ASCENT INDUSTRIES CO. - Quarter Report: 2007 September (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
[X]
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
|
|
OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
|
For
the Quarterly Period Ended September 29, 2007
[ ]
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
|
|
OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
|
For
the Transition Period From _____ to ____
Commission
file number 0-19687
SYNALLOY
CORPORATION
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
|
57-0426694
(IRS
Employer
Identification
Number)
|
2155
West Croft Circle
Spartanburg,
South Carolina
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
|
29302
(Zip
code)
|
(864)
585-3605
|
(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days.
Yes X No
__
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated
filer" and "large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act.
Larger
accelerated Filer
__ Accelerated
filer __ Non-accelerated
filer X
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act).
Yes
__ No X
The
number of shares outstanding of the registrant's common stock as of November
7,
2007 was 6,237,305.
1
Synalloy
Corporation
Index
PART
I. FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements (unaudited)
|
|
Condensed
consolidated balance sheets – September 29, 2007 and December 30,
2006
|
|
Condensed
consolidated statements of income - Three and nine months ended September
29, 2007 and September 30, 2006
|
|
Condensed
consolidated statements of cash flows - Nine months ended September
29,
2007 and September 30, 2006
|
|
Notes
to condensed consolidated financial statements – September 29,
2007
|
Item
2.
|
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
Item
3.
|
Market
Risk
|
Item
4.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
|
|
PART
II. OTHER
INFORMATION
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
|
Signatures
and Certifications
|
2
PART
I: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Synalloy
Corporation
|
|||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets
|
Sep
29, 2007
|
Dec
30, 2006
|
|||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Note)
|
|
|||||||
Assets
|
|||||||||
Current
assets
|
|||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ |
26,156
|
$ |
21,413
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance
|
|||||||||
for
doubtful accounts
|
26,737,465
|
22,428,829
|
|||||||
Inventories
|
|||||||||
Raw
materials
|
13,602,511
|
17,361,355
|
|||||||
Work-in-process
|
18,961,204
|
13,323,868
|
|||||||
Finished
goods
|
13,497,894
|
10,860,239
|
|||||||
Total
inventories
|
46,061,609
|
41,545,462
|
|||||||
Income
taxes receivable
|
308,097
|
-
|
|||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
2,333,000
|
1,793,000
|
|||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
319,659
|
307,740
|
|||||||
Total
current assets
|
75,785,986
|
66,096,444
|
|||||||
Cash
value of life insurance
|
2,759,565
|
2,723,565
|
|||||||
Property,
plant & equipment, net of accumulated
|
|||||||||
depreciation
of $40,209,000 and $37,898,000
|
20,188,283
|
18,951,820
|
|||||||
Deferred
charges and other assets
|
1,536,752
|
1,585,337
|
|||||||
Total
assets
|
$ |
100,270,586
|
$ |
89,357,166
|
|||||
Liabilities
and Shareholders' Equity
|
|||||||||
Current
liabilities
|
|||||||||
Current
portion of long-term debt
|
$ |
466,667
|
$ |
466,667
|
|||||
Accounts
payable
|
12,697,174
|
11,775,703
|
|||||||
Accrued
expenses
|
8,555,748
|
6,043,750
|
|||||||
Current
portion of environmental reserves
|
259,609
|
226,053
|
|||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
-
|
1,200,198
|
|||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
21,979,198
|
19,712,371
|
|||||||
Long-term
debt
|
17,771,236
|
17,731,431
|
|||||||
Environmental
reserves
|
616,000
|
616,000
|
|||||||
Deferred
compensation
|
427,399
|
470,212
|
|||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
2,528,000
|
3,700,000
|
|||||||
Shareholders'
equity
|
|||||||||
Common
stock, par value $1 per share - authorized
|
|||||||||
12,000,000
shares; issued 8,000,000 shares
|
8,000,000
|
8,000,000
|
|||||||
Capital
in excess of par value
|
485,820
|
56,703
|
|||||||
Retained
earnings
|
63,969,108
|
54,921,022
|
|||||||
Less
cost of Common Stock in treasury:
|
|||||||||
1,762,695
and 1,864,433 shares
|
(15,506,175 | ) | (15,850,573 | ) | |||||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
56,948,753
|
47,127,152
|
|||||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders' equity
|
$ |
100,270,586
|
$ |
89,357,166
|
|||||
Note:
The balance sheet at December 30, 2006 has been derived from the
audited
consolidated financial statements at that date.
|
|||||||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
3
Synalloy
Corporation
|
||||||||||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Income
|
||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
||||||||||||||
Sep
29, 2007
|
Sep
30, 2006
|
Sep
29, 2007
|
Sep
30, 2006
|
|||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$ |
51,515,183
|
$ |
39,096,599
|
$ |
139,854,448
|
$ |
111,988,579
|
||||||||
Cost
of goods sold
|
44,539,138
|
32,887,726
|
115,745,273
|
96,511,481
|
||||||||||||
Gross
profit
|
6,976,045
|
6,208,873
|
24,109,175
|
15,477,098
|
||||||||||||
Selling,
general and administrative
|
||||||||||||||||
expense
|
3,041,844
|
2,810,061
|
9,527,861
|
8,279,233
|
||||||||||||
Gain
from sale of property and plant
|
-
|
(595,600 | ) |
-
|
(595,600 | ) | ||||||||||
Operating
income
|
3,934,201
|
3,994,412
|
14,581,314
|
7,793,465
|
||||||||||||
Other
(income) and expense
|
||||||||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
363,644
|
182,600
|
834,816
|
529,542
|
||||||||||||
Other,
net
|
(203 | ) | (32 | ) | (1,777 | ) | (621 | ) | ||||||||
Income
before income taxes
|
3,570,760
|
3,811,844
|
13,748,275
|
7,264,544
|
||||||||||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
1,311,000
|
1,403,000
|
4,768,000
|
2,660,000
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
2,259,760
|
$ |
2,408,844
|
$ |
8,980,275
|
$ |
4,604,544
|
||||||||
Net
income per common share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$ |
.36
|
$ |
.39
|
$ |
1.45
|
$ |
.75
|
||||||||
Diluted
|
$ |
.36
|
$ |
.39
|
$ |
1.42
|
$ |
.74
|
||||||||
Average
shares outstanding
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,236,263
|
6,127,077
|
6,203,083
|
6,119,582
|
||||||||||||
Dilutive
effect from stock
|
||||||||||||||||
options
and grants
|
110,989
|
115,951
|
112,691
|
111,678
|
||||||||||||
Diluted
|
6,347,252
|
6,243,028
|
6,315,774
|
6,231,260
|
||||||||||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
4
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
|
||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
|||||||
Sep
29, 2007
|
Sep
30, 2006
|
|||||||
Operating
activities
|
||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,980,275
|
$ |
4,604,544
|
||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash
|
||||||||
provided
by (used in) operating activities:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
expense
|
2,311,000
|
2,199,535
|
||||||
Amortization
of deferred charges
|
41,193
|
41,193
|
||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(717,000 | ) | (500,000 | ) | ||||
Utilization
of unrecognized tax benefit
|
(172,000 | ) |
-
|
|||||
Provision
for losses on accounts receivable
|
567,562
|
360,519
|
||||||
Gain
on sale of property, plant and equipment
|
-
|
(602,350 | ) | |||||
Cash
value of life insurance
|
(36,000 | ) | (36,000 | ) | ||||
Environmental
reserves
|
33,556
|
95,854
|
||||||
Issuance
of treasury stock for director fees
|
74,989
|
81,226
|
||||||
Employee
stock option and grant compensation
|
127,721
|
56,718
|
||||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(4,876,198 | ) | (1,354,108 | ) | ||||
Inventories
|
(4,516,147 | ) | (7,126,741 | ) | ||||
Other
assets and liabilities
|
(47,340 | ) | (172,270 | ) | ||||
Accounts
payable
|
921,471
|
2,980,993
|
||||||
Accrued
expenses
|
2,511,998
|
143,235
|
||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
(1,336,295 | ) | (157,320 | ) | ||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
3,868,785
|
615,028
|
||||||
Investing
activities
|
||||||||
Purchases
of property, plant and equipment
|
(3,547,463 | ) | (2,487,242 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from sale of property, plant and equipment
|
-
|
817,980
|
||||||
Proceeds
from note receivable
|
-
|
400,000
|
||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(3,547,463 | ) | (1,269,262 | ) | ||||
Financing
activities
|
||||||||
Net
proceeds from long-term debt
|
39,805
|
586,607
|
||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(927,189 | ) |
-
|
|||||
Capital
contributed
|
20,340
|
-
|
||||||
Proceeds
from exercised stock options
|
550,465
|
65,808
|
||||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by financing activities
|
(316,579 | ) |
652,415
|
|||||
Increase
(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
4,743
|
(1,819 | ) | |||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
21,413
|
2,379
|
||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$ |
26,156
|
$ |
560
|
||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
5
Synalloy
Corporation
Notes
To Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
September
29, 2007
NOTE
1-- BASIS OF
PRESENTATION
The
accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America for interim financial information and with the
instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they
do
not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete
financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting
of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation
have
been included. Operating results for the nine-month period ended September
29,
2007, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for
the
year ending December 29, 2007. For further information, refer to the
consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the
Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 30,
2006.
NOTE
2--INVENTORIES
Inventories
are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or
market.
NOTE
3--STOCK OPTIONS AND EMPLOYEE STOCK GRANTS
The
Company has three stock option plans in effect at September 29, 2007. A summary
of plan activity for 2007 is as follows:
Weighted
|
Weighted
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Average
|
Average
|
Intrinsic
|
||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
|
Options
|
Contractual
|
Value
of
|
Options
|
||||||||||||||||
Price
|
Outstanding
|
Term
|
Options
|
Available
|
||||||||||||||||
Outstanding
at
|
(in
years)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
December
30, 2006
|
$ |
9.64
|
282,150
|
4.1
|
$ |
2,512,000
|
207,100
|
|||||||||||||
Third
quarter:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Exercised
|
7.95
|
(13,800 | ) |
339,152
|
||||||||||||||||
Nine
Months:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Exercised
|
10.39
|
(132,407 | ) |
2,400,000
|
||||||||||||||||
Expired
|
12.14
|
(19,000 | ) |
369,730
|
||||||||||||||||
Outstanding
at
|
||||||||||||||||||||
September
29, 2007
|
$ |
8.51
|
130,743
|
4.9
|
$ |
1,646,085
|
207,100
|
|||||||||||||
Exercisable
options
|
$ |
7.79
|
87,289
|
3.7
|
$ |
1,162,007
|
||||||||||||||
Options
expected to vest
|
$ |
9.96
|
43,454
|
7.4
|
$ |
484,078
|
6
Synalloy
Corporation
Notes
To Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September
29,
2007
During
the third quarter and first nine months of 2007, options for 13,800 and 132,407
shares were exercised by employees and directors for an aggregate exercise
price
of $110,000 and $1,375,000. For the first nine months of 2007,
proceeds generated from the repurchase of 32,614 shares from employees and
directors totaled $825,000. There were no share repurchases during
the third quarter of 2007. As a result of stock option transactions
during the third quarter and first nine months of 2007, the Company received
cash of approximately $110,000 and $550,000, respectively. Stock option
compensation cost has been charged against income before taxes for the unvested
options of approximately $19,000 and $57,000 for the three and nine months
ended
September 29, 2007, respectively, and the three and nine months ended September
30, 2006, respectively. As of September 29, 2007, there was $177,000 of total
unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted
under
the Company's stock option plans which is expected to be recognized over a
period of 2.25 years.
On
February 8, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company approved stock grants
under the Company’s 2005 Stock Awards Plan, which was approved by shareholders
at the April 28, 2005 Annual Meeting. On February 12, 2007, 22,510 shares were
granted under the Plan to certain management employees of the Company. The
stock
awards vest in 20 percent increments annually on a cumulative basis, beginning
one year after the date of grant. In order for the awards to vest, the employee
must be in the continuous employment of the Company since the date of the award.
Any portion of an award that has not vested will be forfeited upon termination
of employment. The Company may terminate any portion of the award that has
not
vested upon an employee’s failure to comply with all conditions of the award or
the Plan. Shares representing awards that have not yet vested will be held
in
escrow by the Company. An employee is not entitled to any voting rights with
respect to any shares not yet vested, and the shares are not transferable.
Compensation expense totaling $563,000, before income taxes of approximately
$203,000, is being recorded against earnings equally over the following 60
months from the date of grant with the offset recorded in Shareholders’ Equity.
Approximately $28,000 and $71,000 of compensation cost has been charged against
income before taxes for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2007,
respectively. As of September 29, 2007, there was $492,000 of total unrecognized
compensation cost related to non-vested stock grants which is expected to be
recognized over a period of 4.25 years.
NOTE
4--INCOME TAXES
The
Company has adopted FASB Interpretation 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes”, at the beginning of fiscal year 2007. As a result of the
implementation the Company recognized a $995,000 decrease to reserves for
uncertain tax positions. This decrease was accounted for as an adjustment to
the
beginning balance of retained earnings on the Balance Sheet. Including the
cumulative effect decrease, at the beginning of 2007, the Company had
approximately $350,000 of total gross unrecognized tax benefits that, if
recognized, would favorably affect the effective income tax rate in any future
periods. During the third quarter of 2007, the Company recognized $172,000
of
these benefits or $.03 per share, leaving $178,000 accrued at September 29,
2007. The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax
as
well as income tax of multiple state jurisdictions. The Company has
substantially concluded all U.S. federal income tax matters and substantially
all material state and local income tax matters for years through 2002. The
Company’s continuing practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related
to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had $76,000 accrued
for
interest and $0 accrued for penalties at September 29, 2007. The Company
provided income taxes at an effective tax rate of 34.7 percent in the first
nine
months of 2007 compared to 36.6 percent in the same period last
year. The lower income tax rate resulted from recognizing tax
benefits and an increase in permanent differences which reduced taxable income
in 2007 compared to taxable income for 2006.
7
Synalloy
Corporation
Notes
To Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September
29, 2007
NOTE
5--PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS
On
February 8, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company voted to pay an annual
dividend of $.15 per share payable on March 15, 2007 to holders of record on
February 23, 2007, for a total cash payment of $927,000. The Board presently
plans to review at the end of each fiscal year the financial performance and
capital needed to support future growth to determine the amount of cash
dividend, if any, which is appropriate.
NOTE
6--SEGMENT INFORMATION
THREE
MONTHS ENDED
|
NINE
MONTHS ENDED
|
|||||||||||||||
Sep
29, 2007
|
Sep
30, 2006
|
Sep
29, 2007
|
Sep
30, 2006
|
|||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
||||||||||||||||
Specialty
Chemicals Segment
|
$ |
14,982,000
|
$ |
12,725,000
|
$ |
39,045,000
|
$ |
38,158,000
|
||||||||
Metals
Segment
|
36,533,000
|
26,372,000
|
100,809,000
|
73,831,000
|
||||||||||||
$ |
51,515,000
|
$ |
39,097,000
|
$ |
139,854,000
|
$ |
111,989,000
|
|||||||||
Operating
income
|
||||||||||||||||
Specialty
Chemicals Segment
|
$ |
1,106,000
|
$ |
647,000
|
$ |
2,239,000
|
$ |
2,235,000
|
||||||||
Metals
Segment
|
3,477,000
|
3,308,000
|
14,451,000
|
6,720,000
|
||||||||||||
4,583,000
|
3,955,000
|
16,690,000
|
8,955,000
|
|||||||||||||
Unallocated
expenses
|
||||||||||||||||
Corporate
|
648,000
|
556,000
|
2,109,000
|
1,545,000
|
||||||||||||
Plant
relocation costs
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
213,000
|
||||||||||||
Gain
from sale of plant & property
|
-
|
(596,000 | ) |
-
|
(596,000 | ) | ||||||||||
Interest
and debt expense
|
364,000
|
183,000
|
835,000
|
529,000
|
||||||||||||
Other
income
|
-
|
-
|
(2,000 | ) | (1,000 | ) | ||||||||||
Income
before income taxes
|
$ |
3,571,000
|
$ |
3,812,000
|
$ |
13,748,000
|
$ |
7,265,000
|
NOTE 7--SALE OF ASSETS
The
Company completed the movement of Organic Pigments’ operations from Greensboro,
NC to Spartanburg, SC in the first quarter of 2006, recording plant relocation
costs of $213,000 in administrative expense in the first quarter of 2006. The
Greensboro plant was closed at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and sold
for
a pre-tax gain of approximately $596,000 in the third quarter of
2006.
8
Synalloy
Corporation
Notes
To Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September
29,
2007
NOTE
8—RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Liabilities (SFAS 159). SFAS 159 is effective as of the beginning
of
the first fiscal year beginning after November 15, 2007, and is effective for
the Company on December 30, 2007. SFAS 159 provides companies with an option
to
report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value that are not
currently required to be measured at fair value. Accordingly, companies would
then be required to report unrealized gains and losses on these items in
earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The objective is to improve
financial reporting by providing companies with the opportunity to mitigate
volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets and
liabilities differently. SFAS 159 also establishes presentation and disclosure
requirements designed to facilitate comparisons between companies that choose
different measurement attributes for similar types of assets and liabilities.
SFAS 159 is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal year 2008 and is
not
expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial
statements.
9
Synalloy
Corporation
Item
2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results
of Operations
The
following is management's discussion of certain significant factors that
affected the Company during the three and nine months ended September 29,
2007.
Consolidated
sales for the third quarter were $51,515,000, increasing 32 percent compared
to
the same period one year ago. The Company’s consolidated net income
for the third quarter of 2007 decreased six percent to $2,260,000, or $.36
per
share compared to net earnings of $2,409,000, or $.39 per share on sales of
$39,097,000 in 2006. The Company generated a 95 percent increase in net earnings
for the first nine months of 2007 of $8,980,000, or $1.42 per share, on a 25
percent sales increase to $139,854,000, compared to net earnings of $4,605,000,
or $.74 per share on sales of $111,989,000 in the first nine months of 2006.
Included in net earnings in the third quarter and first nine months of 2006
was
an after tax gain from the sale of property and plant of $378,000, or $.06
per
share. Without the gain, the Company experienced 11 percent and 112 percent
increases in net earnings for the quarter and first nine months, respectively,
over the same periods last year.
The
Specialty Chemicals Segment achieved increases in sales and operating income
of
18 percent and 71 percent, respectively, in the third quarter of 2007 compared
to the third quarter of 2006. For the first nine months of 2007, the Segment
experienced an increase in sales of two percent and operating income was up
slightly over the same period last year. The majority of the increases in third
quarter revenues and profits came from contract manufacturing. In addition,
the
Segment’s basic manufacturing operations performed well for the quarter
resulting from a much improved demand for most of the Segment’s products. The
new line of fire retardant products continued to show progress but remains
below
expected levels. The combination of poor consumer demand for mattresses
reflecting the decline in the housing industry, coupled with some mattress
manufacturers utilizing fiber solutions with inherent fire retardant properties
instead of chemical treatment to comply with the fire retardant regulations
has
led to the slow sales growth.
The
Metals Segment achieved outstanding sales increases of 39 percent and 37 percent
for the third quarter and first nine months of 2007, respectively, from the
same
periods a year earlier. The increases resulted from a 70 percent and 65 percent
increase in average selling prices for the quarter and nine months,
respectively, partially offset by a 19 percent and 17 percent decline in unit
volumes, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. Operating income
increased five percent in the third quarter and 115 percent for the first nine
months of 2007 compared to the same periods last year. The decrease in Segment
unit volumes during the third quarter resulted from a 41 percent decline in
pipe
sales partially offset by much higher piping systems unit volume compared to
a
year earlier. The big unit volume decrease in pipe sales resulted primarily
from
significant declines in stainless steel surcharges in August, September and
October which caused distributors to delay purchases as much as possible to
get
the lower prices. There also was evidence of somewhat weaker end use demand
for
commodity pipe as the third quarter progressed. The unit volume decline in
the
nine months was also the result of lower pipe sales partially offset by higher
piping systems sales. The huge increases in average selling prices in the three
and nine months resulted partly from higher stainless steel surcharges in 2007
compared to 2006. Importantly, also contributing to the increase was
accomplishing our objective of expanding into markets that require larger pipe
sizes, higher-priced alloys, larger proportions of non-commodity products,
and
products fabricated by piping systems’ operations, allowing us to be less
dependent on commodity pipe sales. The change in product mix includes the
successful development of business from LNG, waste water and water treatment,
biofuels and electric utility scrubber projects. Many of the products produced
for these markets are subject to more stringent specifications including 100
percent x-ray of the weld seams. In addition, some of these non-commodity
products are made from expensive alloys and are more
10
Synalloy
Corporation
Item
2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results
of Operations – Continued
difficult
to produce. Accordingly, their cost and sales price are much higher than
commodity products. Increased sales of these products led to improved operating
income in the quarter and nine months despite the unusually weak commodity
pipe
results in the latest quarter. Profits resulting from higher stainless steel
prices including surcharges made a significant contribution to the increase
in
operating income in the nine months but only a modest contribution in the
quarter compared to comparable periods last year. Piping systems continued
to
experience the favorable impact of its strong backlog as operating income more
than tripled in both the third quarter and nine months of 2007 compared to
a
year earlier. Piping systems’ backlog continued to grow, reaching another record
level of $66,800,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2007 compared to
$34,200,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2006.
Consolidated
selling and administrative expense for the third quarter and first nine months
of 2007 increased $232,000, or eight percent, and $1,249,000, or 15 percent,
respectively, from the same periods of 2006. This expense category
was six percent of sales for the third quarter of 2007 and seven percent of
sales for the third quarter of 2006. For the first nine months, these
expenses were seven percent of sales for both 2007 and 2006. The
third quarter increase was comprised of higher salaries and wages, including
related employee benefits, bad debt expense and stock grant compensation
costs. In addition to these items, selling and administrative
expenses increased for the first nine months of 2007 when compared to 2006
due
primarily to higher profit-based incentives for management partially offset
by a
$213,000 loss on the relocation of Organic Pigment’s operations to Spartanburg
which was recorded during the first quarter of 2006.
The
Company completed the relocation of Organic Pigments’ operations from
Greensboro, NC to Spartanburg in the first quarter of 2006. The Greensboro
plant
was sold in August of 2006 for a sales price of $811,000 and a pre-tax gain
of
approximately $596,000 was recorded in the third quarter of 2006. Interest
expense for the three and nine months ending September 29, 2007 increased
$181,000 and $305,000, respectively, from the same periods in the prior year
due
to higher average debt levels for 2007 compared to 2006.
The
Company provided income taxes at an effective tax rate of 34.7 percent in the
first nine months of 2007 compared to 36.6 percent in the same period last
year. The lower income tax rate resulted from recognizing tax
benefits and an increase in permanent differences which reduced taxable income
in 2007 compared to taxable income for 2006.
Cash
provided from operations was $3,869,000 for the first nine months of
2007. This amount, combined with proceeds from the exercise of stock
options of $550,000, was almost entirely offset by $3,547,000 in purchases
of
property, plant and equipment and the payment of a $927,000 cash
dividend. The Company expects that cash flows for the remainder of
the year and available borrowings will be sufficient to make debt payments,
and
fund estimated capital expenditures and normal operating requirements
anticipated over the last three months of 2007.
Demand
during the third quarter of 2007 for many of the Specialty Chemicals Segment’s
products continued the improvement experienced over the last half of the second
quarter as market conditions continue to be favorable, and the Segment is
experiencing positive results from several new products developed earlier this
year. In addition, management is anticipating the continuation of orders in
the
fourth quarter that began in the third quarter from a significant contract
customer after experiencing lower than normal activity in the first six months.
Management continues to believe that we have a low-cost fire retardant product
line and with the price of inherent fire retardant fibers escalating, chemical
solutions should become more attractive; however, revenues are growing at a
slower rate than originally expected.
11
Synalloy
Corporation
Item
2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results
of Operations – Continued
All
of
these factors provide the opportunity for the Segment to improve profits in
the
fourth quarter of 2007 over the fourth quarter of 2006, and provide positive
momentum into the first half of 2008.
The
significant decline in nickel prices that led to lower surcharges on stainless
steel in the third quarter of 2007 ended, at least temporarily, as nickel prices
have increased more than 20 percent from the lows in mid August. Stainless
steel
surcharges, which are determined two months in advance of when they become
effective, increased in November from the lows in October and based on current
nickel prices will increase again in December. Although the volatility of nickel
prices over the past few months continues to negatively impact commodity pipe
sales, the recent price increases should improve distributor demand before
the
end of the year. However, the volatility of nickel prices makes it impossible
to
know whether the positive trend in surcharges will continue. These factors
add
uncertainty to the performance of commodity pipe during the fourth quarter
of
2007. The favorable experience realized by our non-commodity business in the
third quarter leads us to believe that the negative impact on profitability
from
commodity pipe will be mitigated because of our significant project business,
larger diameter and higher-priced alloy pipe business, most of which are subject
to fixed pricing. Piping systems’ record backlog, of which management expects
about 80 percent to be completed over the next 12 months, should continue to
provide a much higher level of sales and profits for piping systems in the
fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the same period last year. Management
continues to be optimistic about the piping systems business due to the large
dollar amount of projects we expect to bid during future months. With over
90
percent of the backlog coming from energy and water and wastewater treatment
projects, management is confident that it has positioned the Metals Segment
to
benefit from the long-term growth of these areas.
Safe
Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995
This
Form
10-Q includes and incorporates by reference "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the securities laws. All statements that are not historical
facts
are "forward-looking statements." The words "estimate," "project," "intend,"
"expect," "believe," "anticipate," "plan" and similar expressions identify
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those identified
below, which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical
results or those anticipated. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements. The following factors could cause actual
results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated:
adverse economic conditions, the impact of competitive products and pricing,
product demand and acceptance risks, raw material and other increased costs,
customer delays or difficulties in the production of products, unavailability
of
debt financing on acceptable terms and exposure to increased market interest
rate risk, inability to comply with covenants and ratios required by our debt
financing arrangements and other risks detailed from time-to-time in Synalloy's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Synalloy Corporation assumes no
obligation to update the information included in this Form 10-Q.
12
Synalloy
Corporation
Item
3. Market Risk
Information
about the Company’s exposure to market risk was disclosed in its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2006, which was filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2007. There have been no
material quantitative or qualitative changes in market risk exposure since
the
date of that filing.
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
Based
on
the evaluation required by 17 C.F.R. Section 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)
of
the Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in 17 C.F.R.
Sections 240.13a-15(e) and 240.15d-15(e)), the Company's chief executive officer
and chief financial officer concluded that such controls and procedures, as
of
the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, were
effective.
There
has
been no change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting
during the last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
reporting.
13
Synalloy
Corporation
PART
II: OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1A. Risk Factors
There
has
been no material change in the risk factors as previously disclosed in the
Company’s Form 10-K filed for the period ended December 30, 2006.
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds
During
the third quarter ended September 29, 2007, the Registrant issued shares of
common stock to the following classes of persons upon the exercise of options
issued pursuant to the Registrant's 1998 Stock Option Plan. Issuance of these
shares was exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933 because the issuance did not involve a public offering.
Number
of Shares
|
Aggregate
Exercise
|
||||||||
Date
Issued
|
Class
of Purchasers
|
Issued
|
Price
|
||||||
7/2/2007
|
Officers
and employees
|
9,000
|
$ |
87,430
|
|||||
7/16/2007
|
Officers
and employees
|
4,800
|
22,320
|
||||||
13,800
|
$ |
109,750
|
Item
6. Exhibits
|
|||||||||
The
following exhibits are included herein:
|
|||||||||
31
|
Rule
13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and
Chief
Financial Officer
|
||||||||
32
|
Certifications
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
|
||||||||
14
Synalloy
Corporation
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
|
|
|
|
SYNALLOY
CORPORATION
|
|
|
|
(Registrant)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
November 12, 2007
|
By:
|
/s/ Ronald
H.
Braam
|
|
|
Ronald
H. Braam
|
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
Date: November
12, 2007
|
By:
|
/s/ Gregory
M.
Bowie
|
|
|
Gregory
M. Bowie
|
|
|
Vice
President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
15