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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
     for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2004

 

or

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
     for the transition period from                      to                     

 

Commission File Number 0-6365

 

APOGEE ENTERPRISES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Minnesota   41-0919654

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

  (IRS Employer Identification Number)

 

7900 Xerxes Avenue South - Suite 1800

Minneapolis, Minnesota

  55431
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (952) 835-1874

 


 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

 

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

 

Common Stock $0.33 1/3 Par Value

(Title of each class )

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.) Yes x No ¨

 

As of August 30, 2003, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the approximate aggregate market value of voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $311,978,521 (based on the closing price of $11.36 per share as reported by Nasdaq as of that date.)

 

As of April 28, 2004, there were approximately 27,454,000 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock, $0.33 1/3 par value per share, outstanding.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Certain information required in Part III hereof is incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2004 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K.

 



Table of Contents

APOGEE ENTERPRISES, INC.

Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2004

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

     PART I     

Item 1.

  

Business

   3

Item 2.

  

Properties

   10

Item 3.

  

Legal Proceedings

   10

Item 4.

  

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

   10
    

Executive Officers of the Registrant

   11
     PART II     

Item 5.

  

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters

   11

Item 6.

  

Selected Financial Data

   13

Item 7.

  

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

   15

Item 7A.

  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

   25

Item 8.

  

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

   26

Item 9.

  

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

   48

Item 9A.

  

Controls and Procedures

   48
     PART III     

Item 10.

  

Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

   48

Item 11.

  

Executive Compensation

   48

Item 12.

  

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

   49

Item 13.

  

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

   49

Item 14.

  

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

   49
     PART IV     

Item 15.

  

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

   50
    

Signatures

   52

 

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Table of Contents

PART I

 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

 

The Company

 

Apogee Enterprises, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Minnesota in 1949. Through its subsidiaries, the Company believes it is a leader in technologies involving the design and development of value-added glass products, services and systems. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “Apogee,” “we,” “us” and “our” as used herein refer to Apogee Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

 

The Company is comprised of three reporting segments to match the markets they serve:

 

  The Architectural Products and Services segment designs, engineers, fabricates, installs, maintains and renovates the walls of glass and windows comprising the outside skin of commercial and institutional buildings.

 

  The Large-Scale Optical Technologies segment develops and produces value-added glass for custom framing and pre-framed art markets and optical thin film coatings for consumer electronics displays.

 

  The Automotive Replacement Glass and Services segment fabricates aftermarket foreign and domestic automobile windshields and windows.

 

Financial information about the Company’s segments can be found in Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company contained elsewhere in this report.

 

Products

 

The following tables describe our products, the business unit to which the product pertains, and the key features and applications of our various products.

 

Architectural Products and Services (Architectural) Segment

 

Businesses in the Architectural segment include: Viracon, Inc. (Viracon), the leading fabricator of coated, high-performance architectural glass for global commercial markets; Harmon, Inc., one of the largest U.S. full-service building glass installation, maintenance and renovation companies; Wausau Window and Wall Systems (Wausau), a manufacturer of custom aluminum window systems and curtainwall; and Linetec (Linetec), a paint and anodizing finisher of window frames and PVC shutters.

 

Business

Unit


  

Product/

Service


  

Description


  

Key Features/
Applications


Viracon    Insulating Glass    Increases a window’s thermal performance; constructed with two or more pieces of glass separated by a desiccant-filled spacer and sealed with an organic sealant. The desiccant absorbs the insulating glass unit’s internal moisture.    Light efficiency, Comfort, Sound control, Aesthetic options
     Laminated Glass    Consists of two or more pieces of glass fused with a vinyl or urethane interlayer and is used primarily for skylights and security and hurricane-resistant applications.    Safety, Protection, Comfort, Sound control
     Coated High-Performance Architectural Glass    Provides solar control, both minimizing heat gain and controlling thermal transfer, by adding coatings to glass. In addition, coatings add color and varying levels of reflectivity to glass. Each coating, whether metal, solarscreen or low-emissivity, provides different aesthetic and performance criteria and offers a range of light and thermal transmission levels. Low-emissivity coatings, which may be used alone or with other coatings, are layers of metals, invisible to the naked eye, deposited on glass through a vacuum sputter process that selectively limit the transfer of heat through the glass, while allowing a high percentage of visible light through the glass.    Controls light and thermal transmission, Reduces energy costs, Comfort, Aesthetic options
     Spandrel    The use of full coverage paint on insulated glass or polyester opacifier film backing on high performance coated glass for the non-vision areas of the building.    Concealment, Color balance, Aesthetics
     Silk-screened Glass    Glass which has been painted to create custom patterns in a wide array of colors. Silkscreening improves the solar control performance of the glass.    Aesthetics, Comfort

 

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     Tempered Glass    Heat-strengthened glass.    Safety, Strength
Harmon, Inc.    Glazing-New Construction    Comprehensive design, engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation of curtainwall and window projects for commercial and institutional buildings.    Custom design
     Glazing-Renovation    Revitalizing and updating the building façade and helping extend the life of a building. In-house engineering capabilities allow Harmon, Inc. to duplicate the original design or create a completely new appearance for renovated buildings.   

Aesthetic enhancements, Correct system failures, Upgrade the building façade and aesthetics to improve energy efficiency, health and safety

 

     Glass-Service    24-hour complete repair and replacement of damaged glass.   

Commercial glass replacement, Repair of doors, Custom mirror work and Security glass

 

Wausau Window and Wall Systems (Wausau)

 

   Curtainwall Systems    Highly engineered wall systems consisting of glass panels and aluminum window frame designs engineered to be thermally efficient through the utilization of high-strength polyurethane to limit the transfer of heat or cold through the window frame. Includes custom engineer-to-order and configure-to-order systems.    Energy-efficient, Aesthetics
     Projected Windows   

Windows that project out or in from the plane of the wall and are side hinged or pivoted at the jambs.

 

   Egress, Ventilation
     Rolling & Hung Windows   

Rolling windows consist of an operable sash that slides horizontally along a master frame. Hung windows are vertically operated windows in which the weight of the sash is offset by a balance mounted in the window frame.

 

   Egress, Ventilation, Ease of cleaning
Linetec    Fluorpolymer Coatings (paint)   

Electrostatic applications of high quality, solvent-based paints which are applied to window, curtainwall, and other metal and plastic components. These paints are sometimes preferred over anodizing because of the wider color selection.

 

   Aesthetics
     Anodize   

The immersion of a light metal, typically aluminum, into a series of electrically charged baths to create a very strong, weather resistant film of aluminum oxide, often colored, at the surface.

 

   Durable, Weather resistant
     PVC Shutters    Applications of UV protection and durable paint applied to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) parts.    Durable, Aesthetics

 

Large-Scale Optical Technologies (LSO) Segment

 

The LSO segment consists of Tru Vue, Inc. (Tru Vue), a value-added glass and acrylic manufacturer for the custom picture framing and pre-framed art markets, and a producer of optical thin film coatings for consumer electronics displays. In March 2004, we merged Tru Vue and Viratec Thin Film, Inc., our two LSO business units, with Tru Vue being the surviving entity.

 

Business Unit


  

Product/ Service


  

Description


  

Key Features/
Applications


Tru Vue    Reflection Control Glass    Unique single-sided etch glass that reduces most of the glare of regular glass while providing clarity.   

Diminishes reflections, Enhances clarity

 

     Anti-Reflective Glass   

Significantly reduces reflection (glare) and significantly increases transmission (clarity). Using a process exclusive to the Company, highly energized metals (or oxides) are deposited onto the glass in precisely controlled thicknesses. This ensures the most consistent, durable quality and the highest brightness and contrast levels available.

 

   Diminishes reflections, Clarity, Color transmission
     Conservation Glass    The product of a unique coating process which blocks 97 percent of the ultraviolet rays in the 300-380 nanometer range of the light spectrum to protect pictures and art against the sun’s damaging rays.    >97% UV protection

 

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    Front Surface Mirrors    Result of our patented multi-layer aluminum mirror coatings which are sputter deposited onto float glass and certified flat float glass substrates.   

Reflects 94 to 97% of the visible light, Superior adhesion, Increased abrasion resistance

 

    Anti-Reflective Acrylic    Utilizes anti-reflective coatings on acrylic to reduce glare and static charge on the surface.    Reduced reflections, Protection, Light-weight

 

Automotive Replacement Glass and Services (Auto Glass) Segment

 

The Auto Glass segment consists of Viracon/Curvlite, Inc. (Curvlite), a U.S. fabricator of aftermarket foreign and domestic car windshields and original equipment and replacement windshields for recreational vehicles and buses.

 

Business Unit


  

Product/ Service


  

Description


  

Key Features/
Applications


Viracon/ Curvlite (Curvlite)   

Automotive Replacement Glass (ARG)

 

   Fabrication of after-market automotive replacement windshields and windows for foreign and domestic cars.    Safety
     RV/Bus - OEM & Replacement Glass    Fabrication of windshields for original equipment manufacturers of recreational vehicles and buses, as well as replacement glass for these vehicles.    Safety, Custom designed

 

Markets and Distribution Channels

 

Architectural Segment. Our businesses within the Architectural segment market our products primarily within North America, with less than 10 percent of our revenues shipping to locations outside North America. Our customers are glass distributors, contractors, curtainwall subcontractors and commercial glass fabricators, including our own window manufacturing and installation businesses.

 

Apogee serves primarily the architectural glass market, and we are well positioned as the leader in North America in the supply of a wide range of high performance architectural glass products to the commercial building industry and other institutions. Viracon, the largest business in this segment, holds an estimated 15 percent share of the overall U.S. non-residential glass market and is focused on the two largest sectors of this market: the $340 million core market, which requires custom coated, fabricated products for large, complex projects with lead times of four weeks or longer, and the $640 million broader market, which demands both coated and uncoated glass that can be installed in basic insulating units or laminated and delivered in four weeks or less and is more regional.

 

With our focus on reducing our customer lead times over the past three years, we have started servicing smaller projects in their broader market with fabricated coated and uncoated products. During fiscal 2004, our revenues from these projects were almost $30 million. Because products for the broader market must be delivered in four weeks or less, we are focused on increasing our sales to customers within 500 miles of our southern Minnesota and Georgia plants.

 

Harmon, Inc.’s estimated share within the regional markets served with its offices located in 13 U.S. cities ranges from 10 to 15 percent; Wausau’s share of the non-residential aluminum window and curtainwall market is 2 percent; and Linetec’s share of U.S. architectural finishing market is 5 percent.

 

We offer complete design, engineering, installation and replacement or glazing services for commercial, institutional and other buildings in 13 metropolitan areas in the United States through Harmon, Inc. We bid and negotiate these curtainwall and window projects with owners, architects, general contractors and property managers. While the installation of building glass in new construction projects is the primary focus of our installation business, we are broadening our offerings for glass services and retrofitting the outside skin of older commercial and institutional buildings. In some markets we offer 24-hour replacement service for storm or vandalism damage. Our in-house engineering capabilities allow us to duplicate the original design or create a completely new appearance for renovated buildings.

 

Wausau designs and manufactures high-quality window and curtainwall systems, engineered to be thermally efficient, utilizing high-strength polyurethane to limit the transfer of heat or cold through the window frame, primarily for commercial and institutional buildings in the United States. These products meet high standards of wind load capacity and resistance to air and moisture infiltration. Products are marketed primarily in the United States through a nationwide network of trained distributors and a direct sales staff. Wausau typically provides window or wall quotations to glazing subcontractors, including our own installation business, which in-turn bids more inclusive glass and glazing packages to general contractors

 

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for projects in the United States. At all levels, the low-bid is an advantageous competitive position, if specified performance, warranty, aesthetic and operational characteristics are met. On complex work, engineering capability and ease of installation also become qualifying factors for window and wall manufacturers.

 

Harmon, Inc. and Wausau continue to develop a variety of hurricane systems incorporating laminated glass from Viracon and other manufacturers in response to new building code requirements in Florida and along the East and Gulf Coasts. Although implementation of new hurricane and energy codes is inconsistent, demand for these products is expected to increase significantly in coming years. Our businesses are also capturing major government projects requiring blast-resistant glass.

 

Our finishing business serves the architectural, industrial and commercial metal fabricator markets (including Wausau), as well as building product manufacturers and interior window covering businesses in the Unites States and Canada.

 

LSO Segment. The Company’s Tru Vue brand is one of the largest domestically manufactured brands for the value-added picture-framing glass market. Under this brand, we provide our customers with a full array of picture-framing glass products, including clear, reflection control, anti-reflective and conservation glass. The products are distributed primarily in North America through independent distributors, which, in turn, supply local picture-framing markets. The Company also has limited distribution in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. We continue to convert the custom picture framing industry from clear glass to our proprietary value-added glass, TruGuard, which preserves pictures and art. Through Tru Vue’s leadership, the custom picture framing industry continues to convert to value-added picture framing glass and acrylic, a trend that is expected to continue and has helped Tru Vue boost its sales of these products approximately 20 percent annually for several years. Tru Vue holds an estimated 27 percent of the domestic custom framing glass market and approximately 60 percent of the niche that has been converted to value-added glass.

 

This segment also develops advanced, optical coatings for glass and acrylic for display and imaging applications for the consumer electronics market. These products are used in projection televisions and picture-framing glazing, as well as imaging devices such as scanners and copiers. These optical coatings are marketed to both domestic and foreign manufacturers of consumer electronics products and accessories. These customers provide further assembly, marketing and distribution to end-users. Based on growth projections for value-added glass, we will eventually need more of the capacity at the Minnesota plant for picture framing, thus we are transitioning away from some consumer electronics coatings.

 

Auto Glass Segment. The Company’s manufacturing business, Curvlite, serves primarily two windshield markets, domestic and foreign automotive replacement glass (ARG) and original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) windshields for recreational vehicles and buses. Curvlite has approximately 5% to 6% of the aftermarket automotive windshield manufacturing market. Under a multi-year agreement with PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) expiring in July 2005, Curvlite’s automotive replacement glass production is primarily dedicated to supplying windshields to PPG. In March 2004, we received the required advance notice from PPG indicating that the windshield supply agreement Curvlite operates under will be terminated on the expiration date in July 2005, which is during fiscal 2006. We are in discussions with PPG regarding a new supply agreement.

 

In an effort to enhance efficiency, geographic coverage and customer service in the distribution of auto replacement glass, the Company and PPG combined their U.S. automotive replacement glass distribution businesses in July 2000 to create a new entity, PPG Auto Glass, LLC (PPG Auto Glass), of which the Company has a 34 percent interest. The results of PPG Auto Glass are recorded in earnings from equity in affiliated companies.

 

During fiscal 2004, the Company sold its subsidiary, Harmon AutoGlass. Further information regarding the transaction is provided under “Discontinued Operations” in Item 7 and Footnote 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements below.

 

Warranties

 

We offer warranties on our products which we believe are competitive for the markets in which those products are sold. The nature and extent of these warranties depend upon the product, the market and in some cases the customer being served. Viracon and Wausau generally offer warranties up to 10 years, while our other businesses offer warranties of 2 years or less. In the event of a product claim against a product in which we have received a warranty from the supplier, we will pass the claim back to our supplier. We carry liability insurance and reserve for warranty exposures, as our insurance does not cover warranty claims. There can be no assurance that our insurance will be sufficient to cover all liability claims in the future or that the costs of this insurance and the related deductibles will not increase materially or that liability insurance will be available on terms acceptable to the Company in the future.

 

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Sources and Availability of Raw Materials

 

Materials used within the Architectural segment include raw glass, vinyl, insulated glass spacer frames, silicone desiccant, metal targets, aluminum extrusions, chemicals, paints, lumber, urethane and plastic extrusions. All of these materials are readily available from a number of sources, and no supplier delays or shortages are anticipated. While certain glass products may only be available at certain times of the year, all standard glass colors are available throughout the year in abundant quantities. Chemicals purchased range from commodity to specifically formulated types of chemistries.

 

Materials used within the LSO segment include glass, hard-coated acrylic, acrylic substrates, coating materials and chemicals. Currently, the chemicals used for the UV resistant coating at Tru Vue are readily available from only one supplier, which meets the Company’s specifications for this proprietary technology. Tru Vue is currently seeking to qualify other suppliers and alternate technologies.

 

Within the AutoGlass segment, raw materials consist primarily of flat glass and polyvinyl butyral, which are available from a number of sources.

 

The Company believes a majority of its raw materials are available from a variety of domestic sources.

 

Trademarks and Patents

 

The Company has several trademarks and trade names which it believes have significant value in the marketing of its products. Despite being a point of differentiation from its competitors, no single patent is considered to be material to the Company. Within the Architectural segment, Linetec® and Finisher of Choice® are registered trademarks of the Company. Harmon and AdVantage are listed trademarks of the Company.

 

Within the LSO segment, Viratec®, Tru Vue®, TruGuard®, Conservation Clear®, Conservation Reflection Control®, Museum Glass®, Optium®, Pricing for Profit®, AR Glass®, Reflection Control®, UltraClear®, PerfectView®, UltiMat® and UltiBlack® are registered trademarks. Reflection Free Acrylic and Museum Security Glass are trademarks of the Company. Tru Vue has several patents pertaining to its glass coating methods. Tru Vue also holds several patents on its proprietary products, including its UV coating and etch processes for non-reflective glass.

 

PPG Auto Glass is a trademark of PPG.

 

The Company had developed and maintained various patents related to TerraSun, the Company’s research and development joint venture which the Company discontinued funding in fiscal 2002. During fiscal 2003, the Company donated all of the technology and patents to the Illinois Institute of Technology.

 

Seasonality

 

Within the Architectural segment, there is a slight seasonal effect following the commercial construction industry, with demand in late spring to late autumn that is slightly higher than during the balance of the year. The construction industry is highly cyclical in nature and can be influenced differently by the effects of the localized economy in various geographic markets.

 

The businesses in the LSO segment depend, in part, on sales by manufacturers of products such as rear projection televisions, computer displays and scanners, and retail picture-framing products. In particular, the rear projection television market is highly cyclical and can be seasonal, with a significant increase in sales occurring between Thanksgiving and late January. The impact of this will be reduced as we transition from consumer electronics to picture framing glass. Picture framing sales also tends to have an increase in the pre-holiday late fall, early winter timeframe.

 

The markets that are served by the businesses in the Auto Glass segment tend to be seasonal in nature. However, our agreement with PPG allows us to manufacture and sell our after-market automotive replacement windshield products evenly throughout the year.

 

Working Capital Requirements

 

Within the Architectural segment, receivables can be extended based on the retention amounts and project durations. Payment terms offered our customers are similar to those offered by others in the industry. However, inventory requirements are not significant to the businesses within this segment since we make-to-order rather than build-to-stock for the majority of our products. As a result, inventory levels follow the customer demand for the products produced.

 

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Due to the PPG supply agreement, the Company’s manufacturing unit maintains level volumes throughout the year for PPG, which purchases and stores the product at a PPG warehouse. In turn, this provides a just-in-time inventory relationship between PPG and PPG Auto Glass. Therefore, limited finished goods inventory is maintained within the segment, which causes a limited demand on working capital.

 

Dependence on a Single Customer

 

We do not have any one customer that exceeds 10 percent of the Company’s consolidated revenues; however, there are important customers within each of our segments whose loss could have an adverse effect on the Company.

 

Because of the supply agreement with PPG in connection with the formation of PPG Auto Glass, the Company’s auto glass distribution joint venture with PPG, PPG has become the primary customer of Curvlite. Between ARG and flat glass, PPG accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total volume at Curvlite. The Company believes the amounts received from such transactions represent the amounts that would normally be received from unrelated third parties for similar transactions.

 

Backlog

 

At February 28, 2004, the Company’s total backlog of orders considered to be firm was $230.6 million compared with $153.3 million at March 1, 2003. Of this amount, approximately $224.5 million and $147.3 million of the orders were in the Architectural segment at February 28, 2004 and March 1, 2003, respectively. $214.8 million, or 93 percent, of the Company’s backlog is expected to be produced and shipped in fiscal 2005. The Company’s backlog of orders is not indicative of future results of the Company.

 

Competitive Conditions

 

Architectural Segment. The markets served by the businesses within the Architectural segment are very competitive, price and lead-time sensitive, and affected by changes in the North American commercial construction industry as well as changes in general economic conditions. The companies within the Architectural segment primarily serve the custom portion of the construction market in which the primary competitive factors are product quality, reliable service, warranty and the ability to provide technical engineering and design services.

 

In recent times, there has been a shift in competition for the Architectural segment’s largest business unit, Viracon. The market has expanded from three glass fabricators in the high-end performance market each with less capacity than Viracon, to include additional competition from regional glass fabricators with shorter lead times incorporating high performance, post-temperable glass products, procured from primary glass suppliers, into their insulated glass products. The availability of these products has enabled the regional fabricators in some cases to bid on more complex projects than in the past.

 

Harmon, Inc. largely competes against local and regional construction companies and glazing contractors where the primary competitive factors are quality engineering, service and price. Wausau competes against several major aluminum window manufacturers in various market niches. With products at the high-end of the performance scale, and one of the industry’s best standard warranties for repair or replacement of defective product, Wausau effectively leverages a well-earned reputation for engineering quality and delivery dependability into a position as a preferred provider. Linetec competes against regional paint and anodizing companies and national window covering companies.

 

LSO Segment. Product pricing, service and quality are the primary competitive factors in the markets within the LSO segment. The Company’s competitive strength includes our excellent relationships with our customers. We compete in the value-added and conservation glass markets in North America based on the product performance afforded by our proprietary, patented processes. Until recently, we have been the only company in the picture-framing industry that has been able to produce UV products in any meaningful supply and at a consistent, high level of quality. While there is significant price sensitivity in regard to sales of clear glass to picture framers, there is significantly less pricing pressure on our value-added glass products.

 

Tru Vue also competes with a few significant coating manufacturers and fabricators and numerous smaller specialty coaters and fabricators in North America and abroad in the consumer electronics part of its business. Competitors in the consumer electronic market include companies developing new coatings, such as wet coatings for flat panel displays, as well as competitors who supply sputter coated films similar to those produced by us. Customers’ selection of anti-reflective products is driven by quality, price, service and capacity.

 

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Auto Glass Segment. The Auto Glass segment competes with original equipment and after-market automotive replacement glass fabrication facilities worldwide on the basis of pricing and customer service. Pricing through the entire supply chain has been affected by overcapacity in the market and the influx of imported products.

 

Research and Development

 

The amount spent on research and development activities over the past three fiscal years was $4.0 million, $3.9 million and $2.8 million in fiscal 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. Our research and development has been focused primarily upon development of new proprietary products and system enhancements in our Architectural and LSO segments.

 

In fiscal 2002, the Company decided to discontinue funding TerraSun, LLC (TerraSun), our research and development joint venture of which the Company had a 50 percent interest. As a result, TerraSun ceased its operations. TerraSun had been developing holographic optical technologies for lighting and energy systems applications. In connection with the closure of TerraSun, we acquired TerraSun’s proprietary technology. We donated the patented technology developed by TerraSun to the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003. Until the TerraSun patents expire, the Company will have a first right of refusal for the purchase of any architectural product applications developed by IIT based on these patents.

 

Environment

 

We use hazardous materials in our manufacturing operations and have air and water emissions that require controls. As a result, we are subject to stringent federal, state and local regulations governing the storage, use and disposal of wastes. We contract with outside vendors to collect and dispose of waste at our production facilities in compliance with applicable environmental laws. In addition, we have procedures in place that we believe enable us to deal properly with the regulated materials used in our manufacturing processes and wastes created by the production processes, and we have implemented a program to monitor our compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Although we believe we are currently in material compliance with such laws and regulations, current or future laws and regulations could require us to make substantial expenditures for compliance with chemical exposure, waste treatment or disposal regulations. During fiscal 2003, we spent approximately $1.4 million at facilities to reduce wastewater solids and further reduce hazardous air emissions. We expect to incur costs to continue to comply with laws and regulations in the future, but do not expect these to be material to our financial statements.

 

Employees

 

The Company employed 4,128 persons at February 28, 2004, of whom approximately 775 were represented by labor unions. The Company is a party to 53 collective bargaining agreements with several different unions. Approximately 2 percent of the collective bargaining agreements representing 196 employees were set to expire during fiscal 2005. These agreements have been negotiated and settled in the first quarter of fiscal 2005. The number of collective bargaining agreements to which the Company is a party will vary with the number of cities in which our Harmon, Inc. subsidiary has active nonresidential construction contracts. The Company considers its employee relations to be very good and has not recently experienced any significant loss of workdays due to strike. We are highly dependent upon the continuing services of certain technical and management personnel.

 

Sale of Harmon AutoGlass

 

During fiscal 2004, the Company sold its subsidiary, Harmon AutoGlass. Further information regarding the transaction is provided under “Discontinued Operations” in Item 7 and Footnote 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements below.

 

Foreign Operations and Export Sales

 

During the years ended February 28, 2004, March 1, 2003 and March 2, 2002, the Company’s export sales, principally from Architectural operations, amounted to approximately $30.3 million, $37.2 million and $35.0 million, respectively.

 

Available Information

 

The Company maintains a website at www.apog.com. Through a link to a third-party content provider, this corporate website provides free access to the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and, if applicable, amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Also available on our website are various corporate governance documents,

 

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including our Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Audit Committee charter, Compensation Committee charter, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charter.

 

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

 

The following table lists, by segment, the Company’s major facilities as of February 28, 2004, the general use of the facility and whether it is owned or leased by the Company.

 

Facility


   Location

   Owned/
Leased


   Size (sq.
ft.)


   Function

Architectural Segment                    
Viracon    Owatonna, MN    Owned    765,500    Mfg/Admin
Viracon    Statesboro, GA    Owned    340,800    Mfg
Viracon    Owatonna, MN    Leased    6,400    Maintenance
Harmon, Inc. Headquarters    Minneapolis, MN    Leased    11,400    Admin
Wausau Window and Wall Systems    Wausau, WI    Owned    308,800    Mfg/Admin
Wausau Window and Wall Systems    Stratford, WI    Leased    33,400    Mfg
Linetec    Wausau, WI    Owned    336,400    Mfg/Admin
LSO Segment                    
Tru Vue    McCook, IL    Owned    300,000    Mfg/Admin
Tru Vue    Orlando, FL    Leased    19,300    Mfg/Admin
Tru Vue    Faribault, MN    Owned    204,600    Mfg/Admin
Auto Glass Segment                    
Viracon/Curvlite    Owatonna, MN    Owned    129,300    Mfg/Admin
Viracon/Curvlite    Owatonna, MN    Leased    155,000    Warehouse/Admin
Other                    
Apogee Corporate Office    Minneapolis, MN    Leased    20,200    Admin

 

In addition to the locations indicated above, Architectural’s Harmon, Inc. unit operates from 15 leased locations, serving 13 metropolitan areas. We continue to own 17 locations that did not transfer with the sale of Harmon AutoGlass. These properties are recorded as assets held for discontinued operations.

 

The Curvlite plant, a portion of the Wausau Window and Wall Systems facility, the Linetec paint facility, and the owned Tru Vue facility were constructed with the use of proceeds from industrial revenue bonds issued by their applicable cities. These properties are considered owned since, at the end of the bond term, title reverts to the Company.

 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

The Company has been a party to various legal proceedings incidental to its normal operating activities. In particular, like others in the construction supply industry, the Company’s construction supply businesses are routinely involved in various disputes and claims arising out of construction projects, sometimes involving significant monetary damages or product replacement. The Company has also been subject to litigation arising out of employment practices, workers compensation, general liability and automobile claims. Although it is very difficult to accurately predict the outcome of such proceedings, facts currently available indicate that no such claims will result in losses that would have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Company.

 

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter ended February 28, 2004.

 

10


Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

 

Name


   Age

  

Positions with Apogee Enterprises and Five-Year Employment History


Russell Huffer

   54   

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company since June 1999 and Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company since January 1998. Various management positions within the Company since 1986.

 

Michael B. Clauer

   47   

Executive Vice President since November 2000. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from November 2000 through February 2004. CFO at Open Port Technology from March 2000 to November 2000. Executive Vice President and CFO for Budget Group, Inc. from November 1997 to February 2000. Various financial management positions at PepsiCo, Inc. from 1987 to November 1997.

 

William F. Marchido

   53   

Chief Financial Officer since February 2004. Chief Financial Officer at Siemens Dematic, a division of Siemens AG of Germany, since 1988.

 

Patricia A. Beithon

   50   

General Counsel and Secretary since September 1999. Divisional Legal Counsel for Pfizer, Inc. subsidiaries, American Medical Systems, Inc. and Schneider (USA), Inc. from 1990 to 1999.

 

Gary R. Johnson

   42   

Vice President-Treasurer since January 2001. Various management positions within the Company since 1995.

 

James S. Porter

   43    Vice President of Strategy and Planning since 2002. Various management positions within the Company since 1997.

 

Executive officers are elected annually by the Board of Directors and serve for a one-year period. There are no family relationships between the executive officers or directors of the Company.

 

PART II

 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS

 

Market Information

 

Apogee common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market (Nasdaq), under the ticker symbol APOG. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2004, the average trading volume of Apogee common stock was 2,405,000 shares per month, according to Nasdaq.

 

As of April 28, 2004, there were 27,454,000 shares of common stock outstanding, of which about 6.0 percent were owned by directors and executive officers of Apogee. At that date, there were approximately 1,911 shareholders of record and 5,200 shareholders for whom securities firms acted as nominees.

 

The following chart shows the quarterly range and year-end closing bids for one share of the Company’s common stock over the past five fiscal years.

 

     Quarter

   Year-end
Close


     First

   Second

   Third

   Fourth

  
     Low

        High

   Low

        High

   Low

        High

   Low

        High

  

2000

   $ 8.750    -    $ 13.750    $ 7.875    -    $ 14.313    $ 5.688    -    $ 8.625    $ 4.000    -    $ 6.313    $