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EX-31 - SOLITRON DEVICES INC | v186553_ex31.htm |
EX-23 - SOLITRON DEVICES INC | v186553_ex23.htm |
EX-32 - SOLITRON DEVICES INC | v186553_ex32.htm |
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 28, 2010
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 No. 1-4978
SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
(Name of Registrant as
Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware
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22-1684144
|
|
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
|
(IRS Employer Identification Number)
|
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3301 Electronics Way, West Palm Beach, Florida
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33407
|
|
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
|
(Zip Code)
|
Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (561) 848-4311
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
|
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
|
|
None
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N/A
|
Securities registered
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par
value
(Title of
Class)
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x
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 whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes ¨ No ¨
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) 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 a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See
the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)
:
Large
accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated
filer ¨ Non-accelerated
filer ¨ Smaller
reporting company x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No x
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by
non-affiliates of the registrant as of August 31, 2009 was $3,651,000 (based on
the closing sales price of the registrant’s common stock on that
date).
The
number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding
as of May 20, 2010 was 2,263,775.
Table of
Contents
Page
|
||
PART I
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3
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|
Item 1.
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Business
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3
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Item 1A.
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Risk
Factors
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11
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Item 1B.
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Unresolved
Staff Comments
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16
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Item 2.
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Properties
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16
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Item 3.
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Legal
Proceedings
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16
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Item 4.
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(Removed
and Reserved)
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16
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17
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||
Part II
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17
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Item 5.
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Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters
and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
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17
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Item 6.
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Selected
Financial Data
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17
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Item 7.
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Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
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18
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Item 7A.
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Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
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22
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Item 8.
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Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
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23
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Independent
Auditors Report
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25
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Solitron
Devices, Inc., Notes to Financial Statements
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30
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Item 9.
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Changes
In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
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42
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Item 9A(T).
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Controls
and Procedures
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42
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Item 9B.
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Other
Information
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42
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Part III
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43
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Item 10.
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Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
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43
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Item 11.
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Executive
Compensation
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45
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Item 12
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Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters
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49
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Item 13.
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Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence
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50
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Item 14.
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Principal
Accounting Fees and Services
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50
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Part IV
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52
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Item 15.
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Exhibits,
Financial Statement Schedules
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52
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Signatures
|
54
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2
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
GENERAL
Solitron
Devices, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company" or "Solitron"), designs,
develops, manufactures and markets solid-state semiconductor components and
related devices primarily for the military and aerospace markets. The
Company manufactures a large variety of bipolar and metal oxide semiconductor
("MOS") power transistors, power and control hybrids, junction and power MOS
field effect transistors ("Power MOSFETS"), field effect transistors and other
related products. Most of the Company's products are custom made
pursuant to contracts with customers whose end products are sold to the United
States government. Other products, such as Joint Army/Navy ("JAN")
transistors, diodes and Standard Military Drawings (“SMD”) voltage regulators,
are sold as standard or catalog items.
The
Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York in March 1959,
and reincorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in August
1987. For information concerning the Company’s financial condition,
results of operations, and related financial data, you should review the
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” and the “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” sections of
this document. You should also review and consider the risks relating
to the Company’s business, operations, financial performance, and cash flows
below under “Risk Factors.”
PRODUCTS
The
Company designs, manufactures and assembles bipolar and MOS power transistors,
power and control hybrids, junction and Power MOSFETs, field effect transistors
and other related products.
Set forth
below by principal product type are the percentage (i) contributions to the
Company's total sales of each of the Company's principal product lines for the
fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 and for the fiscal year ended February 28,
2009 and (ii) contributions to the Company's total order backlog at February 28,
2010 and February 28, 2009.
%
of Total Sales
|
%
of Total Sales
|
% Backlog
|
%
Backlog
|
|||||||||||||
for
Fiscal Year Ended
|
for
Fiscal Year Ended
|
at
|
at
|
|||||||||||||
February
|
February
|
February
|
February
|
|||||||||||||
Product
|
28, 2010
|
28, 2009
|
28, 2010
|
28, 2009
|
||||||||||||
Power
Transistors
|
12 | % | 14 | % | 13 | % | 7 | % | ||||||||
Hybrids
|
57 | % | 59 | % | 54 | % | 58 | % | ||||||||
Field
Effect Transistors
|
10 | % | 8 | % | 12 | % | 12 | % | ||||||||
Power
MOSFETS
|
21 | % | 19 | % | 21 | % | 23 | % | ||||||||
100 | % | 100 | % | 100 | % | 100 | % |
The
Company’s backlog at February 28, 2010 and revenue for the year ended February
28, 2010 reflect demand for the Company’s products at such date and for such
period. For more information, see “Backlog” below. The
variation in the proportionate share of each product line for each period
reflects changes emanating from: demand, Congressional appropriations process
and timing associated with awards of defense contracts, and shifts in technology
and consolidation of defense prime contractors.
The
Company’s semiconductor products can be classified as active electronic
components. Active electronic components are those that control and
direct the flow of electrical current by means of a control signal such as a
voltage or current. The Company’s active electronic components
include bipolar transistors and MOS transistors.
3
It is
customary to subdivide active electronic components into those of a discrete
nature and those which are non-discrete. Discrete devices contain one
single semiconductor element; non-discrete devices consist of integrated
circuits or hybrid circuits, which contain two or more elements, either active
or passive, interconnected to make up a selected complete electrical
circuit. In the case of an integrated circuit, a number of active and
passive elements are incorporated onto a single silicon chip. A
hybrid circuit, on the other hand, is made up of a number of individual
components that are mounted onto a suitable surface material, interconnected by
various means, and suitably encapsulated. Hybrid and integrated
circuits can either be analog or digital; presently, the Company manufactures
only analog components. The Company’s products are either standard devices, such
as catalog type items (e.g., transistors and voltage regulators), or
application-specific devices, also referred to as custom or semi-custom
products. The latter are designed and manufactured to meet a
customer’s particular requirements. For the fiscal year ended
February 28, 2010 approximately 90% of the Company’s sales have been of custom
products, and the remaining 10% have been of standard or catalog
products.
Approximately
90% of the semiconductor components produced by the Company are
manufactured pursuant to approved Source Control Drawings (SCD) from the United
States government and/or its prime contractors; the remainder are primarily JAN
qualified products approved for use by the military. The Company’s
semiconductor products are used as components of military, commercial, and
aerospace electronic equipment, such as ground and airborne radar systems, power
distribution systems, missiles, missile control systems, and
spacecraft. The Company’s products have been used on the space
shuttle and on spacecraft sent to the moon, to Jupiter (on Galileo) and, most
recently, to Mars (on Global Surveyor and Mars
Sojourner). Approximately 90% of the Company’s sales have been
attributable to contracts with customers whose products are sold to the United
States government. The remaining 10% of sales are for non-military,
scientific and industrial applications.
Custom
products are typically sold to the United States Government and defense or
aerospace companies such as Raytheon Company, Lockheed Martin, Smith Industries,
Harris Corporation, General Electric Aviation, and Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation, while standard products are sold to the same customer base and to
the general electronic industry and incorporate such items as power supplies and
other electronic control products. The Company has standard and
custom products available in all of its major product lines.
The
following is a general description of the principal product lines manufactured
by the Company.
Power
Transistors:
Power
transistors are high current and/or high voltage control devices commonly used
for active gain applications in electronic circuits. The Company
manufactures a large variety of power bipolar transistors for applications
requiring currents in the range of 0.1A to 300A or voltages in the range of 30V
to 1000V. The Company employs over 60 types of silicon chips to
manufacture over 500 types of power bipolar transistors and is currently
expanding this line in response to increased market demand resulting from other
companies’ (e.g., Motorola—now “On” Semiconductors) departure from the military
market. The Company also manufactures power diodes under the same
military specification. Additionally, it manufactures power N-Channel
and P-Channel Power MOSFET transistors and is continuously expanding that line
in accordance with customers’ requirements. The Company is qualified
to deliver these products under MIL-PRF-19500 in accordance with JAN, JANTX and
JANTXV. JAN, JANTX AND JANTXV denotes various quality military screening
levels. The Company manufactures both standard and custom power
transistors.
The
Company has been certified and qualified since 1968 under MIL-PRF-19500 (and its
predecessor) standards promulgated by the Defense Supply Center Columbus
(“DSCC”). These standards specify the uniformity and quality of
bipolar transistors and diodes purchased for United States military
programs. The purpose of the program is to standardize the
documentation and testing for bipolar semiconductors for use in United States
military and aerospace applications. Attainment of certification
and/or qualification to MIL-PRF-19500 requirements is important since it is a
prerequisite for a manufacturer to be selected to supply bipolar semiconductors
for defense-related purposes. MIL-PRF-19500 establishes specific
criteria for manufacturing construction techniques and materials used for
bipolar semiconductors and assures that these types of devices will be
manufactured under conditions that have been demonstrated to be capable of
continuously producing highly reliable products. This program
requires a manufacturer to demonstrate its products’ performance
capabilities. A manufacturer receives certification once its Product
Quality Assurance Program Plan is reviewed and approved by DSCC. A
manufacturer receives qualification once it has demonstrated that it can build
and test a sample product in conformity with its certified Product Quality
Assurance Program Plan. The Company expects that its continued maintenance of
MIL-PRF-19500 qualification will continue to improve its business posture by
increasing product marketability. The Company is currently expanding its
Transistor product offering.
4
Hybrids:
Hybrids
are compact electronic circuits that contain a selection of passive and active
components mounted on printed substrates and encapsulated in appropriate
packages. The Company manufactures thick film hybrids, which
generally contain discrete semiconductor chips, integrated circuits, chip
capacitors and thick film or thin film resistors. Most of the hybrids
are of the high-power type and are custom manufactured for military and
aerospace systems. Some of the Company’s hybrids include high power
voltage regulators, power amplifiers, power drivers, boosters and
controllers. The Company manufactures both standard and custom
hybrids.
The
Company has been certified (since 1990) and qualified (since 1995) under
MIL-PRF-38534 Class H (and its predecessor) standards promulgated by the
DSCC. These standards specify the uniformity and quality of hybrid
products purchased for United States military programs. The purpose
of the program is to standardize the documentation and testing for hybrid
microcircuits for use in United States military and aerospace
applications. Attainment of certification and/or qualification under
MIL-PRF-38534 Class H requirements is important since it is a prerequisite for a
manufacturer to be selected to supply hybrids for defense-related
purposes. MIL-PRF-38534 Class H establishes definite criteria for
manufacturing construction techniques and materials used for hybrid
microcircuits and assure that these types of devices will be manufactured under
conditions that have been demonstrated to be capable of continuously producing
highly reliable products. This program requires a manufacturer to
demonstrate its products’ performance capabilities. Certification is
a prerequisite of qualification. A manufacturer receives
certification once its Product Quality Assurance Program Plan is reviewed and
approved by DSCC. A manufacturer receives qualification once it has
demonstrated that it can build and test a sample product in conformity with its
certified Product Quality Assurance Program Plan. The Company expects that its
continued maintenance of MIL-PRF-38534 Class H qualification will continue to
improve its business posture by increasing product marketability.
Voltage
Regulators:
The
Company makes standard and custom voltage regulators.
Field Effect
Transistors:
Field
effect transistors are surface-controlled devices where conduction of electrical
current is controlled by the electrical potential applied to a capacitively
coupled control element. The Company manufactures about 30 different
types of junction and MOS field effect transistor chips. They are
used to produce over 350 different field effect transistor
types. Most of the Company’s field effect transistors conform to
standard Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council designated transistors,
commonly referred to as standard 2N number types. The Company is
currently expanding its Field Effect Transistor product offering. The
Company manufactures both standard and custom field effect
transistors.
MANUFACTURING
The
Company’s engineers design its transistors, diodes, field effect transistors and
hybrids, as well as other customized products, based upon requirements
established by customers, with the cooperation of the product and marketing
personnel. The design of standard or catalog products is based on
specific industry standards.
Each new
design is first produced on a CAD/CAE (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided
Engineering) computer system. The design layout is then reduced to
the desired micro size and transferred to silicon wafers in a series of steps
that include photolithography, chemical or plasma etching, oxidation, diffusion
and metallization. The wafers then go through a fabrication
process. When the process is completed, each wafer contains a large
number of silicon chips, each chip being a single transistor device or a single
diode. The wafers are tested using a computerized test system prior
to being separated into individual chips. The chips are then
assembled in standard or custom packages, incorporated in hybrids or sold as
chips to other companies. The chips are normally mounted inside a
chosen package using eutectic, soft solder or epoxy die attach techniques, and
then wire bonded to the package pins using gold or aluminum
wires. Many of the packages are manufactured by the Company and, in
most cases, the Company plates its packages with gold, nickel or other metals
utilizing outside vendors to perform the plating operation.
5
In the
case of hybrids, design engineers formulate the circuit and layout
designs. Ceramic substrates are then printed with thick film gold
conductors to form the interconnect pattern and with thick film resistive inks
to form the resistors of the designed circuit. Semiconductor chips,
resistor chips, capacitor chips and inductors are then mounted on the substrates
and sequential wire bonding is used to interconnect the various components to
the printed substrate, as well as to connect the circuit to the external package
pins. The Company manufactures approximately 20% of the hybrid
packages it uses and purchases the balance from suppliers.
In
addition to Company-performed testing and inspection procedures, certain of the
Company’s products are subject to source inspections required by customers
(including the United States government). In such cases, designated
inspectors are authorized to perform a detailed on-premise inspection of each
individual device prior to encapsulation in a casing or before dispatch of the
finished unit to ensure that the quality and performance of the product meets
the prescribed specifications.
ISO
9001:2000
In March
2000, Underwriters Laboratories awarded the Company ISO 9001
qualification. The ISO 9001 Program is a series of quality management
and assurance standards developed by a technical committee of the European
Community Commission working under the International Organization for
Standardization. During an August 2004 surveillance audit, the
Company was subsequently qualified as meeting the new ISO 9001:2000
standard. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the
Company underwent an additional surveillance audit that resulted in
recertification.
AS9100
In
September 2009, Underwriters Laboratories awarded the Company AS9100
qualification as well as re-certification for the ISO 9001:2000 quality
management standard certification. Companies in the aerospace
industry are increasingly selecting suppliers on the basis of AS9100
certification. Achieving certified status means that the Company may now obtain
new business that may have been out of reach in the past and as obtaining such
certification is now a requirement of several customers we expect to maintain
ongoing relationships with our existing aerospace customers long into the
future.
MARKETING AND
CUSTOMERS
The
Company’s products are sold throughout the United States and abroad primarily
directly and through a network of manufacturers’ representatives and
distributors. The Company is represented (i) in the United States by
three representative organizations that operate out of four different locations
with 14 salespeople and 2 stocking distributor organizations that operate out of
12 locations and a third stocking distributor that operates out of 350 sales
offices worldwide employing 2,700 people and (ii) in the international market by
a representative organization in Israel with one salesperson. The
Company also directly employs several sales, marketing, and application
engineering personnel to coordinate operations with the representatives and
distributors and to handle key accounts.
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Company sold products to
approximately 119 customers. Of these 119 customers, 49 had not purchased
products from the Company during the previous fiscal
year. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, Raytheon
Company accounted for approximately 39% of total sales, as compared to the 35%
it accounted for during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009. During the
fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, sales to BAE Systems accounted for
approximately 13% of total sales, as compared to the 11% it accounted for during
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009. Other than Raytheon Company and BAE
Systems Australia, the Company had no customers that accounted for more than 10%
of net sales during the last fiscal year. Fifteen of the Company’s customers
accounted for approximately 88% of the Company’s sales during the fiscal year
ended February 28, 2010. It has been the Company’s experience that a
large percentage of its sales have been attributable to a relatively small
number of customers in any particular period. As a result of the
mergers and acquisitions in general, and among large defense contractors in
particular, the number of large customers will most
likely continue to decline in number, but this does not necessarily mean that
the Company will experience a decline in sales. The Company expects
customer concentration to continue. The loss of any major customer
without offsetting orders from other sources would have a material adverse
effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of the
Company.
6
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 and since that date, a substantial
portion of the Company’s products were sold pursuant to contracts or
subcontracts with or to customers whose end products are sold to the United
States Government. Accordingly, the Company’s sales may be adversely
impacted by Congressional appropriations and changes in national defense
policies and priorities. As a result of recent Congressional
appropriations and a decrease in military spending on programs that the Company
participates in, the Company had an 18% decrease in net bookings during the
fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 as compared to the previous
year. All of the Company’s contracts with the United States
Government or its prime contractors contain provisions permitting termination at
any time at the convenience of the United States Government or the prime
contractor upon payment to the Company of costs incurred plus a reasonable
profit.
Although
average sales prices are typically higher for products with military and space
applications than for products with non-military, scientific and industrial
applications, the Company hopes to minimize this differential by focusing on
these quality-sensitive niche markets where price sensitivity is very
low. There can be no assurance; however, that the Company will be
successful in increasing its sales to these market segments, which increase in
sales could be critical to the future success of the Company. To
date, the Company has made only limited inroads in penetrating such
markets.
Sales to
foreign customers, located mostly in Canada, Western Europe and Israel,
accounted for approximately 16% of the Company’s net sales for the fiscal year
ended February 28, 2010 as compared to 14% for the year ended February 28,
2009. All sales to foreign customers are conducted utilizing
exclusively U.S. dollars.
BACKLOG
The
Company’s order backlog, which consists of semiconductor and hybrid related open
orders, more than 96% of which are scheduled for delivery within 12 months, was
approximately $5,922,000 at February 28, 2010, as compared to
$6,304,000 as of February 28, 2009. The entire backlog consisted of orders for
electronic components. The Company currently anticipates that the
majority of its open order backlog will be filled by February 28,
2011. In the event that bookings in the long-term decline
significantly below the level experienced in the last fiscal year, the Company
may be required to implement cost-cutting or other downsizing measures to
continue its business operations. Such cost-cutting measures could
inhibit future growth prospects. See “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Bookings and
Backlog.”
The
Company’s backlog as of any particular date may not be representative of actual
sales for any succeeding period because lead times for the release of purchase
orders depend upon the scheduling practices of individual
customers. The delivery times of new or non-standard products can be
affected by scheduling factors and other manufacturing considerations, variances
in the rate of booking new orders from month to month and the possibility of
customer changes in delivery schedules or cancellations of
orders. Also, delivery times of new or non-standard products are
affected by the availability of raw material, scheduling factors, manufacturing
considerations and customer delivery requirements.
The rate
of booking new orders varies significantly from month to month, mostly as a
result of sharp fluctuations in the government budgeting and appropriation
process. The Company has historically experienced somewhat decreased
levels of bookings during the summer months, primarily as a result of such
budgeting and appropriation activities. For these reasons, and
because of the possibility of customer changes in delivery schedules or
cancellations of orders, the Company’s backlog as of any particular date may not
be indicative of actual sales for any succeeding period. See
“Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Conditions – Result of
Operations” for a discussion of the decrease in bookings for the year ended
February 28, 2010 as compared to the previous year.
PATENTS AND
LICENSES
The
Company owned approximately 33 patents (all of which have now expired or have
been allowed to lapse) relating to the design and manufacture of its products.
The terminations of these patents have not had a material adverse effect on the
Company. The Company believes that engineering standards,
manufacturing techniques and product reliability are more important to the
successful manufacture and sale of its products than the old patents it
had.
FUTURE
PLANS
To
increase liquidity, the Company plans to (a) continue improving operating
efficiencies, (b) further reduce overhead expenses, (c) develop alternative
lower cost packaging technologies and lower cost packaging supplies, and (d)
develop products utilizing its current manufacturing technologies geared toward
market segments it is currently unable to serve.
7
The
Company also plans to continue its efforts in selling commercial semiconductors
and power modules and to develop appropriate strategic alliance
arrangements. If these plans are successful, the Company intends to
aggressively pursue sales of these products which could require the Company to
invest in the building up of inventories of finished goods and invest in
capital (automatic assembly and test) equipment. The
source of capital funding will be defined and disclosed subsequent to such
strategic partnership being formed. Such financing could come from equipment
leasing, among other financing alternatives.
Despite
its intentions, the Company cannot assure you that these plans will be
successful in easing liquidity problems, reducing costs or improving
sales.
COMPETITION
The
electronic component industry, in general, is highly competitive and has been
characterized by price erosion, rapid technological changes and foreign
competition. However, in the market segments in which the
Company operates, while highly competitive and subject to the same price
erosion, technological change is slow and minimal. The Company believes that it
is well regarded by its customers in the segments of the market in which
competition is dependent less on price and more on product reliability,
performance and service. Management believes, however, that to the extent the
Company’s business is targeted at the military and aerospace markets, where
there has been virtually no foreign competition, it is subjected to less
competition than manufacturers of commercial electronic
components. Additionally, the decline in military orders in programs
the Company participates in and the shift in the requirement of the Defense
Department whereby the use of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components is
encouraged over the use of high reliability components that the Company
manufactures, prompting the number of competitors to decline, afford the Company
the opportunity to increase its market share. As the Company attempts
to shift its focus to the sale of products having non-military, non-aerospace
applications it will be subject to greater price erosion and foreign
competition. The Company continues its efforts to identify a
niche market for high-end industrial custom power modules and custom motor
controllers where the Company’s capabilities can offer a technological advantage
to customers in the motor driver, and power supplies
industries. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will be
successful in this effort. The Company continues its effort to offer a solution
to customers who seek alternative sources to bi-polar semiconductors that are
discontinued by other manufacturers.
The
Company has numerous competitors across all of its product
lines. The Company is not in direct competition with any other
semiconductor manufacturer for an identical mixture of products; however, one or
more of the major manufacturers of semiconductors manufactures some of the
Company’s products. A few such major competitors (e.g., IXYS
Corporation, Motorola Inc. (now On Semiconductors), Fairchild Semiconductor,
among others) have elected to withdraw from the military market altogether.
However, there is no assurance that the Company’s business will increase as a
result of such withdrawals. Other competitors in the military market
include International Rectifier (the Omnirel Division), Microsemi Corporation
(the NES and APT Divisions), M.S. Kennedy Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary
of Anaren, Inc.), Natel Engineering Company and Sensitron
Semiconductor. The Company competes principally on the basis of
product quality, turn-around time, customer service and price. The
Company believes that competition for sales of products that will ultimately be
sold to the United States government has intensified and will continue to
intensify as United States defense spending on high reliability components
continues to decrease and the Department of Defense pushes for implementation of
its 1995 decision to purchase COTS standard products in lieu of products made in
accordance with more stringent military specifications.
The
Company believes that its primary competitive advantage is its ability to
produce high quality products as a result of its years of experience, its
sophisticated technologies and its experienced staff. The Company
believes that its ability to produce highly reliable custom hybrids in a short
period of time will give it a strategic advantage in attempting to penetrate
high-end commercial markets and in selling military products complementary with
those currently sold, as doing so would enable the Company to produce products
early in design and development cycles. The Company believes that it
will be able to improve its capability to respond quickly to customer needs and
deliver products on time.
EMPLOYEES
At
February 28, 2010, the Company had 79 employees (as compared to 81 at February
28, 2009), 52 of whom were engaged in production activities, 2 in sales and
marketing, 6 in executive and administrative capacities and 19 in technical and
support activities. Of the 79 employees, 75 were full time employees and 4 were
part time employees.
The
Company has never had a work stoppage, and none of its employees are represented
by a labor organization. The Company considers its employee relations
to be good.
8
SOURCES AND AVAILABILITY OF
RAW MATERIAL
The
Company purchases its raw materials from multiple suppliers and has a minimum of
two suppliers for most of its material requirements. A few of the key
suppliers of raw materials and finished packages purchased by the Company are:
Egide USA Inc., Platronics Seals, CPS Technologies Corporation, Coining Inc.,
IXYS Corporation, Purecoat International LLC, Stellar Industries Inc, and
Streamtek Ltd. Because of a diminishing number of sources for components and
packages in particular, and the sharp increase in the prices of raw silicon
semiconductor wafers, precious metals and gold (used in the finish of the
packages), the Company has been obliged to pay higher prices, which consequently
has increased costs of goods sold. Should a shortage of three-inch
silicon wafers occur, we might not be able to switch our manufacturing
capabilities to another size wafer in time to meet our customer’s needs, leading
to lost revenues.
EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT
REGULATION
The
Company received DSCC approval to supply its products in accordance with
MIL-PRF-19500 and Class H of MIL-PRF-38534. These qualifications are
required to supply to the U.S. Government or its prime
contractors. The Company expects that its continued maintenance of
these qualifications will continue to improve its business posture by increasing
product marketability.
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
During
the last two fiscal years, the Company has not spent any significant funds on
research and development. This may have an adverse effect on future
operations. The cost of designing custom products is borne in full by
the customer, either as a direct charge or is amortized in the unit price
charged to the customer.
ENVIRONMENTAL
REGULATION
While the
Company believes that it has the environmental permits necessary to conduct its
business and that its operations conform to present environmental regulations,
increased public attention has been focused on the environmental impact of
semiconductor manufacturing operations. The Company, in the conduct
of its manufacturing operations, has handled and does handle materials that are
considered hazardous, toxic or volatile under federal, state and local laws and,
therefore, is subject to regulations related to their use, storage, discharge
and disposal. No assurance can be made that the risk of accidental
release of such materials can be completely eliminated. In the event
of a violation of environmental laws, the Company could be held liable for
damages and the costs of remediation. In addition, the Company, along with the
rest of the semiconductor industry, is subject to variable interpretations and
governmental priorities concerning environmental laws and
regulations. Environmental statutes have been interpreted to provide
for joint and several liability and strict liability regardless of actual
fault. There can be no assurance that the Company and its
subsidiaries will not be required to incur costs to comply with, or that the
operations, business or financial condition of the Company will not be
materially adversely affected by current or future environmental laws or
regulations.
ENVIRONMENTAL
LIABILITIES
The
Company entered into an Ability to Pay Multi-Site Settlement Agreement with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”), effective February 24,
2006 (“Settlement Agreement”), to resolve the Company’s alleged liability to
USEPA at the following sites: Solitron Microwave Superfund Site, Port
Salerno, Florida (“Port Salerno Site”); Petroleum Products Corporation Superfund
Site, Pembroke Park, Florida; Casmalia Resources Superfund Site, Santa Barbara,
California (“Casmalia Site”); Solitron Devices Site, Riviera Beach, Florida (the
“Riviera Beach Site”); and City Industries Superfund Site, Orlando, Florida
(collectively, the “Sites”). The Settlement Agreement required the
Company to pay to USEPA the sum of $74,000 by February 24, 2008; the Company
paid the entire sum of $74,000 to USEPA on February 27, 2006. In
addition, the Company is required to pay to USEPA the sum of $10,000 or 5% of
Solitron’s net after-tax income over the first $500,000, if any, whichever is
greater, for each year from fiscal years 2009-2013. For payment to
USEPA to be above $10,000 for any of these five years, the Company’s net income
must exceed $700,000 for such year, which has happened in fiscal year 2001,
fiscal year 2006, fiscal year 2008, fiscal year 2009, and the current fiscal
year. In February 2009, the Company paid $10,000 to USEPA for fiscal
year 2009 based on preliminary net income projections. In June 2009, the Company
paid an additional $15,000 pursuant to its obligations under the Settlement
Agreement. This amount is carried as an environmental expense. The Company has
accrued $40,000 for its remaining minimum obligations under the Settlement
Agreement. On March 15, 2010 the Company paid $10,000 to USEPA for fiscal year
2010 based on preliminary net income projections and has accrued an additional
$9,000 current liability for fiscal year 2010. The final amount will
be paid to USEPA after the Company’s independent auditor will finish the fiscal
year 2010 year-end audit in June 2009.
This amount is carried as an environmental
expense. The Company has accrued $40,000 for
its remaining minimum obligations under the Settlement Agreement which is
reflected in “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” on the Company’s
Balance Sheets at February 28, 2010. In consideration of the payments made by
the Company under the Settlement Agreement, USEPA agreed not to sue or take any
administrative action against the Company with regard to any of the
Sites. The Company has also been notified by a group of alleged
responsible parties formed at the Casmalia Site (“Casmalia PRP Group”) that,
based on their review and lack of objection to the Settlement Agreement, the
Casmalia PRP Group does not anticipate pursuing Solitron for cost recovery at
the Casmalia Site.
9
On
October 21, 1993, a Consent Final Judgment was entered into between the Company
and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (“FDEP”) in the Circuit
Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida in and for Martin County,
Florida, in Case No. 91-1232 CA (the “Consent Final Judgment”). The
Consent Final Judgment required the Company to remediate the Port Salerno Site
and Riviera Beach Site, make monthly payments to escrow accounts for each Site
until the sale of the Sites to fund the remediation work, take all reasonable
steps to sell the two Sites and, upon the sale of the Sites, apply the net
proceeds from the sales to fund the remediation work. Both Sites have
been sold (Riviera Beach Site on October 12, 1999 and Port Salerno Site on March
17, 2003) pursuant to purchase agreements approved by FDEP.
Prior to
the sale of the Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site, USEPA took over from
FDEP as the lead regulatory agency for the remediation of the
Sites. At the closing of the sale of each Site, the net
proceeds of sale were distributed to USEPA and/or FDEP or other parties, as
directed by the agencies. In addition, upon the sale of the Riviera
Beach Site, the Riviera Beach Escrow Account was transferred to USEPA, as
directed by the agencies. The current balance in the Port Salerno
Escrow Account is approximately $58,000. At present, work at the Port
Salerno Site is being performed by USEPA. Work at the Riviera Beach
Site is being performed by Honeywell, Inc. (“Honeywell”), pursuant to an
Administrative Order on Consent entered into between Honeywell and
USEPA. The Company has been notified by FDEP that the performance of
remediation work by USEPA at the Port Salerno Site and by Honeywell at the
Riviera Beach Site will be construed by FDEP as discharging the Company’s
remediation obligations under the Consent Final Judgment.
There
remains a possibility that FDEP will determine at some time in the future that
the final remedy approved by USEPA and implemented at either, or both of, the
Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site does not meet the State cleanup
requirements imposed by the Consent Final Judgment. If such a final
determination is made by FDEP, there is a possibility that FDEP will require the
Company to implement additional remedial action at either, or both of, the Port
Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site.
By letter
dated November 16, 2006, FDEP notified the Company that FDEP has unreimbursed
expenses associated with the Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site of
$214,800. FDEP further notified the Company that FDEP required the
Company to resume payments under the Consent Final Judgment to ensure that there
are adequate funds to cover FDEP’s unreimbursed expenses and the Company’s
residual liability under the Consent Final Judgment. During a follow
up telephone conversation with the Company’s attorney, FDEP advised the Company
that FDEP will prepare a justification for the asserted unreimbursed
expenses. Upon receipt of the cost reimbursement package, the Company
is required to transfer $58,000.00 from the Port Salerno Escrow Account to FDEP
as partial payment for FDEP’s unreimbursed expenses that are otherwise
recoverable under the Consent Final Judgment. FDEP further stated,
during the telephone conversation, that FDEP will work with the Company to
establish a reduced payment schedule for the Company to resume under the Consent
Final Judgment based on an appropriate showing by the Company of financial
hardship. The Company is currently awaiting receipt of FDEP’s cost
reimbursement package. Upon receipt of that documentation, the
Company will be required to provide a recommendation to FDEP for resumption of
payments to FDEP under the Consent Final Judgment based on the Company’s present
ability to pay.
10
On August
7, 2002, the Company received a Request for Information from the State of New
York Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYDEC”), seeking information on
whether the Company had disposed of certain wastes at the Clarkstown Landfill
Site located in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York (The
Clarkstown Landfill Site”). By letter dated August 29, 2002, the
Company responded to the Request for Information and advised NYDEC that the
Company’s former Tappan, New York facility had closed in the mid-1980’s, prior
to the initiation of the Company’s bankruptcy proceedings described
below. The Company contends that, to the extent that NYDEC has a
claim against the Company as a result of the Company’s alleged disposal of
wastes at the Clarkstown Landfill Site prior to the closing of the Company’s
former Tappan facility in the mid-1980’s, the claim was discharged in bankruptcy
as a result of the Bankruptcy Court’s August 1993 Order. At NYDEC’s
request, the Company entered into a revised Tolling Agreement with NYDEC on
December 28, 2009, which provides for the tolling of applicable statutes of
limitation through the earlier of November 19, 2010, or the date the State
institutes a suit against the Company for any claims associated with the
Clarkstown Landfill Site. It is not known at this time whether NYDEC
will pursue a claim against the Company in connection with the Clarkstown
Landfill Site. As of the date of this filing, no such claim has been
made by NYDEC. The Clarkstown Landfill Joint Defense Group (“Clarkstown JDG”), a
group of potentially responsible parties formed to respond to claims by NYDEC
for recovery of closure and clean-up response costs at the Clarkstown Landfill
Site, is negotiating with NYDEC to settle the claims of NYDEC against all
potentially responsible parties at the Clarkstown Landfill site that participate
in the Clarkstown JDG. In connection with those negotiations, the
Clarkstown JDG, by letter dated March 17, 2010, offered to pursue a settlement
of NYDEC’s claim against the Company in return for the Company’s agreement to
pay the sum of $125,000.00, representing the Company’s alleged
share of the overall settlement with NYDEC. The Company rejected the
settlement offer on March 29, 2010, based on its continuing contention that any
claim of NYDEC against the Company was discharged in bankruptcy as a result of
the Bankruptcy Court’s August 1993 Order.
BANKRUPTCY
PROCEEDINGS
On
January 24, 1992 (the “Petition Date”), the Company and its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Solitron Specialty Products, Inc. (f/k/a Solitron Microwave, Inc.),
a Delaware corporation, filed voluntary petitions seeking reorganization under
Chapter 11 (“Chapter 11”) of the United States Bankruptcy Code, as amended (the
“Bankruptcy Code”), in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of Florida (the “Bankruptcy Court”). On August 20, 1993, the
Bankruptcy Court entered an Order (the “Order of Confirmation”) confirming the
Company’s Fourth Amended Plan of Reorganization, as modified by the Company’s
First Modification of Fourth Amended Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan of
Reorganization” or “Plan”). The Plan became effective on August 30,
1993 (the “Effective Date”). On July 12, 1996, the Bankruptcy Court officially
closed the case.
Pursuant
to the Plan of Reorganization, beginning in approximately May 1995, the Company
was required to begin making quarterly payments to holders of unsecured claims
until they received 35% of their claims. However, due to negotiations
between the parties, the unsecured creditors agreed to a deferment of this
payment and the Company agreed to make payments until its obligations are
fulfilled (for more information see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations”). At the time, it was estimated
that there was an aggregate of approximately $7,100,000 in unsecured claims and,
accordingly, that the Company was required to pay approximately $2,292,000 to
holders of allowed unsecured claims in quarterly installments of approximately
$62,000. On February 28, 2010, the remaining balance of these claims
was approximately $1,058,000.
Beginning
on the date the Company’s net after tax income exceeds $500,000, the Company is
obligated to pay (on an annual basis) each of the holders of unsecured claims
(pro rata) and Vector Trading and Holding Corporation (“Vector”), a
successor to certain assets and liabilities of the Company, and Vector’s
participants and successors, 5% of its net after tax income in excess of
$500,000 until the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, up to a maximum
aggregate of $1,500,000 to the holders of unsecured claims (pro rata) and up to
a maximum aggregate of $1,500,000 to Vector participants and their
successors (the “Profit Participation”). As the Company earned
$637,000 in the fiscal year ended February 28, 2001, net after the accrual of
$15,000 for the Profit Participation, it distributed, during the fiscal year
ended February 28, 2002, approximately $7,500 to its unsecured creditors and
approximately $7,500 to Vector and its successors in interest as contemplated by
the Plan. As net income for the fiscal years ended February 28, 2003, 2004 and
2005 did not exceed $500,000, there were no distributions related to those
fiscal years. As of August 2005, this obligation for profit
participation had expired.
ITEM
1A. RISK
FACTORS
The
following important business risks and factors, and those business risks and
factors described elsewhere in this report or our other Securities and Exchange
Commission filings, could cause our actual results to differ materially from
those stated in our forward-looking statements, and which could affect the value
of an investment in the Company. All references to “we”, “us”, “our”
and the like refer to the Company.
11
Our
complex manufacturing processes may lower yields and reduce our
revenues.
Our
manufacturing processes are highly complex, require advanced and costly
equipment and are continuously being modified in an effort to improve yields and
product performance. Minute impurities or other difficulties in the
manufacturing process can lower yields. Our manufacturing efficiency
will be an important factor in our future profitability, and we cannot assure
you that we will be able to maintain our manufacturing efficiency or increase
manufacturing efficiency to the same extent as our competitors.
In
addition, as is common in the semiconductor industry, we have from time to time
experienced difficulty in effecting transitions to new manufacturing
processes. As a consequence, we may suffer delays in product
deliveries or reduced yields. We may experience manufacturing
problems in achieving acceptable yields or experience product delivery delays in
the future as a result of, among other things, capacity constraints,
construction delays, upgrading or expanding existing facilities or changing our
process technologies, any of which could result in a loss of future
revenues. Our operating results could also be adversely affected by
the increase in fixed costs and operating expenses related to increases in
production capability if revenues do not increase proportionately.
Our
ability to repair and maintain the aging manufacturing equipment we own may
adversely affect our ability to deliver products to our customers’
requirements. We may be forced to expend significant funds in order
to acquire replacement capital equipment that may not be readily available, thus
resulting in manufacturing delays.
Our
business could be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to obtain
qualified supplies of raw materials, parts and finished components on a timely
basis and at a cost-effective price.
The
Company relies on its relationships with certain key suppliers for its supply of
raw materials, parts and finished components that are qualified for use in the
end-products the Company manufactures. While the Company currently
has favorable working relationships with its suppliers, it cannot be sure that
these relationships will continue in the future. Additionally, the
Company cannot guarantee the availability or pricing of raw
materials. The price of qualified raw materials can be highly
volatile due to several factors, including a general shortage of raw materials,
an unexpected increase in the demand for raw materials, disruptions in the
suppliers’ business and competitive pressure among suppliers of raw materials to
increase the price of raw materials. Suppliers may also choose, from
time to time, to extend lead times or limit supplies due to a shortage in
supplies. Additionally, some of the Company’s key suppliers of raw
materials may have the capability of manufacturing the end products themselves
and may therefore cease to supply the Company with its raw materials and compete
directly with the Company for the manufacture of the
end-products. Any interruption in availability of these qualified raw
materials may impair the Company’s ability to manufacture its products on a
timely and cost-effective basis. If the Company must identify
alternative sources for its qualified raw materials, it would be adversely
affected due to the time and process required in order for such alternative raw
materials to be qualified for use in the applicable end-products. Any
significant price increase in the Company’s raw materials that cannot be passed
on to customers or a shortage in the supply of raw materials could have a
material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or
results of operations.
We
are dependent on government contracts, which are subject to termination, price
renegotiations and regulatory compliance, which can increase the cost of doing
business and negatively impact our revenues.
All of
our contracts with the U.S. government and its prime contractors contain
customary provisions permitting termination at any time at the convenience of
the U.S. government or its prime contractors upon payment to us for costs
incurred plus a reasonable profit. Certain contracts are also subject
to price renegotiations in accordance with U.S. government sole source
procurement provisions. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that the
foregoing government contracting risks will not materially and adversely affect
our business, prospects, financial condition or results of
operations. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we would be able
to procure new government contracts to offset any revenue losses incurred due to
early termination or price renegotiation of existing government
contracts.
Our
government business is also subject to specific procurement regulations, which
increase our performance and compliance costs. These costs might
increase in the future, reducing our margins. Failure to comply with
procurement regulations could lead to suspension or debarment, for cause, from
government subcontracting for a period of time. Among the causes for
debarment are violations of various statutes, including those related to
procurement integrity, export control, government security regulations,
employment practices, protection of the environment, and accuracy of
records. The termination of a government contract or relationship as
a result of any of these violations would have a negative impact on our
reputation and operations, and could negatively impact our ability to obtain
future government contracts.
12
Changes
in government policy or economic conditions could negatively impact our
results.
A large
portion of the Company’s sales are to military and aerospace markets which are
subject to the business risk of changes in governmental appropriations and
changes in national defense policies and priorities. Any such changes
could result in a change in demand for the Company’s products, which could have
a material effect on the Company’s business, prospects, financial condition and
results of operations.
Our
results may also be affected by changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies,
laws and regulations, or other activities of U.S. and non-U.S. governments,
agencies and similar organizations. Furthermore, our business,
prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely
affected by the shift in the requirement of the U.S. Department of Defense
policy toward the use of standard industrial components over the use of high
reliability components that we manufacture. Our results may also be
affected by social and economic conditions, which impact our sales, including in
markets subject to ongoing political hostilities, such as regions of the Middle
East.
Our
inventories may become obsolete and other assets may be subject to
risks.
The life
cycles of some of our products depend heavily upon the life cycles of the end
products into which our products are designed. Products with short
life cycles require us to manage closely our production and inventory
levels. Inventory may also become obsolete because of adverse changes
in end-market demand. We may in the future be adversely affected by
obsolete or excess inventories which may result from unanticipated changes in
the estimated total demand for our products or the estimated life cycles of the
end products into which our products are designed. The asset values
determined under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for inventory and
other assets each involve the making of material estimates by us, many of which
could be based on mistaken assumptions or judgments.
Environmental regulations could
require us to incur significant costs.
In the
conduct of our manufacturing operations, we have handled and do handle materials
that are considered hazardous, toxic or volatile under federal, state and local
laws and, therefore, are subject to regulations related to their use, storage,
discharge and disposal. No assurance can be made that the risk of
accidental release of such materials can be completely eliminated. In
the event of a violation of environmental laws, we could be held liable for
damages and the cost of remediation and, along with the rest of the
semiconductor industry, we are subject to variable interpretations and
governmental priorities concerning environmental laws and
regulations. Environmental statutes have been interpreted to provide
for joint and several liability and strict liability regardless of actual fault.
There can be no assurance that we will not be required to incur costs to comply
with, or that our operations, business or financial condition will not be
materially affected by, current or future environmental laws or
regulations. See “Business – Environmental Liabilities.”
Our
business is highly competitive, and increased competition could reduce gross
profit margins and the value of an investment in our Company.
The
semiconductor industry, and the semiconductor product markets specifically, are
highly competitive. Competition is based on price, product
performance, quality, turn-around time, reliability and customer
service. The gross profit margins realizable in our markets can
differ across regions, depending on the economic strength of end-product markets
in those regions. Even in strong markets, price pressures may emerge
as competitors attempt to gain more share by lowering
prices. Competition in the various markets in which we participate
comes from companies of various sizes, many of which are larger and have greater
financial and other resources than we have and thus can better withstand adverse
economic or market conditions. In addition, companies not currently
in direct competition with us may introduce competing products in the
future.
Downturns
in the business cycle could reduce the revenues and profitability of our
business.
The
semiconductor industry is highly cyclical. Semiconductor
industry-wide sales declined significantly in 2001, 2002 2004, 2008, and the
beginning of 2009. Our markets may experience other, possibly more
severe and prolonged, downturns in the future. We may also experience
significant changes in our operating profit margins as a result of variations in
sales, changes in product mix, price competition for orders and costs associated
with the introduction of new products.
13
Our
operating results may decrease due to the decline of profitability in the
semiconductor industry.
Intense
competition and a general slowdown in the demand for military-rated
semiconductors worldwide have resulted in decreases in the profitability of many
of our products. We expect that profitability for our products will
continue to decline in the future. A decline in profitability for our
products, if not offset by reductions in the costs of manufacturing these
products, would decrease our profits and could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Uncertainty
of current economic conditions, domestically and globally, could continue to
affect demand for our products and negatively impact our business.
Current
conditions in the domestic and global economies are extremely
uncertain. As a result, it is difficult to estimate the level of
growth for the economy as a whole. It is even more difficult to
estimate growth in various parts of the economy, including the markets in which
we participate. Because all components of our budgeting and
forecasting are dependent upon estimates of growth in the markets we serve and
demand for our products, the prevailing economic uncertainties render estimates
of future income and expenditures even more difficult than usual to make. The
future direction of the overall domestic and global economies will have a
significant impact on our overall performance.
Cost
reduction efforts may be unsuccessful or insufficient to improve our
profitability and may adversely impact productivity.
During
fiscal years 2009 and 2010, we continued certain cost-cutting measures
originally started several years ago, and we have a plan to implement further
cost-saving measures if necessary. The impact of these cost-reduction
efforts on our profitability may be influenced by:
|
·
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our
ability to successfully complete these ongoing
efforts;
|
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·
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the
possibility that these efforts may not generate the level of cost savings
we expect or enable us to effectively compete and return to profitability;
and
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·
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the
risk that we may not be able to retain key
employees.
|
Since
these cost-reduction efforts involve all aspects of our business, they could
adversely impact productivity to an extent we did not anticipate and may inhibit
future growth prospects.
We
may not achieve the intended effects of our new business strategy, which could
adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
In
recognition of the changes in global geopolitical affairs and in United States
military spending, we are attempting to increase sales of our products for
non-military, scientific and industrial niche markets, such as medical
electronics, machine tool controls, satellites, telecommunications networks and
other market segments in which purchasing decisions are generally based
primarily on product quality, long-term reliability and performance, rather than
on product price. We are also attempting to offer additional products
to the military markets that are complementary to those we currently sell to the
military markets. We cannot assure you that these efforts will be
successful and, if they are, that they will have the intended effects of
increasing profitability. Furthermore, as we attempt to shift our
focus to the sale of products having non-military, non-aerospace applications,
we will be subject to greater price erosion and foreign
competition.
Our
inability to introduce new products could result in decreased revenues and loss
of market share to competitors; new technologies could also reduce the demand
for our products.
Rapidly
changing technology and industry standards, along with frequent new product
introductions, characterize the semiconductor industry. Our success
in these markets depends on our ability to design, develop, manufacture,
assemble, test, market and support new products and enhancements on a timely and
cost-effective basis. There can be no assurance that we will
successfully identify new product opportunities and develop and bring new
products to market in a timely and cost-effective manner or those products or
technologies developed by others will not render our products or technologies
obsolete or noncompetitive. A fundamental shift in technology in our
product markets could have a material adverse effect on us. In light
of the fact that many of our competitors have substantially greater revenues
than us and that we have not spent any funds on research and development in
recent years, we may not be able to accomplish the foregoing, which might have a
material adverse effect on the Company, our business, prospects, financial
condition or results of operations.
14
Loss
of, or reduction of business from, substantial clients could hurt our business
by reducing our revenues, profitability and cash flow.
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, fifteen customers accounted for
approximately 88% of our revenues. The loss or financial failure of
any significant customer or distributor, any reduction in orders by any of our
significant customers or distributors, or the cancellation of a significant
order could materially and adversely affect our
business. Furthermore, due to industry consolidation, the loss
of any one customer or significant order may have a greater impact than we
anticipate. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to retain
long-term relationships or secure renewals of short-term relationships with our
more substantial customers in the future.
A
shortage of three-inch silicon wafers could result in lost revenues due to an
inability to build our products.
Some of
our products contain components manufactured in-house from three-inch silicon
wafers. The worldwide supply of three-inch silicon wafers is
dwindling. We currently have enough wafers in inventory and on order
to meet our manufacturing needs for three years. Should a shortage of
three-inch silicon wafers occur, or if we are not able to obtain three-inch
silicon wafers at an economically suitable cost, we may not be able to switch
our manufacturing capabilities to another size wafer in time to meet our
customer’s needs, leading to lost revenues.
The
nature of our products exposes us to potentially significant product liability
risk.
Our
business exposes us to potential product liability risks that are inherent in
the manufacturing and marketing of high-reliability electronic components for
critical applications. No assurance can be made that our product
liability insurance coverage is adequate or that present coverage will continue
to be available at acceptable costs, or that a product liability claim would not
materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial conditions or
results of operations.
We
depend on the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, and our failure
to attract and retain such personnel could seriously harm our
business.
Due to
the specialized nature of our business, our future performance is highly
dependent on the continued services of our key engineering personnel and
executive officers. Our prospects depend on our ability to attract
and retain qualified engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and management
personnel for our operations. Competition for personnel is intense,
and we may not be successful in attracting or retaining qualified
personnel. Our failure to compete for these personnel could seriously
harm our business, prospects, results of operations and financial
condition.
Provisions
in our charter documents and rights agreement could make it more difficult to
acquire our Company and may reduce the market price of our stock.
Our
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws contain certain provisions, and we have
adopted a stockholder rights plan (as more fully described in our current report
on Form 8-K filed on June 20, 2001), each of which could delay or prevent a
change in control of our company or the removal of management, and which could
also deter potential acquirers from making an offer to our stockholders and
limit any opportunity to realize premiums over prevailing market prices of our
common stock.
Natural
disasters, like hurricanes, or occurrences of other natural disasters whether in
the United States or internationally may affect the markets in which our common
stock trades, the markets in which we operate and our
profitability.
Natural
disasters, like those related to hurricanes, or threats or occurrences of other
similar events, whether in the United States or internationally, may affect the
markets in which our common stock trades, the markets in which we operate and
our profitability. Hurricanes have affected us in the past, and may
continue to affect us in the future, resulting in damage to our manufacturing
facility in South Florida and our manufacturing equipment, office closures and
impairing our ability to produce and deliver our products. Such
events could also affect our domestic and international sales, disrupt our
supply chains, primarily for raw materials and process chemicals and gases,
affect the physical facilities of our suppliers or customers, and make
transportation of our supplies and products more difficult or cost prohibitive.
Due to the broad and uncertain effects that natural events have had on financial
and economic markets generally, we cannot provide any estimate of how these
activities might affect our future results.
15
Failure
to protect our proprietary technologies or maintain the right to use certain
technologies may negatively affect our ability to compete.
We rely
heavily on our proprietary technologies. Our future success and competitive
position may depend in part upon our ability to obtain or maintain protection of
certain proprietary technologies used in our principal products. We do not have
patent protection on many aspects of our technology. Our reliance upon
protection of some of our technology as “trade secrets” will not necessarily
protect us from the use by other persons of our technology, or their use of
technology that is similar or superior to that which is embodied in our trade
secrets. Others may be able to independently duplicate or exceed our technology
in whole or in part. We may not be successful in maintaining the confidentiality
of our technology, dissemination of which could have material adverse effects on
our business. In addition, litigation may be necessary to determine the scope
and validity of our proprietary rights.
Obtaining
or protecting our proprietary rights may require us to defend claims of
intellectual property infringement by our competitors. We could become subject
to lawsuits in which it is alleged that we have infringed or are infringing upon
the intellectual property rights of others with or without our prior awareness
of the existence of those third-party rights, if any.
If any
infringements, real or imagined, happen to exist, arise or are claimed in the
future, we may be exposed to substantial liability for damages and may need to
obtain licenses from the patent owners, discontinue or change our processes or
products or expend significant resources to develop or acquire non-infringing
technologies. We may not be successful in such efforts or such licenses may not
be available under reasonable terms. Our failure to develop or
acquire
non-infringing technologies or to obtain licenses on acceptable terms or the
occurrence of related litigation itself could have material adverse effects on
our operating results, financial condition and cash flows.
The
price of our common stock has fluctuated widely in the past and may fluctuate
widely in the future.
Our
common stock, which is traded on the over-the-counter bulletin board, has
experienced and may continue to experience significant price and volume
fluctuations that could adversely affect the market price of our common stock
without regard to our operating performance. In addition, we believe that
factors such as quarterly fluctuations in financial results, financial
performance and other activities of other publicly traded companies in the
semiconductor industry could cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate
substantially. In addition, in recent periods, our common stock, the stock
market in general and the market for shares of semiconductor industry-related
stocks in particular have experienced extreme price fluctuations which have
often been unrelated to the operating performance of the affected companies. Any
similar fluctuations in the future could adversely affect the market price of
our common stock.
ITEM
1B UNRESOLVED STAFF
COMMENTS.
None
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES.
The
Company’s manufacturing operations and its corporate headquarters are located in
one leased facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Company leases
approximately 47,000 sq. ft. for its facility. The lease is for a
term of ten years ending on December 31, 2011 and does not include an option to
renew the lease under current terms. The Company believes that its facility in
West Palm Beach, Florida is suitable and adequate to meet its requirements
currently and for the foreseeable future.
ITEM
3. LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
We may
from time to time become a party to various legal proceedings arising in the
ordinary course of business. As of February 28, 2010, we had no known
material current, pending, or threatened litigation.
ITEM
4. (Removed
and Reserved)
16
PART II
ITEM 5.
|
MARKET FOR
REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
|
Since
March 1995, the Company’s Common Stock has been traded on the Over The Counter
Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”). The Company’s Common Stock was traded on
the New York Stock Exchange until October 13, 1993, at which time it began
trading on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market where it was traded until March
1995.
The
following table sets forth for the periods indicated, high and low bid
information of the Common Stock as reported by the OTCBB. The prices
set forth below reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down,
or commission and may not necessarily represent actual
transactions.
FISCAL
YEAR ENDED
|
FISCAL
YEAR ENDED
|
|||||||||||||||
FEBRUARY 28, 2010
|
FEBRUARY 28, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||
HIGH
|
LOW
|
HIGH
|
LOW
|
|||||||||||||
First
Quarter
|
$ | 2.49 | $ | 1.70 | $ | 3.30 | $ | 1.50 | ||||||||
Second
Quarter
|
$ | 2.49 | $ | 1.53 | $ | 3.48 | $ | 2.28 | ||||||||
Third
Quarter
|
$ | 2.40 | $ | 1.71 | $ | 2.98 | $ | 2.10 | ||||||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$ | 2.53 | $ | 2.13 | $ | 2.60 | $ | 1.65 |
As of May
20, 2010, there were approximately 1,644 holders of record of the Company’s
Common Stock. On May 20, 2010, the last sale price of the Common
Stock as reported on the OTCBB was $2.60 per share.
Certificates
representing 38,276 “old shares” of Common Stock, which were subject to an
approximate 10 to 1 reverse split (which was authorized by the Bankruptcy Court
on September 1993), have not been exchanged by the stockholders as of February
28, 2010. Subsequent to such stock split, these certificates now
represent 3,747 shares of Common Stock, which are included in the 2,263,775
shares outstanding as of May 15, 2010. These “old shares” have been
included in the number of shares outstanding as set forth in the Company’s
filings with the commission since the date of such stock split through its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 28, 2010.
The
Company has not paid any dividends since emerging from bankruptcy in 1993 and
the Company does not contemplate declaring dividends in the foreseeable
future. Pursuant to the Company’s ability to pay its settlement
proposal with the USEPA, the Company agreed not to pay dividends on any shares
of capital stock until the settlement amount for environmental liabilities is
agreed upon and paid in full.
ITEM
6.
|
SELECTED FINANCIAL
DATA.
|
Not
applicable.
17
ITEM 7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS.
|
You
should read the following discussion in conjunction with the “Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data” section of this Annual Report on Form
10-K. You also should review and consider the risks relating to the
Company’s business, operations, financial performance, and cash flows presented
earlier under “Risk Factors.”
INTRODUCTION
The
Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets solid-state semiconductor
components and related devices primarily for the military and aerospace
markets. The Company manufactures a large variety of bipolar and MOS
power transistors, power and control hybrids, junction and power MOFSET’s, field
effect transistors and other related products. Most of the Company’s
products are custom made pursuant to contracts with customers whose end products
are sold to the United States government. Other products, such as JAN
transistors, diodes and SMD voltage regulators, are sold as standard or catalog
items.
The
following table is included solely for use in comparative analysis of income
before extraordinary items to complement Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations:
(Dollars
in Thousands)
|
||||||||
Year Ended February 28,
|
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Net
Sales
|
$ | 7,723 | $ | 8,459 | ||||
Cost
of sales
|
5,874 | 6,338 | ||||||
Gross
profit
|
1,849 | 2,121 | ||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
1,092 | 1,191 | ||||||
Operating
income
|
757 | 930 | ||||||
Environmental
Expenses
|
(4 | ) | (15 | ) | ||||
Interest
income
|
18 | 64 | ||||||
Other
income, net
|
13 | 12 | ||||||
Income
tax expense
|
(14 | ) | (22 | ) | ||||
Net
income
|
$ | 770 | $ | 969 |
TRENDS AND
UNCERTAINTIES:
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Company’s book-to-bill ratio was
approximately .95 as compared to approximately 1.06 for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 2009 reflecting a decrease in the volume of orders
booked. The Company does not believe that, in most years, the
year-to-year change in the book-to-bill ratio indicates a specific trend in the
demand for the Company’s products. Generally, the intake of orders
over the last twenty four months has varied greatly as a result of the
fluctuations in the general economy, variations in defense spending on programs
the Company supports, and the timing of contract awards by the Department of
Defense and subsequently by its prime contractors, which is expected to continue
over the next twelve to twenty four months. The Company continues to identify
means intended to reduce its variable manufacturing costs to offset the
potential impact of low volume of orders to be shipped. However, should order
intake fall drastically below the level experienced in the last twenty four
months, the Company might be required to implement further cost cutting or other
downsizing measures to continue its business operations.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
PRINCIPLES:
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
Cash and
cash equivalents include demand deposits and money market accounts.
Earnings Per Common
Share
Earnings
per common share is presented in accordance with SFAS No. 128 “Earnings per
Share.” Basic earnings per common share is computed using the
weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the
period. Diluted earnings per common share incorporate the incremental
shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options to the extent they
are not anti-dilutive using the treasury stock method.
18
Shipping and
Handling
Shipping
and handling costs billed to customers by the Company are recorded in net
sales. Shipping costs incurred by the Company are recorded in cost of
sales.
Inventories
Inventories
are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using
the “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) method. The Company buys raw
material only to fill customer orders. Excess raw material is created
only when a vendor imposes a minimum buy in excess of actual
requirements. Such excess material will usually be utilized to meet
the requirements of the customer’s subsequent orders. If excess
material is not utilized after two fiscal years it is fully
reserved. Any inventory item once designated as reserved is carried
at zero value in all subsequent valuation activities.
The
Company’s inventory valuation policy is as follows:
Raw
material /Work in process:
|
All
material purchased, processed and/or used in the last two fiscal years is
valued at the lower of its acquisition cost or market. All
material not purchased/used in the last two fiscal years is fully reserved
for.
|
Finished
goods:
|
All
finished goods with firm orders for later delivery are valued (material
and overhead) at the lower or cost or market. All finished
goods with no orders are fully
reserved.
|
RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
2010 vs.
2009
Net sales
for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 decreased by approximately 9% to
$7,723,000 versus $8,459,000 during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009, as
a result of a decrease in the demand for the Company’s products due to changes
in defense spending on military programs the Company supports, as well as
decreased delivery requirements by its customers.
Net
bookings were less than net sales by approximately 5%; thus, the backlog
decreased from $6,304,000 as of February 28, 2009 to $5,922,000 as of February
28, 2010. The Company has experienced a decrease in the level
of bookings of approximately 18% for the year ended February 28, 2010 as
compared to the previous year primarily due to changes in military spending on
programs the Company supports and to the downturn in the general
economy.
During
the year ended February 28, 2010, the Company shipped 160,500 units
as compared with 249,919 units shipped during the year ended February 28,
2009. It should be noted that since the Company manufactures a wide
variety of products with an average sales price ranging from less than one
dollar to several hundred dollars, such periodic variations in the Company’s
volume of units shipped might not be a reliable indicator of the Company’s
performance.
Cost of
sales for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 decreased to $5,874,000 from
$6,338,000 for the fiscal year ended February 28,
2009. Expressed as a percentage of sales, cost of sales
increased from approximately 75% for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009 to
approximately 76% for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010. This
increase as a percentage of sales was principally as a result of higher direct
and indirect labor and manufacturing overhead costs.
During
the year ended February 28, 2010, the Company’s gross profit was $1,849,000 (24%
margin) as compared to $2,121,000 (25% margin) for the year ended February 28,
2009. The gross profit decrease was due principally to lower sales
and higher other costs cited above.
During
the year ended February 28, 2010, selling, general and administrative based
expenses, as a percentage of sales, increased to approximately 15%, as compared
to 14% for the year ended February 28, 2009. Selling, general and
administrative expenses decreased approximately 8% to $1,092,000 for the fiscal
year ended February 28, 2010 from $1,191,000 for the fiscal year ended February
28, 2009. This decrease is primarily the result of a decrease in
sales wages and sales travel.
19
Operating
income for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 was $757,000 as compared to
an operating income of $930,000 for the fiscal year ended February 28,
2009. This decrease was primarily attributable to lower sales and
higher other costs cited above.
Interest
income for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 decreased to $18,000 from
$64,000 during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009. This decrease
was attributable to lower interest rates earned on cash and cash
equivalents.
Environmental
expenses for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 decreased to $4,000 from
$15,000 for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009. This decrease
was due to a lower amount due to USEPA under the Company’s Ability to Pay
Multi-Site Settlement Agreement with USEPA dated February 4, 2006 as described
earlier under “Business – Environmental Liabilities”.
Net
income for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 was $770,000 as compared to
net income of $969,000 for the fiscal year ended February 28,
2009. This decrease is attributable a decrease in sales and to
increases in direct and indirect labor and manufacturing overhead
costs.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL
RESOURCES
Subject
to the following discussion, the Company expects its sole source of liquidity
over the next twelve months to be cash from operations. The Company
anticipates that its capital expenditures required to sustain operations will be
approximately $300,000 for the next fiscal year and will be funded from
operations.
Based
upon (i) management’s best information as to current national defense
priorities, future defense programs, as well as management’s expectations as to
future defense spending, (ii) the market trends signaling a steady level of
bookings, but with an increase in the cost of raw materials and operations that
will result in the potential erosion of profit levels and
continued price pressures due to intense competition, and (iii) the continued
competition in the defense and aerospace market, the Company believes that it
will have sufficient cash on hand to satisfy its operating needs over the next
12 months and the current level of payments to its pre-bankruptcy
creditors. However, due to the level of current backlog and projected
new order intake (due to the status of the general economy and the shift to
Commercial Off–The-Shelf (COTS) by the defense industry), the Company might
operate at breakeven or at a small loss during part of the next fiscal
year.
Over the
long term, based on these factors and at the current
level of bookings, costs of raw materials and services, profit margins and sales
levels, the Company believes it will generate sufficient cash to satisfy its
operating needs and the level of payments to pre-bankruptcy creditors it has
maintained over the last 17 years. In the event that bookings
in the long-term decline significantly below the level experienced
during the previous two fiscal years, the Company may be required to implement
further cost-cutting or other downsizing measures to continue its business
operations. Such cost-cutting measures could inhibit future growth
prospects. In appropriate situations, the Company may seek strategic alliances,
joint ventures with others or acquisitions in order to maximize marketing
potential and utilization of existing resources and provide further
opportunities for growth.
At
February 28, 2010 and February 28, 2009 respectively, the Company had cash and
cash equivalents of $400,000 and $440,000. The cash
decrease was primarily due to an increase in the Company’s investment in
treasury bills. At February 28, 2010 and February 28, 2009 respectively, the
Company had investments in Treasury bills of $5,601,000 and $5,113,000 . The
increase in investments was primarily due to investing free cash from
operations.
At
February 28, 2010, the Company had working capital of $7,752,000 as compared
with a working capital at February 28, 2009
of $6,972,000. The increase was due to an increase in the
Company’s investment in treasury bills.
See
“Environmental Liabilities”, “Bankruptcy Proceedings” and “Properties” in Part
I, Items 1 and 2, for more information.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET
ARRANGEMENTS
The
Company has not engaged in any off-balance sheet arrangements.
20
BOOKINGS AND
BACKLOG
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Company’s net bookings were
$7,341,000 in new orders as compared with $8,932,000 for the year ended February
28, 2009, reflecting a decrease of approximately 18%. The Company’s backlog decreased to
$5,922,000 at February 28, 2010 as compared with $6,304,000 as of February 28,
2009, reflecting a 6% decrease. In the event that bookings in the
long-term decline significantly below the level experienced in the period ended
February 28, 2010, the Company may be required to implement cost-cutting and
other downsizing measures to continue its business operations. Such
cost-cutting measures could inhibit future growth prospects and current
productivity.
See Part
I, Item 1, “Business – Marketing and Customers”.
FUTURE
PLANS
To
increase liquidity, the Company plans to (a) continue improving operating
efficiencies, (b) further reduce overhead expenses, (c) develop alternative
lower cost packaging technologies and lower cost packaging supplies, and (d)
develop products utilizing its current manufacturing technologies geared toward
market segments it is currently unable to serve.
The
Company also plans to continue its efforts in selling commercial semiconductors
and power modules and to develop appropriate strategic alliance
arrangements. If these plans are successful, the Company intends to
aggressively pursue sales of these products which could require the Company to
invest in the building up of inventories of finished goods and invest in
capital (automatic assembly and test) equipment. The
source of capital funding will be defined subsequent to such strategic
partnership being formed. Such financing could come from equipment leasing,
among other financing alternatives.
Despite
its intentions, the Company cannot assure you that these plans will be
successful in easing liquidity problems, reducing costs or improving
sales.
INFLATION
The rate
of inflation has not had a material effect on the Company’s revenues and costs
and expenses, and it is not anticipated that inflation will have a material
effect on the Company in the near future. However, sharp increases in
the cost of precious metals has had an adverse impact on the Company’s cost of
raw materials.
SEASONALITY
The
Company’s bookings of new orders and sales are largely dependent on
congressional budgeting and appropriation activities and the cycles associated
therewith. The Company has historically experienced a decreased level
of bookings during the summer months as a result of a slowdown in the level of
budgeting and appropriation activities.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Some of
the statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are "forward-looking
statements," as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding our
business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or
prospects. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that these
statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather,
forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities,
trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that
have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and
uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to
differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking
statements. These factors include those described under the caption "Risk
Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those identified below.
We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking
statements.
Some of
the factors that may impact our business, financial condition, results of
operations, strategies or prospects include:
|
·
|
Our
complex manufacturing processes may lower yields and reduce our
revenues.
|
|
·
|
Our
business could be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to
obtain qualified supplies of raw materials and parts on a timely basis and
at a cost-effective price.
|
|
·
|
We
are dependent on government contracts, which are subject to termination,
price renegotiations and regulatory compliance, which can increase the
cost of doing business and negatively impact our
revenues.
|
21
|
·
|
Changes
in government policy or economic conditions could negatively impact our
results.
|
|
·
|
Our
inventories may become obsolete and other assets may be subject to
risks.
|
|
·
|
Environmental
regulations could require us to incur significant
costs.
|
|
·
|
Our
business is highly competitive, and increased competition could reduce
gross profit margins and the value of an investment in our
Company.
|
|
·
|
Downturns
in the business cycle could reduce the revenues and profitability of our
business.
|
|
·
|
Our
operating results may decrease due to the decline of profitability in the
semiconductor industry.
|
|
·
|
Uncertainty
of current economic conditions, domestically and globally, could continue
to affect demand for our products and negatively impact our
business.
|
|
·
|
Cost
reduction efforts may be unsuccessful or insufficient to improve our
profitability and may adversely impact
productivity.
|
|
·
|
We
may not achieve the intended effects of our new business strategy, which
could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
|
|
·
|
Our
inability to introduce new products could result in decreased revenues and
loss of market share to competitors; new technologies could also reduce
the demand for our products.
|
|
·
|
Loss
of, or reduction of business from, substantial clients could hurt our
business by reducing our revenues, profitability and cash
flow.
|
|
·
|
A
shortage of three-inch silicon wafers could result in lost revenues due to
an inability to build our products.
|
|
·
|
The
nature of our products exposes us to potentially significant product
liability risk.
|
|
·
|
We
depend on the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, and our
failure to attract and retain such personnel could seriously harm our
business.
|
|
·
|
Provisions
in our charter documents and rights agreement could make it more difficult
to acquire our Company and may reduce the market price of our
stock.
|
|
·
|
Natural
disasters, like hurricanes, or occurrences of other natural disasters
whether in the United States or internationally may affect the markets in
which our common stock trades, the markets in which we operate and our
profitability.
|
|
·
|
Natural
disasters, like hurricanes, or occurrences of other natural disasters
whether in the United States or internationally may affect the
availability of raw materials which may adversely affect our
profitability.
|
|
·
|
Failure
to protect our proprietary technologies or maintain the right to use
certain technologies may negatively affect our ability to
compete.
|
|
·
|
The
price of our common stock has fluctuated widely in the past and may
fluctuate widely in the future.
|
ITEM
7A.
|
QUANTITATIVE AND
QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK.
|
Not
applicable.
22
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
Index to
Financial Statements
Page
|
|
Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
|
24
|
Independent
Auditors Report
|
25
|
Balance
Sheets as of February 28, 2010 and February28, 2009
|
26
|
Statements
of Income for the years ended February 28, 2010 and February 28,
2009
|
27
|
Statements
of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended February 28, 2010 and February
28, 2009
|
28
|
Statements
of Cash Flows for the years ended February 28, 2010 and February 28,
2009
|
29
|
Notes
to Financial Statements
|
30-41
|
23
Management’s
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management
of Solitron Devices, Inc. (the “Company”) is responsible for establishing and
maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is
defined in the Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Under the
supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including
the Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and the Chief
Financial Officer (principal financial officer), the Company’s management
conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over
financial reporting as of February 28, 2010. In making this
assessment, the Company’s management used the criteria set forth in the
framework in “Internal Control – Integrated framework” issued by the Committee
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on the
evaluation conducted under the framework in “Internal Control – Integrated
Framework,” the Company’s management concluded that the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting was effective as of February 28,
2010.
This
annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered
public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial
reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the
Company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the
SEC that permit the Company to provide only management’s report in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.
Solitron
Devices, Inc.
May 24,
2010
24
Independent Auditors
Report
To the
Board of Directors and
Stockholders
of Solitron Devices, Inc.
We have
audited the accompanying balance sheets of. Solitron Devices, Inc. as of
February 28, 2010 and 2009 and the related statements of income, changes in
stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended. Solitron Devices,
Inc.’s management is responsible for these financial statements. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The
company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its
internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included
consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for
designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not
for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the company’s
internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no
such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis
for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of Solitron Devices, Inc. as of
February 28, 2010 and 2009, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America.
Friedman,
Cohen, Taubman & Company LLC
Plantation,
Florida
May 24,
2010
25
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
BALANCE
SHEETS
AS OF
FEBRUARY 28, 2010 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
|
(in
thousands, except for shares)
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
CURRENT
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ | 400 | $ | 440 | ||||
Treasury
bills
|
5,601 | 5,113 | ||||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $2 and $7,
respectively
|
685 | 871 | ||||||
Inventories,
net (Note 4)
|
2,809 | 2,569 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
125 | 139 | ||||||
TOTAL
CURRENT ASSETS
|
9,620 | 9,132 | ||||||
PROPERTY,
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net (Note
5)
|
561 | 581 | ||||||
OTHER
ASSETS
|
52 | 52 | ||||||
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
$ | 10,233 | $ | 9,765 | ||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
||||||||
CURRENT
LIABILITIES
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable-Post-petition
|
$ | 266 | $ | 443 | ||||
Accounts
payable-Pre-petition, current portion (Note 2)
|
1,058 | 1,086 | ||||||
Customer
deposits
|
39 | 61 | ||||||
Accrued
expenses and other current liabilities (Note 6)
|
505 | 570 | ||||||
TOTAL
CURRENT LIABILITIES
|
1,868 | 2,160 | ||||||
LONG-TERM
LIABILITIES, net of current portion
|
148 | 158 | ||||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES
|
2,016 | 2,318 | ||||||
COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 13)
|
||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
||||||||
Preferred
stock, $.01 par value, authorized 500,000 shares, none
issued
|
- | - | ||||||
Common stock, $.01
par value, authorized 10,000,000 shares, 2,263,775 shares issued
and outstanding, net of 173,287 shares of treasury stock
|
23 | 23 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
2,733 | 2,733 | ||||||
Retained
earnings
|
5,461 | 4,691 | ||||||
TOTAL
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
8,217 | 7,447 | ||||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
$ | 10,233 | $ | 9,765 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial
statements.
26
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
STATEMENTS
OF INCOME
FOR THE
YEARS ENDED FEBRUARY 28, 2010 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
(in thousands, except for share and per
share amounts)
|
||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 7,723 | $ | 8,459 | ||||
Cost
of sales
|
5,874 | 6,338 | ||||||
Gross
profit
|
1,849 | 2,121 | ||||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
1,092 | 1,191 | ||||||
Operating
income
|
757 | 930 | ||||||
Other
income (expenses):
|
||||||||
Environmental
expenses
|
(4 | ) | (15 | ) | ||||
Interest
income
|
18 | 64 | ||||||
Other,
net (Note 14)
|
13 | 12 | ||||||
Income
before provision for income taxes
|
784 | 991 | ||||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
14 | 22 | ||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 770 | $ | 969 | ||||
Income
per share from continuing operations-Basic
|
$ | 0.33 | $ | 0.41 | ||||
Income
per share from continuing operations-Diluted
|
$ | 0.31 | $ | 0.38 | ||||
Net
income per share-Basic
|
$ | 0.34 | $ | 0.43 | ||||
Net
income per share-Diluted
|
$ | 0.31 | $ | 0.39 | ||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding-Basic
|
2,263,775 | 2,263,253 | ||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding-Diluted
|
2,452,601 | 2,454,155 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial
statements.
27
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
STATEMENTS
OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
YEARS
ENDED FEBRUARY 28, 2010 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009
Common Stock
|
Additional
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Number of
|
Paid-in
|
Retained
|
||||||||||||||||||
Shares
|
Amount
|
Capital
|
Earnings
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands, except for number of shares)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2008
|
2,263,037 | $ | 23 | $ | 2,733 | $ | 3,722 | $ | 6,478 | |||||||||||
Fractional
shares issued in lieu of cash
|
738 | |||||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
- | - | - | 969 | 969 | |||||||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2009
|
2,263,775 | 23 | 2,733 | 4,691 | 7,447 | |||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
- | - | - | 770 | 770 | |||||||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2010
|
2,263,775 | $ | 23 | $ | 2,733 | $ | 5,461 | $ | 8,217 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial
statements.
28
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
STATEMENTS
OF CASH FLOWS
YEARS
ENDED FEBRUARY 28, 2010 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||
Net
income
|
$ | 770 | $ | 969 | ||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
195 | 202 | ||||||
Decrease
(increase) in operating assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
186 | 155 | ||||||
Inventories
|
(240 | ) | 416 | |||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
14 | (35 | ) | |||||
Other
assets
|
- | 193 | ||||||
Increase
(decrease) in:
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable-post-petition
|
(177 | ) | (86 | ) | ||||
Accounts
payable-pre-petition
|
(28 | ) | (28 | ) | ||||
Customer
deposit
|
(22 | ) | (326 | ) | ||||
Accrued
expenses and other liabilities
|
(65 | ) | 16 | |||||
Other
long-term liabilities
|
(10 | ) | (187 | ) | ||||
Total
adjustments
|
(147 | ) | 320 | |||||
NET
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES
|
623 | 1,289 | ||||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
|
||||||||
Investment
in treasury bills
|
(488 | ) | (703 | ) | ||||
Purchase
of property, plant and equipment
|
(175 | ) | (221 | ) | ||||
NET
CASH (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
(663 | ) | (924 | ) | ||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
(40 | ) | 365 | |||||
Cash
and cash equivalents – beginning of the year
|
440 | 75 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents - end of the year
|
$ | 400 | $ | 440 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial
statements.
29
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Operations and
Activities
Solitron
Devices, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “Solitron”), designs,
develops, manufactures, and markets solid-state semiconductor components and
related devices primarily for the military and aerospace markets. The
Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York in 1959 and
reincorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in August
1987.
Change of
Entity
During
the fiscal year ended February 29, 2009 the Company dissolved its subsidiaries,
all of which were inactive, by board resolution and the Company dropped the
titles “Consolidated” and “And Subsidiaries” from its
financial statements.
Basis of
Presentation
The
financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
Cash and
cash equivalents include demand deposits and money market accounts.
Investment in Treasury
Bills
Investment
in Treasury Bills includes treasury bills with maturities of one year or less
and is stated at market value.
Accounts
Receivable
Accounts
receivable consists of unsecured credit extended to the Company’s customers in
the ordinary course of business. The Company reserves for any amounts
deemed to be uncollectible based on past collection experiences and an analysis
of outstanding balances, using an allowance account. The allowance
amount was $2,000 as of February 28, 2010 and $7,000 as of February
28, 2009.
Shipping and
Handling
Shipping
and handling costs billed to customers are recorded in net
sales. Shipping costs incurred by the Company are recorded in cost of
sales.
Inventories
Inventories
are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using
the “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) method. The Company buys raw
material only to fill customer orders. Excess raw material is created
only when a vendor imposes a minimum buy in excess of actual
requirements. Such excess material will usually be utilized to meet
the requirements of the customer’s subsequent orders. If excess
material is not utilized after two fiscal years it is fully
reserved. Any inventory item once designated as reserved is carried
at zero value in all subsequent valuation activities.
The
Company’s inventory valuation policy is as follows:
Raw
material /Work in process:
|
All
material purchased, processed, and/or used in the last two fiscal years is
valued at the lower of its acquisition cost or market. All
material not purchased/used in the last two fiscal years is fully reserved
for.
|
Finished
goods:
|
All
finished goods with firm orders for later delivery are valued (material
and overhead) at the lower or cost or market. All finished
goods with no orders are fully reserved.
|
Direct
labor costs:
|
Direct
labor costs are allocated to finished goods and work in process inventory
based on engineering estimates of the amount of man-hours required from
the different direct labor departments to bring each device to its
particular level of
completion.
|
30
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Property, Plant and
Equipment
Property,
plant, and equipment is recorded at cost. Major renewals and
improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs that do not
extend their expected life are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is
provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related
assets:
Leasehold
Improvements
|
4-10
years
|
Machinery
and Equipment
|
5
years
|
Concentrations of Credit
Risk
Financial
instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit
risk, consist principally of cash and trade receivables. The Company
places its cash with high credit quality institutions. At times, such
amounts may be in excess of the FDIC insurance limits. The Company
has not experienced any losses in such account and believes that it is not
exposed to any significant credit risk on the account. As of February
28, 2010 and 2009, $150,000 and $190,000 respectively, of the Company’s cash
reserves were subject to this risk. With respect to the trade
receivables, most of the Company’s products are custom made pursuant to
contracts with customers whose end-products are sold to the United States
Government. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its
customers’ financial condition and maintains allowances for potential credit
losses. Actual losses and allowances have historically been within
management’s expectations.
Revenue
Recognition
Revenue
is recognized in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting
Bulletin No. 104, Revenue
Recognition. This pronouncement requires that four basic
criteria be met before revenue can be recognized: 1) there is evidence that
an arrangement exists; 2) delivery has occurred; 3) the fee is fixed
or determinable; and 4) collectability is reasonably assured. We recognize
revenue upon determination that all criteria for revenue recognition have been
met. The criteria are usually met at the time of product shipment.
Shipping terms are generally FCA (Free Carrier) shipping
point.
Income
Taxes
Income
taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 109, “Accounting for Income
Taxes”. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the
future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial
statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their
respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using
enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which
those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or
settled. Under SFAS 109, the effect on deferred tax assets and
liabilities or a change in tax rate is recognized in income in the period that
includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced to
estimated amounts to be realized by the use of a valuation
allowance.
The
Company adopted new guidance related to accounting for uncertainty in income
taxes in accordance with FASB Interpretation Number 48 (FIN 48) and began
evaluating tax positions utilizing a two-step process. The first step
is to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be
sustained upon examination based on the technical merits of the
position. The second step is to measure the benefit to be recorded
from tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold by
determining the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than
50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement and
recognizing that amount in the financial statements. Solitron has
adopted FIN 48 and there if no material impact on its financial condition,
results of operations, cash flows, or disclosures.
Net Income Per Common
Share
Net
income per common share is presented in accordance with SFAS No. 128 “Earnings
per Share.” Basic earnings per common share is computed using the
weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the
period. Diluted earnings per common share incorporate the incremental
shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options to the extent they
are not anti-dilutive using the treasury stock method.
31
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Financial
Statement Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates,
and the differences could be material. Such estimates include
depreciable life, valuation allowance, and allowance for inventory
obsolescence.
Recent Accounting
Pronouncements
No recent
accounting pronouncements that affect the Company were issued.
2.
PETITION IN BANKRUPTCY
Petition in
Bankruptcy
On
January 24, 1992, the Company filed voluntary petitions under the Federal
Bankruptcy Code. The Company was authorized to continue in the
management and control of its business and property as debtor-in-possession
under the Bankruptcy Code.
On August
20, 1993 the Company’s Plan of Reorganization, as amended and modified (the
“Plan”), was confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court and the Company emerged from
bankruptcy on August 30, 1993. On July 12, 1996 the Bankruptcy Court
officially closed the case.
(a) Pursuant
to the Plan of Reorganization, the Company was required to make quarterly
payments to holders of unsecured claims until they receive 35% of their
pre-petition claims over a period of ten years beginning in approximately May
1995. However, due to negotiations between the parties, the unsecured
creditors agreed to a reduced payment schedule and the Company agreed to make
payments until its obligations are fulfilled. At February 28, 2010,
the Company is scheduled to pay approximately $1,058,000 to holders of allowed
unsecured claims in quarterly installments of approximately
$7,000. As of February 28, 2010, the amount due to holders of allowed
unsecured claims is accrued as a current pre-petition liability.
(b) Beginning
on the later of (i) the payment of all administrative claims and all unsecured
claims, but not later than 18 months after the Effective Date (August 30, 1993)
and (ii) the date the Company's net after tax income exceeds $500,000, the
Company will pay (on an annual basis) each of (x) the holders of unsecured
claims (pro rata) and (y) Vector Trading and Holding Corporation (“Vector”), 5%
of its net after tax income in excess of $500,000 until the tenth anniversary of
the Effective Date, up to a maximum aggregate of $1,500,000 of such payments to
the holders of unsecured claims (pro rata) and up to a maximum aggregate of
$1,500,000 of such payments to Vector. This obligation expired as of
August 2005.
(c) Under
the Plan, the Company is required to remediate its former non-operating facility
located in Port Salerno and its former facility located in Riviera Beach,
Florida. The Plan contemplated that monies to fund the remediation
will be made available from the proceeds of the sale or lease of the properties,
to the extent that the Company is successful in its efforts to sell or lease
such properties. The Riviera Beach Property was sold on October
12, 1999 by the Company. Under the terms of the sale, USEPA received
the net proceeds of $419,000. USEPA also received approximately
$19,000 from the Riviera Beach environmental escrowed monies to defray its
cleanup costs. The Port Salerno (formerly occupied by Solitron
Microwave) property was sold on March 17, 2003. Under the terms of
the sale, USEPA received $153,155 and Martin County received on behalf of FDEP
$278,148 (the net proceeds). Further, pursuant to the Plan, a
purchaser of this facility would not be liable for existing environmental
problems under certain conditions. In connection with facilitating
the remediation of the property, the Company will also, to the extent
the proceeds from the sale or lease of these properties are not
sufficient to pay for the remediation, be required to escrow the following
amounts on a monthly basis beginning on September 30, 1995: (i) year
1 - $5,000 per month; (ii) year 2 - $7,500 per month; (iii) year 3 -
$10,000 per month; and (iv) $10,000 per month thereafter until remediation is
completed. The Company has notified FDEP of its inability to pay pursuant to
this schedule and is making payments at the rate of $1,000 per
month. As of February 28, 2010, the Company has deposited $90,000
into the escrow accounts. As of February 28, 2010, approximately
$58,000 remains in the Port Salerno escrow
account.
32
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(d) The
Company has paid all of the allowed administrative claims and allowed wage
claims since August 1993.
The Plan
provided for the distribution of common stock of the Company such that,
post-petition, the Company's common stock would be held as follows:
Party-In-Interest
|
Common Stock
|
|||
Vector
|
25 | % | ||
Unsecured
Creditors
|
40 | % | ||
Company's
President
|
10 | % | ||
Pre-Petition
Stockholders
|
20 | % | ||
Reserved
for future issuance under an employee stock incentive plan to be issued
based upon the terms and conditions of the plan at the discretion of the
Board of Directors
|
5 | % | ||
100 | % |
On
October 4, 1994, the Company and Vector agreed that Vector’s 25% stock ownership
would be distributed among various parties. Vector participants
were: Vector principal (Howard White) who received 273,943 shares
(subsequently sold to Inversiones Globales); AHI Drillings, Inc. who received
77,037 shares; Cointrol Credit Co. II who received 20,095 shares; Service
Finance who received 77,037 shares; Trans Resources who received 77,037 shares;
and Martin Associates who received 22,848 shares. Based
solely on the Company’s knowledge (and not from any filings which may have to be
made with the SEC), and as the result of an out of court agreement made
subsequent to a lawsuit filed against Vector by John Stayduhar, a previous
Chairman/CEO of the Company, shares held by Inversiones Globales (174,000), by
AHI Drillings, Inc. (77,037), by Service Finance (77,037), by Trans Resources
(77,037), and by Martin Associates (22,737) were transferred to Mr.
Stayduhar. This gave Mr. Stayduhar approximately 20.61% of the shares
of the Company.
3.
EARNINGS PER SHARE
The
shares used in the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted earnings per
common share were as follows:
Fiscal Year Ended
|
||||||||
February 28,
|
||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
|
2,263,775 | 2,263,253 | ||||||
Dilutive
effect of employee stock options
|
188,826 | 190,902 | ||||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding, assuming dilution
|
2,452,601 | 2,454,155 |
Weighted
average common shares outstanding, assuming dilution, include the incremental
shares that would be issued upon the assumed exercise of stock
options. For fiscal years 2010 and 2009 respectively, 13,500 and
13,800 of the Company’s outstanding stock options were excluded from the
calculation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise prices of the
stock options were greater than or equal to the average price of the common
shares, and therefore their inclusion would have been
anti-dilutive. These options could be dilutive in the future if the
average share price increases and is greater than the exercise price of these
options.
33
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
4.
INVENTORIES
As of
February 28, 2010, inventories consist of the following:
Gross
|
Reserve
|
Net
|
||||||||||
Raw
Materials
|
$ | 1,515,000 | $ | (379,000 | ) | $ | 1,136,000 | |||||
Work-In-Process
|
2,364,000 | (760,000 | ) | 1,604,000 | ||||||||
Finished
Goods
|
557,000 | (488,000 | ) | 69,000 | ||||||||
Totals
|
$ | 4,436,000 | $ | (1,627,000 | ) | $ | 2,809,000 |
As of
February 28, 2009, inventories consist of the following:
Gross
|
Reserve
|
Net
|
||||||||||
Raw
Materials
|
$ | 1,462,000 | $ | (319,000 | ) | $ | 1,143,000 | |||||
Work-In-Process
|
1,963,000 | (614,000 | ) | 1,349,000 | ||||||||
Finished
Goods
|
509,000 | (432,000 | ) | 77,000 | ||||||||
Totals
|
$ | 3,934,000 | $ | (1,365,000 | ) | $ | 2,569,000 |
5. PROPERTY, PLANT AND
EQUIPMENT
As of
February 28, 2010 and 2009, property, plant, and equipment consist of the
following:
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Leasehold
Improvements
|
$ | 200,000 | $ | 197,000 | ||||
Machinery
and Equipment
|
2,156,000 | 1,983,000 | ||||||
Subtotal
|
2,356,000 | 2,180,000 | ||||||
Less:
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization
|
(1,795,000 | ) | (1,599,000 | ) | ||||
Net
Property, Plant and Equipment
|
$ | 561,000 | $ | 581,000 |
Depreciation
and amortization expense was $195,000 and $202,000 for the years ended 2010 and
2009 respectively, and is included in Cost of Sales in the accompanying
Statements of Income.
6.
ACCRUED EXPENSES
As of
February 28, 2010 and 2009, accrued expenses and other current liabilities
consist of the following:
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Payroll
and related employee benefits
|
$ | 469,000 | $ | 522,000 | ||||
Income
taxes
|
14,000 | 22,000 | ||||||
Property
taxes
|
7,000 | 7,000 | ||||||
Environmental
liabilities
|
4,000 | 15,000 | ||||||
Other
liabilities
|
11,000 | 4,000 | ||||||
Totals
|
$ | 505,000 | $ | 570,000 |
34
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
7.
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
As of
February 28, 2010 and 2009, long-term liabilities consist of the following
items:
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Environmental
liability
|
$ | 148,000 | $ | 158,000 |
Environmental
liability has an estimated payout period of seven years at a discounted interest
rate of 8.25%. Environmental liability is shown net of an interest
discount of $54,000.
Contractual
or estimated payment requirements on other long-term liabilities excluding
amounts representing interest during the next five years and thereafter are as
follows. It is reasonably possible that the estimates could change in the near
term:
Fiscal Year Ending February 28/29
|
2010
|
|||
2011
|
$ | 27,000 | ||
2012
|
27,000 | |||
2013
|
27,000 | |||
2014
|
27,000 | |||
2015
|
27,000 | |||
Thereafter
|
13,000 | |||
Total
|
$ | 148,000 |
8. INCOME
TAXES
At
February 28, 2010, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards of
approximately $15,958,000 that expire through 2015. Such net
operating losses are available to offset future taxable income, if
any. As the utilization of such net operating losses for tax purposes
is not assured, the deferred tax asset has been mostly reserved through the
recording of a 100% valuation allowance. Should a cumulative change
in the ownership of more than 50% occur within a three-year period, there could
be an annual limitation on the use of the net operating loss
carryforwards.
Total net
deferred taxes are comprised of the following at February 28, 2010 and
2009:
Deferred
tax assets:
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||||
Loss
carryforwards
|
$ | 6,005,000 | $ | 3,266,000 | ||||
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
1,000 | 3,000 | ||||||
Inventory
allowance
|
612,000 | 3,545,000 | ||||||
Depreciation
|
109,000 | 80,000 | ||||||
Section
263A capitalized costs
|
126,000 | 342,000 | ||||||
Total
deferred tax assets
|
6,853,000 | 7,236,000 | ||||||
Valuation
allowance
|
(6,853,000 | ) | (7,236,000 | ) | ||||
Total
net deferred taxes
|
$ | 0 | $ | 0 |
The
change in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets is due principally to
the utilization of the net operating loss for the years ended February 28, 2010
and 2009.
35
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
A
reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to the Company’s effective
tax rate for fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 and 2009 is as
follows:
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
U.S.
federal statutory rate
|
34.0 | % | 34.0 | % | ||||
Change
in valuation allowance
|
(34.0 | ) | (34.0 | ) | ||||
Alternative
Minimum Taxes
|
0.1 | 0.0 | ||||||
Effective
income tax rate
|
0.1 | % | 0.0 | % |
9. STOCK
OPTIONS
The
Company’s 2000 Stock Option Plan provides that stock options are valid for ten
years and vest twelve months after the award date unless otherwise stated in the
option awards.
On
January 23, 2006, the Board of Directors granted stock options to certain key
employees and directors. The options, which become vested on January 23, 2007,
were for a total of 14,700 shares and the exercise price was fixed at $3.95 per
share, which was the price on the OTCBB at the time of the grant. The options
are exercisable through January 23, 2016.
On May
16, 2005, the Board of Directors granted stock options to certain key employees
and directors. The options, which became vested on May 15, 2006, were for a
total of 47,000 shares and the exercise price was fixed at $0.75 per share,
which was the price on the OTCBB at the time of the grant. The options are
exercisable through May 15, 2015.
On May
17, 2004, the Board of Directors granted stock options to certain key employees
and directors. The options, which became vested on May 16, 2005, were for a
total number of 47,500 shares and the exercise price was fixed at 1.05 per
share, which was the price on the OTCBB at the time of the grant. The options
are exercisable through May 16, 2014.
On May
17, 2004, the Board of Directors awarded the Company’s President options
totaling 175,636 shares, which are fully vested. The exercise price
of these options was fixed at $1.05 per share (the closing price on the OTCBB at
the time of the grant).
In
December 2000, a grant equal to 10% of the outstanding shares (254,624) was made
to the Company’s President at the exercisable price of $0.40 per share (the
closing stock price on the date of the grant). Fifty percent (50%) of
the total number of shares is immediately exercisable and the other 50% vests in
five equal installments over the following five years. All of these
options are now fully vested.
The
Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan allows the Company to grant common stock,
options, restricted stock, and stock appreciation rights to eligible
individuals. As of February 28, 2010, the Company had not granted any
awards under the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan.
Below is
a summary of the Company’s Stock Option Activity:
Options
Outstanding
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
|
|||||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2008
|
467,060 | $ | 0.767 | 6.5 | 880,000 | |||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2009
|
467,060 | $ | 0.767 | 5.5 | 412,000 | |||||||||||
Expired
or Cancelled
|
(300 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Balance,
February 28, 2010
|
466,760 | $ | 0.767 | 4.5 | 814,000 |
36
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
No
options were granted or exercised in the years ended February 28, 2010 and
February 28, 2009.
All of
the Company’s outstanding options were vested as of February 28,
2010. No shares vested during the years ended February 28, 2010 and
February 28, 2009.
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and
exercisable at February 28, 2010:
Options Outstanding
|
Exercisable Options
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Range of
Exercise Prices
|
Number of
Outstanding
Options
|
Remaining
Contractual
Life
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Number
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|||||||||||||||||
$ |
0.400
|
$ | 0.400 | 254,624 |
1
years
|
$ | 0.400 | 254,624 | $ | 0.400 | ||||||||||||
$ |
1.050
|
$ | 1.050 | 176,636 |
5
years
|
$ | 1.050 | 176,636 | $ | 1.050 | ||||||||||||
$ |
0.750
|
$ | 0.750 | 22,000 |
6
years
|
$ | 0.750 | 22,000 | $ | 0.750 | ||||||||||||
$ |
3.950
|
$ | 3.950 | 13,500 |
6
years
|
$ | 3.950 | 13,500 | $ | 3.950 | ||||||||||||
466,760 | $ | 0.767 | 466,760 | $ | 0.767 |
All
options with a remaining contractual life outstanding are fully
vested.
10. EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT PLANS
The
Company has a 401k and Profit Sharing Plan (the "Profit Sharing Plan") in which
substantially all employees may participate after three months of
service. Contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan by participants are
voluntary. The Company may match participant's contributions up to 25% of 4% of
each participant's annual compensation. In addition, the Company may
make additional contributions at its discretion. The Company did not
contribute to the Profit Sharing Plan during the fiscal years ended February 28,
2010 and February 28, 2009.
11.
EXPORT SALES AND MAJOR CUSTOMERS
Revenues
from domestic and export sales to unaffiliated customers for the year ended
February 28, 2010 are as follows:
Power
|
Field Effect
|
Power
|
||||||||||||||||||
Geographic Region
|
Transistors
|
Hybrids
|
Transistors
|
MOSFETS
|
Totals
|
|||||||||||||||
Europe
and Australia
|
$ | 48,000 | $ | 933,000 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 4,000 | $ | 987,000 | ||||||||||
Canada
and Latin America
|
34,000 | 0 | 30,000 | 2,000 | 66,000 | |||||||||||||||
Far
East and Middle East
|
2,000 | 0 | 0 | 189,000 | 191,000 | |||||||||||||||
United
States
|
849,000 | 3,466,000 | 739,000 | 1,425,000 | 6,479,000 | |||||||||||||||
Totals
|
$ | 933,000 | $ | 4,399,000 | $ | 771,000 | $ | 1,620,000 | $ | 7,723,000 |
Revenues
from domestic and export sales to unaffiliated customers for the year ended
February 28, 2009 are as follows:
Power
|
Field Effect
|
Power
|
||||||||||||||||||
Geographic Region
|
Transistors
|
Hybrids
|
Transistors
|
MOSFETS
|
Totals
|
|||||||||||||||
Europe
and Australia
|
$ | 76,000 | $ | 914,000 | $ | 42,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 1,032,000 | ||||||||||
Canada
and Latin America
|
26,000 | 0 | 10,000 | 22,000 | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||
Far
East and Middle East
|
20,000 | 0 | 3,000 | 66,000 | 89,000 | |||||||||||||||
United
States
|
1,039,000 | 4,094,000 | 618,000 | 1,529,000 | 7,280,000 | |||||||||||||||
Totals
|
$ | 1,161,000 | $ | 5,008,000 | $ | 673,000 | $ | 1,617,000 | $ | 8,459,000 |
37
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Revenues
from domestic and export sales are attributed to global geographic region
according to the location of the customer’s primary manufacturing or operating
facilities.
Sales to
the Company's top two customers accounted for 52% of net sales for the year
ended February 28, 2010 as compared with 46% of the Company's net sales for
the year ended February 28, 2009. Sales to Raytheon Company accounted
for approximately 39% of net sales for the year ended February 28, 2010 and 35%
for the year ended February 28, 2009. Sales to BAE Systems Australia
accounted for approximately 13% of net sales for the year ended February 28,
2010 and 11% for the year ended February 28, 2009.
12. MAJOR
SUPPLIERS
For the
year ended February 28, 2010, purchases from the Company’s two top suppliers,
Platronics Seals and Streamtek Electronics Ltd., accounted for 26% of the
Company's total purchases of production materials. For the year ended February
28, 2009, purchases from the Company’s two top suppliers, Platronics Seals and
Egide USA Inc., accounted for 19% of total purchases of production
materials.
13.
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Employment
Agreement
In
December 2000, the Company entered into a five-year employment agreement with
its President. This agreement provides, among other things, for
annual compensation of $240,000 and a bonus pursuant to a
formula. The agreement stipulates that the President shall be
entitled to a bonus equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the Company’s pre-tax
income in excess of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
($250,000). For purposes of the agreement, “pre –tax income” shall
mean net income before taxes, excluding (i) all extraordinary gains or losses,
(ii) gains resulting from debt forgiven associated with the buyout of unsecured
creditors, and (iii) any bonuses paid to employees. The bonus payable
hereunder shall be paid within ninety (90) days after the end of the fiscal
year.
At a
meeting of the Compensation Committee on January 23, 2006, the Committee
approved an increase to the President’s annual compensation to $280,000,
effective March 1, 2006.
The
Company accrued $93,000 as a bonus to Mr. Saraf for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 2010. The Compensation Committee will meet on May 24,
2010 to approve the bonus to be paid during June 2010.
The
Company accrued $131,000 as a bonus to Mr. Saraf for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 2009. The Compensation Committee met and approved the
bonus that was paid in June 2009.
The
President’s employment agreement stipulates, in Article 2.2, “Option to Extend”,
that the contract is automatically extended for one year periods unless a notice
is given by either party one year prior to the yearly anniversary.
Upon
execution of the agreement, the President received a grant of options to
purchase ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common
stock, par value $.01 calculated on a fully diluted basis, at an exercise price
per share equal to the closing asking price of the Company’s common stock on the
OTCBB on the date of the grant ($0.40). Fifty percent (50%) of the
Initial Stock Options granted were vested immediately upon grant. The
remaining fifty percent (50%) of the Initial Stock Options vested in equal
amounts on each of the first five anniversaries of the date of
grant. These options were fully vested during the year ended February
28, 2006.
These
stock options were in addition to, and not in lieu of or in substitution for,
the stock options (the “1992 Stock Options”) granted to the President pursuant
to the Incentive Stock Option Plan Agreement dated October 20, 1992 under
Solitron Devices, Inc. 1987 Stock Option Plan between the Company and the
President.
38
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Environmental
Compliance:
The
Company entered into an Ability to Pay Multi-Site Settlement Agreement with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”), effective February 24,
2006 (“Settlement Agreement”), to resolve the Company’s alleged liability to
USEPA at the following sites: Solitron Microwave Superfund Site, Port
Salerno, Florida (“Port Salerno Site”); Petroleum Products Corporation
Superfund Site, Pembroke Park, Florida; Casmalia Resources Superfund Site, Santa
Barbara, California “(Casmalia Site”); Solitron Devices Site, Riviera Beach,
Florida (the “Riviera Beach Site”); and City Industries Superfund Site,
Orlando, Florida (collectively, the “Sites”). The Settlement
Agreement required the Company to pay to USEPA the sum of $74,000 by February
24, 2008; the Company paid the entire sum of $74,000 to USEPA on February 27,
2006. In addition, the Company is required to pay to USEPA the sum of
$10,000 or 5% of Solitron’s net after-tax income over the first $500,000, if
any, whichever is greater, for each year from fiscal years
2009-2013. For payment to USEPA to be above $10,000 for any of these
five years, the Company’s net income must exceed $700,000 for such year, which
has happened in fiscal year 2001, fiscal year 2006, fiscal year 2008,
and fiscal year 2009. On March 15, 2010 the Company paid $10,000 to
USEPA for fiscal year 2010 based on preliminary net income projections and has
accrued an additional $4,000 current liability for fiscal year
2010. The final amount will be paid to USEPA after the Company’s
independent auditor will finish the fiscal year 2010 year-end
audit in June 2009. This amount is carried
as an environmental expense. The
Company has accrued $40,000 for its remaining minimum
obligations under the Settlement Agreement which is reflected in “Accrued
expenses and other current liabilities” on the Company’s Balance Sheets at
February 28, 2010.
In
consideration of the payments made by the Company under the Settlement
Agreement, USEPA agreed not to sue or take any administrative action against the
Company with regard to any of the Sites. The Company has also been
notified by a group of alleged responsible parties formed at the Casmalia Site
(“Casmalia PRP Group”) that, based on
their
review and lack of objection to the Settlement Agreement, the Casmalia PRP Group
does not anticipate pursuing Solitron for cost recovery at the Casmalia
site.
On
October 21, 1993, a Consent Final Judgment was entered into between the Company
and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (“FDEP”) in the Circuit
Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida in and for Martin County,
Florida, in Case No. 91-1232 CA (the “Consent Final Judgment”). The
Consent Final Judgment required the Company to remediate the Port Salerno and
Riviera Beach Sites, make monthly payments to escrow accounts for each Site
until the sale of the Sites to fund the remediation work, take all reasonable
steps to sell the two Sites and, upon the sale of the Sites, apply the net
proceeds from the sales to fund the remediation work. Both Sites have
been sold pursuant to purchase agreements approved by FDEP.
Prior to
the sale of the Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site, USEPA took over from
FDEP as the lead regulatory agency for the remediation of the
Sites. At the closing of the sale of each Site, the net
proceeds of sale were distributed to USEPA and/or FDEP or other parties, as
directed by the agencies. In addition, upon the sale of the Riviera
Beach Site, the Riviera Beach Escrow Account was transferred to USEPA, as
directed by the agencies. The current balance in the Port Salerno
Escrow Account is approximately $58,000. At present, work at the Port
Salerno Site is being performed by USEPA. Work at the Riviera Beach
Site is being performed by Honeywell, Inc. (“Honeywell”), pursuant to an
Administrative Order on Consent entered into between Honeywell and
USEPA. The Company has been notified by FDEP that the successful
performance of remediation work in accordance with the Consent Final Judgment
standards by USEPA at the Port Salerno Site and by Honeywell at the Riviera
Beach Site will be construed by FDEP as discharging the Company’s remediation
obligations under the Consent Final Judgment.
There
remains a possibility that FDEP will determine at some time in the future that
the final remedy approved by USEPA and implemented at either, or both of, the
Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site does not meet the State cleanup
requirements imposed by the Consent Final Judgment. If such a final
determination is made by FDEP, there is a possibility that FDEP will require the
Company to implement additional remedial action at either, or both of, the Port
Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site.
39
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
By letter
dated November 16, 2006, FDEP notified the Company that FDEP has unreimbursed
expenses associated with the Port Salerno Site and Riviera Beach Site of
$214,800. The Company has accrued a long term environmental liability
of $118,000 for this expense, which is the present value of 28 equal quarterly
payments at 8.25% assumed interest. FDEP further notified the Company that FDEP
required the Company to resume payments under Consent Final Judgment to ensure
that there are adequate funds to cover FDEP’s unreimbursed expenses and the
Company’s residual liability under the Consent Final Judgment. During
a follow up telephone conversation with the Company’s attorney, FDEP advised the
Company that FDEP will prepare a justification for the asserted unreimbursed
expenses. Upon receipt of the cost reimbursement package, the Company
is required to transfer $55,000.00 from the Port Salerno Escrow Account to FDEP
as partial payment for FDEP’s unreimbursed expenses that are otherwise
recoverable under the Consent Final Judgment. FDEP further stated,
during the telephone conversation, that FDEP will work with the Company to
establish a reduced payment schedule for the Company to resume under the Consent
Final Judgment based on an appropriate showing by the Company of financial
hardship. The Company is currently awaiting receipt of FDEP’s cost
reimbursement package. Upon receipt of that documentation, the
Company will be required to provide a recommendation to FDEP for resumption of
payments to FDEP under the Consent Final Judgment based on the Company’s present
ability to pay.
On August
7, 2002, the Company received a Request for Information from the State of New
York Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYDEC”), seeking information on
whether the Company had disposed of certain wastes at the Clarkstown Landfill
Site located in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York
(The Clarkstown Landfill Site”). By letter dated August 29,
2002, the Company responded to the Request for Information and advised NYDEC
that the Company’s former Tappan, New York facility had closed in the
mid-1980’s, prior to the initiation of the Company’s bankruptcy proceedings
described below. The Company contends that, to the extent
that
NYDEC has
a claim against the Company as a result of the Company’s alleged disposal of
wastes at the Clarkstown Landfill Site prior to the closing of the Company’s
former Tappan facility in the mid-1980’s, the claim was discharged
in
bankruptcy as a result of the Bankruptcy Court’s August 1993
Order. At NYDEC’s request, the Company entered into a revised Tolling
Agreement with NYDEC on October 8, 2007, which provides for the tolling of
applicable statutes of limitation through the earlier of June 26, 2009, or the
date the State institutes a suit against the Company for any claims associated
with the Clarkstown Landfill Site. It is not known at this time
whether NYDEC will pursue a claim against the Company in connection with the
Clarkstown Landfill Site. As of the date of this filing, no such
claim has been made. The Clarkstown Landfill Joint Defense Group (“Clarkstown
JDG”), a group of potentially responsible parties formed to respond to claims by
NYDEC for recovery of closure and clean-up response costs at the Clarkstown
Landfill Site, is negotiating with NYDEC to settle the claims of NYDEC against
all potentially responsible parties at the Clarkstown Landfill site that
participate in the Clarkstown JDG. In connection with those
negotiations, the Clarkstown JDG, by letter dated March 17, 2010, offered to
pursue a settlement of NYDEC’s claim against the Company in return for the
Company’s agreement to pay the sum of $125,000.00, representing the Company’s
alleged share of the overall settlement with NYDEC. The Company
rejected the settlement offer on March 29, 2010, based on its continuing
contention that any claim of NYDEC against the Company was discharged in
bankruptcy as a result of the Bankruptcy Court’s August 1993 Order.
Operating
Leases
In 2001,
the Company entered into a lease agreement for its production
facility. The lease has a 10-year term, which expires in December
2011 and has no option to renew under current terms. The lease is
subject to escalations based on operating expenses. Future minimum
lease payments for this non-cancelable operating lease is as
follows:
Fiscal Year Ending February 28/29
|
Amount
|
|||
2011
|
481,000 | |||
Thereafter
|
411,000 | |||
Total
|
$ | 892,000 |
Total
rent expense was $480,000 for the year ended February 28, 2010 as compared with
$443,000 for the year ended February 28, 2009.
40
SOLITRON
DEVICES, INC.
NOTES TO
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
14. OTHER
INCOME
During
the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the Company recognized approximately
$13,000 of other income attributable to attributable to $16,000 of income tax
benefit offset by $3,000 of other expenses. During the fiscal year
ended February 28, 2009, the Company recognized approximately $12,000 of other
income attributable to receivable adjustments.
41
ITEM
9.
|
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH
ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE.
|
None.
ITEM
9A(T).
|
CONTROLS AND
PROCEDURES
|
Our
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The
Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the
participation of its management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e), and 15d-15(e)) as of the
end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based upon that
evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded
that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the
period covered by this Annual Report.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Based on
an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our
management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during
our last fiscal quarter identified in connection with that evaluation, that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal
control over financial reporting.
ITEM
9B.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
None.
42
PART III
ITEM
10.
|
DIRECTORS , EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS AND CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE.
|
The table
below sets forth the name, age, and position of the directors and executive
officers of the Company. The table below also sets forth the year in
which each director was first elected to the Board and the year in which the
term of each director expires. Pursuant to the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, the Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each of
which consists of (as nearly as may be possible) one third of the
directors. Directors are elected for three-year terms.
Year
|
||||||||
First
|
Term As
|
|||||||
Became
|
Director
|
|||||||
Name
|
Age
|
Position with Solitron
|
Director
|
Expires(1)
|
||||
Shevach
Saraf
|
67
|
Chairman
of the Board,
|
1992
|
Expired
|
||||
Chief
Executive Officer,
|
||||||||
President,
Chief Financial Officer
|
||||||||
and
Treasurer
|
||||||||
Dr.
Jacob A. Davis (2)
|
73
|
Director
|
1996
|
Expired
|
||||
Mr.
Joseph Schlig (2)
|
82
|
Director
|
1996
|
Expired
|
1) The
term of each Director has expired. Each Director shall continue in
office until his successor is elected at the next annual meeting of
stockholders.
2) A
member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
Mr. Shevach Saraf has been
President of the Company since November 1992, Chief Executive Officer of the
Company since December 1992, Chairman of the Board since September 1993 and
Chief Financial Officer since 2000. He has 45 years experience in operations and
engineering management with electronics and electromechanical manufacturing
companies.
Before
joining Solitron in 1992, Mr. Saraf was Vice President of Operations and a
member of the Board of Directors of Image Graphics, Inc (“Image Graphics”), a
military and commercial electron beam recorder manufacturer based in Shelton,
CT. As head of Image Graphics’ engineering, manufacturing materials
and field service operations, he turned around the firm’s chronic cost and
schedule overruns to on-schedule and better-than-budget
performance. Earlier, he was President of Value Adding Services, a
management consulting firm in Cheshire, CT. This company provided
consulting and turnaround services to electronics and electromechanical
manufacturing companies with particular emphasis on operations. From
1982-1987, Mr. Saraf was Vice President of operations for Harmer Simmons Power
Supplies, Inc., a power supplies manufacturer in Seymour, CT. He
founded and directed all aspects of the company’s startup and growth, achieving
$12 million in annual sales and a staff of 180 employees. Mr. Saraf
also held executive positions with Photofabrication Technology, Inc. and
Measurements Group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
43
Born and
raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, he served in the Israeli Air Force from 1960-1971 as
an electronics technical officer. He received his master’s in
business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, and his
master’s in management from Rensselaer at Hartford (formerly known as Hartford
[CT] Graduate Center). He also received associate degrees from the
Israeli Institute of Productivity, the Teachers & Instructors Institute, and
the Israeli Air Force Technical Academy.
Dr. Jacob (Jay) A. Davis was
elected a Director of the Company on August 26, 1996. Dr. Davis also serves as
the Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit
Committee. From 1995 to 1999, he was Vice President of Business
Planning and Finance for AET, Inc, a developing software company based in
Melbourne, Florida. He has served on the Board of AET since the inception of the
company in 1995. In 1994 and 1995, he was Visiting Professor in
Engineering Management at Florida Institute of Technology. He was a
Vice-Chairman of the Brevard SCORE Chapter and has devoted significant time to
counseling with local businesses. He was an active member of the
International Executive Service Corps (IESC) serving in South Russia during May
and June of 1996, and again in February and March of 1998.
Prior to
joining AET, Dr. Davis was with Harris Semiconductor for 26
years. During the last 12 years with Harris Semiconductor, he was
Vice President-General Manager of the Military and Aerospace Division, the
Custom Integrated Circuits Division and the Harris Microwave
Division. Dr. Davis has served in a variety of other capacities at
Harris Semiconductor including Vice President of Engineering, Director of
Manufacturing, Director of Special Services, and Device Research
Engineer.
Dr. Davis
received a doctor of philosophy from Purdue University in 1969 and a bachelors
of science in electrical engineering from North Carolina State
University. He is a Member of the IEEE and the Electrochemical
Society, and has served on a variety of advisory boards for several
Universities. He holds four patents and has given a number of
overview papers and invited presentations at several conferences.
Mr. Joseph Schlig was elected
a Director of the Company on August 26, 1996. Since 1985, he has been
Managing Director of Fairhaven Associates, a professional consulting firm
supporting small and medium size businesses in strategic planning, financial,
marketing and operations management and organizational
development. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Schlig also served as Chief
Financial Officer of Industrial Technologies, Inc.,
(INTE.PK—NASDAQ). For the prior five years, Mr. Schlig was a business
consultant to private companies and to the State of Connecticut Department of
Economic Development.
Prior to
1985, Mr. Schlig had many years of business experience including Director of
Marketing, Latin America for ITT and Director of International Operations for
Revlon. Mr. Schlig has also operated several small/medium size
companies in both the public and private sectors. He also served as a
director of the Trumbull Technology Foundation and as a Director of the MIT
Enterprise Forum of Connecticut and served as a director of the Bridgeport
[Connecticut] Economic Development Corporation. He was an alternate
member of the Board of Finance of the Town of Trumbull,
Connecticut. He is currently a Trustee of the Trumbull Public Library
System.
Mr.
Schlig brings merger and acquisition experience to the Board of Directors as
well as the experience of having held CEO and CFO positions with companies in
the public sector. He was also a director of a public technology
company whose primary business was with agencies of the US
government. In addition, he has been engaged with technology
companies both domestically and internationally.
Mr.
Schlig has an engineering degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology and an
MBA from the Harvard Business School where he was a Baker
Scholar. Mr. Schlig is the Chairman of the Audit Committee and a
member of the Compensation Committee.
44
Audit
Committee
The
Company’s Board of Directors has an Audit Committee. The Audit
Committee consists of Messrs. Davis and Schlig (Chairman). The
Company has determined that the members of the audit committee are independent
pursuant to the Nasdaq Stock Marketplace Rules. The Company’s Audit
Committee generally has responsibility for appointing, overseeing and
determining the compensation of our independent certified public accountants,
reviewing the plan and scope of the independent certified public accountants’
audit, reviewing our audit and control functions, approving all non-audit
services provided by our independent certified public accountants and reporting
to our full Board of Directors regarding all of the
foregoing. Additionally, our Audit Committee provides our Board of
Directors with such additional information and materials as it may deem
necessary to make our Board of Directors aware of significant financial matters
that require its attention. The Company has adopted an Audit
Committee Charter, a copy of which is published on the Company’s web site,
www.solitrondevices.com on the Investor Relations page. The Company
has determined that the audit committee “financial expert” is Mr.
Joseph Schlig.
CODE OF
ETHICS
The
Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, which
includes the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer
and controller, pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Code of Ethics
is published on the Company’s web site, www.solitrondevices.com on the Investor
Relations page.
Section 16(a) Beneficial
Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires directors and
executive officers of the Company and ten percent stockholders of the Company to
file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of Common
Stock and other equity securities of the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Directors, executive officers, and ten percent
stockholders are required to furnish the Company with copies of all Section
16(a) forms they file. To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on a
review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and
representations that no other reports were required during the year ended
February 28, 2010, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to directors
and executive officers of the Company and ten percent stockholders of the
Company were timely filed, except that GRT Deep Woods GP, L.L.C., a ten percent
stockholder of the Company, untimely filed a Form 3 on June 2, 2009 and a Form 4
reporting one transaction, which Form 4 was filed on June 2, 2009.
ITEM
11.
|
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
|
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The
following table provides certain summary information concerning compensation
paid by the Company, to or on behalf of the following named officer for the
fiscal years ended February 28, 2010 and February 28, 2009.
Name and
Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary($)
|
Bonus($)
|
All Other
Compensation($)
|
Total($)
|
|||||||||||||
Shevach
Saraf
|
2010
|
290,384 | 92,571 |
(1)
|
24,627 |
(2)
|
407,582 | |||||||||||
Chairman
of the Board,
|
2009
|
271,346 | 130,883 |
(3)
|
22,358 |
(2)
|
424,587 | |||||||||||
President,
CFO, Treasurer
|
(1)
|
The
Compensation Committee met on May 24, 2010 and approved a bonus of $92,571
to Mr. Saraf for fiscal year ended February 28, 2010 to be paid
during June 2010. This amount was accrued in fiscal year
2010.
|
(2)
|
Life,
Disability, & Medical Insurance premiums plus personal car
expenses.
|
(3)
|
The
Company accrued $130,883 for a bonus to Mr. Saraf for fiscal year ended
February 28, 2009. The Compensation Committee met and approved
the bonus and the bonus was paid during June
2009.
|
45
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END
The
following table sets forth certain summary information covering unexercised
options to purchase the Company's Common Stock as of February 28, 2010 held by
the following named officer.
Option Awards
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Name
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Exercisable
(1)
|
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
(#)
Unexerciseable
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options
(#)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
|||||||||||||||
Shevach
Saraf
|
254,624 | - | - | $ | .40 | (2 | ) | |||||||||||||
175,636 | - | - | $ | 1.05 | (2 | ) |
(1) These
options were fully vested as of February 28, 2010.
(2) These
options do not expire.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Name
|
Fees Earned
Or Paid
In Cash($)
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation($)
(2)
|
Total($)
|
|||||||||
Dr.
Jacob A. Davis (1)
|
12,000 | 9,000 | 21,000 | |||||||||
Mr.
Joseph Schlig (1)
|
12,000 | 9,000 | 21,000 |