In 1998, the Company established a manufacturing facility in Evanston, Wyoming for the production of carbon fiber. During 1998 and through the first ten months of 1999, the Company used the material from this facility to satisfy a significant portion of its internal demand for carbon fiber in the manufacturing of golf club shafts. During 1999, the Company also produced and sold carbon fiber from this facility to other unrelated entities for the manufacture of other carbon-based products. On October 29, 1999, SGL purchased a 50% interest in the Company’s carbon fiber manufacturing operation. The Company and SGL entered into an agreement to operate the facility as a limited liability company with equal ownership interests between the venture partners. The Company and SGL also entered into supply agreements with the new entity, Carbon Fiber Technology LLC (“CFT”), for the purchase of carbon fiber at cost plus an agreed upon mark-up. Profits and losses of CFT are shared equally by the partners. The Company anticipates that the carbon fiber from this facility will primarily be consumed by the joint venture partners; however, any excess carbon fiber produced at this facility could be marketed for sale to unrelated third parties. The Company does not expect third party sales at CFT nor the sale of graphite prepreg to have a significant effect on either its sales or profitability for several years.
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes. Income before income taxes decreased $3.5 million to a loss of $465,000 for the 2001 Period from $3.0 million for the 2000 Period. The majority of the decrease is attributed to the decrease in operating income.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit). The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $1,000 in the 2001 Period compared to income tax expense of $1.3 million in the 2000 Period. The effective tax rate was 0.2% for the 2001 Period compared to 44.8% for the 2000 Period. The decrease in the effective tax rate is primarily attributed to the loss before income taxes in the current Period, which was partially offset by the Company’s goodwill amortization that is non-deductible for tax purposes.
Six Month Period in 2001 Compared to the Six Month Period in 2000
Net Sales. Net sales decreased $9.4 million, or 27.8%, to $24.4 million for the six month period ended June 30, 2001 from $33.8 million for the six month period ended June 30, 2000. The decrease in net sales was attributed to decreased shaft unit sales to the Company’ club manufacturer customers which was partially offset by an increase in the average selling price of shafts sold. Shaft unit sales decreased 30.4% in 2001 compared to 2000, and the average selling price of shafts sold increased 9.5%, partly as a result of a change in product mix.
Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased $2.2 million, or 24.9%, to $6.5 million in 2001 from $8.7 million in 2000. The majority of the decrease was attributed to a decrease in net sales. Gross profit margin was 26.7% in 2001 as compared to 25.7% in 2000. After adjusting for the carryover effects of inventory for each period, gross profit margin was 25.4% in 2001 as compared to 29.8% in 2000. The decrease in the gross profit margin is predominantly attributable to the lower unit volume, which resulted in a higher per unit fixed cost in 2001.
Operating Income. Operating income decreased $3.0 million, or 67.2%, to $1.4 million in 2001 as compared to $4.4 million in 2000. The majority of the decrease in operating income was attributed to a decrease in gross profit and the effect of a plant consolidation charge in 2001 of $569,000 as compared to a recovery of previously recorded plant consolidation charges of $566,000 in 2000. Operating income decreased as a percentage of net sales to 5.9% in 2001 from 13.0% in 2000. Operating income as a percentage of net sales adjusting for the effect of plant consolidation charges would have been 8.2% in 2001 and 11.4% in 2000. Selling, general and administrative expense decreased $340,000 to $3.8 million in 2001 as compared to $4.1 million in 2000. The majority of the decrease is attributed to lower incentive charges in 2001, which was partially offset by an increase in marketing and advertising expenses. Selling, general and administrative expense increased as a percentage of net sales to 15.6% in 2001, from 12.3% in 2000, primarily as a result of the decrease in net sales.
Income Before Income Tax. Income before taxes decreased $3.0 million, or 70.3%, to $1.2 million in 2001 as compared to $4.2 million in 2000. The majority of the decrease is attributed to the decrease in operating income.
Income Tax Expense. The Company recorded a provision for income taxes of $723,000 in 2001 as compared to $2.0 million in 2000. The Company’s effective rate was 58.0% in 2001 as compared to 46.8% in 2000. The increase in the effective rate is primarily attributed to the ratio of the Company’s goodwill amortization to income before tax, as the goodwill amortization is not deductible for tax purposes. The effect of the amortization was partially offset by increased activity in foreign operations. The Company should continue to realize a reduced effective tax rate to the extent that the statutory income tax rates where it has foreign operations are lower than the statutory income tax rates in the United States and to the extent the Company has sufficient income to absorb its non-deductible amortization of goodwill.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company has in place a $12.0 million revolving credit facility from a financial institution which is secured by substantially all the assets of Aldila Golf and guaranteed by the Company. Borrowings under the line of credit bear interest, at the election of the Company, at the bank reference rate or at the adjusted Eurodollar rate plus 2.5%. Availability for borrowings under the Line of Credit was approximately $4.1 million as of June 30, 2001. The Company has $4.0 million in principal amount of senior notes outstanding which bear interest at 6.13%. The final principal payment of $4.0 million, plus accrued interest, is due September 30, 2001.
Cash (including cash equivalents) provided by operating activities in 2001 was $1.2 million compared to $7.7 million for the 2000 Period. This decrease resulted from lower net income and an increase in cash used for working capital items in 2001 as compared to 2000. The Company used $286,000 for capital expenditures during 2001. Management anticipates capital expenditures to approximate $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The Company may also incur capital expenditures over the next several years to expand and enhance the production capacity of the CFT operation in Evanston, Wyoming in order to take advantage of new opportunities brought to CFT and further reduce production costs for the carbon fiber acquired by the Company, in addition to an obligation to support one half of CFT’s fixed annual cost. The Company believes that it will have adequate cash resources, including anticipated cash flow and borrowing availability to meet its future obligations.
The Company may from time to time consider the acquisition of businesses. The Company could require additional debt financing if it were to engage in a material acquisition in the future.
Restructuring
The Company was informed in April 2001 by one of its major customers that it would like to have the majority of its shafts manufactured in China. Based on this request and the Company’s general strategy of shifting the manufacture of premium product lines from North America and Mexico to China, the Company decided to shut down two of it’s manufacturing facilities in Mexico, leaving the Company with one remaining facility in Mexico. As a result of this decision the Company laid off 323 employees and disposed of excess equipment from the two facilities. The Company estimated and recorded a plant consolidation charge in the amount of $569,000 in the period ended June 30, 2001. The charge was comprised of approximately $305,000 in severance and related benefits, $150,000 in write-down of excess equipment and $114,000 in other related costs. Of the $569,000 charge, approximately $145,000 remains to be paid through December 31, 2001, of which approximately $45,000 is severance related costs and approximately $100,000 other related costs, which is primarily attributed to lease termination costs. As a result of the write-down and disposal of the excess equipment the Company will not incur depreciation expense in the amount of approximately $171,000 prospectively.
Seasonality
Because the Company’s customers have historically built inventory in anticipation of purchases by golfers in the spring and summer, the principal selling season for golf equipment, the Company’s operating results have been affected by seasonal demand for golf clubs, which has generally resulted in the highest sales occurring in the second quarter. The timing of customers’ new product introductions has frequently mitigated the impact of seasonality in recent years.
“Safe Harbor” Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
With the exception of historical information (information relating to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations at historical dates or for historical periods), the matters discussed in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are forward-looking statements that necessarily are based on certain assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations as of the date hereof, that necessarily contain certain assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. The Company does not undertake any responsibility to update these statements in the future. The Company’s actual future performance and results could differ from that contained in or suggested by these forward looking statements as a result of a variety of factors.
The Company’s Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 (the “Form 10-K”) presents a more detailed discussion of these and other risks related to the forward-looking statements in this 10-Q, in particular under “Business Risks” in Part I, Item 1 of the Form 10-K and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part I, Item 7 of the Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this 10-Q are particularly subject to the risks that
| • | we will not maintain or increase our market share at our principal customers; |
| • | demand for clubs manufactured by our principal customers will decline, thereby affecting their demand for our shafts; |
| • | our principal customers will be unwilling to satisfy a significant portion of their demand with shafts manufactured in China instead of the United States or Mexico; |
| • | new product offerings, including those outside the golf industry, will not achieve success with consumers or OEM customers; |
| • | we will not achieve success marketing shafts to club assemblers based in China; |
| • | our international operations will be adversely affected by political instability, currency fluctuation, export/import regulation and other risks typical of multi-national operations, particularly those operating in less developed countries; |
| • | CFT will be unsuccessful as a result, for example, of internal operational problems, raw material supply problems, changes in demand for carbon fiber based products, or difficulties in operating a joint venture; and |
| • | attractive strategic alternatives will not be available to us on desirable terms. |
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Not applicable.
Item 2. Changes in Securities
Not applicable.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Not applicable.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
The Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 16, 2001. At the Annual Meeting two items were submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Company and were approved:
1) The seven current directors of the Company (listed below) were nominated and elected to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Votes cast for each director, as well as votes withheld are as follows:
NAME | | FOR | | WITHHELD | |
| |
| |
| |
Peter R. Bennett | | 12,072,942 | | 66,036 | |
Thomas A. Brand | | 12,072,942 | | 66,036 | |
Marvin M. Giles, III | | 12,071,298 | | 67,680 | |
Vincent T. Gorguze | | 11,677,322 | | 461,656 | |
Peter R. Mathewson | | 12,017,242 | | 121,736 | |
Chapin Nolen | | 12,055,222 | | 83,756 | |
2) The stockholders also ratified the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s independent accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2001. 11,929,492 votes were cast for ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP, 194,310 votes were cast against; and there were 15,176 abstentions and 0 broker non-votes.
Item 5. Other Information
Not applicable.
Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K
(a) Exhibit 11.1 - Statement re: Computation of Net Income per Common Share
(b) Reports on Form 8-K:
No reports on Form 8-K were filed by the Registrant during the quarter ended June 30, 2001.
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.
Dated: | | ALDILA, INC. |
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August 10, 2001 | | \s\ Robert J. Cierzan |
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| | Robert J. Cierzan |
| | Vice President, Finance |
| | Signing both in his capacity as Vice President and as Chief Accounting Officer of the Registrant |