SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 0-18291
U.S. HOME SYSTEMS, INC.
(Name of Issuer Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 75-2922239 | |
| (State of Incorporation) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 750 State Highway 121 Bypass, Suite 170 Lewisville, Texas |
75067 (Zip Code) | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | ||
(214) 488-6300
(Issuers Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered under Section 12 (b) of the Exchange Act:
None
Securities registered under Section 12 (g) of the Exchange Act:
$.001 Par Value Common Stock
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the issuer (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act 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 ¨
As of March 17, 2004, 6,529,535 shares of the Issuers $.001 par value common stock were outstanding.
The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant computed by reference to the closing price as of the last business day of the Registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter, June 30, 2003, was $36,200,179.
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12-b2). Yes ¨ No x
The following documents are incorporated by reference: None.
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| MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND DIVIDEND POLICY |
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| MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION |
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| CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE |
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| SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS |
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| EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K |
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We are engaged in the manufacture, design, sale and installation of custom quality, specialty home improvement products, and we are a provider of financing services to customers of residential remodeling contractors throughout the United States. We had revenues of $78.6 million and net income of $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2003. Our home improvement segment reported revenues of $74.2 million and net income of $1.7 million and our consumer finance segment generated revenues of $4.3 million and a net loss of $180,000 for the year ended December 31, 2003.
Our principal offices are located at 750 State Highway 121 Bypass, Suite 170, Lewisville, Texas 75067, and our telephone number is (214) 488-6300. Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the symbol USHS.
On February 13, 2001, U.S. Home Systems, Inc., which was then known as U.S. Pawn, Inc., or U.S. Pawn, acquired U.S. Remodelers, Inc., or U.S. Remodelers, by merging its wholly-owned subsidiary with and into U.S. Remodelers with U.S. Remodelers surviving as our wholly owned subsidiary. The terms of the merger required that U.S. Pawn sell all of its pawnshop operations and settle all of its liabilities before the merger could be completed. Simultaneously with the completion of the merger, U.S. Pawn reincorporated in Delaware and changed its name to U.S. Home Systems, Inc. Following the merger, U.S. Home Systems, Inc. succeeded to the business of U.S. Remodelers.
Except as otherwise indicated by the context, references in this annual report to we, us, our, or the Company are to the combined business of U.S. Home Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We have registered the Facelifters, Designer Deck, Deck America, Cabinet Clad, and Invisanail names as trademarks in the United States. This annual report includes trademarks other than those identified in this paragraph. The use of any such trademark herein is in an editorial form only and to the benefit of the owner thereof, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
Except for the historical information contained herein, certain matters set forth in this report are forward-looking statements that reflect managements current views, which can be identified by the use of terms such as may, will, could, should, believes, estimates, plans, expects, anticipates, predict, potential, intends, or continue, or the negative of such terms or by discussions of strategy, future operating results or events. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider various factors, including the risks outlined in the Risk Factors section herein. These factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement.
We are engaged in two business segments, the home improvement business and the consumer finance business. Accordingly, our reportable segments have been determined based on the nature of the products offered to consumers.
The following should be read in conjunction with the 2003 financial results of each reporting segment as detailed in Note 3, Information About Segments in our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
We manufacture or procure, design, sell and install a wide range of remodeling products through our home improvement segment.
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Kitchen, Bath and Windows. Our kitchen, bath and window product lines include replacement kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and cabinet refacing products, countertops, other related products utilized in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, and replacement windows. Our products are marketed directly to consumers through a variety of media sources under nationally recognized brands, The Home Depot At-Home Services, The Home Depot Cabinet Refacing, Century 21 Home Improvements, and Renewal by Andersen, and our brands, Facelifters and Cabinet Clad. We operate 19 kitchen, bath and window sales and installation centers in 12 states serving 14 major metropolitan areas and maintain a marketing center in Boca Raton, Florida. Our cabinet refacing products, custom countertops, and bathroom cabinetry are manufactured in our Charles City, Virginia facility.
Wood Decks. Our wood deck product lines include wood decks and related accessories. We believe that we are the only company in the United States that has developed and applied the concept of modular designed, pre-engineered, factory built, quality decks that are typically installed in one day. Our deck products are marketed directly to consumers through a variety of media sources, selected neighborhood canvassing programs, and in-store displays in The Home Depot stores where our products and services are sold. Our decks and installation services are marketed under our USA Deck-Designer Decks brand and The Home Depot At-Home Services brand. We operate five wood deck sales centers, three of which also serve as manufacturing facilities, which collectively serve seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern markets. We manufacture the components for our decks utilizing non-arsenic pressure-treated lumber at our Woodridge, Virginia, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and Westboro, Massachusetts facilities.
We operate within a niche market of the home improvement consumer finance industry. We purchase retail installment obligations, or RIOs, from residential remodeling contractors throughout the United States including RIOs originated by our own home improvement operations. The availability of this financing program provides our home improvement operations with a consistent and reliable financing source and enables us to offer a broad range of credit products to our customers and other residential remodeling contractors. As of December 31, 2003, our RIO portfolio was approximately $35.5 million and our average RIO balance was approximately $6,500 with a weighted average maturity of 109 months.
In the first quarter of 2003, we changed our consumer finance business model to implement a strategy of holding RIOs rather than packaging them for sale to credit institutions. We believe this new strategy will provide us with greater earnings potential in the long-term, because we will earn finance charges for the life of the RIO, as opposed to the lesser, one-time premium that we previously earned upon the sale of the RIOs. To facilitate this change, in February 2003, we entered into a $75 million secured credit facility. The credit facility provides us with a capital source to expand our consumer finance business by increasing the amount of RIOs financed for customers of our existing residential remodeling contractors and by originating relationships with new contractors. Our new strategy will allow us the flexibility to offer sales-enhancing credit programs to our home improvement customers as well as the customers of our other residential remodeling contractors. The credit facility provides financing for 90% of the amount of eligible RIOs purchased, and we are required to provide the remaining 10%. Although our strategy is to hold RIOs, we may sell a portion of our RIOs, from time to time to obtain additional working capital or pay down amounts outstanding under our credit facility.
Our objective is to grow our home improvement and consumer finance businesses. We intend to pursue this objective through the following business strategies:
Expand Our Product Distribution and Grow Our Business Through Our Relationship with The Home Depot
We market and sell our wood decks and our kitchen and bathroom refacing solutions to The Home Depot customers in selected markets. We will offer our wood deck products and services in over 240 Northeastern and
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Mid-Atlantic Home Depot stores. Under our kitchen cabinet refacing pilot program with The Home Depot, we will be the exclusive provider of kitchen cabinet refacing products and related installation services in over 220 stores in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. Under our bathroom refacing pilot program with The Home Depot, we will provide bathroom refacing products and related services in approximately 130 The Home Depot stores in the Los Angeles and San Diego, California and Denver, Colorado markets. Our relationship with The Home Depot provides us with a new distribution channel for our products. By combining the brand name recognition and distribution presence of The Home Depot with our manufacturing and installation programs, we believe that we have the opportunity to profitably grow sales of kitchen and bathroom refacing solutions. We will continue to seek opportunities to expand our relationship with The Home Depot into new geographic markets and to add new products in our The Home Depot distribution channel.
Build Market Share in New Markets
During the next 18 to 24 months, primarily based on our agreements with The Home Depot, we plan to expand our presence in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states with our deck products and to further expand into California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado with our kitchen cabinet and bathroom refacing products. As we enter new markets under The Home Depot name, we may also look to offer other non-competing specialty home improvement products under our own brands. We will seek other opportunities to enter new markets where we do not service The Home Depot through strategic acquisitions or organic growth.
Grow Our Consumer Finance Segment
We recently changed our consumer finance business model to implement a strategy of holding RIOs that we purchase from residential remodeling contractors rather than packaging them for sale to credit institutions. This new strategy will provide us with the opportunity to earn finance charges for the life of the RIO, as opposed to the lesser, one-time premium that we previously earned upon the sale of the portfolios. We executed on this strategy by entering into a $75 million secured credit facility that has enabled us to accumulate approximately $35.5 million of RIOs at December 31, 2003. This credit facility will increase our ability to finance RIOs and originate relationships with new contractors. Our new strategy provides us with the flexibility to offer sales-enhancing credit programs to our home improvement customers as well as the customers of our existing residential remodeling contractors.
Pursue and Successfully Integrate Strategic Acquisitions
We believe that an opportunity exists to acquire related and complementary businesses in the fragmented residential remodeling industry. The residential remodeling industry is characterized by a proliferation of small local competitors, a need for growth capital, and a potential for significant economies of scale. We will seek acquisition candidates that offer us entry into new markets, complementing or adding to our existing products and services, or providing us with additional distribution channels. We will also seek acquisition candidates that provide us with manufacturing, marketing and revenue synergies. Since 2001, we have made several acquisitions, the most significant of which were First Consumer Credit, Inc., or FCC, and USA Deck. We believe our expansion through acquisitions has been managed and controlled, and each acquisition has been effectively integrated into our operations.
The majority of our operations fall under the broadly defined home improvement industry. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the remodeling industry is a highly fragmented $150 billion industry. A 2003 study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University states that there are more than 200,000 firms and 600,000 self-employed remodelers that derive most of their revenue from remodeling jobs. According to the 2003 Qualified Remodeler Top 500 list, we are the third largest remodeler in the United States in terms of revenue.
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We believe that remodeling and replacement activity most often occurs within the first year of purchase of a home and is impacted greatly by the age of the property. Consequently, increases in primary and secondary home ownership as well as increased housing turnover are two key economic factors driving the industry. Total annualized housing turnover, which is a combination of new home sales and existing home sales, has remained above 6,000,000 units for the past three years according to historical data published by Bloomberg. According to the US Census Bureau, this strength in the housing market has resulted in a home ownership rate of 68%.
Products and Services. The following charts and discussion summarize our product lines and services, the brands under which our products are marketed and the percentage of our consolidated revenues that each of our product lines accounted for during the last three fiscal years.
| Product Lines |
Brands(1) | |
| Kitchen Refacing |
The Home Depot Cabinet Refacing Century 21 Home Improvements Facelifters Cabinet Clad | |
| Bathroom Refacing |
Century 21 Home Improvements Facelifters | |
| Replacement Windows |
Century 21 Home Improvements Renewal By Andersen Facelifters | |
| Wood Decks |
The Home Depot At-Home Services USA Deck Designer Decks | |
| (1) | Brands vary by geographical market. |
| Percentage of Consolidated Revenue |
|||||||||
| Product Lines |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
||||||
| Kitchen Refacing |
50 | % | 69 | % | 84 | % | |||
| Bathroom Refacing |
13 | % | 13 | % | 7 | % | |||
| Replacement Windows |
8 | % | 7 | % | 7 | % | |||
| Wood Decks |
24 | % | 2 | % | 0 | % | |||
Kitchen Refacing: Kitchen remodeling includes replacement kitchen cabinetry and kitchen cabinet refacing. Cabinet refacing is a remodeling technique in which existing cabinetry framework is retained but all exposed surfaces are changed. Under our cabinet refacing system, doors, drawers, drawer fronts, and drawer boxes are replaced, all hardware is replaced, and all exposed cabinet surfaces are covered with matching laminate. We also provide laminate and Corian countertops, matching valances, molding, replacement sinks, faucets, add-on or replacement cabinets, space organizers, lazy susans and slide-out shelving. All of our cabinet refacing products, with the exception of Corian countertops, sinks, hardware and faucets, are manufactured in our Charles City, Virginia facility. Cabinet refacing provides consumers with a lower-cost alternative to total cabinet replacement.
Bathroom Refacing: Our bathroom remodeling products include acrylic tub liners and wall surrounds, vanity cabinetry refacing and replacement vanity cabinets, bowls, faucets, commodes and shower doors. With the exception of the vanity cabinetry refacing and the replacement vanity cabinets, we purchase these bathroom remodeling products from unaffiliated suppliers and perform all installation services.
Replacement Windows: With the exception of the greater Los Angeles market, we purchase our replacement vinyl windows from unaffiliated non-branded suppliers and perform the installation services for our customers.
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In the greater Los Angeles area, we serve as the exclusive window replacement retailer on an installed basis for Renewal by Andersen, or RbA. The RbA windows are high quality replacement windows distributed by RbA retail partners in selected markets. We also sell patio doors for Renewal by Andersen.
Wood Decks: We are a provider of wood decks and related accessories. We have developed a solution for the fabrication and installation of decks and deck enclosures. We believe that we are the only U.S. company that has developed and applied the concepts of modular designed, pre-engineered, factory built, quality decks that are typically installed in one day. We operate a sales, manufacturing and lumber treatment facility in Woodbridge, Virginia and two additional wood deck sales centers collectively serving the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia markets. We also operate two regional sales, manufacturing and installation centers in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and Westboro, Massachusetts to support our wood deck sales to The Home Depot At-Home Services customers in the greater Philadelphia area and central New Jersey region, and the greater Boston area. Our customers, including our The Home Depot customers, are able to choose from one of our 12 Designer Deck models or customize their own deck of choice.
The major components of a Designer Deck system include:
| | Our Wood-on-Wood Understructure and Foundation: Outdoor decks are exposed to constant wet to dry and freezing to thawing cycles, which cause expansion and contraction not present in interior construction. These extreme climate-related conditions could cause problems such as cracking, buckling and structural failure when decks are constructed using joist hangers. Using our patented Wood-on-Wood understructure (no metal joist hangers) and pre-cured foundation system, we are able to solve these problems and provide a safe, durable deck for our customers. |
| | Invisanail Deck Flooring: Due to our use of pre-engineered and manufactured components, we are able to eliminate unsightly and dangerous nail heads that often rust and rise up from a decks surface. We accomplish this through our patented Invisanail fastening technique in which deck modules are nailed and fastened underneath the deck. This unique fastening system eliminates nail head exposure on the surface of a deck, creating a safer and more attractive deck. |
Marketing and Sales. We market our home improvement products through a variety of sources including television, direct mail, in-store displays, marriage mail, magazines, newspaper inserts, home shows, selected neighborhood canvassing and telemarketing. We maintain a marketing center in Boca Raton, Florida where we receive in-bound calls in response to our media advertising for kitchen, bathroom and replacement window products, and we make outbound calls to selected prospects who have requested to be contacted. Our marketing center personnel follow prepared scripts and schedule in-home sales presentations.
Although not contractually required to promote or advertise our products, The Home Depot is currently marketing our wood deck and kitchen cabinet refacing products by including them in its At-Home Services program. We provide in-store displays in each The Home Depot store, and in certain markets, we conduct neighborhood canvassing programs. Our deck installation program is advertised in The Home Depot stores on a full sized Designer Deck display with signage, including published pricing and deck details. Additionally, full color, extra large brochures and CD-Rom brochures detailing the 12 Designer Deck models and pricing are made available to The Home Depot consumers. We also provide a Designer Deck product catalog containing detailed information available at the At-Home Services kiosk in each store. In addition to this in-store marketing campaign, The Home Depot is supporting a comprehensive direct marketing campaign, which includes door-to-door visits and advertising in other forms of media. In connection with our kitchen and bathroom cabinet refacing pilot programs, we expect The Home Depot will include our products in similar advertising efforts.
Our sales representatives conduct their in-home sales presentation in accordance with our structured marketing programs. We utilize computer software to monitor responses and sales results of our sales staff, including tabulating results of in-home presentations on a daily basis. Such information provides data upon which we evaluate each direct sales representatives performance. We continually strive to improve the rate at which our sales professionals convert appointments into sales orders.
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Manufacturing and Installation. We manufacture cabinet refacing, custom countertops, bathroom cabinetry and wood deck products and perform the installation of these products for our customers.
Kitchen, Baths and Windows: We manufacture our cabinet fronts, laminate countertops, and cabinets faced with high-pressure laminate or thermo foil at our 70,000 square foot facility in Charles City, Virginia. We purchase all other products from third-party suppliers.
With the exception of occasional warranty and other service work, independent contractors who meet our qualifications perform substantially all of our kitchen, bath and window installations. Contractors employ their own personnel and are required to maintain their own vehicles, equipment, tools, licenses, workers compensation coverage and general liability insurance. Contractors assume full financial risk in their performance of an installation and enter into a written agreement with us. We issue to our contractors a work order, which specifies all work to be performed pursuant to the sales agreement, for each of our remodeling projects. The contractor can then pick up all necessary materials for the project at our local branch office.
Kitchen, bath and window installations are generally completed within 55 days after a sales agreement is signed, and within three to five workdays from commencement of the installation. Upon completion, the contractor obtains a certificate of completion signed by the customer and returns all documentation and excess materials to us. We pay the contactor upon the satisfactory completion of each job. Fees paid by us to the contractor for an installation are based upon an amount negotiated between the contractor and us.
Wood decks: To serve our deck customers in the Mid-Atlantic region, we manufacture the components of our deck products at our 45,000 square foot facility in Woodbridge, Virginia. In October 2003, we opened our deck manufacturing center in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania to service The Home Depot customers in the greater Philadelphia area and central New Jersey region. The Glen Mills facility consists of approximately 25,000 square feet, of which 19,000 square feet is dedicated for our wood deck manufacturing operations, with 6,000 square feet utilized as our sales and administration office. In March we opened a 20,000 square foot deck sales and manufacturing center in Westboro, Massachusetts to serve our deck customers in the Boston, Massachusetts area. During the next 18 to 24 months we anticipate opening additional deck manufacturing centers as well as complementary deck sales facilities to support our roll-out in new markets contemplated by our agreement with The Home Depot.
We have developed a patented system for the fabrication and installation of high quality decks. Included in the manufacturing process are our patented factory built Wood-on-Wood understructure and foundation, our Invisanail deck flooring system, our railing systems manufactured to customers specifications and our pre-assembled stairway and accessories product lines. Our deck patents include Invisanail, a unique fastening system in which deck modules are nailed from underneath to prevent the checking and cracks that often mar top-nailed decks. In addition, the module deck components we fabricate drop into understructure notches, eliminating the need for metal joist hangers.
Our decks are installed by our employee installation crews, typically comprised of three members. All of our crew members are trained thoroughly prior to performing installations, including completing a seven-part training course covering all aspects of Designer Deck installation. Our unique system of deck manufacturing and installation reduces the need for highly skilled, custom deck carpenters. Rather, we emphasize training professional deck assemblers, a strategy that will enable us to expand into new geographic markets without the higher cost, and often scarcity, of skilled labor. Deck installations are typically completed within 60 days from the receipt of the order, and usually completed in one day upon commencement of the installation.
Competition. We face significant competition in our respective markets. Reputation, price, workmanship and level of service are among the differentiating factors within the industry. We compete with numerous home improvement contractors and home center retailers in each of the markets in which we operate, including Sears, Sams Warehouse Club and Lowes and, in some markets, The Home Depot. As we implement our business
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strategy, we anticipate that we will face greater competition from home center retailers who have significantly more capital resources than we have. Increased competition could result in pricing pressures, fewer customer orders, reduced gross margins, loss of market share and decreased demand for our products and services. In addition to home improvement contractors and home centers, competition for our deck products comes from other wood deck producers, both pressure treated and other types, as well as non-wood alternatives, such as composites and plastics.
Raw Materials. We are not dependant upon a single source for our principal raw materials, and such raw materials have, historically, been readily available. Raw materials used in the manufacturing and installation process, including solid surface countertops, are purchased from several suppliers at prices that are periodically negotiated. We believe that such materials are, and will continue to be, available from numerous suppliers at competitive prices. We purchase lumber utilized in our lumber treatment and deck manufacturing facility in Woodbridge, Virginia, and pre-treated lumber for our Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and Westboro, Massachusetts facilities from local suppliers at current market prices which are subject to price fluctuations. We believe that we will be able to purchase an adequate supply of non-arsenic treated lumber from local suppliers at competitive prices in the new markets we enter pursuant to the roll-out of our deck program with The Home Depot.
Warranties. For our kitchen and bath products, in addition to the manufacturers warranty for defective materials, we provide each customer a one-year limited warranty covering workmanship and, under certain of our agreements, a limited warranty covering defective materials. For our window products, in addition to the manufacturers warranty for defective materials, we provide a warranty for labor. We require each of our independent contractors to correct defective workmanship for a 12-month period.
For our deck products, we provide a one-year warranty covering defective workmanship, a three-year warranty on structure and a limited lifetime warranty against rot, decay and termites.
Historically, we have not experienced significant warranty claims.
Customer Payment. Our customers pay for their home improvement products and services upon completion of the project. Payments are made in cash, by personal check, or credit cards, or by financing arranged by us.
Seasonality. Our business is subject to seasonal trends. We typically face reduced demand for our home improvement products during the fourth quarter holiday season, which negatively impacts our first quarter revenues and results of operations. Our business may also be adversely affected by extreme weather conditions in the markets that we serve.
In August 2003, we entered into a one-year pilot program with The Home Depot to be the exclusive provider of kitchen cabinet refacing products and related installation services in over 220 The Home Depot stores in designated markets in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. We provide in-store displays of our products and services, employees to man the in-store displays, training to The Home Depot sales personnel for marketing of our products and services, and we will follow up sales leads with in-home visits to potential customers. We provide the products, labor and installation services necessary to complete customer orders generated by The Home Depot sales leads. Although not required by the terms of the agreement, The Home Depot assists us with the marketing of our kitchen cabinet refacing products and services by including them in its At-Home Services marketing program and provides us with sales leads generated by our in-store displays and The Home Depot marketing programs. Sales contracts generated with The Home Depot customer leads are between the customer and The Home Depot. However, the agreement requires us to make necessary repairs to address any customer complaints or warranty claims. We share with The Home Depot a percentage of the gross
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revenues collected from customers as payment for our products and services in this program. During the term of the program, we are not allowed to enter into any similar agreements with specified competitors of The Home Depot. The pilot program may be terminated by either party with thirty days written notice upon a breach by either party of any obligation under the pilot program agreement if such breach is not remedied within 30 days. Unless the pilot program agreement is terminated or extended, it will automatically renew on a month-to-month basis.
In February 2004, we entered into a one-year pilot program with The Home Depot whereby we will provide custom designed, installed bathtub liners and wall surrounds and related services to approximately 130 The Home Depot stores. The terms of our bathroom refacing pilot program agreement are similar to our kitchen refacing pilot program agreement with The Home Depot, except that (1) the percentage of the gross revenues we receive from the sale of our bathroom refacing products and services in this program is slightly higher than as provided in our kitchen refacing program with The Home Depot and (2) the bathroom refacing pilot program does not provide that we will be the exclusive provider to The Home Depot in the designated markets of our bathroom products and services.
In August 2003, as a result of the successful completion of a pilot program with The Home Depot in selected Mid-Atlantic markets, we amended our wood deck sales and installation agreement with The Home Depot to extend the term of the agreement to October 2005 and to add new markets. Pursuant to the agreement, we sell, furnish and install wood deck systems to The Home Depot customers in over 240 The Home Depot stores in the metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia, Boston, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut and the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Home Depot has taken primary responsibility for the marketing of our decks to its in-store customers. We follow up sales leads generated by our in-store displays and The Home Depot marketing programs with in-home visits to potential customers. We manufacture and install our decks for The Home Depot customers in the designated markets. All sales, contracts, refunds and credits are handled in accordance with The Home Depots systems and procedures. However, the agreement requires us to make necessary repairs to address any customer complaints or warranty claims. We share with The Home Depot a percentage of the gross revenues generated by the sale of our products and services in this program. The portion of the gross revenues to which The Home Depot is entitled in this program increases slightly during the first 18 months that we are active in a designated The Home Depot market and will thereafter be fixed for the remainder of the term. We are not allowed to sell or install wood deck products for other retailers, or under the name or trademark of other retailers, without The Home Depots consent. The agreement automatically renews for additional one year terms. Either party may terminate the agreement at any time by giving the other party not less than sixty days written notice of intent to terminate as of January 1 of the calendar year following the date of the notice.
In March 1997, we entered into a license agreement with TM Acquisition Corp., granting us the exclusive right to use certain CENTURY 21 trademarks in connection with our marketing, selling, furnishing and installation of kitchen cabinet refacing products and services in certain designated markets. The agreement expires in March 2007 unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement, which includes our failure to meet minimum revenue requirements as described in the agreement. As compensation for the use of the trademarks, we are obligated to pay TM Acquisition Corp. a fee based upon our sales of kitchen cabinet refacing products and services in the specified territory. We do not expect that this agreement will be renewed when it expires in 2007.
In September 2001, we entered into a retailer agreement with Renewal by Andersen Corporation to be the exclusive retailer of Renewal by Andersen brand products in the Los Angeles market under the trade name Renewal by Andersen of Los Angeles. Pursuant to the agreement, we have opened two showrooms in the
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Los Angeles area. Only Renewal by Andersen brand products are allowed to be shown in our showrooms. The agreement expires on December 31, 2006, subject to earlier termination, which includes our failure to substantially meet specified sales and customer satisfaction commitments and goals. During the term of the agreement we are not permitted to participate in or acquire a beneficial interest in any business that engages in the manufacture, sale, promotion, installation or servicing of window or patio doors within our designated Los Angeles market area.
The home improvement consumer finance industry occupies a niche market that involves extending credit to customers of residential remodeling contractors. Many regional and local banks and other entities extend this type of credit to consumers through various credit programs. Our consumer finance business competes with three general groups of home improvement financing providers: regional and local banks; larger national financial institutions; and specialty/niche companies.
Regional and Local Banks: Regional and local banks represent the largest of the three groups and tend to focus on highly qualified, solid A rated customers as measured by the customers credit score.
Larger National Financial Institutions: GE Credit and Key Funding, a division of Key Bank, are the major national players in this category. The interest rates for these credit products are usually higher than many of the other products in the industry, but are attractive because they are easy to obtain and use.
Specialty/Niche Companies: This category of companies, which includes us, offers a variety of credit products that focus upon a specific segment of the home improvement financing market either by varying rates, product structure, customers, or security. A majority of these companies act as brokers in these transactions by buying the retail installment obligations, or RIOs, from the contractors and then reselling them to other financial institutions. This was the model that we employed prior to implementing our current strategy of buying and holding the RIOs.
General. We purchase RIOs from residential remodeling contractors throughout the United States, including RIOs originated by our own home improvement operations. The availability of this financing program provides our home improvement operations with a consistent and reliable source for our customers financing needs and enables us to offer a broad range of credit products to our customers and residential remodeling contractors that we believe may not otherwise be available to them from traditional financing sources.
In the first quarter of 2003, we changed our consumer finance business model to implement a strategy of holding RIOs we purchase from pre-approved residential remodeling contractors and those originated by our home improvement operations rather than packaging them for sale to credit institutions. We expect this new strategy will provide us with greater earnings potential in the long-term, because we will earn finance charges for the life of the RIOs, as opposed to the lesser, one-time premium that we previously earned upon the sale of the RIOs. To facilitate this change, in February 2003, we entered into a $75 million secured credit facility. The credit facility provides us with a capital source to further expand our consumer finance business by increasing the amount of RIOs financed for existing residential remodeling contractors and by originating relationships with new contractors. Our new strategy will allow us the flexibility to offer sales-enhancing credit programs to our home improvement customers as well as the customers of our residential remodeling contractors. The credit facility provides financing for 90% of the amount of eligible RIOs purchased, and we are required to provide the remaining 10%. The credit facility is secured by the RIOs. We only purchase RIOs for owner-occupied single family and multi-family units. We do not purchase loans associated with commercial properties. Although our
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strategy is to hold RIOs, we may sell a portion of our RIOs from time to time to obtain additional working capital or pay down our credit facility.
Our credit facility restricts us from purchasing RIOs from home improvement contractors unless the contractors meet certain eligibility standards as specified in our credit facility. The RIOs we purchase must also meet certain minimum credit and other underwriting criteria as provided in our credit facility. Additionally, we must provide our lender with a monthly statement reporting the amount of secured and unsecured RIOs, charge offs, delinquencies and other portfolio characteristics. We believe our compliance with the underwriting, collection and reporting requirements under our credit facility coupled with our internal credit and collection policies provides us with adequate controls to effectively manage credit risks relating to our RIO portfolio.
Underwriting and Credit Policies. Prior to approving the purchase of each RIO, we utilize underwriting criteria primarily based upon a customers credit score as reflected on reports issued by several credit reporting agencies. In addition to a customers credit and bankruptcy scores, we evaluate job stability, time in residence and, if a secured RIO, property value.
We utilize credit scores generated by several credit reporting agencies as a credit evaluation tool. The credit score allows financial institutions to make credit-related decisions based on the likelihood that the credit obligations of a borrower will be paid as expected. The credit score is a predictive measure that represents the probability that a borrower will timely repay the credit obligation over a given time period and is primarily based on the individual borrowers credit history.
Although we may have a security interest in the customers property, we primarily rely on the creditworthiness of the customer. Our unsecured RIO customers are subject to more stringent underwriting standards and require higher credit scores than our secured RIO customers.
Upon receipt of a RIO application from an approved contractor, we thoroughly review all items for accuracy. The customer and the contractor sign a certificate confirming completion of the project and satisfaction of the customer with the associated residential improvement work. We contact every applicant via telephone to independently confirm contract terms and successful project completion.
Service and Collection. We historically negotiated commitments with banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions for the sale of our RIO portfolios. For one of the purchasers we provided, for a fee, collection and servicing of these accounts on behalf of the purchaser. We currently buy and hold RIOs, collecting finance charges and servicing them for the life of the RIO.
Portfolio Characteristics. At December 31, 2003, we owned and serviced a RIO portfolio of approximately $35.5 million. During 2003, we have experienced $172,000 in loan losses and at December 31, 2003, we had 13 delinquent accounts of 31 days or greater with an aggregate balance of $106,217. At December 31, 2003, the weighted average credit score for our portfolio was 658. We are prohibited under our credit facility from purchasing an unsecured RIO with a credit score less than 640 or a secured RIO with a credit score of less than 580. Our $35.5 million RIO portfolio consists of approximately 75% of secured RIOs and 25% of unsecured RIOs. Approximately $9.0 million of the $35.5 million portfolio was originated by our own home improvement operations.
As of December 31, 2003, our average RIO balance was approximately $6,500 with a weighted average maturity of 109 months. Our credit facility prohibits us from purchasing a secured RIO with a principal balance of more than $50,000 or a term longer than 240 months or an unsecured RIO with a balance of more than $20,000 or term longer than 180 months.
Marketing and Sales. Sales representatives conduct our principal consumer finance marketing and sales activities. We call on prospective contractors and participate in industry trade shows. We maintain relationships
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with over 100 home improvement contractors, which generally supply a consistent flow of RIO purchase opportunities. With our current personnel, we believe we have the capacity to handle approximately 20% more RIOs than our current portfolio level. We plan to further expand our core business by developing new relationships with additional home improvement and remodeling contractors.
Competition. The principal competition in our home improvement consumer finance business comes from regional and local banks, large national financial institutions and specialty companies. Some of our competitors have substantially greater resources than we do.
Environmental and Government Regulations
Generally, our activities and the activities of our sales representatives and contractors are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations and municipal ordinances relating to, among other things, in-home sales, consumer credit financing, advertising, the licensing of home improvement contractors, zoning regulations, environmental protection, safety and health. For example, purchasers of our products in an in-home setting are often afforded under Federal Trade Commission rules and various state consumer protection statutes relating to door-to-door sales, a cooling off period of three or more business days in which to rescind their transaction. We are also subject to various state and federal laws related to telemarketing, including the National Do Not Call Registry which is part of the Federal Trade Commission Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Federal Communications Telephone Consumer Protection Act. We have procedures designed to comply with such laws and regulations. We do not anticipate any difficulty in complying with applicable federal, state or local laws and regulations relating to our home improvement business operations.
Our consumer finance business is subject to various federal and state credit and lending regulations governing installment sales and credit transactions, relating to, among other things, required permits and licenses, usury, restrictions on amount of credit transaction fees charged to consumers, allowance for cancellation by consumers for a stated period of time after the credit transaction, required delivery to consumers of detailed information of the terms of the credit transaction and written disclosures to consumers of their legal rights and remedies for breach by lender or its assigns of applicable federal and state credit and lending statutes and regulations. Our consumer finance operations are subject to, for example, the Consumer Credit Protection Act, Truth In Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Home Owners Equity Protection Act and regulations issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The RIOs we purchase are also subject to the statutes and regulations relating to consumer credit sales existing in the state in which the RIO originated. Depending on the coverage afforded consumer credit sales within a states regulatory framework, and the structure of the credit transaction, we may also be subject to certain states small loan or mortgage lending statutes. We have procedures designed to comply with such laws and regulations. We do not anticipate any difficulty in complying with applicable federal, state or local laws and regulations relating to our consumer finance business.
At December 31, 2003, we had approximately 675 employees, including 128 employees engaged in marketing activities, 187 sales representatives, 202 manufacturing and installation employees, and 158 management and administrative personnel.
Termination of our initiatives with The Home Depot would reduce our revenues, net income and available liquidity.
A significant component of our growth strategy includes growing our business with The Home Depot, including our agreement to sell our wood deck products in The Home Depot stores as part of their At-Home Services program. In August 2003, we amended our wood deck sales and installation agreement with The Home
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Depot to add new markets and to extend the term of the agreement to October 2005. Pursuant to the amended agreement, we will sell, furnish and install wood deck systems to The Home Depot customers in certain Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. We anticipate that during the next 18 to 24 months we will establish additional wood deck manufacturing and installation centers as well as complementary wood deck sales facilities to support our roll-out in new markets contemplated by this agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2003, approximately 24% of our total revenues were derived from wood deck sales of which approximately 50% were attributable to sales under our agreement with The Home Depot.
This agreement may be terminated by either party on January 1st of each year upon 60 days prior notice, and may be terminated by The Home Depot on 60 days notice if we fail to comply with certain service standards under the agreement. The Home Depot is not contractually required to promote or advertise our products. If this agreement is terminated prior to the end of its term or is not renewed at the end of its term, whether as a result of our failure to fulfill our obligations under the agreement or The Home Depots decision to change its business strategy, our net income and liquidity may be reduced because our revenues from this program would not be realized at anticipated levels and those revenues may not be sufficient to meet expenses incurred in connection with the roll-out. Additionally, we would be required to focus our wood deck sales efforts on new distribution channels, and it is likely the capital investment in our wood deck sales, manufacturing and installation facilities in support of expansion of our The Home Depot relationship would be impaired, which may require a write-down of assets.
In August 2003 we entered into a one-year pilot program with The Home Depot as the exclusive provider of kitchen cabinet refacing products and installation services for over 220 The Home Depot stores in designated markets in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. In February 2004, we entered into a one-year pilot program with The Home Depot to provide our bathroom refacing products and installation services for approximately 130 The Home Depot stores in the Los Angeles and San Diego, California and Denver, Colorado markets. In order to meet the requirements of these pilot programs, we will need to establish additional sales and installation centers in California, Washington and Colorado to support our roll-out in these new markets. If we do not enter into longer term agreements with The Home Depot at the end of these one-year pilot programs, we would be required to seek alternative channels of distribution for our kitchen cabinet and bathroom refacing products and installation services in the markets covered by these pilot programs. Additionally, our net income and liquidity may be reduced because our anticipated revenues from these programs would likely not be realized at anticipated levels and may not be sufficient to cover expenses incurred in connection with these programs. If these pilot programs do not result in longer term agreements, our investment in additional sales centers in California, Washington and Colorado may be impaired, which may require a write-down of assets. During the year ended December 31, 2003, approximately 50% of our total revenues were derived from kitchen cabinet refacing product sales of which less than 1% were attributable to sales under our kitchen refacing agreement with The Home Depot.
Lower than anticipated revenues or higher than anticipated costs associated with our agreements with The Home Depot could reduce our net income and available liquidity and limit our ability to further expand our relationship with The Home Depot.
Lower than anticipated revenues or higher than anticipated expenses associated with our roll-out into new markets under our agreements with The Home Depot could reduce our net income and liquidity. Factors that could result in lower than anticipated revenues from our agreements with The Home Depot include less than anticipated demand for our products and unanticipated delays in implementing the roll-out into new markets due to factors that may include difficulties in attracting and training an adequate work force. Higher than anticipated costs from the roll-out into new The Home Depot markets could result from factors including increased or higher than anticipated real estate costs for new sales and manufacturing facilities, or higher than anticipated expenses for machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures, product displays or inventory. If we are unable to maintain adequate liquidity, we may not be able to completely meet the obligations of our roll-out programs or to take advantage of future opportunities The Home Depot may present to us.
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Difficulties in meeting our installation staffing needs could impair our ability to complete projects on time, which could in turn hurt customer relationships and reduce revenues.
To fulfill our growth expectations, we must retain and train a sufficient number of qualified installers. Historically, during periods of strong economic growth and low unemployment, we experience greater difficulty in meeting our installation needs. Our inability to retain qualified installers may impede our ability to timely complete our home improvement projects which could reduce our revenues and hurt our relationships with our customers and strategic partners.
Our failure to secure additional financing to fully fund our expansion plans with The Home Depot could result in termination of one or more of our agreements with The Home Depot which would reduce our revenues, net income and available liquidity.
Although we believe that we will have sufficient cash and borrowing capacity under our credit facilities to meet our anticipated working capital needs for the next 12 months, we will need additional financing to fully fund our projected future expansion with The Home Depot. Additional financing may not be available to us or, if available, such financing may not be on favorable terms. Our failure to obtain additional financing may cause our roll-out programs to proceed at a slower pace than projected which could result in termination of one or more of our agreements with The Home Depot causing a decrease in our revenues, net income and liquidity. Additionally, the capital investment in our sales, manufacturing and installation facilities in support of our The Home Depot roll-out programs could be impaired, which may require a write-down of assets.
If we raise additional capital through the issuance of equity securities or new borrowing, the rights of existing stockholders could be diminished and it may reduce our net income.
If we issue additional equity securities, the ownership percentage of our stockholders would be reduced. If we borrow money, we may incur significant interest charges which could reduce our net income. Holders of debt or preferred securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of our common stock.
We depend on agreements with others and termination or non-renewal of these agreements could result in decreased revenues and net income.