This discussion should be read in connection with the information contained in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements and gives effect to the restatement discussed in Note 16 to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Consolidated net sales increased by $3.5 million or 4.8% for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 versus the quarter ended March 31, 2005. Net sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 for the Carbon and Service segment increased $5.9 million or 9.9% versus the similar 2005 period. The increase was primarily due to stronger sales in all geographical regions including increased sales of activated carbon in Japan to the Company’s joint venture company, Calgon Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation as well as price increases. Partially offsetting this increase was the negative impact of foreign currency translation of $1.6 million. Net sales for the Equipment segment decreased $1.8 million or 17.2% in the first quarter 2006 versus the comparable 2005 period. The decrease was primarily due to non-repeat sales of equipment for perchlorate removal from ground water and odor removal equipment. The impact of foreign currency translation for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 was comparable to the similar 2005 period. Net sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 for the Consumer segment decreased by $0.6 million or 16.5% versus the quarter ended March 31, 2005. The decrease was attributable to lower demand for activated carbon cloth as well as the negative impact of foreign currency translation of $0.1 million. The total negative impact of foreign currency translation on consolidated net sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 was $1.8 million.
Net sales less cost of products sold (excluding depreciation), as a percentage of net sales was 25.0% for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 compared to 27.7% for the similar 2005 period, a 2.7 percentage point decrease. The decline was primarily due to higher raw material, energy, and transportation costs of $3.1 million or 4.0%. These costs were partially offset by price increases of carbon products and services.
The depreciation and amortization decrease of $0.7 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2006 versus the quarter ended March 31, 2005 was primarily due to decreased depreciation due to an increase in fully depreciated fixed assets.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 decreased versus the comparable 2005 quarter by $1.5 million. Included in the decrease was a change in the estimate of the Company’s environmental liabilities assumed in the Waterlink acquisition of approximately $1.3 million. Litigation expense increased $0.9 million versus the similar 2005 period. Offsetting this increase was the non-recurring severance charges of $1.3 million related to the Company’s 2005 re-engineering plan that occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2005.
Research and development expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 were comparable to the similar 2005 period.
The impairment charge of $2.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 was as a result of the Company’s decision on March 22, 2005 to cancel the construction of a reactivation facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast and to suspend the construction of such facility for the foreseeable future.
Restructuring charges for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 decreased $0.2 million versus the comparable 2005 period. The restructuring charges for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 primarily related to pension curtailment charges as a result of employee separations from the Company’s 2005 re-engineering plan.
Other expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 increased $0.4 million as compared to March 31, 2005. The increase is primarily due to the write-off of deferred financing fees associated with the Company’s previous credit facility.
Interest expense, net of interest income, for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 increased versus the quarter ended March 31, 2005 by $0.6 million. The increase is the result of higher interest rates paid on the Company’s borrowings both as a result of the increase in LIBOR rates from last year’s first quarter to this year’s first quarter and the Company paying higher interest spreads on its borrowings as a result of a lower trailing twelve months EBITDA as of the end of the first quarter 2006 versus the end of the first quarter 2005.
The effective tax rate for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 was 9.8% compared to 21.4% for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. The quarter ended March 31, 2006 tax rate was lower than the statutory Federal Income Tax Rate due to certain benefits, principally the exclusion provided under United States income tax laws with respect to the Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Benefit and recognition of state income tax benefits. The quarter ended March 31, 2005 tax rate was lower than the statutory Federal Income Tax Rate due to the Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Benefit, recognition of foreign tax credit benefits, and recognition of state income tax benefits. The primary item that contributed to the change in the effective tax rate between the three month period ended March 31, 2006 and the similar period for 2005 was the reduction in estimate of the Company’s full year 2006 pre-tax earnings and its impact on the tax effect of the aforementioned permanent items.
During the preparation of its effective tax rate, the Company uses an annualized estimate of pre-tax earnings. Throughout the year this annualized estimate may change based on actual results and annual earnings estimate revisions. Because the Company’s permanent tax benefits are relatively constant, changes in the annualized estimate may have a significant impact on the effective tax rate in future periods.
The Company provides an estimate for income taxes based on an evaluation of the underlying accounts, its tax filing positions and interpretations of existing law. Changes in estimates are reflected in the year of settlement or expiration of the statute of limitations. The Company does not believe that resolution of existing unresolved tax matters will have a material impact on the consolidated financial condition of the Company, although a resolution could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of income and comprehensive income for a particular future period and on the Company’s effective tax rate.
Equity in income from equity investments for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 was comparable to the similar 2005 period.
Discontinued Operations:
Income from discontinued operations increased $0.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 versus March 31, 2005 primarily due the $1.7 million, net of tax, gain recognized on the sale of the Company’s Charcoal/Liquid business. Partially offsetting this increase was lower sales and profitability of the solvent recovery business in 2006 as a result of the completion of a significant project during 2005.
22
Financial Condition
Working Capital and Liquidity
The cash flows discussed for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 and 2005 include discontinued operations. Cash flows used in operating activities were $4.6 million for the period ended March 31, 2006 compared to cash flows used in operating activities of $2.4 million for the comparable 2005 period. The $2.2 million increase in cash used represents an increase in operating working capital (exclusive of debt) in 2006 versus the comparable 2005 period. The divestitures are expected to decrease earnings before income tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by approximately $3.0 million on an annual, on-going basis.
Common stock dividends were not paid during the quarter ended March 31, 2006 as compared to dividends that were paid during the quarter ended March 31, 2005 which represented $.03 per common share.
Total debt at March 31, 2006 was $71.5 million, a decrease of $12.4 million from December 31, 2005. The decrease was as a result of the repayment of the Company’s $18.0 million term loan and the additional borrowings of $5.6 million were used in financing normal working capital and capital expenditure activities.
On January 30, 2006, the Company amended and restated its existing $125.0 million unsecured United States revolving credit facility. The amended $118.0 million facility consists of a $100.0 million revolving loan and an $18.0 million term loan. Current commitments from the lenders under the new agreement total $105.0 million with an additional $13.0 million available to the existing or new lenders. The amended and restated facility is secured by a blanket security interest in favor of the lenders and a pledge agreement in favor of the lenders with respect to the stock of certain subsidiaries. Borrowings under this facility were being charged a weighted average interest rate of 7.39% at March 31, 2006.
Included in the credit facility is a letter of credit sub-facility that cannot exceed $30.0 million. The interest rate is based upon Euro based (LIBOR) rates with other interest rate options available. The applicable Euro Dollar margin ranges from 1.25% to 2.50%, and an unused commitment fee that ranges from 0.25% to 0.50% and is based upon the Company’s ratio of debt to earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The credit facility’s covenants impose financial restrictions on the Company, including maintaining certain ratios of debt to EBITDA, EBITDA to cash outlays and operating assets to debt and minimum net worth. In addition, the facility imposes gross spending restrictions on capital expenditures, dividends, treasury share repurchases, acquisitions and investments in non-controlled subsidiaries. The facility also contains mandatory prepayment provisions for the term loan and proceeds in excess of pre-established amounts of certain events as defined within the loan agreement.
On February 23, 2006, the Company, as required by the amended credit facility, repaid the $18.0 million term loan with the proceeds from the sale of the Company’s Charcoal/Liquid business. The remaining $100.0 million revolving loan has $87.0 million of funding commitments from the Company’s lenders.
In March 2006, the Company amended its U.S. credit facility to clarify elements of certain covenants and to finalize an amount used for one of the add-back provisions of the covenants that were required to be met as of December 31, 2005 as conditions to the closing of the facility. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2005, as amended.
As of March 31, 2006 the Company was not in compliance with the Fixed Charge covenant ratio which is based upon the Company’s ratio of trailing twelve months EBITDA to the sum of the Company’s trailing twelve months payments for interest, taxes, dividends, and capital expenditures. The Company is not immediately seeking a waiver, but has reached agreement with its lenders to continue utilizing the facility with the same rights and privileges as it had prior to the violation while the lenders have reserved their rights to call the debt without further notice at any time during the period of violation. Should the lenders elect to exercise their rights and call the debt, the Company would be unable to satisfy the obligation without securing an alternative financing arrangement or arrangements. During the second quarter, the Company intends to work with its lenders to resolve this violation by trying to obtain a waiver and amendment to the facility or seek alternative financing arrangements should a resolution with the existing lending group prove unsuccessful. The Company has classified all borrowings under this facility as short term as of March 31, 2006.
23
The Company expects that current cash from operating activities plus cash balances and current access to available external financing (see conditions to access discussed above) will be sufficient to meet its operating requirements for the next twelve months and the foreseeable future.
The Company is obligated to make future payments under various contracts such as debt agreements, lease agreements, and unconditional purchase obligations. As of March 31, 2006, with the exception of the debt covenant violation noted above, there have been no changes in the payment terms of long-term debt, lease agreements, and unconditional purchase obligations since December 31, 2005. The following table represents the significant cash contractual obligations and other commercial commitments.
| | Due in | | | | |
| |
| | | | |
(Thousands) | | 2006 | | 2007 | | 2008 | | 2009 | | 2010 | | Thereafter | | Total | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Short-term debt | | $ | 68,574 | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | 2,925 | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | 71,499 | |
Operating leases | | | 5,019 | | | 3,781 | | | 3,029 | | | 2,694 | | | 2,539 | | | 12,245 | | | 29,307 | |
Unconditional purchase obligations* | | | 26,755 | | | 21,626 | | | 16,887 | | | 8,041 | | | 7,753 | | | 5,711 | | | 86,773 | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Total contractual cash Obligations | | $ | 100,348 | | $ | 25,407 | | $ | 19,916 | | $ | 13,660 | | $ | 10,292 | | $ | 17,956 | | $ | 187,579 | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
*Primarily for the purchase of raw materials, transportation, and information systems services. |
Capital Expenditures and Investments
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment totaled $3.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006 compared to expenditures of $1.7 million for the same period in 2005. The expenditures for the period ended March 31, 2006 consisted primarily of improvements to the Company’s manufacturing facilities of $1.8 million, $1.1 million related to the repair of the Company’s Pearl River plant as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and customer capital of $0.3 million. The comparable 2005 expenditures consisted primarily of $1.4 million for improvements to manufacturing facilities and $0.1 million for customer capital. Capital expenditures for 2006 are projected to be approximately $16.0 million.
The March 31, 2005 purchase of business cash out flow of $0.5 million, as shown on the statement of cash flows, represents the Company’s increased equity ownership in Datong Carbon Corporation from 80% to 100% for a purchase price of $0.7 million.
In 2003, the Company temporarily suspended construction of a new facility in the Gulf Coast region of the United States as it evaluated strategic alternatives. On March 22, 2005, the Company concluded, and the Board of Directors approved, that cancellation of this project was warranted and that construction of such a facility should be suspended for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $2.2 million for the period ended March 31, 2005.
In January 2006, the Company announced the temporary idling of its reactivation facility in Blue Lake, California in an effort to reduce operating costs and to more efficiently utilize the capacity at its other existing locations. The Company conducted an impairment review of the plant’s assets having a net book value of $1.7 million in connection with the temporary idling of the facility and concluded that the assets were not impaired. It is management’s intention to resume operation of the plant in 2007. If management should conclude that the idling of the plant beyond 2007 is warranted, operating results may be adversely affected by impairment charges.
Regulatory Matters
Each of the Company’s domestic production facilities has permits and licenses regulating air emissions and water discharges. All of the Company’s domestic production facilities are controlled under permits issued by local, state and federal air pollution control entities. The Company is presently in compliance with these permits. Continued compliance will require administrative control and will be subject to any new or additional standards. In May 2003, the Company partially discontinued operation of one of its three activated carbon lines at its Catlettsburg, Kentucky facility. The Company will need to install pollution abatement equipment estimated at approximately $7.0 million in order to remain in compliance with state requirements regulating air emissions before resuming full operation of this line. Management has not determined its plan of action for compliance related to this activated carbon line; however, if it is determined that a shutdown of the full operation of the activated carbon line is warranted, the impact to current operating results would be insignificant.
24
New Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, “Inventory Costs – an amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4,” which requires the recognition of costs of idle facilities, excessive spoilage, double freight and re-handling costs as a component of current-period expenses. The provisions of SFAS No. 151 are effective for inventory costs incurred during fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2005. The Company adopted SFAS No. 151 effective January 1, 2006 as required. Such adoption had no material impact on the accompanying financial statements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment,” which establishes the accounting for transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments or certain liabilities based upon an entity’s equity instruments for goods or services. SFAS No. 123R generally requires that publicly traded companies measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award at the grant date. That cost will be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award which is usually the vesting period. Management adopted SFAS No. 123R beginning January 1, 2006 as required and the related costs are reflected in the accompanying financial statements as discussed in Note 13.
In May 2005, the FASB issued SFAS No. 154, “Accounting Changes and Error Corrections,” which changes the requirements for the accounting for and reporting of a change in accounting principle. SFAS No. 154 applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle. It also applies to changes required by an accounting pronouncement in the unusual instance that the pronouncement does not include specific transition provisions. When a pronouncement includes specific transition provisions, those provisions should be followed. The Company adopted SFAS No. 154 effective January 1, 2006 as required. Such adoption had no material impact on the accompanying financial statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
Management of the Company has evaluated the accounting policies used in the preparation of the financial statements and related footnotes and believes the policies to be reasonable and appropriate. The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make judgments, estimates, and assumptions regarding uncertainties that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Management uses historical experience and all available information to make these judgments and estimates, and actual results will inevitably differ from those estimates and assumptions that are used to prepare the Company’s financial statements at any given time. Despite these inherent limitations, management believes that Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and the financial statements and related footnotes provide a meaningful and fair perspective of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
The following are the critical accounting policies impacted by management’s judgments, assumptions, and estimates. Management believes that the application of these policies on a consistent basis enables the Company to provide the users of the financial statements with useful and reliable information about the Company’s operating results and financial condition.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue and related costs when goods are shipped or services are rendered to customers provided that ownership and risk of loss have passed to the customer. Revenue for major equipment projects is recognized under the percentage of completion method by comparing actual costs incurred to total estimated costs to complete the respective projects.
25
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. The amount of allowance recorded is based upon a quarterly review of specific customer transactions that remain outstanding at least three months beyond their respective due dates. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.
Inventories
The Company’s inventories are carried at the lower of cost or market and adjusted to net realizable value by recording a reserve for inventory obsolescence. The inventory obsolescence reserve is adjusted quarterly based upon a review of specific products that have remained unsold for a prescribed period of time. If the market demand for various products softens, an additional reserve may be required.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill for impairment at least annually by initially comparing the fair value of the Company’s reporting units to their related carrying values. If the fair value of a reporting unit were less than its carrying value, additional steps would be necessary to determine the amount, if any, of goodwill impairment. Fair values are estimated using discounted cash flow and other valuation methodologies that are based on projections of the amounts and timing of future revenues and cash flows.
Environmental Costs
Liabilities for environmental costs are recorded when it is probable that obligations have been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. These liabilities are not reduced by possible recoveries from third parties, and projected cash expenditures are not discounted.
Pensions
Accounting for pensions involves estimating the cost of benefits to be provided well into the future and attributing that cost over the time period each employee works. To accomplish this, extensive use is made of assumptions about inflation, investment returns, mortality, turnover and discount rates. These assumptions are reviewed annually. In determining the expected return on plan asset assumption, the Company evaluates long-term actual return information, the mix of investments that comprise plan assets and future estimates of long-term investment returns.
Income Taxes
During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s annual tax rate and in evaluating tax positions. The Company establishes reserves when, despite management’s belief that the Company’s tax return positions are fully supportable, it believes that certain positions are probable to be challenged upon review by tax authorities. Changes in estimates are reflected in the year of settlement or expiration of the statute of limitations. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular tax matter, the Company believes that its reserves reflect the probable outcome of known tax contingencies. The resolution of tax matters will not have a material impact on the consolidated financial condition of the Company, although a resolution could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for a particular future period and on the Company’s effective tax rate.
The Company is subject to varying statutory tax rates in the countries where it conducts business. Fluctuations in the mix of the Company’s income between countries result in changes to the Company’s overall effective tax rate.
Litigation
The Company is involved in various asserted and unasserted legal claims. An estimate is made to accrue for a loss contingency relating to any of these legal claims if it is probable that a liability was incurred at the date of the financial statements and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Because of the subjective nature inherent in assessing the outcome of legal claims and because the potential that an adverse outcome in a legal claim could have material impact on the Company’s legal position or results of operations, such estimates are considered to be critical accounting estimates. After review, it was determined at March 31, 2006, that for each of the various unresolved legal claims in which the Company is involved, the conditions mentioned above were not met. As such, no accrual was recorded. The Company will continue to evaluate all legal matters as additional information becomes available.
26
Long-Lived Assets
The Company evaluates long-lived assets under the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” which addresses financial accounting and reporting for the impairment of long-lived assets, and for long-lived assets to be disposed of. For assets to be held and used, the Company groups a long-lived asset or assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. An impairment loss for an asset group reduces only the carrying amounts of a long-lived asset or assets of the group being evaluated. The loss is allocated to the long-lived assets of the group on a pro-rata basis using the relative carrying amounts of those assets, except that the loss allocated to an individual long-lived asset of the group does not reduce the carrying amount of that asset below its fair value whenever that fair value is determinable without undue cost and effort. Estimates of future cash flows used to test the recoverability of a long-lived asset group include only the future cash flows that are associated with and that are expected to arise as a direct result of the use and eventual disposition of the asset group. The future cash flow estimates used by the Company exclude interest charges.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures:
The Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at the end of the period covered by its originally filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Evaluation Date”). Based upon that evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer previously concluded, as of the Evaluation Date, that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports filed or submitted by it under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that information required to be disclosed by the Company in such reports is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Material Weakness Identified:
On October 30, 2006, management and the Audit Committee of the Company determined that the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal quarter ended March 31,2006 contained errors and should no longer be relied upon. The errors were as a result of an error made in the calculation of the Company’s interim tax provision for the quarter ended March 31, 2006. Our interim preparation and review controls surrounding income taxation failed to fully consider the impact of the disposition that occurred in the period.
27
In connection with this restatement, management re-evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Solely as a result of this material weakness, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of the end of the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2006.
Material Weakness Previously Identified:
As previously reported in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, on March 21, 2006, management and the Audit Committee of the Company determined that as of December 31, 2005, a material weakness existed in internal control over financial reporting related to the failure to record invoices for professional services in a timely manner. This determination resulted from errors identified during the Company’s audit for the year ended December 31, 2005.
Management evaluated the cause of these errors and determined that the controls over the collection and recording of invoices for professional services did not operate effectively. As a result of the actual misstatement that occurred and the lack of other mitigating controls, management determined that this deficiency constituted a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting. The material weakness resulted in a restatement of the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarters ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, 2005.
Remediation Activities related to the previously identified material weakness:
The Company’s management and Audit Committee have dedicated resources to assessing the underlying issues giving rise to the aforementioned accounting errors relating to the recording of invoices for professional services and to ensure that proper steps have been and are being taken to improve our internal controls. We have re-evaluated the internal controls relative to this area and have implemented additional internal controls so that, as of March 31, 2006, we believe that we have remediated this material weakness. The Company’s remediation plan, which included the implementation of additional controls to ensure proper recording of invoices for professional services in a timely manner, is as follows:
• | Centralized the collection and recordkeeping of invoices for professional services. |
| |
• | Established balance sheet reconciliation review meetings with the business process owners. |
In addition, the Company will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these remedial actions and make any further changes as management determines to be appropriate.
Changes in Internal Control:
The remediation of the material weakness described above that occurred and the material weakness related to the tax calculation that arose during the period ended March 31, 2006, had a material effect on the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
28
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings |
| |
| See Note 9 to the unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained herein. |
| |
Item 1a. | Risk Factors |
| Calgon Carbon could be subject to significant increases in pension contributions to its defined benefit pension plans thereby restricting cash flow. The Company has made commitments to pay certain retirement benefits to its current and former employees under its defined benefit pension plans. The funded status is determined using many assumptions such as inflation, investment rates, mortality, turnover, and discount rates which could turn out to be different than projected. Currently those plans in the aggregate are significantly under funded, and require a certain level of mandatory contributions as prescribed by law. Significant increases in the Company’s pension liabilities or decreases in pension assets as a result of actual experience being materially different than the projected assumptions would result in higher levels of mandatory contributions. In addition, changes in pension legislation could also increase funding requirements which would have an adverse effect on the Company’s cash flow and could restrict strategic investments. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon’s financial results could be adversely affected by shortages in natural gas supply or increases in natural gas prices. Calgon Carbon utilizes natural gas as a key component in its activated carbon manufacturing process, and has long term contracts for the supply of natural gas at each of its major facilities. If shortages of or restrictions on the delivery of natural gas occurs, production at the Company’s activated carbon facilities would be reduced which could result in missed deliveries or lost sales. Additionally, the Company hedges its future supply of natural gas by purchasing forward contracts for up to two years in duration in order to limit prices fluctuations in the near term and smooth out the cost volatility. These purchases however do not protect the Company from longer term trends of rising natural gas prices which could result in significant production cost increases. |
29
| Delays in enactment of new state or federal regulations could restrict Calgon Carbon’s ability to reach its strategic growth targets. The Company’s strategic growth initiatives are reliant upon more restrictive environmental regulations being enacted for the purpose of making water and air cleaner and safer. If stricter regulations are delayed or are not enacted, then the Company’s sales growth targets could be adversely affected. |
| |
| Increases in United States and European imports of Chinese manufactured activated carbon could have an adverse effect on Calgon Carbon’s financial results. Calgon Carbon faces competition in its U.S. and European markets from brokers of low cost imported activated carbon products, primarily from China. While the Company believes it has a technically superior product, if imports increase and Chinese products are accepted in more applications, the Company could see declines in sales and profitability as it tries to remain competitive. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon uses bituminous coal as the main raw material in its granular activated carbon production process. An interruption of supply or an increase in coal prices could have an adverse effect on Calgon Carbon’s financial results. The Company has various long term contracts in place for the supply of coal that expire at various intervals. Interruptions in coal supply caused by mine accidents, labor disputes, transportation delays, or other events for other than a temporary period could have an adverse effect on the Company being able to meet its customer demand, in addition to increasing production costs. |
| |
| Most of Calgon Carbon’s hourly workforce is covered under union contracts; the Company’s inability to successfully negotiate contracts upon expiration could have an adverse affect on financial results. The Company has collective bargaining agreements in place at four of the Company’s productions facilities covering approximately 309 employees that expire from 2007 to 2009. Any work stoppages as a result of disagreements with any of the labor unions or the failure to renegotiate any of the contracts as they expire could disrupt production and significantly increase product costs as a result of less efficient operations brought on by temporary labor. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon has locations operating in multiple foreign countries and as a result is subject to foreign exchange translation risk which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial results. Calgon Carbon conducts business in the local currencies of each of its foreign subsidiaries or affiliates. Those results are then converted to U.S. dollars at prevailing exchange rates and consolidated into the Company’s financial statements. Changes in exchange rates, particularly the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, could significantly reduce the Company’s sales and profitability from foreign subsidiaries or affiliates from one period to the next as local currency amounts are translated into less U.S. dollars. The Company does not hedge foreign translation risk. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon’s European and Japanese activated carbon businesses are sourced from both the United States and China which subjects the Company to foreign exchange translation risk. Calgon Carbon’s only source of production for virgin granular activated carbon is in the United States and China. Those facilities are used to supply all of the Company’s global demand of such product. The Company’s foreign operations all purchase from the U.S. operations in U.S. dollars, yet sell in local currency, resulting in foreign exchange translation risk. The Company attempts to mitigate that risk in the short term by executing foreign currency derivative contracts of not more than one year in duration to cover its known or projected foreign currency exposure. However, those contracts do not protect the Company from longer term trends of a strengthening U.S. dollar, which could significantly increase the Company’s cost of activated carbon delivered to its European and Japanese markets and for which the Company may not be able to offset by increases in its prices. |
30
| Calgon Carbon has significant domestic and foreign net operating tax loss (NOL) carryforwards which, if they are not utilized, would have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial results. The Company has significant deferred tax assets associated with net operating loss carryforwards that were generated from both the Company’s domestic and foreign operations. The Company has reduced that value of these assets by an appropriate valuation allowance for the amounts that are deemed not likely to be realized. However if the Company does not meet its projections of profitability in the future, some or all of those NOL’s could expire, which would result in a reduction of the Company’s deferred tax asset and an increase in tax expense, and which would reduce the Company’s profitability. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon’s business includes capital equipment sales which could have extreme fluctuations due to the cyclical nature of that type of business. Calgon Carbon’s Equipment segment approximated 13% of the Company’s overall revenues in 2005. This business generally has a long project life cycle from bid solicitation to project completion and often requires customers to make large capital commitments well in advance of project execution. In addition, this business is usually affected by the general health of the overall economy. As a result, sales and earnings from the Equipment segment could be volatile. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon could find it difficult to fund the capital needed to complete its growth strategy due to borrowing restrictions under its U.S. credit facility. Calgon Carbon is extended credit under its U.S. credit facility subject to compliance with certain financial covenants. The Company has had to amend its credit facility several times within the past year in order to cure violations or remain compliant as financial results have declined. If the Company’s liquidity remains constrained for more than a temporary period the Company may need to either delay certain strategic growth projects or access higher cost capital markets in order to fund the projects. |
| |
| Encroachment into Calgon Carbon’s markets by competitive technologies could adversely affect financial results. Activated carbon is utilized in various applications as a cost effective solution for solving customer problems. If other competitive technologies are advanced to the stage in which technologies could effectively compete with activated carbon costs and technologies, the Company could experience a decline in sales and profitability. |
| |
| Failure to innovate new products or applications could adversely affect the Company’s ability to meet its strategic growth targets. One of the ways that Calgon Carbon differentiates itself from its competition is through its technological superiority in helping customers to find solutions to their problems through the application of the Company’s products or services. Part of Calgon Carbon’s strategic growth and profitability plans involve the development of new products or new applications for its current products in order to replace more mature products or markets that have seen increased competition. If the Company is unable to develop new products or applications then the Company’s financial results could be adversely affected. |
| |
| An unplanned shutdown at one of the Company’s production facilities could have an adverse effect on financial results. The Company operates multiple facilities and sources product from strategic partners that operate facilities that are close to water or in areas susceptible to earthquakes. An unplanned shutdown at any of the Company’s or its strategic partners’ facilities for more than a temporary period as a result of a labor dispute, hurricane, typhoon, earthquake or other natural disaster could significantly affect the Company’s ability to meet its demand requirements, thereby resulting in lost sales and profitability in the short term or eventual loss of customers in the long term. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon holds a variety of patents that give the Company a competitive advantage in certain markets. An inability to defend those patents from competitive attack could have an adverse effect on both current results as well as future growth projections. From time to time in the course of its business the Company has to address competitive challenges to its patented technology. Calgon Carbon is currently in litigation to defend its process patent for the use of ultraviolet light in the prevention of cryptosporidium infection in drinking water. While the Company believes it will prevail in this action, an unfavorable outcome of that patent defense would impair the Company’s ability to capitalize on substantial future revenues from the licensing of that technology. |
| |
| Environmental compliance and remediation could result in substantially increased capital requirements and operating costs. The Company’s production facilities are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which they operate or maintain properties. Costs may be incurred in complying with such laws and regulations if environmental remediation measures are required. Each of the Company’s domestic production facilities has permits and licenses regulating air emissions and water discharges. All of the Company’s domestic production facilities are controlled under permits issued by local, state, and federal air pollution control entities. International environmental requirements vary and could have substantially lesser requirements that may give competitors a competitive advantage. |
31
| Provisions of Delaware Law and our rights plan may make a takeover of the Company more difficult. Certain provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and our rights plan could make more difficult or delay our acquisition by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise and the removal of incumbent directors. These provisions are intended to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices even though such a transaction may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price. |
| |
| Calgon Carbon’s international operations expose it to uncertainties and risks from abroad, which could negatively affect its results of operations. The Company has locations in Europe, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom which are subject to economic conditions and political factors within the respective countries, which if changed could negatively affect the Company’s results of operations and cash flow. Political factors include, but are not limited to, taxation, nationalization, inflation, currency fluctuations, increased regulation and quotas, tariffs and other protectionist measures. |
| |
| We face risks in connection with the material weaknesses described in our Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Management Report and any other related remedial measures that we may undertake. In connection with the preparation of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, we concluded that our internal controls were ineffective as of December 31, 2005 as a result of the failure to record invoices for professional services in a timely manner. We remediated the identified material weakness by centralizing the collection and record keeping of invoices for professional services and establishing balance sheet reconciliation review meetings with the business process owners. We also have identified a significant deficiency related to a lack of segregation of duties with respect to our information systems and are in the process of implementing changes to remediate this significant deficiency. Subsequent to our Annual Report, we concluded that our internal controls were ineffective as a result of an error made in the calculation of the Company’s interim tax provision for the quarters ended March 31 and June 30, 2006, respectively. We continue to evaluate the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting on an ongoing basis, taking additional remedial action as appropriate. |
| |
| If we are unable to effectively remediate this material weakness and any other material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting that are identified in the future and to assert that disclosure controls and procedures including internal control over financial reporting are effective in any future period, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could have an adverse effect on our stock price and potentially subject us to litigation. In addition, we may be required to incur additional costs including but not limited to the potential for hiring additional personnel to improve our existing internal control system. |
32
Item 2c. | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
Period | | Total Number of Shares Purchased (a) | | Average Price Paid Per Share (b) | | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Repurchase Plans or Programs (c) | | Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (d) | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
January 1 – January 31, 2006 | | | — �� | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
February 1 – February 28, 2006 | | | 32,432 | | $ | 7.12 | | | — | | | — | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
March 1 – March 31, 2006 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Total for Quarter Ended March 31, 2006 | | | 32,432 | | $ | 7.12 | | | — | | | — | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
(a) This column includes purchases under Calgon Carbon’s Stock Option Plan which represented withholding taxes due from employees relating to the restricted share awards issued on February 9, 2006. Future purchases under this plan will be dependent upon employee elections and forfeitures. |
33
Item 4. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders |
| |
| The annual meeting of stockholders was held April 19, 2006. In connection with the meeting, proxies were solicited pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act. The following are the voting results on the proposals considered and voted upon at the meeting and described in the proxy statement. |
| |
| Election of directors: |
| | | Votes For | | | Votes Withheld | |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Class of 2009 | | | | | | | |
William R. Newlin | | | 33,965,090 | | | 1,205,137 | |
John S. Stanik | | | 33,903,268 | | | 1,266,959 | |
Robert L. Yohe | | | 33,077,430 | | | 2,092,796 | |
Class of 2008 | | | | | | | |
Timothy G. Rupert | | | 33,709,229 | | | 1,460,787 | |
| | | | | | | |
Ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2006: |
Votes For | | Votes Against | | Votes Withheld |
|
|
|
|
|
34,917,407 | | 102,843 | | 149,977 |
Item 6. | Exhibits |
| |
| Exhibit 31.1 Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
| Exhibit 31.2 Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
| Exhibit 32.1 Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
| Exhibit 32.2 Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
34
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.
| CALGON CARBON CORPORATION |
|
|
| (REGISTRANT) |
| |
| |
Date: November 28, 2006 | /s/Leroy M. Ball |
|
|
| Leroy M. Ball |
| Senior Vice President, |
| Chief Financial Officer |
35
EXHIBIT INDEX
36