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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark one)

x Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

 

¨ 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 0-24020

 

SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   61-1321992

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

101 Bullitt Lane, Suite 450

Louisville, Kentucky 40222

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

(502) 329-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

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

None

 

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

Common Stock, $.01 par value

(Title of Class)

 

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 Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

 

Yes x No ¨

 

As of June 29, 2003, shares of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates (based upon the closing sale price of the registrant’s common stock reported for such date on the Nasdaq National Market), had an aggregate market value of approximately $60,098,718. As of January 31, 2004 the registrant had 14,330,394 shares of common stock outstanding.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement to be delivered to shareholders in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held April 27, 2004 are incorporated by reference into Part III to the extent described therein.

 



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Index to Financial Statements

 

Table of Contents

 

          Page

Part I

         

Item 1.

  

Business

   1

Item 2.

  

Properties

   10

Item 3.

  

Legal Proceedings

   11

Item 4.

  

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

   12

Part II

         

Item 5.

  

Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

   12

Item 6.

  

Selected Financial Data

   13

Item 7.

  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

   14

Item 7A.

  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

   24

Item 8.

  

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

   25

Item 9.

  

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

   48

Item 9A.

  

Controls and Procedures

   48

Part III

         

Item 10.

  

Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

   49

Item 11.

  

Executive Compensation

   49

Item 12.

  

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

   49

Item 13.

  

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

   49

Item 14.

  

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

   49

Part IV

         

Item 15.

  

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K

   50

Signature Page

   54

Schedule II – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

   55

 

In this Form 10-K, “Sypris,” “SYPR,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Sypris Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries and predecessors, collectively. “Sypris Solutions” and “Sypris” are our trademarks. All other trademarks, servicemarks or trade names referred to in this Form 10-K are the property of their respective owners.

 


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Index to Financial Statements

 

PART I

 

Item 1. Business

 

General

 

We are a diversified provider of outsourced services and specialty products. We perform a wide range of manufacturing, engineering, design, testing and other technical services, typically under multi-year, sole-source contracts with corporations and government agencies in the markets for aerospace & defense electronics, truck components & assemblies, and for users of test & measurement equipment. Revenue from our three core markets accounted for approximately 94% of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2003, while revenue from our outsourced services accounted for approximately 83% of our revenue. We expect these percentages to increase in the future.

 

We focus on those markets where we have the expertise, qualifications and leadership position to sustain a competitive advantage. We target our resources to support the needs of industry leaders who embrace multi-year contractual relationships as a strategic component of their supply chain management. These contracts, many of which are sole-source by part number and are for terms of up to eight years, enable us to invest in leading-edge technologies to help our customers remain competitive. The productivity, flexibility and economies of scale that result become an important means for differentiating ourselves from the competition when it comes to cost, quality, reliability and customer service.

 

Aerospace & Defense Electronics. We are an established supplier of manufacturing services for the production of complex circuit cards, high-level assemblies and subsystems. We have long-term relationships with many of the leading aerospace & defense contractors, including Boeing Company, General Dynamics Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Raytheon Company. We manufacture these complex electronic assemblies under multi-year contracts for the missile guidance systems of the AMRAAM and Brimstone missile programs, and for the main color display systems for the cockpit of the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter. We also have a long-term relationship with the National Security Agency to design and build secure communications equipment and write encryption software. The defense budget for fiscal 2004 contains provisions to increase spending for missiles, smart weapons, sensors, surveillance, intelligence and secure communications, areas for which we have long provided essential services and products. Our aerospace & defense electronics business accounted for approximately 51% of net revenue in 2003.

 

Truck Components & Assemblies. We are the principal supplier of manufacturing services for the forging and machining of medium and heavy-duty truck axle shafts and other drive train components in North America. We produce these axle shafts and components under multi-year, sole-source contracts with ArvinMeritor, Inc. and Dana Corporation, the two primary providers of drive train assemblies for use by the leading truck manufacturers, including Ford Motor Company, Freightliner LLC, Mack Trucks, Inc., Navistar International Corporation, PACCAR, Inc. and Volvo Truck Corporation. We also supply Visteon Corporation with light axle shafts for Ford’s F150, F250, F350 and Ranger series pickup trucks, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and the Ford Mustang GT. We continue to support our customers’ strategies to outsource non-core operations by supplying additional components and providing additional value added operations for drive train assemblies. Our truck components & assemblies business accounted for approximately 31% of net revenue in 2003.

 

Test & Measurement Services. We provide technical services for the calibration, certification and repair of test & measurement equipment in the U.S. We have a multi-year, sole-source contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to calibrate and certify the equipment that is used to maintain the radar systems and directional beacons at over 500 airports in the U.S., the Caribbean and the South Pacific. We also have a multi-year, sole-source contract with the National Weather Service to calibrate the equipment that is used to maintain the NEXRAD Doppler radar systems at over 130 advanced warning weather service radar stations in 45 states, the Caribbean and Guam. We also have a multi-year contract with AT&T Corporation to provide calibration and certification services at over 300 of its central and field switching locations. We are seeing an increased interest by large companies in awarding multi-site contracts for calibration services in order to accelerate vendor reduction programs and reduce costs. Our test & measurement services business accounted for approximately 12% of net revenue in 2003.

 

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Recent Developments

 

On December 31, 2003, we completed the first phase of a proposed two-phase transaction with Dana in which we entered into a new eight-year agreement to supply a wide range of drive train components for the light, medium and heavy-duty truck markets to Dana. In connection with this agreement, we acquired the property, plant, and equipment as well as certain component inventories associated with Dana’s manufacturing plant in Morganton, North Carolina. In the proposed second phase of the transaction, which is evidenced by a letter of intent dated August 25, 2003, we expect to enter into an eight-year agreement with Dana for the supply of forged and machined components for use in the medium and heavy-duty truck markets effective as of the closing, which is expected to occur during 2004. As part of the proposed transaction, we plan to acquire a portion of Dana’s manufacturing campus in Toluca, Mexico and certain production equipment currently located at other Dana facilities in the U.S.

 

On January 13, 2004, we signed a letter of intent with ArvinMeritor to supply trailer axle beams and a variety of drive train components to ArvinMeritor under a series of multi-year agreements, the first of which is expected to close during 2004, with the balance scheduled to occur during the next two to three years in accordance with a predetermined transition plan. As part of the proposed transaction, we plan to acquire ArvinMeritor’s Kenton, Ohio plant that specializes in the manufacture of trailer axle beams. In addition, the proposed transaction provides for a five-year extension of an existing five-year supply agreement that is otherwise expected to expire on December 31, 2004 under which we supply ArvinMeritor with axle shafts for medium and heavy-duty trucks.

 

The proposed agreements with Dana and ArvinMeritor remain subject to due diligence, negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and board approvals among other contingencies, and in the case of ArvinMeritor’s Kenton plant, the negotiation and approval of a new union collective bargaining agreement.

 

Industry Overview

 

We believe the trend toward outsourcing is continuing across a wide range of industries and markets as outsourcing specialists assume a strategic role in the supply chain of companies of all types and sizes. We expect the growth in outsourcing expenditures to continue increasing at a rate far higher than the expansion in the overall economy.

 

We believe the trend toward outsourcing is continuing because outsourcing frequently represents a more efficient, lower cost means for manufacturing a product or delivering a service when compared to more vertically integrated alternatives. While the rate of acceptance of the outsourcing model may vary by industry, we believe the following benefits of outsourcing are driving this general trend.

 

Reduced Total Operating Costs and Invested Capital. Outsourcing specialists are frequently able to produce products and/or deliver services at a reduced total cost relative to that of their customers because of the ability to allocate the expense for a given set of fixed capacity, including assets, people and support systems, across multiple customers with diversified needs. In turn, these outsourcing specialists can achieve higher utilization of their resources and achieve greater productivity, flexibility and economies of scale.

 

Access to Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities and Processes and Increased Productivity. The ability to use a fixed set of production assets for a number of customers enables outsourcing specialists to invest in the latest technology as a means to further improve productivity, quality and cycle times. The magnitude of these investments can be prohibitive absent the volume and reliability of future orders associated with having a broad array of customers for the use of those assets.

 

Focus on Core Competencies. Companies are under intense competitive pressure to constantly rationalize their operations, invest in and strengthen areas in which they can add the greatest value to their customers and divest or outsource areas in which they add lesser value. By utilizing the services of outsourcing specialists, these companies can react more quickly to changing market conditions and allocate valuable capital and other resources to core activities, such as research and development, sales and marketing or product integration.

 

Improved Supply Chain Management. We believe that the trend in outsourcing favors specialists who have the financial, managerial and capital resources to assume an increasingly greater role in the management of the

 

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supply chain for the customer. By utilizing fewer and more capable suppliers, companies are able to greatly simplify the infrastructure required to manage these suppliers, thereby reducing their costs and improving margins.

 

Our Markets

 

Aerospace & Defense Electronics. The consolidation of defense contractors over the past decade has added to the increased demand for outsourcing specialists. The consolidated companies, some of which have developed highly leveraged balance sheets as a result of mergers and acquisitions, have been motivated to seek new ways to raise margins, increase profitability and enhance cash flow. Accordingly, outsourcing specialists, including Sypris, have been successful in building new relationships with companies that previously relied more on internal resources. We believe this trend will continue and that our extensive experience, clearances, certifications and qualifications in the manufacturing of aerospace & defense electronics will serve to differentiate us from many of the more traditional outsource suppliers. We also believe that we are well positioned to take advantage of additional outsourcing activity that may flow from the prime contractors that are awarded contracts related to increased defense appropriations and expenditures as a result of increased focus on national defense and homeland security.

 

The nature of providing outsourced manufacturing services to the aerospace & defense electronics industry differs substantially from the traditional commercial outsourced manufacturing services industry. The cost of failure can be extremely high, the manufacturing requirements are typically complex and products are produced in relatively small quantities. Companies that provide these manufacturing services are required to maintain and adhere to a number of strict certifications, security clearances and traceability standards that are comprehensive.

 

Truck Components & Assemblies. The truck components & assemblies market consists of the original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, including DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford, Freightliner, General Motors Corporation, Mack, Navistar, PACCAR and Volvo, and a deep and extensive supply chain of companies of all types and sizes that are classified into different levels or tiers. Tier I companies represent the primary suppliers to the OEMs and includes ArvinMeritor, Dana, Delphi Automotive Systems Corporation, Eaton Corporation, and Visteon, among others. Many of the Tier I companies are confronted with excess capacity, high hourly wage rates, costly benefit packages and aging capital equipment. Below this group of companies reside numerous suppliers who either supply the OEMs directly or supply the Tier I companies. In all segments of the truck components & assemblies market, however, suppliers are under intense competitive pressure to improve product quality and to reduce capital expenditures, production costs and inventory levels.

 

In an attempt to gain a competitive advantage, many OEMs have been reducing the number of suppliers they utilize. These manufacturers are choosing stronger relationships with fewer suppliers who are capable of investing to support their operations. In response to this trend, many suppliers have combined with others to gain the critical mass required to support these needs. As a result, the number of Tier I suppliers is being reduced, but in many cases the aggregate production capacity of these companies has yet to be addressed. We believe that as Tier I suppliers seek to eliminate excess capacity, they will increasingly choose outsourcing as a means to enhance their financial performance and as a result, companies such as Sypris will be presented with new business and acquisition opportunities.

 

Test & Measurement Services. The widespread adoption of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Quality Standards (QS), among others, has been underway for many years. A critical component of basic manufacturing discipline and these quality programs is the periodic calibration and certification of the test & measurement equipment that is used to measure process performance. The investment in this equipment and the skills required to support the calibration and certification process has historically been performed offsite by the manufacturers of the equipment, or onsite by internal operations, even though the productive use of the assets and people is difficult to justify since equipment is often certified on an annual, or in some cases, biennial basis.

 

We believe that test & measurement services will be increasingly outsourced to independent specialists who can use the manpower and equipment across a diversified base of customers, reduce investment requirements and improve profitability on a national scale.

 

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Our Business Strategy

 

Our objective is to improve our leadership position in each of our core markets by increasing the number of multi-year contracts with related customers and investing in highly automated production capacity to remain competitive on a global scale. We intend to serve our customers and achieve this objective by continuing to:

 

Concentrate on our Core Markets. We will continue to focus on those markets where we have the expertise, qualifications and leadership position to sustain a competitive advantage. We have been an established supplier of manufacturing and technical services to major aerospace & defense companies and agencies of the U.S. Government for over 37 years. We are the principal supplier of medium and heavy-duty truck axle shafts in North America, and we are the sole provider of calibration, certification and repair services for equipment used by the Federal Aviation Administration to maintain the radar systems and directional beacons at each of the airports it serves in the U.S., the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

 

Dedicate our Resources to Support Strategic Partnerships. We will continue to dedicate our resources to support the needs of industry leaders who embrace multi-year contractual relationships as a strategic component of their supply chain management and have the potential for long-term growth. We prefer contracts that are sole-source by part number so we can work closely with the customer to the mutual benefit of both parties. In recent years, we have entered into multi-year manufacturing services agreements with Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and Raytheon. We have also announced the award of sole-source supply agreements with ArvinMeritor, Visteon and Dana that run through year-end of 2004, 2006 and 2011, respectively, and we have executed a letter of intent with ArvinMeritor to extend that agreement through year end of 2009. Our success in establishing outsourcing partnerships with key customers has led to additional contracts and we believe that if we continue to successfully perform on these contracts, we will have additional growth opportunities with these and other customers.

 

Pursue the Strategic Acquisition of Customer-Owned Assets. We will continue to pursue the strategic acquisition of customer-owned assets that serve to consolidate our position of leadership in our core markets, create or strengthen our relationships with leading companies and expand our range of value-added services in return for multi-year supply agreements. Since these assets are integrated with our core businesses, we generally are able to use these assets to support other customers, thereby improving asset utilization and achieving greater productivity, flexibility and economies of scale. In recent years, we have completed two such transactions with Dana and have proposed transactions pending with Dana and ArvinMeritor.

 

Grow Through the Addition of New Value-Added Services. We will continue to grow through the addition of new value-added manufacturing capabilities and the introduction of additional components in the supply chain that enable us to provide a more complete solution by improving quality and reducing product cost, inventory levels and cycle times for our customers. We offer a variety of state-of-the-art machining capabilities to our customers in the truck components & assemblies market that enable us to reduce labor and shipping costs and minimize cycle times for our customers over the long-term. ArvinMeritor, Dana and Visteon have entered into contracts for these services, which we believe may provide us with significant additional opportunities for growth in the future.

 

Invest to Increase our Competitiveness and that of our Partners. We will continue to invest in advanced manufacturing and process technologies to reduce the cost of the services we provide for our customers on an ongoing basis. We continue to expand and automate the services we provide to our customers in the truck components & assemblies market, with approximately $59 million invested from 2000 to 2003. The automation substantially increased our output per man hour and enabled us to offer our customers reduced pricing that helped them to remain competitive on a global scale. Our ability to leverage this capability across a number of customers in the future will further improve our capacity utilization, absorption of overhead and reduce our manufacturing costs.

 

We believe that the number and duration of our strategic relationships enable us to invest in our business with greater certainty and with less risk than others who do not benefit from the type of longer term contractual commitments we receive from many of our major customers. The investments we make in support of these contracts provide us with the productivity, flexibility, technological edge and economies of scale that we believe will help to differentiate us from the competition in the future when it comes to cost, quality, reliability and customer service.

 

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Our Services and Products

 

We are a diversified provider of outsourced services and specialty products. Our services consist of manufacturing, technical and other services and products that are delivered as part of our customers’ overall supply chain management. The information below is representative of the types of products we manufacture, services we provide and the customers and industries for which we provide such products or services.

 

Aerospace & Defense Electronics:

 

Boeing

   Complex circuit cards for the Brimstone missile guidance systems.

Honeywell

   Complex circuit cards for the color display systems of the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter.

Lockheed Martin

   Space electronics for the space shuttle and the international space station, and data systems for a fleet ballistic missile program.

National Security Agency

   Secure communications equipment, recording systems and encryption software.

Raytheon

   Complex circuit cards and high level assemblies for use in satellite communications systems, the AMRAAM (advanced, medium-range, air attack missile) missile guidance system, and secure tactical communication systems.

 

Truck Components & Assemblies:

 

ArvinMeritor

   Axle shafts for medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Dana

   Axle shafts, drive train components and steer axle components for use in light, medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Visteon

   Axle shafts for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

 

Test & Measurement Services:

 

AT&T

   Calibration and certification services at over 300 central and field switching locations.

Federal Aviation Administration

   Calibration and certification services at over 500 airports.

Lockheed Martin

   Testing of electronic components for use in space and defense applications.

National Weather Service

   Calibration and certification services for over 130 advanced warning weather radar stations.

 

Manufacturing Services

 

Our manufacturing services typically involve the fabrication or assembly of a product or subassembly according to specifications provided by our customers. We purchase raw materials or components from both independent suppliers and from our customers in connection with performing our manufacturing services.

 

Our manufacturing capabilities are enhanced by advanced quality and manufacturing techniques, lean manufacturing, just-in-time procurement and continuous flow manufacturing, statistical process control, total quality management, stringent and real-time engineering change control routines and total cycle time reduction techniques.

 

Electronics Manufacturing Services. We provide our customers with a broad variety of solutions, from low-volume prototype assembly to high-volume turnkey manufacturing. We employ a multi-disciplined engineering team that provides comprehensive manufacturing and design support to customers. The manufacturing solutions we

 

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offer include design conversion and enhancement, materials procurement, system assembly, testing and final system configuration.

 

Our manufacturing services contracts for the aerospace & defense electronics market are generally sole-source by part number. Where we are the sole-source provider by part number, we are the exclusive provider to our customer of certain products for the duration of the manufacturing contract.

 

Industrial Manufacturing Services. We provide our customers with a wide range of capabilities, including automated forging, extruding, machining, induction hardening, heat-treating and testing services to meet the exacting requirements of our customers. We also design and fabricate production tooling, manufacture prototype products and provide other value-added services for our customers.

 

Our manufacturing services contracts for the truck components & assemblies markets are generally sole-source by part number. Part numbers may be specified for inclusion in a single model or a range of models. Where we are the sole-source provider by part number, we are the exclusive provider to our customer of the specific parts and for any replacements for these parts that may result from a design or model change for the duration of the manufacturing contract.

 

Technical Services

 

Test & Measurement Services. We calibrate, repair and certify the test & measurement equipment that is used to maintain wireless communication equipment, control tower radar and direction beacons, NEXRAD Doppler advanced warning weather service radar systems, digital oscilloscopes, microwave equipment and fiber optic measuring equipment, among others. The applications cover the maintenance of cellular communications systems, air traffic control systems, broadband telecommunication systems and quality certification programs in manufacturing operations. We also perform a wide-range of testing services on a contract basis, including radio frequency, microwave and mixed signal component testing, environmental testing, dynamics testing and failure analysis, among others. We provide our customers with services that exceed the scope of most manufacturing service companies, including software development, design services, prototype development, product re-engineering, feature enhancement, product ruggedization, cost reduction, product miniaturization, and electro-magnetic interference and shielding.

 

Products

 

In addition to our outsourced services, we provide some of our customers with specialized products including digital and analog data systems and encryption devices used in military applications, magnetic meters and sensors used in commercial and laboratory environments and high-pressure closures and joints used in pipeline and chemical systems. With the growth of our services business, our products business has increasingly become a smaller portion of our overall net revenue. We expect this trend to continue in the future.

 

Our Customers

 

Our customers include large, established companies and agencies of the federal government. We provide some customers with a combination of outsourced services and products, while other customers may be in a single category of our service or product offering. Our five largest customers in 2003, which accounted for 51% of net revenue, were ArvinMeritor, Dana, Honeywell, Raytheon and Visteon. Our five largest customers in 2002, which accounted for 50% of net revenue, were ArvinMeritor, Dana, Honeywell, Raytheon and Visteon. Our five largest customers in 2001, which accounted for 46% of net revenue, were ArvinMeritor, Dana, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2003, the U.S. Government and Government Agencies, including the National Security Agency, collectively represented approximately 18% of our net revenue, Dana represented approximately 15% of our net revenue and Raytheon represented approximately 14% of our net revenue.

 

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Sales and Business Development

 

Our principal sources of new business originate from the expansion of existing relationships, referrals and direct sales through senior management, direct sales personnel, domestic and international sales representatives, distributors and market specialists. We supplement these selling efforts with a variety of sales literature, advertising in numerous trade media and participation in trade shows. We also utilize engineering specialists extensively to facilitate the sales process by working with potential customers to reduce the cost of the service they need. Our specialists achieve this objective by working with the customer to improve their product’s design for ease of manufacturing, reducing the amount of set-up time or material that may be required to produce the product, or by developing software that can automate the test and/or certification process. The award of contracts or programs can be a lengthy process, which in some circumstances can extend well beyond 12 months. In addition, we have and will continue to selectively acquire assets from our customers in exchange for multi-year supply agreements and then leverage the newly acquired manufacturing capabilities to additional customers.

 

Our objective is to increase the value of the services we provide to the customer on an annual basis beyond the contractual terms that may be contained in a supply agreement. To achieve this objective, we commit to the customer that we will continuously look for ways to reduce the cost, improve the quality, reduce the cycle time and improve the life span of the products and/or services we supply the customer. Our ability to deliver on this commitment over time is expected to have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty and follow-on business.

 

Backlog

 

Our order backlog at December 31, 2003 was $199.0 million as compared to order backlog at December 31, 2002 of $154.2 million. Backlog for the Electronics Group and the Industrial Group at December 31, 2003 was $125.8 million and $73.2 million, respectively. Backlog for the Electronics Group and the Industrial Group at December 31, 2002 was $115.4 million and $38.8 million, respectively. Backlog consists of firm purchase orders with scheduled delivery dates and quantities. Total backlog at December 31, 2003 included $160.2 million for orders that are expected to be filled within 12 months. Our backlog has varied from quarter to quarter and may vary significantly in the future as a result of the timing of significant new orders and/or shipments, order cancellations, material availability and other factors.

 

Competition

 

The outsourced manufacturing services markets that we serve are highly competitive and we compete against numerous domestic companies in addition to the internal capabilities of some of our customers. In the aerospace & defense electronics market, we compete primarily against companies including LaBarge, Inc., Primus Technologies Corporation, SMTEK International, Inc., Sparton Corporation and Teledyne Technologies Incorporated. In the truck components & assemblies market, we compete primarily against companies including Mid-West Forge, Inc., Spencer Forge and Machine, Inc. and Traxle Manufacturing, Inc., who serve as suppliers to many Tier I and smaller companies. In the test & measurement services market, we compete primarily against companies including SIMCO Electronics, Transcat, Inc., Davis Inotek Instruments, and a variety of small, local, independent laboratories. We may face new competitors in the future as the outsourcing industry evolves and existing or start-up companies develop capabilities similar to ours.

 

We believe that the principal competitive factors in our markets include the availability of capacity, technological capability, flexibility and timeliness in responding to design and schedule changes, price, quality, delivery and financial strength. Although we believe that we generally compete favorably with respect to each of these factors, some of our competitors are larger and have greater financial and operating resources than we do. Some of our competitors have greater geographic breadth and range of services than we do. We also face competition from manufacturing operations of our current and potential customers, who continually evaluate the relative benefits of internal manufacturing compared to outsourcing. We believe our competitive position to be good and the barriers to entry to be high in the markets we serve.

 

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Suppliers

 

We attempt to utilize standard parts, components and materials that are available from multiple vendors. However, certain components and materials used in our manufacturing services are currently available only from single sources, and other components and materials are available from only a limited number of sources. Despite the risks associated with purchasing from single sources or from a limited number of sources, we have made the strategic decision to select single source or limited source suppliers in order to obtain lower pricing, receive more timely delivery and maintain quality control. In cases where unanticipated customer demand or supply shortages occur, we attempt to arrange for alternative sources of supply, where available, or defer planned production to meet the anticipated availability of the critical component or material.

 

Raw steel and fabricated steel parts are a major component of our cost of sales and net revenue for the truck components & assemblies business. We purchase the majority of our steel for use in this business at the direction of our customers, with any periodic changes in the price of steel being reflected in the prices we are paid for our services, such that we neither benefit from nor are harmed by any future changes in the price of steel.

 

There can be no assurance that supply interruptions will not slow production, delay shipments to our customers or increase costs in the future, any of which could adversely affect our financial results.

 

Research and Development

 

Our research and development activities are mainly related to our product lines that serve the aerospace & defense electronics market. Most of the expenditures related to our outsourced services are for process improvements and are not reflected in research and development expense. Accordingly, our research and development expense represents a relatively small percentage of our net revenue. We invested $3.1 million, $3.4 million and $4.2 million in research and development in 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. We also utilize our research and development capability to develop processes and technologies for the benefit of our customers.

 

Patents, Trademarks and Licenses

 

We own and are licensed under a number of patents and trademarks that we believe are sufficient for our operations. Our business as a whole is not materially dependent upon any one patent, trademark, license or technologically related group of patents or licenses.

 

We regard our manufacturing processes and certain designs as proprietary trade secrets and confidential information. We rely largely upon a combination of trade secret laws, non-disclosure agreements with customers, suppliers and consultants, and our internal security systems, confidentiality procedures and employee confidentiality agreements to maintain the trade secrecy of our designs and manufacturing processes.

 

Government Regulation

 

Our operations are subject to compliance with regulatory requirements of federal, state and local authorities, including regulations concerning labor relations, export and import regulations, health and safety matters and protection of the environment. While compliance with applicable regulations has not adversely affected our operations in the past, there can be no assurance that we will continue to be in compliance in the future or that these regulations will not change. Current costs of compliance are not material to us.

 

We must comply with detailed government procurement and contracting regulations and with U.S. Government security regulations, certain of which carry substantial penalty provisions for nonperformance or misrepresentation in the course of negotiations. Our failure to comply with our government procurement, contracting or security obligations could result in penalties or our suspension or debarment from government contracting, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

We are required to maintain U.S. Government security clearances at several of our locations. These clearances could be suspended or revoked if we were found not to be in compliance with applicable security regulations. Any such revocation or suspension would delay our delivery of products to customers. Although we

 

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have adopted policies directed at ensuring our compliance with applicable regulations and there have been no suspensions or revocations at any of our facilities, there can be no assurance that the approved status of our facilities will continue without interruption.

 

We are also subject to comprehensive and changing federal, state and local environmental requirements, including those governing discharges to the air and water, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and the remediation of contamination associated with releases of hazardous substances. We use hazardous substances in our operations and as is the case with manufacturers in general, if a release of hazardous substances occurs on or from our properties, we may be held liable and may be required to pay the cost of remedying the condition. The amount of any resulting liability could be material.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2003, we had a total of approximately 1,730 employees, 1,260 engaged in manufacturing and providing our technical services, 60 engaged in sales and marketing, 190 engaged in engineering and 220 engaged in administration. Approximately 390 of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements with various unions that expire on various dates through 2006. Although we believe overall that our relations with our labor unions are positive, there can be no assurance that present and future issues with our unions will be resolved favorably or that we will not experience a work stoppage, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Internet Access

 

Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge through our website (www.sypris.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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Item 2. Properties

 

Our principal manufacturing services operations are engaged in electronics manufacturing services for our aerospace & defense customers and industrial manufacturing services for our truck components & assemblies customers.

 

The following chart indicates the significant facilities that we own or lease, the location and size of each such facility and the manufacturing certifications that each facility possesses. The facilities listed below (other than the corporate office) are used principally as manufacturing facilities.

 


      Location      Market Served     

Own or Lease

(Expiration)

    

Approximate

Square Feet

     Certifications

Corporate Office:

 

                         

       

Louisville, Kentucky

 

          Lease (2014)        10,800       

Manufacturing Facilities:

 

                  

       

Louisville, Kentucky

 

  

Truck Components

& Assemblies

 

 

   Own      467,000      QS 9000

       

Tampa, Florida

 

  

Aerospace

& Defense Electronics

 

 

   Lease (2007)      308,000     

ISO 9001

AS 9100

NASA-STD-8739

MIL-Q-9858A

MIL-STD-2000A

MIL-STD 45662

MIL-STD 801D


       

Marion, Ohio

 

  

Truck Components

& Assemblies

 

 

   Own      255,000      QS 9000

       

Morganton, North

Carolina

 

 

  

Truck Components

& Assemblies

 

 

   Own      350,000      QS 9000

       

Orlando, Florida

 

  

Test &

Measurement

Services

 

 

 

   Own        62,000     

ISO 9001

ISO 9002

ISO 17025/Guide 25 MIL-STD 750

MIL-STD 883

MIL-STD 202

MIL-STD 810


       

San Dimas, California

 

  

Aerospace &

Defense Electronics

 

 

   Lease (2015)        26,300      ISO 9001

 

In addition, we lease space in 21 other facilities primarily utilized to provide technical services, all of which are located in the U.S. We also own 10 ISO-certified mobile calibration units and one ISO-certified transportable field calibration unit that are utilized to provide test & measurement services at customer locations throughout the U.S., the Caribbean and the South Pacific. We believe that our facilities and equipment are in good condition and reasonably suited and adequate for our current needs.

 

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Below is a listing and description of the various manufacturing certifications or specifications that we utilize at our facilities.

 

Certification/Specification


  

Description


ISO 9001

   A certification process comprised of 20 quality system requirements to ensure quality in the areas of design, development, production, installation and servicing of products.

ISO 9002

   A certification process similar to the ISO 9001 requirements, but it applies principally to manufacturing services as opposed to engineering services.

AS 9100

   A quality management system developed by the aerospace industry to measure supplier conformance with basic common acceptable aerospace quality requirements.

QS 9000

   A certification process developed by the nation’s major automakers that focuses on continuous improvement, defect reduction, variation reduction and elimination of waste.

ISO 17025/Guide 25

   A certification process commonly referred to as A2LA, which sets out general provisions that a laboratory must address to carry out specific calibrations or tests and provides laboratories with direction for the development of a fundamental quality management system.

NASA-STD-8739

   A specification for space programs designated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

MIL

   A specification that signifies specific functions or processes that are conducted in compliance with military specifications, such as a quality program, high-reliability soldering, calibration and metrology, and environmental testing.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

 

We are involved from time to time in litigation and other legal or environmental proceedings incidental to our business. There are currently no material pending legal proceedings to which we are a party.

 

Ongoing environmental proceedings include the following:

 

  Our Marion, Ohio facility is subject to soil and groundwater contamination involving petroleum compounds, semi-volatile and volatile organic compounds, certain metals, PCBs and other contaminants, some of which exceed the State of Ohio voluntary action program standards applicable to the site. We continue to test and assess this site to determine the extent of this contamination by the prior owners of the facility. Under our purchase agreement for this facility, Dana has agreed to indemnify us for environmental conditions that existed on the site as of closing and as to which we notified Dana prior to December 31, 2002.

 

  A leased facility we formerly occupied in Tampa, Florida is currently subject to remediation activities related to groundwater contamination involving methylene chloride and other volatile organic compounds which occurred prior to our use of the facility. The contamination extends beyond the boundaries of the facility. In December 1986, Honeywell, a prior operator of the facility, entered into a consent order with the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation under which Honeywell agreed to remediate the contamination, the full scope of which has not yet been determined. We purchased the assets of a business formerly located on this leased site and operated that business from 1993 until December 1994. Philips Electronics, the seller of those assets, has agreed to indemnify us with respect to environmental matters arising from groundwater contamination at the site prior to our use of the facility.

 

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  In December 1992, we acquired certain business assets formerly located at a leased facility in Littleton, Colorado. Certain chlorinated solvents disposed of on the site by Honeywell, a previous owner of the business, have contaminated the groundwater at and around the site. Alliant Techsystems, from which we acquired the business assets, operates a remediation system approved by the State of Colorado and has also entered into a consent order with the EPA providing for additional investigation at the site. Alliant Techsystems has agreed to indemnify us with respect to these matters.

 

  Our Morganton, North Carolina facility is subject to soil contamination involving petroleum compounds. We continue to test and assess this site to determine the extent of any contamination at this site. Under our purchase agreement for this facility, Dana has agreed to indemnify us for environmental violations that existed on the site as of closing and as to which we notify Dana prior to December 31, 2005.

 

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

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

PART II

 

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

 

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “SYPR.” The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing sale prices per share of our common stock as reported by the Nasdaq National Market.

 

     High

   Low

Year ended December 31, 2002:

             

First Quarter

   $ 16.35    $ 12.50

Second Quarter

   $ 21.35    $ 15.30

Third Quarter

   $ 16.03    $ 10.00

Fourth Quarter

   $ 12.28    $ 9.94

Year ended December 31, 2003:

             

First Quarter

   $ 11.25    $ 6.88

Second Quarter

   $ 10.75    $ 7.50

Third Quarter

   $ 16.61    $ 10.25

Fourth Quarter

   $ 17.55    $ 12.78

 

As of January 31, 2004, there were 838 holders of record of our common stock.

 

On September 22, 2002, our Board of Directors declared an initial quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per common share outstanding. Cash dividends of $0.03 per common share have been paid quarterly since the initial dividend was declared in 2002. Dividends may be paid on common stock only when, as