UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended February 29, 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 0-21161
Q.E.P. CO., INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| DELAWARE | 13-2983807 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 1081 HOLLAND DRIVE, BOCA RATON, FLORIDA | 33487 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (561) 994-5550
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Name of exchange on which registered | |
| NONE | NONE |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.001 par value
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve 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 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. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
The aggregate market value of voting common stock held by non-affiliates as of May 14, 2004 is 25,902,735, computed by reference to the closing price for such shares on the NASDAQ National Market System as of such date. The registrant does not have any authorized or issued non-voting common equity securities.
The number of shares outstanding of each of the registrants classes of common stock as of May 14, 2004 is: 3,431,550 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Parts of the definitive Proxy Statement which the Registrant will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Registrants Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on July 9, 2004 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.
PART I
Item 1. Business
General
Founded in 1979, Q.E.P. Co., Inc. (the Company or Q.E.P.) manufactures, markets and distributes a broad line of specialty tools and flooring related products for the home improvement market in the United States and 49 countries throughout the world. Under brand names including Q.E.P., OTOOL, ROBERTS, QSet and Fresh, the Company markets over 3,000 specialty tools and flooring related products used primarily for surface preparation and installation of ceramic tile, carpet, vinyl and wood flooring. Q.E.P.s products include trowels, floats, tile cutters, wet saws, spacers, nippers, pliers, carpet trimmers and cutters, flooring adhesives, seaming tape, tack strip, knives, dryset powders and grouts. These products are sold to home improvement retailers, including national and regional chains such as Home Depot and Lowes, international chain stores such as Bunnings and Topps Tiles, specialty distributors to the hardware, construction, flooring and home improvement trades and chain or independent hardware, tile, and carpet retailers for use by the do-it-yourself consumers as well as the construction or remodeling professional.
The Company experienced an increase in net sales in fiscal 2004 which management attributes to (i) growth experienced by the Companys customers within the home improvement market, particularly among home center retailers in the United States of America such as Home Depot and Lowes and internationally at Bunnings and Topps Tiles, (ii) the Companys success in cross-marketing its products among its channels of distribution, (iii) the Companys expansion of its customer base and market share through sales to additional home improvement retailers and distributors, and (iv) growth of the home improvement market as a whole.
The Companys principal subsidiaries include Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc., a worldwide leader in the carpet installation market; Roberts Holland B.V., a European distributor of flooring installation products, in Holland, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland; OTool Company, a distributor to the trowel trade; Q.E.P. Chile, a distributor, manufacturer and installer of ceramic tile and ceramic tile accessories located in Santiago, Chile; Q.E.P. Australia Pty, Ltd., the largest distributor of tools and installation products for all types of flooring in the Australian marketplace; Boiardi Products Corp. of Little Falls, N.J., a manufacturer of a full line of thin-set mortars, grouts, self-leveling concrete toppings and crack-suppressing waterproof membranes used in the flooring industry; Zocalis, SRL, an Argentinean manufacturer of ceramic borders and trim; Q.E.P. Stone Holdings, which manufactures dry set powders and grouts in Georgia and Florida; Q.E.P. New Zealand, a distributor of accessory flooring supplies; and Q.E.P. Co. U.K., Ltd., a manufacturer and distributor of accessory flooring and safety products in the United Kingdom.
In fiscal 2004 the Company established a new product line called Fresh to sell painting tools in coordinated fashion colors. This product line is targeted to the female do-it-yourself consumer and is expected to be sold to mass merchants, supermarkets and drug store chains, as well as to Q.E.P.s traditional customers.
Market Overview
The Company is a supplier of specialty flooring installation products and sells to the home improvement market. According to the latest industry information published by Floor Covering Weekly total floor covering sales for the entire United States of America industry rose 5.1% in 2002 to $51.6 billion while home center sales, with lumberyards similar to Home Depot and Lowes, were $7 billion. Additionally, it is expected that the United States retail floor covering sales will experience a growth rate of almost 5% in 2004. The Company believes that this growth is being driven by several factors,
2
including (i) a slowing but continued strong housing activity, (ii) aging of the United States housing stock which requires greater repair and maintenance expenditures, (iii) increased housing turnover of both new and existing homes, (iv) continued home improvement demand being facilitated by the current record level sales of new and existing homes, (v) appreciation of the United States housing market thus giving homeowners the ability to increase the investment in their homes through improvement projects, and (vi) changes in consumer preferences, which have caused an increase in the median size of new homes and which have contributed to demand for remodeling and expansion of older homes.
Home improvement market distribution channels continue to consolidate as a result of the success of the warehouse home center format. The continued dominance of national home improvement retailers results from their ability to offer broad product lines, project advice and orientation, competitive pricing, aggressive promotions and multiple location, large-format stores. The Companys two largest customers, Home Depot and Lowes, accounted for over $94 billion of home center sales in 2003. Based on data available to the Company, the Company believes that the primary beneficiaries of this consolidation among worldwide home improvement retailers have been the top two or three companies (ranked by annual sales volume). Thus, while the home improvement markets retail sales have expanded, the market is being increasingly dominated by the largest retailers.
The Companys two largest customers, Home Depot and Lowes, experienced annual sales growth rates in 2003 of 11.3% and 19.0%, respectively, according to their published financial reports and both have announced plans to continue increasing the number of stores each operates. As consolidation continues among home improvement retailers, the Company expects that sales of the largest national and regional home improvement retailers will continue to increase at greater rates than the rate of sales growth in the overall market. The Company expects that the growth trends in the flooring segment of the home improvement market and among its customer base will directly affect the Companys ability to generate growth in its sales and net income, its expansion strategy and the nature of its sales and marketing initiatives.
Business Strategy
The Companys strategy is to continue to enhance its position as a worldwide leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty tools and related products by introducing new products and cross-selling products among its channels of distribution, expanding market share by obtaining new customers, and capitalizing on expected growth of its largest customers and of the home improvement market as a whole. Key elements of the Companys strategy include:
Pursue Strategic Acquisitions. Through its acquisitions, the Company has broadened its product lines, increased its customer base and increased its manufacturing, distribution and marketing capabilities. The Company intends to seek and evaluate acquisitions of both domestic and worldwide specialty tool and adhesive manufacturers, distributors and other companies whose products, distribution channels and brand names are complementary to those of the Company and which will offer further opportunities for product cross selling, expansion of manufacturing and marketing operations and the addition of new customers.
Increase Sales By Expanding Product Lines and Adding New Customers. The Company seeks to expand its product lines by introducing new and innovative products, which can be marketed to the Companys existing customer base. Through its acquisitions, the Company has expanded its customer base, the number of products available and its line of flooring installation products. In addition to expanding product offerings through acquisitions, the Company intends to internally develop and offer products in response to customer demands. The Company believes that broadening its product lines will make it a more attractive supplier to the major home improvement retailers and specialty distributors, thereby increasing the Companys sales and market penetration. Additionally, the Company is targeting mass merchandisers as prospective customers for a portion of its current product line.
Capitalize on Cross-Selling Opportunities. The Company believes that there are significant opportunities for cross selling its products among its existing markets and channels of distribution. As part of its acquisition strategy, the Company seeks to identify acquisition candidates with complementary product lines and to cross sell acquired product lines to its existing customer base and its existing product lines to the customers of the acquired business.
3
Enhance Distribution and Manufacturing Capabilities. In order to effectively serve the customer base and keep certain costs to a minimum, the Company continually improves its distribution capabilities through the increased use of technology as well as reviewing its locations for correct size and geographic location. The Company currently has approximately 798,000 square feet of distribution and manufacturing capability located throughout the United States of America, Canada, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South America. The Company estimates that in fiscal 2004, it manufactured approximately 30% of its Q.E.P. and Roberts product lines.
Products
The Company manufactures, markets and distributes a broad line of over 3,000 specialty tools and flooring related products. The Companys products are offered under brand names including Q.E.P., OTOOL, ROBERTS, QSet and Fresh and are used primarily for surface preparation and installation of ceramic tile, carpet, vinyl and wood flooring.
The Company manufactures and distributes adhesives, grouts, mortars, dry set powders, carpet seaming tape and an assortment of carpet installation tools as well as floats, tile cutters, trowels, electric saws, nippers and other products to the flooring industry. These products are sold to both distributors and do-it-yourself customers. Although the Company manufactures and distributes over 3,000 products, a majority of the Companys sales are to customers who purchase between 20 and 200 individual stock-keeping units. As the Company seeks to broaden its product lines, the competition for limited shelf space available at home improvement retailers for specialty tools and related products may limit sales of existing or newly introduced products.
The Company maintains a research and development program through which it seeks to identify new product opportunities within its primary markets. Methods by which the Company seeks to identify product opportunities include soliciting product feedback from customers through its outside sales force and manufacturers representatives, review of product brochures and catalogs issued by foreign and domestic competitors of specialty tools, review of product concepts with buyers employed by its customers, and attendance at industry trade shows and conventions at which new product concepts are introduced and discussed. The Company also considers participation in joint ventures and evaluation of product samples to be an important part of its effort to identify new product opportunities. The Company maintains a product quality control program primarily to verify the quality of its existing products and to develop ideas for additional products or enhancements to existing products.
In fiscal 2004 the Company began distributing its Fresh line of painting tools in coordinated fashion colors to mass merchandising stores and drug chains. The sales for this fiscal year were not material to the financial statements.
Relationship With Major Customers
In 1982, the Company began selling products to Home Depot, which is currently the largest home improvement retailer in the world, sixth largest retailer globally and the second largest retailer in the United States of America based on annual sales volume. In 1993, the Company added Lowes as a customer, which is now the second largest home improvement retailer in the world and fourteenth largest retailer in the United States of America. Home Depot and Lowes are the Companys two largest customers accounting for 46.4% and 13.2% of the Companys fiscal 2004 net sales, respectively.
Because of the importance of home improvement retailers to its business, the Company has, in consultation with these major customers, developed customer service programs to ensure that the specific needs of these customers are given a high priority with direct attention from senior officers of the Company. Features of the Companys customer service programs for its major customers include
4
providing a wide range of in-store services, such as, assistance with inventory, maintenance of product displays, introduction of new products, maintaining inventories of tools and related products in multiple locations to permit rapid shipping, delivering orders promptly, holding education classes for retail store personnel, packaging with multilingual labels, prepaying delivery for product shipments with minimum purchase requirements, participating in cooperative promotions and special sales events, providing product research for buyers, operating a customer service hotline, providing parts and repair service, extension of advertising allowances, accepting orders electronically and billing through electronic data interchange, bar coding for each individual stock-keeping unit, and incorporating anti-theft tags in packaging. The Company believes that its major customers place considerable value on service and promotional support and frequently evaluates its service and promotional activities in an effort to serve its customers more effectively.
The Company believes that the consolidation among home improvement retailers will continue and that the national and large regional home improvement retailers will continue to increase their market share in the near future. Home Depot and Lowes have announced plans to increase significantly the number of stores each operates over the next several years. As a result, the Company expects the percentage of its sales to these customers to continue to be significant. However, the Company continues to expand its customer base in other areas, both domestically and internationally, through acquisitions.
The loss of Home Depot or Lowes as a customer of the Company would have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company.
Manufacturing and Suppliers
The Company estimates that in fiscal 2004 it manufactured approximately 30% of its Q.E.P. and Roberts product lines. The Company manufactures adhesives, carpet seaming tape, carpet installation tools and ceramic tile spacers at its main manufacturing facility in Mexico, Missouri. Flooring adhesives are produced at the facility in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Grouts and related products are manufactured at the Companys New Jersey, Georgia and Ft. Pierce, Florida facilities. In Australia, the Company manufactures accessories used for the installation of ceramic tile. Ceramic trim is manufactured in Argentina. Tile cutters, safety products and ceramic tile spacers are manufactured in the United Kingdom.
The Company purchased finished products and components from approximately 250 different suppliers in fiscal 2004. Although the Company believes that multiple sources of supply exist for nearly all of the products and components purchased from outside suppliers and generally maintains at least two sources of supply for each item purchased, interruptions in supply or price changes in the items purchased by the Company could have a material adverse effect on the Companys operations. The Company receives product from its suppliers into its three main domestic warehouses located in Boca Raton, Florida; Mexico, Missouri and Henderson, Nevada. Disruption in supply to any of these warehouses may result in excessive inventory levels and added costs to the Company. Further, in fiscal 2004, the Company purchased in excess of $11.5 million and $7.0 million of finished product from two foreign suppliers representing 25.1% and 15.3%, respectively of domestic product purchases.
Distribution, Sales and Marketing
The Companys specialty tools and related products are currently sold through four distinct distribution channels: (i) the Companys sales staff; (ii) independent manufacturing representatives; (iii) an in-house telemarketing sales force; and (iv) outside salaried and commissioned sales representatives. Management estimates that sales through its primary distribution channels in fiscal 2004 were as follows: 60.9% to national and regional home improvement retailers and 39.1% to specialty distributors, other specialty retailers and original equipment manufacturers.
5
The Company maintains an in-house creative services department through which it produces and develops color product catalogs, signage, point of purchase materials and distinctive packaging to enhance sales per square foot at the retail level and to reinforce the Companys brand images. The Company maintains a website which allows customers to obtain product information, catalogues and order replacement parts. The Company also informs customers of product promotions through direct contact via e-mail or fax.
The Companys marketing and sales representatives, or its manufacturers representatives, conduct regular visits to many customers individual retail stores. In addition, the Company or its sales representatives provides product knowledge classes for retail store personnel. The Company also evaluates the product mix at its customers locations from time to time with a view toward evolving the product mix to increase sales per square foot. When the Company secures a new customer, or introduces new product into existing customer stores, the Company generally resets all displays and assists store personnel in becoming familiar with the Companys product line.
Competition
The Company believes that competition in the home improvement flooring product market is based primarily on product quality, delivery capabilities, brand name recognition, availability of retail shelf space and price. The Company believes that its competitive strengths are its product quality, its wide range of products, delivery capabilities, brand recognition and strong customer relationships. The Company faces competition largely on a product-by-product basis from numerous manufacturing and distribution companies. The Company believes that the diversity of its product portfolio, among other things, will allow it to compete effectively with its competitors, although some of such competitors may sell larger quantities of a particular product than the Company.
The Company is aware of a number of competitors, many of which are foreign and may have greater financial, marketing and other resources than the Company. The Companys foreign sales, including Canada, accounted for approximately 26.9% of total sales during fiscal year 2004. Fiscal 2004 total sales generated by the Companys Canadian subsidiary were 8.7%, its European subsidiaries 7.9%, its Australian subsidiaries 8.7%, its South American subsidiaries 0.6% and 1.0% to foreign customers from its domestic subsidiaries. The Company is continuing to penetrate more foreign markets and, as a result, the Company may experience competition from foreign companies, which could adversely affect the Companys gross margins on its foreign sales.
Certain of the Companys larger customers have in the past contacted one or more of the Companys foreign suppliers to discuss purchasing home improvement products directly from these suppliers. Although the Company believes that its diversified product line, brand recognition and customer service will continue to offer benefits not otherwise available to the Companys customers from foreign manufacturers, the Company could experience competition from one or more foreign manufacturers which now serve as suppliers to the Company. If one or more of the Companys larger customers were to begin purchasing products previously supplied by the Company directly from foreign manufacturers, the Companys business would be adversely affected. Increased competition from these manufacturers or others could result in lower sales, price reductions or loss of market share, each of which would have an adverse effect on the Companys results of operations.
Environmental Matters
The Company is subject to federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances governing activities or operations that may have adverse environmental effects, such as discharges to air and water, handling and disposal practices for solid, special and hazardous wastes, and imposing liability for the cost of clean up, and for certain damages resulting from sites of past spills, disposal or other releases of hazardous substances (together, Environmental Laws). Sanctions which may be imposed for violation of Environmental Laws include the payment or reimbursement of investigative and clean up costs, administrative penalties and, in certain cases, prosecution under environmental criminal statutes. The
6
Companys manufacturing facilities are subject to environmental regulation by, among other agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and various state authorities in the states where such facilities are located. The activities of the Company, including its manufacturing operations at its leased facilities, are subject to the requirements of Environmental Laws. The Company believes that the cost of compliance with Environmental Laws to date has not been material to the Company. The Company is not currently aware of any situations requiring remedial or other action which would involve a material expense to the Company, or expose the Company to material liability under Environmental Laws. As the operations of the Company involve the storage, handling, discharge and disposal of substances which are subject to regulation under Environmental Laws, there can be no assurance that the Company will not incur any material liability under Environmental Laws in the future or will not be required to expend funds in order to effect compliance with applicable Environmental Laws.
The Company completed testing at its facility in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada for leakage of hazardous materials and, as a result, in fiscal 1999 the Company prepared a plan to remediate the contamination over a period of years and this plan was subsequently approved by the Canadian Ministry of Environment. The Company recorded a reserve for potential environmental liability on the closing date of the Roberts acquisition of approximately $325,000 and this amount was subsequently increased by $275,000 to $600,000 based on an estimate for the cost of remediation. Through fiscal 2004, the Company has spent approximately $532,000 and anticipates spending additional amounts on ongoing monitoring of wells and other environmental activity at the approximate rate of between $5,000 and $25,000 per year for the next few years.
In March 2004, the Company settled a lawsuit initially filed against one of the Companys subsidiaries in January 1998, Cargill, Inc. Et Al. v. Abco Construction Et Al., for $45,000. The provisions of this settlement allow for the plaintiffs to reopen this matter under certain conditions. Although there can be no certainty, the Company does not believe that it is likely that these conditions will ever materialize.
The Company has received notice from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA) that an entity identified as Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. may be involved in the contamination of landfill sites in Clark County, Ohio and Santa Barbara County, California. In addition, in April 2003, the record owner of certain real property in Vancouver, Washington informed the Company that an entity known as Roberts Consolidated Industry, Inc. owned or operated the facility during which time hazardous substances were disposed of or released at the site and pursuant to Washington State law, it is also liable for remedial action costs at the site. At this time, the Company is not aware whether these entities are predecessors to any of its affiliates or whether they are unrelated entities.
Roberts Holdings International, Inc. (Roberts Holding), an inactive subsidiary of the Company who was also named in the Cargill matter, was named as a third party defendant in a case currently pending before the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The case is Strebor Inc. v. International Paper Co., Case No. 1:02 CV0948, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division. The Company became aware of the lawsuit on June 30, 2003, when opposing counsel in the matter forwarded directly to the Company a copy of the Third Party Complaint of International Paper Co., naming Roberts Holding as a third party defendant. The third party plaintiff alleged that Roberts Holding is a successor to a company known as Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. and is required to indemnify previous owners for costs associated with the clean-up of a property in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Company believes it has viable defenses to the claim both factually and contractually. The Company has filed suit against Strebor and International Paper in this matter. The Company believes that the ultimate outcome will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company. Although the Company does not believe that the ultimate outcome will have a material adverse effect on the Company, the amount of exposure to the Company and/or its subsidiaries is impossible to estimate at the present time based on the preliminary stage of the proceedings and because the Companys subsidiary apparently was only in possession of the site where the incident occurred almost 30 years ago and for a very short time.
7
Intellectual Property
The Company markets its specialty tools and related products under various trademarks owned by the Company or its subsidiaries, including Q.E.P., OTOOL, ROBERTS, QSet and Fresh. The Company has devoted substantial time, effort and expense to the development of brand name recognition and goodwill for products sold under its trademarks, has not received any notice that its use of such marks infringes upon the rights of others, and is not aware of any activities which would appear to constitute infringement of any of its marks. Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. has secured domestic and foreign patents relating to certain of its products. Although the patents are important to the operation of Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc., the Company does not believe that the loss of any one or more of these patents would have a material adverse effect on the Company. These patents are scheduled to expire in the years 2008 and 2013. Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. also licenses its name to various foreign distributors and a domestic distributor of tackstrip.
Employees
As of May 14, 2004, the Company had 504 employees, including 118 administrative employees, 101 sales and marketing employees, 142 manufacturing employees and 143 employees responsible for shipping activities. There are 39 part-time employees and 241 of the employees are employed by the Companys international subsidiaries. The Company has not experienced any work stoppages and none of the Companys employees are represented by a union. The Company considers its relations with the employees to be good.
8
Item 2. Properties
The Company currently owns the facility in Bramalea, Ontario, Canada and leases all other facilities located in the United States of America, Canada, Europe, South America, New Zealand and Australia. All facilities aggregate approximately 798,000 square feet. The following table sets forth certain information concerning the facilities of the Company.
| LOCATION |
USE |
SQUARE FEET |
ANNUALIZED COST |
LEASE EXPIRATION |
RENEWAL OPTION | ||||||
| Boca Raton, Florida |
Executive offices, warehouse; manufacturing | 77,000 | $ | 502,951 | 01/15/06 | | |||||
| Lelystraat. Holland |
Administrative and sales | 52,544 | 135,785 | 10/31/07 | | ||||||
| Marisstaat, Holland |
Warehouse | 63,259 | 108,282 | 01/01/07 | | ||||||
| Plaisir, France |
Administrative; warehouse | 1,700 | 13,049 | 09/30/05 | | ||||||
| Henderson, NV |
Administrative; warehouse | 111,000 | 460,254 | 01/31/08 | Y | ||||||
| Mexico, Missouri |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 155,000 | 373,514 | 06/15/06 | Y | ||||||
| Lancashire, England |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 27,000 | 110,748 | 3/31/07 | | ||||||
| County Laois, Ireland |
Administrative; warehouse; sales | 10,000 | 140,718 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Bramalea, Ontario |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 92,000 | | Owned | | ||||||
| Mississagua, Ontario |
Warehouse | 15,000 | 73,252 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 4,293 | 12,901 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Auckland, New Zealand |
Administrative; warehouse | 41,046 | 24,168 | 11/30/05 | Y | ||||||
| Dandenong, Australia |
Manufacturing | 26,200 | 106,529 | 05/01/05 | Y | ||||||
| Hindsmarch, Australia |
Administrative; warehouse | 7,234 | 19,814 | 03/01/05 | Y | ||||||
| Santiago, Chile |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 1,674 | 14,400 | 05/01/05 | Y | ||||||
| Little Falls, NJ |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 17,653 | 73,920 | 07/01/05 | Y | ||||||
| Calhoun, GA |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 25,000 | 66,547 | 03/07/05 | | ||||||
| Ft. Pierce, FL |
Administrative; warehouse; manufacturing | 18,000 | 77,668 | 06/30/05 | | ||||||
| Wetherill Park, Australia |
Administrative; warehouse; sales office | 23,000 | 135,085 | 06/06/07 | | ||||||
| Newcastle, Australia |
Sales office | 3,000 | 19,650 | 07/22/04 | | ||||||
| Coffs Harbour, Australia |
Sales office | 1,076 | 3,787 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Brookvale, Australia |
Sales office | 645 | 16,051 | 9/01/06 | | ||||||
| Tamworth, Australia |
Sales office | 900 | 4,630 | 10/01/05 | | ||||||
| Wagga Wagga, Australia |
Sales office | 1,259 | 3,903 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Gosford, Australia |
Sales office | 1,647 | 9,907 | 09/30/05 | | ||||||
| Wollongong, Australia |
Sales office | 1,022 | 12,418 | Monthly | | ||||||
| Mitcham, Australia |
Administrate and warehouse | 4,112 | 18,217 | 04/01/06 | | ||||||
| Dandenong, Australia |
Warehouse | 4,500 | 15,863 | 03/31/07 | | ||||||
| Victoria, Australia |
Warehouse | 4,200 | 7,443 | 08/31/04 | | ||||||
| Melbourne, Australia |
Warehouse | 4,000 | 11,708 | 03/31/05 | | ||||||
| Mitcham, Australia |
Warehouse | 800 | 2,702 | 03/31/05 | | ||||||
| Mitcham, Australia |
Warehouse | 2,000 | 8,433 | 06/30/04 | | ||||||
The Company believes that its existing facilities are adequate to meet its current needs and that additional facilities can be leased to meet future needs. Further, it is expected that all leases necessary for the continuing operations of the Company expiring in fiscal 2005, will be renewed.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The Company is involved in litigation from time to time in the course of its business. In the opinion of management, no material legal proceedings are pending to which the Company or any of its property is subject.
In March 2004, the Company settled a lawsuit initially filed against one of the Companys subsidiaries in January 1998, Cargill, Inc. Et Al. v. Abco Construction Et Al., for $45,000. The provisions of this settlement allow for the plaintiffs to reopen this matter under certain conditions. Although there can be no certainty, the Company does not believe that it is likely that these conditions will ever materialize.
9
The Company received notice from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA) that an entity identified as Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. may be involved in the contamination of landfill sites in Clark County, Ohio and Santa Barbara County, California. In addition, in April 2003, the record owner of certain real property in Vancouver, Washington informed the Company that an entity known as Roberts Consolidated Industry, Inc. owned or operated a facility during which time hazardous substances were disposed of or released at the site and pursuant to Washington State law, it is also liable for remedial action costs at the site. At this time, the Company is not aware whether these entities are predecessors to any of its affiliates or whether they are unrelated entities.
Roberts Holdings International, Inc. (Roberts Holding), one of the Companys inactive subsidiaries was named as a third party defendant in a case currently pending before the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The case is Strebor Inc. v. International Paper Co., Case No. 1:02 CV0948, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division. The Company became aware of the lawsuit on June 30, 2003, when opposing counsel in the matter forwarded directly to the Company a copy of the Third Party Complaint of International Paper Co., naming Roberts Holding as a third party defendant. The third party plaintiff alleged that Roberts Holding is a successor to a company known as Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. and is required to indemnify previous owners for costs associated with the clean-up of property in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Company believes it has viable defenses, to the claim both factually and contractually. The Company has filed suit against Strebor and International Paper in this matter. No significant discovery has yet taken place in the case and the matter is set for jury trial in April 2005. Mediation sessions took place during late 2003 and February 2004 and the parties are discussing the possible resolution of this matter. However, to date, no settlement has been reached. The Company believes that it has viable defenses both factually and contractually to the claims and if the case is not resolved, discovery will be pursued. Although the Company does not believe that the ultimate outcome will have a material adverse effect on the Company, the amount of exposure to the Company and/or its subsidiaries is impossible to estimate at the present time based on the preliminary stage of the proceedings and because the Companys subsidiary apparently was only in possession of the site where the incident occurred almost 30 years ago and for a very short time.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to Vote of Security Holders
No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders of the Company during the fourth quarter of the period covered by this report.
10
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrants Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters
Market Price and Dividend Information
The Companys Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System. The following table sets forth the high and low sales price per share for the Common Stock for each quarter during fiscal year 2004 and 2003, as reported on the Nasdaq National Market System.
| Fiscal Year Ended February 28 or 29, | ||||||||||||
| 2004 |
2003 | |||||||||||
| High |
Low |
High |
Low | |||||||||
| First Quarter |
$ | 8.750 | $ | 5.100 | $ | 4.600 | $ | 4.110 | ||||
| Second Quarter |
$ | 10.930 | $ | 8.310 | $ | 4.520 | $ | 4.010 | ||||
| Third Quarter |
$ | 12.020 | $ | 9.470 | $ | 4.740 | $ | 4.050 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter |
$ | 15.970 | $ | 10.100 | $ | 6.500 | $ | 3.640 | ||||
On May 14, 2004, the closing price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market System was $15.00 per share. As of that date, there were 27 holders of record of the common stock and approximately 917 beneficial owners of the common stock.
The Company has not paid cash dividends on its common stock and does not intend for the foreseeable future to declare or pay any cash dividends on this stock; rather it intends to retain earnings, if any, for the future operation and expansion of the Companys business. Any determination to declare or pay dividends will be at the discretion of the Companys board of directors and will depend upon the Companys future earnings, results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, considerations imposed by applicable law and other factors deemed relevant by the board of directors. The Companys credit facility also prohibits the payment of dividends on its common stock without the consent of the lenders.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
The selected consolidated financial data set forth below as of and for the years ended February 28 or 29, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company. The audited consolidated statements of income for the years ended February 28 or 29, 2000 and 2001, respectively and the audited consolidated balance sheets as of February 28 or 29, 2000 through 2002 are not included in this filing. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Item 7 of this report) and the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere herein.
11
| FISCAL YEAR ENDED FEBRUARY 28 OR 29, | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 | ||||||||||||||
| (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| OPERATING DATA: |
||||||||||||||||||
| Net Sales |
$ | 143,273 | $ | 129,281 | $ | 109,675 | $ | 113,003 | $ | 113,571 | ||||||||
| Cost of goods sold |
94,065 | 84,883 | 72,603 | 76,940 | 79,037 | |||||||||||||
| Gross profit |
49,208 | 44,398 | 37,072 | 36,063 | 34,534 | |||||||||||||
| Shipping |
13,369 | 11,950 | 9,589 | 9,801 | 8,987 | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative |
12,300 | 10,980 | 9,740 | 9,650 | 9,380 | |||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing |
14,598 | 13,762 | 11,895 | 11,616 | 9,494 | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring charge |
| | | 637 | | |||||||||||||
| Other expense (income), net |
1,488 | 532 | (217 | ) | (92 | ) | | |||||||||||
| Operating income |
7,453 | 7,174 | 6,065 | 4,451 | 6,673 | |||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net |
1,585 | 1,876 | 2,557 | 2,131 | 1,700 | |||||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes, cumulative effect of change in accounting principle and extraordinary item |
5,868 | 5,298 | 3,508 | 2,320 | 4,973 | |||||||||||||