BALCHEM CORP - Quarter Report: 2008 March (Form 10-Q)
FORM
10-Q
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
(Mark
One)
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Quarterly
Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
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|
ý
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the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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For The
Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2008
or
o
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Transition
Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
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the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
transition period from ____________ to ____________
Commission
File Number 1-13648
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
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13-2578432
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
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(I.R.S.
Employer Identification Number)
|
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incorporation
or organization)
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||
P.O.
Box 600 New Hampton, New York
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10958
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(Address
of principal executive offices)
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(Zip
Code)
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845-326-5600
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||
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code:
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Indicate
by a 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 filing requirements for the
past 90 days.
Yes þ No o
Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See
the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer o
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Accelerated
filer þ
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Non-accelerated
filer o
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Smaller
reporting companyo
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Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes o No þ
As of May
5, 2008 the registrant had 18,117,111 shares of its Common Stock, $.06 2/3 par
value, outstanding.
Part
1 - Financial Information
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||||||||
Item
1. Financial Statements
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||||||||
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
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||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets
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||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except per share data)
|
||||||||
Unaudited
|
||||||||
Assets
|
March
31,
2008 |
December
31,
2007 |
||||||
Current
assets:
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ | 3,922 | $ | 2,307 | ||||
Accounts
receivable, net
|
29,838 | 29,640 | ||||||
Inventories
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18,841 | 15,680 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
1,727 | 2,456 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
620 | 515 | ||||||
Other
current assets
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1,652 | 1,871 | ||||||
Total
current assets
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56,600 | 52,469 | ||||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
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43,065 | 42,080 | ||||||
Goodwill
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26,376 | 26,363 | ||||||
Intangible
assets with finite lives, net
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32,561 | 33,451 | ||||||
Other
assets
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66 | 61 | ||||||
Total
assets
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$ | 158,668 | $ | 154,424 | ||||
Liabilities and
Stockholders' Equity
|
||||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
||||||||
Trade
accounts payable
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$ | 10,073 | $ | 11,190 | ||||
Accrued
expenses
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11,737 | 10,516 | ||||||
Customer
deposits and other deferred revenue
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- | 42 | ||||||
Current
portion of long-term debt
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7,493 | 7,379 | ||||||
Dividends
payable
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- | 1,975 | ||||||
Income
tax payable
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4,432 | 2,019 | ||||||
Revolver
borrowings
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3,160 | 3,209 | ||||||
Total
current liabilities
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36,895 | 36,330 | ||||||
Long-term
debt
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15,146 | 17,398 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
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5,939 | 6,087 | ||||||
Other
long-term obligations
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1,569 | 1,529 | ||||||
Total
liabilities
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59,549 | 61,344 | ||||||
Commitments
and contingencies (note 13)
|
||||||||
Stockholders'
equity:
|
||||||||
Preferred
stock, $25 par value. Authorized 2,000,000
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||||||||
shares;
none issued and outstanding
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- | - | ||||||
Common
stock, $.0667 par value. Authorized 25,000,000 shares; 18,106,189 shares
issued
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||||||||
and
outstanding at March 31, 2008 and 17,979,353 shares issued and outstanding
at
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||||||||
December
31, 2007
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812 | 804 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
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15,672 | 14,286 | ||||||
Retained
earnings
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82,481 | 77,840 | ||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
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154 | 150 | ||||||
Total
stockholders' equity
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99,119 | 93,080 | ||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders' equity
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$ | 158,668 | $ | 154,424 | ||||
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
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2
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
|
||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
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||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except per share data)
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||||||||
(unaudited)
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||||||||
Three
Months Ended
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||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
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|||||||
Net
sales
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$ | 56,861 | $ | 27,599 | ||||
Cost
of sales
|
43,378 | 17,858 | ||||||
Gross
margin
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13,483 | 9,741 | ||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||
Selling
expenses
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3,319 | 2,128 | ||||||
Research
and development expenses
|
782 | 569 | ||||||
General
and administrative expenses
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1,978 | 1,702 | ||||||
6,079 | 4,399 | |||||||
Earnings
from operations
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7,404 | 5,342 | ||||||
Other
expenses (income):
|
||||||||
Interest income
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(25 | ) | (45 | ) | ||||
Interest expense
|
323 | 84 | ||||||
Other, net
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(85 | ) | (11 | ) | ||||
Earnings
before income tax expense
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7,191 | 5,314 | ||||||
Income
tax expense
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2,550 | 1,873 | ||||||
Net
earnings
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$ | 4,641 | $ | 3,441 | ||||
Net
earnings per common share - basic
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$ | 0.26 | $ | 0.19 | ||||
Net
earnings per common share - diluted
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$ | 0.25 | $ | 0.19 |
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
3
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
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||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
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||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands)
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||||||||
(unaudited)
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||||||||
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
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||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||
Net
earnings
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$ | 4,641 | $ | 3,441 | ||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net earnings to
|
||||||||
net
cash provided by operating activities:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
1,901 | 952 | ||||||
Shares
issued under employee benefit plans
|
140 | 130 | ||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(244 | ) | (168 | ) | ||||
Foreign
currency transaction (gain) loss
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(88 | ) | - | |||||
Stock
compensation expense
|
622 | 392 | ||||||
Gain
on sale of equipment
|
- | (11 | ) | |||||
Changes
in assets and liabilities net of effects of acquisition:
|
||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
421 | (2,244 | ) | |||||
Inventories
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(2,891 | ) | (692 | ) | ||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
1,058 | 180 | ||||||
Income
taxes
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2,364 | 1,573 | ||||||
Customer
deposits and other deferred revenue
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(42 | ) | (329 | ) | ||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
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(673 | ) | (40 | ) | ||||
Other
long-term obligations
|
23 | 13 | ||||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
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7,232 | 3,197 | ||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||
Capital
expenditures
|
(1,236 | ) | (649 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from sale of property, plant and equipment
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- | 11 | ||||||
Intangible
assets acquired
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(17 | ) | (116 | ) | ||||
Acquisition
of assets
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(14 | ) | (32,085 | ) | ||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
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(1,267 | ) | (32,839 | ) | ||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||
Proceeds
from long-term borrowings
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- | 29,000 | ||||||
Revolver
borrowings
|
735 | - | ||||||
Revolver
repayments
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(1,000 | ) | - | |||||
Principal
payments on long-term debt
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(2,851 | ) | - | |||||
Proceeds
from stock options & warrants exercised
|
413 | 353 | ||||||
Excess
tax benefits from stock compensation
|
217 | 386 | ||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(1,975 | ) | (1,596 | ) | ||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by financing activities
|
(4,461 | ) | 28,143 | |||||
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
111 | - | ||||||
Increase
(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
1,615 | (1,499 | ) | |||||
Cash
and cash equivalents beginning of period
|
2,307 | 5,189 | ||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents end of period
|
$ | 3,922 | $ | 3,690 |
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
4
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
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||||||||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
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||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands)
|
||||||||
(unaudited)
|
||||||||
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Net
earnings
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$ | 4,641 | $ | 3,441 | ||||
Other
comprehensive income, net of tax:
|
||||||||
Unfunded
postretirement benefit plan - prior service cost and gain
|
||||||||
amortized
during period
|
(5 | ) | (3 | ) | ||||
Other
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9 | 3 | ||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$ | 4,645 | $ | 3,441 |
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial
statements.
5
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(All
dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
NOTE 1 - CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The
condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein have been prepared
by the Company in accordance with the accounting policies described in its
December 31, 2007 consolidated financial statements, and should be read in
conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes, which appear
in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
References in this report to the “Company” mean either Balchem Corporation or
Balchem Corporation and its subsidiaries, including BCP Ingredients, Inc.,
Balchem Minerals Corporation, and Balchem B.V., on a consolidated basis, as the
context requires.
In the
opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
furnished in this Form 10-Q include all adjustments necessary for a fair
presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for
the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring
nature. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles governing interim
financial statements and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of
Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and therefore do not
include some information and notes necessary to conform to annual reporting
requirements. Certain prior year
amounts have been
reclassified to conform to current year
presentation. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31,
2008 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results expected for the
full year or any interim period.
NOTE 2 - STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
STOCK-BASED
COMPENSATION
The
Company records stock-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123 (revised 2004),
“Share Based Payment” (“SFAS 123R”). The Company’s results for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 reflected the following stock-based compensation
cost, and such compensation cost had the following effects on net earnings and
basic and diluted earnings per share:
Three Months
Ended
March
31, 2008
|
Three Months
Ended
March
31, 2007
|
|||||||
Cost
of sales
|
$ | 66 | $ | 44 | ||||
Operating
expenses
|
556 | 348 | ||||||
Net
earnings
|
(412 | ) | (269 | ) | ||||
Basic
earnings per common share
|
(0.02 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||
Diluted
earnings per common share
|
$ | (0.02 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) |
6
As
required by SFAS 123R, the Company has made an estimate of expected forfeitures,
based on its historical experience, and is recognizing compensation cost only
for those stock-based compensation awards expected to vest.
Additionally,
since adoption of SFAS 123R, excess tax benefits
related to stock compensation are presented as a cash inflow from financing
activities. This change had the effect of decreasing cash flows from operating
activities and increasing cash flows from financing activities by $217 and $386
for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
The Company’s stock incentive plans
allow for the granting of restricted stock awards and options to purchase common
stock. Both incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options can be
awarded under the plans. No option will be exercisable for longer than ten years
after the date of grant. The Company has approved and reserved a number of
shares to be issued upon exercise of the outstanding options that is adequate to
cover all exercises. As of March 31, 2008, the plans had 343,328 shares
available for future awards. Compensation expense for stock options and
restricted stock awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting
period, generally three years for stock options, four years for employee
restricted stock awards, and four to seven years for non-employee director
restricted stock awards. Certain awards provide for accelerated vesting if there
is a change in control (as defined in the plans) or other qualifying
events.
Option activity for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is summarized below:
For
the three months
ended
March 31, 2008
|
Shares
(000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
|
||||||||||||
Outstanding
as of December 31, 2007
|
1,944 | $ | 10.66 | $ | 22,786 | |||||||||||
Granted
|
307 | 20.41 | ||||||||||||||
Exercised
|
(47 | ) | 8.78 | |||||||||||||
Expired
|
- | - | ||||||||||||||
Forfeited
|
- | - | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding
as of
March
31, 2008
|
2,204 | $ | 12.05 | $ | 23,947 | 6.9 | ||||||||||
Exercisable
as of
March
31, 2008
|
1,456 | $ | 9.12 | $ | 20,088 | 6.0 |
7
For
the three months
ended
March 31, 2007
|
Shares
(000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
|
||||||||||||
Outstanding
as of December 31, 2006
|
2,170 | $ | 10.13 | $ | 15,357 | |||||||||||
Granted
|
- | - | ||||||||||||||
Exercised
|
(101 | ) | 3.49 | |||||||||||||
Expired
|
- | - | ||||||||||||||
Forfeited
|
(4 | ) | 13.65 | |||||||||||||
Outstanding
as of
March
31, 2007
|
2,065 | $ | 10.45 | $ | 14,920 | 7.3 | ||||||||||
Exercisable
as of
March
31, 2007
|
1,187 | $ | 7.77 | $ | 11,770 | 6.3 |
SFAS 123R
requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange
for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the
award. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of the grant
using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average
assumptions: dividend yields of 0.4% and 0.3%; expected volatilities of 33% and
27%; risk-free interest rates of 3.7% and 4.1%; and expected lives of 3.4 and
3.7, in each case for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
The
Company used a projected expected life for each award granted based on
historical experience of employees’ exercise behavior. Expected volatility is
based on the Company’s historical volatility levels. Dividend yields are based
on the Company’s historical dividend yields. Risk-free interest rates are based
on the implied yields currently available on U.S. Treasury zero coupon
issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life.
Other
information pertaining to option activity during the three months ended March
31, 2008 and 2007 was as follows:
Three
Months Ended
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Weighted-average
fair value of options granted
|
$ | 6.38 | $ | N/A | ||||
Total
intrinsic value of stock options exercised ($000s)
|
$ | 610 | $ | 1,201 |
8
Non-vested restricted
stock activity for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is summarized
below:
Three
Months ended March 31, 2008
|
Shares
(000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
||||||
Non-vested
balance as of December 31, 2007
|
118 | $ | 16.49 | |||||
Granted
|
73 | 20.77 | ||||||
Vested
|
- | - | ||||||
Forfeited
|
- | - | ||||||
Non-vested
balance as of March 31, 2008
|
191 | $ | 18.10 |
Three
Months ended March 31, 2007
|
Shares
(000s)
|
Weighted
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
||||||
Non-vested
balance as of December 31, 2006
|
113 | $ | 16.40 | |||||
Granted
|
- | - | ||||||
Vested
|
- | - | ||||||
Forfeited
|
- | - | ||||||
Non-vested
balance as of March 31, 2007
|
113 | $ | 16.40 |
As of
March 31, 2008 and 2007, there was $5,347 and $3,619, respectively, of total
unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation
arrangements granted under the plans. As of March 31, 2008, the unrecognized
compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of
2 years. The Company estimates that share-based compensation expense for the
year ended December 31, 2008 will be approximately $2,343.
STOCK
SPLITS AND REPURCHASE OF COMMON STOCK
On
December 8, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a three-for-two
split of the Company’s common stock to be effected in the form of a stock
dividend to shareholders of record on December 29, 2006. Such stock dividend was
made on January 19, 2007. The stock split was recognized by reclassifying the
par value of the additional shares resulting from the split, from additional
paid-in capital to common stock.
All
references to number of common shares and per share amounts except shares
authorized in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements were
retroactively adjusted to reflect the effect of the December 2006 stock
split.
In June
2005, the board of directors approved an extension of and an increased
authorization to the Company’s stock repurchase program. The total authorization
under this program is 2,508,692 shares. Since the inception of the program, a
total of 1,307,867 shares have been purchased, none of which remained in
treasury at March 31, 2008 or 2007. During the three months ended March
31, 2008, no additional shares have been purchased. The Company intends to
acquire shares from time to time at prevailing market prices if and to the
extent it deems it advisable to do so based on its assessment of corporate cash
flow, market conditions and other factors.
9
NOTE 3 –
ACQUISITIONS
Akzo Nobel
Acquisition
Effective
April 30, 2007, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement dated March 30, 2007
(the “Akzo Nobel Asset Purchase Agreement”), the Company, through its European
subsidiary, Balchem B.V., completed an acquisition of the methylamines and
choline chloride business and manufacturing facilities of Akzo Nobel Chemicals
S.p.A., located in Marano Ticino, Italy (the “Akzo Nobel Acquisition”) for a
purchase price, including acquisition costs, of approximately $7,750.
The Akzo
Nobel Acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting
and the purchase price of the acquisition has been assigned to the net assets
acquired based on the fair value of such assets at the date of acquisition. The
allocation of the total purchase price, including acquisition costs, was based
on the estimated fair values as of April 30, 2007. The purchase price has been
allocated as follows:
Fair
Value Recorded
in
Purchase Accounting
|
||||
Property
plant & equipment
|
$ | 7,994 | ||
Short-term
receivable
|
2,462 | |||
Inventories
|
4,323 | |||
Goodwill
|
1,101 | |||
Other
|
83 | |||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
(8,213 | ) | ||
Total
|
$ | 7,750 |
Chinook
Acquisition
On March
16, 2007, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary BCP Ingredients, Inc.
("BCP"), entered into an asset purchase agreement (the "Asset Purchase
Agreement") with Chinook Global Limited ("Chinook"), a privately held Ontario
corporation, pursuant to which BCP acquired certain of Chinook's choline
chloride business assets (the “Chinook Acquisition”) for a purchase price,
including acquisition costs, of approximately $33,025. The
acquisition closed effective the same date.
The
Chinook Acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting and the purchase price of the acquisition has been assigned to the
net assets acquired based on the fair value of such assets at the date of
acquisition. The allocation of the total purchase price, including acquisition
costs, was based on the estimated fair values as of March 16, 2007. The purchase
price has been allocated as follows:
Fair
Value Recorded
in
Purchase
Accounting
|
||||
Customer
list
|
$ | 29,262 | ||
Inventory
|
1,840 | |||
Short-term
receivable
|
1,850 | |||
Other
|
73 | |||
Total
|
$ | 33,025 |
10
The
short-term receivable was included in other current assets.
Pro
Forma Summary of Operations
The
following unaudited pro forma information has been prepared as if the Chinook
Acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2007 and does not include cost savings
expected from the transaction. In addition to including the results of
operations, the pro forma information gives effect primarily to changes in
depreciation and amortization of tangible and intangible assets resulting from
the acquisition.
The pro
forma information presented does not purport to be indicative of the results
that actually would have been attained if the Chinook Acquisition had occurred
at the beginning of the period presented and is not intended to be a projection
of future results.
Pro
Forma
Three
Months Ended
|
||||
March
31,
|
||||
2007
|
||||
Net
sales
|
$ | 36,586 | ||
Net
earnings
|
3,916 | |||
Basic
EPS
|
.22 | |||
Diluted
EPS
|
.21 |
NOTE 4 -
INVENTORIES
Inventories
at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 consisted of the following:
March
31,
2008
|
December
31,
2007
|
|||||||
Raw
materials
|
$ | 7,100 | $ | 6,522 | ||||
Work
in progress
|
236 | 818 | ||||||
Finished
goods
|
11,505 | 8,340 | ||||||
Total
inventories
|
$ | 18,841 | $ | 15,680 |
NOTE 5 - PROPERTY, PLANT AND
EQUIPMENT
Property,
plant and equipment at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 are summarized as
follows:
March
31,
2008
|
December
31,
2007
|
|||||||
Land
|
$ | 2,261 | $ | 2,152 | ||||
Building
|
15,835 | 15,520 | ||||||
Equipment
|
46,390 | 45,599 | ||||||
Construction
in progress
|
3,855 | 3,067 | ||||||
68,341 | 66,338 | |||||||
Less:
Accumulated depreciation
|
25,276 | 24,258 | ||||||
Net
property, plant and equipment
|
$ | 43,065 | $ | 42,080 |
11
NOTE 6 –
INTANGIBLE ASSETS
The
Company had goodwill in the amount of $26,376 and $26,363 at March 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively, subject to the provisions of SFAS Nos. 141 and
142. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the increase in goodwill is
primarily attributable to the cost in excess of net assets acquired from the
Akzo Nobel Acquisition, as described in Note 3.
As of
March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the Company had identifiable intangible
assets with finite lives with a gross carrying value of approximately $37,267
and $37,248, respectively, less accumulated amortization of $4,706 and $3,797,
respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the increase
in the gross carrying amount is primarily attributable to patent and trademark
costs.
Identifiable
intangible assets with finite lives at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 are
summarized as follows:
Amortization
Period
(in
years)
|
Gross
Carrying
Amount
at 3/31/08
|
Accumulated
Amortization
at
3/31/08
|
Gross
Carrying
Amount
at
12/31/07
|
Accumulated
Amortization
at
12/31/07
|
||||||||||||||||
Customer
lists
|
10 | $ | 34,150 | $ | 4,031 | $ | 34,150 | $ | 3,178 | |||||||||||
Regulatory
re-registration costs
|
10 | 28 | 1 | 28 | - | |||||||||||||||
Patents
& trade secrets
|
15-17 | 1,632 | 335 | 1,621 | 311 | |||||||||||||||
Trademarks
& trade names
|
17 | 890 | 159 | 884 | 146 | |||||||||||||||
Other
|
5 | 567 | 180 | 565 | 162 | |||||||||||||||
$ | 37,267 | $ | 4,706 | $ | 37,248 | $ | 3,797 |
Amortization
of identifiable intangible assets was $909 for the first three months of 2008.
Assuming no change in the gross carrying value of identifiable intangible
assets, the estimated amortization expense for the remainder of 2008 is $2,732
and approximately $3,600 per annum for 2009 through 2013. At March 31, 2008,
there were no identifiable intangible assets with indefinite useful lives as
defined by SFAS No. 142. Identifiable intangible assets are reflected in
“Intangible assets with finite lives, net” in the Company’s condensed
consolidated balance sheets. There were no changes to the useful lives of
intangible assets subject to amortization during the three months ended March
31, 2008.
NOTE 7 – NET EARNINGS PER
SHARE
The
following presents a reconciliation of the net earnings and shares used in
calculating basic and diluted net earnings per share:
12
Three
months ended March 31, 2008
|
Net
Earnings
(Numerator)
|
Number
of
Shares
(Denominator)
|
Per
Share
Amount
|
|||||||||
Basic
EPS – Net earnings and weighted average common shares
outstanding
|
$ | 4,641 | 17,901,739 | $ | .26 | |||||||
Effect
of dilutive securities – stock options and restricted
stock
|
951,741 | |||||||||||
Diluted
EPS – Net earnings and weighted average common shares outstanding and
effect of stock options and restricted stock
|
$ | 4,641 | 18,853,480 | $ | .25 |
Three
months ended March 31, 2007
|
Net
Earnings
(Numerator)
|
Number
of
Shares
(Denominator)
|
Per
Share
Amount
|
|||||||||
Basic
EPS – Net earnings and weighted average common shares
outstanding
|
$ | 3,441 | 17,686,624 | $ | .19 | |||||||
Effect
of dilutive securities – stock options and restricted
stock
|
697,908 | |||||||||||
Diluted
EPS – Net earnings and weighted average common shares outstanding and
effect of stock options and restricted stock
|
$ | 3,441 | 18,384,532 | $ | .19 |
The
Company had stock options covering 315,200 and 384,525 shares at March 31, 2008
and 2007, respectively, that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share
in future periods that were not included in diluted earnings per share because
their effect on the period presented was anti-dilutive.
NOTE 8 – INCOME
TAXES
The
Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes”, or FIN 48, on January 1, 2007. FIN 48
clarifies whether or not to recognize assets or liabilities for tax positions
taken that may be challenged by a tax authority. Upon adoption of FIN
48, the Company recognized approximately a $291 decrease in its retained
earnings balance. The charge before federal tax benefits was $411.
The Company includes interest expense or income as well as potential penalties
on unrecognized tax positions as a component of income tax expense in the
consolidated statements of earnings. The total amount of accrued interest and
penalties related to uncertain tax positions at March 31, 2008 was
approximately $130 and is included in other long-term obligations. All of the
unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized in future periods, would impact the
Company’s effective tax rate. The Company files income tax returns in the U.S.
and in various states and foreign countries. In the major jurisdictions where
the Company operates, it is generally no longer subject to income tax
examinations by tax authorities for years before 2004. There was not a
significant change in the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits during the
three months ended March 31, 2008.
13
NOTE
9 - SEGMENT INFORMATION
Effective
with the quarter ending March 31, 2008, the Company has realigned its business
segment reporting structure to more appropriately reflect the internal
management of the businesses, largely due to the impact of the recent
acquisitions of 2007. The Company will continue to report three segments:
Specialty Products; Food, Pharma & Nutrition; and Animal Nutrition &
Health. Changes to the reporting segments are as follows: chelated minerals and
specialty nutritional products for the animal health industry, formerly reported
as a part of the encapsulated/nutritional products segment, are now combined
with the choline business (formerly BCP Ingredients) into a consolidated Animal
Nutrition & Health segment. The encapsulated/nutritional products segment
has been renamed Food, Pharma & Nutrition, focusing on human health. There
are no changes to the Specialty Products segment. Net sales and earnings before
income taxes have been reclassified for all periods presented to reflect the
segment changes.
Business
Segment Net Sales:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Specialty
Products
|
$ | 8,450 | $ | 8,061 | ||||
Food,
Pharma & Nutrition
|
9,289 | 7,212 | ||||||
Animal
Nutrition & Health
|
39,122 | 12,326 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 56,861 | $ | 27,599 |
Business
Segment Earnings Before Income Taxes:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Specialty
Products
|
$ | 2,598 | $ | 2,903 | ||||
Food,
Pharma & Nutrition
|
1,528 | 326 | ||||||
Animal
Nutrition & Health
|
3,278 | 2,113 | ||||||
Interest
and other expense
|
(213 | ) | (28 | ) | ||||
Total
|
$ | 7,191 | $ | 5,314 |
The
following table summarizes domestic (U.S.) and foreign sales for the three
months ended March 31, 2008 and March 31, 2007:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Domestic
|
$ | 35,028 | $ | 24,405 | ||||
Foreign
|
21,833 | 3,194 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 56,861 | $ | 27,599 |
14
NOTE 10 – SUPPLEMENTAL CASH
FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid
during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 for income taxes and
interest is as follows:
Three
months ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Income
taxes
|
$ | 296 | $ | 82 | ||||
Interest
|
$ | 323 | $ | 84 |
Other
supplemental non-cash transactions resulting from acquisitions are described in
Notes 3 and 11.
NOTE 11 – LONG-TERM DEBT AND
CREDIT AGREEMENTS
On April
30, 2007, the Company, and its principal bank entered into a Loan Agreement (the
“European Loan Agreement”) providing for an unsecured term loan of €7,500,
translated to $11,850 as of March 31, 2008 (the “European Term Loan”), the
proceeds of which were used to fund the Akzo Nobel Acquisition (see Note 3) and
initial working capital requirements. The European Term Loan is payable in equal
monthly installments of principal, each equal to 1/84th of the principal of the
European Term Loan, together with accrued interest, with remaining principal and
interest payable at maturity. The European Term Loan has a maturity date of May
1, 2010 and is subject to a monthly interest rate equal to EURIBOR plus 1%. At
March 31, 2008, this interest rate was 5.63%. At March 31, 2008, the
European Term Loan had an outstanding balance of €6,607, translated to
$10,439. The European Loan Agreement also provided for a short-term
revolving credit facility of €2,000, translated to $3,160 as of March 31, 2008
(the "European Revolving Facility"). The European Revolving Facility is subject
to a monthly interest rate equal to EURIBOR plus 1.25%, and accrued interest is
payable monthly. The Company has drawn down the European Revolving Facility in
full as of March 31, 2008. The European Revolving Facility has been
renewed for a period of one year as of May 1, 2008. As part of this
renewal, the European Loan Agreement was amended to increase the European
Revolving Facility to €3,000.
On March
16, 2007, the Company and its principal bank entered into a Loan Agreement (the
“Loan Agreement”) providing for an unsecured term loan of $29,000 (the “Term
Loan”), the proceeds of which were used to fund the Chinook Acquisition (see
Note 3). The Term Loan is payable in equal monthly installments of principal,
each equal to 1/60th of the principal of the Term Loan, together with accrued
interest, with remaining principal and interest payable at maturity. The Term
Loan has a maturity date of March 16, 2010 and is subject to a monthly interest
rate equal to LIBOR plus 1%. At March 31, 2008, this interest rate was 3.82%. As
of March 31, 2008, the Company has prepaid $11,000 of the Term Loan. At March
31, 2008, the Term Loan had an outstanding balance of $12,200. The Loan
Agreement also provides for a short-term revolving credit facility of $6,000
(the "Revolving Facility"). The Revolving Facility is subject to a monthly
interest rate equal to LIBOR plus 1%, and accrued interest is payable monthly.
No amounts are outstanding on the Revolving Facility as of the date hereof. The
Revolving Facility has a maturity date of May 31, 2009. Management
believes that such facility will be renewed in the normal course of
business.
15
NOTE 12 - EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
PLAN
The
Company currently provides postretirement benefits in the form of a retirement
medical plan under a collective bargaining agreement covering eligible retired
employees of its Verona, Missouri facility.
Net
periodic benefit cost for such retirement medical plan for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 and March 31, 2007 was as follows:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Service
cost
|
$ | 8 | $ | 7 | ||||
Interest
cost
|
11 | 10 | ||||||
Expected
return on plan assets
|
- | - | ||||||
Amortization
of transition obligation
|
- | - | ||||||
Amortization
of prior service cost
|
(4 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||
Amortization
of gain
|
- | (1 | ) | |||||
Net
periodic benefit cost
|
$ | 15 | $ | 11 |
The
amount recorded on the Company’s balance sheet as of March 31, 2008 for this
obligation is $823. The plan is unfunded and approved claims are paid from
Company funds. Historical cash payments made under such plan approximated $50
per year.
NOTE 13 – COMMITMENTS AND
CONTINGENCIES
As part
of the June 30, 2005 acquisition of certain assets relating to the
encapsulation, agglomeration and granulation business of Loders Croklaan USA,
LLC, the Company entered into a lease agreement with Loders under which the
Company leases a portion of Loders’ Channahon, Illinois facility where it
principally conducted the manufacturing portion of the acquired business and
utilized certain warehouse space. The initial term of the lease commenced in
February, 2006 and runs through September 30, 2010, subject to earlier
termination.
In
February 2002, the Company entered into a ten (10) year lease which is
cancelable in 2009 for approximately 20,000 square feet of office space. The
office space is now serving as the Company’s general offices and as a laboratory
facility. The Company leases most of its vehicles and office equipment under
non-cancelable operating leases, which expire at various times through 2013.
Rent expense charged to operations under such lease agreements for the three
months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 aggregated approximately $223 and $169,
respectively. Aggregate future minimum rental payments required under
non-cancelable operating leases at March 31, 2008 are as follows:
Year
|
||||
April
1, 2008 to December 31, 2008
|
$ | 634 | ||
2009
|
723 | |||
2010
|
272 | |||
2011
|
139 | |||
2012
|
59 | |||
Thereafter
|
35 | |||
Total
minimum lease payments
|
$ | 1,862 |
16
In 1982,
the Company discovered and thereafter removed a number of buried drums
containing unidentified waste material from the Company’s site in Slate Hill,
New York. The Company thereafter entered into a Consent Decree to evaluate the
drum site with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYDEC”)
and performed a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study that was approved by
NYDEC in February 1994. Based on NYDEC requirements, the Company cleaned the
area and removed additional soil from the drum burial site, which was completed
in 1996. The Company continues to be involved in discussions with NYDEC to
evaluate test results and determine what, if any, additional actions will be
required on the part of the Company to close out the remediation of this site.
Additional actions, if any, would likely require the Company to continue
monitoring the site. The cost of such monitoring has been less than $5 per year
for the period 2003 – 2007.
The
Company’s Verona, Missouri facility, while held by a prior owner, was designated
by the EPA as a Superfund site and placed on the National Priorities List in
1983, because of dioxin contamination on portions of the site. Remediation
conducted by the prior owner under the oversight of the EPA and the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources (“MDNR”) included removal of dioxin contaminated
soil and equipment, capping of areas of residual contamination in four
relatively small areas of the site separate from the manufacturing facilities,
and the installation of wells to monitor groundwater and surface water
contamination by organic chemicals. No ground water or surface water treatment
was required. The Company believes that remediation of the site is
complete. In 1998, the EPA certified the work on the contaminated
soils to be complete. In February 2000, after the conclusion of two years of
monitoring groundwater and surface water, the former owner submitted a draft
third party risk assessment report to the EPA and MDNR recommending no further
action. The prior owner is awaiting the response of the EPA and MDNR to the
draft risk assessment.
While the
Company must maintain the integrity of the capped areas in the remediation areas
on the site, the prior owner is responsible for completion of any further
Superfund remedy. The Company is indemnified by the sellers under its
May 2001 asset purchase agreement covering its acquisition of the Verona,
Missouri facility for potential liabilities associated with the Superfund site
and one of the sellers, in turn, has the benefit of certain contractual
indemnification by the prior owner that is implementing the above-described
Superfund remedy.
From time
to time, the Company is a party to various litigation, claims and
assessments. Management believes that the ultimate outcome of such
matters will not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial
position, results of operations, or liquidity.
NOTE 14 – NEW ACCOUNTING
PRONOUNCEMENTS
In June
2007, FASB ratified the consensus reached by the EITF on EITF Issue No. 07-3,
"Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services to Be Used
in Future Research and Development Activities" ("EITF 07-3"). EITF 07-3
addresses the diversity that exists with respect to the accounting for the
non-refundable portion of a payment made by a research and development entity
for future research and development activities. Under EITF 07-3, an entity would
defer and capitalize non-refundable advance payments made for research and
development activities until the related goods are delivered or the related
services are performed. The Company has adopted the provisions of EITF 07-3 as
of January 1, 2008 and it did not have a material impact on its financial
condition or results of operations.
17
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS
No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements," ("SFAS 157"). SFAS 157
defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures
about fair value measurements. The provisions of SFAS 157 are effective for
fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company has adopted the
provisions of this statement as of January 1, 2008 and it did not have a
material impact on its financial condition or results of
operations.
18
Item
2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations (All dollar amounts
in thousands)
This
Report contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which reflect our expectation
or belief concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Our
actions and performance could differ materially from what is contemplated by the
forward-looking statements contained in this Report. Factors that might cause
differences from the forward-looking statements include those referred to or
identified in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2007 and other factors that may be identified elsewhere in this
Report. Reference should be made to such factors and all forward-looking
statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary
statements.
Overview
We
develop, manufacture, distribute and market specialty performance ingredients
and products for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical, animal health and
medical device sterilization industries. Our reportable segments are strategic
businesses that offer products and services to different markets. Effective with
the quarter ending March 31, 2008, the Company has realigned its business
segment reporting structure to more appropriately reflect the internal
management of the businesses, largely due to the impact of acquisitions in 2007.
The Company will continue to report three segments: Specialty Products; Food,
Pharma & Nutrition; and Animal Nutrition & Health. Changes to the
reporting segments are as follows: chelated minerals and specialty nutritional
products for the animal health industry, formerly reported as a part of the
encapsulated/nutritional products segment, are now combined with the choline
business (formerly BCP Ingredients) into a consolidated Animal Nutrition &
Health segment. The encapsulated/nutritional products segment has been renamed
Food, Pharma & Nutrition, focusing on human health. There are no changes to
the Specialty Products segment. Business segment net sales and earnings from
operations have been reclassified for all periods presented to reflect the
segment changes.
Specialty
Products
Our
Specialty Products segment operates in industry as ARC Specialty
Products.
Ethylene
oxide, at the 100% level, is sold as a sterilant gas, primarily for use in the
health care industry. It is used to sterilize a wide range of medical devices
because of its versatility and effectiveness in treating hard or soft surfaces,
composites, metals, tubing and different types of plastics without negatively
impacting the performance of the device being sterilized. Our 100% ethylene
oxide product is distributed in uniquely designed, recyclable, double-walled,
stainless steel drums to assure compliance with safety, quality and
environmental standards as outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(the "EPA") and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Our inventory of
these specially built drums, along with our two filling facilities, represents a
significant capital investment. Contract sterilizers, medical device
manufacturers, and medical gas distributors are our principal customers for this
product. In addition, we also sell single use canisters with 100% ethylene oxide
for use in medical device sterilization. As a fumigant, ethylene oxide blends
are highly effective in killing bacteria, fungi, and insects in spices and other
seasoning materials.
19
We sell
two other products, propylene oxide and methyl chloride, principally to
customers seeking smaller (as opposed to bulk) quantities and whose requirements
include timely delivery and safe handling. Propylene oxide uses can include
fumigation in spice treatment, various chemical synthesis applications, to make
paints more durable, and for manufacturing specialty starches and textile
coatings. Methyl chloride is used as a raw material in specialty
herbicides, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, malt and wine preservers.
Food, Pharma &
Nutrition
The Food,
Pharma & Nutrition (“FP&N”) segment provides microencapsulation,
granulation and agglomeration solutions to a variety of applications in food,
pharmaceutical and nutritional ingredients to enhance performance of nutritional
fortification, processing, mixing, and packaging applications and shelf-life.
Major product applications are baked goods, refrigerated and frozen dough
systems, processed meats, seasoning blends, confections, and nutritional
supplements. We also market human grade choline nutrient products through this
segment for wellness applications. Choline is recognized to play a key role in
the development and structural integrity of brain cell membranes in infants,
processing dietary fat, reproductive development and neural functions, such as
memory and muscle function. The FP&N portfolio also includes granulated
calcium carbonate products, primarily used in, or in conjunction with, novel
over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals for the treatment of
osteoporosis, gastric disorders and calcium deficiencies in the United
States.
Animal Nutrition &
Health
Our
Animal Nutrition & Health (“AN&H”) segment provides the animal nutrition
market with nutritional products derived from our encapsulation and chelation
technologies in addition to basic choline chloride. Commercial sales
of REASHURE® Choline,
an encapsulated choline product that boosts health and milk production in
transition and early lactation dairy cows, delivers nutrient supplements that
survive the rumen and are biologically available, providing required nutritional
levels during certain weeks preceding and following calving, commonly referred
to as the “transition period” of the animal. Also, we market NITROSHURETM, an
encapsulated urea supplement for lactating dairy cows that is designed to create
a slow-release nitrogen source for the rumen, allowing for greater flexibility
in feed rations for dairy nutritionists and producers, and NIASHURETM, our
microencapsulated niacin product for dairy cows delivering niacin more
efficiently and helping to fight heat stress, and chelated mineral supplements
for use in animal feed throughout the world. Our proprietary chelation
technology provides enhanced nutrient absorption for various species of domestic
and companion animals. AN&H also manufactures and supplies basic
choline chloride, an essential nutrient for animal health, predominantly to the
poultry and swine industries. Choline, which is manufactured and sold on both
dry and aqueous forms, plays a vital role in the metabolism of fat and the
building and maintaining of cell structures. Choline deficiency can result in,
among other symptoms, reduced growth and perosis in poultry, and fatty liver,
kidney necrosis and general poor health condition in swine. Certain derivatives
of choline chloride are also manufactured and sold into industrial applications.
AN&H also manufactures and sells methylamines. Methylamines are a
primary building block for the manufacture of choline products and are also used
in a wide range of industrial applications.
20
We sell
products for all three segments through our own sales force, independent
distributors, and sales agents.
The
following tables summarize consolidated net sales by segment and business
segment earnings from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and
March 31, 2007:
Business
Segment Net Sales:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Specialty
Products
|
$ | 8,450 | $ | 8,061 | ||||
Food,
Pharma & Nutrition
|
9,289 | 7,212 | ||||||
Animal
Nutrition & Health
|
39,122 | 12,326 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 56,861 | $ | 27,599 |
Business
Segment Earnings From Operations:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||||
March
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Specialty
Products
|
$ | 2,598 | $ | 2,903 | ||||
Food,
Pharma & Nutrition
|
1,528 | 326 | ||||||
Animal
Nutrition & Health
|
3,278 | 2,113 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 7,404 | $ | 5,342 |
21
RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
Three
months ended March 31, 2008 compared to three months ended March 31,
2007
Net
Sales
Net sales
for the three months ended March 31, 2008 were $56,861, as compared with $27,599
for the three months ended March 31, 2007, an increase of $29,262 or 106.0%. Net
sales for the Specialty Products segment were $8,450 for the three months ended
March 31, 2008, as compared with $8,061 for the three months ended March 31,
2007, an increase of $389 or 4.8%. This increase was principally due to an
increase in sales volume, along with price increases for products in this
segment. Net sales for the Food, Pharma & Nutrition segment were
$9,289 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 compared with $7,212 for the
three months ended March 31, 2007, an increase of $2,077 or
28.8%. This result was driven principally by increased sales of
pharmaceutical-grade calcium and nutritional products, as well as increased
product sales in both the domestic and international food
markets. Net sales of $39,122 were realized for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 for the Animal Nutrition & Health segment, as compared
with $12,326 for the prior year comparable quarter, an increase of $26,796 or
217.4%. This result reflects sales of approximately $25,000 from the
customer list acquisition of Chinook Group Limited (“Chinook”) and from the Akzo
Nobel Acquisition, as described in note 3. Sales of our specialty
animal nutrition and health products targeted for ruminant production animals,
and companion animals increased 32% in this period or equal to 5% of the overall
AN&H growth.
Operating
Expenses
Operating
expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2008 were $6,079, as compared to
$4,399 for the three months ended March 30, 2007, an increase of $1,680 or
38.2%. This $1,680 increase was due primarily to $736 of additional
amortization expense, plus sales and technical personnel expense associated with
the Chinook and Akzo Nobel acquisitions, as well as increased accounting, tax,
and non-cash stock-based compensation recognition. We also incurred
approximately $164 of commercial development expenses toward our pharmaceutical
market initiatives in the quarter. With these increases, operating
expenses were 10.7% of sales or 5.2 percentage points less than the operating
expenses as a percent of sales incurred in last year's comparable
quarter. During the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, the
Company spent $782 and $569, respectively, on research and development programs,
substantially all of which pertained to the Company’s Food, Pharma &
Nutrition and Animal Nutrition & Health segments.
Business Segment Earnings
From Operations
Earnings
from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2008 increased to $7,404
compared to $5,342 for the comparative quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase
of $2,062 or 38.6%, due largely to the above-noted increase in sales.. Earnings
from operations for the Specialty Products segment were $2,598, a decrease of
$305 or 10.5%, as increases in sales volume and modest sales price increases
were offset by even higher raw material costs and the previously-noted increased
accounting, tax, and non-cash
22
stock-based
compensation recognition. Earnings from operations for Food, Pharma
& Nutrition were $1,528, an increase of $1,202 or 368.7%, due largely to
increased sales of pharmaceutical-grade calcium and nutritional products, as
well as increased volumes sold in both the domestic and international food
markets. Earnings from operations for Animal Nutrition & Health,
while unfavorably impacted by certain petro-chemical raw material cost
increases, improved to $3,278, an increase of $1,165 or 55.1%, and were
favorably affected by the acquisitions, previously-noted increased sales
volumes, and improved productivity.
Earnings
from operations as a percentage of sales (“operating margin”) for the three
months ended March 31, 2008 decreased to 13.0% compared to 19.4% for the
comparative quarter ended March 31, 2007, principally a result of the
previously-noted acquisition-related sales which carry a lower profit margin
than the Company’s other business segments. In addition, despite the
implementation of price increases, we were not able to fully recover cost
increases in certain petro-chemical raw materials, which continued or trended up
within the quarter. We continue to work on integration efficiencies, which,
along with expected growth in specialty animal nutrition and health products,
should result in improved operating margins in the Animal Nutrition and Health
segment, although the Company does not expect to see operating margins in this
segment return to pre-acquisition levels in the near term.
Other Expenses
(Income)
Interest
income for the three months ended March 31, 2008 totaled $25 as compared to $45
for the three months ended March 31, 2007. Interest expense was $323
for the three months ended March 31, 2008 compared to $84 for the three months
ended March 31, 2007. This increase is attributable to the increase
in average current and long-term debt resulting from the aforementioned Chinook
and Akzo Nobel acquisitions. Other income of $85 for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 is primarily the result of favorable
fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar (the
reporting currency) and functional foreign currencies.
Income Tax
Expense
The
Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
was 35.5% and 35.2%, respectively. This increase in the effective tax
rate is primarily attributable to a change in allocation relating to state
income taxes.
Net
Earnings
Primarily
as a result of the above-noted increase in sales and the noted raw material and
operating expense increases, net earnings were $4,641 for the three months ended
March 31, 2008, as compared with $3,441 for the three months ended March 31,
2007, an increase of 34.9%.
23
FINANCIAL
CONDITION
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL
RESOURCES
Contractual
Obligations
As part
of the June 30, 2005 acquisition of certain assets relating to the
encapsulation, agglomeration and granulation business of Loders Croklaan USA,
LLC, the asset purchase agreement provides for the contingent payment by the
Company of additional consideration based upon the volume of sales associated
with one particular product acquired by the Company during the three year period
following the acquisition. Such contingent consideration, if and when
paid, will be recorded as an additional cost of the acquired product
lines. No such contingent consideration has been earned or paid in
2008.
The
Company's other contractual obligations and commitments principally include
obligations associated with future minimum non-cancelable operating lease
obligations (including for the headquarters office space entered into in 2002),
long-term debt obligations and purchase obligations principally related to open
purchase orders for inventory not yet received or recorded on our balance
sheet.
The
Company knows of no current or pending demands on, or commitments for, its
liquid assets that will materially affect its liquidity.
During
the first quarter of 2008, there were no material changes outside the ordinary
course of business in the specified contractual obligations set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2007.
The Company expects its operations to continue generating sufficient cash
flow to fund working capital requirements and necessary capital investments. The
Company is actively pursuing additional acquisition candidates. The Company
could seek additional bank loans or access to financial markets to fund such
acquisitions, its operations, working capital, necessary capital investments or
other cash requirements should it deem it necessary to do so.
Cash
Cash and
cash equivalents increased to $3,922 at March 31, 2008 from $2,307 at December
31, 2007 primarily resulting from the information detailed
below. Working capital amounted to $19,705 at March 31, 2008 as
compared to $16,139 at December 31, 2007, an increase of $3,566.
Operating
Activities
Cash
flows from operating activities provided $7,232 for the three months ended March
31, 2008 compared to $3,197 for the three months ended March 31,
2007. The increase in cash flows from operating activities was
primarily due to an increase in net earnings, accounts receivable collections,
depreciation and amortization, stock compensation expense and income taxes
payable combined with a decrease in prepaid expenses. The aforementioned
increase in cash flows was partially offset by an increase in inventories and a
decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses.
24
Investing
Activities
Capital
expenditures were $1,236 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 compared to
$649 for the three months ended March 31, 2007. Assets acquired during the
quarter ended March 31, 2007 totaled $32,085, which was principally related to
the Chinook Acquisition (see note 3).
Financing
Activities
The
Company has a board of directors approved stock repurchase program. The total
authorization under this program is 2,508,692 shares. Since the inception of the
program, a total of 1,307,867 shares have been purchased, none of which remained
in treasury at March 31, 2008 or 2007. During the three months ended March
31, 2008, no additional shares have been purchased. The Company intends to
acquire shares from time to time at prevailing market prices if and to the
extent it deems it advisable to do so based on its assessment of corporate cash
flow, market conditions and other factors.
On April
30, 2007, the Company, and its principal bank entered into a Loan Agreement (the
“European Loan Agreement”) providing for an unsecured term loan of €7,500,
translated to $11,850 as of March 31, 2008 (the “European Term Loan”), the
proceeds of which were used to fund the Akzo Nobel Acquisition (see Note 3) and
initial working capital requirements. The European Term Loan is payable in equal
monthly installments of principal, each equal to 1/84th of the principal of the
European Term Loan, together with accrued interest, with remaining principal and
interest payable at maturity. The European Term Loan has a maturity date of May
1, 2010 and is subject to a monthly interest rate equal to EURIBOR plus 1%. At
March 31, 2008, this interest rate was 5.63%. At March 31, 2008, the
European Term Loan had an outstanding balance of €6,607, translated to $10,439.
The European Loan Agreement also provided for a short-term revolving credit
facility of €2,000, translated to $3,160 as of March 31, 2008 (the
"European Revolving Facility"). The European Revolving Facility is subject
to a monthly interest rate equal to EURIBOR plus 1.25%, and accrued interest is
payable monthly. The Company has drawn down the European Revolving Facility in
full as of March 31, 2008. The European Revolving Facility has
been renewed for a period of one year as of May 1, 2008. As part of
this renewal, the European Loan Agreement was amended to increase the European
Revolving Facility to €3,000.
On March
16, 2007, the Company and its principal bank entered into a Loan Agreement (the
“Loan Agreement”) providing for an unsecured term loan of $29,000 (the “Term
Loan”), the proceeds of which were used to fund the Chinook Acquisition (see
Note 3). The Term Loan is payable in equal monthly installments of principal,
each equal to 1/60th of the principal of the Term Loan, together with accrued
interest, with remaining principal and interest payable at maturity. The Term
Loan has a maturity date of March 16, 2010 and is subject to a monthly interest
rate equal to LIBOR plus 1%. At March 31, 2008, this interest rate was 3.82%. As
of March 31, 2008, the Company has prepaid $11,000 of the Term Loan. At March
31, 2008, the Term Loan had an outstanding balance of $12,200. The Loan
Agreement also provides for a short-term revolving credit facility of $6,000
(the "Revolving Facility"). The Revolving Facility is subject to a monthly
interest rate equal to LIBOR plus 1%, and accrued interest is payable monthly.
No amounts were outstanding on the Revolving Facility as of March 31, 2008. The
Revolving Facility has a maturity date of May 31, 2009. Management
believes that such facility will be renewed in the normal course of
business.
25
Proceeds
from stock options exercised totaled $413 and $353 for the three months ended
March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Dividend payments were $1,975 and $1,596
for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Other Matters Impacting
Liquidity
The
Company currently provides postretirement benefits in the form of a retirement
medical plan under a collective bargaining agreement covering eligible retired
employees of its Verona, Missouri facility. The amount recorded on the Company’s
balance sheet as of March 31, 2008 for this obligation is $823. The
postretirement plan is not funded. Historical cash payments made under such plan
have approximated $50 per year.
Critical Accounting
Policies
There
were no changes to the Company’s Critical Accounting Policies, as described in
its December 31, 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K, during the three months ended
March 31, 2008.
Related Party
Transactions
The
Company was not engaged in related party transactions during the three months
ended March 31, 2008 and all transactions of the Company during such period were
at arms length.
26
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
about Market Risk
Cash and
cash equivalents are invested primarily in money market
accounts. Accordingly, we believe we have limited exposure to market
risk for changes in interest rates. The Company has no derivative
financial instruments or derivative commodity instruments, nor does the Company
have any financial instruments entered into for trading or hedging
purposes. As of March 31, 2008, the Company’s borrowings were under a
bank term loan bearing interest at LIBOR plus 1.00%, a second bank term loan
bearing interest at EURIBOR plus 1.00%, and a revolving line of credit bearing
interest at EURIBOR plus 1.25%. A 100 basis point increase or
decrease in interest rates, applied to the Company’s borrowings at March 31,
2008, would result in an increase or decrease in annual interest expense and a
corresponding reduction or increase in cash flow of approximately $258. The
Company is exposed to market risks for changes in foreign currency rates and has
exposure to commodity price risks, including prices of our primary raw
materials. Our objective is to seek a reduction in the potential negative
earnings impact of changes in foreign exchange rates and raw material pricing
arising in our business activities. The Company manages these financial
exposures, where possible, through pricing and operational means. Our practices
may change as economic conditions change.
27
Item
4. Controls and
Procedures
(a)
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Company’s management,
under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated, as of the end of
the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the effectiveness
of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (including its internal
controls and procedures.)
Based
upon management’s evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief
Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the
Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective in identifying the
information required to be disclosed in the Company’s periodic reports filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q, and ensuring that such information is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the
SEC’s rules and forms.
Balchem
Corporation, through its European subsidiary, Balchem B.V., completed an
acquisition of certain assets of Akzo Nobel S.p.A. (the Akzo Nobel Acquisition,
as defined and described in Note 3 of our notes to condensed consolidated
financial statements). Management’s assessment of and conclusion on the
effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (including its
internal controls and procedures) excludes the internal control over financial
reporting of Balchem B.V. and Subsidiaries. The acquisition contributed
approximately 19.9 percent of our net sales for the quarter ended
March 31, 2008 and accounted for approximately 18.1 percent of our
total assets as of March 31, 2008. Registrants are permitted to exclude
acquisitions from their assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures (including its internal controls and
procedures) during the first year if, among other circumstances and factors,
there is not adequate time between the consummation date of the acquisition and
the assessment date for assessing internal controls.
(b) Changes in Internal Controls
During
the most recent fiscal quarter, there has been no significant change in the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
28
Part
II.
|
Other
Information
|
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
There
have been no material changes in the Risk Factors identified in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
|
Exhibit
31.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule
13a-14(a).
|
|
Exhibit
31.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule
13a-14(a).
|
|
Exhibit
32.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of
Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States
Code.
|
|
Exhibit
32.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of
Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States
Code.
|
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.
BALCHEM
CORPORATION
|
|
By: /s/ Dino A.
Rossi
|
|
Dino
A. Rossi, Chairman, President and
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
Date: May 9, 2008
29
Exhibit
Index
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
Exhibit
31.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).
|
Exhibit
31.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).
|
Exhibit
32.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of
Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
|
Exhibit
32.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of
Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
|
30