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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 December 31, 2002
  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: 1-6112
 
  NORTEK, INC.
  (exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
 
  Delaware 05-0314991
  (State or other jurisdiction (IRS Employer
  of incorporation or organization) Identification Number)
 
  50 Kennedy Plaza
  Providence, Rhode Island 02903-2360
  (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)
 
  REGISTRANT’S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (401) 751-1600
 
  SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:
 
  As of November 20, 2002, the registrant no longer has any securities registered pursuant to this section.
 


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


The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 28, 2003 was 100.




PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Recapitalization Transaction

On November 20, 2002, the Company reorganized into a holding company structure and each outstanding share of capital stock of the Company was converted into an identical share of capital stock of Nortek Holdings, Inc. (“Nortek Holdings”), a Delaware corporation formed in 2002, with Nortek Holdings becoming the successor public company and the Company becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nortek Holdings (the “Nortek Holdings Reorganization”). On January 9, 2003, Nortek Holdings completed a recapitalization transaction, which resulted in the acquisition of Nortek Holdings by certain affiliates and designees of Kelso & Company L.P. (“Kelso”) and certain members of the Company’s management. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Item 7 of Part II of this report and Notes 1, 2 and 7 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.


General

The Company is a diversified manufacturer of residential and commercial building products, operating within three principal segments: the Residential Building Products Segment; the Air Conditioning and Heating Products Segment; and the Windows, Doors and Siding Products Segment. Through these segments, the Company manufactures and sells, primarily in the United States, Canada and Europe, a wide variety of products for the residential and commercial construction, manufactured housing, and the do-it-yourself (“DIY”) and professional remodeling and renovation markets. As used in this report, the terms “Company” and “Nortek” refer to Nortek, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. Such terms as “Company” and “Nortek” are used for convenience only and are not intended as a precise description of any of the separate corporations, each of which manages its own affairs.


The Company’s performance is dependent to a significant extent upon the levels of residential replacement and remodeling, new residential construction and non-residential construction, which are affected by such factors as interest rates, inflation, seasonality, consumer spending habits and unemployment.


In 2002 and 2001, the Company sold certain subsidiaries of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ply Gem Industries, Inc. (“Ply Gem”). The sale of these subsidiaries and their related operating results have been excluded from earnings from continuing operations and are classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Notes 1 and 10 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.


Additional information concerning the Company’s business is set forth in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Item 7 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference. Information on foreign and domestic operations is set forth in Note 11 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.


Residential Building Products Segment

The Residential Building Products Segment manufactures and distributes built-in products primarily for the residential new construction, DIY and professional remodeling and renovation markets. The principal products sold by the Segment are kitchen range hoods, built-in exhaust fans (such as bath fans and fan, heater and light combination units), indoor air quality products, bath cabinets, radio intercoms and central vacuum systems. The Segment is the largest supplier in North America of range hoods, bath fans and combination units, residential indoor air quality systems (such as continuous-ventilation systems and energy-recovery ventilators) and one of the leading suppliers in Western Europe and South America of luxury “Eurostyle” range hoods. Products are sold under the Broan®, NuTone®, Nautilus®, Venmar®, vanEE®, and Best® brand names, among others, to distributors and dealers of electrical and lighting products, kitchen and bath dealers, retail home centers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Customers for the Segment’s products include residential and electrical contractors, professional remodelers and do-it-yourself homeowners. Other products sold by this Segment include, among others, door chimes, trash compactors, attic and whole house ventilators, air quality and HEPA whole-house filtration systems, ceiling fans, as well as, wireless security products, surround sound speaker systems, multi-room audio and video distribution equipment, garage door operators and infrared control equipment (marketed under the Linear®, Westinghouse®, Channel Plus®, Open House®, Xantech® and Elan® brand names). This Segment also manufactures and markets premium, hand crafted cooking ranges and accessories under the La Cornue name. The Company’s sales of kitchen range hoods and exhaust fans accounted for approximately 13.5% and 12.9%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2002, 12.3% and 12.4%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2001 and 12.2% and 11.8%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2000.


A key component of the Segment’s operating strategy is the introduction of new products which capitalize on the strong Broan®, NuTone®, Nautilus®, Venmar®, vanEE®, and Best® brand names and the extensive distribution system of the Segment’s businesses. Products sold under these brand names include the Broan Allure® and Rangemaster® range hoods, Sensaire®, Solitaire® and Solitaire Ultra Silent® fans and fan lights, LoSone Select® fans, Best by Broan® “Eurostyle” luxury range hoods, the Venmar®, Guardian Plus™ Air Systems and vanEE® line of indoor air quality systems, NuTone SenSonic™ stereo speakers, Whispaire® range hoods and the Broan 12” wide trash compactor.


With respect to certain product lines, private label customers accounted for approximately 21.3% of the total sales of this Segment in 2002.


Production generally consists of fabrication from coil and sheet steel and formed metal utilizing stamping, pressing and welding methods, assembly with components and subassemblies purchased from outside sources (principally motors, fan blades, heating elements, wiring harnesses, controlling devices, glass, wood, mirrors, lighting fixtures and polyethylene components, speakers, grilles and electronic components) and painting, finishing and packaging. See the discussion on Raw Materials under General Considerations below.


The Segment offers a broad array of products with various features and styles across a range of price points. The Company believes that the Segment’s variety of product offerings helps the Segment maintain and improve its market position for its principal products. At the same time, the Company believes that the Segment’s status as a low-cost producer, in large part as a result of advanced manufacturing processes, provides the Segment with a competitive advantage.


The Segment’s primary products compete with many domestic and international suppliers in their various markets. The Segment competes with suppliers of competitive products primarily on the basis of quality, distribution, delivery and price. Although the Segment believes it competes favorably among other suppliers of the Segment’s products, certain of these suppliers have greater financial and marketing resources than the Segment.


The Segment had 17 manufacturing plants and employed approximately 3,831 full-time people as of December 31, 2002, 948 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements which expire between 2003 and 2005 and 104 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements which expire in 2007. The Company believes that the Segment’s relationships with its employees are satisfactory.


Air Conditioning and Heating Products Segment

The Air Conditioning and Heating Products Segment manufactures and distributes heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and products (“HVAC”) for custom-designed commercial applications and for residential, light commercial and manufactured structures.


Commercial Products

The Segment’s commercial products consist of HVAC systems which are custom-designed to meet customer specifications for commercial offices, manufacturing and educational facilities, hospitals, retail stores and governmental buildings. Such systems are primarily designed to operate on building rooftops (including large self-contained walk-in-units) or on individual floors within a building, and range from 40 to 600 tons of cooling capacity. The Segment markets its commercial products under the Governair®, Mammoth®, Temtrol®, Venmar®, Ventrol® and Webco™ brand names. Also part of the Segment, the Company’s subsidiary Eaton-Williams Group Limited (“Eaton-Williams”), manufactures and markets custom and standard air conditioning and humidification equipment throughout Western Europe under the Vapac®, Cubit®, Qualitair®, Edenaire®, Colman™ and Moducel™ brand names.


The market for commercial HVAC equipment is segmented between standard and custom-designed equipment. Standard equipment can be manufactured at a lower cost and therefore offered at substantially lower initial prices than custom-designed equipment. As a result, suppliers of standard equipment generally have a larger share of the overall commercial HVAC market than suppliers of custom-designed equipment, including the Segment. However, because of certain building designs, shapes or other characteristics, the Company believes there are many applications for which custom-designed equipment is required or is more cost effective over the life of the building. Unlike standard equipment, the Segment’s custom-designed commercial HVAC equipment can be designed to match the exact space, capacity and performance requirements of the customer. The Segment’s packaged rooftop and self-contained walk-in equipment rooms maximize a building’s rentable floor space because they are located outside the building. In addition, factors relating to the manner of construction and timing of installation of commercial HVAC equipment can often favor custom-designed rather than standard systems. As compared with site-built and factory built HVAC systems, the Segment’s systems are factory assembled according to customer specifications and then installed by the customer or third parties, rather than assembled on site, permitting extensive testing prior to shipment. As a result, the Segment’s commercial systems can be installed later in the construction process than site-built systems, thereby saving the owner or developer construction and labor costs. The Segment sells its commercial products primarily to contractors, owners and developers of commercial office buildings, manufacturing and educational facilities, hospitals, retail stores and governmental buildings. The Segment seeks to maintain strong relationships nationwide with design engineers, owners and developers, and the persons who are most likely to value the benefits and long-term cost efficiencies of the Segment’s custom-designed equipment.


The Company estimates that about one-third of the Segment’s commercial sales in 2002 were attributable to replacement and retrofit activity, which typically is less cyclical than new construction activity and generally commands higher margins. The Segment continues to develop product and marketing programs to increase penetration in the growing replacement and retrofit market.


The Segment’s commercial products are marketed through independently-owned manufacturers’ representatives and approximately 273 sales, marketing and engineering professionals as of December 31, 2002. The independent representatives are typically HVAC engineers, a factor which is significant in marketing the Segment’s commercial products because of the design intensive nature of the market segment in which the Segment competes.


The Company believes that the Segment is among the largest suppliers of custom-designed commercial HVAC products in the United States. The Segment’s three largest competitors in the commercial HVAC market are Carrier Corporation, McQuay International (a subsidiary of OYL Corporation), and The Trane Company (a subsidiary of American Standard Inc.). The Segment competes primarily on the basis of engineering support, quality, flexibility in design and construction and total installed system cost. Although the Company believes that the Segment competes favorably with respect to certain of these factors, most of the Segment’s competitors have greater financial and marketing resources than the Segment and enjoy greater brand awareness. However, the Company believes that the Segment’s ability to produce equipment that meets the performance characteristics required by the particular product application provides it with advantages not enjoyed by certain of these competitors.


Residential Products

The Segment also manufactures air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces for the residential and light commercial markets. For site-built homes and light commercial structures, the Segment markets its products under the licensed names, Frigidaire®, Tappan®, Philco®, Kelvinator®, Gibson®, certain private label names and, beginning in 2002, Westinghouse® and Maytag®. Within the residential market, the Segment is one of the largest suppliers of these products for manufactured homes in the United States and Canada. In the manufactured housing market, the Segment markets its products under the Intertherm® and Miller® brand names.


The principal factors affecting the market for the Segment’s residential HVAC products are the demand for replacement and modernization of existing equipment, housing starts and the level of manufactured housing shipments. The Company anticipates that the replacement market will continue to expand as a large number of previously installed heating and cooling products become outdated or reach the end of their useful lives. This growth may be accelerated by a tendency among consumers to replace older heating and cooling products with higher efficiency models prior to the end of such equipment’s useful life. The market for residential cooling products, including those sold by the Segment, is affected by spring and summer temperatures. The Segment does not sell window air conditioners, a segment of the market which is highly seasonal and significantly impacted by spring and summer temperatures. The Company believes that the Segment’s ability to offer both heating and cooling products helps offset the effects of seasonality on the Segment’s sales.


The Segment sells its manufactured housing products to builders of manufactured housing and, through distributors, to manufactured housing retailers and owners of such housing. The majority of sales to builders of manufactured housing consist of furnaces designed and engineered to meet or exceed certain standards mandated by federal agencies, including HUD. These standards differ in several important respects from the standards for furnaces used in site-built residential homes. The aftermarket channel of distribution includes sales of both new and replacement air conditioning units and heat pumps and replacement furnaces. The Company believes that the Segment has one major competitor in the furnace sector of this market, York International Corporation, which markets its products primarily under the Coleman name. The Segment competes with most major industry manufacturers for the air conditioning sector of this market.


Residential HVAC products for use in site-built homes are sold through independently-owned distributors who sell to HVAC contractors. The site-built residential HVAC market is very competitive. In this market, the Segment competes with, among others, Carrier Corporation, Rheem Manufacturing Company, Lennox Industries, The Trane Company, York International Corporation and Goodman Manufacturing. The Company estimates that more than half of the Segment’s sales of residential HVAC products in 2002 were attributable to the replacement market, which tends to be less cyclical than the new construction market.


The Segment competes in both the manufactured housing and site-built markets on the basis of breadth and quality of its product line, distribution, product availability and price. Although the Company believes that the Segment competes favorably with respect to certain of these factors, most of the Segment’s competitors have greater financial and marketing resources than the Segment and enjoy greater brand awareness.


The Segment had 15 manufacturing plants and employed approximately 3,417 full-time people as of December 31, 2002, 186 of whom are covered by a collective bargaining agreement which expires in 2005. The Company believes that the Segment’s relationships with its employees are satisfactory.


Windows, Doors and Siding Products Segment

The Windows, Doors and Siding Products Segment, principally manufactures and distributes, for use in the residential construction, DIY and professional renovation markets: (i) vinyl siding, skirting, soffit and accessories, (ii) vinyl and aluminum clad windows, (iii) vinyl patio and steel entry doors and sunrooms, (iv) vinyl fencing, railing and decking, (v) composite decking and railing and (vi) aluminum trim coil, soffit and accessories. The Company’s sales of siding and skirting products accounted for approximately 15.2%, 15.3% and 15.3% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. The Segment competes with many other manufacturers in the sale of its products. Several of the Segment’s competitors have greater financial and marketing resources than the Segment.


Siding and Exterior Products

The Segment manufactures vinyl siding, skirting, soffit and accessories, aluminum trim coil, soffit and accessories, vinyl fencing, railing and decking, and composite railing and decking. These products are available in a variety of colors and/or simulated woodgrains. Aluminum trim coil is a product that is used to cover wood products on the exterior areas of a home in which there is no vinyl substitute available. The Segment’s products are used in both remodeling and new construction applications, including manufactured housing, residential and light commercial. Vinyl siding’s share of the overall exterior market continues to grow due to its low maintenance, durability, high performance and ease of installation compared to alternative siding materials (including wood, metal and masonry). The Segment’s products are marketed under the Variform®, Timber Oak®, Varigrain Preferred®, Camden Pointe®, Victoria Harbor®, Duragrain®, Hampton III®, Contractors Choice®, Nostalgia Series®, Varitek®, Varibest®, Pro Guard®, Chateau®, Chateau Legacy®, Chateau Nobility®, Napco®, Durabuilt®, Monticello®, American Splendor®, American Herald®, American `76 Collection®, Sunnybrook®, Olde Providence®, Georgia-Pacific®, Kroy®, Timberlast® and Classic Manor® brand names.


Vinyl siding and accessories are sold to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) who, in turn, sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders, or to wholesale distributors of building materials (two-step distribution), who sell to home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers as well as to manufactured home builders. A portion of vinyl siding and accessories are sold directly to home centers. The Company believes that it is able to compete on favorable terms as a result of its distribution coverage, high quality, innovative products and production efficiency.


Windows and Doors

The Segment also manufactures and sells vinyl, aluminum clad and wood windows and patio doors, steel entry doors and sunrooms under the Great Lakes Gold™, PLY GEM™, Uniframe®, Monitor™, Napco®, Thermal-Gard®, CWD™, Ambassador™, Regency™, Diplomat™, Envoy™ and Consul™ brand names. The products are marketed to both the home improvement and new construction markets through wholesale, millwork and specialty distributors and contractors.


The Segment differentiates itself from its competition with a multiple brand strategy, multiple channels of distribution, an established distribution network utilizing custom design and manufacturing capabilities and a trained field sales and service support network. The Segment’s ability to offer a broad product line with multiple options is also important to the Segment’s sales and marketing strategy.


The Segment operates 12 manufacturing plants and employed approximately 2,458 full-time people as of December 31, 2002, 58 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements which expire in 2003 and 262 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements which expire between 2005 and 2006. The Company believes that the Segment’s relationships with its employees are satisfactory.


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

Employees

The Company employed approximately 9,750 persons at December 31, 2002.


Backlog

Backlog expected to be filled during 2003 was approximately $150,000,000 at December 31, 2002 ($175,600,000 at December 31, 2001). Backlog is not regarded as a significant factor for operations where orders are generally for prompt delivery. While backlog stated for December 31, 2002 is believed to be firm, the possibility of cancellations makes it difficult to assess the firmness of backlog with certainty.


Research and Development

The Company’s research and development activities are principally new product development and represent approximately 1.1%, 1.1% and 1.0% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively.


Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds numerous design and process patents that it considers important, but no single patent is material to the overall conduct of its business. It is the Company’s policy to obtain and protect patents whenever such action would be beneficial to the Company. The Company owns or licenses numerous trademarks that it considers material to the marketing of its products, including Broan®, NuTone®, Nautilus®, Venmar®, Guardian Plus™ Air Systems, vanEE®, Best®, Variform®, Timber Oak®, Varigrain Preferred®, Camden Pointe®, Victoria Harbor®, Duragrain®, Hampton III®, Contractor’s Choice®, Nostalgia Series®, Varitek®, Varibest®, Pro Guard®, Chateau®, Chateau Legacy®, Chateau Nobility®, Napco®, Durabuilt®, Monticello®, American Splendor®, American Herald®, American `76 Collection®, Sunnybrook®, Olde Providence®, Kroy®, Timberlast®, Classic Manor®, Great Lakes Gold™, PLY GEM™, Uniframe®, Monitor™, Napco®, Thermal-Gard®, CWD™, Ambassador™, Regency™, Diplomat™, Envoy™, Consul™, Governair®, Mammoth®, Temtrol®, Miller®, Intertherm®, Frigidaire®, Tappan®, Philco®, Kelvinator®, Gibson®, Westinghouse®, Maytag®, Ventrol®, Webco™, Vapac®, Cubit®, Qualitair®, Edenaire®, Linear®, Channel Plus®, Open House®, Xantech®, Elan® and Via!®. The Company believes that its rights in these trademarks are adequately protected.


Raw Materials

The Company purchases raw materials and most components used in its various manufacturing processes. The principal raw materials purchased by the Company are rolled sheet steel, formed and galvanized steel, copper, aluminum, plate mirror glass, PVC resin, polypropylene, glass, wood, vinyl extrusions, various chemicals, paints, resins, and plastics.


The materials, molds and dies, subassemblies and components purchased from other manufacturers, and other materials and supplies used in manufacturing processes have generally been available from a variety of sources. From time to time increases in raw material costs can affect future supply availability due in part to raw material demands by other industries. Whenever practical, the Company establishes multiple sources for the purchase of raw materials and components to achieve competitive pricing, ensure flexibility and protect against supply disruption. In 2001, the Company instituted a Company wide material procurement strategy designed to reduce the purchase price of raw materials and purchased components. During 2002, the Company estimates that it has realized between approximately $15,000,000 and $21,000,000 of lower cost of sales, before implementation costs, related to this strategic sourcing initiative as compared to between approximately $4,000,000 and $6,000,000 of lower cost of sales, before implementation costs, in 2001.


The Company’s PVC resin costs decreased overall from 2001 as compared to 2002, however, PVC resin costs steadily increased in the second half of 2002 and the Company expects this trend to continue into 2003. A number of manufacturers of other products (including building products that the Company does not manufacture or sell) compete with the Company for the available supply of PVC resin. The manufacturing process for PVC resin suppliers, utilizes ethylene, which is refined from either oil or natural gas. As a result of these and other factors, the price of PVC resin is subject to volatility. In the first quarter of 2003, both the price of oil and natural gas were near all time highs due to a number of factors, including shortness of supply, strong demand and the conflict in Iraq.


On March 5, 2002, the United States government imposed tariffs and quotas on a wide range of steel imports for a three-year period. Many of the Company’s products are made from steel or contain steel parts and the import tariffs impact certain of these purchases made by the Company. While the Company enters into contracts periodically which set the price of steel purchases, not all purchases are covered by contract and the contracts do not extend through the period the quotas and tariffs are imposed. Price changes resulting from the imposition of these quotas and tariffs began to have an unfavorable impact on gross profit, net earnings and cash flows of the Company over the second half of 2002.


The Company is subject to significant market risk with respect to the pricing of its principal raw materials. If prices of these raw materials were to increase dramatically, the Company may not be able to pass such increases on to its customers and, as a result, gross margins could decline significantly. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Item 7 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference for further discussion.


Working Capital

The carrying of inventories to support customers and to permit prompt delivery of finished goods requires substantial working capital. Substantial working capital is also required to carry receivables. The demand for the Company’s products is seasonal, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States and in Canada where inclement weather during the winter months usually reduces the level of building and remodeling activity in both the home improvement and new construction markets. Many of the businesses’ products in the Company’s Windows, Doors and Siding Products and HVAC Segments have in the past been more seasonal in nature than the Company’s other businesses. As a result, the demand for working capital of the Company’s subsidiaries is greater from late in the first quarter until early in the fourth quarter. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Item 7 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.


Website

The Company’s periodic and current reports are available on its website, www.nortek-inc.com, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are filed with, or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).


ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Set forth below is a brief description of the location and general character of the principal administrative and manufacturing facilities and other material real properties of the Company, all of which the Company considers to be in satisfactory repair. All properties are owned, except for those indicated by an asterisk, which are leased under operating leases and those with a double asterisk, which are leased under capital leases.


Approximate
Location
Description
Square Feet
       
Residential Building Products Segment:
Union, IL Manufacturing/Warehouse/Administrative 197,000  (1)
Hartford, WI Manufacturing/Warehouse/Administrative 498,000
Mississauga, ONT, Canada Manufacturing/Administrative 110,000  (1)
Brea, CA Warehouse/Administrative 34,000 *
Sylmar, CA Manufacturing/Administrative 35,000 *
Xiang, Boaon, PRC Manufacturing 113,000 *
Fabriano, Italy Manufacturing/Administrative 168,000  
Cerreto D’Esi, Italy Manufacturing/Administrative 135,000
Montefano, Italy Manufacturing/Administrative 84,000  
Cleburne, TX Manufacturing/Administrative 210,000
Los Angeles, CA Manufacturing/Administrative 177,000  
Drummondville, QUE, Canada Manufacturing/Administrative 76,000
Cincinnati, OH Manufacturing 836,000  
Saint-Ouen l’Aumone, France Manufacturing/Administrative 31,000 *
Lexington, KY Manufacturing/Administrative 26,000 *
Carlsbad, CA Manufacturing/Administrative 31,000 (1)
 
Air Conditioning and Heating Products Segment:
St. Leonard d’Aston, QUE, Canada Manufacturing/Administrative 95,000 *
O’Fallon, MO Administrative 70,000 *
St. Peters, MO Warehouse/Administrative 250,000 *
St. Louis, MO Manufacturing 214,000
St. Louis, MO Manufacturing 103,000 *
Holland, MI Manufacturing/Warehouse 45,000 *
Boonville, MO Manufacturing 250,000  
Tipton, MO Manufacturing 50,000  
Poplar Bluff, MO Manufacturing 445,000 **(1)
Chaska, MN Manufacturing/Administrative 230,000 *
Oklahoma City, OK Manufacturing/Administrative 127,000  
Okarche, OK Manufacturing/Administrative 210,000  
Saskatoon, Canada Manufacturing 49,000 *
Springfield, MO Manufacturing 77,000 *
Montreal, QUE, Canada Manufacturing 122,000 *
Edenbridge, U.K Manufacturing 93,000 *
Fenton, Stoke, U.K Manufacturing/Administrative 104,000 *
 
Windows, Doors and Siding Products Segment:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada Manufacturing/Administrative 301,000  
Toledo, OH Manufacturing/Warehouse/Administrative 301,000  (1)
Kearney, MO Manufacturing/Administrative 175,000  (1)
Martinsburg, WV Manufacturing 163,000  (1)
Jasper, TN Manufacturing 270,000 **(1)
Butler, PA Manufacturing 110,000  (1)
York, NE Manufacturing/Administrative 94,000  (1)
Fair Bluff, NC Manufacturing/Administrative 200,000  (1)
Sarver, PA Manufacturing 119,000 (1)
Valencia, PA Manufacturing 175,000  (1)
Punxsutawney, PA Manufacturing/Administrative 133,000  
 
Other:
Providence, RI Administrative 23,900 *

  (1)

These facilities are pledged as security under various subsidiary debt agreements. (See Note 6 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.)


ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations that impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants into the air and water and establish standards for the treatment, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes. The Company believes that it is in substantial compliance with the material laws and regulations applicable to it. The Company is involved in current, and may become involved in future, remedial actions under federal and state environmental laws and regulations which impose liability on companies to clean up, or contribute to the cost of cleaning up, sites at which their hazardous wastes or materials were disposed of or released. Such claims may relate to properties or business lines acquired by the Company after a release has occurred. In other instances, the Company may be partially liable under law or contract to other parties that have acquired businesses or assets from the Company for past practices relating to hazardous substances management. The Company believes that all such claims asserted against it, or such obligations incurred by it, will not have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. Expenditures in 2002, 2001 and 2000 to evaluate and remediate such sites were not material. However, the Company is presently unable to estimate accurately its ultimate financial exposure in connection with identified or yet to be identified remedial actions due among other reasons to: (i) uncertainties surrounding the nature and application of environmental regulations, (ii) the Company’s lack of information about additional sites to which it may be listed as a potentially responsible party (“PRP”), (iii) the level of clean-up that may be required at specific sites and choices concerning the technologies to be applied in corrective actions and (iv) the time periods over which remediation may occur. Furthermore, since liability for site remediation is joint and several, each PRP is potentially wholly liable for other PRP’s that become insolvent or bankrupt. Thus, the solvency of other PRP’s could directly affect the Company’s ultimate aggregate clean-up costs. In certain circumstances, the Company’s liability for clean-up costs may be covered in whole or in part by insurance or indemnification obligations of third parties.


A previously owned subsidiary of the Company is a defendant in a number of lawsuits alleging damage caused by alleged defects in certain pressure treated wood products. The Company has assumed the liability and is entitled to insurance coverage proceeds related to specific pressure treated wood product claims. Many of the suits have been resolved by dismissal or settlement with amounts being paid out of insurance proceeds or other third party recoveries. The Company continues to vigorously defend the remaining suits. Certain defense and indemnity costs are being paid out of insurance proceeds and proceeds from a settlement with suppliers of material used in the production of the pressure treated wood products. The Company has engaged in coverage litigation with certain insurers and has settled coverage claims with several of the insurers. The Company believes that the remaining coverage disputes will be resolved on a satisfactory basis and additional coverage will be available. In reaching this belief, the Company analyzed insurance coverage and the status of the coverage litigation, considered the history of settlements with primary and excess insurers and consulted with counsel.


Nortek and its subsidiary MPDC, Inc. (“MPDC”) have been named, among a number of other defendants, in multiple lawsuits involving a commercial airline fatal accident (most of the lawsuits have been consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Civil Action No. MDL C 00-1343 CAL). Other defendants include the airline, the aircraft manufacturer and providers of maintenance supplies. The lawsuits allege that Nortek and MPDC manufactured and supplied a component assembly originally installed in the MD-83 aircraft involved in the accident. Nortek denies any involvement in the accident or with any component part of the aircraft and believes it should be dismissed from the lawsuits. MPDC denies any involvement in the design, specification, installation or maintenance of the component assembly. While MPDC did machine component assemblies of the type involved, the work was done to the exact design, material and engineering specifications of the aircraft manufacturer. To the Company’s knowledge, the investigation to date by the National Transportation Safety Board has not identified any deficiency in the manufacture of the component assembly. Although there can be no assurance, the Company believes that its liability, if any, with respect to this litigation will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position or results of operations based upon information available to date and aircraft products liability insurance coverage.


In addition to the legal matters described above, the Company and its subsidiaries are named as defendants in a number of legal proceedings, including a number of product liability lawsuits, incident to the conduct of their businesses.


The Company does not expect that any of the above described proceedings will have a material adverse effect, either individually or in the aggregate, on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, liquidity or competitive position. (See Note 9 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.)


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

On January 9, 2003, Nortek Holdings, the parent company of Nortek, was acquired by Kelso, and certain members of the Company’s management (the “Management Investors”) in accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Recapitalization by and among Nortek, Inc., Nortek Holdings, Inc. and K Holdings, Inc. (“K Holdings”) dated as of June 20, 2002, as amended, (the “Recapitalization Agreement”) in a transaction valued at approximately $1.6 billion, including the assumption of certain indebtedness (the “Recapitalization”).


On January 8, 2003, at a special meeting of stockholders of Nortek Holdings (the “Special Stockholders Meeting”), the stockholders approved the following amendments to the certificate of incorporation (the “Stockholder Approval”), which were required in connection with the terms of the Recapitalization Agreement:


As of the record date for the Special Stockholders Meeting, there were 10,497,387 authorized, issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of Nortek Holdings and 506,454 authorized, issued and outstanding shares of Special Common Stock of Nortek Holdings (10 votes per share). At the Special Stockholders Meeting, the stockholders voted to approve the Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation as follows: Common Stock - FOR 6,563,060, AGAINST 88,569, ABSTAIN 14,918; Special Common Stock - FOR 4,395,110, AGAINST 22,110, ABSTAIN 4,940.


PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

On November 20, 2002, the Company reorganized into a holding company structure and each outstanding share of capital stock of the Company was converted into an identical share of capital stock of Nortek Holdings. Nortek Holdings became the successor public company, and the Company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nortek Holdings. As of November 20, 2002, there is no established public trading market for the Company’s capital stock. As of February 28, 2003, there were 100 shares of common stock of the Company outstanding all of which were owned by Nortek Holdings. There were no dividends declared by the Company on the common and special common stock in the past five years through December 31, 2002. On January 9, 2003, the Company declared and distributed to Nortek Holdings a cash dividend of approximately $120,000,000 and distributed approximately $27,900,000 for reimbursement of fees and expenses of Kelso as contemplated by the Recapitalization.


See Notes 1, 2 and 7 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Item 8 of Part II of this report, incorporated herein by reference.


ITEM 6. CONSOLIDATED SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

For the Five Years Ended December 31,
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
(In millions except ratios)
                         
Consolidated Summary of Operations:
 
  Net sales   $ 1,888 .3 $ 1,775 .4 $ 1,772 .2 $ 1,586 .5 $ 1,405 .0
  Operating earnings    187 .2  154 .2  160 .1  177 .5  135 .7
  Gain on businesses sold    --    --    --    --    4 .0
  Earnings from continuing operations    59 .0  32 .7  38 .4  48 .9  36 .0
  Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations    3 .5  (21 .1)  3 .2  0 .4  (0 .8)
  Extraordinary loss from debt retirements    --    (3 .6)  --    --    (0 .2)
  Net earnings    62 .5  8 .0  41 .6  49 .3  35 .0
 
Financial Position:  
Unrestricted cash, investments and      
    marketable securities   $ 294 .8 $ 255 .6 $ 138 .5 $ 111 .4 $ 206 .4
Working capital    451 .1  379 .4  424 .3  390 .6  380 .3
Total assets    1,820 .9  1,819 .9  1,836 .8  1,791 .4  1,685 .8
Total debt--  
   Current    6 .8  64 .5  21 .4  14 .0  17 .7
   Long-term    983 .6  990 .8  1,020 .3  1,023 .6  1,007 .1
Current ratio       2.5 :1   2.1 :1   2.2 :1   2.1 :1   2.1 :1
Debt to equity ratio       3.1 :1   3.9 :1   3.7 :1   4.0 :1   4.7 :1
Depreciation and amortization expense      
   including non-cash interest    46 .2  63 .6  56 .7  53 .4  41 .3
Amortization of goodwill included in  
   depreciation and amortization expense    --    16 .3  16 .4  15 .5  12 .3
Capital expenditures    28 .5  41 .0  35 .9  37 .5  37 .9
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges       1 .9x   1 .6x   1 .7x   1 .9x   1 .7x
Stockholder’s investment    317 .5  271 .3  282 .2  259 .8  217 .6
Common and Special Common  
   shares outstanding    --    11 .0  10 .9  11 .5  11 .7

See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included elsewhere herein regarding the effect on operating results of acquisitions, discontinued operations and other matters. See Part II, Item 5 of this report, incorporated herein by reference, for a discussion on dividends declared or paid on the Company’s Common or Special Common Stock.


ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS