UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Form 10-K
|
(Mark One)
|
||
|
þ
|
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR
15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
|
| For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002. | ||
| or | ||
|
o
|
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13
OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (No Fee Required) |
|
| For the transition period from to . | ||
Commission File Number 333-54122
Atrium Corporation
| Delaware | 75-2814598 | |
|
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(IRS Employer Identification Number) |
1341 West Mockingbird Lane
(214) 630-5757
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) and (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 þ No o
State the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant NONE
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 registrants 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. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No þ
As of March 31, 2003, the registrant had 187,157 shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share outstanding.
ATRIUM CORPORATION
2002 FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Item No. | Description | Page | ||||
| PART I | ||||||
|
ITEM 1.
|
BUSINESS | 2 | ||||
|
ITEM 2.
|
PROPERTIES | 13 | ||||
|
ITEM 3.
|
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS | 14 | ||||
|
ITEM 4.
|
SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS | 14 | ||||
| PART II | ||||||
|
ITEM 5.
|
MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS | 14 | ||||
|
ITEM 6.
|
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA | 16 | ||||
|
ITEM 7.
|
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 17 | ||||
|
ITEM 7A.
|
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK | 27 | ||||
|
ITEM 8.
|
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA | 28 | ||||
|
ITEM 9.
|
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE | 28 | ||||
| PART III | ||||||
|
ITEM 10.
|
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT | 29 | ||||
|
ITEM 11.
|
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | 31 | ||||
|
ITEM 12.
|
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | 36 | ||||
|
ITEM 13.
|
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS | 38 | ||||
|
ITEM 14.
|
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES | 39 | ||||
| PART IV | ||||||
|
ITEM 15.
|
EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K | 40 | ||||
1
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Form 10-K contains certain forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) relating to the Registrant based on beliefs of management that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. When used in this Form 10-K, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, and similar expressions, as they relate to the Registrant or the Registrants management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of the Registrant with respect to the risks and uncertainties regarding the operations and results of operations of the Registrant, as well as its customers and suppliers, including as a result of the availability of credit, interest rates, employment trends, changes in levels of consumer confidence, changes in consumer preferences, national and regional trends in new housing starts, raw material costs, pricing pressures, shifts in market demand, and general economic conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected or intended. See Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
PART I
| Item 1. | Business |
Organizational Structure
Either of the terms Company or Atrium refers to Atrium Corporation (the Registrant) and its subsidiaries after our 1998 recapitalization described in Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The term Atrium Companies refers to Atrium Companies, Inc., our direct subsidiary. The table below sets forth each of Atrium Companies wholly-owned subsidiaries and its date of inception or acquisition, as applicable.
| Year of | ||||||
| Subsidiary | Inception/Acquisition(a) | |||||
|
Northeast:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the Northeast
|
1996 | |||||
| (formerly known as Vinyl Building Specialists of Connecticut, Inc.) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of New England
|
n/a | |||||
| (formerly known as Bishop Manufacturing Company of New England, Inc. and since merged into Atrium Door and Window Company of the Northeast) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of New York
|
n/a | |||||
| (formerly known as Bishop Manufacturing Co. of New York, Inc. and since merged into Atrium) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the
Northeast, Atrium Door and Window Company of New England, and
Atrium Door and Window Company of New York are collectively
referred to as Northeast (acquired entities
collectively referred to as Bishop.)
|
||||||
|
West Coast:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company West
Coast
|
1997 | |||||
| (formerly known as H-R Window Supply, Inc.) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company
West Coast is referred to as West Coast.
|
||||||
|
Arizona:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of Arizona
|
1998 | |||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of Arizona is
referred to as Arizona.
|
||||||
|
Darby:
|
||||||
|
R.G. Darby Company, Inc.
|
1998 | |||||
|
Total Trim, Inc.
|
1998 | |||||
2
| Year of | ||||||
| Subsidiary | Inception/Acquisition(a) | |||||
|
R.G. Darby Company South (since
merged into Door Holdings, Inc.)
|
n/a | |||||
|
Total Trim, Inc. South (since merged
into Door Holdings, Inc.)
|
n/a | |||||
|
Door Holdings, Inc. (since merged into Atrium)
|
n/a | |||||
|
R.G. Darby Company, Inc., Total Trim,
Inc., R.G. Darby Company South, Total Trim,
Inc. South, and Door Holdings, Inc. are collectively
referred to as Darby.
|
||||||
|
R.G. Darby Company South and
Total Trim, Inc. South are collectively referred to
as Darby South.
|
||||||
|
Wing:
|
||||||
|
Wing Industries, Inc.
|
1998 | |||||
|
Wing Industries Holdings, Inc. (since merged into
Atrium)
|
n/a | |||||
|
Wing Industries, Inc. and Wing Industries
Holdings, Inc. are collectively referred to as
Wing.
|
||||||
|
Rockies:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the Rockies
|
1999 | |||||
| (formerly known as Champagne Industries, Inc. and formerly referred to as Champagne) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the Rockies
is referred to as Rockies.
|
||||||
|
Heat:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Vinyl, Inc.
|
1999 | |||||
| (formerly known as Heat, Inc.) | ||||||
|
Thermal Industries, Inc.
|
1999 | |||||
|
Thermal Industries, Inc. is referred to as
Thermal.
|
||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the Northwest
|
1999 | |||||
| (formerly known as Best Built, Inc.) | ||||||
|
Atrium Door and Window Company of the
Northwest is referred to as Northwest.
|
||||||
|
Atrium Vinyl Inc., Thermal Industries, Inc.
and Atrium Door and Window Company of the Northwest are
collectively referred to as Heat.
|
||||||
|
Ellison:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Extrusion Systems, Inc.
|
2000 | |||||
|
(formerly known as VES, Inc.)
|
||||||
|
Atrium Extrusion Systems, Inc. and
Atriums Ellison Windows and Doors division are
collectively referred to as Ellison.
|
||||||
|
Atrium Funding
Corporation
|
2001 | |||||
|
Mexico:
|
||||||
|
Atrium Ventanas de Mexico
|
2002 | |||||
|
Atrium Servicios de Mexico
|
2002 | |||||
|
Atrium Ventanas de Mexico and Atrium Servicios
de Mexico are collectively referred to as Atrium
Mexico.
|
||||||
|
MD Casting, Inc.
|
2003 | |||||
| (a) | Year of inception/acquisition presented for currently existing subsidiaries, only. |
All share amounts are adjusted for the Companys December 31, 2001 reverse stock split of 1,000 for one.
The Company
We were founded in 1948 and believe we are one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of residential non-wood windows and patio doors in the United States based on our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2002. We offer a complete product line of aluminum and vinyl windows and patio doors to our
3
We have a balanced business mix, as measured by managements estimates of the percentage of net sales during 2002 and 2001 derived from the market segments we serve and the material types we use in our products which is reflected in the following table:
| Year Ended | ||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2002 | December 31, 2001 | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
|
Market Segment
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Repair and remodeling
|
$ | 241,418 | 45 | % | $ | 248,190 | 48 | % | ||||||||
|
New construction
|
294,881 | 55 | % | 268,873 | 52 | % | ||||||||||
| 536,299 | 100 | % | 517,063 | 100 | % | |||||||||||
|
Material Type
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Vinyl
|
$ | 289,284 | 54 | % | $ | 282,488 | 55 | % | ||||||||
|
Aluminum
|
179,702 | 33 | % | 160,216 | 31 | % | ||||||||||
|
Other products and services, including sales of
aluminum and vinyl extrusions
|
67,313 | 13 | % | 74,359 | 14 | % | ||||||||||
| $ | 536,299 | 100 | % | $ | 517,063 | 100 | % | |||||||||
Our balance between the repair and remodeling and new construction market segments is particularly important as we estimate that sales to the repair and remodeling market segment represented approximately 2/3 of window and patio door industry unit sales in 2002.
Our portfolio of products includes some of what we believe are the industrys most recognized brand names, including Atrium®. Our full product line of aluminum and vinyl windows and patio doors enables us to differentiate ourselves from our competition, leverage our multi-channel distribution system and be well positioned to benefit from shifts in product preferences. Regional product preferences exist for aluminum and vinyl windows and patio doors, and a full product line is important to serve our national customer base effectively. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide to our nationwide customers the most suitable material based on varying regional product preferences.
We have 45 manufacturing facilities and distribution centers strategically located in 22 states to service customers on a nationwide basis. We also have a distribution center located in Mexico City, Mexico. We distribute through multiple channels, including direct distribution to homebuilders, multi-family builders, remodelers/ contractors, one-step distribution through home centers, lumberyards and retail distributors, and two-step distribution to wholesale distributors who subsequently resell to lumberyards and retail distributors. We believe that our multi-channel distribution network allows us to reach the greatest number of end customers and provide nationwide service to those customers.
We are vertically integrated with operations that include:
| | The extrusion of aluminum and vinyl, which is utilized internally in our fabrication operations or sold to third parties. | |
| | The manufacture and assembly of window and patio door units, the pre-hanging of doors, and the sale of such units to homebuilders, multi-family builders, remodelers/contractors, home centers, lumberyards, retail and wholesale distributors. | |
| | A turn-key installation program for multi-family builders in which we supply and install many of our products, including windows and patio doors. | |
| | The sale of finished products to homebuilders and remodelers/contractors through company-owned distribution centers located across the United States. |
4
We have completed ten acquisitions since 1996, and we believe that we are well-positioned to be a leader in the consolidation of the residential window and patio door industry because of our size, rapid organic growth and our ability to integrate acquisitions successfully.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that we have a competitive advantage in our markets due to our following competitive strengths:
| | Leading Market Positions. We are one of the largest suppliers of residential non-wood windows and patio doors in the United States with a domestic market share exceeding 7%. Based on management estimates, we believe that we have a leading market position in the residential aluminum and vinyl window and patio door product categories. | |
| | Strong Brand Name Recognition. Our brands are well recognized in the building trade and are a distinguishing factor in customer selection. The Atrium® brand of windows and patio doors has been in existence for over 25 years and is recognized for its quality and value. In addition, we believe Atrium® is among the most-recognized brand names in the aluminum and vinyl window and patio door market segments. We believe there are significant opportunities to leverage our existing brands by targeting cross-selling opportunities and by re-branding certain products. | |
| | Complete, High-Quality Product Offering. We are one of the few suppliers with a complete line of residential non-wood windows and patio doors in the United States. The ability to source windows and patio doors from a single supplier is a cost-saving opportunity for national homebuilders and home centers. This distribution flexibility and nationwide presence distinguishes us as a one-stop solution for customers window and patio door needs. | |
| | Multi-Channel Distribution Network. We have a multi-channel distribution network that includes direct, one-step and two-step distribution as well as 29 company-owned distribution centers. Our distribution strategy maximizes our market penetration and reduces reliance upon any one distribution channel for the sale of our products. Furthermore, as a manufacturer and distributor of windows and doors for more than four decades, we have developed long-standing relationships with key distributors in our markets. In each instance, we seek to secure a leading distributor in each of our markets. If we cannot secure a top-tier distributor in a desired geographic market, we will consider the acquisition or start up of our own distribution center in that market. | |
| | Established and Diversified Customer Base. We have developed strong relationships with our current customer base, which includes over 15,000 active accounts. We have strong relationships with some of the leading companies in home and multi-family building, including Pulte, D.R. Horton and Summit Contractors, and home center retailing, including The Home Depot. Our customers are geographically diversified and our sales are balanced between the repair and remodeling and new construction market segments, which provides increased stability to our business. | |
| | Low Cost, Vertically Integrated Manufacturer. We believe that we are one of the industrys lowest cost providers based on our strong operating margins relative to our competitors. Our vertically integrated structure enables us to control all facets of the production and sale of windows and patio doors, eliminating incremental outsourcing costs. For our window and patio door products, our integrated operations, including extrusion, fabrication and distribution enable us to reduce inventory, improve production scheduling and optimize quality control. |
Business Strategy
Our goal is to increase revenue growth and profitability and to strengthen our leadership position in the residential non-wood window and patio door industry through the following initiatives:
| | Enhance National Presence. We will continue to focus our core efforts on maintaining and developing our nationwide market share, including enhancing our strong presence in our existing high growth |
5
| markets such as the southern and western United States. Our acquisitions have helped to further our geographic coverage and, we believe, combined with the implementation of cross-selling initiatives, will continue to facilitate our growth. We will also seek to enhance our nationwide capabilities by selectively starting or acquiring operations that complement our geographic coverage and product offerings. During 2002, we opened a distribution center in Mexico City, Mexico for the distribution of windows and extrusion. | ||
| | Extend and Cross-Sell Product Offerings. We are taking advantage of cross-selling opportunities by marketing vinyl windows and patio doors to our traditional aluminum window and patio door customers and aluminum windows and patio doors to our traditional vinyl window and patio door customers and adding additional styles and designs to address specific regional product preferences. We also maintain training and incentive programs to ensure that our divisional sales forces market our complete product line of windows and patio doors. | |
| | Capitalize on Atrium® Brand Name. We will seek to continue to leverage the strength of our nationally recognized Atrium® brand name that has been in existence for over 25 years. We believe that leveraging the Atrium® name across our products and on a nationwide scale will enhance our brand name recognition. For example, we see a significant opportunity in transferring the Atrium® brand to recently acquired product lines. Further, we will continue trade advertising initiatives to maintain our high brand awareness in the industry. | |
| | Continue to Pursue Operational Efficiencies. Our team of highly experienced managers seeks to achieve improvements by closely scrutinizing our operations and applying best practices and continuous improvement programs across all of our divisions. We have been successful in improving the efficiency and productivity of our operations by automating manufacturing processes, improving logistics, implementing a company-wide information system, successfully integrating acquisitions and leveraging working capital requirements. We continue to analyze additional opportunities to improve operational efficiencies, including consolidating and expanding our aluminum extrusion operations, increasing capacity utilization at all of our manufacturing facilities and leveraging our size to realize purchasing savings. | |
| | Refine Product Offering to Maximize Profitability. We plan to continually evaluate our product offering in terms of both customer needs and overall profitability. The result will be an offering of products that is diverse enough to satisfy varied regional product preferences while at the same time providing maximum profitability to us. For example, we made a decision during 2000 to divest of Wing, our wood door manufacturing unit, and Wood, our wood patio door manufacturing unit. The divestitures resulted in an exit from the low margin commodity based business of wood doors, reduced our exposure to the sometimes volatile wood materials market and lead to an overall increase in our profitability. | |
| | Make Selective Strategic Acquisitions. We have successfully consummated and integrated ten acquisitions since 1996, in each case lowering operating costs. We intend to take advantage of the fragmented market for window and patio door manufacturers by acquiring companies that present identifiable cost savings opportunities and add to our existing product lines, market share and targeted geographic coverage. As we continue our acquisition program, we believe we can leverage our experience in integrating acquisitions and maximizing cost savings and productivity enhancements. Additionally, we believe our size and national presence will be attractive to companies looking to combine with an industry leader. |
Products
We are one of a few window and patio door manufacturers that offer a complete product line that consists of a full range of residential aluminum and vinyl windows and patio doors. Our complete product line allows us to differentiate ourselves from our competition, leverage our multi-channel distribution system and be well-positioned to benefit from shifts in product preference. As significant regional product preferences exist among aluminum and vinyl, a full product line is important to serve a national customer base effectively.
6
We estimate that our product mix, as a percentage of net sales in 2002 and 2001 is as follows:
| Year Ended | Year Ended | |||||||
| December 31, 2002 | December 31, 2001 | |||||||
|
Product Type
|
||||||||
|
Windows
|
77 | % | 74 | % | ||||
|
Patio doors
|
8 | 12 | ||||||
|
Other products and services, including sale of
aluminum and vinyl extrusions
|
15 | 14 | ||||||
| 100 | % | 100 | % | |||||
Windows. We had approximately $411 million in net sales from the sale of windows in 2002. We estimate that our net sales from the sales of windows in 2002 were comprised of 40% from the sale of aluminum products and 60% from vinyl products. Our window products include sliders, single hung, double hung and casement products and are sold under the Atrium®, H-R WindowsTM, ThermalTM, Ellison®, Best BuiltTM and Kel-StarTM brand names, as well as private label brand names.
The demand for our aluminum and vinyl products vary by region:
| | Aluminum Aluminum windows are the product of choice in the southern United States due to the regions warmer weather and value-conscious customers. Aluminum is the most appropriate fenestration material for the region because thermal efficiency is less important and the product is sold at a lower cost than either vinyl or wood. | |
| | Vinyl Demand for vinyl windows, particularly in colder climates, has significantly increased over the last ten years as vinyl windows have gained acceptance as a substitute for wood windows. This trend has been strengthened as prices for vinyl windows have become more competitive with wood products and durability and energy efficiency have improved. We entered the vinyl window market in mid-1995 and have increased sales of vinyl windows by leveraging the Atrium® brand name, leveraging our distribution channels and through strategic acquisitions. The acquisitions by Atrium Companies, Inc. (the previous registrant) of Bishop in 1996 and the assets of the Western Window Division of Gentek Building Products, Inc. (now known as West Coast) in 1997, and the acquisitions by Atrium Companies of Heat and Champagne in 1999 and Ellison in 2000 increased our presence in the vinyl window business such that sales of vinyl windows represent approximately 46% of our total net sales in 2002, as compared to approximately 32% of our total net sales in 2000. |
Patio Doors. We had approximately $43 million in net sales from the sale of patio doors in 2002. Our patio door products are sold under the Atrium®, Best BuiltTM, H-R WindowsTM and Ellison® brand names.
Other Products and Services. We had approximately $82 million in net sales from the sale of other products and services in 2002. Our other products include deck and dock products, patio enclosures and extruded aluminum and vinyl profiles for a variety of industries, including various competitors of our window and door fabrication operations. The deck and dock products are made of vinyl and serve as an alternative to the more traditional wood counterpart. The enclosures are custom built to any size and are made from aluminum and vinyl product.
We also offer a turn-key total installation program for multi-family builders in which we supply and install exterior, interior and patio doors, mouldings, locks, hardware, wire shelving, bath accessories, plate glass mirrors, toilet partitions and other products. This concept allows a developer to transfer the risk associated with retaining reliable work crews and provides protection from cost overruns. We believe that developers view this as a value added service.
Sales, Marketing and Distribution
One of the key components of our marketing strategy is to capitalize on the complementary nature of our distribution channels. We have a multi-channel distribution network that includes direct, one-step and two-
7
We also sell to major home center retailers. Although home centers have become more important to us because they target the repair and remodeling market segment, they still accounted for less than 20% of our total net sales during 2002 and 2001. One of our goals is to continue to increase our market share in the repair and remodeling market.
We utilize the following distribution channels:
| | Direct Distribution (approximately 31% of our net sales from the sale of windows and patio doors in 2002). Direct distribution is the selling of our windows and patio doors directly to homebuilders, multi-family builders and remodelers/ contractors without the use of an intermediary. By selling direct, we are able to increase our profit margins while at the same time offer builders more favorable pricing. | |
| | One-Step Distribution, Including Home Center Sales (approximately 65% of our net sales from the sale of windows and patio doors in 2002 with home center sales representing approximately 19%). One-step distribution is the selling of our windows and patio doors to home centers, lumberyards, retail distributors and company-owned distribution centers, which will then sell to homeowners, homebuilders and remodelers/ contractors. While it is not required that lumberyards and retail distributors carry our products on an exclusive basis, it is not unusual for them to do so. In addition, they generally purchase based on orders, keeping little or no inventory. One-step distribution tends to be used most often in metropolitan areas. |
We maintain 29 company-owned distribution facilities in key markets where available independent distributors are weak or where we have been unable to make adequate arrangements with existing distributors. Company-owned distribution centers essentially act as one-step distributors.
| | Two-Step Distribution (approximately 4% of our net sales from the sale of windows and patio doors in 2002). Two-step distribution is the selling of windows and patio doors to a wholesale distributor who then sells the products to home centers, lumberyards and retail distributors. These intermediaries will in turn sell the windows and patio doors to homeowners, homebuilders and remodelers/ contractors. Wholesale distributors tend to maintain product inventory in order to service the needs of their client base for small quantities. Two-step distribution is more common where customers generally do not represent sufficient volume to purchase from us directly and because customers in urban areas are serviced by home centers and large lumberyards. |
To enhance our market coverage and leverage our brand equity, we currently market our windows and patio doors under primarily six brand names, Atrium®, Kel-StarTM, Best BuiltTM, Ellison®, Thermal TM and H-R WindowsTM. Due to the fact that we enjoy national name recognition at both the building trade and consumer levels, we have chosen to consolidate a significant portion of our product line under the Atrium® name. We are currently in the process of rolling our Best BuiltTM, Ellison® and Kel-StarTM brand product lines into the Atrium® brand. We have completed a transition of our Skotty, Bishop, Champagne, Masterview and Gentek brands into the Atrium® brand. We expect to extend the Atrium® brand to other products, as well as to appropriate product lines acquired in the future.
Our promotional efforts to our window and patio door customers are focused on cooperative advertising programs which are offered to certain of our major customers. This gives us exposure in our customers local media, including newspaper, radio and television, in order to generate sales at individual locations. We also invest in in-store displays and kiosks, and product knowledge classes for customers employees to further generate awareness within the stores.
8
We market our window and patio door products through a sales force consisting of approximately 150 company salaried and commissioned sales representatives and approximately 150 independent commissioned sales representatives. Each of our divisions is supported by a sales manager, company sales representatives and independent sales representatives. The sales managers coordinate marketing activities among both company and independent sales representatives. Our company sales representatives focus primarily on direct sales to homebuilders, multi-family builders and remodelers/ contractors, while independent sales representatives sell to home centers, lumberyards and retail and wholesale distributors. In general, independent sales representatives carry our window and patio door products on an exclusive basis, although they may carry other building products from other manufacturers.
Our full product line has also been an asset to our sales force, especially when we are exploring a new distribution channel opportunity. Distributors have come to recognize that we have a complete line of vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors. The distributors frequently do not purchase the entire range of products since regional tastes vary and distributors tend to work according to regions. However, we believe, these distributors value our ability to provide these products should they ever demand them.
We believe that customer service plays a key role in the marketing process. On-time delivery of products, order fill rate, consistency of service and flexibility in meeting changing customer requirements have made it possible for us to build a large and loyal customer base that includes companies such as Pulte and D.R. Horton, two of the nations largest home-builders, and The Home Depot, the nations largest home center retailer.
Our pricing and product offering strategy focuses on offering the end consumer lower price points at acceptable margins. We have executed this strategy in two steps. First, we have consolidated our product offerings to simplify the overall offering and reduce inventory levels. Second, we offer the market good, better and best options within our product offering that provide customers a price point and product that meets their needs. Certain of the products in the offering have been redesigned (with particular emphasis on taking costs out of the products) in order to have an offering with three distinct price points. This promotes more trading up to our higher quality products by the customer and displays a complete product line.
Operations
We manufacture and sell our windows and patio doors through a vertically integrated process that includes extrusion, fabrication and distribution. We realize many operational and cost benefits from our vertically integrated window and patio door operations. By extruding aluminum and many of our vinyl components in-house, we are able to secure a low-cost, reliable source of extrusions, control product quality and control inventory levels. The integration of extrusion and fabrication operations gives us significantly more control over our manufacturing costs. We continually work to achieve cost savings through increased capacity utilization, adoption of best practices, reduction of cost of raw materials, rationalization of product lines and reduction of inventory.
We continue to build on what we believe is our position as one of the industrys lowest cost manufacturers. Because of the scale of our operations, we are able to negotiate favorable pricing for our raw materials, including glass and vinyl. This is an important consideration because, historically, the total cost of materials typically comprises approximately 40% to 45% of our total net sales.
We have been manufacturing products in Texas since 1953 and today have six primary manufacturing facilities in the state. While solidifying our national presence, we have strategically established 17 manufacturing operations nationwide.
Industry Overview
In 2002, construction spending in the United States totaled over $643 billion. Of the total, residential spending totaled approximately $416 billion. Within the residential construction market, replacement spending totaled approximately $174 billion. In 2002, new housing starts in the United States totaled approximately 1.8 million units of which approximately 1.5 million units were single-family homes and
9
Windows. The domestic window market has grown to approximately 60.7 million in unit sales in 2002, and has outpaced the growth in the domestic building materials industry generally. The residential window industry can be divided into two end-use segments: new construction, with an estimated 20.4 million windows sold in 2002, and repair and remodeling, with approximately 40.3 million windows sold in 2002. We believe that the repair and remodeling segment will continue to experience strong growth due to the strength of sales of existing homes and the increase in the average age of homes from 23 years to 28 years in the last decade.
Patio Doors. We believe that the residential patio door market has grown to more than 6.7 million units in 2002. The residential patio door industry can be divided into two principal market segments: new construction and repair and remodeling. We estimate that patio doors sold to the repair and remodeling segment constituted 65% of all patio door units sold in the United States in 2002.
We believe that the window and patio door industry has experienced significant consolidation in the last few years. We believe this consolidation trend favors companies like ours, with nationwide capabilities to service large home centers and home builders, strong brand names, the ability to provide a complete product line and economies of scale in manufacturing, distributing and marketing. In addition to opportunities presented by consolidation of the industry, industry growth has been driven by the growth in the home center retailer category. The home center industry is one of the fastest growing retail sectors in the United States.
Competition
Despite the recent consolidation, the residential window and patio door industry remains highly fragmented. With few exceptions, competitors are privately-owned, regional companies with annual sales under $100 million. On a national basis we compete with a few national companies in different regions, products, distribution channels and price points, but do not compete against any single company across all of these areas. We compete with various other companies in specific regions within each market.
Our major competitors for the sale of aluminum windows and patio doors are Alenco Windows and MI Home Products, Inc. The market for vinyl windows and patio doors is comprised primarily of local and regional manufacturers, as no dominant manufacturer operates on a national basis. Historically, demand for vinyl windows and patio doors has been concentrated in the colder regions of the United States. Our major competitors for the sale of vinyl windows and patio doors are Silver Line Building Products and Great Lakes Windows (Nortek, Inc.) in the Northeast, Simonton Windows in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and Milgard Manufacturing, Inc. (Masco Corp.) and Viking Industries, Inc. (Pella Corporation) in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, we compete with a number of regional manufacturers that sell directly to repair and remodeling contractors.
Inflation and Raw Materials
During the past several years, the rate of general inflation has been relatively low and has not had a significant impact on our results of operations. We purchase raw materials, including aluminum, glass and vinyl, that are subject to fluctuations in price that may not reflect the rate of general inflation. These materials fluctuate in price based on supply and demand. Historically, there have been periods of significant and rapid aluminum price changes, both upward and downward, with a concurrent short-term impact on our operating margins. We historically mitigated the effects of these fluctuations over the long-term by passing through price increases to our customers and through other means, such as hedging activities. The primary raw materials used in the production of our windows and patio doors are readily available and are procured from numerous suppliers.
10
Seasonality
The new home construction market and the market for external repairs and remodeling in northern climates are seasonal, with increased related product sales in the second and third quarters of the calendar year. Although this results in seasonal fluctuations in the sales of certain of our products, the overall impact of these fluctuations is mitigated to some degree by our balanced national presence which reduces our dependency on a single geographic area.
Cyclicality
Demand in the window and patio door manufacturing and distribution industry is influenced by new home construction activity. For the year ended December 31, 2002, we estimate that approximately 55% of our net sales were related to new home construction. Trends in the housing sector directly impact our financial performance. Accordingly, the strength of the U.S. economy, the age of existing home stock, job growth, interest rates, consumer confidence and the availability of consumer credit, as well as demographic factors, such as the migration of the population within the United States, have a direct impact on our business. Cyclical declines in new housing starts may adversely impact our business, and we cannot assure you that any such adverse effects would not be material.
Employees
We employ approximately 4,420 people, of whom approximately 4,330 are employed at our manufacturing facilities and distribution centers and approximately 90 are employed at our corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Approximately 1,260 of our hourly employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. We entered into a new three-year collective bargaining agreement in May 2001 with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE!) covering certain employees at four manufacturing facilities located in Dallas, Texas. The collective bargaining agreement expires in May 2004. There are no union affiliations with any of our other divisions or subsidiaries. We believe that our relationship with our employees is good.
Backlog and Material Customers
We have no material long-term contracts. Orders are generally filled within 7 to 14 days of receipt. Our backlog is subject to fluctuation due to various factors, including the size and timing of orders for our products and is not necessarily indicative of the level of future sales.
Government Regulation and Environmental Matters
Our past and present operations and our assets are subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations pertaining to the discharge of materials into the environment, the handling and disposal of wastes, including solid and hazardous wastes, or otherwise relating to health, safety and protection of the environment. We do not expect to make any expenditures with respect to ongoing compliance with these environmental laws and regulations that would have a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, results of operations or competitive position. However, the applicable requirements under the law could change at any time.
The nature of our operations and assets expose us to the risk of claims under environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that unforeseen expenditures or liabilities will not be incurred in connection with such claims. We have been subject to such claims in the course of our operations, and have made expenditures to address known conditions in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations. Based on our experience to date, we do not believe that existing claims will have any material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, results of operations or competitive position. We cannot assure you that the discovery of presently unknown environmental conditions, changes in environmental claims that may involve material health and safety laws and regulations or other unanticipated events will not give rise to unforeseen expenditures or liabilities.
11
Trademarks and Patents
We own the following trademarks, which are registered in the United States: Atrium, The Atrium Door, The French Classic, Masterview, Weatherlok and Ellison. We have a pending application for a trademark entitled PRO100. We consider our trademarks to be of significant importance in our business. In addition, we are not aware of any circumstances that would have a material adverse effect on our ability to use our trademarks. As long as we continue to renew our trademarks when necessary, the trademark protection provided by them is perpetual.
Recent Developments
On January 31, 2003, Atrium Companies, through its newly-formed and wholly-owned subsidiary, MD Casting, Inc. (MD Casting) completed the acquisition of substantially all of the operating assets of Miniature Die Casting of Texas, L.P. for a purchase price of $3.25 million with an additional amount of up to $600,000 to be paid over three years upon the achievement of certain financial targets. MD Casting is a zinc die cast hardware manufacturer located in Fort Worth, Texas. The Company financed the acquisition through its revolving credit facility. The results of operations of MD Casting will be included in the Companys consolidated financial statements beginning on February 1, 2003.
On February 14, 2003, Atrium Companies entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire the assets of Danvid Window Company (Danvid), a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Architectural Products Corporation. Danvid is an aluminum and vinyl window and door manufacturer located in Dallas, Texas. The purchase price of Danvid is $5.8 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. Danvid is being purchased out of bankruptcy (with both Danvid and its parent operating as a debtor-in-possession under Chapter 11) pursuant to a Section 363 auction sale. The transaction is expected to close April 1, 2003 and will be financed through the Companys revolving credit facility.
12
| Item 2. | Properties |
Our operations are conducted at the owned or leased facilities described below:
| Capacity | ||||||||||
| Location | Principal Use | (Square) Feet | Own/Lease | |||||||
|
Dallas, Texas
|
Fabrication of aluminum windows | 200,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Dallas, Texas
|
Fabrication of aluminum windows | 342,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Dallas, Texas
|
Fabrication of vinyl windows | 120,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
New Boston, Texas
|
Fabrication of aluminum windows | 30,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Wylie, Texas
|
Extrusion of aluminum | 205,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Carrollton, Texas
|
Extrusion of vinyl | 25,200 | Lease | |||||||
|
Las Vegas, Nevada
|
Distribution of aluminum windows | 7,500 | Lease | |||||||
|
Phoenix, Arizona
|
Fabrication of aluminum windows | 220,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Woodville, Texas
|
Idle Facility (Sublet) | 180,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Anaheim, California
|
Fabrication of vinyl windows | 80,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Hayward, California
|
Distribution of vinyl windows | 20,400 | Lease | |||||||
|
Chatsworth, California
|
Distribution of vinyl windows | 10,000 | Lease | |||||||
|
Portland, Oregon
|
Distribution of vinyl windows | 10,080 | Lease | |||||||
|
Everett, Washington
|
Dist | |||||||||