AMCON DISTRIBUTING CO - Annual Report: 2018 (Form 10-K)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10‑K

 

 

Commission File Number 1‑15589

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(402) 331‑3727

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well‑known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 of 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 every Interactive Data file required to be submitted 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 such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S‑K (229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10‑K or any amendment to this Form 10‑K. ☒

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

 

Smaller reporting company ☒Emerging growth company ☐

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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

The aggregate market value of the voting and non‑voting common equity held by non‑affiliates of the registrant on March 31, 2018 was $27,055,890 computed by reference to the $90.00 closing price of such common stock equity on March 31, 2018.

As of November 5, 2018 there were 617,350 shares of common stock outstanding.

Portions of the following document are incorporated by reference into the indicated parts of this report: definitive proxy statement for the December 2018 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A—Part III.

 

 

AMCON DISTRIBUTING COMPANY

Table of Contents

 

 

PART I

For purposes of this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, all references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company,” and “AMCON” shall mean AMCON Distributing Company and its subsidiaries. The Company’s 2018 and 2017 fiscal years ended September 30, are herein referred to as fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively. The fiscal year‑end balance sheet dates of September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 are referred to herein as September 2018 and September 2017, respectively. This report and the documents incorporated by reference herein, if any, contain forward looking statements, which are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. See “Forward Looking Statements” under Item 7 of this report.

 

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

COMPANY OVERVIEW

AMCON Distributing Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1986 and our common stock is listed on NYSE American under the symbol “DIT.” The Company operates two business segments:

 

 

WHOLESALE SEGMENT

Our Wholesale Segment is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States serving approximately 4,000 retail outlets including convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, drug stores, and tobacco shops. We currently distribute over 17,000 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 November 2018, Convenience Store News ranked us as the eighth (8th) 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 689,000 square feet of permanent floor space. Our principal suppliers include Altria, RJ Reynolds, ITG Brands, Hershey, Kelloggs, 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, through our Healthy Edge Inc. subsidiary, 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 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 twenty-two retail health food stores as Chamberlin’s Natural Foods (Chamberlin’s), Akin’s Natural Foods (Akins), and Earth Origins Market (EOM). 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 seven stores in and around Orlando, Florida. Akin’s, which was also established in 1935, has a total of seven locations in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Earth Origins Market has a total of eight locations in Florida.

COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS

We believe that we benefit from a number of competitive strengths, including the following:

Industry Experience

The management teams for both of our business segments include substantial depth in the areas of finance, information technology, business development, retail store support, logistics, sales, and marketing. This experience is beneficial for the management of vendor and customer relationships as well as overall operational execution.

Flexible Distribution Capabilities and Customer Service Programs

Wholesale distributors typically provide convenience store retailers access to a broad product line, the ability to place small quantity orders, inventory management, and access to trade credit. As a large, full‑service wholesale distributor, we offer retailers a wide array of manufacturer and Company sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product category management services, and the use of information systems that are focused on minimizing retailers’ investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profit.

The wholesale distribution industry is highly fragmented and historically has consisted of a large number of small, privately‑owned businesses and a small number of large, full‑service wholesale distributors serving multiple geographic regions. Relative to smaller competitors, large distributors such as our Company benefit from several competitive advantages including: increased purchasing power, the ability to service large chain accounts, economies of scale in sales and operations, and the resources to invest in information technology and other productivity‑enhancing technologies.

Unique Product Selection

Our retail health foods business prides itself in carrying a broad and superior‑quality selection of organic and natural food products and vitamin supplements. The depth of our product offerings, combined with highly trained and knowledgeable in‑store associates, has created a loyal customer following where our stores are sought out destinations, providing a personalized shopping experience.

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Our business strategy focuses on short, medium, and long term objectives designed to create shareholder value. Our strategic objectives are:

To execute this strategy, our Company has rigorous operational processes in place designed to control costs, manage credit risk, monitor inventory levels, and maintain maximum liquidity. The success of our strategy, however, is ultimately dependent on our ability to provide superior service, develop leading edge technologies, and maintain an exceptional array of product offerings.

PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS

The sales of cigarettes represented 71% of our consolidated revenue in both fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017. Sales of candy, beverages, foodservice, groceries, health food products, paper products, health and beauty care products, and tobacco products represented approximately 29% of our consolidated revenue in both fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017.

INFORMATION ON SEGMENTS

Information about our segments is presented in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

COMPETITION—Wholesale Segment

Our Wholesale Segment has a significant presence in the regions in which we operate. There are, however, a number of both national and regional wholesale distributors operating in the same geographical regions as our Company, resulting in a highly competitive marketplace. Our principal competitors are national wholesalers such as McLane Co., Inc. (Temple, Texas) and Core‑Mark International (San Francisco, California), as well as regional wholesalers such as Eby‑Brown LLP (Chicago, Illinois), and H.T. Hackney (Knoxville, Tennessee) along with a host of smaller grocery and tobacco wholesalers. Most recently, Amazon has entered the grocery and natural foods business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market which enhances their competitive position in the food and grocery category posing a threat not only to food and grocery retailers, but also to wholesale distribution companies should they decide to compete in that portion of the industry’s supply chain, including the distribution of products to convenience stores.

 

Competition within the wholesale distribution industry is primarily based on the range and quality of the services provided, pricing, variety of products offered, and the reliability of deliveries. Our larger competitors principally compete on pricing and breadth of product offerings, while our smaller competitors focus on customer service and their delivery arrangements.

We believe our business model positions us to compete with a wide range of competitors including national, regional, and local wholesalers. As the eighth (8th) largest convenience store distributor in the United States based on annual sales (according to Convenience Store News), our wholesale distribution business has sufficient economies of scale to offer competitive pricing as compared to national wholesalers. Additionally, we believe our flexible distribution and support model allows us to provide a high level of customized merchandising solutions.

COMPETITION—Retail Segment

Natural food and supplement retailing is an intensely competitive business. We face competition from a variety of sales channels including local, regional, and national retailers, specialty supermarkets, membership clubs, farmers markets, other natural foods stores, and internet and/or digital direct-to-consumer retailers, each of which competes with us on the basis of product selection, quality, customer service, and price.  

The natural food retail industry is highly fragmented. According to The Natural Foods Merchandiser (“NFM”), there are approximately 10,000 natural food retail stores operating independently or as part of small retail chains and nearly 26,000 stores when national chains are included. These competitors include companies such as Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Natural Grocers, Earth Fare, Lucky’s Market, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, General Nutrition Centers, Vitamin Shoppe, and other online competitors such as Amazon all who have embarked on aggressive expansion strategies. We also compete with specialty supermarkets, other and independent natural foods stores chains, small specialty stores, and restaurants. In recent years, conventional supermarkets and mass market outlets such as Krogers, Albertsons, Walmart, Publix, and Costco have significantly increased their offerings of organic and natural products adding another layer of competition. Most recently, Amazon entered the grocery and natural foods business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market which enhances their competitive position in the food and grocery category posing a threat to all food and grocery retailers.

 

SEASONALITY

Sales in the wholesale distribution industry are somewhat seasonal and tend to be higher in warm weather months during which our convenience store customers experience increased customer traffic. The warm weather months generally fall within the Company’s third and fourth fiscal quarters. Our retail health food business does not generally experience significant seasonal fluctuations in its business.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION

AMCON is subject to regulation by federal, state and local governmental agencies, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (“ATF”) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”). These regulatory agencies generally impose standards for product quality and sanitation, workplace safety, and security and distribution policies.

The Company operates in 26 states and is subject to state regulations related to the distribution and sale of cigarettes and tobacco products, generally in the form of licensing and bonding requirements. Additionally, both state and federal regulatory agencies have the ability to impose excise taxes on cigarette and tobacco products. In recent years a number of states, as well as the federal government, have increased the excise taxes levied on cigarettes and tobacco products. We expect this trend to continue as legislators look for alternatives to fund budget shortfalls and as a mechanism to discourage tobacco product use.

ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

All of AMCON’s facilities and operations are subject to state and federal environmental regulations. The Company believes it is in compliance with all such regulations and is not aware of any violations that could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. Further, the Company has not been notified by any governmental authority of any potential liability or other claim in connection with any of its properties. The costs and effect on the Company to comply with state and federal environmental regulations were not significant during either fiscal 2018 or fiscal 2017.

EMPLOYEES

At September 2018, the Company had 734 full‑time and 185 part‑time employees, which together serve in the following areas:

Approximately thirty of our wholesale delivery employees in our Quincy, Illinois distribution center are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (“IAMAW”). The current labor agreement with the union is effective through December 2020.

CORPORATE AND AVAILABLE INFORMATION

The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 7405 Irvington Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68122. The telephone number at that address is 402‑331‑3727 and our website address is www.amcon.com. We provide free access to the various reports we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission through our website. These reports include, but are not limited to, our Annual Reports on Form 10‑K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10‑Q. Please note that any internet addresses provided in this report are for information purposes only and are not intended to be hyperlinks. Accordingly, no information found and/or provided at such internet addresses is intended or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein.

You may also read and copy any materials we file with the Commission at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549 on official business days during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can get information about the Public Reference Room by calling 1‑800‑SEC‑0330. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov which contains reports, proxies and other company information.

 

 

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

IN GENERAL

You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision concerning our securities.

If any of the following risks actually materialize, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline substantially. This Annual Report also contains forward‑looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward‑looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks described below and elsewhere in this Annual Report. See “Forward Looking Statements” under Item 7 of this report for a discussion of forward looking statements.

RISK FACTORS RELATED TO THE WHOLESALE BUSINESS

In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law which granted the FDA the authority to regulate the production, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products in the United States. Specifically, the legislation established an FDA office to regulate changes to nicotine yields, chemicals, flavors, ingredients, and the labeling used to produce and market tobacco products. The FDA office is financed through user fees paid by tobacco companies, which is passed on to wholesale distributors and end consumers in the form of higher costs.

To date, most of the regulatory and compliance burden related to this legislation has fallen upon product manufacturers. However, if the FDA were to impose new regulations impacting wholesale distributors that we are not able to comply with, we could face remedial actions such as fines, suspension of product distribution rights, and/or termination of operations. Further, if the FDA were to issue product bans or product restrictions, including potential bans or restrictions related to e-cigarettes or vaping products, our future revenue stream could materially decrease. If any of these items were to occur, our results from operations, cash flow, business, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

The distribution of cigarettes represents a significant portion of our business. During fiscal 2018 approximately 71% of our consolidated revenues came from the distribution of cigarettes which generated approximately 20% of our consolidated gross profit. Due to manufacturer price increases, restrictions on advertising and promotions, regulation, higher excise and other taxes, health concerns, smoking bans, and other factors, the demand for cigarettes may continue to decline.  If this occurs, our results from operations, cash flow, business, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Cigarette and tobacco products are subject to substantial excise taxes. Significant increases in cigarette‑related taxes and fees have been imposed by city, state, and federal governments in recent years. Further, the evolving regulatory responsibilities of the FDA are being funded by fees imposed on tobacco companies. These fees have been passed on to wholesale distributors and end consumers in the form of higher prices for cigarette and tobacco products.

Increases in excise taxes and fees imposed by the FDA may reduce the long‑term demand for cigarette and tobacco products and/or result in a sales shift from higher margin premium cigarette and tobacco products to lower margin deep‑discount brands, while at the same time increasing the Company’s accounts receivable risk and inventory carrying costs. If any of these events were to occur, our results from operations, cash flow, liquidity position, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Divestitures and consolidations within the convenience store industry reflect a trend that may result in customer losses for us if the acquiring entity is served by another wholesale distributor and we are unable to retain the business. If we were to lose a substantial volume of business because of these trends, our results from operations, cash flow, business, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Increases or decreases in fuel prices can and do have an impact on our profit margins. If we are not able to meaningfully pass on these costs to customers, it could adversely impact our results of operations, business, cash flow, and financial condition.

We receive payments from the manufacturers of the products we distribute including allowances, discounts, volume rebates, and other merchandising incentives in connection with various incentive programs. In addition, we receive discounts from states in connection with the purchase of excise stamps for cigarettes. If the manufacturers or states change or discontinue these programs or we are unable to maintain the volume of our sales, our results of operations, business, cash flow, and financial condition could be negatively affected. There are no assurances that the manufacturers or states will maintain these programs.

The wholesale distribution industry is highly competitive. There are many distribution companies operating in the same geographical regions as our Company. Our Company’s principal competitors are national and regional wholesalers, along with a host of smaller grocery and tobacco wholesalers. Most of these competitors generally offer a wide range of products at prices comparable to those offered by our Company. Some of our competitors have substantial financial resources and long‑standing customer relationships. This competition may reduce our margins and/or cause a loss in market share, adversely impacting our results of operations, cash flow, and financial condition. Most recently, Amazon entered the grocery and natural foods business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market which enhances their competitive position in the food and grocery category posing a threat not only to food and grocery retailers, but also to wholesale distribution companies should they decide to compete in that portion of the industry’s supply chain, including the distribution of products to convenience stores.

 

In 1994, the Mississippi attorney general brought an action against various tobacco industry members on behalf of the state to recover state funds paid for health‑care costs related to tobacco use. Subsequently, most other states sued the major U.S. cigarette manufacturers based on similar theories. The cigarette manufacturer defendants settled the first four of these cases with Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Minnesota by separate agreements. These states are referred to as non‑MSA states. In November 1998, the major U.S. tobacco product manufacturers entered into the MSA with 46 states, the District of Columbia and certain U.S. territories. The MSA and the other state settlement agreements settled health‑care cost recovery actions and monetary claims relating to future conduct arising out of the use of, or exposure to, tobacco products, imposed a stream of future payment obligations on major U.S. cigarette manufacturers and placed significant restrictions on the ability to market and sell cigarettes. The payments required under the MSA resulted in the products sold by the participating manufacturers being priced at higher levels than the products sold by non‑MSA manufacturers.

In order to limit our potential tobacco related liabilities, we try to limit our purchases of cigarettes from non‑MSA manufacturers for sale in MSA states. The benefits of liability limitations and indemnities we are entitled to under the MSA do not apply to sales of cigarettes manufactured by non‑MSA manufacturers. From time‑to‑time, however, we find it necessary to purchase a limited amount of cigarettes from non‑MSA manufacturers. For example, during a transition period while integrating distribution operations from an acquisition we may need to purchase and distribute cigarettes manufactured by non‑MSA manufacturers to satisfy the demands of customers of the acquired business. With respect to sales of such non‑MSA cigarettes, we could be subject to litigation that could expose us to liabilities for which we would not be indemnified.

In connection with the MSA, we are indemnified by many of the tobacco product manufacturers from whom we purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products for liabilities arising from the sale of the tobacco products that they supply to us. However, if litigation challenging the validity of the MSA were to be successful and all or part of the MSA is invalidated, we could be subject to substantial litigation due to the sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products, and we may not be indemnified for such costs by the tobacco product manufacturers in the future. In addition, even if we continue to be indemnified by cigarette manufacturers that are parties to the MSA, future litigation awards against such cigarette manufacturers could be so large as to eliminate the ability of the manufacturers to satisfy their indemnification obligations. Our results of operations, business, cash flow, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted due to increased litigation costs and potential adverse rulings against us.

Increased selling prices for cigarettes and higher cigarette taxes have resulted in the growth of deep‑discount cigarette brands. Deep‑discount cigarette brands are brands generally manufactured by companies that are not original participants to the MSA, and accordingly do not have cost structures burdened by the MSA. Since the MSA was signed, the category of deep‑discount brands manufactured by smaller manufacturers or supplied by importers has grown substantially. If this growth continues, our results of operations, business cash flows, and overall financial condition would be negatively impacted.

RISK FACTORS RELATED TO THE RETAIL BUSINESS

In our retail health food business, we compete with a wide range of well financed regional and national competitors such as Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Natural Grocers, Earth Fare, Lucky’s Market, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, General Nutrition Centers, Vitamin Shoppe, and other online competitors such as Amazon all who have embarked on aggressive expansion strategies. Additionally, we compete with specialty supermarkets, other and independent natural foods stores chains, small specialty stores, and restaurants. Conventional supermarkets and mass market outlets such as Krogers, Albertsons, Walmart, and Costco have also significantly increased their offerings of organic and natural products providing another layer of competition. Finally, if online shopping continues to grow in popularity and further disrupts traditional sales channels, it may present a significant direct risk to brick and mortar retailers, including the Company. Most recently, Amazon entered the grocery and natural foods business with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market which enhances their competitive position in the food and grocery category posing a threat to all food and grocery retailers. Most of these competitors may have greater financial and marketing resources than our Company and may be able to devote greater resources to sourcing, promoting, and selling their products. In response to heightened competition, the Company is implementing a repositioning strategy for our retail business. This repositioning strategy calls for a wide range of initiatives including the possible addition of one or more of our new retail store prototypes per year into the foreseeable future. The opening of new retail stores inherently brings additional risk to the business. Further, if our repositioning strategy in response to this increase in competition is not successful, it may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, business, cash flow, and financial condition, and could potentially result in the impairment of assets within this business segment.

 

There is no assurance that quality natural and organic products including dietary supplements, fresh and processed foods and vitamins will be available to meet our stores future needs. If conventional supermarkets increase their natural and organic product offerings or if new laws require the reformulation of certain products to meet tougher standards, the supply of these products may be constrained. Any significant disruption in the supply of quality natural and organic products could have a material adverse impact on our overall sales and product costs.

Our retail stores carry many perishable products which may result in significant product inventory losses in the event of extended power outages, natural disasters, or other catastrophic occurrences.

Many of our stores are located in close proximity to shopping areas that also accommodate other well‑known anchor stores. Sales at our stores are derived, in part, from the volume of traffic generated by the other anchor stores in the shopping areas where our stores are located. Customer traffic may be adversely affected by regional economic downturns, a general downturn in the local area where our store is located, long‑term nearby road construction projects, the closing of nearby anchor stores or other nearby stores or the decline of the shopping environment in a particular shopping area. Any of these

events would reduce our sales and leave us with excess inventory, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operation. In response to such events, we may be required to increase markdowns or initiate marketing promotions to reduce excess inventory, which would further decrease our gross profits and net income.

We believe our success depends, in substantial part, on our ability to:

If we are unable to anticipate and satisfy consumer merchandise preferences in the regions where we operate, our sales may decrease, and we may be forced to increase markdowns of slow‑moving merchandise, either of which could negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flow, and financial condition.

If we or our third‑party suppliers, including suppliers of our private label products, fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements or to meet our specifications for quality, we could be required to take costly corrective action and our reputation could be negatively impacted. We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities, and therefore depend upon independent third‑party vendors to produce our private label branded products, such as vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, body care products, food products and bottled water. Third‑party suppliers of our private label products may not maintain adequate controls with respect to product specifications and quality. Such suppliers may be unable to produce products on a timely basis or in a manner consistent with regulatory requirements. Additionally, there are no assurances that we would be successful in finding new third‑party suppliers that meet our quality guidelines if needed. If any of these events were to occur, our results from operations, cash flow, liquidity position, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

RISK FACTORS RELATED TO ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES

From time to time, one or both of the Company’s business segments may acquire assets from other businesses, or may acquire all or a portion of another business through the purchase of stock or other means. The purchase of assets or of all or part of a business can bring significant risks to the Company in a number of areas including purchase price, business valuation and recording risks, customer retention risks, risks associated with the assumption of liabilities or obligations, integration risks, technology risks, risks associated with the addition of a new employees such as health care costs, and a wide range of other risks and considerations. While the Company strives to minimize the risks associated with its acquisition activities, issues may arise which could have a material negative impact on the Company’s results of operations, balance sheet, and cash flows.  

 

The Company purchases products from a wide range of vendors in both of its businesses. Some of our vendors may import certain products as part of their manufacturing processes and could be impacted by higher costs resulting from trade tariffs. Further, the impact of higher costs at the retail level may negatively impact consumer disposable income and demand.  In event that our product purchase costs from our vendors increase and we cannot pass on those price increases or if the retail level demand for the products we sell decreases, the Company’s results of operations, balance sheet, and cash flows could be negatively impacted. 

Healthcare represents a significant expense item for our Company and has been increasing in recent years similar to that of the general upward trend in healthcare costs nationwide. While we strive to control these costs through modifications to insurance coverage, including increasing co‑pays and deductibles, there can be no assurance that we will be as successful in controlling such costs in the future. Continued increases in healthcare costs, as well as changes in laws, regulations, and assumptions used to calculate health and benefit expenses, may adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations. In particular, changes mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its overall impact on the healthcare industry may increase our healthcare costs and negatively impact our cost structure, cash flow, profitability, and overall financial condition.

We may face exposure to product liability claims in the event that the use of products sold by us is alleged to cause injury or illness. With respect to product liability claims, we believe that we have sufficient liability insurance coverage and indemnities from manufacturers. However, product liability insurance may not continue to be available at a reasonable cost, or, if available, may not be adequate to cover all of our liabilities. We generally seek contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from parties supplying the products we sell, but this indemnification or insurance coverage is limited, as a practical matter, to the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insurance limits of any insurance provided by suppliers. If we do not have adequate insurance or if contractual indemnification is not available or if the counterparty cannot fulfill its indemnification obligation, product liability relating to allegedly defective products could materially adversely impact our results of operations, cash flow, business, and overall financial condition could be negatively impacted.

The Company uses a combination of insurance and self‑insurance plans to provide for the potential liabilities for workers’ compensation, general liability, property insurance, director and officers’ liability insurance, vehicle liability, and employee health care benefits. Liabilities associated with these risks are estimated by the Company, in part, by considering historical claims experience, demographic factors, severity factors, and other assumptions. Our results could be materially impacted by claims and other expenses related to such insurance plans if future occurrences and claims differ from these assumptions and historical trends.

Our results of operations and financial condition are particularly sensitive to changes in the overall economy, including the level of consumer spending. Changes in discretionary spending patterns may decrease demand from our convenience store customers and/or impact the demand for natural food products in our retail health food stores as customers purchase cheaper product alternatives.

Additionally, many of our wholesale segment customers are thinly capitalized and their access to credit in the current business environment may be impacted by their ability to operate as a going concern, presenting additional credit risk for the Company. In a period of economic downturn or if the economy deteriorates, it could result in lower sales and profitability as well as customer credit defaults.

Volatile product costs have a direct impact on our business. Prolonged periods of product cost inflation may have a negative impact on our profit margins and earnings to the extent that we are unable to pass on all or a portion of such product cost increases to our customers, which may have a negative impact on our business and our profitability. In addition, product cost inflation may negatively impact consumer spending decisions, which could adversely impact our sales. Conversely, our business may be adversely impacted by periods of prolonged product cost deflation because we make a significant portion of our sales at prices that are based on the cost of products we sell plus a percentage markup. As a result, our profit levels may be negatively impacted during periods of product cost deflation, even though our gross profit percentage may remain relatively constant.

We rely extensively on our information technology systems to run all aspects of our business. If any of our information technology systems are damaged or made unavailable due to a wide range of issues such as power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches, malware, or compromised by any other method, it could have a material negative impact on our operations and profits.

Maintaining a good reputation and public confidence in the products we distribute is critical to our business. Anything that damages that reputation or the public’s confidence in our products, whether or not justified, including adverse publicity about the quality, safety or integrity of our products, could quickly and adversely affect our revenues and profits. In addition, such adverse publicity may result in product liability claims, a loss of reputation, and product recalls which would have a material adverse effect on our sales and operations.

We are required to test annually goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives to determine if impairment has occurred. Additionally, interim reviews must be performed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. If the testing performed indicates that impairment has occurred, we are required to record a non‑cash impairment charge for the difference between the carrying value of the goodwill or other intangible assets and the implied fair value of the goodwill or other intangible assets in the period the determination is made.

The testing of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment requires management to make significant estimates about our future performance and cash flows, as well as other assumptions. These estimates can be affected by numerous factors, including potential changes in economic, industry or market conditions, changes in business operations, changes in competition or changes in our stock price and market capitalization. Changes in these factors, or changes in actual performance compared with estimates of our future performance, may affect the fair value of goodwill or other intangible assets, which may result in impairment charges. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any impairment of assets. Should the value of goodwill or other intangible assets become impaired, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

The acquisition of other distributors or existing retail stores, the opening of new retail stores, and the development of new or expansion of existing production and distribution facilities requires significant amounts of capital. In the past, our growth has been funded primarily through proceeds from bank debt, private placements of equity and debt and internally generated cash flow. These and other sources of capital may not be available to us in the future, which could impair our ability to further expand our business.

Our revolving credit facility imposes certain restrictions on us that could increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions by limiting our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and industry. Specifically, these restrictions limit our ability, among other things, to incur additional indebtedness, make distributions, pay dividends, issue stock of subsidiaries, make investments, repurchase stock, create liens, enter into transactions with affiliates, merge or consolidate, or transfer and sell our assets.

Under our credit facility, we are required to maintain a minimum debt service ratio if our excess availability falls below 10% of the maximum loan limit as defined in our revolving credit agreement. Our ability to comply with this covenant may be affected by factors beyond our control. If we breach, or if our lender contends that we have breached this covenant or any other restrictions, it could result in an event of default under our revolving credit facility, which would permit our lenders to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be immediately due and payable, and our lenders under our revolving credit facility could terminate their commitments to make further extensions of credit under our revolving credit facility. Additionally, our real estate note payable includes a cross‑default provision that would cause it to be in default and due immediately if our credit facility was deemed to be in default.

We expect that our principal sources of funds will be cash generated from our operations and if necessary, borrowings under our revolving credit facility. However, the current and future conditions in the credit markets may impact the availability of capital resources required to meet our future financial obligations, or to provide funds for our working capital, capital expenditures and other needs for the foreseeable future. We may require additional equity or debt financing to meet our working capital requirements or to fund our capital expenditures. We may not be able to obtain financing on terms satisfactory to us, or at all.

We do not have any significant long‑term contracts with suppliers in our wholesale business committing them to provide products to us. Although our purchasing volume can provide leverage when dealing with suppliers, suppliers may not provide the products we sell in the quantities we request or on favorable terms. Because we do not control the actual production of the products we sell, we are also subject to delays caused by interruption in production based on conditions beyond our control. These conditions include job actions or strikes by employees of suppliers, inclement weather, drought, transportation interruptions, and natural disasters or other catastrophic events. Our inability to obtain adequate supplies of the products we sell as a result of any of the foregoing factors or otherwise, could cause us to fail to meet our obligations to our customers.

In the past, some large manufacturers have decided to engage in direct distribution of their products and eliminate distributors such as our Company. If other manufacturers make similar product distribution decisions in the future, our revenues and profits would be adversely affected and there can be no assurance that we will be able to take action to compensate for such losses.

We depend on the continued services and performance of our senior management and other key personnel. While we have employment agreements with certain key personnel, the loss of service from any of our executive officers or key employees could harm our business.

We compete with other businesses in each of our markets with respect to attracting and retaining qualified employees, particularly in the area of truck drivers and warehouse workers. A shortage of qualified employees could require us to enhance our wage and benefits packages in order to compete effectively in the hiring and retention of qualified employees or to hire more expensive temporary employees.

In addition, at September 2018 approximately thirty of our delivery drivers in our Wholesale Segment are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with a labor organization, which expires in December 2020.

As a distributor and retailer of food products, we are subject to regulation by the FDA. Our operations are also subject to regulation by OSHA, the Department of Transportation and other federal, state and local agencies. Each of these regulatory authorities has broad administrative powers with respect to our operations. If we fail to adequately comply with government regulations or regulations become more stringent, we could experience increased inspections, regulatory authorities could take remedial action including imposing fines or shutting down our operations or we could be subject to increased audit and compliance costs. If any of these events were to occur, our results of operations, business, cash flow, and financial condition would be adversely affected.

We cannot predict the impact that future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, the effect of additional government regulations or administrative orders, when and if promulgated, or disparate federal, state and local regulatory schemes would have on our business in the future. They could, however, require the reformulation of certain products to meet new standards, the recall or discontinuance of certain products not able to be reformulated, additional record keeping, expanded documentation of the properties of certain products, expanded or different labeling and/or scientific substantiation. While we do not manufacture any products, any of the aforementioned items could disrupt the supply levels of inventory that we sell. Any or all of such requirements could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, business, cash flow, and financial condition.

RISK FACTORS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK

If the number of owners of record (including direct participants in the Depository Trust Company) of our common stock falls below 300, as was true as of September 30, 2018, our obligation to file reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 could be suspended. If we take advantage of this right we will likely reduce administrative costs of complying with public company rules, but periodic and current information updates about the Company would not be available to investors. In addition, the common stock of the Company would be removed from listing on NYSE American. This would likely impact investors’ ability to trade in our common stock.

Various provisions of our bylaws and of corporate law may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control or takeover attempt of our company by a third party that is opposed by our management and Board of Directors. These anti‑takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of public stockholders to benefit from a change of control or change in our management and Board of Directors. These provisions include:

 

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

The location and approximate square footage of the Company’s six distribution centers and twenty two retail stores at September 2018 are set forth below:

The Company leases certain distribution facilities, retail stores, offices, and certain equipment under noncancellable operating leases. Our Quincy, Illinois; both of our Bismarck, North Dakota; and our Rapid City, South Dakota distribution facilities are owned by our Company, and some are subject to several first mortgages by BMO Harris, NA (“BMO”) and other lenders. Management believes that its existing facilities are adequate for the Company’s present level of operations, however, larger facilities and additional cross‑dock facilities and retail stores may be required if the Company experiences growth in certain market areas.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

None.

 

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Executive officers of our Company are appointed by the Board of Directors and serve at the discretion of the Board. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to all executive officers of our Company.

CHRISTOPHER H. ATAYAN has served in various senior executive positions with the Company since March 2006, including his service as Chairman of the Board since January 2008 and Chief Executive Officer since October 2006, and has been a director of the Company since 2004. Mr. Atayan has served as the Senior Managing Director of Slusser Associates, a private equity and investment banking firm, since 1988, and has been engaged in private equity and investment banking since 1982. He also serves on the Board of Eastek Holdings, LLC, a manufacturing company.

ANDREW C. PLUMMER has served as our President and Chief Operating Officer since October 2018, as our Chief Financial Officer since January 2007, and as our Secretary from January 2007 to October 2018.  From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Plummer served our company in various roles including Acting Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Controller, and Manager of SEC Compliance.  Prior to joining our company in 2004, Mr. Plummer practiced public accounting, primarily with the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche, LLP (now Deloitte). 

 

CHARLES J. SCHMADERER has served as the Company’s Vice President and Corporate Controller since April 2018 and as Secretary since October 2018. From 2006 to 2018, Mr. Schmaderer served the Company in various roles including as the Vice President of Financial Reporting and Assistant Secretary, and as the Director of Financial and SEC Reporting. Prior to joining AMCON in 2006, Mr. Schmaderer practiced public accounting, primarily with the accounting firm Grant Thornton, LLP and also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

PART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

MARKET FOR COMMON STOCK

The Company’s common stock trades on NYSE American under the trading symbol “DIT”. As of October 31, 2018 the closing price of our common stock on NYSE American was $84.00 and there were 617,350 common shares outstanding. As of that date, the Company had approximately 557 persons holding common shares beneficially of which approximately 127 are shareholders of record (including direct participants in the Depository Trust Company). The following table reflects the range of the high and low closing prices per share of the Company’s common stock reported by NYSE American for fiscal 2018 and 2017.

DIVIDEND POLICY

On a quarterly basis, the Company’s Board of Directors evaluates the potential declaration of dividend payments on the Company’s common stock. Our dividend policy is intended to return capital to shareholders when it is most appropriate. The Company’s revolving credit facility provides that the Company may not pay dividends on its common shares in excess of $1.00 per common share on an annual basis. There is no limit on dividend payments provided that certain excess availability measurements have been maintained for the thirty day period immediately prior to the payment of any such dividends or distributions, and immediately after giving effect to any such dividend or distribution payments, the Company has a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.10 to 1.0 as defined in the credit facility agreement.

Our Board of Directors could decide to alter our dividend policy or not pay quarterly dividends at any time in the future. Such an action by the Board of Directors could result from, among other reasons, changes in the marketplace, changes in our performance or capital needs, changes in federal income tax laws, disruptions in the capital markets, or other events affecting our business, liquidity or financial position. The Company paid cash dividends of $0.7 million, or $1.00 per common share, during both fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017.

REPURCHASE OF COMPANY SHARES

The Company repurchased a total of 74,880 and 12,036 shares of its common stock during fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively, for cash totaling approximately $7.7 million and $1.1 million, respectively. All repurchased shares were recorded in treasury stock at cost. At September 2018, 74,789 shares of the Company’s common shares remained authorized for repurchase in either the open market or privately negotiated transactions, as previously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. In October 2018, our Board of Directors renewed the repurchase authorization for 75,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company repurchased shares of its common stock for cash totaling approximately $0.1 million. The following table summarizes these repurchases made by or on behalf of our Company or certain affiliated purchasers of shares of our common stock for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018:

*            In July 2018, our Board of Directors authorized purchases of up to 75,000 shares of our Company’s common stock in open market or negotiated transactions. Management was given discretion to determine the number and pricing of the shares to be purchased, as well as the timing of any such purchases. In October 2018 and subsequent to the end of fiscal 2018, our Board of Directors renewed the repurchase authorization for 75,000 shares.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

We refer you to Item 12 of this report for the information required by Item 201(d) of SEC Regulation S‑K.

 

 

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Not applicable.

 

 

 

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 and other information in this report, including Critical Accounting Policies and Cautionary Information included at the end of this Item 7. The following discussion and analysis includes the results of operations for the twelve month periods ended September 2018 and September 2017. For more information regarding our business segments, see Item 1 “Business” of this Annual Report.

Business Update - Wholesale Segment

 

A number of macro trends continue to impact the convenience store industry and the wholesale distributors which serve this retail segment. 

 

First, the long term demand trend for cigarettes continues to decline as fewer individuals smoke, which we believe partially results from higher excise taxes and other regulatory initiatives placed on such products. In recent years, the tobacco industry has worked to develop alternative products (e-cigarettes, vaping etc.), however, it remains to be seen if these products will be viable long term given intense regulation in this area.  

 

Secondly, the continued popularity of fast casual and on-the-go dining options is fueling interest by convenience stores owners to enhance their existing foodservice programs and build-out new revenue streams.

 

Lastly, large consumer package goods manufacturers (“CPG’s”) are heavily focused on reinventing their product portfolios and replacing older lower margin offerings. This has resulted in a wave of innovation by CPG manufacturers around design, packaging, and the types of products offered within the convenience store channel. Accordingly, CPG companies continue to rely heavily on wholesale distributors to assist with market introduction and ultimately to obtain shelf space for these new products within the one of their most important sales channels (convenience stores).

 

At the wholesale distributor level, we continue to see brisk consolidation trends across the industry as the economics and capital requirements of the business has become challenging for many smaller distributors. Accordingly, we continue to carefully evaluate a range of acquisition/expansion opportunities and remain focused on maximizing our liquidity position which provides us the flexibility to move quickly as attractive opportunities arise. In conjunction with this strategy, in fiscal 2018 we purchased an additional warehouse in our northern market to service customers in that region and to support our reach into adjacent markets.     

 

Given these market dynamics, our long term strategic plan remains centered around three core areas: 1) expanding our geographic footprint either through strategic acquisitions or establishing new distribution centers, 2) expanding our foodservice platform, and 3) ongoing investments in our information technology applications and trucking fleet as a means of differentiation and long term customer retention. 

 

Business Update - Retail Segment

 

The food retailing sector continues to undergo a significant structural shift driven by increased competition, the types of products being demanded by consumers, and changes in how consumers shop and engage with retailers. These factors have resulted in a highly competitive and dynamic operating environment forcing retailers to continuously innovate with improved product offerings and services.

 

In the health food retailing sector in which our stores operate, a number of factors have impacted the performance of   industry participants. First, a number of regional and national health food retailers such as Sprouts Farmers Market, Natural Grocers, Trader Joe’s, Lucky’s Market, Earth Fare, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, have expanded their geographic reach into areas once dominated by independent health food store operators. Secondly, web-based shopping formats, conventional grocery stores, and mass merchants such as Kroger, Albertsons, Walmart, and Costco have all greatly expanded their offerings of natural products which has impacted sales volumes for many independent health food retailers. The nation’s largest health food retailer (Whole Foods Market) is now owned by Amazon which has added another layer of intense competition across the industry. All of these factors have contributed to a challenging operating environment for health food retailers, including our stores.

 

In light of the competitive landscape and as previously disclosed, the Company has implemented a multi-year repositioning strategy for its retail business. The core of this repositioning strategy is focused on four functional areas: 1) the implementation of a comprehensive program to optimize our merchandising strategy, 2) selectively remodeling existing stores and adding new stores which incorporate modern design themes and convenience shopping attributes, 3) the use of a new multi-channel branding and marketing program, and 4) targeted closure of non-performing stores.  During fiscal 2018, the Company continued to execute against this repositioning strategy by closing two non-performing stores in our Midwest market, the completion of two store remodeling projects, the acquisition of assets (primarily inventory) of eight retail health food stores in Florida which the Company will continue to operate under the name Earth Origins Market (EOM), and the opening of one new store in our Florida market subsequent to fiscal 2018 (October 2018) which replaced an existing store. While we are pleased for the process of our repositioning strategy, the market conditions in this sector remain challenging with heightened competition. Accordingly, as discussed further in Note 5 we recorded impairment charges in our retail reporting unit during fiscal 2018 which reflects this operating environment.     

   

While we can provide no assurances that our business repositioning strategy will be successful, we believe that many of the traditional tenants of successful retailing remain in place. Among these, having modern stores with strong locations that carry a differentiated product mix and offering a high level of consultative customer service, all remain important elements in driving repeat customer traffic and ultimately profitable unit economics. Accordingly, we continue to make investments in the aforementioned areas in conjunction with our repositioning strategy.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth an analysis of various components of the Company’s Statement of Operations as a percentage of sales for fiscal years 2018 and 2017:

 

SALES

Changes in sales are driven by two primary components:

SALES—Fiscal 2018 vs. Fiscal 2017

Sales in our Wholesale Segment increased $43.1 million during fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017. Significant items impacting sales during fiscal 2018 included a $33.2 million increase in sales related to price increases implemented by cigarette manufacturers and a $18.7 million increase in sales related to higher sales volume in our tobacco, beverage, snacks, candy, grocery, health & beauty products, automotive, foodservice, and store supplies categories (“Other Products”). These increases were partially offset by an $8.8 million decrease in sales related to the volume and mix of cigarette cartons sold.

 

Sales in our Retail Segment increased $4.2 million in fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017. Significant items impacting sales during the current period included a $4.5 million increase in sales related to our new Earth Origin Market (“EOM”) stores located in Florida and a $1.7 million increase in sales related to the opening of a new Chamberlin’s store in our Florida market. These increases were partially offset by a $0.9 million decrease in sales related to the closure of two non-performing stores in our Midwest market, and a $1.1 million decrease in sales related to lower sales volumes in our existing stores.

 

GROSS PROFIT—Fiscal 2018 vs. Fiscal 2017

Our gross profit does not include fulfillment costs and costs related to the distribution network which are included in selling, general and administrative costs, and may not be comparable to those of other entities. Some entities may classify such costs as a component of cost of sales. Cost of sales, a component used in determining gross profit, for the wholesale and retail segments includes the cost of products purchased from manufacturers, less incentives we receive which are netted against such costs.

Gross profit in our Wholesale Segment increased $2.5 million during fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017. This increase was primarily related to an increase in our Other Products category sales. Gross profit in our Retail Segment increased $2.0 million in fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017. Significant items impacting sales during the current period included a $2.6 million increase in gross profit related to our newly acquired EOM stores and a $0.9 million increase in sales related to the opening of a new Chamberlin’s store in our Florida market. These increases were partially offset by a $0.4 million decrease in gross profit related to the closure of two non-performing stores in our Midwest market and a $1.1 million decrease in gross profit related to lower sales volumes in our existing stores.

 

OPERATING EXPENSE—Fiscal 2018 vs. Fiscal 2017

Operating expense includes selling, general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization. Selling, general, and administrative expenses include costs related to our sales, warehouse, delivery and administrative departments for all segments. Specifically, purchasing and receiving costs, warehousing costs and costs of picking and loading customer orders are all classified as selling, general and administrative expenses. Our most significant expenses relate to employee and facility costs, equipment leases, transportation costs, fuel costs, insurance, and professional fees.

Our fiscal 2018 operating expenses increased $4.8 million as compared to fiscal 2017. Significant items impacting operating expenses in our Wholesale Segment during fiscal 2018 included a $1.2 million increase in employee compensation and benefit costs, a $0.8 million increase in fuel costs, and a $0.5 million increase in other operating costs. These increases were partially offset by a $1.0 million decrease in health insurance costs.

Our fiscal 2018 Retail Segment operating expenses increased $3.3 million as compared to the fiscal 2017. Significant items impacting fiscal 2018 Retail Segment operating expenses included the impact of a $1.9 million impairment charge (see Note 5), a $1.3 million increase in expenses related to our EOM retail stores, and a $0.6 million increase in operating expenses related to our new Chamberlin’s store. These Retail Segment operating expense increases were partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in operating expenses related to the closure of two non-performing retail stores. 

 

INCOME TAX EXPENSE —Fiscal 2018 vs. Fiscal 2017

The Company’s fiscal 2018 income tax rate and results of operations were impacted by the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Reform Act”), which was signed into law on December 22, 2017. Among the numerous provisions included in the Tax Reform Act was a reduction in the corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21%. The Company applied the newly enacted corporate federal income tax rate during the first quarter of fiscal 2018 resulting in an income tax benefit of approximately $0.8 million, primarily related to the application of the new lower income tax rates to net long term deferred tax liabilities recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.  The application of the Tax Reform Act also resulted in blended federal income tax rate of approximately 24% for fiscal 2018, reflecting a portion of the fiscal year at both the old and new federal income tax rates.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company’s variability in cash flows from operating activities is dependent on the timing of inventory purchases and seasonal fluctuations. For example, periodically we have inventory “buy‑in” opportunities which offer more favorable pricing terms. As a result, we may have to hold inventory for a period longer than the payment terms. This generates a cash outflow from operating activities which we expect to reverse in later periods. Additionally, during the warm weather months which is our peak time of operations, we generally carry higher amounts of inventory to ensure high fill rates and customer satisfaction.

In general, the Company finances its operations through a credit agreement (the “Facility”) with Bank of America acting as the senior agent and with BMO Harris Bank participating in the loan syndication. The Facility included the following significant terms at September 2018:

The amount available for use on the Facility at any given time is subject to a number of factors including eligible accounts receivable and inventory balances that fluctuate day‑to‑day. Based on our collateral and loan limits as defined in the Facility agreement, the credit limit of the Facility at September 2018 was $69.5 million, of which $35.4 million was outstanding, leaving $34.1 million available.  

At September 2018, the revolving portion of the Company’s Facility balance bore interest based on the bank’s prime rate and various short‑term LIBOR rate elections made by the Company. The average interest rate was 3.83% at September 2018.

During fiscal 2018, our peak borrowings under the Facility were $54.4 million and our average borrowings and average availability was $27.3 million and $42.0 million, respectively. Our availability to borrow under the Facility generally decreases as inventory and accounts receivable levels increase because of the borrowing limitations that are placed on collateralized assets. At September 2018, our inventory and Facility had increased in comparison to September 2017 primarily related to opportunistic inventory purchases. We expect our inventory and Facility will return to normalized levels during the first quarter of fiscal 2019 as the associated inventory is sold and the Facility is paid down.

Cross Default and Co‑Terminus Provisions

The Company owns real estate in Bismarck, ND, Quincy, IL, and Rapid City, SD, which is financed through a single term loan with BMO Harris Bank (the “Real Estate Loan”) which is also a participant lender on the Company’s revolving line of credit. The Real Estate Loan contains cross default provisions which cause it 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 September 2018. In addition, the Real Estate 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 for $0.5 million to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier as part of its self‑insured loss control program.

Off‑Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not have any off‑balance sheet arrangements.

Liquidity Risk

The Company’s liquidity position is significantly influenced by its ability to maintain sufficient levels of working capital. For our Company and industry in general, customer credit risk and ongoing access to bank credit heavily influence liquidity positions.

The Company does not currently hedge its exposure to interest rate risk or fuel costs. Accordingly, significant price movements in these areas can and do impact the Company’s profitability.

While the Company believes its liquidity position going forward will be adequate to sustain operations, a precipitous change in operating environment could materially impact the Company’s future revenue stream as well as its ability to collect on customer accounts receivable or secure bank credit.

OTHER MATTERS—Critical Accounting Estimates

GENERAL

The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, which require the Company to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, net revenue and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Company believes that the accounting estimates employed and the resulting balances are reasonable; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

The Company believes the following critical accounting policies reflect the significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Our critical accounting estimates are set forth below and have not changed during fiscal 2018.

ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS

NATURE OF ESTIMATES REQUIRED.  The allowance for doubtful accounts represents our estimate of uncollectible accounts receivable at the balance sheet date. We monitor our credit exposure on a daily basis and regularly assess the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts. Because credit losses can vary significantly over time, estimating the required allowance requires a number of assumptions that are uncertain.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  We estimate our required allowance for doubtful accounts using the following key assumptions.

INVENTORIES

NATURE OF ESTIMATES REQUIRED.  In our businesses, we carry large quantities and dollar amounts of inventory. Inventories primarily consist of finished products purchased in bulk quantities to be sold to our customers. Given the large quantities and broad range of products we carry, there is a risk that inventory may become impaired because it has become unsaleable or unrefundable, slow moving, obsolete, or because it has been discontinued. The use of estimates is required in determining the salvage value of this inventory.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  We estimate our inventory obsolescence reserve at each balance sheet date based on the following criteria:

DEPRECIATION, AMORTIZATION AND IMPAIRMENT OF LONG‑LIVED ASSETS, INCLUDING GOODWILL

Long‑lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment, intangible assets, and goodwill acquired in business combinations. Property and equipment and amortizable identified intangible assets are assigned useful lives ranging from 1 to 40 years. Indefinite‑lived intangible assets and goodwill are not amortized. Impairment of the Company’s long‑lived assets is assessed during the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter using both qualitative and quantitative analysis, or whenever events or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of such long‑lived assets may not be recoverable.

NATURE OF ESTIMATES REQUIRED.  Management has to estimate the useful lives of the Company’s long lived assets. In regard to the Company’s impairment analysis, the most significant assumptions include management’s estimate of the annual growth rate used to project future sales and expenses.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  For property and equipment, depreciable lives are based on our accounting policy which is intended to mirror the expected useful life of the asset. In determining the estimated useful life of amortizable intangible assets such as customer lists, we rely on our historical experience in addition to estimates of how long certain assets will generate cash flows. If impairment indicators arise, we then evaluate the potential impairment of property and equipment and amortizable identifiable intangible assets using an undiscounted future cash flow approach.

When evaluating the potential impairment of non‑amortizable indefinite‑lived assets and goodwill, the Company first assesses a range of qualitative factors, including but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry conditions, the competitive environment, changes in the market for the Company’s products and services, market prices, regulatory and political developments, entity specific factors such as strategy and changes in key personnel, and the overall financial performance for each of the Company’s reporting units. If after completing this assessment, the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, a quantitative evaluation is performed using the income approach (discounted cash flow method).

A discounted cash flow methodology requires the estimation of a wide range of factors including but not limited to:  (i) forecasting future earnings and cash flows (ii) determining the discount rate applicable to the earnings stream being discounted, and (iii) computing a terminal value at some point in the future. These estimations require significant judgment and include making assumptions such as sales growth rates including the addition of new retail stores, future store profitability, planned capital expenditures, our ability to control costs, the successful implementation of initiatives designed to enhance sales and improve inventory management, gross profit estimates, macroeconomic conditions, industry conditions, the competitive environment, changes in the market for the Company’s products and services, regulatory and political developments, entity specific factors such as strategy and changes in key personnel, working capital requirements, weighted average cost of capital, and current and anticipated operating conditions. The use of different assumptions or estimates for future cash flows could produce different results.

For goodwill impairment testing, the Company utilizes the guidance in ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” which the Company early adopted. ASU No. 2017-04 simplifies the measurement of potential goodwill impairments by permitting a methodology whereby a reporting unit’s carrying value is compared to its fair value and impairment charges are recognized for an amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. During fiscal 2018, the Company recorded goodwill impairment charges of approximately $1.9 million in its retail reporting unit fully impairing all goodwill in this reporting unit (see Note 5). The Company’s retail reporting unit operates in a hyper-competitive environment and incurred planned operating losses during fiscal 2018 in connection with the execution of its business strategy. To the extent that management's estimates of future performance for this reporting unit are not realized, our business plans for future operations change, or if there is a further

deterioration in the macro retailing operating environment, the future assumptions used in calculating the fair value of our retail reporting unit could differ and result in additional impairment charges. Accordingly, the Company can provide no assurances that it will not incur further asset impairment charges related to this reporting unit in future periods. 

At September 2018, the only remaining goodwill on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet related to goodwill allocated to our wholesale reporting unit which totaled $4.4 million. The Company determined that the estimated fair value of our wholesale reporting unit exceeded its carrying value at September 30, 2018 and that a 10% decrease in the estimated fair value would not have resulted in impairment charges for fiscal 2018.

INSURANCE

The Company’s insurance for workers’ compensation, general liability and employee‑related health care benefits are provided through high‑deductible or self‑insured programs. As a result, the Company accrues for its workers’ compensation liability based upon claim reserves established with the assistance of a third‑party administrator, which are then trended and developed. The reserves are evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Due to the uncertainty involved with the realization of claims incurred but unreported, management is required to make estimates of these claims.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  In order to estimate our reserve for incurred but unreported claims we consider the following key factors:

Employee Health Insurance Claims

Workers’ Compensation Insurance Claims

INCOME TAXES

The Company accounts for its income taxes by recording taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. These expected future tax consequences are measured based on provisions of tax law as currently enacted; the effects of future changes in tax laws are not anticipated. Future tax law changes, such as a change in the corporate tax rate, could have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

On a periodic basis, we assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and establish a related valuation allowance as appropriate. In performing our evaluation, we consider all available evidence, both positive and negative, to determine whether, based on the weight of the evidence, a valuation allowance is needed. Evidence used includes information about our current financial position and our results of operations for the current and preceding years, as well as all currently available information about future years, including our anticipated future performance, the reversal of deferred tax liabilities and tax planning strategies. When appropriate, we record a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets to offset future tax benefits that may not be realized.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  In determining whether a valuation allowance is appropriate, we consider whether it is more likely than not that all or some portion of our deferred tax assets will not be realized, based in part upon management’s judgments regarding future events.

In making that estimate we consider the following key factors:

REVENUE RECOGNITION

We recognize revenue in our Wholesale Segment when products are delivered to customers (which generally is the same day products are shipped) and in our retail health food segment when products are sold to consumers. Sales are shown net of returns, discounts, and sales incentives to customers.

NATURE OF ESTIMATES REQUIRED.  We estimate and reserve for anticipated sales discounts. We also estimate and provide a reserve for anticipated sales incentives to customers when earned under established program requirements.

ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH USED.  We estimate the sales reserves using the following criteria:

Our estimates and assumptions for each of the aforementioned critical accounting estimates have not changed materially during the periods presented, nor are we aware of any reasons that they would be reasonably likely to change in the future.

ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Accounting Pronouncement Adopted

 

During fiscal 2018, the Company adopted the following Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”). The adoption of these standards did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2015-11, "Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory". This ASU required 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.

 

In March 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. This ASU simplified several aspects of how companies account for share-based compensation, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statements of cash flows.

In January 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business.” This ASU provided guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses.

 

In January 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”. The new guidance simplified the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. This ASU required goodwill impairment to be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of its goodwill.

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (ASU 606). ASU 606 and related amendments 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. ASU 606 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal 2019 for the Company), and for interim periods within that fiscal year. The Company has substantially completed its assessment of the accounting required under ASU 606 and does not expect that the implementation of the new standard will have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements. The Company will adopt the standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective method and will include enhanced disclosures in conjunction with the adoption of this standard.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 "Leases”. This ASU and related amendments 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. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal 2020 for the Company), and for interim periods within that fiscal year. The Company is currently evaluating this ASU and its impact on our consolidated financial statements including the potential capitalization of all operating leases on the Company’s balance sheet.

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”, which introduces a forward-looking approach, based on expected losses, to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU also expands the disclosure requirements to enable users of financial statements to understand the entity’s assumptions, models and methods for estimating expected credit losses. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (fiscal 2021 for the Company) with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating this ASU and its potential impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10‑K, including 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.

 

 

ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of AMCON Distributing Company

 

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of AMCON Distributing Company and its subsidiaries (the Company) as of September 30, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements (collectively, the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2006.

 

Omaha, Nebraska

November 8, 2018

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

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

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

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

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

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