2002 have not been included in the denominator for the computation of diluted earnings per share because the related exercise prices were greater than the average market price for the period and, therefore, they were antidilutive.

STOCK SPLIT
On December 15, 2004 the Company announced a three-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend on shares of common stock outstanding at January 3, 2005 distributed to shareholders on February 1, 2005. All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements and related notes have been adjusted for all periods to reflect the stock split. Treasury shares were excluded from the stock split.

FOREIGN CURRENCY
For the Company's international subsidiaries, the local currency is the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the year-end exchange rate. Operating statement amounts are translated at average exchange rates for the period. The cumulative translation adjustments resulting from changes in exchange rates are included in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity. Transaction gains and losses are included in the consolidated statements of operations and were not material.



9


FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
The Company's financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts and notes receivable, accounts and notes payable and long-term debt. Except for fixed rate long-term debt with a carrying value of $43,857,000 and a fair value of $45,996,000 at January 1, 2005 and a carrying value of $59,857,000 and a fair value of $65,465,000 at January 3, 2004, the Company's estimate of the fair values of these financial instruments approximates their carrying amounts for the respective years. Fair value was determined using discounted cash flow analyses and current interest rates for similar instruments. The Company does not hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes.

The Company follows SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended by SFAS Nos. 137 and 138, which requires that all derivative instruments be recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value and establishes criteria for designation and effectiveness of hedging relationships. The Company utilizes foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage the volatility associated with foreign currency inventory purchases made by non-U.S. wholesale operations in the normal course of business. At January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, foreign exchange contracts with a notional value of $46,974,500 and $37,902,000, respectively, were outstanding to purchase various currencies (principally U.S. dollars) with maturities ranging up to 280 days. These contracts have been designated as cash flow hedges. As of January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, a liability of $1,821,000 and $2,270,000, respectively, has been recognized for the fair value of the foreign currency fo rward exchange contracts.

The fair value of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts represents the estimated receipts or payments necessary to terminate the contracts. Hedge effectiveness is evaluated by the hypothetical derivative method. Any hedge ineffectiveness is reported within the cost of products sold caption of the consolidated statements of operations. Hedge ineffectiveness was not material in 2004 or 2003. If, in the future, the foreign exchange contracts are determined to be ineffective hedges or terminated before their contractual termination dates, the Company would be required to reclassify into earnings all or a portion of the unrealized amounts related to the cash flow hedges that are currently included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders' equity.

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Comprehensive income (loss) represents net earnings and any revenue, expenses, gains and losses that, under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, are excluded from net earnings and recognized directly as a component of stockholders' equity.

Ending accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is as follows:

 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments

$

23,787

 

$

14,060

 

Foreign currency cash flow hedge adjustments, net of taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

   (2004 - $993; 2003 - $819)

 

(1,477

)

 

(1,637

)

Minimum pension liability adjustments, net of taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

   (2004 - $1,476; 2003 - $2,000)


 


(2,864


)


 


(3,883


)


Accumulated other comprehensive income


$


19,446


 


$


8,540


 


RECLASSIFICATIONS
Certain amounts previously reported in 2003 and 2002 have been reclassified to conform with the presentation used in 2004.

2. Inventories
Inventories of $81,771,000 at January 1, 2005 and $90,368,000 at January 3, 2004 have been valued using the LIFO method. If the FIFO method had been used, inventories would have been $8,614,000 and $9,324,000 higher than reported at January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, respectively.



10


3. Debt
Long-term debt consists of the following obligations:


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.5% senior notes payable

$

42,857

 

$

53,571

 

7.81% senior notes payable

 

-

 

 

4,286

 

Revolving credit obligations

 

-

 

 

-

 

Other


 


1,047


 


 


2,066


 


 

 

43,904

 

 

59,923

 

Less current maturities


 


11,735


 


 


16,020


 


 


$


32,169


 


$


43,903


 


The 6.5% unsecured senior notes payable require annual principal payments of $10,714,000 due through the maturity date of December 8, 2008. In connection with the issuance of these senior notes, the Company entered into an interest rate lock agreement with a bank that was settled in 1998 and resulted in a prepayment of interest of $2,200,000. This prepayment is being amortized over the remaining term of the notes using the effective interest method.

The 7.81% unsecured senior notes payable was paid in full on August 13, 2004.

The Company has an unsecured revolving credit agreement that allows for borrowings up to $150,000,000, of which $10,000,000 pertains to the Company's Canadian subsidiary. Of the remaining $140,000,000 facility available to the U.S. operations, $35,000,000 may also be utilized by the European subsidiaries. This agreement, which expires May 2006, requires that interest be paid at a variable rate based on one of the following options elected by the Company: prime or LIBOR or money market rate plus applicable spread.

The Company had commercial letters of credit outstanding of $3,175,000 and $2,380,000 at January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, respectively.

The long-term loan agreements contain restrictive covenants that, among other things, require the Company to maintain certain financial ratios and minimum levels of consolidated net worth. At January 1, 2005, the Company was in compliance with all restrictive covenants and retained earnings in excess of covenant requirements were $83,968,000. The agreements also impose restrictions on securing additional debt, sale and merger transactions and the disposition of significant assets.

Principal maturities of long-term debt subsequent to 2005 are as follows: 2006-$10,730,000; 2007-$10,721,000; 2008-$10,718,000.

Interest costs of $408,000 in 2004, $235,000 in 2003 and $254,000 in 2002 were capitalized in connection with various capital improvement and computer hardware and software installation projects.

4. Leases
The Company leases machinery, equipment and certain warehouse, office and retail store space under operating lease agreements that expire at various dates through 2018. At January 1, 2005, minimum rental payments due under all noncancelable leases were as follows: 2005-$10,736,000; 2006-$9,082,000; 2007-$7,819,000; 2008-$6,762,000; 2009-$5,741,000; thereafter-$15,377,000.

Rental expense under all operating leases consisted primarily of minimum rentals and totaled $11,542,000 in 2004, $11,614,000 in 2003 and $11,011,000 in 2002.

5. Capital Stock
The Company has 2,000,000 authorized shares of $1 par value preferred stock, of which none is issued or outstanding.

The Company has a preferred stock rights plan that is designed to protect stockholder interests in the event the Company is confronted with coercive or unfair takeover tactics. Two-thirds of one right is associated with each share of common stock currently outstanding. The rights trade with the common stock and become exercisable only upon the occurrence of certain triggering events. Each right, when exercisable, will entitle the holder to purchase one one-


11


hundredth of a share of Series B junior participating preferred stock for $120. The Company has designated 500,000 shares of preferred stock as Series B junior participating preferred stock for possible future issuance under the Company's preferred stock rights plan. Upon issuance for reasons other than liquidation, each share of Series B junior participating preferred stock will have 100 votes and a preferential quarterly dividend equal to the greater of $21 per share or 100 times the dividend declared on common stock.

If, after a triggering event, the Company is a party to a merger or other business combination, regardless of whether the Company is the surviving corporation, right holders other than the party to the merger will be entitled to receive common stock of the surviving corporation worth twice the exercise price of the rights. The plan also provides for protection against self-dealing transactions by certain 15% stockholders or the activities of an adverse person (as defined in the plan). The Company may redeem the rights for $.01 each at any time prior to a person being designated as an adverse person or fifteen days after a triggering event. Unless redeemed earlier, all rights expire on May 7, 2007. The Board of Directors can elect to exclude certain transactions from triggering the exercise of preferred stock rights and other actions under the plan.

The Company has stock incentive plans under which options to purchase shares of common stock may be granted to officers, other key employees and non-employee directors. Options granted are exercisable over no more than ten years and vest over various periods. All unexercised options are available for future grant upon their cancellation.

A summary of the transactions under the stock option plans is as follows:

 


 


 


 


 



 


Shares Under
Option



 


Weighted-Average
Option Price



 


Outstanding at December 29, 2001

5,971,896

 

$

9.65

 

 

Granted

1,196,991

 

 

10.39

 

 

Exercised

(482,803

)

 

7.25

 

 

Cancelled


(67,787


)


 


10.57


 


 


Outstanding at December 28, 2002

6,618,297

 

 

9.93

 

 

Granted

1,208,001

 

 

10.81

 

 

Exercised

(1,127,250

)

 

7.96

 

 

Cancelled


(66,084


)


 


13.45


 


 


Outstanding at January 3, 2004

6,632,964

 

 

10.41

 

 

Granted

1,938,069

 

 

17.75

 

 

Exercised

(2,880,662

)

 

9.90

 

 

Cancelled


(108,186


)


 


13.60


 


 


Outstanding at January 1, 2005


5,582,185


 


$


13.14


 


 


Shares available for grant under the stock option plans were 2,067,445 at January 1, 2005, 3,147,514 at January 3, 2004, and 2,416,321 at December 28, 2002.

The exercise prices of options outstanding at January 1, 2005 range from $4.36 to $21.13. A summary of stock options outstanding and options exercisable at January 1, 2005 is as follows:

 

Options Outstanding


 

Options Exercisable


Range of
Exercise
Price




Number




 


Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price




 


Average
Remaining
Contractual Life




 




Number




 


Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price


Less than $10

903,207

 

$

7.46

 

 

3.7 years

 

901,933

 

$

7.46

 

$10 to $15

2,348,358

 

 

10.58

 

 

6.6 years

 

1,677,360

 

 

10.60

 

Greater than $15


2,330,620


 


 


17.91


 


 


6.2 years


 


1,763,673


 


 


18.72


 


 


5,582,185


 


$


13.14


 


 


6.0 years


 


4,342,966


 


$


13.25


 




12


The number of options exercisable at January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002 totaled 5,273,376 and 5,256,171, respectively, with weighted-average exercise prices of $10.40 and $9.98, respectively.

The Company also has stock award plans for officers and other key employees. Common stock issued under these plans is subject to certain restrictions, including a prohibition against any sale, transfer or other disposition by the officer or employee (except for certain transfers for estate planning purposes for certain officers), a requirement to forfeit the award upon certain terminations of employment in cases other than death, disability, retirement or consensual severance and performance criteria in certain instances. These restrictions lapse over a three- to five-year period from the date of the award. Shares aggregating 294,120 in 2004, 242,850 in 2003 and 242,550 in 2002 were awarded under these plans. The weighted-average grant date fair value was $15.37 in 2004, $10.57 in 2003 and $10.31 in 2002 for the shares awarded. There were 13,734 awards cancelled in 2004 and 27,336 awards cancelled in 2002. There were no awards cancelled in 2003. The market value of the shares awarded without performance c riteria is recognized as unearned compensation in the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity and is amortized to operations over the vesting period. Awards based on performance criteria are amortized to operations over the combined performance and vesting period.

6. Retirement Plans
The Company has noncontributory, defined benefit pension plans covering a majority of its domestic employees. The Company's principal defined benefit pension plan provides benefits based on the employees' years of service and final average earnings (as defined in the plan), while the other plan provides benefits at a fixed rate per year of service. The Company intends to annually contribute amounts deemed necessary to maintain the plans on a sound actuarial basis.

The Company has a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan ("SERP") for certain current and former employees that entitles them to receive payments from the Company following retirement based on the employees' years of service and final average earnings (as defined in the SERP). Under the SERP, the employees can elect early retirement with a corresponding reduction in benefits. The Company also has individual deferred compensation agreements with certain former employees that entitle them to receive payments from the Company for a period of fifteen to eighteen years following retirement. The Company maintains life insurance policies with a cash surrender value of $26,245,000 at January 1, 2005 and $24,648,000 at January 3, 2004 that are intended to fund deferred compensation benefits under the SERP and deferred compensation agreements.

The Company has a defined contribution money accumulation plan covering substantially all domestic employees that provides for Company contributions based on earnings. This plan is combined with the principal defined benefit pension plan for funding purposes to the extent allowable under applicable regulations. The Company recognized expense for the money accumulation plan of $1,788,000 in 2004, $1,620,000 in 2003 and $1,500,000 in 2002. The Company also has certain defined contribution plans at foreign subsidiaries. Contributions to these plans were $832,000 in 2004, $662,000 in 2003, and $506,000 in 2002.




13


The Company uses a September 30 measurement date for its defined benefit plans. The following summarizes the status of and changes in the Company's pension assets and related obligations for its pension plans (which include the Company's defined benefit pension plans and the SERP) as of:

 


September 30


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in projected benefit obligations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Projected benefit obligations at beginning of the year

$

146,486

 

$

132,544

 

     Service cost pertaining to benefits earned during the year

 

3,983

 

 

3,243

 

     Interest cost on projected benefit obligations

 

8,991

 

 

8,634

 

     Effect of changes in actuarial assumptions

 

37

 

 

(401

)

     Actuarial losses

 

4,176

 

 

9,027

 

     Benefits paid to plan participants


 


(6,805


)


 


(6,561


)


Projected benefit obligations at end of the year


$


156,868


 


$


146,486


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of pension assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Fair value of pension assets at beginning of the year

$

127,854

 

$

102,486

 

     Actual net investment gain

 

17,559

 

 

22,195

 

     Company contributions

 

5,664

 

 

9,734

 

     Benefits paid to plan participants


 


(6,805


)


 


(6,561


)


Fair value of pension assets at end of the year


$


144,272


 


$


127,854


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded status

$

(12,596

)

$

(18,632

)

Unrecognized prior service costs

 

3,253

 

 

3,879

 

Unrecognized net actuarial losses


 


35,118


 


 


41,465


 


Net amount recognized


$


25,775


 


$


26,712


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepaid benefit cost

$

36,416

 

$

37,578

 

Accrued benefit cost

 

(16,778

)

 

(18,887

)

Intangible assets

 

1,797

 

 

2,138

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss


 


4,340


 


 


5,883


 


Net amount recognized


$


25,775


 


$


26,712


 



Funded status of pension plans and SERP (supplemental):

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Funded status of qualified defined benefit plans and SERP

$

(12,596

)

$

(18,632

)

   Nonqualified trust assets (cash surrender value of life insurance) recorded

 

 

 

 

 

 

      in other assets and intended to satisfy the projected benefit obligation

 

 

 

 

 

 

      of unfunded supplemental employee retirement plans


 


23,631


 


 


21,708


 


Net funded status of pension plans and SERP (supplemental)


$


11,035


 


$


3,076


 


The Company made contributions of $159,000 and $194,000 subsequent to the measurement date and before the fiscal years ended 2004 and 2003, respectively.

Information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:

 


 


September 30


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projected benefit obligations

$

28,381

 

$

27,805

 

Accumulated benefit obligations

 

27,295

 

 

26,502

 

Fair value of plan assets

 

10,517

 

 

7,615

 

The accumulated benefit obligations for all defined benefit pension plans and the SERP were $147,933,000 and $138,419,000 at September 30, 2004 and 2003, respectively.



14


The following is a summary of net pension and SERP expense recognized by the Company:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service cost pertaining to benefits earned during the year

$

(3,983

)

$

(3,243

)

$

(4,435

)

Interest cost on projected benefit obligations

 

(8,991

)

 

(8,634

)

 

(8,959

)

Expected return on pension assets

 

11,906

 

 

10,175

 

 

12,477

 

Net amortization loss


 


(5,548


)


 


(5,491


)


 


(1,010


)


Net pension expense


$


(6,616


)


$


(7,193


)


$


(1,927


)


Expense for qualified defined benefit pension plans was $4,825,000 in 2004 and $6,014,000 in 2003, and pension income was $1,314,000 in 2002

 


 


 


 


 


 


2004


 


2003


 


 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at September 30:

     Discount rate

5.98%

 

6.11%

 

     Rate of compensation increase

3.50%

 

3.50%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the years ended:

     Discount rate

6.11%

 

6.76%

 

     Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets

8.75%

 

8.90%

 

     Rate of compensation increase-qualified plans

3.50%

 

3.50%

 

     Rate of compensation increase-SERP

3.50%

 

3.85%

 

Unrecognized net experience losses exceeding certain corridors are amortized over a five-year period, unless the minimum amortization method based on average remaining service periods produces a higher amortization.

The long-term rate of return is based on overall market expectations for a balanced portfolio with an asset mix similar to the Company's, utilizing historic returns for broad market and fixed income indices.

 


 


 


 


 


 


2004


 


2003


 


 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average asset allocations at September 30 by asset category are as follows:

     Equity securities

72.3%

 

71.8%

 

     Debt instruments

22.7%

 

22.9%

 

     Cash and money market investments


5.0%


 


5.3%


 


 


100.0%


 


100.0%


 


The Company's investment policy for plan assets uses a blended approach of U.S. and foreign equities combined with U.S. fixed income investments. Policy guidelines indicate that total equities should not exceed 80% and fixed income securities should not exceed 50%. Within the equity and fixed income classifications, the investments are diversified.

Equity securities include shares of the Company's common stock with a fair value of $9,477,000 at September 30, 2003. There were no holdings of Company common stock at September 30, 2004. Dividends received on Company common stock holdings were $10,000 in 2004, $134,000 in 2003 and $120,000 in 2002.

The Company expects to contribute $3,000,000 to its qualified defined benefit pension plans and $588,000 to the SERP in 2005.

Expected benefit payments for the five years subsequent to 2004 and the sum of the five years following those are as follows: 2005 - $7,040,000; 2006 - $7,543,000; 2007 - $7,805,000; 2008 - $8,074,000; 2009 - $8,349,000; and 2010 through 2014 - $48,935,000.



15


7. Income Taxes
The provisions for income taxes consist of the following:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currently payable:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Federal

$

23,096

 

$

19,818

 

$

20,002

 

   State and foreign

 

6,604

 

 

4,346

 

 

3,381

 

Deferred (credit) expense


 


1,179


 


 


(902


)


 


216


 


 


$


30,879


 


$


23,262


 


$


23,599


 


A reconciliation of the Company's total income tax expense and the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate of 35% to earnings before income taxes is as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income taxes at statutory rate

$

33,975

 

$

26,302

 

$

25,079

 

State income taxes, net of federal income tax reduction

 

343

 

 

183

 

 

271

 

Nontaxable earnings of foreign affiliates

 

(2,186

)

 

(1,605

)

 

(1,674

)

Research and development credits

 

(550

)

 

(1,870

)

 

-

 

Foreign earnings taxed at rates differing from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   the U.S. statutory rate

 

(313

)

 

718

 

 

121

 

Other


 


(390


)


 


(466


)


 


(198


)


 


$


30,879


 


$


23,262


 


$


23,599


 


Significant components of the Company's deferred income tax assets and liabilities as of the end of 2004 and 2003 are as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Accounts receivable and inventory valuation allowances

$

2,444

 

$

3,086

 

   Deferred compensation accruals

 

2,163

 

 

2,187

 

   Future benefit of foreign net operating losses

 

254

 

 

254

 

   Accrued pension costs

 

1,476

 

 

2,000

 

   Other amounts not deductible until paid


 


6,470


 


 


5,906


 


Total deferred income tax assets

 

12,807

 

 

13,433

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Tax over book depreciation

 

(10,336

)

 

(9,256

)

   Prepaid pension costs

 

(9,250

)

 

(9,738

)

   Other


 


(1,399


)


 


(979


)


Total deferred income tax liabilities


 


(20,985


)


 


(19,973


)


Net deferred income tax liabilities


$


(8,178


)


$


(6,540


)


No provision has been made for U.S. federal and state income taxes or foreign taxes that may result from future remittances of the undistributed earnings ($96,052,000 at January 1, 2005 and $69,558,000 at January 3, 2004) of foreign subsidiaries as the Company expects such earnings will be reinvested overseas indefinitely. However, the Company is analyzing the potential impact of the repatriation provision of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the "Act"), which would allow the Company to bring these foreign earnings back to the United States at reduced tax rates effective until December 31, 2005. If elected, the amount of repatriation is not expected to exceed $70,000,000 because a dividend of earnings from certain jurisdictions would not result in a tax benefit where foreign statutory rates exceed the U.S. rate. Technical corrections to the Act are pending issuance and therefore it is not currently practicable to estimate the potential range of impact on income taxes.



16


8. Litigation and Contingencies
The Company is involved in various environmental claims and other legal actions arising in the normal course of business. The environmental claims include sites where the Environmental Protection Agency has notified the Company that it is a potentially responsible party with respect to environmental remediation. These remediation claims are subject to ongoing environmental impact studies, assessment of remediation alternatives, allocation of costs between responsible parties and concurrence by regulatory authorities and have not yet advanced to a stage where the Company's liability is fixed. However, after taking into consideration legal counsel's evaluation of all actions and claims against the Company, management is currently of the opinion that their outcome will not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or future results of operations.

Pursuant to certain of the Company's lease agreements, the Company has provided financial guarantees to third parties in the form of indemnification provisions. These provisions indemnify and reimburse the third parties for costs, including but not limited to adverse judgments in lawsuits and taxes and operating costs. The terms of the guarantees are equal to the terms of the related lease agreements. The Company is not able to calculate the maximum potential amount of future payments it could be required to make under these guarantees, as the potential payment is dependent upon the occurrence of future unknown events.

The Company has future minimum royalty obligations due under the terms of certain licenses held by the Company. These minimum future obligations are as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2005


 


2006


 


2007


 


2008


 


2009


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minimum royalties

$1,118

 

$969

 

$820

 

$844

 

$869

 

Minimum royalties are based on both fixed obligations and assumptions regarding the consumer price index. Royalty obligations in excess of minimum requirements are based upon future sales levels. In accordance with these agreements, the Company incurred royalty expense of $3,083,000, $3,132,000 and $2,929,000 for 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.

The terms of certain license agreements also require advertising expenditures based on the level of sales. In accordance with these agreements, the Company's advertising obligations, based on actual sales, totaled $1,982,000, $2,915,000 and $2,741,000 for 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.

9. Business Segments
The Company has one reportable segment that is engaged in manufacturing, sourcing, marketing, licensing and distributing branded footwear and licensed apparel and accessories to the retail sector, including casual shoes, dress shoes, performance outdoor footwear, boots, uniform shoes, work shoes, slippers, moccasins and apparel and accessories. Revenue of this segment is derived from the sale of branded footwear to external customers as well as royalty income from the licensing of the Company's trademarks and brand names to licensees and distributors. The business units comprising the branded footwear and licensing segment manufacture or source, market and distribute products in a similar manner. Branded footwear and licensed products are distributed through wholesale channels and under licensing and distributor arrangements.

The other business units in the following tables consist of the Company's retail, tannery and pigskin procurement operations. The Company operated 70 domestic retail stores and 5 consumer-direct internet sites at January 1, 2005 that sell Company-manufactured and sourced products, as well as footwear manufactured by unaffiliated companies. The other business units distribute products through retail and wholesale channels.

The Company measures segment profits as earnings before income taxes and minority interest. The accounting policies used to determine profitability and total assets of the branded footwear and other business segments are the same as disclosed in Note 1.



17


Business segment information is as follows:

 


 


 


2004




 


Branded
Footwear
and Licensing




 



Other
Businesses




 




Corporate




 




Consolidated


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

903,611

 

$

88,298

 

$

-

 

$

991,909

Intersegment sales

 

30,750

 

 

2,939

 

 

-

 

 

33,689

Interest (income) expense - net

 

9,266

 

 

968

 

 

(6,989

)

 

3,245

Depreciation expense

 

6,585

 

 

3,215

 

 

8,883

 

 

18,683

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   and minority interest

 

111,261

 

 

4,226

 

 

(18,417

)

 

97,070

Total assets

 

453,522

 

 

39,260

 

 

146,789

 

 

639,571

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

8,920

 

 

3,890

 

 

5,270

 

 

18,080


 


 


 


2003




 


Branded
Footwear
and Licensing




 



Other
Businesses




 




Corporate




 




Consolidated


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

812,590

 

$

76,336

 

$

-

 

$

888,926

Intersegment sales

 

27,288

 

 

2,471

 

 

-

 

 

29,759

Interest (income) expense - net

 

9,314

 

 

1,059

 

 

(4,899

)

 

5,474

Depreciation expense

 

5,667

 

 

2,587

 

 

9,410

 

 

17,664

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   and minority interest

 

85,294

 

 

1,357

 

 

(11,503

)

 

75,148

Total assets

 

399,276

 

 

36,594

 

 

157,922

 

 

593,792

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

6,229

 

 

3,355

 

 

6,431

 

 

16,015


 


 


 


2002




 


Branded
Footwear
and Licensing




 



Other
Businesses




 




Corporate




 




Consolidated


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

748,807

 

$

78,299

 

$

-

 

$

827,106

Intersegment sales

 

24,814

 

 

3,099

 

 

-

 

 

27,913

Interest (income) expense - net

 

10,458

 

 

1,706

 

 

(5,698

)

 

6,466

Depreciation expense

 

5,340

 

 

2,406

 

 

8,887

 

 

16,633

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   and minority interest

 

81,266

 

 

4,361

 

 

(13,973

)

 

71,654

Total assets

 

384,723

 

 

40,453

 

 

106,818

 

 

531,994

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

8,732

 

 

1,700

 

 

3,443

 

 

13,875


Geographic information, based on shipping destination, related to revenue from external customers included in the consolidated statements of operations is as follows:




18


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

$

718,674

 

$

674,794

 

$

644,647

 

Foreign countries:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Europe and Russia

 

193,461

 

 

150,643

 

 

127,461

 

   Canada

 

49,797

 

 

45,422

 

 

39,363

 

   Central and South America

 

9,084

 

 

6,639

 

 

6,417

 

   Asia

 

11,990

 

 

8,132

 

 

6,780

 

   Middle East/Africa


 


8,903


 


 


3,296


 


 


2,438


 


      Total foreign countries revenue


 


273,235


 


 


214,132


 


 


182,459


 


 


$


991,909


 


$


888,926


 


$


827,106


 


The Company's long-lived assets (primarily property, plant and equipment and intangible assets) are as follows:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


2004  


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

$

132,651

 

$

135,914

 

$

135,346

 

Foreign countries


 


40,776


 


 


36,880


 


 


32,005


 


The Company does not believe that it is dependent upon any single customer, since none accounts for more than 10% of consolidated revenue.

The Company sources approximately 88% (based on pairs) of its footwear products from unrelated suppliers primarily located in Asia. The remainder is produced in Company-owned manufacturing facilities in the United States and the Dominican Republic. All licensed apparel and accessories are sourced from unrelated suppliers. While changes in suppliers could cause delays in manufacturing and a possible loss of sales, management believes that other suppliers could provide similar products on comparable terms.

No product groups, other than branded footwear and licensing, account for more than 10% of consolidated revenue. Revenues derived from the sale and licensing of footwear, apparel and accessories accounted for approximately 91% of revenue in 2004, 2003 and 2002.

Approximately 12% of the Company's employees are subject to bargaining unit contracts extending through various dates through 2006.

10. Quarterly Results of Operations (unaudited)
The Company reports its quarterly results of operations on the basis of 12-week periods for each of the first three quarters and a 16- or 17-week period for the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter of 2004 includes 16 weeks and the fourth quarter of 2003 includes 17 weeks.

The Company's unaudited quarterly results of operations are as follows:

 


 


 


 


2004


 



 


First
Quarter



 


Second
Quarter



 


Third
Quarter



 


Fourth
Quarter



 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

224,871

 

$

198,774

 

$

260,897

 

$

307,367

 

Gross margin

 

85,441

 

 

75,514

 

 

98,177

 

 

115,003

 

Net earnings

 

12,299

 

 

10,985

 

 

21,946

 

 

20,708

 

Net earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Basic

$

.21

 

$

.19

 

$

.38

 

$

.37

 

   Diluted


 


.20


 


 


.18


 


 


.37


 


 


.34


 




19


 


 


 


 


2003


 



 


First
Quarter



 


Second
Quarter



 


Third
Quarter



 


Fourth
Quarter



 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

191,485

 

$

184,040

 

$

230,571

 

$

282,830

 

Gross margin

 

69,196

 

 

65,724

 

 

86,714

 

 

104,954

 

Net earnings

 

7,414

 

 

9,281

 

 

16,414

 

 

18,607

 

Net earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Basic

$

.13

 

$

.16

 

$

.28

 

$

.31

 

   Diluted


 


.12


 


 


.15


 


 


.27


 


 


.31


 


Adjustments in the fourth quarter were immaterial in 2004 and resulted in an increase in net earnings of $579,000 ($0.01 per share) in 2003. These adjustments related primarily to inventories.

11. Business Acquisitions
On January 3, 2005, the Company expanded its owned Wolverine® brand operations in Canada. Based on a preliminary purchase price allocation, assets consisting primarily of inventory and fixed assets totaling approximately $1,700,000 were acquired from a former Wolverine® and CAT® Footwear distributor for cash of $2,200,000, subject to certain post-closing adjustments, and resulted in goodwill and intangible assets of approximately $500,000.

On January 3, 2005, the Company expanded its owned Merrell® operations in Sweden and Finland and its Sebago® operations in the United Kingdom and Germany. Based on a preliminary purchase price allocation, assets consisting primarily of inventory totaling approximately $544,000 were acquired from former distributors for cash.

On November 3, 2003, the Company acquired significant operating assets of Sebago, Inc., an international distributor of performance nautical and American-inspired footwear, consisting of accounts receivable, inventory, fixed assets, trademarks and other amortizable intangible assets totaling approximately $18,627,000 and assumed liabilities of approximately $1,987,000. The total purchase price of Sebago, Inc., was $16,886,000, which consisted of $14,886,000 paid in cash and a note payable for $2,000,000 ($1,000,000 paid in 2004 and $1,000,000 due in 2005), resulting in goodwill of $246,000 after allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, the results of operations since November 3, 2003 are included in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

An independent valuation of the Sebago® trademarks was performed as of the date of the acquisition, which totaled $4,904,000. Pursuant to SFAS No. 142, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles will not be amortized, but will be evaluated for impairment annually. Goodwill was assigned to the Company's Branded Footwear and Licensing segment. The majority of the goodwill is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The other amortizable intangible assets have a weighted average useful life of approximately nine years.

The following table sets forth the unaudited pro forma information for the Company as if the Sebago® acquisition had occurred as of the beginning of 2002 utilizing the Company's effective tax rate. The unaudited pro forma financial information is provided for informational purposes only and does not purport to be indicative of the Company's results of operations that would actually have been achieved had the acquisition been completed at the beginning of the periods presented or that may be achieved in the future. The unaudited pro forma financial information was derived from the annual financial statements of the acquired company and does not give effect to any operational synergies or integration costs that may occur as a result of or following the acquisition.


20


 


 


 


 


 


 


2003  


 


2002  


 


(Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

921,944

 

$

865,469

 

Net earnings

 

53,460

 

 

49,732

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share

$

0.91

 

$

0.83

 

Diluted earnings per share

 

0.87

 

 

0.80

 

Immediately after the acquisition was consummated, management of the Company began to implement an integration plan for the Sebago acquisition. In conjunction with the integration plan, the Company recorded additional liabilities of approximately $1,792,000, which were included in the acquisition cost allocation in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 95-3, Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase Business Combination. The additional liabilities include severance and related costs for approximately 100 manufacturing and administrative employees in Maine, and exit costs for specific product lines of Sebago, Inc.

The following table is a summary of the activity in the reserves by category:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 



 


Employee
Severance



 



Exit Costs



 



Total



 


(Thousands of Dollars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts recognized as charges in 2003 and accrued at

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   January 3, 2004

$

1,496

 

$

296

 

$

1,792

 

Payments

 

(1,187

)

 

(282

)

 

(1,469

)

Adjustments


 


(309


)


 


-


 


 


(309


)


Balance at January 1, 2005


$


-


 


$


14


 


$


14


 


On January 16, 2002, the Company established a new subsidiary to operate the CAT® footwear business in the European market. This new entity, Wolverine Europe Limited, purchased assets consisting of accounts receivable, inventory, limited amortizable intangible assets and fixed assets totaling approximately $21,247,000 from Overland Group Limited of London, England and assumed liabilities of approximately $8,514,000. Cash and other consideration of $27,790,000 was remitted for the acquisition, resulting in goodwill of $15,057,000 after allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The former owner of Overland Group Limited is a 5% minority stockholder in the new subsidiary. The markets served directly by Wolverine Europe Limited include Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Wolverine Europe Limited also coordinates and supports other European markets serve d by independently-owned distributors. Consolidated pro forma revenue for 2002, assuming the transaction occurred at the beginning of the year, would not have been materially different from reported amounts. Consolidated pro forma net earnings for 2002, assuming the transaction occurred at the beginning of that year, are not materially different from reported amounts.





21


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and subsidiaries as of January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, and the related consolidated statements of stockholders' equity and comprehensive income, operations and cash flows for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended January 1, 2005. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a). These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and subsidiaries at January 1, 2005 and January 3, 2004, and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended January 1, 2005, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of Wolverine World Wide, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 23, 2005 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 23, 2005







22


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

We have audited management's assessment, included in the accompanying management's report on internal control over financial reporting, that Wolverine World Wide, Inc. maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Wolverine World Wide, Inc.'s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management's assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating management's assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company' s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, management's assessment that Wolverine World Wide, Inc. maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the COSO criteria. Also, in our opinion, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2005, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the 2004 consolidated financial statements of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and subsidiaries and our report dated February 23, 2005 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 23, 2005



23


APPENDIX B

Schedule II

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts of Continuing Operations

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. and Subsidiaries


Column A


Column B


 


Column C


 


Column D


 


Column E


 

 

 

Additions


 

 

 

 




Description



Balance at
Beginning of
Period





 


(1)
Charged to
Costs and
Expenses





 


(2)
Charged to
Other Accounts
(Describe)





 




Deductions
(Describe)





 



Balance at
End of
Period


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal year ended January 1, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deducted from asset accounts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Allowance for doubtful accounts

$

7,335,000

 

$

3,638,000

 

 

 

$

6,139,000

(A)

$

4,834,000

  Allowance for sales returns

 

1,997,000

 

 

23,611,000

 

 

 

 

23,822,000

(B)

 

1,786,000

  Allowance for cash discounts

 

1,130,000

 

 

13,539,000

 

 

 

 

13,089,000

(C)

 

1,580,000

  Inventory valuation allowances

 


6,355,000


 


 


8,622,000


 


 


 


 


9,133,000


(D)


 


5,844,000


 

$


16,817,000


 


$


49,410,000


 


 


 


$


52,183,000


 


$


14,044,000


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal year ended January 3, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deducted from asset accounts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Allowance for doubtful accounts

$

7,387,000

 

$

4,962,000

 

 

 

$

5,014,000

(A)

$

7,335,000

  Allowance for sales returns

 

1,587,000

 

 

26,610,000

 

 

 

 

26,200,000

(B)

 

1,997,000

  Allowance for cash discounts

 

1,217,000

 

 

12,632,000

 

 

 

 

12,719,000

(C)

 

1,130,000

  Inventory valuation allowances

 


4,751,000


 


 


12,011,000


 


 


 


 


10,407,000


(D)


 


6,355,000


 

$


14,942,000


 


$


56,215,000


 


 


 


$


54,340,000


 


$


16,817,000


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal year ended December 28, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deducted from asset accounts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Allowance for doubtful accounts

$

5,438,000

 

$

5,717,000

 

 

 

$

3,768,000

(A)

$

7,387,000

  Allowance for sales returns

 

1,110,000

 

 

29,433,000

 

 

 

 

28,956,000

(B)

 

1,587,000

  Allowance for cash discounts

 

834,000

 

 

11,081,000

 

 

 

 

10,698,000

(C)

 

1,217,000

  Inventory valuation allowances

 


4,014,000


 


 


7,698,000


 


 


 


 


6,961,000


(D)


 


4,751,000


 

$


11,396,000


 


$


53,929,000


 


 


 


$


50,383,000


 


$


14,942,000






(A)

Accounts charged off, net of recoveries.

(B)

Actual customer returns.

(C)

Discounts given to customers.

(D)

Adjustment upon disposal of related inventories.






Commission File No. 1-6024






SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

















EXHIBITS
TO
FORM 10-K



For the Fiscal Year Ended
January 1, 2005









Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
9341 Courtland Drive
Rockford, Michigan 49351





EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number


Document

 

 

3.1

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

3.2

Amended and Restated By-laws. Previously filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.1

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. See Exhibit 3.1 above.

 

 

4.2

Amended and Restated By-laws. See Exhibit 3.2 above.

 

 

4.3

Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed with the Company's Form 8-A filed April 12, 1997. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.4

Amendment No. 1 dated as of June 30, 2000, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.5

Second Amendment dated as of February 11, 2002, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 23, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.6

Third Amendment dated as of December 10, 2002, to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 17, 1997. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.6 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.7

Note Purchase Agreement dated as of December 8, 1998, relating to 6.50% Senior Notes due on December 8, 2008.

 

 

4.8

The Registrant has several classes of long-term debt instruments outstanding in addition to those described in Exhibits 4.7 and 4.9. The authorized amount of none of these classes of debt exceeds 10% of the Company's total consolidated assets. The Company agrees to furnish copies of any agreement defining the rights of holders of any such long-term indebtedness to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

 

 

4.9

Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001, with Bank One, Michigan, as agent. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 16, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.10

First Amendment dated as of February 8, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 23, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.11

Second Amendment dated as of August 30, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.



i


4.12

Third Amendment dated as of December 19, 2002, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.13 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

4.13

Fourth Amendment dated as of April 30, 2003, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001.

 

 

4.14

Fifth Amendment dated as of August 31, 2004, to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 29, 2001.

 

 

10.1

1988 Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed July 21, 1988, Registration No. 33-23196. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.2

1993 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed June 22, 1993, Registration No. 33-64854. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.3

1995 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's registration statement on Form S-8, filed October 26, 1995, Registration No. 33-63689. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.4

1997 Stock Incentive Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.15 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.5

Stock Incentive Plan of 1999.*

 

 

10.6

Stock Incentive Plan of 2001.* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 26, 2001. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.7

Stock Incentive Plan of 2003.* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 24, 2003. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.8

Amended and Restated Directors Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.9

Amended and Restated Directors' Stock Option Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 14, 2003. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.10

Amended and Restated Outside Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan.* Previously filed as Appendix E to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.11

Amended and Restated Executive Short-Term Incentive Plan (Annual Bonus Plan).* Previously filed as Appendix B to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.



ii


10.12

Amended and Restated Executive Long-Term Incentive Plan (3-Year Bonus Plan).* Previously filed as Appendix C to the Company's Definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 25, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.13

Amended and Restated Stock Option Loan Program.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 7, 2002. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.14

Executive Severance Agreement.* An updated participant schedule is attached as Exhibit 10.14.

 

 

10.15

Form of Indemnification Agreement.* The Company has entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each director and executive officer. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.11 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.16

Benefit Trust Agreement dated May 19, 1987, and Amendments Number 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereto.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. Here incorporated by reference.

 

 

10.17

Amended and Restated Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan.* Previously filed as Exhibit 10.9 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2000. An updated participant schedule is attached as Exhibit 10.17.

 

 

10.18

Employees' Pension Plan (Restated as amended through July 7, 2004).*

 

 

10.19

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.20

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement for Steven M. Duffy, Stephen L. Gulis, Blake W. Krueger and Timothy J. O'Donovan. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.21

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement for other employees. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.22

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement. Previously filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2005.*

 

 

10.23

Form of Stock Option Agreement for non-employee directors.*

 

 

21

Subsidiaries of Registrant.

 

 

23

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

 

24

Powers of Attorney.

 

 

31.1

Certification of President and Chief Executive Officer under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

31.2

Certification of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

32

Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350.

 

 

____________________________
*Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.


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