Revenues earned through sales to Broward County Public Schools, increased $54,000 in the first six months of 2014 as compared to the 2013 first six months due to the combination of a multi-school network refresh initiative that started in late 2013 and was completed in the first quarter of 2014, along with several key network core infrastructure upgrades during the 2014 first quarter. Revenues earned through sales to Miami-Dade County Public Schools in the first six months of both 2014 and 2013 are related to the district’s “Bringing Wireless to the Classroom” initiative for which the district received federal funding under the E-Rate program to expand wireless connectivity for students and staff. This was completed in the first quarter of 2014. Revenue from JDL Technologies’ sales to small and medium sized commercial businesses (SMBs) increased by 42% or $337,000 as a result of continued successful marketing and sales efforts.
Gross margin decreased 55% to $1,224,000 in the first six months of 2014 compared to $2,731,000 in the same period in 2013. Gross margin as a percentage of sales increased to 24% in 2014 from 23% in 2013 reflecting the fact that a significant portion of its 2013 revenue was hardware-based, rather than the more traditional value-added service. Selling, general and administrative expenses remained flat in 2014 at $1,406,000 compared to $1,395,000 in 2013. JDL Technologies reported an operating loss of $181,000 in the first six months of 2014 compared to operating income of $1,336,000 in the same period of 2013.
Because federal and local funding for investments in IT infrastructure and services for K-12 schools varies substantially from year to year, JDL Technologies has experienced large swings in quarterly and annual revenues. We expect this volatility in revenues to continue in the balance of 2014 and future years. Based on recent indications from the federal government, we anticipate that the E-Rate program will be insufficiently funded to enable the Miami-Dade and Broward school districts to complete all the IT projects slated for 2014. While additional federal government funding may still materialize in 2014 and 2015, if it does not we may experience delay or cancellation of present or future wireless infrastructure projects in the districts. As previously reported, our 2013 results included approximately $23.0 million in revenue from a wireless connectivity project for the Miami- Dade County Public School district.
To reduce dependence on government funding, JDL Technologies continues to aggressively pursue opportunities to provide managed services, migration to the cloud, virtualization HIPAA-compliant IT services, and other network services to SMBs with a focus on healthcare, legal and financial services and logistics markets. As part of this initiative, JDL Technologies has adopted HIPAA standards that enable it to serve healthcare providers as a compliant Business Associate.
The Company’s income before income taxes decreased to $2,010,000 in 2014 compared to $2,959,000 in 2013. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 35.5% in 2014 and 36.4% in 2013. This effective tax rate differs from the federal tax rate of 35% due to state income taxes, foreign losses not deductible for U.S. income tax purposes, provisions for interest charges for uncertain income tax positions, and settlement of uncertain tax positions. The effect of the foreign operations is an overall rate increase of approximately 3.5% in the first six months of 2014.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2014, the Company had approximately $31,453,000 in cash, cash equivalents and investments. Of this amount, $5,198,000 was invested in short-term money market funds that are not considered to be bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or other government agency. These money market funds seek to preserve the value of the investment at $1.00 per share; however, it is possible to lose money investing in these funds. The remainder in cash and cash equivalents is operating cash and certificates of deposit which are fully insured through the FDIC. The Company also had $16,501,000 in investments consisting of certificates of deposit and corporate notes and bonds that are traded on the open market and are classified as available-for-sale at June 30, 2014.
The Company had working capital of $61,766,000, consisting of current assets of approximately $76,181,000 and current liabilities of $14,415,000 at June 30, 2014 compared to working capital of $70,599,000, consisting of current assets of $83,672,000 and current liabilities of $13,073,000 at December 31, 2013. The Company’s working capital at June 30, 2014 decreased slightly from year-end due to the fact that the Company increased its ownership of long-term investments to $10,624,000 from $3,921,000.
Cash flow provided by operating activities was approximately $7,553,000 in the first six months of 2014 compared to $9,279,000 used in the same period of 2013. Significant working capital changes from December 31, 2013 to June 30, 2014 included a decrease in receivables of $3,743,000 due to the receipt of outstanding receivables at JDL Technologies related to the Miami Dade project primarily completed in 2013, partially offset by an increase in sales at Suttle during the quarter and an increase in Suttle-related inventory and related accounts payable.
Net cash used in investing activities was $9,332,000 in the first six months of 2014 compared to $4,538,000 provided in the same period of 2013. The Company continued to make capital investments and purchases of certificates of deposit and other marketable securities, moving more of its capital into longer term investments.
Net cash used by financing activities was $3,353,000 in the first six months of 2014 compared to $1,529,000 in the same period of 2013. The Company made $566,000 in contingent consideration payments related to the Patapsco acquisition. Cash dividends paid on common stock increased to $2,801,000 in 2014 ($0.32 per common share) from $1,364,000 in 2013 due to an accelerated payment of the dividend declared and paid in December 2012. Proceeds from common stock issuances, principally shares sold to the Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan and under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan, totaled approximately $180,000 in 2014 and $206,000 in 2013. The Company did not repurchase any shares in 2014 or 2013 under the Board authorized program. At June 30, 2014, Board of Director authority to purchase approximately 411,910 additional shares remained in effect. The Company acquired $2,000 and $0 in 2014 and 2013, respectively, of Company stock from employees in order to satisfy withholding tax obligations related to share-based compensation, pursuant to terms of Board and shareholder-approved compensation plans.
The Company has a $10,000,000 line of credit from Wells Fargo Bank. Interest on borrowings on the credit line is at LIBOR plus 1.1% (1.3% at June 30, 2014). There were no borrowings on the line of credit during the first six months of 2014 or 2013. The credit agreement expires October 31, 2014 and is secured by assets of the Company. The Company intends to renew the agreement in 2014.
In the opinion of management, based on the Company’s current financial and operating position and projected future expenditures, sufficient funds are available to meet the Company’s anticipated operating and capital expenditure needs.
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Enterprise Resource Planning
On April 4, 2013, our Transition Networks business unit and the parent Communications Systems, Inc. “went live” on a new Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) system. Due to the restructuring of the Company into a holding company structure with greater focus on our three operating business units, we are moving more deliberately to implement the new ERP system in the rest of the Company. We expect Suttle to adopt the new ERP system in 2015.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our critical accounting policies, including the assumptions and judgments underlying them, are discussed in our 2013 Form 10-K in Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included in our Consolidated Financial Statements. There were no significant changes to our critical accounting policies during the six months ended June 30, 2014.
The Company’s accounting policies have been consistently applied in all material respects and disclose such matters as allowance for doubtful accounts, sales returns, inventory valuation, warranty expense, income taxes, revenue recognition, asset impairment recognition and foreign currency translation. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the result of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Results may differ from these estimates due to actual outcomes being different from those on which we based our assumptions. Management reviews these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
We do not believe there are any recently issued accounting standards that have not yet been adopted that will have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk. |
The Company has no freestanding or embedded derivatives. The Company’s policy is to not use freestanding derivatives and to not enter into contracts with terms that cannot be designated as normal purchases or sales.
The vast majority of our transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars; as such, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates have historically not been material to the Company. At June 30, 2014 our bank line of credit carried a variable interest rate based on LIBOR plus 1.1%.
Based on the Company’s operations, in the opinion of management, no material future losses or exposure exist relative to market risk.
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Item 4. Controls and Procedures |
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in the Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
There was no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
|
Item 1. Legal Proceedings |
Not Applicable. |
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Item 1A. Risk Factors |
Not Applicable. |
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
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ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
| | | | |
Period | (a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased
| Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) | Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs
| (b) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
|
| | | | | |
April 2014 | — | $ | — | — | 411,910 |
May 2014 | 194 | 11.14 | — | 411,910 |
June 2014 | — | — | — | 411,910 |
Total | 194 | $ | 11.14 | — | 411,910 |
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| (a) | The shares in this column represent shares that were surrendered to us by plan participants to satisfy withholding tax obligations related to share-based compensation. |
| (b) | Shares represent remaining amount of a 500,000 share repurchase authorization approved by the Company’s Board in October 2008 and publicly announced in November 2008. |
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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities |
Not Applicable. |
|
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures |
Not Applicable. |
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Item 5. Other Information |
Not Applicable. |
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Item 6. Exhibits. |
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| The following exhibits are included herein: |
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| 3.1 | Communications Systems, Inc. Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, effective as of June 12, 2014. |
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| 3.2 | Communications Systems, Inc. Amended and Restated Bylaws, effective as of June 12, 2014. |
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| 31.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act). |
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| 31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act). |
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| 32. | Certifications pursuant Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. §1350). |
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| 99.1 | Press Release dated August 6, 2014 announcing 2014 Second Quarter Results. |
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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 thereto duly authorized.
| | | |
| | Communications Systems, Inc. | |
| | | |
| By | /s/ Roger H.D. Lacey | |
| | Roger H.D. Lacey | |
Date: August 7, 2014 | | Interim Chief Executive Officer | |
| | | |
| | /s/ Edwin C. Freeman | |
| | Edwin C. Freeman | |
Date: August 7, 2014 | | Chief Financial Officer | |
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