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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 


 

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

(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

 

OR

 

[    ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Commission File Number 0-23827

 


 

PC CONNECTION, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   02-0513618

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

  (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Rt. 101A, 730 Milford Road

Merrimack, New Hampshire

 

03054

(Zip Code)

(Address of principal executive offices)

   

 

(603) 683-2000

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

 

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.    x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

YES  ¨    NO  x

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based upon the closing price of the Registrant’s Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National Market on June 30, 2003, was $48,845,559. Although directors and executive officers of the registrant were assumed to be “affiliates” of the registrant for the purposes of this calculation, this classification is not to be interpreted as an admission of such status.

 

The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock on March 12, 2004 was 24,997,877.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2004 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, which is to be filed within 120 days of the end of the Company’s fiscal year, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. The incorporation by reference herein of portions of the Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to specifically incorporate by reference the information referred to in Item 402(a)(8) of Regulation S-K.

 



Table of Contents

PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

PART I     

ITEM 1.

   Business    1

ITEM 2.

   Properties    10

ITEM 3.

   Legal Proceedings    10

ITEM 4.

   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    12
PART II     

ITEM 5.

   Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities    13

ITEM 6.

   Selected Financial and Operating Data    14

ITEM 7.

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    15

ITEM 7A.

   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk    36

ITEM 8.

   Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data    36

ITEM 9.

   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure    37

ITEM 9A.

   Controls and Procedures    37
PART III     

ITEM 10.

   Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant    38

ITEM 11.

   Executive Compensation    38

ITEM 12.

   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters    38

ITEM 13.

   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions    38

ITEM 14.

   Principal Accountant Fees and Services    38
PART IV     

ITEM 15.

   Exhibits, Consolidated Financial Statements, Schedule, and Reports on Form 8-K    39

SIGNATURES

   44

 

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PART I

 

Item 1.    Business

 

This section contains forward-looking statements based on management’s current expectations, estimates, and projections about the industry in which we operate, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by management. All statements, trends, analyses, and other information contained in this report relative to trends in net sales, gross margin, and anticipated expense levels, as well as other statements, including words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “project,” “will,” “would,” and “intend” and other similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or expressed in such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, those set forth under the caption “Factors That May Affect Future Results and Financial Condition” included in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Particular attention should be paid to the cautionary statements involving the industry’s rapid technological change and exposure to inventory obsolescence, availability and allocations of goods, reliance on vendor support and relationships, competitive risks, pricing risks, and the overall level of economic activity and the level of business investment in information technology products. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers, however, should carefully review the factors set forth in other reports or documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

GENERAL

 

We are a direct marketer of information technology products and solutions, including brand-name personal computers and related peripherals, software, accessories, and networking products through our three primary sales subsidiaries, PC Connection Sales Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc. Our principal customers are small- and medium-sized businesses, known as SMBs, comprised of 20 to 1,000 employees, governmental agencies and educational organizations, and medium-to-large corporate accounts. We sell products through a combination of outbound telemarketing, field sales, targeted direct mail catalogs, our Internet Web sites, and advertisements on the Internet and in selected computer magazines. We offer a broad selection of approximately 100,000 products targeted for business use at competitive prices, including products from Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Epson, Fujitsu, Canon, Iomega, and Apple. Our most frequently ordered products are carried in inventory and are typically shipped to customers the same day that the order is received.

 

We maintain a Web site with the address www.pcconnection.com. We are not including the information contained in our Web site as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this annual report on Form 10-K. We make available free of charge through our Web site our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these materials with, or otherwise furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Since our founding in 1982, we have served our customers’ needs by providing innovative, reliable, and timely service and technical support, and by offering an extensive assortment of branded products, through knowledgeable, well-trained sales and support teams. Our strategy’s effectiveness is reflected in the recognition we have received, including being named to the Forbes Platinum 400, the Fortune 1000, and Information Week’s list of Top 500 leading IT Innovators.

 

We believe that our consistent customer focus has also resulted in the development of strong brand name recognition and a broad and loyal customer base. At December 31, 2003, our mailing list consisted of approximately 3,860,000 customers and potential customers, of which approximately 499,000 had purchased

 

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products from us within the last twelve months. Approximately 87% of our net sales in the year ended December 31, 2003 were made to customers who had previously purchased products from us. We believe we also have strong relationships with vendors, resulting in favorable product allocations and marketing assistance.

 

Our business-to-business marketing efforts are targeted to SMBs, government and educational organizations, and medium-to-large corporate accounts. As of December 31, 2003, we employed 519 account managers, including 191 new account managers with less than 12 months of outbound telemarketing experience with us. Account managers are responsible for managing corporate accounts and focus on outbound sales calls to prospective customers. We are continuing to focus on increasing the productivity of our account managers.

 

We publish several catalogs, including PC Connection®, focused on PCs and compatible products, and MacConnection®, focused on Apple Macintosh personal computers, known as Macs, and compatible products. With colorful illustrations, concise product descriptions, relevant technical information, along with toll-free telephone numbers for ordering, our catalogs are recognized as a leading source for personal computer hardware, software, and other related products. We distributed approximately 32 million catalogs during the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

We also market our products and services through our Internet Web sites, www.pcconnection.com, www.govconnection.com, www.macconnection.com, and www.moredirect.com. Our Web sites provide customers and prospective customers with product information and enable customers to place electronic orders for products. For the fiscal year 2003, Internet sales processed directly online were $212.1 million, or 16.2% of net sales, compared to 15.3% in 2002. These sales during the fourth quarter of 2003 were $59.1 million, or 16.5% of that quarter’s net sales, compared to 18.1% for the fourth quarter of 2002.

 

The Internet supports three key business initiatives for us:

 

Customer choice — We have built our business on the premise that our customers should be able to choose how they interact with us, be it by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or over the Web.

 

Lowering transactions costs — Our Web site tools, including robust product search features, Smart Selectors, Internet Business Accounts, and special interest pages, allow customers to quickly and easily find information about products of interest to them. If customers still have questions, they may call into our Telesales Representatives or Outbound Account Managers. Such phone calls are typically shorter and have higher close rates than calls from customers who have not first visited our Web sites.

 

Leveraging the time of experienced Account Managers — Our investments in technology-based sales and service programs allow our Account Managers to build and maintain relationships with our customers and help them to solve their business problems.

 

Acquisition of MoreDirect, Inc.

 

On April 5, 2002, we completed the acquisition of MoreDirect, Inc. (“MoreDirect”). The acquisition of MoreDirect provided PC Connection a premier e-procurement supplier of information technology (“IT”) products for medium-to-large corporate and government organizations nationwide. MoreDirect’s Internet-based system enables corporate and government customers to efficiently source, evaluate, purchase, and track a wide variety of IT products.

 

MARKET AND COMPETITION

 

We generate approximately 57% of our sales from the small- and medium-sized business market, approximately 24% from governmental agencies and educational organizations, and 19% from large corporate accounts (Fortune 1000). The overall U.S. Information Technology market that we serve is estimated at approximately $200 billion. Our consolidated sales represents less than 1% of the IT market, providing us with

 

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ample growth opportunities. The largest segment of the market is served by local “value added resellers” (“VARs”), many of whom we believe are actively exiting the hardware and software business as margins have become too small.

 

We have transitioned from an end-user or desktop-centric computing supplier to a network or enterprise-wide computing supplier. We also have partnered with third-party technology and telecommunications service providers. We now offer access to the same services and technical expertise to our customers as local VARs, but with more extensive product selection at lower prices, and therefore, we believe we are well positioned to increase our market share.

 

Intense competition for customers has led manufacturers of PCs and related products to use all available channels, including direct marketers, to distribute products. Although certain manufacturers who have traditionally used resellers to distribute their products have established or attempted to establish their own direct marketing operations, including sales through the Internet, to our knowledge, only one has replaced its traditional indirect selling channels as the principal means of distribution. Accordingly, we believe that these manufacturers of PCs and related products will continue to provide us and other third-party direct marketers favorable product allocations and marketing support.

 

We believe new entrants to the direct marketing channel must overcome a number of obstacles, including:

 

  the substantial time and resources required to build a customer base of meaningful size, quality, and responsiveness for cost-effective circulation;

 

  the high costs of developing the information and operating infrastructure required by direct marketers;

 

  the advantages enjoyed by larger and more established competitors in terms of purchasing and operating efficiencies;

 

  the difficulty of building relationships with manufacturers to achieve favorable product allocations and attractive pricing terms; and

 

  the difficulty of identifying and recruiting management personnel with significant direct marketing experience in the industry.

 

BUSINESS STRATEGIES

 

Our objective is to become the leading supplier of information technology products and solutions, including personal computers and related products and services, to our customers. The key elements of our business strategies include:

 

Providing award-winning customer service before, during, and after the sale.    We believe that we have earned a reputation for providing superior customer service by consistently focusing on our customers’ needs. We deliver value to our customers through high quality service and technical support provided by our knowledgeable, well-trained personnel. We have efficient delivery programs, and we also offer our customers competitive prices and reasonable return policies.

 

Offering a broad product selection at competitive prices.    We offer our customers a wide assortment of information technology products and solutions, including personal computers and related products and networking products, at competitive prices. Our merchandising programs feature products that provide customers with aggressive price and performance and the convenience of one-stop shopping for their personal computer and related needs.

 

Maintaining a strong brand name and customer awareness.    Since our founding in 1982, we have built a strong brand name and customer awareness. In 2001, we were named to the Forbes Platinum 400, the Fortune 1000, and Information Week’s list of top 500 Leading IT Innovators. Our mailing list includes approximately 3,860,000 names, of which approximately 499,000 have purchased products from us during the last 12 months.

 

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Maintaining long-standing vendor relationships.    We have a history of strong relationships with vendors, and were among the first direct marketers qualified by manufacturers to market computer systems to end users. We provide our vendors with both information concerning customer preferences and an efficient channel for the advertising and distribution of their products.

 

GROWTH STRATEGIES

 

Our growth strategies are to increase revenues derived from our penetration of our existing customers, broaden our product offerings, and expand our customer base. The key elements of our growth strategies include:

 

Targeting customer segments.    Through targeted mailings, we seek to expand the number of our active customers and generate additional sales from our existing customers. We have developed specialty catalogs, as well as standard catalogs with special cover pages, featuring product offerings designed to address the needs of specific customer populations, including new product inserts targeted to purchasers of graphics, server, and networking products.

 

Expanding product and service offerings.    We continually evaluate information technology products and services focused on business users, adding new products and services as they become available or in response to customer demand. We work closely with vendors to identify and source first-to-market product offerings at aggressive prices, and believe that the expansion of our corporate outbound marketing program will enhance our access to such product offerings. In addition to using our own inventories, we utilize our distribution and manufacturing suppliers to drop ship products directly to our customers. In 2003 we drop shipped 38.1% of our sales compared to 34.8% in 2002.

 

Focusing on enterprise server and networking opportunities.    We are accelerating our transition from an end-user or desktop-centric computing supplier to a network or enterprise-wide computing supplier. In 2003, sales of enterprise server and networking products accounted for 27.5% of our total net sales compared to 26.8% of our total net sales in 2002. Sales of enterprise products typically have larger average order sizes and higher gross margins than do sales of desktop computing products.

 

Expanding electronic commerce channel.    Our Internet Web-based catalog provides detailed product descriptions, product search capabilities, and online order processing. This channel provides our customers with a convenient means of shopping with us, and it also allows us to leverage our account managers more effectively. The number of Internet Business Account users grew from 35,000 at the end of 2002 to approximately 77,000 at December 31, 2003. We plan to further improve online sales capabilities, customer service and product information and customer support available on our Internet Web site. We also plan to expand our online affinity sales programs with major customers and thereby solidify our long-term relationship with these customers.

 

Increasing outbound telemarketing productivity.    We believe that higher sales productivity is the key to leveraging our expense structure and driving future profitability improvements. We plan to expand and focus our training and evaluation programs, system enhancements, and sales tools more towards assisting our sales personnel in improving their productivity. As we increase our productivity, we plan to increase the number of our corporate account managers and assign them a greater number of our customers.

 

Pursuing strategic acquisitions and alliances.    We seek to acquire new customers, strengthen our product offerings, add management talent, and produce operating results which are accretive to our core business earnings. In 2002, we acquired MoreDirect, a premier e-procurement supplier of IT products for medium-to-large corporate and government organizations nationwide.

 

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

 

Since our founding in 1982, our primary objective has been to provide products that meet the demands and needs of customers and to supplement those products with up-to-date product information and excellent customer service and support. We believe that offering our customers superior value, through a combination of product

 

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knowledge, consistent and reliable service, and leading products at competitive prices, differentiates us from other direct marketers and provides the foundation for developing a broad and loyal customer base.

 

We invest in training programs for our service and support personnel, with an emphasis on putting customer needs and service first. We provide toll-free technical support from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Product support technicians assist callers with questions concerning compatibility, installation, determination of defects, and more difficult questions relating to product use. The product support technicians authorize customers to return defective or incompatible products to either the manufacturer or to us for warranty service. In-house technicians perform both warranty and non-warranty repair on most major systems and hardware products.

 

Using our customized information system, we send our customer orders to our distribution center for processing immediately after a customer receives credit approval. Through our Everything Overnight® service, we guarantee that all orders accepted up until 2:00 a.m. Eastern time, (until midnight on most custom-configured systems) will be shipped for overnight delivery via Airborne Express. We also configure approximately 14% of the computer systems we sell. Configuration typically consists of the installation of memory, accessories, and/or software.

 

MARKETING AND SALES

 

We sell our products through our direct marketing channels to SMBs, governmental agencies and educational organizations, and medium-to-large corporate accounts. We seek to be the primary supplier of information technology products and solutions, including personal computers and related products, to our existing customers and to expand our customer base. We use multiple marketing approaches to reach existing and prospective customers, including:

 

  outbound telemarketing and field sales;

 

  catalogs and inbound telesales;

 

  Web and print media advertising; and

 

  marketing programs targeted to specific customer populations.

 

All of our marketing approaches emphasize our broad product offerings, fast delivery, customer support, competitive pricing, and multiple payment options.

 

We believe that our ability to establish and maintain long-term customer relationships and to encourage repeat purchases is largely dependent on the strength of our telemarketing personnel and programs. Because our customers’ primary contact with us is through our telemarketers, we are committed to maintaining a qualified, knowledgeable, and motivated sales staff with its principal focus on customer service.

 

The following table sets forth our percentage of net sales by sales channel:

 

       Years Ended December 31,

 

Sales Channel


     2003

    2002

    2001

 

Outbound Telemarketing and Field Sales

     77 %   78 %   79 %

Catalogs and Inbound Telesales

     7     7     12  

Online Internet

     16     15     9  
      

 

 

Total

     100 %   100 %   100 %
      

 

 

 

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Outbound Telemarketing and Field Sales.    We seek to build loyal relationships with our potential high-volume customers by assigning them to individual account managers. We believe that customers respond favorably to a one-on-one relationship with personalized, well-trained account managers. Once established, these one-on-one relationships are maintained and enhanced through frequent telecommunications and targeted catalogs and other marketing materials designed to meet each customer’s specific computing needs. We pay most of our account managers a base annual salary plus incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is tied to gross profit dollars produced by the individual account manager. Account managers historically have significantly increased productivity after approximately 12 months of training and experience. At December 31, 2003, we employed 519 account managers, including 191 with less than 12 months of outbound telemarketing experience with us.

 

Catalogs and Inbound Telesales.    Our two principal catalogs are PC Connection® for the PC market and MacConnection® for the Apple Macintosh market. We publish eleven editions of each of these catalogs annually. We distribute catalogs to purchasers on our in-house mailing list as well as to other prospective customers. In addition, we mail specialty catalogs or customized versions of our catalogs to selected customers. We distribute specialty catalogs to educational and governmental customers and prospects on a periodic basis. We also distribute our monthly catalogs customized with special covers and inserts, offering a wider assortment of special offers on products in specific areas such as graphics, server/netcom, and mobile computing, or for specific customers, such as developers. These customized catalogs are distributed to targeted customers included in our customer database using past identification or purchase history, as well as to outside mailing lists.

 

Our inbound sales representatives answer customer telephone calls generated by our catalog, magazine, and other advertising programs. These representatives also assist customers in making purchasing decisions, process product orders, and respond to customer inquiries on order status, product pricing, and availability. Using our proprietary information systems, sales representatives can quickly access customer records which detail purchase history and billing and shipping information, expediting the ordering process. In addition to receiving orders through our toll-free numbers, orders are also received via fax, mail, and electronic mail.

 

Online Internet. (www.pcconnection.com, www.govconnection.com, www.macconnection.com, and www.moredirect.com) We provide product descriptions and prices of all products online. We also provide updated information for over 55,000 items and on screen images for over 35,000 items. We offer, and continuously update, selected product offerings and other special buys. We believe that our Internet Web site will be an increasingly important sales source and communication tool for improving customer service.

 

Business Segments.    We conduct our business operations through three primary business segments: (1) consumer, small- and medium-sized business customers (“SMB”); (2) federal, state and local governments and education institutions (“Public Sector”); and (3) large corporate (Fortune 1000) and governmental organizations (“Large Accounts”).

 

SMB Segment.    While we continue to generate credit card sales to consumers, our principal target customers in this segment are small-to-medium-sized business customers with 20 to 1,000 employees. Our primary means of marketing to this segment incorporate all three sales channels—catalog and inbound telesales, particularly to our consumer group, outbound telemarketing, and online Internet sales, primarily to our business customers.

 

Public Sector Segment.    We use a combination of outbound telemarketing, including some on-site sales solicitation by field sales account managers, and online Internet sales through Internet Business Accounts, to reach these customers. Through our GovConnection subsidiary, we target each of the four distinct market sectors within this segment—federal government, higher educational institutions, school grades K through 12, and state and local governments.

 

Large Account Segment.    Through our MoreDirect subsidiary’s custom designed Internet-based system, we are able to offer our larger corporate customers an efficient and effective method of sourcing,

 

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evaluating, purchasing, and tracking a wide variety of IT products. Our account managers typically have 10 to 12 years of experience and are located strategically across the United States. This allows them to work directly with customers, often on site. MoreDirect does not own any inventory; we place all product orders with manufacturers and/or distribution companies for drop shipment directly to customers.

 

The following table sets forth the relative distribution of our net sales by business segment:

 

     Years Ended December 31,

 

Business Segment


   2003

    2002

    2001

 

SMB

   57 %   59 %   76 %

Public Sector

   24     25     24  

Large Accounts

   19     16     —    
    

 

 

Total

   100 %   100 %   100 %
    

 

 

 

Specialty Marketing.    Our specialty marketing activities include direct mail, other inbound and outbound telemarketing services, bulletin board services, “fax on demand” services, package inserts, fax broadcasts, and electronic mail. We also market call-answering and fulfillment services to certain of our product vendors.

 

Customers.    We currently maintain an extensive database of customers and prospects aggregating approximately 3,860,000 names. During the year ended December 31, 2003, we received orders from approximately 499,000 customers. Approximately 87% of our net sales in the year ended December 31, 2003 were made to customers who had previously purchased products from us. Except for sales to the federal government, no single customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. We do not have backlog orders that are material to our business.

 

PRODUCTS AND MERCHANDISING

 

We continuously focus on expanding the breadth of our product offerings. We currently offer our customers approximately 100,000 information technology products designed for business applications from more than 1,000 manufacturers, including hardware and peripherals, accessories, networking products, and software. We select the products that we sell based upon their technology and effectiveness, market demand, product features, quality, price, margins, and warranties. As part of our merchandising strategy, we also offer products related to PCs, such as digital cameras.

 

The following table sets forth our percentage of net sales (in dollars) of notebooks and personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), desktops and servers, storage devices, software, networking communications products, printers & printer supplies, video, imaging and sound, memory & system enhancements, accessories and other products during the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001.

 

     PERCENTAGE OF NET SALES

 
     Years Ended December 31,

 
     2003

    2002

    2001

 

Notebooks & PDAs

   20 %   17 %   24 %

Desktops/Servers

   15     15     12  

Storage Devices

   9     9     10  

Software

   11     14     13  

Net/Com Products

   8     8     9  

Printers & Printer Supplies

   11     12     11  

Video, Imaging & Sound

   12     11     11  

Memory & System Enhancements

   5     5     4  

Accessories/Other

   9     9     6  
    

 

 

Total

   100 %   100 %   100 %
    

 

 

 

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Enterprise network infrastructure products, such as PC-based servers, routers, and switches, accounted for 27.5% of our total net sales in 2003, up from 26.8% of our total net sales in 2002. Over the next few years, we anticipate that an increasing share of our revenues will come from the sale of enterprise network infrastructure products and services, including network-based storage solutions, versus the current sales concentration in desktop and portable computers.

 

We offer a 30-day right of return generally limited to defective merchandise. Returns of non-defective products are subject to restocking fees. Substantially all of the products marketed by us are warranted by the manufacturer. We generally accept returns directly from the customer and then either credit the customer’s account or ship the customer a similar product from our inventory.

 

PURCHASING AND VENDOR RELATIONS

 

For the year ended December 31, 2003, we purchased approximately 48% of our products directly from manufacturers and the balance from distributors and aggregators. We ship the majority of our products directly to our distribution facility in Wilmington, Ohio. During the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001, product purchases from Ingram Micro, Inc., our largest vendor, accounted for approximately 22%, 28%, and 25%, respectively, of our total product purchases. Purchases from Tech Data Corporation comprised 15% of our total product purchases in the year ended December 31, 2003 and 14% of our total product purchases for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001. Effective May 3, 2002, Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”) completed its acquisition of Compaq Computer Corporation. Our purchases from HP constituted 15% of our total product purchases in 2003. Had this acquisition been completed at the beginning of the periods presented, our purchases made directly from HP, on a pro forma basis, would have constituted 15% and 12% of our total product purchases for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, respectively. No other vendor accounted for more than 10% of our total product purchases in the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001. We believe that alternative sources for products obtained from Ingram Micro, Tech Data, and HP are available to us.

 

Many product suppliers reimburse us for advertisements or other cooperative marketing programs in our catalogs or advertisements in personal computer magazines that feature a manufacturer’s product. Reimbursements may be in the form of discounts, advertising allowances, and/or rebates. We also receive reimbursements from certain vendors based upon the volume of purchases or sales of the vendors’ products by us.

 

Some of our vendors offer limited price protection in the form of rebates or credits against future purchases. We may also participate in end-of-life-cycle and other special purchases which may not be eligible for price protection.

 

We believe that we generally have excellent relationships with vendors. We generally pay vendors within stated terms and take advantage of all appropriate discounts. We believe that because of our volume purchases we are able to obtain product pricing and terms that are competitive with those available to other major direct marketers. Although brand names and individual product offerings are important to our business, we believe that competitive sources of supply are available in substantially all of the merchandise categories offered by us.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

At our approximately 205,000 square foot distribution and fulfillment complex in Wilmington, Ohio, we receive and ship inventory, configure computer systems, and process returned products. Orders are transmitted electronically from our New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maryland sales facilities to our Wilmington distribution center after credit approval, where packing documentation is printed automatically and order fulfillment takes place. Through our Everything Overnight® service, we guarantee that all orders accepted up until 2:00 a.m. Eastern time, (until midnight on custom-configured systems) will be shipped for overnight delivery via Airborne Express. We ship approximately 64% of our orders through Airborne Express. Upon request, orders may also be shipped by other common carriers.

 

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We also place product orders directly with manufacturers and/or distribution companies for drop shipment by those manufacturers and/or suppliers directly to customers. MoreDirect places all product orders with manufacturers and/or distribution companies for drop shipment directly to customers. Order status with distributors is tracked online and in all circumstances, a confirmation of shipment from manufacturers and/or distribution companies is received prior to recording revenue. Products drop shipped by suppliers accounted for 38.1% of net sales in 2003 and 34.8% of net sales in 2002. In future years, we expect that products drop shipped from suppliers will increase, both in dollars and as a percentage of net sales, as we seek to lower our overall inventory and distribution costs while maintaining excellent customer service.

 

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

 

All of our subsidiaries, except for MoreDirect, use management information systems, principally comprised of applications software running on IBM AS/400 and RS6000 computers and Microsoft Windows 2000-based servers, which we have customized for our use. These systems permit centralized management of key functions, including order taking and processing, inventory and accounts receivable management, purchasing, sales, and distribution, and the preparation of daily operating control reports on key aspects of the business. We also operate advanced telecommunications equipment to support our sales and customer service operations. Key elements of the telecommunications systems are integrated with our computer systems to provide timely customer information to sales and service representatives, and to facilitate the preparation of operating and performance data.

 

MoreDirect has developed a custom designed Internet-based system, Traxx, which is comprised of applications software running on Linux and Sun Solaris servers. This system is an integrated application of Internet sales order processing, integrated supply chain visibility, and full EDI links with major manufacturers distribution partners for product information, availability, pricing, ordering, delivery, and tracking, including related accounting functions.

 

We believe that our customized information systems enable us to improve our productivity, ship customer orders on a same-day basis, respond quickly to changes in our industry, and provide high levels of customer service.

 

Our success is dependent in large part on the accuracy and proper use of our information systems, including our telephone systems, to manage our inventory and accounts receivable collections, to purchase, sell, and ship our products efficiently and on a timely basis, and to maintain cost-efficient operations. We expect to continually upgrade our information systems to more effectively manage our operations and customer database.

 

COMPETITION

 

The direct marketing and sale of information technology products, including personal computers and related products, is highly competitive. PC Connection competes with other direct marketers of IT products, including CDW Computer Centers, Inc. and Insight Enterprises, Inc. We also compete with:

 

    certain product manufacturers that sell directly to customers, such as Dell Computer Corporation and Gateway, Inc., and more recently Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Apple;

 

  distributors that sell directly to certain customers;

 

  various cost-plus aggregators, franchisers, and national computer retailers; and

 

  companies with more extensive Internet Web sites and commercial online networks.

 

Additional competition may arise if other new methods of distribution, such as broadband electronic software distribution, emerge in the future.

 

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We compete not only for customers, but also for favorable product allocations and cooperative advertising support from product manufacturers. Several of our competitors are larger and have substantially greater financial resources than us.

 

We believe that price, product selection and availability, and service and support are the most important competitive factors in our industry.

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

 

Our trademarks include PC Connection®, GovConnection, MacConnection®, and MoreDirect®, and their related logos; Everything Overnight®, The Connection®, Raccoon Character®, Service Connection®, Graphics Connection®, and Education Connection®, Your Brands, Your Way, Next Day®, and Epiq PC Systems®. We intend to use and protect these and our other marks, as we deem necessary. We believe our trademarks have significant value and are an important factor in the marketing of our products. We do not maintain a traditional research and development group, but we work closely with computer product manufacturers and other technology developers to stay abreast of the latest developments in computer technology, both with respect to the products we sell and use.

 

EMPLOYEES

 

As of December 31, 2003, we employed 1,412 persons, of whom 684 were engaged in sales related activities, 142 were engaged in providing customer service and support, 298 were engaged in purchasing, marketing, and distribution related activities, 85 were engaged in the operation and development of management information systems, and 203 were engaged in administrative and accounting functions. We consider our employee relations to be good. Our employees are not represented by a labor union, and we have never experienced a work stoppage since our inception.

 

Item 2.    Properties

 

In November 1997, we entered into a fifteen year lease for our corporate headquarters and telemarketing center located at Route 101A, 730 Milford Road, Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054-4631, with an affiliated entity, G&H Post, which is related to PC Connection through common ownership. The total lease is valued at approximately $7.0 million, based upon an independent property appraisal obtained at the date of lease, and interest is calculated at an annual rate of 11%. The lease requires us to pay our proportionate share of real estate taxes and common area maintenance charges as additional rent and also to pay insurance premiums for the leased property. We have the option to renew the lease for two additional terms of five years each. The lease has been recorded as a capital lease in the financial statements.

 

We also lease 205,000 square feet in two facilities in Wilmington, Ohio, which houses our distribution and order fulfillment operations. The leases governing these two facilities expire in the fourth quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006, respectively. We also operate telemarketing centers in Dover and Keene, New Hampshire, as well as Marlborough, Massachusetts, Rockville, Maryland, Fairfield, Connecticut, and Boca Raton, Florida. We believe that existing distribution facilities in Wilmington, Ohio will be sufficient to support our anticipated needs through the next twelve months.

 

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

 

On February 12, 2002, Microsoft Corporation filed a complaint against PC Connection in New Hampshire Federal District Court alleging that we had sold counterfeit shrinkwrapped, packaged software and, in the process, infringed on Microsoft’s trademarks and copyrights. While we never counterfeited Microsoft products, nor knowingly resold counterfeit Microsoft products, we believe that it was in our best interest to settle the dispute rather than to litigate.

 

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While denying the allegations, we agreed to pay Microsoft $625,000 to settle the case. The settlement costs and related legal fees of approximately $125,000 are included as a special charge in our first quarter 2002 financial results.

 

On March 20, 2002, The Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation, L.P. filed a complaint in Federal District Court for the District of Arizona naming us as an additional defendant in the so-called “Federal Express” case. The Federal Express case involves approximately eighty-eight defendants and pertains to claims made by the foundation relating to its right to royalties for the use of bar code scanners that allegedly utilize technology covered by patents now owned by the foundation. The foundation has previously filed claims against manufacturers of bar code scanners and has now also filed claims against users of bar code scanners, including PC Connection. The manufacturers of bar code scanners and the foundation are currently engaged in litigation in Nevada Federal District Court relating to the validity of the patents at issue. The defendants in the Arizona litigation have requested the federal district court to stay the proceedings pending the outcome of the Nevada litigation, which the Court granted. Until the Nevada patent litigation is resolved, we will expend little, if any, legal fees in the Arizona case. If the bar code manufacturers are successful in the Nevada case, we expect the Arizona court to dismiss the action against us.

 

The foundation has not specified the amount of damages it seeks in its complaint, but such damages may be material. If the foundation ultimately prevails in the Arizona litigation, the damages assessed against us may be material and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, we may be required to modify the methods by which we track inventories and ship products that may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We intend to vigorously defend this claim and, to the extent we are found liable, we believe we have indemnification claims against certain manufacturers of bar code scanners.

 

While we may ultimately decide to seek indemnity from certain manufacturers of bar code scanners, we can provide no assurance that we would be successful in obtaining such indemnity. At a minimum, if the Nevada or Arizona litigation proceeds, we may incur material legal fees in the defense of the foundation’s claims or in seeking indemnity from certain manufacturers of bar code scanners.

 

On June 24, 2003, Matthew Leffert filed a class action complaint in the Superior Court of California against numerous computer-related manufacturers and resellers, including PC Connection, claiming that our listed memory specifications for MP3 players are misleading. We primarily obtain such specifications from the manufacturers, and expect to be indemnified by them, although we may be liable for some amount of damages. We may also be required to modify the way MP3 player memory specifications are set forth in our advertisements. No specific amount has been claimed as damages. PC Connection, along with the other reseller defendants, is currently in settlement discussions with Leffert.

 

On October 7, 2003, Commissariat A L’Energie Atomiquie filed a complaint in the Federal District Court for the District of Delaware, naming us as a defendant, along with several other computer-related resellers, in a patent infringement case. We are attempting under contract and Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) provisions to be defended and indemnified by the manufacturers of the allegedly infringing products. We may have to expend some defense costs and we may be liable for some amount of damages. No specific amount has been claimed as damages.

 

On January 13, 2004, Hand Held Products, Inc., filed a third-party complaint in the Federal District Court for the District of Delaware, naming us as a third-party defendant, along with several other computer-related resellers, in a patent infringement case. Hand Held alleges that it is being sued by Symbol Technologies, Inc. for use of products purchased from us, among others, and that such products infringe the patents of Symbol. Hand Held Products has filed an Unopposed Motion to Sever and Stay Proceedings on the Third-Party Complaint, which we believe the Court will accept. Should Hand Held Products prevail in the underlying patent case, we will attempt to enforce contract and UCC provisions to be defended and indemnified by the manufacturers of the allegedly infringing products. No specific amount has been claimed as damages.

 

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

 

There were no matters submitted during the fourth quarter of 2003 to a vote of security holders.

 

Executive Officers of PC Connection

 

The executive officers of PC Connection and their ages as of March 12, 2004 are as follows:

 

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Name


   Age

  

Position


Patricia Gallup

   49    Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Robert F. Wilkins

   42    Executive Vice President

Mark A. Gavin

   42