AMCON DISTRIBUTING CO - Quarter Report: 2016 March (Form 10-Q)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

OR

 

 

Commission File Number 1-15589

 

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (402) 331-3727

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files)  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)  Yes ☐  No ☒

 

The Registrant had 604,022 shares of its $.01 par value common stock outstanding as of April 18, 2016.

 

 

 

Form 10-Q

2nd Quarter

 

INDEX

 

 

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.      Financial Statements

 

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

March 31, 2016 and September 30, 2015

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

 

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Statements of Operations

for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

 

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Statements of Cash Flows

for the six months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

 

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Financial Statements

 

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries (“AMCON” or the “Company”) operate two business segments:

 

 

 

WHOLESALE SEGMENT

 

Our Wholesale Segment is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States serving approximately 4,500 retail outlets including convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, drug stores, and tobacco shops. We currently distribute over 16,000 different consumer products, including cigarettes and tobacco products, candy and other confectionery, beverages, groceries, paper products, health and beauty care products, frozen and chilled products and institutional foodservice products. Convenience stores represent our largest customer category. In September 2015, Convenience Store News ranked us as the seventh (7th) largest convenience store distributor in the United States based on annual sales.

 

Our wholesale business offers retailers the ability to take advantage of manufacturer and Company sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product category management services, and the use of information systems and data services that are focused on minimizing retailers’ investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profits. In addition, our wholesale distributing capabilities provide valuable services to both manufacturers of consumer products and convenience retailers. Manufacturers benefit from our broad retail coverage, inventory management, efficiency in processing small orders, and frequency of deliveries. Convenience retailers benefit from our distribution capabilities by gaining access to a broad product line, optimizing inventory, merchandising expertise, information systems, and accessing trade credit.

 

Our Wholesale Segment operates six distribution centers located in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee. These distribution centers, combined with cross dock facilities, include approximately 641,000 square feet of permanent floor space. Our principal suppliers include Altria, RJ Reynolds, ITG Brands, Hershey, Kellogg’s, Kraft, and Mars. We also market private label lines of water, candy products, batteries, and other products. We do not maintain any long-term purchase contracts with our suppliers.

 

RETAIL SEGMENT

 

Our Retail Segment is a specialty retailer of natural/organic groceries and dietary supplements which focuses on providing high quality products at affordable prices, with an exceptional level of customer service and nutritional consultation. All of the products carried in our stores must meet strict quality and ingredient guidelines, and include offerings such as gluten-free and antibiotic-free groceries and meat products, as well as products containing no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or partially hydrogenated oils. We design our retail sites in an efficient and flexible small-store format, which emphasizes a high energy and shopper-friendly environment.

 

We operate within the natural products retail industry, which is a subset of the large and stable U.S. grocery industry. This industry includes conventional, natural, gourmet and specialty food markets, mass and discount retailers, warehouse clubs, health food stores, dietary supplement retailers, drug stores, farmers markets, mail order and online retailers, and multi-level marketers.

 

Our Retail Segment operates sixteen retail health food stores as Chamberlin’s Market & Café and Akin’s Natural Foods Market. These stores carry over 32,000 different national and regionally branded and private label products including high-

quality natural, organic, and specialty foods consisting of produce, baked goods, frozen foods, nutritional supplements, personal care items, and general merchandise. Chamberlin’s, which was established in 1935, operates six stores in and around Orlando, Florida. Akin’s, which was also established in 1935, has a total of ten locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Company’s fiscal year ends on September 30. The results for the interim period included with this Quarterly Report may not be indicative of the results which could be expected for the entire fiscal year. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements (“financial statements”) contain all adjustments necessary to fairly present the financial information included herein, such as adjustments consisting of normal recurring items. The Company believes that although the disclosures contained herein are adequate to prevent the information presented from being misleading, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K. For purposes of this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, all references to “we”, “us”, “our”, the “Company”, and “AMCON” shall mean AMCON Distributing Company and its subsidiaries. Additionally, the three month fiscal periods ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 have been referred to throughout this quarterly report as Q2 2016 and Q2 2015, respectively. The fiscal balance sheet dates as of March 31, 2016, March 31, 2015, and September 30, 2015 have been referred to as March 2016, March 2015, and September 2015, respectively.

 

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

The Company is currently evaluating the following new accounting pronouncements and their potential impact, if any, on our consolidated financial statements:

 

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02 "Leases - Topic 842” ("ASU 2016-02").  ASU 2016-02 requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for all leases greater than one year in duration and classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within that fiscal year.

 

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-17 "Income Taxes: Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes ("ASU 2015-17"). ASU 2015-17 eliminates the requirement to bifurcate deferred taxes between current and non-current on the balance sheet and requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for public entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments for ASU 2015-17 can be applied retrospectively or prospectively and early adoption is permitted.

 

In July 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, "Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory" ("ASU 2015-11"). ASU 2015-11 requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Subsequent measurement is unchanged for inventory measured using last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) or the retail inventory method. This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The amendments should be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.

 

 

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." This ASU supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in "Accounting Standard Codification 605 - Revenue Recognition" and most industry-specific guidance. The standard requires that entities recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services

to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and for interim periods within that fiscal year.

 

2. CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

 

The Company has two series of convertible preferred stock outstanding at March 2016 as identified in the following table:

 

 

The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A”) and Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B”), (collectively, the “Preferred Stock”), are convertible at any time by the holders into a number of shares of AMCON common stock equal to the number of preferred shares being converted multiplied by a fraction equal to $25.00 divided by the conversion price. The conversion prices for the Preferred Stock are subject to customary adjustments in the event of stock splits, stock dividends, and certain other distributions on the Common Stock. Cumulative dividends for the Preferred Stock are payable in arrears, when, and if declared by the Board of Directors, on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year.

 

In the event of a liquidation of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Stock are entitled to receive the liquidation preference plus any accrued and unpaid dividends prior to the distribution of any amount to the holders of the Common Stock. The shares of Preferred Stock are optionally redeemable by the Company beginning on various dates, as listed in the above table, at redemption prices equal to 112% of the liquidation preference. The redemption prices decrease 1% annually thereafter until the redemption price equals the liquidation preference, after which date it remains the liquidation preference. The Preferred Stock is redeemable, at the holder’s option, at the liquidation value.  The Series A Preferred Stock and 8,000 shares of the Series B Preferred Stock are owned by Mr. Christopher Atayan, AMCON’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.  The Series B Preferred Stock holders have the right to elect one member of our Board of Directors, pursuant to the voting rights in the Certificate of Designation creating the Series B. Christopher H. Atayan was first nominated and elected to this seat in 2004.

 

3. INVENTORIES

 

At March 2016 and September 2015, inventories consisted of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost determined on a First-in, First-out (“FIFO”) basis, or market. The wholesale distribution and retail health food segment inventories consist of finished products purchased in bulk quantities to be redistributed to the Company’s customers or sold at retail. Finished goods included total reserves of approximately $1.0 million at March 2016 and $0.9 million at September 2015. These reserves include the Company’s obsolescence allowance, which reflects estimated unsalable or non-refundable inventory based upon an evaluation of slow moving and discontinued products.

 

4. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

 

Goodwill by reporting segment of the Company consisted of the following:

 

 

Other intangible assets of the Company consisted of the following:

 

 

Goodwill, trademarks and tradenames are considered to have indefinite useful lives and therefore no amortization has been taken on these assets. At March 2016, identifiable intangible assets considered to have finite lives were represented by customer relationships and the value of a non-competition agreement acquired as part of acquisitions. The customer relationships are being amortized over eight years and the value of the non-competition agreement is being amortized over five years. These intangible assets are evaluated for accelerated attrition or amortization adjustments if warranted.  Amortization expense related to these assets was $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three and six month periods ended March 2016, respectively, and $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three and six month periods ended March 2015, respectively.  

 

Estimated future amortization expense related to identifiable intangible assets with finite lives is as follows at March 2016:

 

 

5. DIVIDENDS

 

The Company paid cash dividends on its common stock and convertible preferred stock totaling $0.2 million and $0.5 million for the three and six month periods ended March 2016, respectively, and $0.2 million and $0.3 million for the three and six month periods ended March 2015, respectively.

6. EARNINGS PER SHARE

 

Basic earnings per share available to common shareholders is calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividend requirements by the weighted average common shares outstanding for each period. Diluted earnings per share available to common shareholders is calculated by dividing income from operations less preferred stock dividend requirements (when anti-dilutive) by the sum of the weighted average common shares outstanding and the weighted average dilutive options, using the treasury stock method.

 

 

 

 

7. BUSINESS SEGMENTS

 

The Company has two reportable business segments: the wholesale distribution of consumer products and the retail sale of health and natural food products. The retail health food stores’ operations are aggregated to comprise the Retail Segment because such operations have similar economic characteristics, as well as similar characteristics with respect to the nature of products sold, the type and class of customers for the health food products and the methods used to sell the products.  Included in the “Other” column are intercompany eliminations, and assets held and charges incurred by our holding company.  The segments are evaluated on revenues, gross margins, operating income, and income before taxes.

 

 

 

 

8. DEBT

 

The Company primarily finances its operations through a credit facility agreement (the “Facility”) and long-term debt agreements with banks. The Facility is provided through Bank of America acting as the senior agent and with BMO Harris Bank participating in a loan syndication.  The Facility included the following significant terms at March 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross Default and Co-Terminus Provisions

 

The Company’s owned real estate in Bismarck, ND, Quincy, IL, and Rapid City, SD, is financed through a term loan with BMO Harris, NA (“BMO”) which is also a participant lender on the Company’s revolving line of credit. The BMO loan contains cross default provisions which cause the loan with BMO to be considered in default if the loans where BMO is a lender, including the revolving credit facility, is in default. There were no such cross defaults at March 2016. In addition, the BMO loan contains co-terminus provisions which require all loans with BMO to be paid in full if any of the loans are paid in full prior to the end of their specified terms.

 

Other

 

The Company has issued a letter of credit in the amount of approximately $0.4 million to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier as part of its self-insured loss control program.

 

9. COMMON STOCK REPURCHASE

 

During the three and six month periods ended March 2016, the Company repurchased 5,317 and 30,719 shares of its common stock, respectively, for cash totaling approximately $0.4 million and $2.5 million, respectively. All repurchased shares were recorded in treasury stock at cost.

 

Item 2.      Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other sections, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties and which reflect management’s current beliefs and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the possible or assumed future results of operations of the Company and those statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “future,” “position,” “anticipate(s),” “expect,” “believe(s),” “see,” “plan,” “further improve,” “outlook,” “should” or similar expressions. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions.

 

You should understand that the following important factors, in addition to those discussed elsewhere in this document, could affect the future results of the Company and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes in these factors could result in significantly different results. Consequently, future results may differ from management’s expectations. Moreover, past financial performance should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance. Any forward-looking statement contained herein is made as of the date of this document. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or correct any of these forward-looking statements in the future to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of material events or changes in future operating results, financial conditions or business over time.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

 

Certain accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements require us to make judgments and estimates and the financial results we report may vary depending on how we make these judgments and estimates. Our critical accounting estimates are set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There have been no significant changes with respect to these policies during our fiscal quarter ended March 2016.

 

SECOND FISCAL QUARTER 2016 (Q2 2016)

 

The following discussion and analysis includes the Company’s results of operations for the three and six months ended March 2016 and March 2015.

 

Wholesale Segment

 

Our Wholesale Segment is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States serving approximately 4,500 retail outlets including convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, drug stores, and tobacco shops. We currently distribute over 16,000 different consumer products, including cigarettes and tobacco products, candy and other confectionery, beverages, groceries, paper products, health and beauty care products, frozen and chilled products and institutional foodservice products. Convenience stores represent our largest customer category. In September 2015, Convenience Store News ranked us as the seventh (7th) largest convenience store distributor in the United States based on annual sales.

 

Our wholesale business offers retailers the ability to take advantage of manufacturer and Company sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product category management services, and the use of information systems and data services that are focused on minimizing retailers’ investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profits. In addition, our wholesale distributing capabilities provide valuable services to both manufacturers of consumer products and convenience retailers. Manufacturers benefit from our broad retail coverage, inventory management, efficiency in processing small orders, and frequency of deliveries. Convenience retailers benefit from our distribution capabilities by gaining access to a broad product line, optimizing inventory, merchandising expertise, information systems, and accessing trade credit.

 

Our Wholesale Segment operates six distribution centers located in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee. These distribution centers, combined with cross dock facilities, include approximately 641,000 square feet of permanent floor space. Our principal suppliers include Altria, RJ Reynolds, ITG Brands, Hershey, Kellogg’s,