As a result of NetLinc’s inability to retain a contract manufacturer to manufacture and supply the products in a timely and consistent manner in accordance with the requisite specifications, in September, 2003 the parties agreed to restructure the terms of their business arrangement entered into in March, 2003. The restructured business arrangement was accomplished by amending certain of the agreements previously entered into and entering into certain new agreements. Some of the principal terms of the restructured arrangement include increasing the Company’s economic ownership in NetLinc from 20% to 50% and in BTT from 35% to 50%, all at no additional cost to the Company. The cash portion of the purchase price in the venture was decreased from $3,500,000 to $1,166,667 and the then outstanding balance of $342,000 was paid in installments of $50,000 per week until it was paid in full in October, 2003. In addition, of the 500,000 shares of common stock issued to BTT as the non-cash component of the purchase price (fair valued at $1,030,000), one-half (250,000 shares) have been pledged to the Company as collateral to secure BTT’s obligation to repay the $1,167,667 cash component of the purchase price to the Company via preferential distributions of cash flow under BTT’s limited liability company operating agreement. Under the restructured arrangement, the Company can purchase similar telephony products directly from third party suppliers other than NetLinc and, in connection therewith, the Company would pay certain future royalties to NetLinc and BTT from the sale of these products by the Company. While the distributorship agreements among NetLinc, BTT and the Company have not been terminated, the Company does not anticipate purchasing products from NetLinc in the near term. NetLinc, however, continues to own intellectual property, which may be further developed and used in the future to manufacture and sell telephony products under the distributorship agreements.
In addition to receiving incremental revenues associated with its direct sales of the telephony products, the Company also anticipates receiving a portion of BTT’s net income derived from voice-service revenues through its 50% stake in BTT. While the events related to the restructuring resulted in a delay in the Company’s anticipated 2003 revenue stream from the sale of telephony products, the Company believes that these revised terms are beneficial and will result in the Company enjoying higher gross margins on telephony equipment unit sales as well as an incrementally higher proportion of telephony service revenues. Material incremental revenues associated with the sale of telephony products are not presently anticipated to be received until at least the third quarter of 2004.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses increased to $1,607,000 for the first three months of 2004 from $1,564,000 for the first three months of 2003 and increased as a percentage of sales to 18.8% for the first three months of 2004 from 18.2% for the first three months of 2003. The $43,000 increase can be primarily attributed to an increase in operating expenses of $31,000, related to BDR Broadband.
Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses decreased to $411,000 in the first three months of 2004 from $548,000 in the first three months of 2003. This $137,000 decrease was primarily due to a decrease in wages and fringe benefits of $103,000 due to a reduction in headcount. Research and development expenses, as a percentage of sales, decreased to 4.8% in the first three months of 2004 from 6.4% in the first three months of 2003.
Operating Loss. Operating loss was $122,000 for the first three months of 2004 compared to $951,000 for the first three months of 2003.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased to $275,000 in the first three months of 2004 from $273,000 in the first three months of 2003. The increase is the result of higher average borrowing and higher effective interest rates.
Income Taxes. The benefit for income taxes for the first three months of 2004 was zero compared to a benefit of $466,000 for the first three months of 2003 as a result of a decrease in taxable loss. The benefit for the current year loss has been subject to a valuation allowance of $151,000 since the realization of the deferred tax benefit is not considered more likely than not.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, the Company’s working capital was $11,186,000 and $11,591,000, respectively. The decrease in working capital is attributable primarily to a decrease in long term debt of $1,232,000.
The Company’s net cash provided by operating activities for the three-month period ended March 31, 2004 was $838,000, compared to net cash provided by operating activities for the three-month period ended March 31, 2003, which was $859,000.
Cash provided by investing activities was $292,000, which was attributable to capital expenditures for new equipment and upgrades to the BDR Broadband Systems of $97,000 and a $389,000 collection of a note receivable.
Cash used in financing activities was $1,212,000 for the first three months of 2004 primarily comprised of $2,945,000 of borrowings offset by $4,177,000 of repayments of long term debt.
On March 20, 2002 the Company entered into a credit agreement with Commerce Bank, N.A. for a $19,500,000 credit facility, comprised of (i) a $7,000,000 revolving line of credit under which funds may be borrowed at LIBOR, plus a margin ranging from 1.75% to 2.50%, in each case depending on the calculation of certain financial covenants, with a floor of 5% through March 19, 2003, (ii) a $9,000,000 term loan which bore interest at a rate of 6.75% through September 30, 2002, and thereafter at a fixed rate ranging from 6.50% to 7.25% to reset quarterly depending on the calculation of certain financial covenants and (iii) a $3,500,000 mortgage loan bearing interest at 7.5%. Borrowings under the revolving line of credit are limited to certain percentages of eligible accounts receivable and inventory, as defined in the credit agreement. The credit facility is collateralized by a security interest in all of the Company’s assets. The agreement also contains restrictions that require the Company to maintain certain financial ratios as well as restrictions on the payment of cash dividends. The initial maturity date of the line of credit with Commerce Bank was March 20, 2004. The term loan required equal monthly principal payments of $187,000 and matures on April 1, 2006. The mortgage loan requires equal monthly principal payments of $19,000 and matures on April 1, 2017. The mortgage loan is callable after five years at the lender’s option.
14
In November 2003, the Company’s credit agreement with Commerce Bank was amended to modify the interest rate and amortization schedule for certain of the loans thereunder, as well as to modify one of the financial covenants. Beginning November 1, 2003, the revolving line of credit began to accrue interest at the prime rate plus 1.5%, with a floor of 5.5% (5.5% at March 31, 2004), and the term loan began to accrue interest at a fixed rate of 7.5%. Beginning December 1, 2003, the term loan requires equal monthly principal payments of $193,000 plus interest with a final payment on April 1, 2006 of all remaining unpaid principal and interest.
At March 31, 2003, June 30, 2003, September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2003, the Company was unable to meet one of its financial covenants required under its credit agreement with Commerce Bank, which non-compliance was waived by the Bank effective as of each such date.
In March 2004, the Company’s credit agreement with Commerce Bank was amended to (i) extend the maturity date of the line of credit until April 1, 2005, (ii) reduce the maximum amount that may be borrowed under the line of credit to $6,000,000, (iii) suspend the applicability of the cash flow coverage ratio covenant until March 31, 2005, (iv) impose a new financial covenant requiring the Company to achieve certain levels of consolidated pre-tax income on a quarterly basis commencing with the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2004, and (v) require that the Company make a prepayment against its outstanding term loan to the Bank equal to 100% of the amount of any prepayment received by the Company on its outstanding note receivable from a customer, up to a maximum amount of $500,000.
At March 31, 2004, there was $3,531,000, $4,668,000 and $3,033,000 outstanding under the revolving line of credit, term loan and mortgage loan, respectively.
The Company has from time to time experienced short-term cash requirement issues. In 2002, the Company paid approximately $1,880,000 in connection with acquiring its majority interest in BDR Broadband and paying off the Seller Notes for BDR Broadband. In addition, the Company will incur additional obligations related to royalties, if any, in connection with its $1,167,000 cash investments during 2003, in NetLinc and BTT. While the Company’s existing lender agreed to allow the Company to fund both the BDR Broadband obligations and the NetLinc/BTT obligations using its line of credit, such lender did not agree to increase the maximum amount available under such line of credit. These expenditures, coupled with the March 2004 amendment to the Company’s credit agreement with Commerce Bank described above, and certain near-term funding requirements relating to the purchase of a large quantity of high-speed data products, will reduce the Company’s working capital. The Company is exploring various alternatives to enhance its working capital, including inventory-related pricing and product reengineering efforts, as well as restructuring its long-term debt with Commerce Bank or seeking alternative financing. During 2003, BDR Broadband had positive cash flow, which is expected to continue in 2004. As such, BDR Broadband is not presently anticipated to adversely impact the Company’s working capital.
New Accounting Pronouncements
In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FASB Interpretation No. 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (“FIN 46”). FIN 46 addresses the consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities, as defined in the Interpretation. FIN 46 expands existing accounting guidance regarding when a company should include in its financial statements the assets, liabilities, and activities of another entity. Many variable interest entities have commonly been referred to as special-purpose entities or off-balance sheet structures. In December 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46R (“FIN 46R”), a revision to FIN 46. FIN 46R clarifies some of the provisions of FIN 46 and exempts certain entities from its requirements. FIN 46R is effective at the end of the first interim period ending after March 15, 2004. The Company believes that the adoption of FIN 46 will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In July 2003, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments With Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity (“SFAS 150”). SFAS 150 requires the shares that are mandatorily redeemable for cash or other assets at a specified or determinable date or upon an event certain to occur to be classified as liabilities, not as part of shareholders’ equity. This pronouncement does not currently impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
15
Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) Issue No. 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables,” is effective for revenue arrangements entered into in fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2003. The EITF addresses the accounting for revenue generating arrangements involving multiple deliverables. This EITF does not currently apply to the Company.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The market risk inherent in the Company’s financial instruments and positions represents the potential loss arising from adverse changes in interest rates. At March 31, 2004 and 2003 the principal amount of the Company’s aggregate outstanding variable rate indebtedness was $3,531,000 and $5,595,000, respectively. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates would have had an annualized unfavorable impact of approximately $35,000 and $56,000, respectively, on the Company’s earnings and cash flows based upon these quarter-end debt levels. At March 31, 2004, the Company did not have any derivative financial instruments.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Under the supervision and with the participation of its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, the Company evaluated the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2004. Based upon the evaluation, when the original Form 10-Q was filed, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective in timely alerting them to material information required to be included in the Company’s periodic SEC reports. In October, 2004, subsequent to the original Form 10-Q filing, the Company identified an error in accounting for inventories received that were not correctly recorded. This error resulted in a vendor’s account payable balance being understated and the related understatement of cost of goods sold. As a result, the Company concluded that its previously reported financial statements for each of the three years ended December 31, 2003 should be restated to reflect the increase in accounts payable and related increase to cost of goods sold and deferred income taxes. The Company also concluded that the financial statements for the first quarter ended March 31, 2004 should be restated to reflect the increase in accounts payable and decrease in stockholders’ equity. See Note 9 to the unaudited consolidated financial statements for a description of the restatement. In addition, in August, 2004 the Company determined that as of December 31, 2003 certain products would not be sold in the next twelve months. Accordingly, $11,106,000 and $10,503,000 of inventories have been reclassified as non-current as of December 31, 2003 and March 31, 2004, respectively. See Note 4 to the unaudited consolidated financial statement for a description of the inventory reclassification.
In connection with the completion of its review of the Company’s restated consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2004, the Company’s independent auditors, BDO Seidman, LLP (“BDO”), communicated to the Company’s Audit Committee that the following matters involving the Company’s internal controls and operations were considered to be “reportable conditions,” as defined under standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or AICPA:
• Lack of reconciliation of accounts payable balances to vendor accounts.
• Inadequate review of details of accounts payable.
• Inadequate review of slow moving inventories.
Reportable conditions are matters coming to the attention of the independent auditors that in their judgment, relate to significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls and could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data consistent with the assertions of management in the financial statements. In addition, BDO has advised the Company that they consider these matters, which are listed above, to be “material weaknesses” that may increase the possibility that a material misstatement in the Company’s financial statements might not be prevented or detected by its employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions.
To remediate these weaknesses, in August, 2004 the Company instituted procedures to review inventory quantities against sales projections and in November, 2004 the Company instituted procedures to reconcile accounts payable to vendor accounts and also modified certain accounts payable and inventory related policies and procedures, provided education regarding such policies and procedures to relevant staff members and has implemented enhanced monitoring of such policies and procedures and related accounting policies. In connection with restating the Company’s financial statements as provided in this Form 10-Q/A, the Company, under the supervision and with the participation of its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has concluded that, as a result of the foregoing modifications to certain policies and procedures, the Company believes the deficiencies have been remediated. The Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer did not note any other deficiencies in the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures during their evaluation. Other than the matters
16
discussed above, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have determined that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2004 in timely alerting them to material information required to be included in the Company’s periodic SEC reports. It should be noted that the design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote; however, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, other than as noted above, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level. The Company continues to monitor the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures on an ongoing basis.
In addition, the Company reviewed its internal control over financial reporting and there have been no changes during the Company’s first fiscal quarter of 2004 in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, to the extent that elements of internal control over financial reporting are subsumed within disclosure controls and procedures, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
17
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company is a party to certain proceedings incidental to the ordinary course of its business, none of which, in the current opinion of management, is likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.
ITEM 2. CHANGES IN SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
None.
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
(a) Exhibits
The exhibits are listed in the Exhibit Index appearing at page 20 herein.
(b) Reports on Form 8-K
On March 31, 2004, the Company filed a Form 8-K relating to Item 12 of such Form. The information under Item 12 related to the Company’s March 31, 2004 press release announcing its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2003.
18
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.
| BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC. |
| | | |
| | | |
Date: November 22, 2004 | | | |
| By: | /s/ James A. Luksch |
| | James A. Luksch Chief Executive Officer |
| | | |
| | | |
| By: | /s/ Eric Skolnik |
| | Eric Skolnik Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
19
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit # | | Description | | Location |
| | | | |
3.1 | | Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. | | Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.1 to S-1 Registration Statement No. 33-98070 originally filed October 12, 1995, as amended. |
| | | | |
3.2 | | Restated Bylaws of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. | | Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.2 to S-1 Registration Statement No. 33-98070 originally filed October 12, 1995, as amended. |
| | | | |
10.1 | | Second Amendment and Waiver to Loan and Security Agreement between Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc and Commerce Bank, N.A., dated March 29, 2004. | | Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 to Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2004, filed May 17, 2004. |
| | | | |
31.1 | | Certification of James A. Luksch pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | Filed herewith. |
| | | | |
31.2 | | Certification of Eric Skolnik pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | Filed herewith. |
| | | | |
32.1 | | Certification pursuant to Section 906 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | Filed herewith. |
20