UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003
OR
| o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission File Number 1-14523
TRIO-TECH INTERNATIONAL
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
| California | 95-2086631 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
| 14731 Califa Street | ||
| Van Nuys, California | 91411 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants Telephone Number: 818-787-7000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Name of each exchange | ||
| Title of each class | On which registered | |
| Common Stock, no par value | AMEX |
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 þ No o
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 the definitive proxy statement incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes o No þ
The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of Registrant, as of December 27, 2002, was approximately $6.1 million (based upon the last sales price for shares of Registrants Common Stock as reported by the AMEX on December 27, 2002, the last business day of the Companys most recently completed second fiscal quarter). Shares of Common Stock held by each officer, director and holder of 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock (including shares with respect to which a holder has the right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days) have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
The number of shares of common stock outstanding as of September 5, 2003 was 2,927,542.
TRIO-TECH INTERNATIONAL
INDEX
| Page | ||||
| Part I | ||||
| Item 1 | Business | 3 | ||
| Item 2 | Properties | 9 | ||
| Item 3 | Legal Proceedings | 10 | ||
| Item 4 | Submission of matters to a vote of security holders | 10 | ||
| Part II | ||||
| Item 5 | Market for registrants common equity and related stockholder matters | 11 | ||
| Item 6 | Selected financial data | 12 | ||
| Item 7 | Managements discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations | 13 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Item 9A | Controls and Procedures | 28 | ||
| Part III | ||||
| Item 10 | Directors and executive officers of the registrant | 29 | ||
| Item 11 | Executive compensation | 29 | ||
| Item 12 | Security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and related stockholder matters | 29 | ||
| Item 13 | Certain relationships and related transactions | 29 | ||
| Item 14 | Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 29 | ||
| Part IV | ||||
| Item 15 | Exhibits, financial statement schedules, and reports on Form 8-K | 29 | ||
| Signatures | 32 | |||
| Exhibits | ||||
| Independent Auditors Report for the years ended June 30, 2003 and 2002 | 36 | |||
| Independent Auditors Report for the year ended June 30, 2001 | 37 | |||
| Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2003 and 2002 | 38 | |||
| Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the Years Ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001 | 39 | |||
| Consolidated Statements of Shareholders Equity for the Years Ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001 | 40 | |||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended June 30, 2003 2002 and 2001 | 41 | |||
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 42 |
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TRIO-TECH INTERNATIONAL
PART I
NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The discussions of Trio-Tech Internationals (the Company) business and activities set forth in this Form 10-K and in other past and future reports and announcements by the Company may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and assumptions regarding future activities and results of operations of the Company. In light of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company: market acceptance of Company products and services; changing business conditions or technologies and volatility in the semiconductor industry, which could affect demand for the Companys products and services; the impact of competition; problems with technology; product development schedules; delivery schedules; changes in military or commercial testing specifications which could affect the market for the Companys products and services; difficulties in profitably integrating acquired businesses, if any, into the Company; risks associated with conducting business internationally and especially in Southeast Asia, including currency fluctuations and devaluation, currency restrictions, local laws and restrictions and possible social, political and economic instability; and other economic, financial and regulatory factors beyond the Companys control. See the discussions elsewhere in this Form 10-K, including under the heading Certain Risks That May Affect Our Future Results, for more information. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of terminology such as may, will, expects, plans, anticipates, estimates, potential, believes, can impact, continue, or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology.
We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, changed circumstances, or the occurrence of unanticipated events.
ITEM 1 BUSINESS
Trio-Tech International was incorporated in 1958 under the laws of the State of California. As used herein, the term Trio-Tech or Company or we or us or Registrant includes Trio-Tech International and its subsidiaries unless the context otherwise indicates. Our mailing address and executive offices are located at 14731 Califa Street, Van Nuys, California 91411, and our telephone number is (818) 787-7000.
With more than 45 years dedicated to the semiconductor and related industries, we have applied our expertise to our global customer base in test services, design, engineering, manufacturing, and distribution.
General
Founded in 1958, Trio-Tech International provides third-party semiconductor testing and burn-in services primarily through its laboratories in Southeast Asia. The Company also designs, manufactures and markets equipment and systems used in the testing and production of semiconductors at its facilities in California and Southeast Asia, and distributes semiconductor processing and testing equipment manufactured by others.
The Company operates in three business segments: Testing Services, Manufacturing and Distribution.
Our core business, Testing Services, is expected to show growth in the coming year and has changed the direction of our strategic growth plan. We currently operate five testing facilities, one in the United States, one in Europe and three in Southeast Asia. These facilities provide customers with a full range of testing services, such as burn-in and product life testing for finished or packaged components. In fiscal 2003, other than providing burn-in test services, the Company also began programming services in Irelands operation.
We manufacture wet processing and cleaning stations used in the manufacturing of semiconductor circuits and temperature controlled chucks that are used to manufacture and test silicon wafers and other microelectronic substrates in what is commonly called the front-end, or creation of semiconductor circuits. Additionally, we also manufacture centrifuges, leak detectors, HAST (Highly Accelerated Stress Test) systems and burn-in systems that are used primarily in the back-end of the semiconductor manufacturing process to test finished semiconductor devices and electronic components.
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Our business in Southeast Asia has an active distribution business. Additionally, the Southeast Asia operation markets and supports distribution of their own manufactured equipment in addition to distributing complementary products from other manufacturers that are used by the Companys customers and other semiconductor and electronics manufacturers.
Subsequent to the year end, the Company has decided to move one of the operations in the United States, Universal Systems, to Singapore and this transition is anticipated to be completed in fiscal 2004.
Company History
| 1958 | Incorporated in California | |
| 1976 | The Company formed Trio-Tech International Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. | |
| 1984 | The Company formed the European Electronic Test Center (EETC), a Cayman Islands domiciled subsidiary, to operate a test facility in Dublin, Ireland. | |
| 1985 | The Companys Singapore subsidiary entered into a joint-venture agreement, Trio-Tech Malaysia, to operate a test facility in Penang. | |
| 1986 | Trio-Tech International listed on the NASDAQ Small Cap market under the symbol TRTC. | |
| 1988 | The Company acquired the Rotating Test Equipment Product Line of Genisco Technology Corporation. | |
| 1990 |
Trio-Tech International acquired Express Test Corporation in
California. Trio-Tech Malaysia opened a new facility in Kuala Lumpur. |
|
| 1992 |
Trio-Tech Singapore opened Trio-Tech Bangkok, Thailand. Trio-Tech Singapore achieved ISO 9002 certification. |
|
| 1994 | Trio-Tech Malaysia started a new components assembly operation in Batang Kali. | |
| 1995 | Trio-Tech Singapore achieved ISO 9001 certification. | |
| 1997 | In November 1997, the Company acquired KTS Incorporated, dba Universal Systems of Campbell, California. | |
| 1998 | In September 1998, the Company listed on AMEX under the symbol TRT. | |
| 2000 |
Trio-Tech Singapore achieved QS 9000 certification. Trio-Tech Malaysia closed its facility in Batang Kali. |
|
| 2001 |
The Company divested the Rotating Test Equipment Product Line. Trio-Tech Malaysia closed its facility in Kuala Lumpur. |
Subsequent Events
Subsequent to the year end, management made the decision to relocate one of the manufacturing operations in the United States to Singapore. This transition is anticipated to be completed in fiscal 2004.
The Company also incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, Trio-Tech (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., in the Peoples Republic of China, with a registered capital of approximately $70.
Analysis of Sales
Complete Business Segment and Geographic Area Information is set forth under Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001 and is incorporated herein as part of this Form 10-K.
Background
In 2002, the worldwide market for semiconductor devices was estimated at $141 billion, approximately 1.3% greater than the year 2001, with shipments of $139 billion. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) expects the growth rate to accelerate to 23% in 2003 and 20% in 2004 with wireless and digital consumer products leading the growth of semiconductor sales.
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In addition to the growing demand for semiconductors, integrated circuits (ICs) are continually shrinking in size while increasing in capacity, complexity, and versatility. In order to fabricate these semiconductors, manufacturers must continually improve their equipment, packaging and test facilities. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) reported recently that worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled $19 billion in 2002, a 32% year-over-year decline, the worst drop in sales on record. However, SEMI has projected that worldwide semiconductor equipment sales will recover and grow by 3.9% in 2003, and the chip-making tool market will rebound and increase by 24% in 2004 and 18% in 2005. The market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment can be divided into front-end applications, including wafer fabrication and assembly, and back-end applications, comprised of packaging and testing. SIA estimated that the semiconductor equipment market was approximately 70% front-end equipment, 20% back-end equipment and 10% facilities.
Back-End
Trio-Techs test services are concentrated on the back-end screening and testing of semiconductor devices. With the high concentration of semiconductor assembly and packaging facilities in Southeast Asia, a large demand exists for third party test services in this region. Customers use third party test services to accommodate fluctuations in output or to benefit from economies that can be offered by third party service providers.
Finished devices are put through a series of tests, such as burn-in and electrical testing, to ensure that they meet the necessary performance and quality standards, before shipment to the customer. Our component centrifuges, leak detectors, HAST equipment and COBIS burn-in systems are all used to test and screen finished semiconductor devices to ensure that they meet the specifications required by the manufacturers and customers.
Front-End
Semiconductor devices are fundamental building blocks used in electronic equipment and systems. Each semiconductor device consists of an integrated circuit designed to perform a specific electronic function. Integrated circuits are manufactured through a series of complex steps on a wafer substrate, etching or depositing the circuit pattern on a surface, typically a circular silicon wafer, measuring three to twelve inches in diameter. Multiple integrated circuit patterns are transferred to the wafer, and each completed integrated circuit is called a device or die. The number of devices or dies depends on the size of the circuit and the size of the wafer. Manufacturers can significantly increase the number of devices or dies per wafer by shrinking the circuit size or by expanding the wafer size. The transition to increased wafer size, from 200mm (8 inch) to 300mm (12 inch) wafers, is currently underway throughout the industry.
After etching or deposition of integrated circuits, wafers are typically sent through a series of 100 to 300 additional processing steps. At many of these process steps, the wafer is washed and dried using wet process stations, which we manufacture.
The finished wafer is then put through a series of tests in which each separate integrated device on the wafer is tested for functionality. Our Artic temperature chucks are used with a wafer prober to test semiconductor wafers at accurately controlled temperatures. After testing, the wafer is diced or cut up, and each die is then placed into a packaging material, usually plastic or ceramic, with lead wires to permit mounting onto printed circuit boards.
Testing Services
We own and operate facilities that provide testing services for semiconductor devices and other electronic components to meet the requirements of military, aerospace, industrial and commercial applications. Testing services represented approximately 45%, 46% and 31% of sales for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.
The Company uses its own proprietary equipment for certain burn-in, centrifugal and leak tests, and commercially available equipment for various other environmental tests. The Company conducts the majority of its testing operations in Southeast Asia with facilities in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. All of the facilities in Southeast Asia are ISO 9002 as well as QS 9000 certified. The Company also operates test facilities in Ireland.
The testing services are used by manufacturers and purchasers of semiconductors and other components who either lack testing capabilities or whose in-house screening facilities are insufficient for testing devices to military or certain commercial specifications. For those customers with adequate in-house capabilities, we offer testing services for their overflow requirements and also provide independent testing verification services.
Trio-Techs laboratories perform a variety of tests, including stabilization bake, thermal shock, temperature cycling, mechanical shock, constant acceleration, gross and fine leak tests, electrical testing, static and dynamic burn-in tests, and vibration testing. The laboratories also perform qualification testing, consisting of intense tests conducted on small samples of output from manufacturers who require qualification of their processes and devices.
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Manufacturing Products
The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets equipment for the manufacturing and testing of semiconductor wafers, devices and other electronic components. Revenue from the sale of products manufactured represented approximately 22%, 26% and 51% of sales for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.
Front-End Products
Wet Process Stations
Wet process benches are used for cleaning, rinsing and drying semiconductor wafers, magnetic disks, flat panel displays and other microelectronic substrates. The wet process bench product line, which is manufactured by the Companys subsidiary, Universal Systems, includes manual, semi-automated and automated wet process stations, and features radial and linear robots, state-of-the-art PC touch-screen controllers and sophisticated scheduling and control software.
Artic Temperature Controlled Wafer Chucks
The Artic Temperature Controlled Chucks are used for test, characterization and failure analysis of semiconductor wafers and other components at accurately controlled hot and cold temperatures. Several models are available, with temperature ranges from -65°C to +400°C, and in diameters from 4 to 12 inch. These systems provide excellent performance to meet the most demanding customer applications. Several unique mechanical design features, for which patents are pending, provide excellent mechanical stability under high probing forces and across the temperature ranges.
Back-End Products
Autoclaves and HAST (Highly Accelerated Stress Test) Equipment
We manufacture a range of autoclaves and HAST systems and specialized test fixtures. Autoclaves provide pressurized, saturated vapor (100% relative humidity) test environments for fast and easy monitoring of integrated circuit manufacturing processes. HAST equipment, which provides a pressurized high temperature environment with variable humidity, is used to determine the moisture resistance of plastic encapsulated devices. HAST provides a fast and cost-effective alternative to conventional non-pressurized temperature and humidity testing.
Burn-in Equipment and Boards
We manufacture burn-in systems, burn-in boards and burn-in board test systems. Burn-in equipment is used to subject semiconductor devices to elevated temperatures while testing them electrically to identify early product failures and to assure long-term reliability. Burn-in testing approximates, in a compressed time frame, the electrical and thermal conditions to which the device would be subjected during its normal life.
The Company manufactures the COBIS II burn-in system which offers state-of-the-art dynamic burn-in capabilities and a Windows-based operating system with full data logging and networking features. The Company developed, and now offers, a new Power Line Conditioner for the COBIS II, which reduces all varieties of electrical interruptions. The Company also offers burn-in boards for its BISIC, COBIS and COBIS II burn-in systems and other brands of burn-in systems. Burn-in boards are used to mount devices during high temperature environmental stressing. The Burn-in Board Tester is an extremely accurate software programmable burn-in board tester, which can be programmed to check up to 1024 sockets pins.
In 2000 through 2002, the Company developed several new products to complement the burn-in processes, including semi-automatic (LUBIBM) and automatic burn-in board loaders & unloaders (LUBIB). These products were designed to perform precise, high-speed transfer of IC packages from the semiconductor holding tray to the burn-in board, or vice-versa, while maintaining the integrity of the ICs leads. Additional features have been further integrated into the LUBIB to improve productivity and minimize human handling including the integration of automatic burn-in board handling systems and the automatic electrical board check station. We have improvised the LUBIBM with built-in test functions for a major microprocessor company to study device characteristics and to weed out device failures. Burn-in-board cleaning systems (CUBIB) are designed to perform wet or dry cleaning for burn-in boards and other modular boards. Recently, we jointly developed a fully automatic CUBIB with one of our major customers. We also recently developed and introduced a new innovation, the burn-in Socket Contact Conditioner (SCC), which removes fragments of solder residue from the contact pins of an IC Socket, improving the productivity of the test process and reducing contact failure on socket pins.
In 2002 through 2003, the Company was chosen by a customer to be its major supplier to build Smart Burn-In (SBI) electrical testers to test microprocessors. This tester is a higher-end method of testing microprocessor devices. While providing integrated burn-in solutions, our sales team presented the total burn-in automation solutions (in the BITS conference in Phoenix, Arizona in
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March 2003) to improve products yield, reduce process downtime and improve efficiency. In addition, the Company developed a cooling solution for high power heat dissipation semiconductor devices. This solution involves the cooling or maintaining of the temperature of high power semiconductor devices.
Component Centrifuges and Leak Detection Equipment
Component centrifuges and leak detection equipment are used to test the mechanical integrity of ceramic and other hermetically sealed semiconductor devices and electronic parts for high reliability and aerospace applications. The Companys centrifuges spin these devices and parts at specific acceleration rates, creating gravitational-forces (gs) up to 30,000 gs (900,000 pounds per square inch), thereby indicating any mechanical weakness in the devices. Leak detection equipment is designed to detect leaks in hermetic packaging by first pressurizing the devices in a tracer gas or fluid and then visually scanning for bubble trails emanating from defective devices. Applications include automotive and aerospace markets.
Distribution Activities
The Companys Singapore subsidiary continues to develop its international distribution division. The distribution operation markets, sells and supports our products in Southeast Asia. In addition to our own products, this operation also distributes complementary products from other manufacturers based in the United States, Europe, Japan and other countries. These products are widely used by high quality and volume production manufacturers in the semiconductor and electronic industries. The products include environmental chambers, shaker systems, handlers, interface systems, vibration systems, solderability testers and other manufacturing products. Revenue from distribution activities represented approximately 33%, 29% and 18% of sales for the years ended June 30, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.
Product Research and Development
We continue to invest in research and development to improve our products and services. Our previous efforts have been concentrated on products for the Front End and in developing new testing technology that allows us to offer more advanced processes. However, the management has decided to reduce research and development activities as the demand for customized products in the Manufacturing Segment was reduced. The Company incurred research and development costs of $121,000 in fiscal 2003, $331,000 in fiscal 2002 and $216,000 in fiscal 2001.
During 2000 through 2002, the Company developed new equipment and facilities to participate in a new generation of burn-in technology known as HBI and SBI. This technology was developed to meet the unique test requirements of the latest microprocessor products. The HBI and SBI test systems are multiple positions, independently programmable systems that can economically run long test times at unique burn-in conditions. We developed significant facilities, including a power sub-station and improved environmental controls, to house the HBI and SBI technology.
Marketing, Distribution and Services
The Company markets its products and services worldwide, directly and through independent sales representatives. Additionally, we have approximately 16 independent sales representatives operating in the United States and another 17 in various foreign countries. Of the 33 sales representatives, 5 represent the Distribution Segment and the others represent the Manufacturing Segment. Trio-Techs United States marketing efforts are coordinated from its California locations. Southeast Asia marketing efforts are assigned to its subsidiary in Singapore. The Company advertises its products in trade journals and participates in trade shows.
Independent testing laboratories, users, assemblers and manufacturers of semiconductor devices, including many, large well-known corporations, purchase the Companys products and services. These customers depend on the current and anticipated market demand for integrated circuits and products utilizing semiconductor devices. In fiscal 2003, 2002, and 2001, sales of equipment and services to our two largest customers (Catalyst Semiconductor and AMD) accounted for approximately 49.3%, 55%, and 40%, respectively, of our net revenues. Our ability to maintain close, satisfactory relationships with our customers is essential to our stability and growth. The loss of or reduction or delay in orders from our significant customers, or delays in collecting accounts receivable from our significant customers, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003, the Company had sales of $3,563,000 (17%) and $6,904,000 (32%) to Catalyst Semiconductor and AMD, respectively.
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Backlog
The following table sets forth the Companys backlog at the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
| June 30, 2003 | June 30, 2002 | |||||||
Manufacturing backlog |
$ | 582 | $ | 785 | ||||
Testing service backlog |
5,138 | 6,615 | ||||||
Distribution backlog |
206 | 537 | ||||||
| 5,926 | 7,937 | |||||||
Based upon past experience, the Company does not anticipate any significant cancellations or renegotiation of sales. The purchase orders for manufacturing, testing and distribution require delivery within the next 12 months. The Company does not anticipate any difficulties in meeting delivery schedules. Our backlog (in thousands), as of September 5, 2003, is $1,408, $4,220 and $484 for manufacturing, testing and distribution, respectively and totals $6,112.
Manufacturing and Supply
The Companys products are designed by its engineers and are assembled and tested at its facilities in California, Singapore and Ireland. We purchase all parts, and certain components, from outside sources for assembly by the Company. We have no written contracts with any of our key suppliers.
Competition
There are numerous competing testing laboratories in Southeast Asia that perform a range of testing services similar to those offered by the Company. However, recent severe competition and attrition in the Asian test and burn-in services industry has reduced the total number of the Companys competitors to approximately three. Product performance and reliability in the Testing Segment, although fundamentally equivalent, are provided by using our own proprietary equipment for certain burn-in, centrifugal and leak tests. As the Company has sold and will continue to sell its products to competing laboratories, and as other test products are available from many other manufacturers, the Companys competitors can offer the same testing capabilities. Testing equipment is also available to semiconductor manufacturers and users who might otherwise use outside testing laboratories, including the Company, to perform environmental testing. The existence of competing laboratories and the availability of testing equipment to semiconductor manufacturers and users pose competitive threats to the Companys future testing services revenues and earnings. Although the aforementioned laboratories and new competitors may challenge the Company at any time, the Company believes that other factors, including its reputation, long service history and strong customer relationships, are important factors in determining the Companys position in the market.
The Southeast Asia Distribution Segment sells a wide range of more than 27 different testing products, of which 3% are front-end products, the sales volumes of which are highly dependent on customer capital expenditure plans. That segment has one main competitor. Through 45 years dedicated to the semiconductor and related industries, we have formed lasting relationships with key suppliers in our Distribution Segment which allows us to competitively price our distributed products.
The semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry is highly competitive. There are approximately three competitors in our Manufacturing Segment for Burn-in Boards and Burn-in Ovens. In the United States, we have one competitor for HAST Systems, one for Artic Thermal Chucks, and one for Gross Leak Test Equipment. There are approximately four competitors of the same size as one another in the Western United States for Wet Benches. There can be no assurance that competition will not increase or that the Companys technological advantages may not be reduced or lost as a result of technological advances by competitors or changes in semiconductor processing technology. We continue to invest in research and development to improve our products and services.
We believe that the principal competitive factors in the manufacturing industry include product performance, reliability, service and technical support, product improvements, price, established relationships with customers and product familiarity. The Company makes every effort to compete favorably with respect to each of these factors. For example, we believe that the products manufactured by the Company meet or exceed customer applications through unique design features, which applications demand systems that work year after year in a production setting. Our manufactured systems have a track record of reliability. The Company has been in business for more than 45 years and has facilities in several regions of the world. The Company believes those factors have combined not only to help establish long-term relationships with customers but also to
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allow it to continue to do business with customers upon their relocation to other regions in which the Company conducts business. The Company believes that its pricing of manufactured and distributed systems is competitive in the market. Our competitive position in the markets we are serving is not readily determinable, because there is no information publicly available regarding our competitors who are privately held companies.
Patents
Trio-Techs Manufacturing Segment holds a United States Patent granted in 1987 in relation to its pressurization humidity testing equipment. The Company also holds a United States Patent granted in 1994 on certain aspects of its Artic temperature test systems. In 2000, the Company filed, and was granted in 2001, a new United States patent (20 years) for several aspects of its new range of Artic temperature chucks. Although the Company believes these patents are an integral part of our Manufacturing Segment, the capitalized cost of the patents was written off in fiscal 2002 because of the impairment assessed by our management. This assessment was based on an examination of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows which are generated by the subsidiaries where certain long-lived assets (goodwill and certain fixed assets) are used.
Several unique mechanical design features, for which patents are pending, provide excellent mechanical stability under high probing forces and across the temperature ranges.
It is typical in the semiconductor industry to receive notices from time to time alleging infringement of patents or other intellectual property rights of others. The Company does not believe that it infringes on the intellectual property rights of others. However, should any claims therefore be brought against the Company, the cost of litigating such claims, and any damages that may result there from, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Employees
As of June 30, 2003, the Company had approximately 27 employees in the United States, 361 in Southeast Asia and 10 in Ireland for a total of approximately 398 employees. None of the Companys employees are represented by a labor union. There are approximately 314 employees in the testing segment, 65 employees in the manufacturing segment, 16 in the distribution segment and 3 in Corporate. Currently, as of September 5, 2003, there are approximately 391 employees.
ITEM 2 PROPERTIES
At this time, the Company believes that it uses about 53% of its fixed property capacity. The Company also believes that its existing facilities are under-utilized and are adequate and suitable to cover any sudden increase in the Companys needs in the foreseeable future.
The following table sets forth information as to the location and general character of the principal manufacturing and testing facilities of the Registrant:
| Owned (O) | ||||||||
| Approx. | or Leased (L) | |||||||
| Sq. Ft. | Expiration | |||||||
| Location | Principal Use/Segment | Occupied | Date | |||||
| 14731 Califa Street | Headquarters/ | 10,000 | (L) Jan. 2005 | |||||
| Van Nuys, CA 9l411 | Testing/Manufacturing | |||||||
| 6951-A Via Del Oro | Manufacturing | 15,000 | (L) Feb. 2004*3 | |||||
| San Jose, CA 95119 | ||||||||
| Abbey Road | Testing | 18,400 | (O) | |||||
| Deansgrange Co. | ||||||||
| Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||
| 1004, Toa Payoh North, Singapore | ||||||||
| HEX 07-01/07, | Testing | 6,833 | (L) Sept. 2003 *2 | |||||
| HEX 03-01/03, | Testing/Manufacturing | 2,959 | (L) Sept. 2003 *2 | |||||
| HEX 03-16/17, | Testing | 1,983 | (L) Sept. 2003 *2 | |||||
| HEX 01-08/15 | Testing/Manufacturing | 6,865 | (L) Jan. 2006 | |||||
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| HEX 01-16/17 | Testing | 1,983 | (L) Feb. 2004 *2 | |||||
| HEX 02-08/10, | Testing | 2,959 | (L) Aug. 2005 | |||||
| HEX 02-11/15 | Testing | 3,905 | (L) Apr. 2005 | |||||
| 1008, Toa Payoh North, Singapore | ||||||||
| HEX 03-01/06, | Testing | 7,345 | (L) Feb. 2006 | |||||
| HEX 03-09/15, | Logistics | 4,435 | (L) Jan. 2006 | |||||
| HEX 03-16/18, | Distribution | 5,130 | (L) Jan. 2006 | |||||
| HEX 01-08, | Transformer Room | 603 | (L) Jun. 2003 *2 | |||||
| HEX 07-17/18, | Testing | 4,315 | (L) Nov. 2003 *2 | |||||
| HEX 07-01, | Testing | 3,466 | (L) Jan. 2004 *2 | |||||
| HEX 01-S3/S4 | Power Substation | 1,628 | (L) Sept. 2003 *1 | |||||
| Plot 1A, Phase 1 | Testing | 49,924 | (O) | |||||
| Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone | ||||||||
| 11900 Penang | ||||||||
| 327, Chalongkrung Road, | Testing | 11,300 | (O) | |||||
| Lamplathew, Lat Krabang, | ||||||||
| Bangkok 10520, Thailand | ||||||||
| Lot No. B7, Kawasan MIEL | Lease Out | 24,142 | (O) | |||||
| Batang Kali, Phase II, | ||||||||
| 43300 Batang Kali | ||||||||
| Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia |
| *1 The Company built and owns a Power Substation building, which building is situated on property that the Company leases. Although the lease expires in September 2003, the Company anticipates that the landlord will offer similar terms on such lease at renewal and does not believe that material expenses will be incurred. | ||
| *2 With respect to the various leases that expire during fiscal 2004, the Company anticipates that the landlord will offer similar terms on each such lease at renewal and does not believe that material expenses will be incurred. | ||
| *3 With respect to Universal Systems, the lease is not expected to be renewed as the operation will be moved to Southeast Asia. |
ITEM 3 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is, from time to time, the subject of litigation claims and assessments arising out of matters occurring in its normal business operations. In the opinion of management, resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Companys financial statements.
There are no material proceedings to which any director, officer or affiliate of the Registrant, any beneficial owner of more than five percent of the Registrants common stock, or any associate of such person is a party that is adverse to the Registrant or its properties.
There was no litigation relating to environmental action which arose from operations.
ITEM 4 SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
None.
10
PART II
ITEM 5 MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The Registrants common stock is traded on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol TRT. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the range of high and low sales prices of our common stock as quoted by AMEX:
| Quarter Ended | High | Low | ||||||||
Fiscal 2002 |
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September 30, 2001 |
$ | 4.02 | $ | 2.96 | ||||||
December 31, 2001 |
3.26 | 2.48 | ||||||||
March 31, 2002 |
3.25 | 2.50 | ||||||||
June 30, 2002 |
3.06 | 2.65 | ||||||||
Fiscal
2003 |
||||||||||
September 30, 2002 |
2.65 | 1.87 | ||||||||
December 31, 2002 |
2.30 | 1.51 | ||||||||
March 31, 2003 |
2.30 | 1.86 | ||||||||
June 30, 2003 |
2.45 | 1.86 | ||||||||
Fiscal 2004 |
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July 1, 2003 |
3.60 | 2.40 | ||||||||
September 5, 2003 |
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There were approximately 609 shareholders of record of our common stock as of September 5, 2003. Approximately 2,133,324 shares are held by Cede and Co., a clearinghouse that holds stock certificates in street name for an unknown number of shareholders.
The Company has never declared any cash dividends on its common stock. Any future determination as to cash dividends will depend upon the earnings and financial position of the Company at that time and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem appropriate. It is anticipated that no dividends will be paid to holders of common stock in the foreseeable future.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding equity compensation plans of the Company:
| EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION | |||||||||||||
| Plan Category | Number of securities to be | Weighted-average | Number of securities | ||||||||||
| issued upon exercise of | exercise price of | remaining available for | |||||||||||
| outstanding options, | outstanding options, | future issuance under | |||||||||||
| warrants and rights | warrants and rights | equity compensation | |||||||||||
| plans (excluding | |||||||||||||
| securities reflected in | |||||||||||||
| column(a)) | |||||||||||||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | |||||||||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | |||||||||||||
(1) Companys 1998 |
|||||||||||||
Stock Option Plan |
182,500 | $ | 4.3896 | 117,500 | |||||||||
| (2) Directors Stock Option Plan | 167,000 | $ | 3.4919 | 133,000 | |||||||||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | 0 | $ | 0.0000 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 349,500 | $ | 3,9607 | 250,500 | |||||||||
11
ITEM 6 SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
(In thousands, except (Loss) Earnings per share)
| June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | |||||||||||||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Net sales |
$ | 21,246 | $ | 19,617 | $ | 36,133 | $ | 26,943 | $ | 21,181 | |||||||||||
(Loss) Income from Operations |
(287 | ) | (3,579 | ) | 1,383 | 1,180 | (207 | ) | |||||||||||||
(Loss) Net income |
(81 | ) | (3,547 | ) | 1,163 | 1,034 | 195 | ||||||||||||||
(Loss) Earnings per share: |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Basic |
(0.03 | ) | (1.21 | ) | 0.40 | 0.37 | 0.07 | ||||||||||||||
Diluted |
(0.03 | ) | (1.21 | ) | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.07 | ||||||||||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Basic |
2,928 | 2,928 | 2,884 | 2,759 | 2,745 | ||||||||||||||||
Diluted |
2,928 | 2,928 | 3,006 | 2,895 | 2,757 | ||||||||||||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheets |
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Cortent assets |
$ | 11,493 | $ | 13,405 | $ | 15,501 | $ | 17,279 | $ | 12,723 | |||||||||||
Current liabilities |
4,466 | 6,486 | 7,599 | 8,349 | 5,934 | ||||||||||||||||