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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

(Mark One)

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934*

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2015

OR

 

¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 0-23827

 

 

PC CONNECTION, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

DELAWARE		02-0513618
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
730 MILFORD ROAD, MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE		03054
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(603) 683-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report: N/A

 

 

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  x    NO  ¨

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 definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer		¨		Accelerated filer		x
Non-accelerated filer		¨  (Do not check if smaller reporting company)		Smaller reporting company		¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    YES  ¨    NO  x

The number of shares outstanding of the issuer’s common stock as of May 1, 2015 was 26,350,582.

 

 

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION
				Page
ITEM 1.		Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements:
		Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets–March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014			1
		Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income–Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 and 2014			2
		Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows–Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 and 2014			3
		Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements			4
ITEM 2.		Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations			7
ITEM 3.		Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk			14
ITEM 4.		Controls and Procedures			15
		PART II OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1A.		Risk Factors			16
ITEM 6.		Exhibits			16
SIGNATURES					17

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1—Financial Statements

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands)

 

		March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	79,882			$	60,909
Accounts receivable, net			284,851				293,027
Inventories			71,274				90,917
Deferred income taxes			7,749				7,749
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			6,153				5,332
Income taxes receivable			2,348				212
Total current assets			452,257				458,146
Property and equipment, net			28,102				27,861
Goodwill			51,276				51,276
Other intangibles, net			1,743				1,953
Other assets			673				724
Total Assets		$	534,051			$	539,960
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	116,211			$	124,893
Accrued expenses and other liabilities			18,871				22,011
Accrued payroll			14,931				17,793
Total current liabilities			150,013				164,697
Deferred income taxes			18,870				18,803
Other liabilities			2,296				2,452
Total Liabilities			171,179				185,952
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock			282				282
Additional paid-in capital			107,236				106,956
Retained earnings			271,216				262,632
Treasury stock, at cost			(15,862	)			(15,862	)
Total Stockholders’ Equity			362,872				354,008
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity		$	534,051			$	539,960

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1—Financial Statements

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
Net sales		$	581,259			$	559,760
Cost of sales			503,646				486,913
Gross profit			77,613				72,847
Selling, general and administrative expenses			63,434				61,101
Income from operations			14,179				11,746
Interest/other income (expense), net			1				(10	)
Income before taxes			14,180				11,736
Income tax provision			(5,596	)			(4,605	)
Net income		$	8,584			$	7,131
Earnings per common share:
Basic		$	0.33			$	0.27
Diluted		$	0.32			$	0.27
Shares used in computation of earnings per common share:
Basic			26,346				26,202
Diluted			26,593				26,485

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1—Financial Statements

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands)

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income		$	8,584			$	7,131
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			2,192				2,077
Provision for doubtful accounts			733				128
Stock-based compensation expense			238				159
Deferred income taxes			67				64
Excess tax benefit from exercise of equity awards			(59	)			(34	)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			7,443				22,070
Inventories			19,643				7,722
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(2,957	)			2,317
Other non-current assets			51				28
Accounts payable			(8,627	)			(15,205	)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities			(6,093	)			(2,682	)
Net cash provided by operating activities			21,215				23,775
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of property and equipment			(2,278	)			(1,466	)
Proceeds from sale of equipment			—				9
Net cash used for investing activities			(2,278	)			(1,457	)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Excess tax benefit from exercise of equity awards			59				34
Exercise of stock options			20				16
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares withheld			(43	)			(34	)
Net cash provided by financing activities			36				16
Increase in cash and cash equivalents			18,973				22,334
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			60,909				42,547
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period		$	79,882			$	64,881
Non-cash Investing Activities:
Accrued capital expenditures		$	149			$	358
Non-cash Investing Activities:
Income taxes paid		$	8,818			$	1,063

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1—Financial Statements

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Note 1–Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of PC Connection, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Such principles were applied on a basis consistent with the accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the interim periods reported and of the Company’s financial condition as of the date of the interim balance sheet. The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of issuance of these financial statements. The operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 may not be indicative of the results expected for any succeeding quarter or the entire year ending December 31, 2015.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Comprehensive Income

We had no items of comprehensive income, other than our net income for each of the periods presented.

Recently Issued Financial Accounting Standard

On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or the FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), its final standard on revenue from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In applying the revenue model to contracts within its scope, an entity identifies the contract(s) with a customer, identifies the performance obligations in the contract, determines the transaction price, allocates the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 applies to all contracts with customers that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. ASU 2014-09 also requires significantly expanded disclosures about revenue recognition. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. In April 2015, the FASB proposed a one-year delay in the effective date of the standard to January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on its consolidated financial statements.

Note 2–Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per common share is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding adjusted for the incremental shares attributable to nonvested stock units and stock options outstanding, if dilutive.

 

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The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Numerator:
Net income		$	8,584			$	7,131
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share			26,346				26,202
Dilutive effect of employee stock awards			247				283
Denominator for diluted earnings per share			26,593				26,485
Earnings per share:
Basic		$	0.33			$	0.27
Diluted		$	0.32			$	0.27

For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, we had no outstanding nonvested stock units or stock options that were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect.

Note 3–Segment and Related Disclosures

The internal reporting structure used by our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) to assess performance and allocate resources determines the basis for our reportable operating segments. Our CODM is our Chairman of the Board of Directors, and she evaluates operations and allocates resources based on a measure of operating income.

Our operations are organized under three reporting segments—the SMB segment, which serves primarily small- and medium-sized businesses; the Large Account segment, which serves primarily medium-to-large corporations; and the Public Sector segment, which serves primarily federal, state, and local governmental and educational institutions. In addition, the Headquarters/Other group provides services in areas such as finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, and product management. Most of the operating costs associated with the Headquarters/Other group functions are charged to the operating segments based on their estimated usage of the underlying functions. We report these charges to the operating segments as “Allocations.” Certain headquarters costs relating to executive oversight and other fiduciary functions that are not allocated to the operating segments are included under the heading of Headquarters/Other in the tables below.

Net sales presented below exclude inter-segment product revenues. Segment information applicable to our reportable operating segments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 is shown below:

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
Net sales:
SMB		$	249,874			$	253,471
Large Account			209,459				200,932
Public Sector			121,926				105,357
Total net sales		$	581,259			$	559,760
Operating income (loss):
SMB		$	9,331			$	7,807
Large Account			8,475				7,776
Public Sector			(595	)			(1,885	)
Headquarters/Other			(3,032	)			(1,952	)
Total operating income		$	14,179			$	11,746
Interest/other expense, net			1				(10	)
Income before taxes		$	14,180			$	11,736
Selected Operating Expense:
Depreciation and amortization:
SMB		$	5			$	1
Large Account			329				334

 

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Public Sector			40				44
Headquarters/Other			1,818				1,698
Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,192			$	2,077
Assets at March 31, 2015:
SMB		$	192,307
Large Account			264,536
Public Sector			53,859
Headquarters/Other			23,349
Total assets		$	534,051

The assets of our three operating segments presented above consist primarily of accounts receivable, intercompany receivable, goodwill, and other intangibles. Assets reported under the Headquarters/Other group are managed by corporate headquarters, including cash, inventory, and property and equipment. Total assets for the Headquarters/Other group are presented net of intercompany balance eliminations of $27,350 as of March 31, 2015. Our capital expenditures consist largely of IT hardware and software purchased to maintain or upgrade our management information systems. These systems serve all of our subsidiaries, to varying degrees, and accordingly, our CODM does not evaluate capital expenditures on a segment basis.

Note 4–Commitments and Contingencies

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims, including patent infringement claims, which have arisen during the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such matters is not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

We are subject to audits by states on sales and income taxes, unclaimed property, employment matters, and other assessments. A comprehensive multi-state unclaimed property audit continues to be in progress. While management believes that known and estimated unclaimed property liabilities have been adequately provided for, it is too early to determine the ultimate outcome of such audits, as not all formal assessments have been finalized. Additional liabilities for this and other audits could be assessed, and such outcomes could have a material, negative impact on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

Note 5–Bank Borrowing and Trade Credit Arrangements

We have a $50,000 credit facility collateralized by our receivables that expires February 24, 2017. This facility can be increased, at our option, to $80,000 for approved acquisitions or other uses authorized by the lender on substantially the same terms. Amounts outstanding under this facility bear interest at the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, plus a spread based on our funded debt ratio, or in the absence of LIBOR, the prime rate (3.25% at March 31, 2015). The one-month LIBOR rate at March 31, 2015 was 0.18%. The credit facility includes various customary financial ratios and operating covenants, including minimum net worth and maximum funded debt ratio requirements, and default acceleration provisions. Funded debt ratio is the ratio of average outstanding advances under the credit facility to Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest Expense, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and Special Charges). The maximum allowable funded debt ratio under the agreement is 2.0 to 1.0. Decreases in our consolidated Adjusted EBITDA could limit our potential borrowings under the credit facility. We had no outstanding bank borrowings at March 31, 2015 or December 31, 2014, and accordingly, the entire $50,000 facility was available for borrowings under the credit facility.

At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had security agreements with two financial institutions to facilitate the purchase of inventory from various suppliers under certain terms and conditions. The agreements allow a collateralized first position in certain branded products in our inventory financed by the financial institutions up to an aggregated amount of $65,000. The cost of such financing under these agreements is borne by the suppliers by discounting their invoices to the financial institutions. We do not pay any interest or discount fees on such inventory. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, accounts payable included $26,563 and $17,638, respectively, owed to these financial institutions.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 2 - MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations include the identification of certain trends and other statements that may predict or anticipate future business or financial results that are subject to important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated. See Item 1A.“Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 on file with the SEC.

OVERVIEW

We are a national solutions provider of a wide range of information technology, or IT, solutions. We help our customers design, enable, manage, and service their IT environments. We provide IT products, including computer systems, software and peripheral equipment, networking communications, and other products and accessories that we purchase from manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. We also offer services involving design, configuration, and implementation of IT solutions. These services are performed by our personnel and by third-party providers. We operate through three sales segments, which serve primarily: (a) small- to medium-sized businesses, or SMBs, through our PC Connection Sales subsidiary, (b) large enterprise customers, in our Large Account segment, through our MoreDirect subsidiary, and (c) federal, state, and local government and educational institutions, in our Public Sector segment, through our GovConnection subsidiary.

We generate sales primarily through outbound telemarketing and field sales contacts by account managers focused on the business, education, and government markets, our websites, and inbound calls from customers responding to our catalogs and other advertising media. We seek to recruit, retain, and increase the productivity of our sales personnel through training, mentoring, financial incentives based on performance, and updating and streamlining our information systems to make our operations more efficient.

As a value added reseller in the IT supply chain, we do not manufacture IT hardware or software. We are dependent on our suppliers—manufacturers and distributors that historically have sold only to resellers rather than directly to end users. However, certain manufacturers have on multiple occasions attempted to sell directly to our customers, and in some cases, have restricted our ability to sell their products directly to certain customers, thereby attempting to eliminate our role. We believe that the success of these direct sales efforts by suppliers will depend on their ability to meet our customers’ ongoing demands and provide objective, unbiased solutions to meet their needs. We believe more of our customers are seeking comprehensive IT solutions, rather than simply the acquisition of specific IT products. Our advantage is our ability to be product-neutral and provide a broader combination of products, services, and advice tailored to customer needs. By providing customers with customized solutions from a variety of manufacturers, we believe we can mitigate the negative impact of continued direct sales initiatives from individual manufacturers. Through the formation of our ProConnection services group we are able to provide customers complete IT solutions, from identifying their needs, to designing, developing, and managing the integration of products and services to implement their IT projects. Such service offerings carry higher margins than traditional product sales. Additionally, the technical certifications of our service engineers permit us to offer higher-end, more complex products that generally carry higher gross margins. We expect these service offerings and technical certifications to continue to play a role in sales generation and improve gross margins in this competitive environment.

The primary challenges we continue to face in effectively managing our business are (1) increasing our revenues while at the same time improving our gross margin in all three segments, (2) recruiting, retaining, and improving the productivity of our sales personnel, and (3) effectively controlling our selling, general, and administrative, or SG&A, expenses while making major investments in our IT systems and solution selling personnel, especially in relation to changing revenue levels.

To support future growth, we are expanding our IT solution business, which requires the addition of highly-skilled service engineers. Although we expect to realize the ultimate benefit of higher-margin service revenues under this multi-year initiative, we believe that our cost of services will increase significantly as we add service engineers. If our service revenues do not grow enough to offset the cost of these headcount additions, our operating results may decline.

Market conditions and technology advances significantly affect the demand for our products and services. Virtual delivery of software products and advanced Internet technology providing customers enhanced functionality have substantially increased customer expectations, requiring us to invest more heavily in our own IT development to meet these new demands. This investment includes significant planned expenditures to update our websites, as buying trends change and electronic commerce continues to grow.

 

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Our investments in IT infrastructure are designed to enable us to operate more efficiently and provide our customers enhanced functionality. While we have not yet finalized our decisions regarding the areas of future investment in our IT infrastructure, we expect to increase our capital investments in our IT infrastructure in the next three to five years, which will also likely increase SG&A expenses as assets are placed into service and depreciated.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table sets forth information derived from our statements of income expressed as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated:

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Net sales (in millions)		$	581.3			$	559.8
Gross margin			13.3	%			13.0	%
Selling, general and administrative expenses			10.9				10.9
Income from operations			2.4				2.1

Net sales in the first quarter of 2015 increased year over year by $21.5 million, or 3.8%, compared to the first quarter of 2014, due to increased sales in our Large Account and Public Sector segments. Sales increased due to greater demand for our higher-margin products, such as servers and storage. Gross margin (gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales) increased compared to the prior year quarter. SG&A expenses were largely unchanged as a percentage of net sales, but increased in dollars due to incremental variable compensation associated with higher gross profits and investments in solution sales and support personnel. Operating income in the first quarter of 2015 increased year over year in both dollars and as a percentage of net sales due to the increase in net sales and gross margin.

Net Sales Distribution

The following table sets forth our percentage of net sales by segment and product mix:

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Operating Segment
SMB			43	%			45	%
Large Account			36				36
Public Sector			21				19
Total			100	%			100	%
Product Mix
Notebooks/Tablets			22	%			22	%
Software			16				15
Desktops			10				12
Net/Com Products			9				10
Video, Imaging & Sound			8				9
Printer & Printer Supplies			7				7
Servers			7				4
Storage			6				5
Memory & System Enhancements			3				3
Accessories/Services/Other			12				13
Total			100	%			100	%

 

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Gross margin

The following table summarizes our gross margin, as a percentage of net sales, over the periods indicated:

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Operating Segment
SMB			15.5	%			14.9	%
Large Account			12.0				12.0
Public Sector			11.2				10.5
Total			13.3	%			13.0	%

Operating Expenses

The following table reflects our more significant SG&A expenses for the periods indicated (dollars in millions):

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Personnel costs		$	47.6			$	45.8
Advertising			3.9				3.9
Facilities operations			3.1				3.2
Professional fees			1.9				1.8
Credit card fees			1.7				1.7
Depreciation and amortization			2.2				2.1
Other, net			3.0				2.6
Total		$	63.4			$	61.1
Percentage of net sales			10.9	%			10.9	%

Year-Over-Year Comparisons

Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2014

Changes in net sales and gross profit by segment are shown in the following table (dollars in millions):

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015								2014
		Amount				% of Net Sales				Amount				% of Net Sales				% Change
Sales:
SMB		$	249.9				43.0	%		$	253.5				45.3	%			(1.4	)%
Large Account			209.5				36.0				200.9				35.9				4.2
Public Sector			121.9				21.0				105.4				18.8				15.7
Total		$	581.3				100.0	%		$	559.8				100.0	%			3.8	%
Gross Profit:
SMB		$	38.8				15.5	%		$	37.7				14.9	%			3.0	%
Large Account			25.1				12.0				24.1				12.0				4.1
Public Sector			13.7				11.2				11.0				10.5				23.8
Total		$	77.6				13.3	%		$	72.8				13.0	%			6.5	%

 

 

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Net sales increased in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the first quarter of 2014, as explained below:

 

•

Net sales for the SMB segment decreased by 1.4% due to lower desktop sales. Sales of desktops in the first quarter of 2014 were high due to the expiration of support for Windows XP software in April 2014. Sales of storage and net/com products for this segment increased year over year due to our investments in technical solution sales.

 

•

Net sales for the Large Account segment increased due to our focus on growing technical solution sales. Servers, software, and storage product sales increased year over year by 83%, 26%, and 54%, respectively, due to our investments in technical solution sales and the upcoming expiration in July 2015 of support for Windows Server 2003 software.

 

•

Net sales to the Public Sector segment increased by 16% or $16.6 million. Sales to state and local government and educational institutions increased by 4%, while sales to the federal government increased by 48% due to higher sales made under federal government contracts. Sales of notebooks/tablets, servers, and printers each increased by double-digit percentages, but were offset partially by lower sales of net/com products.

Gross profit for the first quarter of 2015 increased year over year in dollars and as a percentage of net sales (gross margin), as explained below:

 

•

Gross profit for the SMB segment increased despite lower net sales. Gross margin increased due to higher invoice selling margins (67 basis points) associated with increased sales of higher-margin storage and net/com products.

 

•

Gross profit for the Large Account segment increased due to higher net sales. Gross margin remained unchanged as decreased invoice selling margins (12 basis points) were offset by higher agency revenues (12 basis points).

 

•

Gross profit for the Public Sector segment increased due to higher net sales and gross margins. Invoice selling margins increased by 77 basis points due to increased demand for higher margin products, such as storage and servers.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased in dollars, but remain unchanged as a percentage of net sales in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the prior year quarter. SG&A expenses attributable to our three operating segments and the remaining unallocated Headquarters/Other group expenses are summarized below (dollars in millions):

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015								2014
		Amount				% of Segment Net Sales				Amount				% of Segment Net Sales				% Change
SMB		$	29.5				11.8	%		$	29.9				11.8	%			(1.3	)%
Large Account			16.7				8.0				16.4				8.1				1.8
Public Sector			14.2				11.7				12.9				12.3				10.1
Headquarters/Other			3.0								1.9								57.9
Total		$	63.4				10.9	%		$	61.1				10.9	%			3.8	%

 

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SG&A expenses for the SMB segment decreased slightly in dollars, but was unchanged as a percentage of net sales. The dollar decrease was attributable to lower use of headquarters services. SG&A as a percentage of net sales was unchanged due to the leveraging of fixed costs over larger net sales.

 

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SG&A expenses for the Large Account segment increased in dollars but decreased slightly as a percentage of net sales. The dollar increase was attributable to investments in solution sales and services and incremental variable compensation associated with higher gross profits. SG&A as a percentage of net sales decreased slightly due to the leveraging of fixed costs over larger net sales.

 

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SG&A expenses for the Public Sector segment decreased as a percentage of net sales, but increased in dollars due to incremental variable compensation related to higher gross profits and investments in technical solution sales and services. The decrease in SG&A as a percentage of net sales was due to the leveraging of fixed costs over larger net sales.

 

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SG&A expenses for the Headquarters/Other group increased due to an increase in unallocated personnel and related costs. The Headquarters/Other group provides services to the three segments in areas such as finance, human resources, IT, marketing, and product management. Most of the operating costs associated with such corporate headquarters services are charged to the operating segments based on their estimated usage of the underlying services. The amounts shown above represent the remaining unallocated costs.

Income from operations for the first quarter of 2015 increased to $14.2 million, compared to $11.7 million for the first quarter of 2014, due to the increase in net sales and gross margin. Income from operations as a percentage of net sales was 2.4% for the first quarter of 2015, compared to 2.1% of net sales for the prior year quarter.

Our effective tax rate was 39.5% for the first quarter of 2015, compared to 39.2% for the first quarter of 2014. Our tax rate will vary based on variations in state tax levels for certain subsidiaries, valuation reserves, and accounting for uncertain tax positions. We do not expect these variations to be significant in 2015.

Net income for the first quarter of 2015 increased to $8.6 million, compared to $7.1 million for the first quarter of 2014, due to the increase in operating income.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of liquidity have historically been internally generated funds from operations and borrowings under our bank line of credit. We have used those funds to meet our capital requirements, which consist primarily of working capital for operational needs, capital expenditures for computer equipment and software used in our business, special dividend payments, repurchases of common stock for treasury, and as opportunities arise, acquisitions of new businesses.

We believe that funds generated from operations, together with available credit under our bank line of credit, will be sufficient to finance our working capital, capital expenditures, and other requirements for at least the next twelve calendar months. We expect our capital needs for the next twelve months to consist primarily of capital expenditures of $10.0 to $12.0 million, including $4.0 million related to our new distribution center, and payments on leases and other contractual obligations of approximately $3.6 million. We have undertaken a comprehensive review and assessment of our entire business software needs, including commercially available software that meets, or can be configured to meet, those needs better than our existing software. While we have not finalized our decisions regarding the areas of future investment in our IT infrastructure, the incremental capital costs of such a project, if fully implemented, would likely exceed $20.0 million over the next three to five years.

We expect to meet our cash requirements for the next twelve months through a combination of cash on hand, cash generated from operations, and borrowings on our bank line of credit, as follows:

 

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Cash on Hand. At March 31, 2015, we had approximately $79.9 million in cash.

 

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Cash Generated from Operations. We expect to generate cash flows from operations in excess of operating cash needs by generating earnings and managing net changes in inventories and receivables with changes in payables to generate a positive cash flow.

 

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Credit Facilities. As of March 31, 2015, no borrowings were outstanding against our $50.0 million bank line of credit, which is available until February 24, 2017. Accordingly, our entire line of credit was available for borrowing at March 31, 2015. This line of credit can be increased, at our option, to $80.0 million for approved acquisitions or other uses authorized by the bank. Borrowings are, however, limited by certain minimum collateral and earnings requirements, as described more fully below.

Our ability to continue funding our planned growth, both internally and externally, is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain additional funds through equity or debt financing, or from other sources of financing, as may be required. While we do not anticipate needing any additional sources of financing to fund our operations at this time, if demand for IT products declines, our cash flows from operations may be substantially affected. See also related risks listed below under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

 

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Summary of Sources and Uses of Cash

The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash over the periods indicated (in millions):

 

		Three Months Ended
March 31,		2015				2014
Net cash provided by operating activities		$	21.2			$	23.8
Net cash used for investing activities			(2.2	)			(1.5	)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents		$	19.0			$	22.3

Cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2015 largely reflects the seasonal decrease in working capital requirements, similar to the prior year quarter, such as lower accounts receivable and inventory. Operating cash flow in the three months ended March 31, 2015 resulted primarily from net income before depreciation and amortization and a decrease in accounts receivable and inventory, partially offset by a decrease in accounts payable. Accounts receivable decreased by $8.2 million from the prior year-end balance. Days sales outstanding increased to 41 days at March 31, 2015, compared to 39 days at March 31, 2014, due to the increase in sales to Public Sector customers who generally pay at a slower rate than our SMB customers. Inventory decreased from the prior year-end balance by $19.6 million. Inventory turns decreased to 25 turns for the first quarter of 2015 compared to 27 turns for the prior year quarter.

At March 31, 2015, we had $116.2 million in outstanding accounts payable. Such accounts are generally paid within 30 days of incurrence, or earlier when favorable cash discounts are offered. This balance will be paid by cash flows from operations or short-term borrowings under the line of credit. This amount includes $26.6 million payable to two financial institutions under inventory trade credit agreements we use to finance our purchase of certain inventory, secured by the inventory which is financed. We believe we will be able to meet our obligations under our accounts payable with cash flows from operations and our existing line of credit.

Cash used for investing activities increased by $0.7 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 compared to the prior year quarter due to increased purchases of property and equipment. These expenditures were primarily for computer equipment and capitalized internally-developed software in connection with the investments in our IT infrastructure.

Debt Instruments, Contractual Agreements, and Related Covenants

Below is a summary of certain provisions of our credit facilities and other contractual obligations. For more information about the restrictive covenants in our debt instruments and inventory financing agreements, see “Factors Affecting Sources of Liquidity” below. For more information about our obligations, commitments, and contingencies, see our condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly Report.

Bank Line of Credit. Our bank line of credit extends until February 2017 and is collateralized by our receivables. Our borrowing capacity is up to $50.0 million at the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, plus a spread based on our funded debt ratio, or in the absence of LIBOR, the prime rate (3.25% at March 31, 2015). The one-month LIBOR rate at March 31, 2015 was 0.18%. In addition, we have the option to increase the facility by an additional $30.0 million to meet additional borrowing requirements. Our credit facility is subject to certain covenant requirements which are described below under “Factors Affecting Sources of Liquidity.” We did not have any borrowings under the credit facility during the quarter ended March 31, 2015.

Cash receipts are automatically applied against any outstanding borrowings. Any excess cash on account may either remain on account to generate earned credits to offset up to 100% of cash management fees, or may be invested in short-term qualified investments. Borrowings under the line of credit are classified as current. At March 31, 2015, the entire $50.0 million facility was available for borrowing.

Inventory Trade Credit Agreements. We have additional security agreements with two financial institutions to facilitate the purchase of inventory from various suppliers under certain terms and conditions. These agreements allow a collateralized first position in certain branded products in our inventory that were financed by these two institutions. Although the agreements provide for up to 100% financing on the purchase price of these products, up to an aggregate of $65.0 million, any outstanding financing must be fully secured by available inventory. We do not pay any interest or discount fees on such inventory. The related costs are borne by the suppliers as an incentive for us to purchase their products. Amounts outstanding under such facilities, which equaled $26.6 million in the aggregate as of March 31, 2015, are recorded in accounts payable. The inventory financed is classified as inventory on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Operating Leases. We lease facilities from our principal stockholders and facilities and equipment from third parties under non-cancelable operating leases which have been reported in the “Contractual Obligations” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. We do not have any other off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.

Contractual Obligations. The disclosures relating to our contractual obligations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 have not materially changed since the report was filed.

Factors Affecting Sources of Liquidity

Internally Generated Funds. The key factors affecting our internally generated funds are our ability to minimize costs and fully achieve our operating efficiencies, timely collection of our customer receivables, and management of our inventory levels.

Bank Line of Credit. Our bank line of credit extends until February 2017 and is collateralized by our receivables. As of March 31, 2015, the entire $50.0 million facility was available for borrowing. Our credit facility contains certain financial ratios and operational covenants and other restrictions (including restrictions on additional debt, guarantees, and other distributions, investments, and liens) with which we and all of our subsidiaries must comply. Any failure to comply with these covenants would constitute a default and could prevent us from borrowing additional funds under this line of credit. This credit facility contains two financial tests:

 

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The funded debt ratio (defined as the average outstanding advances under the line for the quarter, divided by the consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing four quarters) must not be more than 2.0 to 1.0. We did not have any outstanding borrowings under the credit facility during the first quarter of 2015, and accordingly, the funded debt ratio did not limit potential borrowings as of March 31, 2015. Future decreases in our consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, however, could limit our potential borrowings under the credit facility.

 

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Minimum Consolidated Net Worth must be at least $250.0 million, plus 50% of consolidated net income for each quarter, beginning with the quarter ended March 31, 2012 (loss quarters not counted). Such amount was calculated as $310.0 million at March 31, 2015, whereas our actual consolidated stockholders’ equity at this date was in compliance at $362.9 million.

Trade Credit Agreements. These agreements contain similar financial ratios and operational covenants and restrictions as those contained in our bank line of credit described above. These trade credit agreements also contain cross-default provisions whereby a default under the bank agreement would also constitute a default under these agreements. Financing under these agreements is limited to the purchase of specific branded products from authorized suppliers, and amounts outstanding must be fully collateralized by inventories of those products on hand.

Capital Markets. Our ability to raise additional funds in the capital market depends upon, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the information technology industry, our financial performance and stock price, and the state of the capital markets.

SUMMARY OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our critical accounting policies have not materially changed from those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. These policies include revenue recognition, accounts receivable, vendor allowances, inventory, and the value of goodwill and long-lived assets, including intangibles.

RECENTLY ISSUED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING STANDARD

Recently issued financial accounting standards are detailed in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 3—QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

For a description of our market risks, see Item 7A. “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. No material changes have occurred in our market risks since December 31, 2014.

 

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PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 4–CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2015. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives as described above. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

No change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1A—Risk Factors

In addition to other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which could materially affect our business, financial position, and results of operations. Risk factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by forward-looking statements include but are not limited to those discussed or identified in this document, in our public filings with the SEC, and those incorporated by reference in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Item 6—Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number				Description
31.1		*		Certification of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2		*		Certification of the Company’s Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1		*		Certification of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2		*		Certification of the Company’s Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS		**		XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH		**		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL		**		XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF		**		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB		**		XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE		**		XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document.

 

*	Filed herewith.

**	Submitted electronically herewith.

Attached as Exhibit 101 to this report are the following formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, (ii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, (iii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, and (v) Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

				PC CONNECTION, INC.
Date: May 8, 2015				By:		/s/ TIMOTHY MCGRATH
						Timothy McGrath
						President and Chief Executive Officer
Date: May 8, 2015				By:		/s/ JOSEPH DRISCOLL
						Joseph Driscoll
						Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

 

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