During the first nine months of 2007, we generated $182.1 million in cash flow from operating activities which was partly used to fund $21.0 million in financing activities, primarily to pay in full the remaining $22.5 million balance outstanding on our term loan in conjunction with the closing of our new revolving credit facility in February 2007, and to pay down debt assumed in conjunction with the Cherry Hill acquisition; and partly to fund $24.8 million in investing activities, principally for the purchase of construction equipment and property to be used in support of our building construction operations, and to purchase $8.0 million of short-term investments. As a result, we increased our cash balance by $136.3 million during the first nine months of 2007.
Working capital increased from $194.0 million at the end of 2006 to $262.4 million at September 30, 2007. The current ratio of 1.22x at September 30, 2007 was the same as the current ratio at December 31, 2006.
Long-term debt, net of current maturities, at September 30, 2007 was $14.9 million, a decrease of $19.2 million ($26.2 million including current portion) from December 31, 2006, due to the February 22, 2007 repayment of our term loan in full in conjunction with the closing of our new credit agreement, and reductions in mortgage debt and equipment financing debt assumed in conjunction with the Cherry Hill acquisition. Accordingly, the long-term debt to equity ratio decreased from .14x at December 31, 2006 to .04x at September 30, 2007.
There were no cash dividends declared or paid on our outstanding Common Stock during the periods presented herein.
We redeemed all remaining outstanding Depositary Shares on May 17, 2006, in accordance with the terms of our $21.25 Preferred Stock, at a price of $25.00 per Depositary Share plus accrued and unpaid dividends to that date, for an aggregate amount of approximately $8.8 million.
The statements contained in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and other sections of this Form 10-Q that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including without limitation, statements regarding our expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to, our ability to convert backlog into revenue; our ability to successfully and timely complete construction projects; the potential delay, suspension, termination or reduction in scope of a construction project; the continuing validity of the underlying assumptions and estimates of total forecasted project revenues, costs and profits and project schedules; the outcomes of pending or future litigation, arbitration or other dispute resolution proceedings; the availability of borrowed funds on terms acceptable to us; the ability to retain certain members of management; the ability to obtain surety bonds to secure our performance under certain construction contracts; possible labor disputes or work stoppages within the construction industry; changes in federal and state appropriations for infrastructure projects; possible changes or developments in worldwide or domestic political, social, economic, business, industry, market and regulatory conditions or circumstances; and actions taken or not taken by third parties including our customers, suppliers, business partners, and competitors and legislative, regulatory, judicial and other governmental authorities and officials; and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2007. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
There has been no material change in the Company’s exposure to market risk from that described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, Item 7A., since December 31, 2006.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
As required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, we recognize that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating and implementing possible controls and procedures. The effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures is necessarily limited by the staff and other resources available to us and, although we have designed our disclosure controls and procedures to address the geographic diversity of our operations, this diversity inherently may limit the effectiveness of those controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective, in that they provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms.
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
In connection with these rules, we will continue to review and document our disclosure controls and procedures, including our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing their effectiveness and to ensure that our systems evolve with our business.
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Part II. - Other Information
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Redondo/Perini Joint Venture vs. Siemens Transportation Matter
This was a binding arbitration proceeding arising out of a contract between the Redondo/Perini Joint Venture, or RPJV, a joint venture in which Perini and Redondo Construction Corp., or Redondo, each have a 50% interest and the Siemens Transportation Partnership, S.E., Puerto Rico, or STP. STP constructed a public metropolitan passenger rail transportation project for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and RPJV was responsible for the design and construction of a portion of the project.
In March 2002, Redondo filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico. In December 2002, RPJV filed an arbitration demand against STP seeking the recovery of additional costs related to design changes and the late completion of the design. Thereafter, STP filed a counter-demand against RPJV seeking the recovery of damages allegedly related to defects in design and construction and the late completion of RPJV's work along with the repayment for alleged advances previously paid to RPJV.
In October 2004, STP filed suit against Perini in New York State court seeking enforcement against Perini of a Guaranty Agreement that allegedly guarantees the performance and payment obligations of the subject RPJV/Siemens contract in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less than $27.0 million. This action was stayed pending the arbitration.
In March 2006, the arbitration panel issued a final award on Phase I of the arbitration, awarding RPJV approximately $16.2 million on its claim and awarding STP approximately $0.5 million on its claim, for a net award to RPJV of approximately $15.7 million, payable in thirty days. The arbitrators also deferred decision on an additional amount of approximately $15.5 million of RPJV’s Phase I claims until the conclusion of Phase II. Judgment was entered, as of September 29, 2006, in favor of RPJV and against STP in the sum of approximately $16.0 million, including prejudgment interest from April 13, 2006 through September 29, 2006, totaling approximately $0.3 million. Interest accrued on the judgment from September 29, 2006 at 9% per annum. STP filed an appeal of the judgment.
There was to be a second phase of the arbitration, which included claims which existed on or after September 29, 2003. The parties exchanged statements of claim in July, 2006. RPJV’s claim was approximately $23.2 million, plus interest. STP’s claim was $17.5 million. Discovery started, but no hearings were held.
Pursuant to an agreement dated as of June 1, 2007, RPJV and STP settled their disputes. All proceedings between the parties have been discontinued. The settlement did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations.
Investigation by U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of New York
In 2001, the Company received a grand jury subpoena for documents in connection with an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The investigation concerns contracting with disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses in the New York City area construction industry. The Company has cooperated with the U. S. Attorney’s Office in the investigation and produced documents pursuant to the subpoena in 2001 and 2002. In August 2006 and May 2007, the Company received two additional grand jury subpoenas for documents in connection with the same investigation. The Company subsequently produced documents pursuant to those subpoenas, and continues to cooperate in the investigation. It is the Company’s understanding that lawyers for two former Perini Civil Division employees also are in separate discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office related to the investigation. On January 8,
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Part II. - Other Information (continued)
2007, the Company was informed by the U.S. Attorney's Office that the Company meets the definition of “subject” in the United States Attorney's Manual. That definition is "a person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury's investigation.” At the same time, the U.S. Attorney's Office also wrote to the Company that "Perini has been cooperatively engaged in discussions with this office and that we are considering a civil settlement with regard to Perini.” The Company has been in active discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office concerning a resolution of this matter. As of September 30, 2007, the Company recorded a charge with respect to this matter. The results for the Civil segment are materially affected by this charge.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Information regarding risk factors affecting the Company’s business is discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. There have been no material changes from those risk factors during 2007.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
(a) None
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
(a) None
(b) None
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
(a) None
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
(d) Not applicable
Item 5. Other Information
(a) None
(b) None
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit 10.1 | Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the Perini Corporation 2004 Stock Option |
| and Incentive Plan dated as of September 26, 2007 between the Company and Kenneth R. |
Exhibit 31.1 | Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley |
| Act of 2002 – filed herewith. |
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Part II. - Other Information (continued)
Exhibit 31.2 | Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley |
| Act of 2002 – filed herewith. |
Exhibit 32.1 | Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As |
| Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 – filed herewith. |
Exhibit 32.2 | Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As |
| Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 – filed herewith. |
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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.
| Perini Corporation |
| Registrant |
| |
| |
| |
Date: November 9, 2007 | /s/Kenneth R. Burk |
| Kenneth R. Burk, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
| Duly Authorized Officer and Principal Financial Officer |
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