As a result of our focus on both economic and operating profit, we will continue to aggressively size both Pulse and AMI Doduco so that costs are optimally matched to current and anticipated future revenues and unit demand. We continue to engage in a succession of cost reduction initiatives and programs. The amounts of additional charges will depend on specific actions taken. The actions taken over the past several years such as plant closures, plant relocations, asset impairments and reduction in personnel at the affected locations have resulted in the elimination of a variety of costs. The majority of these costs represent the annual salaries and benefits of terminated employees, both those directly related to manufacturing and those providing selling, general and administrative services, as well as lower overhead costs related to factory relocations to lower-cost locations. The eliminated costs also include depreciation savings from disposed equipment.
During 2005, we accrued $7.0 million to streamline operations at Pulse and AMI Doduco. We also recorded a $46.0 million impairment charge for Pulse’s consumer division.
In the nine months ended September 29, 2006, we accrued $6.4 million for the termination and plant shutdown costs resulting from the transfer of production operations at Pulse’s facilities in Turkey to China, termination and plant shutdown costs resulting from the transfer of production operations at AMI Doduco’s facility in Italy to Spain and termination and plant shutdown costs at various other locations.
In the nine months ended September 29, 2006, we recorded approximately $4.9 million of accelerated depreciation as cost of sales as a result of the shutdown of Pulse’s consumer division operations in Turkey and Pulse’s sales office in France.
In order to reduce our exposure resulting from currency fluctuations, we may purchase currency exchange forward contracts and/or currency options. These contracts guarantee a predetermined range of exchange rates at the time the contract is purchased. This allows us to shift the majority of the risk of currency fluctuations from the date of the contract to a third party for a fee. As of September 29, 2006, we had one foreign currency forward contract outstanding to sell forward approximately 49.5 million euros in order to hedge intercompany loans.
results of operations and liquidity may result. Leasing/consignment fee increases are caused by increases in interest rates or volatility in the price of the consigned material.
Income Taxes. Our effective income tax rate is affected by the proportion of our income earned in high-tax jurisdictions such as those in Europe and the income earned in low-tax jurisdictions, particularly Tunisia and the People’s Republic of China. This mix of income can vary significantly from one period to another. We have benefited over recent years from favorable tax incentives, however, there is no guarantee as to how long these benefits will continue to exist.
Except in limited circumstances, we have not provided for U.S. federal income and foreign withholding taxes on our non-U.S. subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings as per APB No. 23. Such earnings may include pre-acquisition earnings of foreign entities acquired through stock purchases, and are intended to be reinvested outside of the U.S. indefinitely. Where excess cash has accumulated in our non-U.S. subsidiaries and it is advantageous for tax reasons, subsidiary earnings may be remitted.
Results of Operations
Three months ended September 29, 2006 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2005
Net Sales.Net sales for the three months ended September 29, 2006 increased $110.5 million, or 75.1%, to $257.7 million from $147.2 million in the three months ended September 30, 2005. Our sales increase from the comparable period in the prior year was primarily attributable to the addition of Pulse’s antenna and automotive divisions beginning in September 2005 and January 2006, respectively, strong global demand in Pulse’s networking, telecommunications and power conversion divisions and higher pass-through costs for silver and other metals at AMI Doduco.
Pulse’s net sales increased $87.4 million, or 100.9%, to $174.0 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 from $86.6 million in the three months ended September 30, 2005. This increase was primarily attributable to the factors set forth in the prior paragraph.
AMI Doduco’s net sales increased $23.1 million, or 38.1%, to $83.7 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 from $60.6 million in the three months ended September 30, 2005. Sales in the 2006 period compared to the 2005 period reflect higher pass-through costs for silver and other metals and increased global demand in industrial and electric power distribution markets.
Cost of Sales. As a result of higher sales and higher pass-through costs for silver and other metals, our cost of sales increased $82.9 million, or 73.2%, to $196.1 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 from $113.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005. Our consolidated gross margin for the three months ended September 29, 2006 was 23.9% compared to 23.1% for the three months ended September 30, 2005. Our consolidated gross margin in 2006 was favorably impacted by product mix and higher capacity utilization at Pulse which were partially offset by the impact of accelerated depreciation and the ongoing integration of Pulse’s automotive division. In the third quarter of 2006, we recorded approximately $2.4 million of accelerated building and equipment depreciation as cost of sales in conjunction with our plan to close Pulse’s consumer division operations in Turkey. Additionally, we recorded $0.2 million of accelerated building depreciation as cost of sales in conjunction with our plan to close Pulse’s sales office in France.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Total selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 29, 2006 increased $13.6 million, or 53.1%, to $39.2 million, or 15.2% of net sales, from $25.6 million, or 17.4% of net sales for the three months ended September 30, 2005. Increased spending was primarily a result of the inclusion of the Pulse antenna and automotive divisions’ expenses in the 2006 period, higher incentive compensation expense and increased intangible amortization expense due to recent acquisitions. Also, the restructuring actions that we took over the last year to reduce costs, and generally favorable spending in the face of significant revenue increases, contributed to lower operating expenses as a percentage of sales.
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We refer to research, development and engineering expenses as RD&E and include these costs in selling, general and administrative expenses. For the three months ended September 29, 2006 and September 30, 2005 respectively, RD&E by segment was as follows (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | |
| | | 2006 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| Pulse | | $ | 10,372 | | $ | 5,475 | |
| Percentage of segment sales | | | 6.0 | % | | 6.3 | % |
| | | | | | | | |
| AMI Doduco | | $ | 1,115 | | $ | 988 | |
| Percentage of segment sales | | | 1.3 | % | | 1.6 | % |
Higher RD&E spending in 2006 over the comparable period in 2005 is a result of the inclusion of Pulse antenna and automotive divisions’ spending since their acquisition dates. As a percentage of sales, RD&E spending was lower for both segments in 2006 than in 2005. Sales increased more rapidly than RD&E spending due to strong end-user demand in both segments and the inclusion of higher silver and base metal pass-through costs at AMI Doduco in 2006. We believe that future sales in the electronic components markets will be driven by next-generation products. Design and development activities with our OEM customers continue at an aggressive pace.
Severance and Asset Impairment Expense. Severance and asset impairment expense was $2.6 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 as compared to $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005.
Interest. Net interest expense was $2.1 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 compared to net interest income of $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005. The increase in net interest expense in 2006 is a result of interest charges on borrowings from our multi-currency credit facility, a lower average balance of invested cash in 2006 over the comparable period in 2005 primarily due to acquisitions and increasing precious metal leasing costs.
Other. Other expense was $0.8 million for the three months ended September 29, 2006 versus $0.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005.
Income Taxes.The effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 29, 2006 was 11.5% compared to 21.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2005. The reduction in the effective income tax rate is primarily a result of an increase in pretax earnings in low tax jurisdictions in 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005.
Nine months ended September 29, 2006 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2005
Net Sales.Net sales for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 increased $286.1 million, or 66.2%, to $718.0 million from $431.9 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Our sales increase from the comparable period in prior year was primarily attributable to the addition of Pulse’s antenna and automotive divisions’ net sales beginning in September 2005 and January 2006, respectively, strong global demand across all of Pulse’s businesses except the consumer division and higher pass-through costs for silver and other metals at AMI Doduco.
Pulse’s net sales increased $232.9 million, or 96.8%, to $473.5 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 from $240.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2005. This increase was primarily attributable to factors set forth in the prior paragraph.
AMI Doduco’s net sales increased $53.1 million, or 27.7%, to $244.5 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 from $191.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Sales in the 2006 period compared to the 2005 period reflect higher pass-through costs for silver and other metals and increased global demand in industrial and electric power distribution markets.
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Cost of Sales. As a result of higher sales, our cost of sales increased $217.4 million, or 65.6%, to $548.8 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 from $331.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Our consolidated gross margin for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 was 23.6% compared to 23.3% for the nine months ended September 30, 2005.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Total selling, general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 increased $30.8 million, or 39.6%, to $108.5 million, or 15.1% of net sales, from $77.7 million, or 18.0% of net sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Increased spending was a result of the inclusion of the Pulse antenna and automotive division’s expenses in the 2006 period and higher incentive compensation expense. Additionally, the restructuring actions that we took over the last year to reduce costs and generally favorable spending in the face of significant revenue increases contributed to lower operating expenses as a percentage of sales.
We refer to research, development and engineering expenses as RD&E and include these costs in selling, general and administrative expenses. For the nine months ended September 29, 2006 and September 30, 2005 respectively, RD&E by segment was as follows (in thousands):
| | | | | | | | |
| | | 2006 | | 2005 | |
| | |
| |
| |
| Pulse | | $ | 26,484 | | $ | 14,983 | |
| Percentage of segment sales | | | 5.6 | % | | 6.2 | % |
| | | | | | | | |
| AMI Doduco | | $ | 3,440 | | $ | 3,165 | |
| Percentage of segment sales | | | 1.4 | % | | 1.7 | % |
Higher RD&E spending in 2006 over the comparable period in 2005 is a result of the inclusion of Pulse antenna and automotive divisions’ spending since their acquisition dates. As a percentage of sales, RD&E spending was lower for both segments in 2006 than in 2005. Sales increased more rapidly than RD&E spending due to strong end-user demand in both segments and the inclusion of higher silver and base metal pass-through costs at AMI Doduco in 2006. We believe that future sales in the electronic components markets will be driven by next-generation products. Design and development activities with our OEM customers continue at an aggressive pace.
Severance and Asset Impairment Expense. Severance and asset impairment expense was $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 and $50.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. The decrease is primarily due to the $46.0 million asset impairment charge in the Pulse consumer division during the 2005 period.
Interest. Net interest expense was $4.5 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 compared to net interest income of $1.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. The increase in net interest expense in 2006 is a result of interest charges on borrowings from our multi-currency credit facility, a lower average balance of invested cash in 2006 over the comparable period in 2005 primarily due to acquisitions and increasing precious metal leasing costs.
Other. Other income (expense) was $2.4 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 versus $(1.1) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. The increase in income is primarily attributed to foreign exchange gains in 2006 as compared to foreign exchange losses in 2005.
Income Taxes.The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 was 16.0%. The tax rate in 2005 was primarily impacted by the non-deductibility of the Pulse consumer division impairment charge of $46.0 million. The effective rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 without the impairment charge was 23.2%. The reduction in the effective rate, absent the impairment charge, is a result of an increase in pre-tax earnings in low tax jurisdictions in 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Working capital as of September 29, 2006 was $189.7 million compared to $209.8 million as of December 30, 2005, a decrease of $20.1 million. Cash and cash equivalents, which is included in working capital, decreased from $173.7 million as of December 30, 2005 to $68.4 million as of September 29, 2006, a decrease of $105.3 million. This decrease in cash related primarily to cash used in the acquisition of Pulse’s automotive division in January 2006, increases in the working capital of Pulse’s automotive division subsequent to the acquisition date, volume-driven increases in accounts receivable and inventory which were partially offset by accounts payable and accrued expenses, the net repayment of approximately $29.3 million of debt and approximately $10.6 million of dividends. Components of working capital are affected by various items such as operating activities, foreign exchange rate changes, and acquisitions.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $36.5 million for the nine months ended September 29, 2006 as compared to $33.1 million of net cash provided by operating activities in the comparable period of 2005, an increase of $3.4 million. The increase in 2006 is primarily attributable to higher net earnings which were not fully offset in changes in working capital and severance and asset impairment expenses.
We present our statement of cash flows using the indirect method as permitted under Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 95,Statement of Cash Flows. Our management has found that investors and analysts typically refer to changes in accounts receivable, inventory, and other components of working capital when analyzing operating cash flows. Also, changes in working capital are more directly related to the way we manage our business for cash flow than are items such as cash receipts from the sale of goods, as would appear using the direct method.
Capital expenditures were $16.5 million during the nine months ended September 29, 2006 and $12.2 million in the comparable period of 2005. The increase in 2006 reflects capital projects associated with growth in almost every division of Pulse, particularly the new antenna and automotive divisions. We make capital expenditures to expand production capacity, improve our operating efficiency, and enhance workplace safety. We plan to continue making such expenditures in the future as and when necessary.
We used $10.6 million for dividend payments during the nine months ended September 29, 2006. During 2006, we have paid a quarterly dividend of $0.0875 per common share to shareholders of record on each specified date. On July 28, 2006, we announced another quarterly cash dividend of $0.0875 per common share, payable on October 20, 2006 to shareholders of record on October 6, 2006. We expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends for the foreseeable future.
We used $73.5 million, net of cash acquired, for acquisitions and acquisition-related costs during the nine months ended September 29, 2006. The 2006 expenditures related primarily to our acquisition of ERA in January 2006 and we paid approximately $19.8 million, or 15.5 million euros, net of a receivable from the seller, related to our acquisition of LK. This payment is a result of the previously disclosed earn-out provision and was accrued for in the second quarter of 2006. We may acquire other businesses or product lines to expand our breadth and scope of operations.
We entered into a credit agreement on October 14, 2005 providing for $200.0 million of credit capacity. The facility consists of an aggregate U.S. dollar-equivalent revolving line of credit in the principal amount of up to $200.0 million, and provides for borrowings in multiple currencies including but not limited to, U.S. dollars, euros, and Japanese yen, including individual sub-limits of:
| |
– | a U.S. dollar-based swing-line loan not to exceed $20.0 million; |
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– | a multicurrency facility providing for the issuance of letters of credit in an aggregate amount not to exceed the U.S. dollar equivalent of $25.0 million; and |
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– | a Singapore sub-facility not to exceed the U.S. dollar equivalent of $50.0 million. |
The credit agreement permits us to request one or more increases in the total commitment not to exceed $100.0 million, provided the minimum increase is $25.0 million, subject to bank approval.
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The total amount outstanding under the credit facility may not exceed $200.0 million, provided we do not request an increase in total commitment as noted above.
Outstanding borrowings are subject to two financial covenants, which are both computed on a rolling twelve-month basis as of the most recent quarter-end. The first is maximum debt outstanding amounting to three and one-half times our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), as defined by the credit agreement. The second is maximum debt service expenses amounting to two and one-half times our cash interest expense, as defined by the credit agreement. The credit agreement also contains covenants specifying capital expenditure limitations and other customary and normal provisions. We are in compliance with these covenants as of September 29, 2006.
We pay a commitment fee on the unborrowed portion of the commitment, which ranges from 0.15% to 0.25% of the total commitment, depending on our debt-to-EBITDA ratio, as defined above. The interest rate for each currency’s borrowing will be a combination of the base rate for that currency plus a credit margin spread. The base rate is different for each currency. The credit margin spread is the same for each currency and is 0.60% to 1.25%, depending on our debt-to-EBITDA ratio, as defined in the credit agreement. Each of our domestic subsidiaries with net worth equal to or greater than $10 million has guaranteed all obligations incurred under the credit facility.
We also have an obligation outstanding due in August 2009 under an unsecured term loan agreement with Sparkasse Pforzheim, for the borrowing of approximately 5.1 million euros.
At September 29, 2006, our balance sheet includes $2.0 million of outstanding debt of Full Rise Electronic Co., Ltd. in connection with our consolidation of FRE’s financial statements. FRE has a total credit limit of approximately $3.9 million in U.S. dollar equivalents as of September 29, 2006. Neither Technitrol, nor any of its subsidiaries, has guaranteed or otherwise participated in the credit facilities of FRE or assumed any responsibility for the current or future indebtedness of FRE.
We had three standby letters of credit outstanding at September 29, 2006 in the aggregate amount of $1.0 million securing transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business.
We had commercial commitments outstanding at September 29, 2006 of approximately $124.5 million due under precious metal consignment-type leases. This represents an increase of $36.7 million from the $87.8 million outstanding as of December 30, 2005 and is primarily attributable to higher average silver prices at September 29, 2006.
We believe that the combination of cash on hand, cash generated by operations and, if necessary, borrowings under our credit agreement will be sufficient to satisfy our operating cash requirements in the foreseeable future. In addition, we may use internally generated funds or obtain borrowings or equity offerings for acquisitions of suitable businesses or assets.
All retained earnings are free from legal or contractual restrictions as of September 29, 2006, with the exception of approximately $16.2 million of retained earnings primarily in the PRC, that are restricted in accordance with Section 58 of the PRC Foreign Investment Enterprises Law. Included in the $16.2 million is $1.8 million of retained earnings of FRE of which we own 59%. The amount restricted in accordance with the PRC Foreign Investment Enterprise Law is applicable to all foreign investment enterprises doing business in the PRC. The restriction applies to 10% of our net earnings in the PRC, limited to 50% of the total capital invested in the PRC. We have not experienced any significant liquidity restrictions in any country in which we operate and none are foreseen. However, foreign exchange ceilings imposed by local governments and the sometimes lengthy approval processes which foreign governments require for international cash transfers may delay our internal cash movements from time to time. We expect to reinvest these earnings outside of the United States because we anticipate that a significant portion of our opportunities for growth in the coming years will be abroad. If these earnings were brought back to the United States, significant tax liabilities could be incurred in the United States as several countries in which we operate have tax rates significantly lower than the U.S. statutory rate. Additionally, we have not accrued U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes on foreign earnings that have been indefinitely invested abroad.
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In October 2004, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (“AJCA”) was signed into law. The AJCA contained a series of provisions, several of which are pertinent to us. The AJCA created a temporary incentive for U.S. multi-national corporations to repatriate accumulated income abroad by providing an 85% dividends received deduction for certain dividends received from controlled foreign corporations. Based on this legislation and 2005 guidance by the Department of Treasury, we repatriated $52.0 million of foreign earnings in the fourth quarter of 2005, net of $7.3 million of income taxes. Prior to the passage of the AJCA, the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries, with the exception of approximately $40.0 million, were considered to be indefinitely reinvested, and in accordance with APB Opinion No. 23 (“APB 23”), Accounting for Income Taxes - Special Areas, no provision for U.S. federal or state income taxes had been provided on these undistributed earnings. As of September 29, 2006, the remaining offshore earnings, with the exception of approximately $40.0 million, are intended to be indefinitely invested abroad and no provision for U.S. federal or state income taxes has been provided in accordance with APB 23.
Item 3: Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
There were no material changes in market risk exposures that affect the quantitative and qualitative disclosures presented in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2005.
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Item 4: Controls and Procedures
An evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act of 1934 as of September 29, 2006. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, as specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There were no changes in these controls or procedures that occurred during the three months ended September 29, 2006 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, these controls or procedures. However, in January 2006, we acquired all of the capital stock of ERA Group (“ERA”), headquartered in Herrenberg, Germany, and we are still in the process of evaluating internal control over financial reporting at ERA. Accordingly, we have not included ERA in our evaluation of internal control over financial reporting for the quarter ended September 29, 2006.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
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Item 1 | Legal Proceedings | None |
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Item 1a | Risk Factors | |
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| Risk Factors are on page 28. | |
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Item 2 | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds | None |
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Item 3 | Defaults Upon Senior Securities | None |
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Item 4 | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders | None |
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Item 5 | Other Information | None |
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Item 6 | Exhibits | |
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| (a) Exhibits | |
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| The Exhibit Index is on page 35. | |
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Item 1a: Risk Factors
Factors That May Affect Our Future Results (Cautionary Statements for Purposes of the “Safe Harbor” Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)
Our disclosures and analysis in this report contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations of future events or future financial performance. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often use words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, and similar terms. These forward-looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations.
Any or all of our forward-looking statements in this report may prove to be incorrect. They may be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by risks and uncertainties which are either unknown or not fully known or understood. Accordingly, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in this report.
We sometimes provide forecasts of future financial performance. The risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors” as well as other risks identified from time to time in other Securities and Exchange Commission reports, registration statements and public announcements, among others, should be considered in evaluating our prospects for the future. We undertake no obligation to release updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The following factors represent what we believe are the major risks and uncertainties in our business. They are listed in no particular order.
Cyclical changes in the markets we serve could result in a significant decrease in demand for our products and reduce our profitability.
Our components are used in various products for the electronic and electrical equipment markets. These markets are highly cyclical. The demand for our components reflects the demand for products in the electronic and electrical equipment markets generally. A contraction in demand would result in a decrease in sales of our products, as our customers:
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• | may cancel many existing orders; |
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• | may introduce fewer new products; and |
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• | may decrease their inventory levels. |
A decrease in demand for our products would have a significant adverse effect on our operating results and profitability. Accordingly, we may experience volatility in both our revenues and profits.
Reduced prices for our products may adversely affect our profit margins if we are unable to reduce our costs of production.
The average selling prices for our products tend to decrease over their life cycle. In addition, foreign currency movements and the need to retain market share increase the pressure on our customers to seek lower prices from their suppliers. As a result, our customers are likely to continue to demand lower prices from us. To maintain our margins and remain profitable, we must continue to meet our customers’ design needs while reducing costs through efficient raw material procurement and process and product improvements. Our profit margins will suffer if we are unable to reduce our costs of production as sales prices decline.
An inability to adequately respond to changes in technology or customer needs may decrease our sales.
Pulse operates in an industry characterized by rapid change caused by the frequent emergence of new technologies. Generally, we expect life cycles for our products in the electronic components industry to be
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relatively short. This requires us to anticipate and respond rapidly to changes in industry standards and customer needs and to develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely and cost effective basis. Our engineering and development teams place a priority on working closely with our customers to design innovative products and improve our manufacturing processes. Our inability to react to changes in technology or customer needs quickly and efficiently may decrease our sales, thus reducing profitability.
If our inventories become obsolete, our future performance and operating results will be adversely affected.
The life cycles of our products depend heavily upon the life cycles of the end products into which our products are designed. Many of Pulse’s products have very short life cycles which are measured in quarters. Products with short life cycles require us to closely manage our production and inventory levels. Inventory may become obsolete because of adverse changes in end market demand. During market slowdowns, this may result in significant charges for inventory write-offs. Our future operating results may be adversely affected by material levels of obsolete or excess inventories.
An inability to capitalize on our recent or future acquisitions may adversely affect our business.
We have completed several acquisitions in recent years. We continually seek acquisitions to grow our business. We may fail to derive significant benefits from our acquisitions. In addition, if we fail to achieve sufficient financial performance from an acquisition, goodwill and other intangibles could become impaired, resulting in our recognition of a loss. In 2005, we recorded a $46.0 million impairment charge related to Pulse’s consumer division. The success of any of our acquisitions depends on our ability to:
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• | successfully integrate or consolidate acquired operations into our existing businesses; |
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• | develop or modify the financial reporting and information systems of the acquired entity to ensure overall financial integrity and adequacy of internal control procedures; |
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• | identify and take advantage of cost reduction opportunities; and |
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• | further penetrate the markets for the product capabilities acquired. |
Integration of acquisitions may take longer than we expect and may never be achieved to the extent originally anticipated. This could result in lower than anticipated business growth or higher than anticipated costs. In addition, acquisitions may:
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• | cause a disruption in our ongoing business; |
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• | distract our managers; |
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• | unduly burden our other resources; and |
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• | result in an inability to maintain our historical standards, procedures and controls, which may result in non-compliance with external laws and regulations. |
Integration of acquisitions into the acquiring segment may limit the ability of investors to track the performance of individual acquisitions and to analyze trends in our operating results.
Our historical practice has been to rapidly integrate acquisitions into the existing business of the acquiring segment and to report financial performance on the segment level. As a result of this practice, we do not separately track the stand-alone performance of acquisitions after the date of the transaction. Consequently, investors cannot quantify the financial performance and success of any individual acquisition or the financial performance and success of a particular segment excluding the impact of acquisitions. In addition, our practice of rapidly integrating acquisitions into the financial performance of each segment may limit the ability of investors to analyze any trends in our operating results over time.
An inability to identify additional acquisition opportunities may slow our future growth.
We intend to continue to identify and consummate additional acquisitions to further diversify our business and to penetrate important markets. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates at
29
reasonable prices. Even if we identify promising acquisition candidates, the timing, price, structure and success of future acquisitions are uncertain. An inability to consummate attractive acquisitions may reduce our growth rate and our ability to penetrate new markets.
If our customers terminate their existing agreements, or do not enter into new agreements or submit additional purchase orders for our products, our business will suffer.
Most of our sales are made on a purchase order basis, as needed by our customers. In addition, to the extent we have agreements in place with our customers, most of these agreements are either short term in nature or provide our customers with the ability to terminate the arrangement with little or no prior notice. Such agreements typically do not provide us with any material recourse in the event of non-renewal or early termination. We will lose business and our revenues will decrease if a significant number of customers:
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• | do not submit additional purchase orders; |
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• | do not enter into new agreements with us; or |
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• | elect to terminate their relationship with us. |
If we do not effectively manage our business in the face of fluctuations in the size of our organization, our business may be disrupted.
We have grown over the last ten years, both organically and as a result of acquisitions. However, we significantly reduce or expand our workforce and facilities in response to rapid changes in demand for our products due to prevailing global market conditions. These rapid fluctuations place strains on our resources and systems. If we do not effectively manage our resources and systems, our businesses may be adversely affected.
Uncertainty in demand for our products may result in increased costs of production, an inability to service our customers, or higher inventory levels which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We have very little visibility into our customers’ purchasing patterns and are highly dependent on our customers’ forecasts. These forecasts are non-binding and often highly unreliable. Given the fluctuation in growth rates and cyclical demand for our products, as well as our reliance on often-imprecise customer forecasts, it is difficult to accurately manage our production schedule, equipment and personnel needs and our raw material and working capital requirements. Our failure to effectively manage these issues may result in:
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• | production delays; |
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• | increased costs of production; |
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• | excessive inventory levels and reduced financial liquidity; |
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• | an inability to make timely deliveries; and |
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• | a decrease in profits. |
A decrease in availability of our key raw materials could adversely affect our profit margins.
We use several types of raw materials in the manufacturing of our products, including:
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• | precious metals such as silver; |
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• | other base metals such as copper and brass; and |
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• | ferrite cores. |
Some of these materials are produced by a limited number of suppliers. From time to time, we may be unable to obtain these raw materials in sufficient quantities or in a timely manner to meet the demand for our products. The lack of availability or a delay in obtaining any of the raw materials used in our products could adversely affect our manufacturing costs and profit margins. In addition, if the price of our raw materials increases significantly over a short period of time due to increased market demand, customers may be
30
unwilling to bear the increased price for our products and we may be forced to sell our products containing these materials at prices that reduce our profit margins.
Costs associated with precious metals and base metals may not be recoverable.
Some of our raw materials, such as precious metals and certain base metals, are considered commodities and are subject to price volatility. We attempt to limit our exposure to fluctuations in the cost of precious materials, including silver, by holding the majority of our precious metal inventory through leasing or consignment arrangements with our suppliers. We then typically purchase the precious metal from our supplier at the current market price on the day after delivery to our customer and pass this cost on to our customer. We try to limit our exposure to base metal price fluctuations by attempting to pass through the cost of base metals to our customers, typically by indexing the cost of the base metal, so that our cost of the base metal closely relates to the price we charge our customers, but we may not always be successful in fully passing through higher costs to our customers.
Leasing/consignment fee increases are caused by increases in interest rates or volatility in the price of the consigned material. Fees charged by the consignor are driven by interest rates and the market price of the consigned material. The market price of the consigned material is determined by the supply of, and the demand for, the material. Consignment fees may increase if interest rates or the price of the consigned material increase.
Our results of operations and liquidity will be negatively impacted if:
| |
• | we are unable to enter into new leasing or consignment arrangements with similarly favorable terms after our existing agreements terminate, or |
| |
• | our leasing or consignment fees increase significantly in a short period of time and we are unable to recover these increased costs through higher sale prices, or |
| |
• | we are unable to pass through higher base metals costs to our customers. |
Competition may result in lower prices for our products and reduced sales.
Both Pulse and AMI Doduco frequently encounter strong competition within individual product lines from various competitors throughout the world. We compete principally on the basis of:
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• | product quality and reliability; |
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• | global design and manufacturing capabilities; |
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• | breadth of product line; |
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• | customer service; |
| |
• | price; and |
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• | on-time delivery. |
Our inability to successfully compete on any or all of the above factors may result in reduced sales.
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely affect our operating results.
We manufacture and sell our products in various regions of the world and export and import these products to and from a large number of countries. Fluctuations in exchange rates could negatively impact our cost of production and sales that, in turn, could decrease our operating results and cash flow. In addition, if the functional currency of our manufacturing costs strengthened compared to the functional currency of our competitors manufacturing costs, our products may get more costly than our competitors. Although we engage in limited hedging transactions, including foreign currency contracts, to reduce our transaction and economic exposure to foreign currency fluctuations, these measures may not eliminate or substantially reduce our risk in the future.
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Our international operations subject us to the risks of unfavorable political, regulatory, labor and tax conditions in other countries.
We manufacture and assemble most of our products in locations outside the United States, including the Peoples’ Republic of China, or PRC, Hungary and Tunisia and a majority of our revenues are derived from sales to customers outside the United States. Our future operations and earnings may be adversely affected by the risks related to, or any other problems arising from, operating in international markets.
Risks inherent in doing business internationally may include:
| |
• | economic and political instability; |
| |
• | expropriation and nationalization; |
| |
• | trade restrictions; |
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• | capital and exchange control programs; |
| |
• | transportation delays; |
| |
• | foreign currency fluctuations; and |
| |
• | unexpected changes in the laws and policies of the United States or of the countries in which we manufacture and sell our products. |
Pulse has substantially all of its manufacturing operations in the PRC, except for LK and ERA. Our presence in the PRC has enabled Pulse to maintain lower manufacturing costs and to adjust our work force to demand levels for our products. Although the PRC has a large and growing economy, the potential economic, political, legal and labor developments entail uncertainties and risks. For example, wages have been increasing over the last several years in the southern coastal provinces. While the PRC has been receptive to foreign investment, we cannot be certain that its current policies will continue indefinitely into the future. In the event of any changes that adversely affect our ability to conduct our operations within the PRC, our businesses may suffer. We also have manufacturing operations in Turkey and Tunisia, which are subject to unique risks, including earthquakes and those associated with Middle East geo-political events.
We have benefited over recent years from favorable tax treatment as a result of our international operations. We operate in countries where we realize favorable income tax treatment relative to the U.S. statutory rate. We have also been granted special tax incentives commonly known as tax holidays in countries such as the PRC, Hungary, Tunisia and Turkey. This favorable situation could change if these countries were to increase rates or revoke the special tax incentives, or if we discontinue our manufacturing operations in any of these countries and do not replace the operations with operations in other locations with favorable tax incentives. Accordingly, in the event of changes in laws and regulations affecting our international operations, we may not be able to continue to take advantage of similar benefits in the future.
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Shifting our operations between regions may entail considerable expense.
In the past we have shifted our operations from one region to another in order to maximize manufacturing and operational efficiency. We may close one or more additional factories in the future. This could entail significant one-time earnings charges to account for severance, equipment write-offs or write-downs and moving expenses, as well as certain adverse tax consequences including the loss of specialized tax incentives. In addition, as we implement transfers of our operations we may experience disruptions, including strikes or other types of labor unrest resulting from layoffs or termination of employees.
Liquidity requirements could necessitate movements of existing cash balances which may be subject to restrictions or cause unfavorable tax and earnings consequences.
A significant portion of our cash is held offshore by our international subsidiaries and is predominantly denominated in U.S. dollars. While we intend to use a significant amount of the cash held overseas to fund our international operations and growth, if we encounter a significant domestic need for liquidity, such as paying dividends, that we cannot fulfill through borrowings, equity offerings, or other internal or external sources, we may experience unfavorable tax and earnings consequences if this cash is transferred to the United States. These adverse consequences would occur if the transfer of cash into the United States is taxed and no offsetting foreign tax credit is available to offset the U.S. tax liability, resulting in lower earnings. In addition, we may be prohibited from transferring cash from the PRC. With the exception of approximately $16.2 million of retained earnings as of December 30, 2005 in primarily the PRC that are restricted in accordance with the PRC Foreign Investment Enterprises Law, substantially all retained earnings are free from legal or contractual restrictions. The PRC Foreign Investment Enterprise Law restricts 10% of our net earnings in the PRC, up to a maximum amount equal to 50% of the total capital we have invested in the PRC. We have not experienced any significant liquidity restrictions in any country in which we operate and none are presently foreseen. However, foreign exchange ceilings imposed by local governments and the sometimes-lengthy approval processes which some foreign governments require for international cash transfers may delay our internal cash movements from time to time.
Losing the services of our executive officers or our other highly qualified and experienced employees could adversely affect our business.
Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our executive officers and management, many of whom have many years of experience and would be extremely difficult to replace. We must also attract and maintain experienced and highly skilled engineering, sales and marketing and managerial personnel. Competition for qualified personnel is intense in our industries, and we may not be successful in hiring and retaining these people. If we lose the services of our executive officers or cannot attract and retain other qualified personnel, our businesses could be adversely affected.
Public health epidemics (such as flu strains, or severe acute respiratory syndrome) or other natural disasters (such as earthquakes or fires) may disrupt operations in affected regions and affect operating results.
Pulse maintains extensive manufacturing operations in the PRC, Turkey and Tunisia, as do many of our customers and suppliers. A sustained interruption of our manufacturing operations, or those of our customers or suppliers, as a result of complications from severe acute respiratory syndrome or another public health epidemic or other natural disasters, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
33
The unavailability of insurance against certain business risks may adversely affect our future operating results.
As part of our comprehensive risk management program, we purchase insurance coverage against certain business risks. If any of our insurance carriers discontinues an insurance policy or significantly reduces available coverage or increases in the deductibles and we cannot find another insurance carrier to write comparable coverage, we may be subject to uninsured losses which may adversely affect our operating results.
Environmental liability and compliance obligations may affect our operations and results.
Our manufacturing operations are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations as well as internal programs and policies governing:
| |
• | air emissions; |
| |
• | wastewater discharges; |
| |
• | the storage, use, handling, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances, wastes and chemicals; and |
| |
• | employee health and safety. |
If violations of environmental laws should occur, we could be held liable for damages, penalties, fines and remedial actions. Our operations and results could be adversely affected by any material obligations arising from existing laws, as well as any required material modifications arising from new regulations that may be enacted in the future. We may also be held liable for past disposal of hazardous substances generated by our business or businesses we acquire. In addition, it is possible that we may be held liable for contamination discovered at our present or former facilities.
We are aware of contamination at two locations. In Sinsheim, Germany, there is a shallow groundwater and soil contamination that is naturally decreasing over time. The German environmental authorities have not required any additional corrective action to date. In addition, property in Leesburg, Indiana, which was acquired with our acquisition of GTI in 1998, is the subject of a 1994 Corrective Action Order to GTI by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Although we sold the property in early 2005, we retained the responsibility for existing environmental issues at the site. The order requires us to investigate and take corrective actions. Substantially all of the corrective actions relating to impacted soil have been taken and IDEM has issued us “no further action” letters for all of the remediated areas. We expect a final “no further action” letter on this area upon IDEM’s final review of our closure report. We anticipate making additional environmental expenditures in the future to continue our environmental studies, analysis and remediation activities with respect to the remediated groundwater. Based on current knowledge, we do not believe that any future expenses or liabilities associated with environmental remediation will have a material impact on our operations or our consolidated financial position, liquidity or operating results; however, we may be subject to additional costs and liabilities if the scope of the contamination or the cost of remediation exceeds our current expectations.
34
Exhibit Index
| |
2.1 | Share Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 9, 2003, by Pulse Electronics (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and Forfin Holdings B.V. that are signatories thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to our Form 8-K dated January 10, 2003). |
| |
3.1 | Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to our Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2003) |
| |
3.3 | By-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to our Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2002). |
| |
4.1 | Rights Agreement, dated as of August 30, 1996, between Technitrol, Inc. and Registrar and Transfer Company, as Rights Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to our Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated October 24, 1996). |
| |
4.2 | Amendment No. 1 to the Rights Agreement, dated March 25, 1998, between Technitrol, Inc. and Registrar and Transfer Company, as Rights Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4 to our Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A dated April 10, 1998). |
| |
4.3 | Amendment No. 2 to the Rights Agreement, dated June 15, 2000, between Technitrol, Inc. and Registrar and Transfer Company, as Rights Agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 5 to our Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A dated July 5, 2000). |
| |
10.1 | Technitrol, Inc. 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated June 28, 2001, File Number 333-64060). |
| |
10.1(1) | Form of Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1(1) to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended October 1, 2004). |
| |
10.2 | Technitrol, Inc. Restricted Stock Plan II, as amended and restated as of January 1, 2001 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit C, to our Definitive Proxy on Schedule 14A dated March 28, 2001). |
| |
10.3 | Technitrol, Inc. 2001 Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated June 28, 2001, File Number 333-64068). |
| |
10.4 | Technitrol, Inc. Board of Directors Stock Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10 to our Form 8-K dated May 18, 2005). |
| |
10.5 | Credit Agreement, by and among Technitrol, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries, Bank of America N.A. as Administrative Agent and Lender, and certain other Lenders that are signatories thereto, dated as of October 14, 2005 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K dated October 20, 2005). |
| |
10.6 | Lease Agreement, dated October 15, 1991, between Ridilla-Delmont and AMI Doduco, Inc. (formerly known as Advanced Metallurgy Incorporated), as amended September 21, 2001 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-3 dated February 28, 2002, File Number 333-81286). |
| |
10.7 | Incentive Compensation Plan of Technitrol, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to Amendment No. 1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2002, File Number 333-81286). |
35
Exhibit Index, continued
| |
10.8 | Technitrol, Inc. Supplemental Retirement Plan, amended and restated January 1, 2002 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to Amendment No. 1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2002, File Number 333-81286). |
| |
10.8(1) | Technitrol, Inc. Grantor Trust Agreement dated July 5, 2006 between Technitrol, Inc. and Wachovia Bank, National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8(1) to our Form 8-K dated July 11, 2006). |
| |
10.9 | Agreement between Technitrol, Inc. and James M. Papada, III, dated July 1, 1999, as amended April 23, 2001, relating to the Technitrol, Inc. Supplemental Retirement Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Amendment No. 1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2002, File Number 333-81286). |
| |
10.10 | Letter Agreement between Technitrol, Inc. and James M. Papada, III, dated April 16, 1999, as amended October 18, 2000 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to Amendment No. 1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on February 28, 2002, File Number 333-81286). |
| |
10.10 (1) | Letter Agreement between Technitrol, Inc. and James M. Papada, III dated July 25, 2006 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10(1) to our Form 10-Q for six months ended June 30, 2006). |
| |
10.11 | Form of Indemnity Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to our Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2001). |
| |
10.12 | Technitrol Inc. Supplemental Savings Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended September 26, 2003). |
| |
10.13 | Technitrol, Inc. 401(K) Retirement Savings Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to post-effective Amendment No. 1, to our Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed on October 31, 2003, File Number 033-35334) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended March 26, 2003). |
| |
10.14 | Pulse Engineering, Inc. 401(K) Plan as amended (incorporated by reference to post-effective Amendment No. 1, to our Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed on October 31, 2003, File Number 033-94073) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended March 26, 2003). |
| |
10.15 | Amended and Restated Short-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005). |
| |
10.16 | Consignment Agreement dated July 11, 2006 among Technitrol, Inc., AMI Doduco, Inc. and Sovereign Precious Metals, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to our Form 8-K dated July 17, 2006.) |
36
Exhibit Index, continued
| |
10.17 | Amended and Restated Consignment Agreement dated July 29, 2005, among Fleet Precious Metals Inc. d/b/a Bank of America Precious Metals, Technitrol, Inc. and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K dated August 2, 2005). |
| |
10.17(1) | First Amendment and Agreement dated March 24, 2006 among Bank of America, N.A., Technitrol, Inc. and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17(1) to our Form 8-K dated March 28, 2006). |
| |
10.17(2) | Second Amendment and Agreement dated May 4, 2006 among Bank of America, N.A., Technitrol, Inc. and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17(2) to our Form 8-K dated May 4, 2006). |
| |
10.18 | Fee Consignment and/or Purchase of Silver Agreement dated April 7, 2006 among The Bank of Nova Scotia, Technitrol, Inc. and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to our Form 8-K dated April 7, 2006). |
| |
10.18(1) | Letter Amendment dated May 17, 2006 among The Bank of Nova Scotia, Technitrol, Inc. and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18(1) to our Form 8-K dated May 17, 2006). |
| |
10.19 | Consignment Agreement dated September 24, 2005 between Mitsui & Co. Precious Metals Inc., and AMI Doduco, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to our Form 8-K dated March 28, 2006). |
| |
10.20 | Unlimited Guaranty dated December 16, 1996 by Technitrol, Inc. in favor of Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended October 1, 2004). |
| |
10.21 | Corporate Guaranty dated November 1, 2004 by Technitrol, Inc. in favor of Mitsui & Co. Precious Metals, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to our Form 10-Q for the nine months ended October 1, 2004). |
| |
10.23 | Share Purchase Agreement dated August 8, 2005 among Pulse Electronics (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., as Purchaser, and Filtronic Plc and Filtronic Comtek Oy, as Sellers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K dated August 11, 2005). |
| |
10.24 | Sale and Transfer Agreement dated November 28, 2005 among era GmbH & Co. KG, Pulse GmbH, CST Electronics Co., Ltd., and certain other parties named therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K dated December 2, 2005). |
| |
10.25 | CEO Annual and Long-Term Equity Incentive Process (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to our Form 10-Q for the six months ended June 30, 2006). |
| |
10.30 | Schedule of Board of Director and Committee Fees (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004). |
37
Exhibit Index, continued
38
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.
| | |
| | Technitrol, Inc. |
| |
|
| | (Registrant) |
| | |
November 6, 2006 | | /s/ Drew A. Moyer |
| |
|
(Date) | | Drew A. Moyer |
| | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (duly authorized officer, principal financial officer) |
39