Back to GetFilings.com



Table of Contents

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 


 

For Annual Reports Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended   Commission File Number
February 29, 2004   0-12490

 


 

ACR GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)

 


 

Texas   74-2008473

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

3200 Wilcrest Drive, Suite 440, Houston, Texas 77042

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 780-8532

 


 

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

 

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

 

Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

(Title of class)

 


 

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

 

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

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934)    Yes  ¨    No  x.

 

The aggregate market value of the voting stock (common stock) held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of August 29, 2003, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second quarter was $4,717,327, based on the closing sale price on that date. For purposes of determining this number all executive officers and directors of the registrant as of August 31, 2003 are considered to be affiliates of the registrant. This number is provided only for purposes of the report on Form 10-K and does not represent an admission by either the registrant or any such person as to the status of such person.

 

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of April 30, 2004: 10,681,294 shares

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held in August 2004 is incorporated by reference in answer to Part III of this report.

 



Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

               Page

PART I     
     Item 1.   

Business

   3
     Item 2.   

Properties

   6
     Item 3.   

Legal Proceedings

   6
     Item 4.   

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

   6
PART II     
     Item 5.   

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

   6
     Item 6.   

Selected Financial Data

   7
     Item 7.   

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

   8
     Item 7A.   

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

   13
     Item 8.   

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

   14
     Item 9.   

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

   31
PART III     
     Item 10.   

Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

   31
     Item 11.   

Executive Compensation

   31
     Item 12.   

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

   31
     Item 13.   

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

   31
     Item 14.   

Controls and Procedures

   32
PART IV     
     Item 15.   

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

   32

 

2


Table of Contents

PART I

 

Item 1. Business.

 

General

 

ACR Group, Inc. (which, together with its subsidiaries is herein referred to as the “Company” or “ACRG”) is a Texas corporation based in Houston. In 1990, the Company began to acquire and operate businesses engaged in the wholesale distribution of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (“HVACR”) equipment and supplies. The Company acquired its first operating company in 1990. Since 1990, ACRG has acquired or started seven additional HVACR distribution companies and now has 45 branch operations in nine states. The Company plans to continue expanding in the Sunbelt of the United States and in other geographic areas with a high rate of economic growth, through both acquisitions and internal growth.

 

The HVACR Industry

 

The Company sells supplies and equipment to installing contractors and dealers and to other technically trained customers responsible for the installation, repair and maintenance of HVACR systems. Maintenance of a large and diverse inventory base is an important element in the Company’s sales.

 

The HVACR supply industry is segmented into discrete categories. First, it serves both commercial and residential HVACR businesses. Each of these segments is further divided into two markets—new construction sales and replacement and/or repair sales. Some companies choose to specialize in serving the new construction markets while others focus on the repair/replacement market, commonly referred to as the “aftermarket.” ACRG is not oriented toward any particular segment but instead concentrates on acquiring and developing profitable businesses in the Sunbelt region of the United States which have a significant market share within their segment of the HVACR distribution industry. The Company believes that its growth strategy is appropriate in view of the competitive nature of the HVACR industry and the continuing consolidation in that industry, discussed below.

 

There are many manufacturers of products used in the HVACR industry, and no single manufacturer dominates the market for a range of products. Some manufacturers limit the number and territory of wholesalers that may distribute their products, but exclusivity is rare. Many manufacturers will generally permit any distributor who satisfies customary commercial credit standards to sell their products. In addition, there are some manufacturers, primarily of equipment, that distribute their own products through factory branches. The widespread availability of HVACR products to distributors results in significant competition. There are an estimated three thousand HVACR wholesale distributors in the United States, and there is no single company or group of companies that dominates the HVACR distribution industry. The industry traditionally has been characterized by closely-held businesses with operations limited to local or regional geographic areas; however, a process of consolidation in this industry is ongoing, as many of these companies reach maturity and face strategic business issues such as ownership succession, changing markets and lack of capital to finance growth. Management’s goal is to attract the present owners and management of such businesses by offering certain advantages related to economies of scale: lower cost of products from volume purchasing, new product lines, and financial, administrative and technical support.

 

The Company believes that investing in the HVACR distribution industry has fewer economic risks than many other industries. Although the HVACR industry is affected by general economic conditions such as cycles in new home construction, sales of replacement equipment and repair parts for the existing base of installed air conditioning and heating systems provide a cushion against economic swings. The aftermarket is far less susceptible to changes in economic conditions than the new construction market and now represents approximately 70% of all units installed annually. This percentage should continue to increase as the base of installed systems expands. Much of the HVACR industry is also seasonal; sales of air conditioning and heating systems are generally largest during the times of the year when climatic conditions require the greatest use of such systems. Sales of refrigeration systems, which are generally to commercial customers, are subject to less seasonality.

 

3


Table of Contents

The Company’s operations are conducted through six business units that participate in the wholesale distribution of HVACR equipment and supplies:

 

ACR Supply

 

The Company acquired ACR Supply (“ACRS”) in 1993, after making an initial investment in the company in 1991. At the end of fiscal 2004, ACRS had fourteen branches in Texas and one in Louisiana. Many of ACRS’s branches have attained market share leadership in their respective areas. In major metropolitan areas such as San Antonio and Houston, ACRS encounters significantly more competition than in smaller cities. However, through aggressive sales efforts, the Houston branches have achieved a significant, but not dominant, share of their local HVACR markets.

 

ACRS sells primarily to licensed contractors serving the residential and light commercial (restaurants, strip shopping centers, etc.) markets. The company’s sales mix is approximately 31% equipment and 69% parts and supplies, with the equipment and parts generally directed to the aftermarket and the supplies used principally in new construction.

 

Heating and Cooling Supply

 

The Company acquired Heating and Cooling Supply (“HCS”) in 1990. HCS operates from one location in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are approximately 20 independent HVACR distributors in the Las Vegas area that compete with HCS. Management believes that HCS is among the top three of such distributors in terms of annual sales from branch operations in the local area.

 

Mirroring the rapid growth of the Las Vegas economy over the past decade, approximately 80% of HCS’s sales are in the new construction market, and a majority of those sales are to the residential segment of the market. Unlike many HVACR distributors, HCS also has capabilities to service both the commercial plan and specifications market and the specialty products markets. The company is directing greater attention to the HVACR aftermarket in an effort to gain higher margin business and to diversify its customer base.

 

Total Supply

 

Total Supply (“TSI”) has operated as an HVACR wholesale distributor in Georgia since 1992. Since 1993, TSI has distributed the Goodman brand of HVACR equipment in Georgia and now has the Goodman distribution rights to almost the entire state of Georgia. In 1999, TSI gained the distribution rights for Goodman equipment in the Nashville Tennessee trade area. TSI sells almost exclusively to the residential market, and management estimates that sales are approximately evenly split between new construction and the aftermarket. The company’s sales mix is approximately 66% equipment and 34% parts and supplies. In addition to its branch in Nashville, TSI has four branches located in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one branch in Warner Robins, a suburb of Macon and another in Savannah, Georgia.

 

Florida Cooling Supply

 

In 1996, the Company organized Florida Cooling Supply, Inc. (“FCS”) and opened four branch operations in west central Florida, of which three remain open. The state of Florida is among the three largest in the United States in terms of installed HVACR systems. The Company’s sales mix is approximately 40% equipment and 60% parts and supplies. In fiscal 2001, the Company opened branch operations in Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida expanding its sales territory outside the Tampa Bay area of Florida. In fiscal 2004 the Company opened branches in Ft. Myers and Orlando and will open a branch in Sarasota in the second quarter of fiscal 2005. Management believes that Florida will continue to offer exceptional opportunities to open additional branch operations.

 

4


Table of Contents

ACH Supply

 

In 1997, the Company acquired the operating assets and liabilities of ACH Supply, Inc. (“ACH”). ACH had two branches located east of Los Angeles. From 1999 through 2003, ACH opened six additional branches including two in central California markets and four in southern California markets. ACH sells primarily HVACR parts and supplies, with equipment comprising approximately 30% of total sales. In addition to Florida, management believes that significant expansion opportunities remain in California.

 

Contractors Heating & Supply (“CHS”)

 

In 1997, CHS acquired certain of the assets, and assumed certain of the liabilities, of Contractors Heating and Supply Company, an HVACR distributor based in Denver, with branch operations in Colorado Springs and Newcastle, Colorado, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. CHS has operated in Denver since 1945, in Colorado Springs since 1959 and in Albuquerque since 1960, and is considered among the market leaders in each of its trade areas. CHS also operates a sheet metal shop in Colorado Springs, where products are fabricated for distribution through CHS’s wholesale operations. Approximately 15% of CHS’s total sales are products that it manufactures. In 1999, CHS opened a distribution branch in Fort Collins, Colorado, and, in 2000, acquired International Comfort Supply, Inc., a wholesale distributor based in El Paso, Texas. In fiscal 2001, the Company obtained the rights to distribute the Goodman line of equipment in all of its trade areas. In 2001 CHS opened a branch operation and distribution center in east Denver which was closed subsequent to fiscal year-end 2004.

 

Executive Officers of the Registrant

 

The Company’s executive officers are as follows:

 

Name


   Age

  

Position with the Company


Alex Trevino, Jr.

   67    Chairman of the Board and President

Anthony R. Maresca

   53    Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

A. Stephen Trevino

   41    Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

 

Alex Trevino, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1988 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since July 1990.

 

Anthony R. Maresca has been employed by the Company since 1985. In November 1985 he was elected Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Mr. Maresca is a certified public accountant.

 

A. Stephen Trevino has been employed by the Company since March 1999, initially serving as General Counsel and directing various administrative functions. He was elected Senior Vice President and Secretary in August 2000.

 

Employees

 

As of February 29, 2004, the Company and its subsidiaries had approximately 422 full-time employees. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries routinely use temporary labor. There are no Company employees represented by any collective bargaining units. Management considers the Company’s relations with its employees to be good.

 

Website Access to Company Reports

 

The Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports are available free of charge on the Company’s website at www.acrgroup.com as soon as reasonably practical after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Also, copies of the Company’s annual report will be made available free of charge upon written request.

 

5


Table of Contents

Item 2. Properties.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries occupy office and warehouse space under operating leases with various terms. Generally, a branch location will contain 10,000 to 25,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse space. Branch locations that include a subsidiary’s corporate office will be larger. The Company owns the facilities occupied by the Pasadena, Texas branch of ACRS, the Gainesville, Florida branch of FCS and a building and land leased to the company that purchased ACRG’s filter manufacturing operations in 2004.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

 

As of February 29, 2004 the Company was not a party to any pending legal proceeding that is deemed to be material to the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

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

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended February 29, 2004.

 

PART II

 

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

 

The Company’s common stock is traded on the over-the-counter market under the symbols “ACRG”, “ACRG.OB” or “ACRG.BB”, depending on the source of the quote.

 

The table below sets forth the high and low sales prices based upon actual transactions.

 

     High

   Low

Fiscal Year 2004:

             

1st quarter ended 5/31/03

   $ 0.58    $ 0.32

2nd quarter ended 8/31/03

     0.58      0.45

2nd quarter ended 11/30/03

     0.97      0.46

4th quarter ended 2/29/04

     1.49      0.85

Fiscal Year 2003:

             

1st quarter ended 5/31/02

   $ 0.59    $ 0.38

2nd quarter ended 8/31/02

     0.52      0.36

2nd quarter ended 11/30/02

     0.55      0.38

4th quarter ended 2/28/03

     0.44      0.34

 

As of April 30, 2004, there were 463 holders of record of the Company’s common stock. This number does not include the beneficial owners of shares held in the name of a broker or nominee.

 

The Company has never declared or paid cash dividends on its common stock. The Company’s loan agreement with its senior lender expressly prohibits the payment of dividends by the Company. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

6


Table of Contents

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

 

The following selected financial data of the Company have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements. This summary should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8 of this Report. Since February 28, 2000, the increase in sales has resulted principally from internal expansion, as discussed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7. of this Report. The Company has never paid any dividends.

 

Certain reclassifications were made to the prior years’ financial statements to conform with current year presentation.

 

The Company has not recorded a current provision for income taxes other than federal alternative minimum taxes and state income taxes for fiscal years 2000 through 2003 because of previously incurred net operating losses for which a tax benefit had not previously been recorded. In fiscal 2003, the Company recorded deferred federal income tax expense of $251,000 to reduce the carrying value of the net deferred tax asset that related to the benefit realized from the utilization of its net operating loss carryforward. In fiscal 2004, the Company increased its federal tax rate to 34% to provide for current taxes due and to offset the current tax asset realized primarily from the operating loss carryforward. See Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Selected Financial Data

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

     Year Ended February 28 or 29,

 
     2004

    2003

    2002

    2001

    2000

 

Income Statement Data:

                                        

Sales

   $ 174,353     $ 161,822     $ 155,490     $ 136,433     $ 126,468  

Gross profit

     38,558       35,673       33,570       29,452       28,135  

Operating income

     4,452       2,690       2,097       772       4,077  
    


 


 


 


 


Income before income taxes

     3,433       1,433       542       (1,341 )     2,482  

Provision for income taxes

     (1,253 )     (330 )     (123 )     (137 )     (255 )

Cumulative effect of accounting change

     —         (483 )     —         —         —    
    


 


 


 


 


Net income (loss)

   $ 2,180     $ 620     $ 419     $ (1,478 )   $ 2,227  
    


 


 


 


 


Earnings per common share:

                                        

Basic:

                                        

Before cumulative effect of accounting change

   $ .20     $ .10     $ .04     $ (.14 )   $ .21  

Cumulative effect of accounting change

     —         (.04 )     —         —         —    
    


 


 


 


 


     $ .20     $ .06     $ .04     $ (.14 )   $ .21  
    


 


 


 


 


Diluted:

                                        

Before cumulative effect of accounting change

   $ .20     $ .10     $ .04     $ (.14 )   $ .20  

Cumulative effect of accounting change

     —         (.04 )     —         —         —    
    


 


 


 


 


     $ .20     $ .06     $ .04     $ (.14 )   $ .20  
    


 


 


 


 


     As of February 28 or 29,

 
     2004

    2003

    2002

    2001

    2000

 

Balance Sheet Data:

                                        

Working capital

   $ 25,881     $ 22,605     $ 21,400     $ 21,170     $ 18,072  

Total assets

     58,727       52,728       56,630       54,582       44,842  

Long-term obligations

     22,950       22,075       23,728       24,494       17,499  

Shareholders’ equity

     13,366       11,186       10,566       10,147       11,630  

 

7


Table of Contents

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

Results of Operations

 

Net income was $2,180,000 ($0.20 per share), $620,000 ($0.06 per share), $419,000 ($0.04 per share) in fiscal 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively. An accounting change in fiscal 2003, and significant differences in the provisions for income taxes affect the comparability of net income among such years. Income before taxes and cumulative effect of accounting change was $3,433,000, $1,433,000, $542,000 in fiscal 2004, 2003, and 2002, respectively.

 

The increase in income before taxes and cumulative effect of accounting change from fiscal 2003 to fiscal 2004 was principally attributable to improved operating results at several business units, particularly in Texas, California and Florida, the three states that utilize the most air-conditioning in the country. The business units in California and Florida are also the Company’s newest business units and have grown rapidly. In fiscal 2004, for the first time, all of the Company’s branch operations in both California and Florida generated operating income. Additionally, the Company sold the operating assets of two single-branch business units in fiscal 2004. The sales of the assets were at approximately net book value. Both business units had been recently unprofitable, generating aggregate operating losses of approximately $280,000 and $250,000 in fiscal 2002 and 2003, respectively, which declined to $100,000 in fiscal 2004.

 

Effective March 1, 2002, the Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 142, “Goodwill and other Intangible Assets,” which established new accounting and reporting requirements for goodwill and other intangible assets. Under SFAS No. 142, all goodwill amortization ceased effective March 1, 2002. Goodwill amortization for fiscal 2003 and 2004 would otherwise have been $227,000 in each year. SFAS No. 142 requires that goodwill and other intangible assets deemed to have indefinite useful lives be reviewed annually for impairment. Utilizing the criteria set out in SFAS No. 142, the Company performed such impairment analysis as of March 1, 2002, and determined that it was appropriate to write off the unamortized amount of goodwill that was associated with its filter manufacturing operation. Net of taxes, the writeoff amounted to $483,000, or $0.04 per share, and in accordance with the new standard, was reported in the income statement for fiscal 2003 as the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle. As of February 28, 2003 and 2004, the Company performed the required impairment tests and determined there were no further impairments of goodwill.

 

Same-store sales increased 9% in fiscal 2004, 4% in fiscal 2003 and 9% in fiscal 2002. By comparison, data compiled by a leading industry trade association indicate that industry-wide product shipments increased 1% in calendar 2003 and 7% in calendar 2002, and declined 6% in calendar 2001, from the preceding calendar years. Sales in fiscal 2004 at all business units other than in Georgia were equal to or greater than sales in fiscal 2003. Fiscal 2004 sales growth was particularly strong in California, propelled by the most favorable seasonal summer weather in several years. Sales growth was above average in Texas and Florida, also supported by seasonally warm weather in the summer of 2003. Conversely, sales declined in Georgia because unusually cool and wet weather conditions curbed the sales increase that customarily occurs during the summer. Fiscal 2004 sales stabilized in Colorado, where economic conditions beginning in the last half of fiscal 2002 had slowed residential new construction. In the second half of fiscal 2004, sales commenced pursuant to a new contract with a customer. Sales under this contract increased consolidated and same-store sales by 2 percentage points for fiscal 2004 compared to fiscal 2003. The contract is expected to continue through calendar 2004.

 

The Company’s gross margin percentage was 22.1% in fiscal 2004, compared to 22.0% in fiscal 2003 and to 21.6% in fiscal 2002. The Company realizes a relatively low gross margin percentage on the large volume contract described in the preceding paragraph; sales under this contract decreased the gross margin percentage in fiscal 2004 by 0.3%. The increase in gross margin percentage each fiscal year is attributable both to continually improving pricing disciplines throughout the Company and to improved purchasing and payment terms from suppliers. In addition, margins at newer branch operations have increased consistently since their opening.

 

8


Table of Contents

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) costs as a percentage of sales were 19.6% in fiscal 2004, compared to 20.4% in fiscal 2003 and 20.2% in fiscal 2002. The decrease in SG&A costs as a percentage of sales in fiscal 2004 was attributable to the Company’s ability to leverage fixed costs against increases in sales. The Company was not able to successfully accomplish such leverage in fiscal 2003, because of significant increases in insurance, fuel and rent costs.

 

Interest expense decreased 13%, 17% and 16% in fiscal 2004, 2003 and 2002 compared to the preceding fiscal years. The changes in interest expense in fiscal 2004 and 2003 resulted principally from a decrease in the average outstanding variable rate debt, and the decrease in interest expense in fiscal 2002 resulted from a series of interest rate cuts during 2001. In fiscal 2004, 2003 and 2002, interest expense was 0.9%, 1.1% and 1.3% of sales, respectively. Other non-operating income, which consists principally of finance charges to customers, increased 4% from fiscal 2003 to fiscal 2004, after declining 11% from fiscal 2002 to fiscal 2003. The increase in non-operating income in fiscal 2004 was a result of income generated from leasing real property to the buyer of the one of the business units sold. The decline in non-operating income in fiscal 2003 resulted from the Company’s successful collection efforts that reduced the aggregate volume of delinquent customer accounts compared to the previous year.

 

Because of substantial tax loss carryforwards, the Company had minimal liability for Federal income taxes in fiscal 2002 and 2003. Current income tax expense in such years consisted principally of state income taxes. In fiscal 2003, the Company recorded deferred income tax expense of $251,000 to reduce the carrying value of its net deferred tax asset that related to the benefit realized from the utilization of the tax loss carryforward. In fiscal 2004, the Company fully utilized its remaining tax loss carryforwards and was required to record current income tax expense for federal taxes in addition to state taxes.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The accounting policies discussed below are critical to the Company’s business operations and an understanding of the Company’s financial statements. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make assumptions and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses in each reporting period. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results, once known, may vary from management’s estimates.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition” (“SAB 104”). Substantially all of the Company’s revenues consist of sales of HVACR products that are purchased by the Company from suppliers; less than 5% of the Company’s sales are of products that it manufactures. SAB 104 requires that four basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the amounts recognized are fixed and determinable, and (4) collectibility is reasonably assured. The Company records revenue after it receives an order from a customer with a fixed determinable price and the order is either shipped or delivered to the customer.

 

Vendor Rebates

 

The Company receives rebates from certain vendors based on the volume of product purchased from the vendor. The Company records rebates when they are earned, i.e. when specified purchase volume levels are reached. Vendor rebates attributable to unsold inventory are carried as a reduction of the carrying value of inventory until such inventory is sold, at which time the related rebates are used to reduce cost of sales.

 

9


Table of Contents

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

 

The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability to collect accounts receivable from customers. The Company establishes the allowance based on historical experience, credit risk of specific customers and transactions, and other factors. Management believes that the lack of customer concentration is a significant factor that mitigates the Company’s accounts receivable credit risk. Three customers represented 2.1%, 1.7% and 1.6% of consolidated fiscal 2004 sales, respectively, and no other customer comprised as much as 1% of sales. The number of customers and their distribution across the geographic areas served by the Company help to reduce the Company’s credit exposure to a single customer or to economic events that affect a particular geographic region. Although the Company believes that its allowance for doubtful accounts is adequate, any future condition that would impair the ability of a broad section of the Company’s customer base to make payments on a timely basis may require the Company to record additional allowances.

 

Inventory

 

Inventories consist of HVACR equipment, parts and supplies and are valued at the lower of cost or market value using the average cost method. Substantially all inventories represent finished goods held for sale; raw materials represent less than 1% of inventories. When necessary, the carrying value of obsolete or excess inventory is reduced to estimated net realizable value. The process for evaluating the value of obsolete or excess inventory requires estimates by management concerning future sales levels and the quantities and prices at which such inventory can be sold in the ordinary course of business.

 

The Company holds a substantial amount of HVACR equipment inventory at several branches on consignment from a supplier. The terms of this arrangement provide that the inventory is held for sale in bonded warehouses at the branch premises, with payment due only when products are sold. The supplier retains legal title and substantial management control with respect to the consigned inventory. The Company is responsible for damage to and loss of inventory that may occur at its premises. The Company has the ability to return consigned inventory, at its sole discretion, to the supplier for a specified period of time after receipt of the inventory. The terms of the arrangement further provide that the supplier may require the Company to purchase consigned inventory not sold within a specified period of time. Historically, most consigned inventory is sold before the specified purchase date, and the supplier has never enforced its right to demand payment, instead permitting such inventory to remain on consignment.

 

This consignment arrangement allows the Company to have inventory available for sale to customers without incurring a payment obligation for the inventory prior to a sale. Because of the control retained by the supplier and the uncertain time when a payment obligation will be incurred, the Company does not record the consigned inventory as an asset upon receipt with a corresponding liability. Rather, the Company records a liability to the supplier only upon sale of the inventory to a customer. The amount of the consigned inventory is disclosed in the Company’s financial statements as a contingent obligation.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

After generating $2.7 million cash flow from operations in fiscal 2003, the Company used $0.2 million cash flow in operations in fiscal 2004, as accounts receivable and inventory increased as a result of greater sales and new branch operations. Accounts receivable represented 45 days of gross sales at the end of fiscal 2004 compared to 43 days at the end of fiscal 2003. Inventories increased $2.8 million from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2004, of which $1.9 million is at branch operations opened in fiscal 2004.

 

The Company made capital expenditures of $0.5 million in fiscal 2004 compared to $0.6 million in fiscal 2003. A majority of the assets acquired by the Company in both fiscal years were leasehold improvements at new and relocated branch operations and for warehouse equipment.

 

Net cash provided by financing activities was $0.4 million in fiscal 2004, compared to using $2.2 million in fiscal 2003. In fiscal 2004, the additional borrowings were used for working capital. In fiscal 2003, cash flow

 

10


Table of Contents

from operations was used to repay borrowings. The Company’s cash management program provides that net cash flow is automatically directed to be applied to reduce the outstanding balance of the Company’s revolving line of credit. <