Overall, Block Hours increased 6.4% for the first quarter of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004. Specifically, Block Hours increased 30.4% for ACMI contracts, decreased 34.7% for Scheduled Service, increased 37.3% for AMC charters and increased 102.5% for Commercial Charters for the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period in 2004.
The improvement in Block Hours and increase in profitability from the first quarter of 2004 to the same period in 2005 is a function of a general improvement in the demand for our cargo services, the elimination of the costs associated with non-operating or “parked” aircraft, the restructuring of our debt and lease agreements, the elimination of nonprofitable flying in the Scheduled Service business and improvements in the ACMI contract business.
Our primary focus is to maintain a safe and efficient operation, streamline operations, restore and sustain profitability and rebuild stockholder value. We are undertaking a number of significant strategic measures designed to achieve these objectives. These measures include the following:
While we still face a number of significant challenges, a number of which are beyond our control, we believe that implementing these and other strategic measures will enable us to become one of the world’s most efficient, capable and diversified operator of long-haul freighter aircraft.
Our focus is to optimize the allocation of assets among our four lines of business to maximize profitability and minimize risk. One of the significant challenges we face is to manage the cost of aviation fuel in the Scheduled Service business. During the first quarter of 2005, the average price per gallon for aviation fuel was 146 cents, an increase of 29% over the average price of 113 cents per gallon during the same period in 2004. Generally, we expect no more than 60% of the price-related increase in Scheduled Service fuel expense will be recovered through aircraft fuel surcharges (recorded as revenue). In response to the impact of increased aircraft fuel prices in the Scheduled Service business and to the increased opportunities for entering into profitable ACMI contracts, we expect to continue to optimize capacity allocations between the least profitable Scheduled Service markets and new ACMI opportunities.
In addition to the impact of aviation fuel prices, another significant change to our Scheduled Service business in 2005 is the commencement of operations in China under the route authority granted to us on October 18, 2004 by the Department of Transportation (“DOT”). As a result, we were designated as the fourth U.S. freighter operator under the U.S.-China bilateral air services agreement and were awarded a total of nine weekly frequencies (six for use in 2004 and an additional three commencing March 25, 2005). On March 25, 2005, the DOT granted us three additional weekly flights commencing in March 2006, which will increase the total weekly flights to twelve. We anticipate that flight activity into and out of China will improve the profitability of our Scheduled Service business as a whole.
We expect the ACMI contract business, particularly ACMI contract opportunities for our 747-400 aircraft, to continue to strengthen into 2005, with demand for widebody freighter capacity exceeding supply over the near term.
We anticipate that the demand for AMC Charter business will be strong in 2005, as total AMC Block Hour activity for the first quarter of 2005 was 37.3% higher than the same period in 2004. The increase in AMC Block Hours is the result of the continuing U.S. Military activity in the Middle East.
We expect our Commercial Charter business to provide incremental utilization for our aircraft fleet.
Results of Operations
The discussion below provides comparative information on our historical consolidated results of operations. The information presented with respect to aircraft rent, depreciation and interest expense for periods after July 27, 2004 has been materially affected by several factors which did not affect such items for comparable periods during the first three months of 2004. In conjunction with our emergence from bankruptcy, we applied the provisions of fresh-start accounting effective as of July 27, 2004, at which time a new reporting entity was deemed to be created.
Fresh-start accounting requires us to revalue our assets and liabilities to estimated fair values at July 27, 2004 in a manner similar to that which would occur if we were to apply purchase accounting. Significant adjustments included a downward revaluation of our owned aircraft fleet and the recording of additional intangible assets (principally related to Atlas’ ACMI customer contracts). In addition, fair-value adjustments were recorded in respect to our debt and lease agreements.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and the notes to those statements and other financial information appearing and referred to elsewhere in this report.
Three Months Ended March 31, 2005 and 2004
Total operating revenue.Our total operating revenues were $346.9 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $297.4 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $49.5 million, or 16.6% . This increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue from our AMC and ACMI businesses. AMC revenue was $88.9 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $53.1 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $35.8 million, or 67.4% . ACMI contracted revenue was $109.5 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $83.2 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $26.3 million, or 31.6% . Commercial Charter revenue was $15.5 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $5.6 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $9.9 million, or 176.8% . These increases were partially offset by declining Scheduled Service revenue, which was $121.1 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $145.1 million for the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of $24.0 million or 16.5% . A discussion of the reasons for increases or decreases in revenue of our four business segments is set forth below.
Scheduled Service revenue.Scheduled Service revenues were $121.1 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $145.1 million for the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of $24.0 million, or 16.5%, primarily due to lower capacity and block hours, partially offset by higher yields and higher load factors. RTMs in the Scheduled Service segment were 336.7 million on a total capacity of 529.7 million ATMs in the first quarter of 2005, compared with RTMs of 489.7 million on a total capacity of 815.2 million ATMs in the first quarter of 2004. Block hours were 9,083 in the first quarter of 2005, compared with 13,910 for the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of 4,827, or 34.7% . Load factor was 63.6% with a yield of $0.360 in the first quarter of 2005, compared with a load factor of 60.1% and a yield of $0.296 in the first quarter of 2004. RATM in our Scheduled Service segment was $0.229 in the first quarter of 2005, compared with $0.178 in the first quarter of 2004, representing an increase of 28.5% .
The significant decrease in Scheduled Service revenue is the result of our reallocation of aircraft to ACMI and AMC, which reduced ATM’s. The decrease, however, is partially offset by improved revenue performance on the remaining network, which led to the improvement in load factor and yield as a result of the network restructuring implemented in the fourth quarter of 2004. The restructuring removed unprofitable routes in India, Europe and the South Pacific and partially offset those reductions with more profitable routes in China.
ACMI contract revenue.ACMI contracted revenues were $109.5 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $83.2 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $26.3 million, or 31.6%, primarily due to an increase in the number of ACMI contracts and a slight increase in our ACMI contract rates. ACMI block hours were 20,487 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with 15,712 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of 4,775 Block Hours, or 30.4% . Revenue per block hour was $5,347 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $5,297 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of
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$50 per block hour, or 0.9% . Total aircraft under full-time ACMI contracts as of March 31, 2005 were ten 747-200 aircraft and nine 747-400 aircraft, compared with March 31, 2004, when we had eight 747-200 aircraft and six 747-400 aircraft under ACMI contracts.
AMC charter revenue.AMC charter revenues were $88.9 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $53.1 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $35.8 million, or 67.4%, primarily due to a higher volume of AMC charter flights and an increase in our AMC charter rates. AMC charter block hours were 6,231 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with 4,537 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of 1,694 Block Hours, or 37.3% . Revenue per block hour was $14,270 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $11,707 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $2,563 per block hour, or 21.9% . The increase in AMC charter activity was primarily the result of the U.S. Military’s continued involvement with the conflict in the Middle East. The increase in rate was partly a function of an increase in the agreed upon rate for AMC fuel, which increased from 101 cents for the first quarter of 2004 to 140 cents for the first quarter of 2005.
Commercial Charter revenue.Commercial Charter revenues were $15.5 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $5.6 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $9.9 million, or 176.8%, primarily as a result of both a higher volume of commercial charter flights and higher revenue per block hour. Commercial Charter block hours were 1,233 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with 609 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of 624, or 102.5% . Revenue per block hour was $12,601 for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $9,192 for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $3,409 per block hour, or 37.1% . The increase in Commercial Charter activity was primarily due to the increase in one way charter flights on the return leg of an AMC flight.
Aircraft fuel expense.Aircraft fuelexpense was $79.6 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $69.8 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $9.8 million, or 14.0%, as a result of an increase in fuel prices, partially offset by a decrease in flight volume and block hours for Scheduled Service. Average fuel price per gallon was approximately 146 cents for the first quarter of 2005, compared with approximately 113 cents for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of 33 cents, or 29.2%, partially offset by a 7.3 million gallon, or 11.8%, decrease in fuel consumption to 54.7 million gallons for the first quarter of 2005 from 62.0 million gallons during the first quarter of 2004. The decrease in our overall fuel consumption corresponds to the decrease of 4,827 Scheduled Service block hours offset by a 1,694 increase in AMC Block Hours and a 624 increase in Commercial Charter Block Hours.
Salaries, wages and benefits.Salaries, wages and benefitswere $56.4 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $52.9 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $3.5 million, or 6.6%, primarily as a result of a $2.3 million increase in crew salary attributable to the 6.4% increase in overall Block Hours and the recognition of $1.0 million in compensation expense for the restricted stock awards granted after our emergence from bankruptcy.
Maintenance materials and repairs.Maintenance materials and repairswas $64.0 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $52.9 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $11.1 million, or 21.0% . The increase in maintenance expense was the result of an increase in engine overhaul expense offset by a decrease in expense for D checks. There were 19 engine overhauls in the first quarter of 2005 as opposed to eight events in the first quarter of 2004. There were three D checks on Boeing 747-400 aircraft and none on Boeing 747-200 aircraft in the first quarter of 2005 as opposed to one D check on Boeing 747-400 aircraft and two D checks on Boeing 747-200 aircraft during the first quarter of 2004.
Ground handling and airport fees. Ground handling and airport feeswere $18.2 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $22.6 million for the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of $4.4 million, or 19.5% . The primary cause of the decrease was the result of reduced Scheduled Service flying.
Travel. Travelwas $14.8 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $12.1 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $2.7 million, or 22.3% . The primary cause of the increase was the increase in total Block Hours.
Pre-petition and post-emergence costs and related professional fees. Pre-petition and post-emergence costs were $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2005 compared with $9.4 million in the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of $7.8 million, or 83.0% . The primary cause of the decrease was our emergence from bankruptcy on July 27, 2004. We incurred expenses of $1.6 million in the successor period related to the winding down of the bankruptcy proceedings. These expenses are recorded as incurred. Such expenses incurred during our bankruptcy are classified as reorganization items net, and were $6.3 million in addition to the $9.4 million recorded pre-petition.
Other operating expense.Other operating expenseswere $23.6 million in the first quarter of 2005, compared with $25.6 million in the first quarter of 2004, a decrease of $2.0 million, or 7.8% . The decrease in other operating expenses was due primarily to a reduction in legal fees.
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Interest income.Interest incomewas $0.8 million for the first quarter of 2005, compared with $0.2 million for the first quarter of 2004, an increase of $0.6 million, due primarily to general increases in interest rates and an increase in our available cash balances.
Other, net.Other, netwas $2.0 million during the first quarter of 2005, due primarily to unrealized losses on the revaluation of foreign denominated receivables into U.S. dollars at March 31, 2005. The U.S. dollar had strengthened against most foreign currencies during the period.
Reorganization items, net. The following reorganization items, net were incurred for the period from January 31, 2004 to March 31, 2004:
| Legal and Professional Fees | $ | 6,292 | |
| Rejection of CF6-80 PBH engine agreement | | (59,552 | ) |
| Claims related to the rejection of owned and leased aircraft | | 65,499 | |
| Other | | (48 | ) |
| |
| |
| Total | $ | 12,191 | |
| |
| |
The costs included in reorganization items, net reflect the cash and non-cash expenses recognized by us in connection with our reorganization and are separately reported as required by SOP 90-7. See Note 3 to our Financial Statements.
Income taxes.Our effective tax rate for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 differs from the U.S. statutory rate due to nondeductible professional fees related to the reorganization and the effect of incremental tax reserves. Our effective tax rate for the quarter ended March 31, 2004 differs from the U.S. statutory rate due to losses for which no net tax benefit was provided and the effect of incremental tax reserves.
Segments
As discussed above, the application of fresh-start accounting following our emergence from bankruptcy, which among other things, reduced rent expense, reduced depreciation expense and increased amortization expense due to recognition of additional intangible assets, results in segment operating income and loss for 2005 that is not comparable with prior periods. Therefore, a segment discussion is not presented for the 2005 versus the 2004 period.
Operating Statistics
The table below sets forth selected operating data for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004.
| 2005 | | | 2004 | |
|
|
|
OPERATING STATISTICS | | | | | |
Block Hours | | | | | |
Scheduled Service | 9,083 | | | 13,910 | |
ACMI Contract | 20,487 | | | 15,712 | |
AMC Charter | 6,231 | | | 4,537 | |
Commercial Charter | 1,233 | | | 609 | |
All Other | 264 | | | 301 | |
|
| | |
| |
Total Block Hours | 37,298 | | | 35,069 | |
|
| | |
| |
Revenue Per Block Hour | | | | | |
ACMI Contract | $ | 5,346.7 | | | $ | 5,297.2 | |
AMC Charter | 14,269.9 | | | 11.706.9 | |
Commercial Charter | 12,601.0 | | | 9,196.5 | |
|
Scheduled Service Traffic | | | | | |
RTM’s (000’s) | 336,665.8 | | | 489,735.1 | |
ATM’s (000’s) | 529,697.9 | | | 815,224.8 | |
Load Factor | 63.56 | % | | 60.07 | % |
RATM | $ | 0.229 | | | $ | 0.178 | |
Yield | $ | 0.360 | | | $ | 0.296 | |
| | | | | |
Fuel | | | | | |
Average fuel cost per gallon | $ | 1.46 | | | $ | 1.13 | |
Fuel gallons consumed (000’s) | 54,697 | | | 62,038 | |
| | | | | |
Operating Fleet:(average during the period) | | | | | |
Aircraft count | 39.1 | | | 38.9 | |
Dry Leased | 3.1 | | | 4.0 | |
Out of service | 0.8 | | | 6.2 | |
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Note dry leased and out of service aircraft are not included in the operating fleet aircraft count average.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At March 31, 2005, we had cash and cash equivalents of $163.6 million, compared with $133.9 million at December 31, 2004, an increase of $29.7 million, or 22.2% . The available borrowing capacity under our Revolving Credit Facility, when combined with our available cash reserves after our exit from bankruptcy, has provided us with adequate liquidity to resume payments on our debt. See below for a description of the Revolving Credit Facility. We expect cash on hand, cash generated from operations and cash available under the Revolving Credit Facility to be sufficient to meet our debt and lease obligations and to finance capital expenditures of approximately $25.0 million for 2005. To the extent that these levels of cash prove insufficient to meet those obligations, we would be required to scale back operations, curtail capital spending or borrow additional funds in amounts to be determined and on terms that may not be favorable to us, if available at all.
Operating Activities.Net cash provided by operating activities for the first quarter of 2005 was $45.4 million, compared with net cash provided by operating activities of $39.9 million for the first quarter of 2004. The increase in cash provided by operating activities is primarily related to improved operating results.
Investing Activities.Net cash expenditures for investing activities were $4.1 million for the first quarter of 2005, which reflect capital expenditures of $7.7 million offset by a decrease in restricted funds held in trust of $3.6 million. Net cash used by investing activities was $2.8 million in the first quarter of 2004, primarily for capital expenditures.
Financing Activities.Net cash used by financing activities was $11.5 million for the 2005 first quarter, which consisted primarily of $21.5 million of payments on long-term debt and capital lease obligations, offset by $10.0 million in loan proceeds from the Revolving Credit Facility that was subsequently repaid. Net cash provided by financing activities was $8.1 million for the 2004 first quarter, which consisted primarily of $9.9 million of payments on long-term debt and capital lease obligations, offset by $18.0 million in loan proceeds from our DIP financing facility.
Revolving Credit Facility
On November 30, 2004, we entered into a Revolving Credit Facility. This facility provides us with revolving loans of up to $60 million, including up to $10 million of letter of credit accommodations. Availability under the Revolving Credit Facility will be based on a borrowing base, which will be calculated as a percentage of certain eligible accounts receivable. The Revolving Credit Facility has an initial four-year term after which the parties may agree to enter into additional one-year renewal periods.
The Revolving Credit Facility contains usual and customary covenants for transactions of this kind. At March 31, 2005, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, $18.1 million was available for borrowing thereunder, and a $0.4 million of letter of credit had been issued.
Litigation
We are a party to a number of claims, lawsuits and pending actions, most of which are routine and all of which are incidental to our businesses. See Note 10 to the Financial Statements for information regarding legal proceedings as of March 31, 2005, unless otherwise indicated, which could impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Critical Accounting Policies
There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from the information provided in Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 30, 2005.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The information required in response to this item is set forth in Note 4 to the Financial Statements contained in this report.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
None.
Forward Looking Statements
Our disclosure and analysis in this report, including but not limited to the information discussed in the Outlook section above, contain forward-looking information about our company's financial results and estimates, business prospects and products in research that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. From time to time, we also may provide oral or written forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," "target" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, future performance, sales efforts, expenses, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, the outcome of contingencies, such as legal proceedings, and financial results. For a more complete description of the following matters, we refer you to Item 1, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 30, 2005:
- we are highly leveraged and our substantial debt and other obligations could limit our financial resources andability to compete and may make us more vulnerable to adverse economic events;
- our ability to service our debt and meet our other obligations depends on certain factors beyond our control, suchas fuel prices;
- we are subject to restrictive covenants under our debt instruments and aircraft lease agreements; these covenantscould significantly affect the way in which we conduct our business; our failure to comply with these covenantscould lead to an acceleration of our debt and termination of our aircraft leases;
- our financial condition could suffer if we experience unanticipated costs as a result of the SEC investigation andother lawsuits and claims;
- volatility of aircraft values may affect our ability to obtain financing secured by our aircraft;
- our access to capital may be limited;
- we have material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting;
- labor disputes with union employees could result in a work interruption or stoppage, which could materiallyadversely impact our results of operations;
- our operating cash flows may be subject to fluctuations related to the seasonality of our business and our abilityto promptly collect accounts receivable; a significant decline in operating cash flows may require us to seekadditional financing sources to fund our working capital requirements;
- we depend on continued business with certain customers in each of our business segments; if our business withany of these customers declines significantly, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial conditionand results of operations;
- a significant decline in our AMC business transporting cargo for delivery to military locations could have amaterial adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition;
- our revenues from AMC could decline as a result of the system AMC uses to allocate business to commercialairlines that participate in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet;
- many of our arrangements with customers are not long-term contracts; as a result, we cannot assure you that wewill be able to continue to generate similar revenues from these arrangements;
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- as a U.S. government contractor, we are subject to a number of procurement and other rules and regulations;
- we depend on the availability of our wide-body aircraft for the majority of our flight revenues; the loss of one ormore of these aircraft for any period of time could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations andfinancial condition;
- we are subject to the risks of having a limited number of suppliers for our aircraft;
- our fleet includes older aircraft which have higher maintenance costs than new aircraft and which could requiresubstantial maintenance expenses;
- our business outside of the U.S. exposes us to uncertain conditions in overseas markets;
- volatility in international currency markets may adversely affect demand for our services;
- the market for air cargo services is highly competitive. If we are unable to compete effectively, we may losecurrent customers, fail to attract new customers and experience a decline in our market share;
- the success of our business depends on the services of certain key personnel;
- we operate in dangerous locations and carry hazardous cargo, either of which could result in a loss of, or damageto, our aircraft;
- our insurance coverage does not cover all risks;
- the cost of fuel is a major operating expense, and fuel shortages and price volatility could adversely affect ourbusiness and operations;
- we are subject to extensive governmental regulation and our failure to comply with these regulations in the U.S.and abroad, or the adoption of any new laws, policies or regulations or changes to such regulations may have anadverse effect on our business; failure to utilize our economic rights in limited-entry markets also could result ina loss of such rights;
- our insurance coverage has become increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain;
- equity based awards will dilute the ownership interests of other stockholders; and
- we cannot assure you that an active trading market will develop or continue for the New Common Stock and wecannot predict with certainty when we will file our SEC periodic reports on a timely basis.
We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K reports to the SEC. Our Form 10-K filing for the 2004 fiscal year filed with the SEC on June 30, 2005 listed various important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected and historic results. We note these factors for investors as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers can find them in Item 1 of that filing under the heading "Risk Factors." We incorporate that section of that Form 10-K in this filing and investors should refer to it. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.
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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
There have been no material changes in market risks from the information provided in Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk included in our 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 30, 2005, except as follows:
Aviation fuel. Our results of operations are affected by changes in the price and availability of aviation fuel. Market risk is estimated at a hypothetical 10% increase in the average cost per gallon of fuel for the first quarter of 2005. Based on actual first quarter of 2005 fuel consumption for the Scheduled Service and Commercial Charter business segments, such an increase would result in an increase to aviation fuel expense of approximately $8.0 million for the first quarter of 2005. Fuel prices for AMC are set each September by the military and are fixed for the year and adjusted to actual costs incurred. ACMI does not present an aviation fuel market risk, as the cost of fuel is borne by the customer.
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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Internal Controls
Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Item 307 of SEC Regulation S-K require management to evaluate the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (“disclosure controls”) as of the end of each fiscal quarter. Disclosure controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Rule 13a-15(c) and (d) and Item 308 of Regulation S-K require management to evaluate the effectiveness of the operation of our “internal controls over financial reporting” (“internal controls”) as of the end of each fiscal year, and any changes that occurred during each fiscal quarter. Internal controls are procedures which are designed with the objective of providing reasonable assurance that (i) our transactions are properly authorized; (ii) our assets are safeguarded against unauthorized or improper use; and (iii) our transactions are properly recorded and reported, all to permit the preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
We have taken a number of steps to ensure that all information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported as specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. In particular, we have formed a Disclosure Committee (the “Disclosure Committee”), which is governed by a written charter. Senior management meets on a weekly basis to report, review and discuss material aspects of its business. In addition, the Disclosure Committee, comprised of key management, is now holding regular quarterly meetings, and members of the Disclosure Committee meet in person or act by unanimous written consent electronically (as permitted by the Disclosure Committee charter) upon the occurrence of an event that may require disclosure with the SEC. Additionally, management has implemented a “sub-certification” process to ensure that the persons required to sign certain certifications included in periodic reports filed with the SEC, required pursuant to Rule 13a-14(d)/15d–14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, are provided with timely and accurate information and to provide them with the opportunity to address the quality and accuracy of our operating and financial results. Finally, with respect to internal controls, we have implemented a “Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project,” which is further described below.
General Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
We are committed to maintaining effective disclosure controls and internal controls. However, management, including the CEO and CFO, does not expect and cannot assure that our disclosure controls or our internal controls will prevent or detect all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is also 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. Over time, any system of controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Remediation of Material Weaknesses
At the conclusion of each of the audits of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002, our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young, LLP (“E&Y”), noted in a letter to management and the audit committee of our Board of Directors, a copy of which was presented to our Board of Directors, certain matters involving internal controls that they consider to be “material weaknesses” and “reportable conditions” under standards established by the AICPA. However, E&Y, has not been engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. Accordingly, the firm has not expressed an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. “Reportable conditions” involve matters relating to significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect our ability to record, process,
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summarize, and report financial data consistent with the assertions of management in our consolidated financial statements. A “material weakness” is a reportable condition in which the design or operation of one or more of the internal control components does not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that misstatements caused by errors or fraud in amounts that would be material in relation to the consolidated financial statements being audited may occur and not be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions.
On March 9, 2004, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board adopted Auditing Standard No. 2 “An Audit of Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting Performed in Conjunction with An Audit of Financial Statements” (“PCAOB No. 2”), which somewhat modified the definition of material weakness, and added the terms “significant deficiency” and “internal control deficiency”. Under PCAOB No. 2, an internal control deficiency (or a combination of internal control deficiencies) should be classified as a significant deficiency if, by itself or in combination with other internal control deficiencies, such deficiencies result in more than a remote likelihood that a misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected. A significant deficiency should be classified as a material weakness if, by itself or in combination with other control deficiencies, such deficiency results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement in the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected.
Management, with the assistance of a professional services firm, has implemented a “Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project” to address, among other things, the matters noted in E&Y’s letters to management, as well as to prepare us for compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The documentation phase of the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project, which was initiated to evaluate the design effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, has identified a number of internal control deficiencies that would likely meet the PCAOB No. 2 definition of a material weakness or significant deficiency. These material weaknesses and significant deficiencies are comprised of items that had been previously identified by E&Y, as well as several additional matters that were identified separately by management as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project. As of the date of this document, we are not an accelerated filer and are not required to report on its assessment of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
As of July 31, 2005, we have identified, among other things, material weaknesses in the processes and procedures associated with our purchasing and payables, billing and receivables, inventory, the financial accounting close process, payroll and human resources, and certain weaknesses in the information technology general control environment. Examples of the issues identified include, among many others, inadequate segregation of duties, insufficient staffing in the finance department, failure to reconcile or analyze accounts, lack of effective review of the reconciliations and analysis that are prepared and, in some instances, poor design of controls and poor compliance with existing policies and procedures. As we progress with the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project and begin to evaluate the operating effectiveness of existing controls, it is possible that management will identify additional deficiencies that meet the definition of a material weakness or significant deficiency.
Management has initiated substantial efforts to remediate the identified deficiencies and to establish adequate disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting as soon as reasonably practicable. Management has significantly increased the number of resources dedicated to our remediation efforts and has established a separate branch of the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project to focus exclusively on process transformation and remediation. Dedicated project teams and specific project plans for each process area have been created as part of this effort to address the control deficiencies in their respective areas and to work cross-functionally to address broad remediation items. This project provides for continuous updates as new processes and systems, improvements to internal controls over financial reporting, or changes to the existing processes and systems are implemented to remediate the identified deficiencies. Management is firmly committed to ensuring that improving the internal controls of all of our business processes, including those impacting financial reporting, and establishing and maintaining an effective overall control environment at our company remains a top priority. In that regard, we have also established a steering committee and executive sub-committee that have been tasked with monitoring and driving the progress of the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project and its project teams. These committees meet on a regular basis to receive reports and provide feedback and instruction for further progress. Management also provides regular reports to the Audit and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors on the Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project. We will provide appropriate updates regarding our general progress with the remediation efforts in our future SEC filings.
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Conclusions
As described above, significant deficiencies and material weaknesses exist in our internal controls. We are in the process of taking various steps to remediate the items communicated by E&Y and identified by management as part of our Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Project. Additionally, we continue to take steps to further improve our disclosure controls. However, a substantial effort will be required before all such items and matters are fully addressed. Accordingly, we cannot provide any assurance that there will be no material weaknesses when management is to report on its assessment of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
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